Chapter 380: How Many Brain Cells Died to Get Back

Six months later.

On the training ground of Nameless Peak, two figures were cultivating, with dull thuds echoing across the entire peak.

"Come over and rest for a while; there's no rush." Gong Bingye called out softly to the two figures on the field.

"Alright, Sister Gong." Zhiqiao put down the longsword in her hand, grabbed a pastry from the table, and ate it with satisfaction.

"I'll come over in a bit." You Jiuling did not stop; her small frame endured the blows of the wooden stake mechanism, each strike landing on her body.

With every strike, You Jiuling bit her lips tightly, refusing to let out a cry. On her delicate face, sweat poured like rain, without a single complaint.

Each blow sent a stream of energy flowing through her limbs and meridians.

Zhiqiao was cultivating the "Sword Canon." You Jiuling, however, did not practice the "Sword Canon" but instead trained in the "Titanic Demon Body."

This technique originally had only three levels, but when imparted through initiation, it could be cultivated to the sixth level. Therefore, when Lin Fan had nothing to do, he pondered and wrote down all six levels, placing them on Nameless Peak.

You Jiuling wanted to follow her master's path, so she chose to cultivate the "Titanic Demon Body."

This technique was too arduous; for a child, it was extremely hard to endure.

After becoming Lin Fan's disciple, You Jiuling did not hold back. She wrote down the Heaven-grade superior technique "Heaven and Earth Five Thunder Palm" and placed it in the Nameless Peak Technique Pavilion.

When the final strike of the wooden stake slammed into You Jiuling's body, a warm current broke through the bottleneck.

The first level of the "Titanic Demon Body" was achieved.

You Jiuling wiped the sweat from her forehead, then came before Gong Bingye, showing a sweet smile, and grabbed a pastry, saying, "Thank you, Sister Gong."

During this time, Gong Bingye had resigned from her position as clan leader and stayed on Nameless Peak to take care of the two children.

"Junior Sister, Master said cultivation should have limits; take it slow, no rush." Although Zhiqiao was young, she had entered earlier, so she was no longer the youngest junior sister but had successfully become the senior sister.

"Senior Sister, that's not right. Cultivation requires perseverance; once you enter the state, you must press forward relentlessly until the end." You Jiuling shook her head while eating the pastry.

Zhiqiao pouted, "Junior Sister, I am the senior sister; you must listen to me."

"No, if the senior sister is wrong, the junior sister must point it out." You Jiuling shook her head again.

"Junior Sister, if you don't listen to the senior sister, I won't play with you." Zhiqiao, having finally become the senior sister, naturally wanted to enjoy the charm of being one.

"No, you can't blindly obey; you must have your own thoughts." You Jiuling picked up another pastry and said.

"Junior Sister, you must listen to the senior sister." Zhiqiao put one hand on her hip, imitating an adult.

"I won't listen." You Jiuling shook her head.

…

Gong Bingye watched this scene and smiled, "Alright, alright, stop arguing. Don't talk while eating."

"Sister Gong is right; don't talk while eating." You Jiuling said.

Zhiqiao pouted her little mouth, feeling a sense of defeat. She had thought that becoming the senior sister would mean having a follower, but she never expected this junior sister wouldn't listen to her at all.

Xiao Bai, resting nearby, let out a lazy roar, as if agreeing with the statement.

"Sister Gong, I've finished eating. I'm going to cultivate." You Jiuling wiped her mouth. "Senior Sister, don't slack off, or if I surpass you, you'll lose face."

"I won't lose to you!" Hearing this, Zhiqiao quickly swallowed the pastry and then continued her cultivation.

Zhang Ergou, who had been busy all along, looked at the two junior sisters, then gazed at the spirit statue in the distant hall, revealing a smile.

"Sect Leader, rest assured, we are all working hard."

During this time, Xuanyun Xian came once every month. Each time, she would guard the spirit statue for three days and three nights before quietly leaving.

The Desert Fourteen Bandits had also come a few times, each time reporting on how far they had gone on the path of robbery and what insights they had gained.

…

Inside that mysterious space.

Lin Fan could not move an inch. Finally, he sat cross-legged, entered a state of contemplation, and sensed everything around him.

In his contemplation, Lin Fan gradually entered a very magical state.

It was an indescribable situation. The light points, so close yet so far, seemed to float around him all the time.

He had no idea how much time had passed, nor what had happened in the outside world.

Lin Fan always wanted to wake up as soon as possible; he couldn't become a living dead.

As for whether his physical body would be damaged, Lin Fan had never worried about that.

With his current physical strength, no one could damage it in the slightest. The Indestructible Realm of physical strength was no joke.

At this moment, Lin Fan seemed to have found a way back, because in his contemplation, those light points seemed controllable.

Or perhaps the pattern formed by these light points was a maze. If he could find the exit, he could walk out and his consciousness would return to his body.

Seven months passed…

Eight months passed…

…

One year later.

The Sacred Sect was very lively today, with many people gathered at the mountain gate.

These people were all mortals. They gathered at the mountain gate because it was time for the Sacred Sect's recruitment.

For these mortals, they all wanted to join a great sect, become disciples, learn supreme techniques, and reach the pinnacle of life.

Some of these mortals were already not weak in cultivation, but to pursue higher realms, they had to enter a sect.

Those heavenly treasures were things they dreamed of.

Those high-grade techniques were also what they needed.

Among these mortals, some came from illustrious backgrounds, being royal children of a kingdom, while others were destitute, the poorest of the poor.

At this moment, the mortals coming for the assessment were whispering among themselves, discussing with each other.

"Silence." Suddenly, a figure appeared at the mountain gate, looking at the crowd with a dignified expression.

The people participating in the assessment all fell silent, their eyes burning with passion as they looked at the figure that had appeared.

This figure was Zong Hentian.

"For those participating in the assessment, the first trial is climbing the Heavenly Staircase." Zong Hentian said. Then he waved his hand, and those with cultivation suddenly found their cultivation seemed to be sealed.

The steps up to the Sacred Sect totaled over three hundred.

"Reach the top, and you pass the first trial."

After saying this, Zong Hentian walked upward directly.

The participants followed closely, scrambling to climb.

…

Time passed quickly. In the end, only half of them managed to persevere.

Those who failed were extremely disappointed, while those who succeeded were overjoyed and began chatting with each other.

At this moment, Zong Hentian stood before a spirit statue, raised his head, and showed a look of longing.

"All of you, shut up!" Hearing the participants talking loudly, Zong Hentian's face turned cold as he scolded.

"Everyone, raise your heads and look at this spirit statue for a day and a night." Zong Hentian looked at the statue and said softly.

At that moment, someone from the crowd timidly asked, "May I ask if this is the second trial?"

"No." Zong Hentian replied.

Hearing that it wasn't a trial, the crowd couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

Some who were usually arrogant and domineering complained inwardly.

"What's there to see in this broken statue?"

"Smiling like an idiot."

"Could that be a chicken? It's so ugly."

"The sect is really strange. Looking at this statue for a day and night, won't it blind us?"

Of course, these were just their inner thoughts; they dared not say them out loud. But now, wanting to join the sect, they had no choice but to look.

Zong Hentian looked at this batch of participants and then said, "The person in this spirit statue is a man of indomitable spirit. If anyone doesn't want to look, they can proceed to the second trial."

Hearing this, the crowd was delighted. Since they didn't have to look, why bother? They would naturally continue with the assessment. What was there to see in a broken statue?

Then, one by one, people followed Zong Hentian, but beneath the spirit statue, three people remained.

Those three were not standing but kneeling, kowtowing.

Those following Zong Hentian laughed inwardly, thinking, "Are these three fools? Standing wasn't enough; now they're kneeling."

"Aren't you participating in the assessment?" Zong Hentian asked the three.

"Sir, our country once suffered a beast tide, and this great man saved our country. We know he is from the Sacred Sect, so we traveled thousands of miles to come here, hoping to join the Sacred Sect." The three replied.

"Uncle Master, it seems there are many things about you that we don't know." Zong Hentian looked at the spirit statue again, then turned to the crowd following him. "You have been eliminated. Leave."

"Ah?" At this moment, the crowd was completely dumbfounded, having no idea what was happening. They hadn't even taken the second trial yet; how could it end like this?

"You three have passed the assessment. From now on, you are disciples of the Sacred Sect. Follow me." Zong Hentian pointed at the three and said, then ignoring the bewildered crowd, he prepared to leave.

The three were also dumbfounded. They hadn't expected to become disciples of the Sacred Sect so easily. This… this was too simple.

"Boom…"

Just then, a loud noise came from the spirit statue.

Zong Hentian, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped, his expression changed, and he looked at the spirit statue in disbelief.

"Could it be…?"

At that moment, a voice resounded through heaven and earth.

"Damn, how many hardships did I go through, how many brain cells did I waste, but I finally got out of the maze and came back…"