Su Twelve had never planned to team up with anyone. Seeing how things had unfolded only dampened his interest further, and he shook his head, refusing outright. “No. I’m used to acting alone.”
With that, he turned and squeezed into the crowd, finding a less conspicuous spot.
Zhu Hanwei wanted to persuade him further, but seeing Su Twelve’s firm attitude, he opened his mouth, then thought better of it. He gave up and returned to his three companions.
As soon as Zhu Hanwei approached, the young man at the third layer of Qi Condensation rolled his eyes. “I told you not to invite that kid, but you wouldn’t listen. Good thing he didn’t come, or we’d have another burden to drag around!”
“Exactly. That kid just started cultivating half a year earlier than us, becoming a Qi Condensation Cultivator one step ahead, that’s all. With his mixed spirit roots, he’s probably only just reached the second level of Qi Condensation by now. I’m currently at the peak of the second level of Qi Condensation, ready to step into the third level at any time.” Beside him, a square-faced young man chimed in with a hint of smugness.
“Still, that kid is quite arrogant. He doesn’t even know how to cherish an opportunity when it’s handed to him. Does he think he can pass the trial all by himself?” Another young man with an oval face pursed his lips.
“Enough about him. Once the trial is over and he fails the assessment, he’ll regret it when he realizes he’ll spend his whole life as a menial disciple!” the young man at the third layer of Qi Condensation said, cutting off the discussion.
Zhu Hanwei stood to the side with his head lowered. He maintained an apologetic smile and said nothing.
However, deep down, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Su Twelve wasn’t so simple.
He clearly remembered that among the four of them, the fastest cultivator—Chen Tie, now at the third layer of Qi Condensation—had needed a full seven months just to reach the first layer.
Naturally, Su Twelve was completely unaware of their discussion.
Having moved to an inconspicuous spot, he continued to wait patiently.
As the sun was about to rise, the massive plaza suddenly fell silent.
From within the great hall, three figures walked out.
The person in the center wore a long cyan robe and had the youthful complexion of a child despite his crane-white hair. It was precisely the Luofu Peak Master, Lu Mingshi.
Trailing behind him on either side were a young man and a young woman.
The man possessed sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes. He was tall, handsome, and carried a hint of arrogance between his brows. This was the genius Han Yu, who had entered Luofu Peak alongside Su Twelve and the others five years ago.
The woman had a graceful figure, eyebrows like distant mountains in spring, and eyes like autumn waters. Her devastating beauty rivaled that of a celestial maiden. A faint smile hung on her face, revealing two small dimples that made her presence feel like a warm spring breeze. This woman was Lu Mingshi’s granddaughter, and the universally acknowledged number one beauty of Luofu Peak, Xiao Yue.
The two walked side by side, looking like a golden boy and jade girl. Their cultivation was astonishing—both were actually at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Condensation. This chapter is updated first at novelping dot com.
The clothes and shoes they wore were far more magnificent than those worn by the crowd, emitting a faint radiance. They each carried a long sword on their backs, one cyan and one purple.
Shockingly, these clothes, shoes, and long swords were all High Grade Magical Artifacts.
Seeing these two, everyone in the plaza gasped. At this moment, they no longer felt mere envy, but outright jealousy!
What did it mean to be wealthy? This was true wealth!
In the crowd, Su Twelve also looked on with intense envy. What they could see were three Top Grade Magical Artifacts per person—but what about the things they couldn’t see?
He clearly saw that Han Yu and Xiao Yue each had a delicate small cloth pouch hanging at their waists.
Those were unmistakably two Storage Bags.
“The Peak Master’s personal disciples really are on a different level.”
“But Han Yu’s talent is simply too terrifying. In only five years, he’s actually cultivated to the peak of the sixth level of Qi Condensation?! No wonder the Peak Master views him in a different light.”
Su Twelve was not surprised by Xiao Yue’s cultivation. She had already begun cultivating five years ago.
But Han Yu truly shocked him.
Only at this moment did he realize how massive the gap was between a genius and an ordinary person.
He did not let the comparison shake him. He had no intention of competing with anyone; he only wanted to steadily grow stronger, find the man in black, and avenge his grandfather and the villagers.
At that moment, Lu Mingshi led Han Yu and Xiao Yue to the front of the plaza. His gaze swept across the crowd before he began speaking calmly.
“The focus of this Newcomer Trial is only one thing: collecting materials. These include all kinds of materials for artifact refining, pill refining, and so on.”
“In the end, the results will be tallied based on the quantity of materials collected. Those who gather more than ten second-grade materials may become Official Disciples.”
“To help everyone better collect materials, the Sect will issue each person a temporary Storage Bag, a Compendium of Materials, and a Teleportation Talisman.”
“The Teleportation Talisman requires ninety days to gather spiritual energy. After ninety days, it will automatically teleport the bearer back. Therefore, you must keep it safe and absolutely must not lose it.”
…
Lu Mingshi spoke concisely. Aside from introducing the trial rules, he also shared some information about the Ancient Restricted Zone.
It was practically identical to what Su Twelve had learned from Meng Tianyi, with only the details of how the restricted zone was discovered omitted. This chapter is updated first at novelping dot com.
After finishing his speech, Lu Mingshi’s gaze quickly swept across the crowd. His brows furrowed slightly, and he shook his head with visible dissatisfaction.
Although the plaza was crowded, Lu Mingshi saw little talent among them. To him, they were little more than nobodies, hardly worth mentioning.
Sighing, he turned to look at Han Yu and Xiao Yue beside him.
“This trial will take place in a new area. There will certainly be some danger, but the opportunities are substantial as well.”
“I cannot count on the others. Yu’er, this time it mainly depends on you! Although your Senior Sister’s cultivation is not bad, her current strength is slightly inferior to yours. You must take good care of her.”
The moment he spoke to them, Lu Mingshi’s face broke into a happy, amiable smile. Utter satisfaction was written all over the depths of his eyes.
“Master, please rest assured. Your disciple will certainly not fail your trust!” Han Yu said with a proud expression. He stood tall, his gaze firm.
Lu Mingshi nodded in satisfaction. Ignoring everyone else, he pulled Han Yu and Xiao Yue closer and continued giving them instructions in a low voice.
Lu Mingshi’s words sent a wave of excitement through the crowd.
A newly discovered Ancient Restricted Zone containing vast amounts of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures?!
This news was incredibly shocking.
For many disciples with ordinary aptitude, relying solely on hard cultivation made it impossible to achieve greatness.
Only by relying on Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures could they possibly advance further on the path.
Even ants cling to life. For many menial disciples who had long believed their path to immortality was hopeless, the fire of hope rekindled in their hearts at this very moment.
Su Twelve remained in the crowd, comparatively composed. He already knew this information. While the others were excited, he felt that the journey would be even more dangerous than he had imagined.
At that same time, two child attendants wearing disciple robes appeared, each carrying a large tray to the plaza.
On the trays were palm-sized, brand-new cloth pouches.
Those cloth pouches were precisely Low Grade space-type Magical Artifacts—Storage Bags.
Presenting his identity token, Su Twelve quickly received one.