Chapter 144

Jianzhou is located in the northern part of Yue State, ranking second in area among the thirteen states; its territory is mostly mountains, rivers, and hills, with sparse population, and it shares a border with the neighboring country of Yuanwu State. WWW. feiazw. COM

The Taiyue Mountains lie in the western part of Jianzhou, stretching for thousands of li in all directions; they teem with wild beasts and predatory birds, remain untouched by human presence, and occasionally spawn rumors from woodcutters and hunters who claim to have seen immortals and demons, lending the region an air of mystery.

Ordinary mortals could never imagine that the central region of this entire mountain range had long been occupied by the Huang Feng Valley, one of the Seven Great Immortal Sects, for thousands of years.

From above, it appears no different from other mountain ranges—steep peaks and lush forests—but in truth, it is entirely concealed beneath a massive mysterious array, all illusions; beneath lies a dense cluster of pavilions and halls, while immortals tread upon leaf-shaped magic artifacts, flying low and bustling about ceaselessly.

The current Sect Master of Huang Feng Valley, Zhong Ling, is over a hundred years old, yet still appears as a middle-aged man with three long beards; he has reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment and is known for his calm, composed nature and exceptional organizational skills, commanding great respect within the sect, with even the elders and his fellow disciples holding him in high esteem.

Yet this ever composed and self-assured Master Zhong now frowned deeply, seated on the main dais, helplessly watching a middle-aged man and an old man fiercely debating before him, while over a dozen other cultivators sat along the sides of the hall, each with differing expressions—these were all the managing officials of Huang Feng Valley.

"Brother Brother Murong! The recipients of the Foundation Establishment Pills were already decided months ago—why now cancel my nephew's allotment and give it to a lone cultivator? This is utterly unjust!" the old man shouted at the clean-shaven middle-aged scholar.

It was truly astonishing: though the old man was far older than the middle-aged man, he still addressed him as "elder brother."

"Brother Ye, this was an unforeseen circumstance! Events like this—someone arriving with a Shengxian Token to join our sect—occur only once every few centuries; how could we ignore it? We must make room for this newcomer by surrendering one Foundation Establishment Pill." The middle-aged scholar spoke calmly, unperturbed.

"But this man isn't from any immortal family—he's just a lone cultivator! Should he really get a Foundation Establishment Pill? I say letting him join the sect is enough; that alone is more fortune than he deserves!" The old man's face flushed red as he argued.

"Brother Ye, you can't speak like that! How do you know his ancestors weren't from an immortal family? Perhaps his lineage merely declined, forcing him to become a lone cultivator! Besides, who can guarantee their own family will never fall? What if one day your Ye family collapses—and your descendants come to us with a Shengxian Token—should we then deny them a Foundation Establishment Pill and merely let them join? If you dare swear such a curse before everyone here, I, Brother Murong Shan, will turn and walk away, never mentioning the Foundation Establishment Pill again."

The middle-aged man spoke with such conviction that the old man's face turned alternately pale and dark, speechless.

How could the old man dare swear such a curse with endless consequences? Even if he did, it would only mean this man, who had always been at odds with him, would abandon the matter—but who knew if others might still rise up?

"But why must it be my nephew's pill that's taken away? Why not someone else's?" The old man, unwilling to yield, shouted loudly.

"That's because your nephew performed so poorly in the test!" The middle-aged man shook his head with an air of regret.

Seeing the man's pretentious display, the old man gritted his teeth—but since his nephew's interests were at stake, he could not afford to remain silent, pressing on: "My nephew's rank was low, yes, but he wasn't the lowest! Aren't there two others below him?"

"You're right, Brother Ye—there are indeed two others ranked below your nephew. But their circumstances are exceptional. We must ask you to make this sacrifice." The middle-aged man spoke with evident regret.

"What's so exceptional? If you don't give me a reason I can accept, I won't swallow this injustice!" The old man, now desperate, issued a threat.

"Enough nonsense! What injustice? These two are truly exceptional—passing over them and selecting your nephew directly was my own approval. As for the reason—I would have explained it to you even if you hadn't asked."

Zhong Ling, seeing the old man speak so recklessly, scowled and rebuked him sharply.

The old man, hearing Zhong Ling speak thus, felt a chill—he knew there were two others ranked after his nephew, but he had no idea who they were; this ignorance was precisely what fueled his resentment. Could there truly be exceptions so great that even the fair and strict Sect Master would show favoritism?

Zhong Ling waved his hand, signaling the middle-aged scholar to return to his seat, then sighed and said:

"Brother Ye, your nephew will truly have to endure this hardship this time. One of the two others is the sole descendant of Master Master Hongfu in the mortal world. Though the girl originally failed the test, I personally selected her and placed her on the Foundation Establishment Pill list. Brother Ye, surely you wouldn't dare revoke her pill?"

Upon hearing the name Master Hongfu, the old man was startled, his face instantly paling with fear.

"If she is Master Master Hongfu's descendant, of course we must show her care—I would never dare disrespect an elder! I fully accept her placement." The old man's face was pale as he spoke.

Master Zhong, seeing the old man's reaction, was unsurprised; as the only female Core Formation cultivator in Huang Feng Valley, Master Master Hongfu's notorious protectiveness was known to all present. If they stripped the girl of her Foundation Establishment eligibility, not only would the old man suffer, but even the Sect Master himself might face dire consequences in the future.

"And what about the other one?" The old man still clung to hope, though he knew the remaining person must have a compelling reason—he asked anyway, holding on to a slim chance.

"The remaining one possesses a rare elemental affinity—wind. Is that reason enough?" Zhong Ling stroked his beard slowly.

The old man fell silent. Huang Feng Valley's rules explicitly stated: those with Heavenly Roots or Rare Elemental Affinities are prioritized for Foundation Establishment. There was no room for complaint.

Yet his nephew—though not his own grandson—had grown up under his eyes since the day he joined, and he loved him more than his own blood. How could he bear to tell him his Foundation Establishment eligibility had been revoked?

"So my nephew truly has no hope? If we wait another ten years, he will miss the optimal Foundation Establishment window—he will never enter that realm in this lifetime!" The old man's voice grew hollow, stirring murmurs among those seated nearby.

"Brother Ye, there may still be a way," spoke an old man with a gloomy face and hawk-like nose, offering comfort to the Ye elder.

"What? Brother Wu has a solution?" The Ye elder perked up instantly; within the sect, Brother Wu was famed for his cunning—perhaps he truly had a plan!

The Wu elder smiled faintly, not answering immediately, but instead turning to Zhong Ling and bowing respectfully: "Master, has the newcomer's elemental affinity been tested? What is his talent level?"

"It doesn't seem good. Brother Wang, you personally brought him and conducted the test—tell us." Zhong Ling addressed someone in the left row.

"Yes, Master. A pale green-robed middle-aged man rose and said calmly:

"The man is young, around nineteen or twenty, with a Level 9 initial stage in Wood-element basic cultivation. His elemental affinity is four-elemental, lacking Metal—he is a pseudo-elemental. Overall, his talent is extremely low, yet he must have experienced some rare fortune and trained diligently, or he could never have reached this level. Without further opportunities, he will likely never advance beyond Level 11 or 12 in basic cultivation and will never enter Foundation Establishment. Even if he takes a Foundation Establishment Pill, his chance of success is only one percent…"

"Good!" The Wu elder interrupted before Wang could finish, speaking loudly.

"What's good?" The Ye elder could no longer contain himself.

Others stared at the Wu elder in confusion; only Zhong Ling slightly furrowed his brow, sensing what was coming.

"Master, if the newcomer voluntarily relinquishes his Foundation Establishment Pill, does that not count as us breaking our promise?" asked the Wu elder.

"Of course not—but no one may use threats or coercion to achieve this. Otherwise, Huang Feng Valley's reputation would be ruined," Master Zhong gently reminded.

"Heh! Master, rest assured—I would never do such a thing." The Wu elder smiled, then turned to the Ye elder:

"Brother Ye, would you mind spending a little to buy his Foundation Establishment Pill? His talent is so low, his success rate so negligible—he'd likely gladly trade it for something more practical!" The Wu elder spoke with full confidence.

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