The Romantic Cultivator

Ji Yuan and his party had found the trial entrance exactly as Zhao Liao had said; it was at a location hundred miles north of where Ji Yuan had killed the seventh rank profound beast and was at the bottom of a hidden valley and was too easy to miss it. However as there were too many cultivators nearby, it was actually easy to follow everyone into the hidden valley.

Hundreds of cultivators were already at the trial entrance and they were all staring at a red portal and several yellow portals that were in the place.

Zhang Liao was looking quite sheepish and was quite exhausted.

He had actually followed Ji Yuan to this place after persuading him that he would be a good guide to lead him to this place.

"Now that this desolate beast is killed, I can go to the trial with you now…"

Ji Yuan frowned. "But we are not going to party you when we are there. OK?"

Zhang Liao: …

"Alright…"

But he had never expected that Ji Yuan and his party were all high level cultivation experts and that it took them merely three hours to travel a hundred miles, leaving him completely exhausted as he tried to catch up with them.

As a matter of fact, he did not remember when was the last time that he had forced himself to run so fast.

But the worst wound to his bruised ego was that all five maidens did not bother to take a second glance at him and they were all looking at Ji Yuan for leadership.

Several cultivators from the Desolate Celestial Fraternity had turned ashen when they saw that it was Ji Yuan who was approaching the trial entrance.

Before Ji Yuan could greet them, these cultivators from the Desolate Celestial Fraternity had quickly exited the place.

"This trial is too difficult. Let's go elsewhere…"

Ji Yuan knew that they were afraid of him by now and that they may be here to kill him.

However there were also many cultivators from the Desolate Celestial Fraternity that had no animosity with him and they were greeting him. "Great Hero Ji Yuan. You are here…"

Zhang Liao was startled. "Great Hero?!"

Ji Yuan laughed as he greeted everyone. "Haha. Please continue with your trial. I am just taking the same trial as everyone here."

The hundreds of cultivators in the place were all looking into Ji Yuan's direction and were all wondering who he was.

Although this may be the second level and the number of worlds had quickly dwindled from thousands to several hundreds, it was still difficult to meet a familiar face. But all of a sudden they had noticed that most of the cultivators from the Desolate Celestial Fraternity were all greeting this handsome man without a beard that had an impish grin.

Ling Feiyue, Little Princess, Shui Xisi, Bai Qianfeng and Feng Minyue were all donning a curtain veil but their astonishing appearances could not escape notice.

Many of the cultivators were asking Ji Yuan curiously. "Is Dark Mistress Ling with you?"

They were all looking for Ling Feiyue who was always in her signature dark robe. Her dark robe is actually a profound treasure and it makes her easy to be identified.

However Feiyue was wearing an outer white robe to conceal her dark robe so it was hard to identify her in the group of five stately maidens.

And moreover all five maidens did not approach the rest of the cultivators from the Desolate Celestial Fraternity.

As Feng Minyue was wearing the robe style of the Nine Celestial Fraternity, many of the cultivators from the Desolate Celestial Fraternity ruled her out as Ling Feiyue as they secretly made a guess that Ling Feiyue may be among one of the four maidens instead of one of the five maidens.

However there were many cultivators that also concluded that Ji Yuan was a flirter and he may have picked up these maidens from the trials. After all, it was mathematically impossible for Ling Feiyue and Ji Yuan to meet in the same place so soon.

After Ji Yuan had packed the cultivators away, he quickly approached the black stele near the red portal.

Zhang Liao who was behind Ji Yuan said. "This trial is one of the most difficult trials that I've ever taken. Cultivation realms got nothing to do with overcoming this trial."

Ji Yuan was frowning and at the same time the five maidens had also touched the black stele.

The red portal was actually the real trial entrance. But in order to enter this red portal successful, the cultivator had to guess how many celestial fraternities were in the Celestial Realm.

Everyone got only one chance to answer this question correctly or else they would be taken elsewhere to other worlds and this trial would fail automatically.

The yellow portals were areas where the cultivators could enter to look for clues. There were altogether 6 yellow portals and a secret number was hidden inside the areas of the yellow portal. By combining the numbers of the yellow portals, they would have their answers.

Zhang Liao saw Ji Yuan's expressions and he was grinning now. "Brother Ji Yuan, I told you so. This trial is a little tough and it may take us months to solve the riddle of this trial."

Indeed Ji Yuan was frowning and he saw that there were many cultivators that were resting from their injuries. They must have met with some dangers as they entered the yellow portals.

Ling Feiyue smiled weakly to her group. "This trial is indeed tough to answer. We may have to explore all the yellow portals one by one. Maybe we should go elsewhere as this trial may be too time consuming."

Ji Yuan laughed. "I have an idea."

Everyone: ???

Ji Yuan said solemnly. "I have an idea to enter the red portal and I will require the aid of all the cultivators in this place."

The echo of Ji Yuan's voice reached to the ears of the hundreds of cultivators of in this small valley as everyone started to look into his direction?

"Is he boasting or what?"

"He knows the answers?"

"He has merely just arrived into this place."

"Do you believe him?"

"Let's hear him out first…"

Ji Yuan laughed as he turned to say to everyone. "It is quite easy and in no time we can easily enter the red portal together."

Feng Minyue, Little Princess, Shui Xisi, Qianfeng and Feiyue were all curiously looking at Ji Yuan.

Even Zhang Liao was startled. He knows the answer to the trial question?

Many of the cultivators were looking at Ji Yuan curiously and they were shouting. "So what is your idea?"

Shui Xisi was giggling. "I wonder what his smart idea is."

Feng Minyue took a subtle look at Shui Xisi. If she was not wrong, Shui Xisi actually knows the answer to this one.

Shui Xisi was also quietly looking at Feng Minyue and she could guess that Feng Minyue also knows the answer to this trial question since she is best friend with Fan Yuqing.

Ji Yuan had a smile on his countenance as he said confidently. "Easy. We shall have all the cultivators that have found the answers so far to write the number in front of the yellow portals. In this manner, we can save our time and at the same time we can all enter the red portal without any injuries."

All of the cultivators were all roaring with laughter now and they were shaking their heads.

They were all competitors, so how would they aid one another?

Some of them had even used their lives to pay for the answers so how could they share their secret number so easily?

"Hey you there." A cultivator mocked at Ji Yuan. "You're too naïve. Do you really think that we will share our answers with you? You have just come and do you really think that you can take advantage of us by playing your wits around us?"

Many of the cultivators were laughing. "That's right!"

"No way!"

"So we are going to give our hard earn answers to this new upstart here?"

"Fat hope!"

Zhang Liao was also smiling bitterly. "Brother Ji Yuan, this is not going to work."

Ji Yuan was frowning. "We should have a little trust with one another…"

But his voice was quickly drowned out by hundreds of loud laughter.

"He may be a beautiful face but he is also a fool!" A female cultivator giggled to her group.

"He is too naïve…"

"We are definitely not sharing with him on our secret number…"

"If he wants my secret number then he has to trade with another secret number!"

Shui Xisi had suddenly pulled Ji Yuan aside and into the company of the five maidens as she whispered. "Ignore them. I know the answer."

Ji Yuan was startled as he whispered back. "You know the answer?"

Shui Xisi chuckled. "Of course. There are altogether forty-seven celestial fraternities in the Celestial Realm, big and small."

Ji Yuan was startled. "So many?! Are you sure or not?"

Shui Xisi giggled softly. "I am very sure."

Feng Minyue nodded. "I am vouch for Maiden Sisi here."

Ji Yuan blinked his eyes. "How did the two of you know?"

Shui Sisi and Feng Minyue chuckled softly. "It is a secret."

Ji Yuan: …

Ling Feiyue, Little Princess, Qianfeng: …

Most of the celestial fraternities are unreachable and it is nearly impossible for anyone to know exactly how many celestial fraternities there are in the Celestial Realm.

Shui Xisi winked her eyes at Ji Yuan. "Now that we know the answer, shall we enter the red portal?"

Ji Yuan laughed as he whispered. "Of course! Let's go in immediately."

"But before we go in, I have something to settle first."

The five maidens: ???

Ji Yuan had suddenly turned around to say to the hundreds of cultivators. "Well, actually I do know the answer to this trial. Since you are not going to share the numbers of the yellow portals then I shall not share the number to the red portal. Good bye then and good luck to your trial!"

When Ji Yuan had said that, many of the cultivators were all laughing heartily.

"He must be a real joker…"

"How would he know the answer…"

"He must be pulling our leg…"

"This must be the funniest thing that I've ever known…"

All of a sudden many of the cultivators had stopped laughing as they shouted. "Look, look…"

Ji Yuan and his party had suddenly entered the red portal together…

"Did he really enter the red portal?"

"He won't die. Maybe he felt too awkward to stay around here…"

"He won't know the answer for sure…"

Zhang Liao was sighing softly. "Brother Ji Yuan, I know that this place is too awkward for you to stay. I told you so. This trial is quite difficult to complete. Hopefully we can meet again on the higher level soon…"

All of a sudden there were six names that appeared on the side of the red portal; the engravings were sudden and loud as though a mighty force was writing on the stone cliff itself.

The first name that had appeared on the stone cliff was Ji Yuan!

Many of the cultivators from the Desolate Celestial Fraternity were stunned as they shouted excitingly. "The name that has just appeared is from Great Hero Ji Yuan! He has cleared the red portal trial!"

"What?"

"He has completed the red portal trial?!"

"He really knows the answer?"

"Crap! Why didn't I believe him?!"

"It is too late to ask him to return now…"

"I can't believe that we have let the answer to this trial slips right in front of our nose…"

"How did he know the answer?!"

"Didn't he just come?"

"Impossible…"

Zhang Liao's jaws dropped as he stared at the red portal…

-

-

-

Inside the red portal, a beautiful voice asked in a spatial space. "How many celestial fraternities are there in the Celestial Realm?"

Ji Yuan answered with a weak smile. "47…"

This has better be the correct answer or we will all be sent to separate places…

There was a pause before the beautiful voice answered. "You have successfully completed the trial and you will receive the reward of this level as well as have your name engraved where the red portal is…"

Ji Yuan laughed. "Haha. This trial is too easy…"

All of a sudden the beautiful voice gasped softly. "Xiang'xiang Li'mu'er. Is that you who is inside this man's soul sea?"

Xiang Li floated out of Ji Yuan's soul sea as she curiously stared at the empty space. "I am Xiang Li now. Who are you? And how did you know my name?…"

Ji Yuan: ???

"Xiang Li, you have a friend here?"

"Or maybe an enemy…" He could not resist adding.

The beautiful voice quietly answered with a soft sigh. "We used to be friends together…"