Xuantian Immortal Cultivation Record

Outside the entrance to the ancient sect ruins, Zhang Yuanjing, Liu Zhenxiong, and several Foundation Establishment cultivators from the Hou Tu Sect were waiting.

The ruins were open for twenty days, and this was the last day. Previously, all seven Qi Refining disciples from the Xuan Tian Sect, except for Zhou Yuming, had emerged, with four of them injured. Twenty-six Qi Refining disciples from the Hou Tu Sect had returned, ten were injured, and four were missing.

Liu Zhenxiong looked up at the sun several times, a worried expression on his face: "Fellow Daoist Zhang, let's wait a little longer. If your sect's disciple is still nowhere to be found, I will send people in to search. In any case, we must see him alive or dead."

Zhang Yuanjing was also slightly surprised. The outer sect deacon had given all eight of them life-saving measures. Not to mention Savage Blood Realm demons, even if they encountered ordinary Spirit Awakening stage demons, escaping wouldn't be a problem.

"It's fine. Since it's a trial, there will be danger, otherwise, wouldn't it be a game? If he really dies inside, then his skills are lacking, and there's nothing to say."

"Ah, thank you, Fellow Daoist Zhang, for your leniency. In any case, I will give you an explanation." Liu Zhenxiong cupped his hands repeatedly to show his gratitude.

As he spoke, a handsome young cultivator in a white robe rushed out of the ruins. He was slightly surprised to see figures flashing at the entrance. When he saw Zhang Yuanjing's position clearly, he exerted force under his feet and swept over: "Disciple Zhou Yuming greets Uncle Zhang, greets Sect Leader Liu."

"Oh, it's Zhou, Nephew Zhou!" Liu Zhenxiong was a little dazed after seeing that the person who came out of the ruins was Zhou Yuming.

He had originally planned that if he confirmed Zhou Yuming's death, he would pull Zhang Yuanjing into the ruins to investigate, thereby "discovering" clues of the Demonic Sect cultivator.

Zhang Yuanjing was very happy and smiled: "Not bad, not even injured. It seems you handled it with ease! How were the gains?"

Zhou Yuming lowered his head and replied: "This disciple's opportunities were average. I gained some spiritual herbs and a few pieces of spiritual gold. It's barely satisfactory."

Zhang Yuanjing waved his hand and scolded with a smile: "Well, the gains are good. You can't possibly empty all the spiritual objects that Sect Leader Liu and the others have painstakingly cultivated!"

Liu Zhenxiong, who was beside him, had returned to normal and followed with a smile: "It doesn't matter if they are emptied. I'm just afraid that Nephew Zhou and the others have high standards and don't like these things!"

After speaking, he turned to a Hou Tu Sect Foundation Establishment cultivator and said: "Junior Brother Zhao, take a few more people to find the remaining disciples. Check everywhere carefully, don't leave anyone out."

After that person selected a few people and left, Liu Zhenxiong said to Zhang Yuanjing again: "Fellow Daoist Zhang, since your sect's disciples are all gathered, let's return to the guest rooms first, so that the injured disciples can heal as soon as possible."

Zhang Yuanjing would never be so impolite. He repeatedly shook his head and said it was impossible, insisting on waiting until all the Hou Tu Sect disciples came out.

The sky gradually darkened, and the sun had long fallen behind the mountains. Only a few rays of setting sun penetrated the gaps in the mountains and landed behind Zhang Yuanjing. The evening breeze gently blew, bringing a hint of coolness.

The time for the secret realm to open had passed, and the four Hou Tu Sect disciples had not yet appeared, most likely having perished.

"My sect's disciples are useless, and I have troubled Fellow Daoist Zhang to wait for so long. Please return to the guest rooms to rest first!" Seeing that it was late, Liu Zhenxiong felt that there was no need to wait any longer, so he signaled a Foundation Establishment cultivator to lead Zhang Yuanjing and the others away.

Although Zhang Yuanjing was not very perceptive, he also knew that he could not stay here any longer. After all, some of the four fallen Hou Tu Sect disciples might have died at the hands of Xuan Tian Sect disciples.

About three hours later, several Foundation Establishment cultivators came out of the ruins with more than a dozen Qi Refining disciples. One of the Foundation Establishment cultivators stepped forward and whispered a few words to Liu Zhenxiong.

"Disappeared?"

"Yes, no corpses were found!"

"Is it possible that they were eaten by Spirit Awakening stage demons?"

"Except for the Flying Spirit Dog's territory, there were no traces of battle near the other Spirit Awakening stage demons."

"Did anyone see him come out?"

"Well, in the past few days, there were only five Qi Refining disciples guarding the entrance to the secret realm. After all, that person is a Foundation Establishment cultivator. If he has intentions, the Qi Refining disciples will definitely not be able to detect it."

"Hmph, at such a critical moment, the Foundation Establishment deacon on duty is still slacking off!"

"Sect Leader, there is no need to worry. In any case, the only one capable of killing the Flying Spirit Dog and taking the book is that person."

After staying in the Hou Tu Sect for more than a month, after all the disciples had recovered from their injuries, Zhang Yuanjing bid farewell to Liu Zhenxiong and the others, and set off back to the mountain with eight Qi Refining disciples and Huo Xiaokai, whom he had picked up along the way.

During this month, he diligently cultivated the Hou Tu Nourishing Qi Technique, and his progress was rapid. According to the standards set by the Hou Tu Moving Qi Technique, when the Hou Tu power first filled the dantian, it was considered the first level of great success.

After that, each time he broke through a level, the spiritual power would be compressed several times. When it filled the dantian again, he could advance another level. After a month of hard work, his Hou Tu Nourishing Qi Technique had broken through to the second level.

The first four levels of the technique only belonged to the Qi Refining realm. It was naturally as fast as a light boat for a Foundation Establishment cultivator like him to practice.

On the way back, Zhang Yuanjing handed over the control of the Wind Riding Chariot to Zhou Yuming, ignoring everything else and focusing on cultivating the Hou Tu Technique. When he returned to the mountain gate, the Hou Tu Nourishing Qi Technique had broken through to the third level, and the Hou Tu power had become several times purer.

When the Hou Tu Nourishing Qi Technique reached the third level, he could refer to the Hou Tu Moving Qi Technique to cultivate a life-saving technique called Earth Escape.

Many high-quality earth-attribute techniques have Earth Escape techniques, but usually, they can only be practiced above the Core Formation realm. The Xuan Tian Sect's Yellow Dragon Condensing Qi Technique is like this.

The third level of this Hou Tu Moving Qi Technique is only equivalent to the Qi Refining stage. Once it is completed, one can practice Earth Escape, which shows how magical this technique is.

The Earth Escape in the Qi Refining stage is actually a method of hiding in the earth and cannot be used to travel through the earth. However, when facing Foundation Establishment中期 cultivators who have not yet developed divine consciousness, it is definitely a life-saving technique.

If one reaches the Foundation Establishment realm, one can use Earth Escape to dive more than ten feet into the earth and can slowly escape in the earth.

Zhang Yuanjing has always valued life-saving techniques the most. He was overjoyed to obtain this magical technique and devoted himself to comprehending it.

Twenty-odd days passed quickly, and the group successfully arrived at the Qian Yuan Hall on Emerald Cloud Peak, the headquarters of the outer courtyard located in the northern part of Tianque Mountain.

Zhang Yuanjing left Zhou Yuming and Huo Xiaokai, dismissed the other seven, and took the two to find the Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge of assigning new Qi Refining disciples to handle the registration procedures and branch assignments for Huo Xiaokai.

Each of the seventy-two peaks of the outer sect has a Foundation Establishment cultivator stationed as the peak master to manage and teach Qi Refining disciples. At the same time, they are equipped with different numbers of Qi Refining deacons, mortal servants, and so on.

After entering the outer sect and registering, Qi Refining disciples will be randomly assigned to these seventy-two peaks, follow the peak master to cultivate, and accept tasks to serve the sect.

"Uncle Zhang, I cultivate on Lingxiao Peak. Just arrange Xiaokai to Lingxiao Peak, and I will definitely take good care of him." Seeing that Zhang Yuanjing left him to accompany Huo Xiaokai to handle the entry procedures, Zhou Yuming immediately guessed his intention.

Zhang Yuanjing smiled and said: "I have this intention. Back then, when I entered the Xuan Tian Outer Courtyard, I was only four years old, really too young. No one took care of me, and I was always bullied by children a few years older, and my life was a mess."

"Yes, when I entered the outer courtyard, I was six years old, two years older than you, but I couldn't live independently. The servants in charge of taking care of me were all rough country men who only took care of eating, washing clothes, and cleaning, not giving baths, not helping with dressing, and not mending clothes when they were torn," Zhou Yuming echoed.

Zhang Yuanjing's thoughts shuttled, and the bits and pieces of his childhood quietly emerged in his mind. He reached out and stroked Huo Xiaokai's head, and said softly:

"Child, after completing the entry procedures for you, you will have to live and cultivate on Lingxiao Peak alone. You heard what your Senior Brother Zhou said just now. You have to rely on yourself for many things and learn to live independently as soon as possible. If you really have difficulties, go to Senior Brother Zhou."

Huo Xiaokai nodded as if he understood, but tightly grabbed Zhang Yuanjing's clothes.

The Foundation Establishment cultivator in charge of assignment was named Hou Yuanlin, a burly middle-aged man who looked young and had the cultivation of the early Foundation Establishment stage. Zhang Yuanjing knew this person. He was Tu Tianyuan's disciple, always low-key, but very talented and extremely potential.

The Xuan Tian Sect's recruitment of outer sect disciples is extremely strict. Even if it is recommended by a Core Formation elder, one must pass three levels. The first is the innocence level, that is, a clean background with someone to vouch for; the second is the physical level, which must be a person with sound limbs before being recruited, because those with physical disabilities cannot practice the Xuan Tian Heart Technique; the third is the root bone level, which must have spiritual roots, and the spiritual root attributes must not exceed three spiritual roots, and they must be intelligent.

Of course, it is not completely without accommodation. Back then, Zhang Yuanjing could not be said to be intelligent, but because he was recommended by Qi Tianxiang, the chief disciple of the Nascent Soul at the time, he was kept.

Tu Tianyuan, Hou Yuanlin's master, was a loner, so Hou Yuanlin was the same. He had no friendship with Zhang Yuanjing, so naturally he would not let things go easily on the three levels, especially checking the background level strictly.

Zhang Yuanjing narrated the story of encountering a snake demon causing chaos and destroying the village. Hou Yuanlin wrote furiously, asking questions from time to time. After Zhang Yuanjing finished speaking, he asked Zhou Yuming again. Zhou Yuming then described in detail how Zhang Yuanjing ordered the Qi Refining disciples to save the villagers and how he discovered Huo Xiaokai. What he said was interlocked with what Zhang Yuanjing said and completely consistent. Hou Yuanlin also asked questions from time to time and recorded them one by one.

Zhang Yuanjing felt a little embarrassed and asked impatiently: "Junior Brother Hou, how is it, is there no problem!"

Hou Yuanlin lowered his head to proofread the text, without raising his head, and said: "There is no problem for now. You can first assess the remaining two levels. After passing, handle the entry registration and branch assignment procedures. After that, I will have to find the remaining seven Qi Refining disciples to verify."

"Still need to verify! Humph!" Zhang Yuanjing snorted angrily, "Junior Brother Hou, is your registration always so strict?"

Only then did Hou Yuanlin raise his head, take a serious look at Zhang Yuanjing, and then said with a calm face: "Head Wu issued an order ten years ago that when receiving outer sect disciples, the origin must be strictly reviewed. Those who cannot find out the origin, no matter how good the qualifications are, will not be accepted."

"Is there such a thing?" Zhang Yuanjing subconsciously turned his head to look at Zhou Yuming.

Zhou Yuming, a Qi Refining disciple, would not know these things, so he immediately shook his head and said he didn't know.

"Oh, since that's the case, then review it as it should be." Zhang Yuanjing also realized that he had asked the wrong person, so he had to hold back his anger and felt very depressed.

Perhaps seeing Zhang Yuanjing's angry face, or perhaps the strict review was only aimed at the background level, Hou Yuanlin reviewed the last two levels very quickly. Especially when measuring qualifications, he also nodded and praised Huo Xiaokai a few times, which made Zhang Yuanjing's anger subside a lot.

Afterwards, when assigning the direction, Hou Yuanlin did not make things difficult and readily followed Zhang Yuanjing's request to assign Huo Xiaokai to Lingxiao Peak.