Sect competition! Foundation Building Pill

Half a month passed quickly.

During this fortnight, Ye Tian diligently cultivated every day, absorbing Qi to consolidate his Dantian. His cultivation level soared from the first layer of Qi Condensation to the ninth.

Fortunately, Ye Tian locked himself in his room every day, shutting the door to cultivate. His cultivation room was not far from Chen Su's, a crucial area within the Taoist temple, so his progress did not become too widely known for the time being.

Otherwise, if such a cultivation speed were to spread, it would undoubtedly cause a great disturbance!

On this day, Ye Tian was sitting in meditation when he heard a knock on the door. It was Chen Su.

Seeing Chen Su arrive, Ye Tian immediately stood up.

"Teacher, aren't you in closed-door cultivation? Why have you come?"

Chen Su looked at Ye Tian with a delighted expression.

"I was worried that there might be something wrong with your cultivation, so I thought I'd come out and take a look. I didn't expect you to have broken through several realms in just half a month, reaching the ninth layer of Qi Condensation!"

"Ordinary cultivators require at least a year to progress from the first layer to the ninth layer of Qi Condensation. Those with poorer aptitude may even need two or three years. You've only used half a month. You're just one step away from perfection. Such an aptitude is truly extraordinary!"

"It seems that the ancient texts were not wrong. The aptitude of the Immaculate Celestial Body is indeed top-tier!"

At this moment, Chen Su's face was filled with uncontainable joy. With a wave of his hand, a sandalwood box appeared in his grasp.

"Here are three Foundation Establishment Pellets."

"When cultivators reach Qi Condensation Perfection, they need to consume Foundation Establishment Pellets as an aid to break through and establish their foundation. Keep these precious pellets well!"

"If you need more, feel free to come to me!"

Looking at the Foundation Establishment Pellets handed over by Chen Su, Ye Tian expressed his gratitude with a filled heart.

"I will definitely bear Teacher's words in mind!"

"Well, I will continue my closed-door cultivation now."

Seeing Ye Tian accept the Foundation Establishment Pellets, Chen Su nodded and turned to leave. However, as if he remembered something, he turned around before leaving and said to Ye Tian,

"Oh, by the way, there will be a sect competition for Qi Condensation cultivators in our Qingcheng Taoist Temple in a few days. If you're interested, you can go and watch. There's no need to participate, though. The top prize is already in your hands. Just go to broaden your horizons."

Upon hearing this, Ye Tian couldn't help but feel slightly taken aback before nodding in agreement.

…

"Senior Brother Zhou, have you registered for the competition?"

On the way to the sect competition ground, Ye Tian asked Zhou Yun with some curiosity.

After hearing about the sect competition from Chen Su, Ye Tian had made an appointment with Zhou Yun to go and watch the scene together.

Zhou Yun pursed his lips.

"Yes, I have. My aptitude is not very good, and I only have this temporary position as an inner disciple through connections. Now that I've reached Qi Condensation Perfection, if I can win a ranking in the competition and obtain the reward of Foundation Establishment Pellets, I'll have a chance to establish my foundation."

"Once I succeed in establishing my foundation, I'll become a bona fide inner disciple, and no one will dare to gossip behind my back and call me a nephew through connections anymore."

Saying this, Zhou Yun looked at Ye Tian with envy.

"Unlike Junior Brother Ye, you've only been in the sect for just over half a month and are already at the ninth layer of Qi Condensation. You've even obtained Foundation Establishment Pellets as a reward from the sect leader's personal bestowal. Such an aptitude, if it were to spread, would definitely attract envy."

"What do you think? Do you need me to help you make a fuss and promote this talented disciple of yours?"

Ye Tian shook his head in refusal upon hearing this.

"No need."

He was not fond of showing off. Despite acknowledging his status as Chen Su's disciple, he still had some doubts in his heart, occasionally recalling the horrifying scenes he had previously witnessed.

As they chatted, the two of them arrived at the sect's square and blended into the crowd. Since Ye Tian had only been in the sect for a short time and had been cultivating diligently in his room, most of the sect disciples did not recognize him. Thus, there were no troublesome social interactions for him.

He simply mingled with the crowd, watching the smiling faces of the Qingcheng Taoist Temple disciples around him.

The competition soon began. With the announcement of a sect elder, numerous Qi Condensation disciples took to the stage, fighting fiercely against each other.

According to Zhou Yun, the knowledgeable senior brother of Qingcheng Taoist Temple, the sect held two major competitions every year. One was for Qi Condensation cultivators, with Foundation Establishment Pellets as the reward, and the other was for elite disciples at or above the Foundation Establishment stage, with various treasures and talismans as rewards.

Compared to the elaborate techniques displayed by the elite disciples, Qi Condensation cultivators, due to their lower cultivation level, could only simply guide Qi into their bodies. Some profound techniques were difficult to execute, so most of the fights were close-range battles, relying on the consumption of Qi in their Dantian. They fought fiercely, going all out against each other.

However, because Foundation Establishment Pellets were an essential medicine for establishing one's foundation, some ruthless disciples were willing to use deadly techniques, employing methods that were extremely harmful to both themselves and their opponents. It was a heart-stopping scene to witness.

When Zhou Yun took to the stage, he also discarded his usual cheerful demeanor and fought with deadly seriousness, much to Ye Tian's surprise.

Watching the crowd fight desperately for a single Foundation Establishment Pellet, Ye Tian felt a strange sensation in his mind. For a moment, he felt as if he were watching a group of captive insects fighting fiercely to grow stronger, with the strongest few being selected to be thrown into an even more brutal insect pond.

This thought sent a chill through Ye Tian's body, and he immediately shook his head to dispel it.

Why did he have such a thought?

He took a deep breath and looked at the injured disciples being carried off the stage. A sense of relief washed over him.

These disciples had to fight desperately to obtain a single Foundation Establishment Pellet, while he only needed to cultivate peacefully to obtain the medicine that many people dreamed of but could not get. Compared to them, he was indeed very fortunate and should be grateful to his teacher Chen Su for his cultivation.

With this in mind, Ye Tian took a deep breath and turned his attention back to the competition.

The competition lasted from morning until dusk. Finally, Elder Pei Yuanhu, who was in charge of the competition, announced the results in a loud voice.

"The results of this competition are now finalized. Many disciples have performed exceptionally well. Next, I will call out the names in order of ranking. Please come forward to receive your rewards when your name is called."

"Lu You, first place, three Foundation Establishment Pellets!"

"Han Xuanfei, second place, two Foundation Establishment Pellets!"

"Zhou Yun, third place, one Foundation Establishment Pellet!"

As the announcements were made, Lu You, Han Xuanfei, and Zhou Yun, all covered in injuries, excitedly walked onto the high platform. Elder Pei Yuanhu ordered someone to bring out the Foundation Establishment Pellets and distribute them to the three as rewards.

Just as this was happening, Ye Tian suddenly felt a tightening sensation in his mind, accompanied by a stinging pain.

His vision of the world began to distort...