Town of Cultivators

The forest was quiet, and heavy fog shrouded the area, with streams of sunlight filtering through gaps in the treetops, forming visible slanting beams of light.

Zhou Xue led the way, with Fang Wang and Fang Hanyu at the rear, the group of nine trekking on foot. They had been walking for nearly two days.

The mountain paths within the forest were not easy to traverse, with many muddy spots along the way. Every so often, they saw snakes, rodents, and spiders, causing the Fang Family Disciples to be extremely tense; they took each step with great caution.

"It's hard to imagine that a Cultivation Sect is hidden within such deep mountains," Fang Hanyu remarked softly. The Great Qi Kingdom's vast landscape was filled with countless uninhabited mountain ranges populated by wild beasts and thieves. Even a seasoned martial artist like him seldom set foot in such places.

Fang Wang could sense the rich nature's spiritual energy in the area; the further forward they went, the denser the Spiritual Energy became, which made him look forward to the Great Abyss Gate even more.

At that moment, cries rang out from ahead, sounding like a woman or perhaps a child, giving Fang Wang and the others goosebumps. However, seeing that Zhou Xue did not stop, they continued to follow.

Fang Wang turned to look behind him; the fog was thick, rendering everything beyond seven steps invisible. He had felt something following them ever since the crying began to echo from up ahead. Unalarmed, he continued walking with composure.

Soon, the fog ahead thinned and the terrain leveled out, revealing a woman sitting under an old tree. She wore plain clothes and looked disheveled, clearly a villager from the countryside. She held a child in her arms, sobbing softly.

"Should we ask her what's wrong?" asked Fang Xin, the youngest of the group, one year younger than Fang Wang. She was frail, carrying two packs on her back, drenched in sweat.

Another girl, Fang Ziqing, tugged at her, shaking her head in silence.

All eyes turned to Zhou Xue; throughout their journey, she had become their pillar of strength. After all, besides Zhou Xue teaching them the Qi Gathering technique, even Fang Wang, the strongest of them, deferred to her lead.

Zhou Xue didn't stop. She walked straight towards the woman.

The woman, hearing the footsteps, looked up at Zhou Xue with tear-stained and reddened eyes. She seemed to see a lifeline and reached out to Zhou Xue, crying out, "Miss, please save my child, he was bitten by a poisonous snake..."

Some of the Fang Family Disciples wanted to step forward to help, but then they saw a dagger slide out of the sleeve of Zhou Xue's right hand, which she swiftly gripped.

The woman's face turned ashen at the sight of the dagger, and just as she was about to speak, Zhou Xue suddenly hurled the dagger straight at her head.

Bang!

The woman instantly turned into a puff of white smoke, through which the dagger pierced and lodged in the tree trunk. As the smoke dissipated, the clothes fell to the ground, revealing two weasels, one large and one small, that jumped up and landed on a distant tree. The Fang Residence's group watched with wide eyes. The woman had been a transformed weasel.

Zhou Xue remained expressionless, her gaze fixed on the two weasels in the tree, her eyes indifferent.

"Impressive skills. You must be at least at the fifth level of the Qi Cultivation Realm. Girl, if you want to join the Great Abyss Gate, why not go to Taiyuan City?" the weasel spoke in the same voice as the woman before.

Zhou Xue replied, "Taiyuan City is too far, and it's more convenient to visit the Great Abyss Gate directly. We are sincere in our desire to cultivate, and I hope you will not play with us any further."

The weasel chuckled, humanely waved its paw as if to gesture for them to continue on their way.

Zhou Xue looked back at the rest with a certain look, then continued to lead the way. As they passed under the tree where the weasels sat, everyone was nervous, fearing a sudden attack.

After walking for a while, Zhou Xue finally spoke up to explain, "Those were Spirit Demons. The mountains around the Great Abyss Gate shelter many such creatures. Some are wild; others are raised by the Sect's Disciples. The ones near the edge are responsible for scaring off mortals who stray too close, giving rise to ghostly legends to keep people away."

A young Fang Family Disciple couldn't help but ask, "Just to scare them off?"

"They might also get eaten. While the Great Abyss Gate is considered righteous, there are grey areas between good and evil in the Cultivation World. You must be cautious in your actions." Zhou Xue said with a smile that seemed rather sinister to the others.

With that, Zhou Xue resumed leading the way.

Fang Wang stayed at the back of the group, his attention focused behind them. After passing the Spirit Demons, the feeling of being watched persisted, keeping him on edge.

Half a column of incense later, that sensation still lingered in his mind.

"No need to be nervous; he won't dare to make a move."

A voice reached Fang Wang's ears. He looked up at Zhou Xue leading the group, her expression calm. It seemed only he could hear her; the others continued without glancing around.

"This is the Sound Transmission Technique. You'll learn it too once inside the Great Abyss Gate. The person following us is likely connected to the Cultivator you killed. These past few days, I've been hiding in the deep forest, pretending to study the Infernal Soul Flag, but I've actually been leaving traces for them to follow."

Zhou Xue's voice caused Fang Wang to frown, puzzled by her intentions.

"That fellow holds two Magic Artifacts, indicating he's backed by someone. I fear the Fang Residence will face more danger, so I led the person behind us here to investigate. Once they know we're joining the Great Abyss Gate, they won't act rashly. Despite his importance, he is merely in the Qi Cultivation Realm. Offending a massive entity like the Great Abyss Gate for his sake is not worth it."

Fang Wang found this reasoning sensible but wondered if the adversary was bold enough to follow them here, unafraid of being discovered by the Great Abyss Gate.

Zhou Xue stopped transmitting her voice, and Fang Wang remained vigilant.

By evening, the feeling of being watched disappeared; it seemed the other party dared not advance further.

In the woods, the group stopped by a small creek and lit a fire. Fang Wang rested next to Zhou Xue, while the others also sat down together.

"Tomorrow, we will reach the valley town in front of the Great Abyss Gate. The Great Abyss Gate has nine veins, and the entrance exam is in six to seven days. With your talents, passing the examination won't be difficult, but I hope each of you will join a separate vein instead of sticking together," Zhou Xue said softly.

Within the Fang Residence, there were more capable cultivators, but Zhou Xue had chosen the most exceptional to establish a foothold first.

Hearing they had to join a vein alone, Fang Xin's face turned pale with nervousness, but the other teenagers and young adults felt mostly excitement.

Zhou Xue glanced at Fang Wang and Fang Hanyu, saying, "Once you enter the examination, show your talents fully. This will determine your treatment after joining the Great Abyss Gate. Those with ordinary talents will only become ordinary disciples, requiring many years of hard work to get promoted."

"Especially you, Fang Wang, don't try any tricks like pretending to be a pig to eat a tiger."

Zhou Xue was very concerned about Fang Wang because he was exceptionally good at hiding his abilities. After her rebirth, she realized that neither she nor the Fang Residence, including Fang Wang's parents, knew of his high martial skills.

She had also wondered why she never saw Fang Wang in action in her past life. She later realized that on the night the clan was destroyed, she had fled immediately, only catching a glimpse of the Blue-Robed Daoist. She missed many battles between Fang Family Disciples and the Blue-Robed Daoist—without the Aerial Sword Art, even a strong Fang Wang would have died at the hands of the Blue-Robed Daoist.

Fang Wang replied, "I know."

It made him seem as if he was muddling through life.

Zhou Xue continued giving instructions. She did not explain the specifics of the examination, either to temper them or to avoid being overheard by high-ranked members of the Great Abyss Gate.

The night passed without incident.

As the moon set and the sun rose, Fang Wang and the others resumed their journey with the first rays of morning light.

They encountered many wonders along the way: spiders the size of human heads, man-eating trees waving their branches, wild goats with human-like faces, and black cats with five tails. Zhou Xue explained that these were the lowest level of magical creatures, not yet Spirit Demons capable of speech.

Besides magical creatures, they saw vividly colored flowers and fruits that looked extraordinary. However, after Zhou Xue's warning about their deadly poison, they avoided touching them.

By noon, they arrived at the valley Zhou Xue had mentioned. A giant door with a signboard reading "Taiyuan Town" stood at the entrance.

Inside the valley, pavilions rose one after another, with smoke curling from kitchens. The surrounding mountains were grand, reminiscent of Five Fingers Mountain, enclosing Taiyuan Town within.

The mountain gate was unguarded, so Fang Wang and the others entered directly. The street ahead was bustling with people, many of whom looked extraordinary. Some even rode cranes into the sky, ascending quickly to the mountains, filling the Fang Family Disciples with excitement and a deeper sense of the cultivation path.

Fang Wang observed his surroundings. Shops lining the street sold elixirs, magic artifacts, talisman paper, cultivation techniques, spells, and even treasures. Although most shops were not crowded, they showcased the vibrant atmosphere of the cultivation world.

Zhou Xue led them to an inn. After paying the innkeeper, a young server took them upstairs. Except for Fang Xin and Fang Ziqing, everyone had their own room.

"Tsk, the Great Abyss Gate even collects silver?" Fang Wang mused. It seemed odd, but the amount Zhou Xue paid suggested that even the Great Abyss Gate engaged in mundane affairs.

In his room, Fang Wang tidied up briefly before sitting down to meditate. With six to seven days remaining, he preferred to focus on enhancing his cultivation rather than wandering aimlessly.

His Solaris Scripture had reached Great Perfection, but accumulating Spiritual Power took time. Since Zhou Xue had advised against hiding his abilities, he intended to give his all.

Isolated in his room, Fang Wang remained undisturbed by the other Fang Family Disciples.

After six days, at the hour of Si, bright daylight shone as a bell tolled through the valley, waking Fang Wang.

"Has it begun?" he wondered, smiling.

Last night, he had finally broken through to the seventh layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm. With the Great Perfection of the Solaris Scripture, it had taken him over a month to reach this level. If he had started from the first layer, the time required would have been much greater.

"Hurry up and come out; the entrance exam is about to begin!" Zhou Xue's voice called from outside the door.

Fang Wang grabbed his Treasured Sword, got out of bed, and prepared to leave. Having gathered Qi and tempered his body, he needed no further preparation and looked refreshed.

After half a stick of incense, Zhou Xue led Fang Wang and the others out of the inn. They found many people doing the same, with the streets crowded with groups heading in the same direction.

Fang Wang asked, "You mentioned Taiyuan City before. What's the difference between Taiyuan City and Taiyuan Town?"

Zhou Xue explained, "Taiyuan City is open to the entire cultivation world, while Taiyuan Town is a settlement maintained by the Great Abyss Gate. The ordinary people here mine resources for the Great Abyss Gate's disciples. Almost everyone who comes to Taiyuan Town has a cultivation background, coming from cultivation families worldwide. Without such connections, this path would remain undiscovered."

"In essence, we compete with ordinary people in Taiyuan City, but here, we're up against families with cultivation backgrounds. Being assessed here brings more benefits."