vv

Once Yuan took a seat, Elder Xuan continued to speak, "Because of your performance at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower, it has caught the attention of many, and experts from the other elite sects are currently approaching the Dragon Essence Sect even as we speak."

"Is that so…" Yuan mumbled in a calm voice, clearly still unable to grasp the situation at hand.

Elder Xuan shook his head and sighed, "I know you probably don't understand the dangerous situation you're in right now, so I'll explain it to you again."

"Do you remember what we told you about remaining lowkey until the Mystic Realm? If you're too talented, people will become jealous, and they will do everything in their power to destroy you so that you won't become a threat in the future. However, at the Mystic Realm, if you can attract the attention of the people managing the event, they will be able to protect you, and you might even be able to ascend to the next realm— Spirit Heavens!"

"This place we are currently in is called the Lower Heavens, and the next realm is called Spirit Heavens, where Cultivators above Spirit Grandmaster exists." Elder Xuan said.

"Anyway, that isn't important right now. What's important is your safety, Disciple Yuan. The other sects will definitely pressure us into revealing your identity, but you can rest assured that we give your name to them even if we have to fight."

"I'm sorry, Senior Xuan, I didn't think that I would cause such a commotion by participating in the trial, as I was only trying to experience the sect like a normal disciple," Yuan sighed afterward.

Elder Xuan immediately became speechless. Indeed, it wasn't Yuan's fault for going to the tower, as every disciple will eventually challenge it at least once. And nobody could've predicted that Yuan would clear all 100 floors, nor could they have predicted that the tower would react in such a manner when someone cleared the 100th floor, as it has never happened before.

"You don't need to blame yourself for this, Disciple Yuan. We want you to continue to experience life as a normal disciple even after this, but you should avoid things in the sect that has a ranking." Elder Xuan said.

"As for the other elite sects… they will only pressure us, and I doubt there will really be any fighting because our Dragon Essence Temple isn't weak, and the others know of this. They won't risk going to war with us over a single disciple, especially if they don't know your identity."

"If the sect is really in trouble because of me, I will do something about it myself," Yuan suddenly said.

"Huh? What do you mean by…" Elder Xuan's eyes suddenly widened as he'd just realized the aura coming from Yuan.

"Second level Spirit Warrior?! But you should have consumed the Pill of Concealment! Does this mean you're actually at the peak level now?! Ninth level Spirit Warrior?!" Elder Xuan exclaimed in a shocked voice, as he could've never imagined that Yuan would increase his cultivation level by four whole levels in a single day.

"Is this the result of clearing all 100 floors in the tower?" Elder Xuan couldn't help but ask.

Yuan nodded and said, "I think so."

"Can you tell me what you'd experienced in the tower? Especially on the 100th floor."

"Okay." Yuan then recalled his experience in the tower to Elder Xuan.

"Dragon difficulty? Only 15 minutes of rest for every 10 floors? 100,000 magical beasts at the peak Spirit Warrior realm?" Elder Xuan began sweating midway through Yuan's experience.

'Heavens! I don't think I would be able to defeat 100,000 peak-level Spirit Warrior magical beasts in such a short time even at my current level! Yet this young man who was only at the fifth level Spirit Warrior realm at the time was able to achieve such an incredible feat in four short days!' Elder Xuan looked at Yuan with deep admiration within his gaze.

"To think you'd experienced such a journey… It's no wonder the Founder called the 100th floor 'terrifying'." Elder Xuan sighed, completely unaware that the Founder had another challenge, which was much easier than the one Yuan had to endure because Yuan didn't mention the Great One changing the challenge for him.

"Anyway, I will let the Sect Master know about this once he's done with our guests. In the meantime, you can stay here until they leave." Elder Xuan said to him. "I don't want to risk anything."

"Okay. Once again, I apologize for the trouble…" Yuan said to him.

"There's no need for you to apologize, as this is simply how the cultivation world works." Elder Xuan said to him before leaving the building to group up with Long Yijun and the other sect elders so he can assist them in case anything happens.

Once Elder Xuan was gone, Feng Yixiao's voice resounded, "Don't worry, Young Master. If anyone dares to try and harm you, I will burn them alive until there's nothing left of them— not even their bones!"

"You don't need to worry about protecting Brother Yuan because Xiao Hua alone is enough to protect him." Xiao Hua said afterward.

"Won't it be problematic if a Spirit King like you suddenly starts killing Cultivators in the Lower Heavens? You might even invoke a Heavenly Tribulation…" Feng Yixiao said. "I think it would be safer if I, a Spirit Grandmaster, protects the Young Master. After all, I am more than enough to protect him from most threats in the Lower Heavens."

"You don't have to worry about Xiao Hua. Xiao Hua has permission to be in the Lower Heavens, and killing a few Cultivators won't affect Xiao Hua," she responded in a calm voice.

"Why are we even competing with each other about who should protect the Young Master?" Feng Yixiao sighed.

Meanwhile, in the Sect Master's headquarters, Long Yijun sat in his chair while the other sect elders stood beside him like a group of bodyguards, and sitting before them was a group of Spirit Master experts, each of them wearing uniforms belonging to a different sect.

156 Blessing in Disguise

"Welcome to the Dragon Essence Temple, esteemed guests. How may I help all of you today?" Long Yujin spoke with a friendly smile on his face, acting like he didn't know why they were there.

"You don't have to play dumb, Sect Master Long. You know exactly why we are here. Spare the ignorance and let us get straight to the point." One of the experts there suddenly said in an arrogant voice.

"..."

The friendly smile on Long Yijun's face immediately disappeared, and he responded in a cold voice, "Then I will be as straight as a sword— You lot coming here was a waste of time. I won't tell you anything, so you can all return to your sects now. Thank you."

"Don't be like that, Sect Master Long. We are only here because we are concerned about the phenomenon that happened in the Dragon Essence Temple not long ago," said a different individual.

"Concerned? About what? Why does whatever happens in the Dragon Essence Temple concern the Golden Hand Mountain or any of you for that matter?" Long Yijun said with a puzzled look on his face.

"Cut the crap, Sect Master Long. We didn't waste transportation treasures to come here just to go back empty-handed. Which disciple cleared all 100 floors in the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower? We all saw it on our way here— a golden tower with all 100 floors emitting a golden light!"

"And who told you to use those transportation treasures? I don't recall inviting any of you to the Dragon Essence Temple. Perhaps I am truly getting old…" Long Yijun cleaned his ears with his pinky.

"You damn old fart…"

The experts there gritted their teeth in irritation. They knew that it was going to be incredibly hard to get Long Yijun to open his mouth, especially when this is related to someone talented enough to make history, but they didn't expect it to be this difficult.

"Don't worry, you'll get to meet with this genius at the Mystic Realm in a month. Hahaha!" Long Yijun laughed out loud, and the sect elders standing beside him couldn't help but lose their composure and giggle like little kids in a serious classroom.

"Hmph! So what if he's slightly talented? That's not saying much since he's from this place! I doubt he'll be able to affect the Dragon Essence Temple's ranking in the Mystic Realm even if he can clear all 100 floors in the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate! In fact, I bet my disciples will be able to do the same!" One of the Sect Masters there suddenly exclaimed.

"Oh? Is that so? Are you willing to bet on that?" Long Yijun's eyes suddenly flickered with profoundness.

When the Sect Master saw Long Yijun's confident grin, he said, "Good! What do you want to bet on?!"

Long Yijun suddenly retrieved his spatial ring before taking out a beautiful golden sword from within, and he said afterward, "I will bet this Dragon Slaying Saber that none of your disciples will beat 100 floors."

"The Dragon Slaying Saber?! You're really going to bet that?!" The people there were greatly shocked by Long Yijun's offer, and they all swallowed nervously when they felt the overbearing aura emitting from the golden saber.

The Dragon Slaying Saber is a Divine-grade treasure that has been passed down from Sect Masters to Sect Masters in the Dragon Essence Temple, and it was unthinkable to them that Long Yijun would be bold enough to gamble such a precious treasure.

"Hahaha! Good! Since you're so confident, I shall also be confident!" The other Sect Master also retrieved his spatial ring before taking out a long green spear.

"That's the Divine Bamboo Spear! Sect Master Wang is also going to gamble his Divine-grade treasure!"

"Hey! Let me join! I also want my disciples to participate in this fun!" Another Sect Master suddenly said.

"What are you talking about, Sect Master Chang! How are we going to split the Dragon Slaying Saber if you join?"

"We can worry about the share later!" Sect Master Chang laughed.

Long Yijun laughed inwardly when he saw these Sect Masters acting so confident that they would win.

If clearing all 100 floors of the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower was so simple, he wouldn't dare to gamble with the Dragon Slaying Saber!

'Hahaha! These fucking idiots! If the Founder who was widely known as the number one genius in his era couldn't clear the tower, what makes these idiots think their disciple can?!' Long Yijun tried his best to not burst out laughing, as this was an incredible chance for him to earn two Divine-grade treasures at once!

"Since it's like this, I also want in!" Another person there suddenly stepped forward.

"Me too!"

"Fuck it! Since you're all going in, I'll also put my foot forward!"

In just a few minutes, all of the guests there have decided to send their disciple to the Dragon Essence Temple to challenge the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower.

Meanwhile, the sect elders from the Dragon Essence Temple looked at each other with disbelief in their gaze. Are they really going to earn this much treasure from this event? Perhaps this event is actually a blessing in disguise!

"What about it, Sect Master Long? Are you willing to let our disciples challenge the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower? If you win this bet, you'll get to obtain many Divine-grade treasures and other priceless artifacts! If you lose, you'll only be losing one Divine-grade treasure!"

"How do I know that you'll keep your words if I actually win? I want a blood oath from everyone participating in this!" Long Yijun suddenly exclaimed.

"What? You want our blood oath?" The other Sect Masters there looked at each other with a surprised expression on their face.

"If you can't do it then you can forget about participating in the event," Long Yijun spoke with a firm look on his face, causing the others to frown.

157 Blood Oath

When the Sect Masters there hesitated after hearing the words 'blood oath', Long Yijun coldly sneered, "It appears that you guys are all bark and no bite. Forget it! I never expected much from a bunch of spineless old frogs anyway!"

"Wait a damn second, Sect Master Long! Who are you calling spineless?! Since you are so confident, then watch as my disciples wipe that smug off your damn face! And I am well aware of what you're trying to do here! Don't think you can earn so many treasures so easily because as long as a single disciple from one of our sects manages to clear all 100 floors, it'll be our victory!" Sect Master Wang exclaimed.

Long Yijun nodded and said, "I don't mind. However, each sect can only bring three disciples to participate. After all, I don't have the time to let every disciple in your sect challenge the tower."

"Three disciples from each sect, huh? What do you guys think?" Sect Master Wang turned to look at the other Sect Masters.

"Hmph! You're being more generous than I'd anticipated, Sect Master Long. To think you'd be generous enough to give each of us three chances instead of just one— I will bow to that! However, you have just dug yourself an even deeper hole by giving us more chances! Since that's the case, I am willing to do a blood oath!"

"Me, too! Especially if only a single disciple is needed to clear all 100 floors!"

A few moments later, Long Yijun then said, "Very well! Then let me be the first to do my blood oath!"

Long Yijun suddenly stood up and used the Dragon Slaying Saber to cut a small opening in his thumb before speaking out loud while staring at the ceiling, "I, Long Yijun, under this blood oath and with Heaven as a witness, swear that if a single disciple from the sects that belong to these individuals before me manages to clear all 100 floors in the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower that I will forfeit my Dragon Slaying Saber!"

Long Yijun allowed a droplet of his blood to fall on the floor after his sentence ended, but surprisingly, the blood did not touch the floor and splatter as one would expect. Instead, the blood went right through the floor and disappeared somewhere.

"I have done my blood oath. If you dare to participate in this bet, swear a blood oath!" Long Yijun looked at the Sect Masters there and spoke in a domineering voice.

Sect Master Wang then stepped forward and swore, "I, Wang Mingqing, under this blood oath and with Heaven as a witness, swear that if none of the disciples from our sect can clear all 100 floors of the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower that I will forfeit this Divine Bamboo Spear in my hands!"

Sect Master Wang dropped his blood onto the floor, and it also disappeared into the floor like Long Yijun's blood.

Another Sect Master there stepped forward and began another blood oath, "I, Chang Hai, under this blood oath and with Heaven as a witness, swear that if none of the disciples from our sect can clear all 100 floors of the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower that I will forfeit this Blood Moon Cleaver!"

In just a few minutes, nearly every Sect Master there swore a blood oath.

"What are you guys waiting for? If you guys participate, we'll have more chances. Even if we have to share the Dragon Slaying Saber with all of us here, it will definitely be worth it! And there's simply no way that our disciples won't be able to clear such a childish trial!" Sect Master Wang looked at the rest of the Sect Masters there that didn't want to participate and encouraged them.

However, these Sect Masters remained hesitant and suspicious about the whole situation. While none of them knew just how difficult the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower truly was, they could feel an ominous feeling coming from Long Yijun's nonchalant expression.

"Screw it! If you're too afraid to participate then don't! It just means that we'll have fewer people to share the wealth with afterward!" Sect Master Wang sneered.

"So a total of 4 sects will be participating in this bet, huh? Very well. Send your disciples here to challenge the tower before the end of the month, as I'd rather have this resolved before the Mystic Realm begins."

"Hmph! Don't worry, they'll definitely be here to take away your Dragon Slaying Saber!" Sect Master Wang said before turning around and leaving the place.

"Make sure you clean that Dragon Slaying Saber before you hand it to us, Sect Master Long! Hahaha!" Sect Master Chang laughed out loud as he walked away.

Sometime later, once the guests were long gone, Long Yijun returned to his seat and closed his eyes, seemingly deep in his thoughts.

The sect elders also took a seat in their own chairs.

A few moments later, everybody in the room burst out laughing collectively.

"Hahaha! These idiots really believe that their disciples can clear all 100 floors in the tower! These fucking idiots have no idea what they're going up against!" Bai Ling laughed out loud.

"We've really struck gold this time! To think we'd earn 4 Divine-grade treasures without needing to do a damn thing! This is practically free money!" Xin Ming slapped his legs as he laughed hysterically.

Sometime later, Elder Shan spoke, "Although obtaining four Divine-grade treasure is a good thing, Sect Master Wang and the others definitely won't forfeit their treasure so easily. We can expect some hostility from them afterward."

"Elder Shan is right." Long Yijun nodded and continued, "They'll definitely do whatever they can to retrieve the treasures once they lose it so we'll have to prepare for that. Luckily for us, even though they're also elite sects, they aren't powers that we cannot handle, and I doubt they are going to immediately start a war with us over a Divine-grade treasure."

158 Ninth Level Spirit Warrior

"What happened here? Where are the guests? Did they leave already?" Elder Xuan showed up at the scene a few minutes after the other Sect Masters left.

"Oh, Elder Xuan. You've missed it. The Dragon Essence Temple is about to be rich!" Bai Ling said to Elder Xuan with a broad smile on his face.

"Rich? How so?" Elder Xuan sat down before looking at Bai Ling with raised eyebrows.

"Well… This is what happened while you were away."

Bai Ling proceeded to explain to Elder Xuan what had transpired not long ago, about how the other Sect Masters have decided to send three disciples from each sect to challenge the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower, and if none of the disciples can clear 100 floors, they will each forfeit a Divine-grade treasure.

However, if a single disciple from any of the participating sects manages to clear 100 floors in the tower, the Dragon Essence Temple will forfeit the Dragon Slaying Saber.

"Heavens! You actually dared to use the Dragon Slaying Saber in a gamble, Sect Master?" Elder Xuan looked at Long Yijun with disbelief on his face.

The Dragon Slaying Saber is one of few precious treasures left behind by the Founder over 100,000 years ago before his disappearance, and it was unthinkable that Long Yijun would dare to risk it in a gamble.

"Though, unless they have someone even half as talented as Disciple Yuan, they will struggle to reach even the 99th floor. As for the 100th floor… hahaha! That's plain impossible unless they're as talented as Disciple Yuan!" Elder Xuan laughed.

Everybody in the room looked at Elder Xuan with wide eyes, as this is the first time they've seen him laugh in such a manner.

"Elder Xuan, did you perhaps ask Disciple Yuan about the 100th floor?" Elder Shan asked him.

"I certainly did! And it shocked me speechless when I heard about his experience in the tower!" Elder Xuan continued to laugh.

"Stop teasing us and share it with the rest of us already! What kind of challenge exists on the 100th floor?" Long Yijun said to him.

Elder Xuan nodded and cleared his throat before he recalled what Yuan said to him.

"Not only did Disciple Yuan have to ascend the tower at the highest difficulty set by the tower but he also had to slay magical beasts at the Spirit Warrior level on every single floor. Furthermore, he only had 10 minutes to clear each floor or he would automatically fail the challenge. To top it all off, he was only allowed 15 minutes of rest for every 10 floors!"

"Heavens! What kind of ridiculousness is that?! Even I didn't have such restrictions when I challenged the tower!" Long Yijun exclaimed in a terrified voice.

"Me neither. I had 15 minutes to rest after every floor, and I had unlimited time to clear each floor. 10 minutes per floor is simply impossible for me, especially after the 70th floor." Bai Ling said.

"Did you forget how fast Disciple Yuan cleared the tower? Not including the 100th floor, he did it in only a couple of hours! It took me nearly an entire week to reach the 85th floor!" Elder Shan sighed with admiration in her gaze.

"What about the 100th floor, Elder Xuan?" Xin Ming asked him.

"The 100th floor…" Elder Xuan took a deep breath before speaking in a slow but clear voice, "Disciple Yuan… He had to defeat a total of 100,000 peak level Spirit Warrior magical beasts…"

"One hundred— What?!"

Everybody in the room exclaimed in a terrified voice, sounding like they'd just witnessed their ancestor climbing out of their tomb.

"Not only did he have to defeat 100,000 magical beasts but he also only had 24 hours to rest. Once he uses up that 24 hours, he would no longer be able to rest. I don't know about you guys, but I wouldn't dare to claim that I can achieve such a feat at my current level even if you gave me a week of rest time, and I am a Spirit Master whilst Disciple Yuan is only a Spirit Warrior." Elder Xuan shrugged.

"A 5th level Spirit Warrior defeating 100,000 peak Spirit Warrior… I am beginning to believe that Disciple Yuan might belong to one of the Four Ancient Families." Bai Ling mumbled.

"Four Ancient Families? I doubt even they would have someone as freakish as Disciple Yuan! This young man is probably an Immortal in disguise!" Xin Ming spoke with a sweaty feeling.

"It's no wonder the Founder called it 'terrifying'. I wouldn't dare to step on the 100th floor even if I can now that I know what's waiting there." Elder Shan sighed.

"100,000 magical beasts… Hahaha… HAHAHAHAHA! There's absolutely zero chance for those idiots now!" Long Yijun stood up and burst out laughing like some kind of maniac.

Sometime later, Elder Xuan spoke, "Oh, right. One more thing. You're going to have to give Disciple Yuan an even stronger concealment pill, Elder Shan."

"Eh? Why?" Elder Shan raised her slender eyebrows.

"Because he… he is now at the peak of the Spirit Warrior realm. I think clearing the tower had significantly improved his cultivation base." Elder Xuan said.

"P-Peak of the Spirit Warrior realm?!?!?" Elder Shan stood up from shock as did the other people there.

"B-But he's only like what? 18 years old? That's ridiculous! At this rate, he'll reach Spirit Master before the Mystic Realm even opens!" Xin Ming mumbled in a dazed voice.

"Luckily for us, the Mystic Realm doesn't limit participants by their cultivation base but their age instead." Long Yijun said. "Anyway, you guys can continue to prepare for the Mystic Realm. I shall stay here for a few more days just in case there are more guests later."

"Yes, Sect Master!"

Long Yijun then turned to look at Elder Xuan and said, "I'll leave Disciple Yuan in your hands."

Elder Xuan nodded and said with a smile on his face, "Don't worry, I'll take care of him as if he's my own grandson."

159 Recruitmen

"Sorry for making you wait, Disciple Yuan, but you are free to go now that the guests have left. And fortunately for all of us, nothing significant had occurred." Elder Xuan said to Yuan after returning to his side.

"Just remember, don't tell anybody that you were the one who cleared the tower today no matter what, and don't approach something that has a ranking. We cannot risk having your identity leaked before the Mystic Realm." Elder Xuan gave him another reminder.

Yuan nodded and said, "Don't worry, Senior Xuan, I won't do anything that might jeopardize my life as a disciple— oh…"

Yuan suddenly stopped speaking, and then he continued, "Disciple Min, my neighbor… she knows I was supposed to enter the tower after her."

"Disciple Min… Min Li from the Seven Legacy Families?" Elder Xuan immediately frowned.

"This is going to be troublesome and complicated…" he sighed a moment later.

"Why would it be complicated? I can speak with her and ask her to not tell anyone," Yuan said.

Elder Xuan shook his head and said, "The Seven Legacy Families is not as simple as you think. Even as a Grand Elder, I cannot approach her as I please. Furthermore, the Seven Legacy Families are always looking for talented individuals to join their family, even fighting with each other at times over individuals, and I cannot imagine that Min Li would intentionally hide your existence from her family since it will greatly improve her position within the family."

"Her family recruits talented people? Why would they do that? They're not a sect, right?" Yuan asked Elder Xuan.

"They may not be a sect, but that doesn't mean they have no reason to recruit talented individuals to further expand their own family's power and influence. In fact, large families like them tend to take recruiting talents more seriously than sects." Elder Xuan said.

"Anyway, don't let my words stop you. If you think you can convince Min Li to keep your identity a secret then by all means try. Even if she lets her family know, your identity should be safe for a while since I doubt the Min Family would be stupid enough to reveal your talents for their competitors until they can secure you."

"If the Min Family cannot persuade you to join their family then they might threaten to reveal your identity. Try to stall them until the Mystic Realm if they do approach you."

Yuan nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

Sometime later, Elder Xuan left the scene, and Yuan returned back to his own living quarters.

However, as one would have expected, a familiar figure approached Yuan and blocked his path the moment she saw his figure from afar.

"Come with me. This is not a good place to speak," Min Li said to him before turning around and entering her own home.

Yuan nodded, "I also wanted to talk with you."

Yuan then followed Min Li into her home with an innocent and calm look on his face. If it were anyone else in his shoes right now, they'd be too nervous to enter Min Li's home alone.

Once they were inside, Min Li pointed at the couch and said, "Sit down. I'll go brew us some tea."

After Yuan sat down, Min Li went into the kitchen to brew some tea.

A couple of minutes later, she returned with a whole pot of tea and two pretty teacups.

"Here. Don't worry, I didn't poison or anything like that," Min Li said to him.

Yuan raised his eyebrows after hearing her words. Why would she say something like that? It was not as though he was expecting her to poison him in the first place.

A few moments later, the two of them began sipping on the tea without talking to each other for a few more minutes until Yuan placed down the teacup and sighed in a satisfied voice.

"Haaa… That was some great tea."

"Thank you, it's a family speciality." Min Li said after she placed her own teacup down.

"Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about?" Yuan asked her afterward.

"It will be a little long, so you can go first. You also wanted to say something to me, right?" Min Li said to him.

Yuan nodded and said, "I'd appreciate it if you can keep what happened today a secret. For various reasons, I cannot let people know that I was the one who cleared the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower today, as it might affect my life as a normal disciple in the sect."

Min Li looked at him with a dumbfounded look on her face. "A normal disciple? You? What kind of a joke is that? Would a 'normal' disciple destroy Training Puppets with Mortal-rank techniques? Would a 'normal' disciple clear all 100 floors in the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower? Who are you, really?"

"I don't know what else to tell you since I have already said that I don't belong to any powerful family…" Yuan said as he scratched his head, and he continued, "I am just someone trying to enjoy life in this world while also trying to understand the cultivation world better."

Min Li turned silent after hearing his words, and after a long moment of silence, Min Li spoke with a serious look on her face, "If what you said just now is true— that you don't belong to any powerful family, then why don't you join my family?"

"..." Yuan widened his eyes when he heard Min Li's words, but he wasn't shocked because of her words. Instead, he was surprised at how Elder Xuan was right on the mark regarding Min Li and how she might try to recruit him to join her family.

"If you join the Min Family, you'll receive endless resources from the family to assist your cultivation, and if you receive enough support from the family, there's even a good chance that you will get to travel to the upper heavens and join the Min Family that's there."

160 Seven Legacy Families

"If you manage to get accepted by the Min Family in the upper heavens, they will be able to supply you with even better cultivation resources, and your cultivation will soar at a speed that one cannot even begin to imagine. The Min Family is also a powerful family in the upper heavens, so you will have their backing."

Hearing Min Li's words, Yuan shook his head and said, "Although I am humbled that you'd invite someone like me to your family, I don't think I am ready to join any factions for real yet, as I don't want my freedom to be limited."

Min Li frowned at his words, and she spoke, "Then why did you join the Dragon Essence Temple? Your actions do not match your words, Disciple Yuan!"

"I only joined because they promised me that they wouldn't restrict my freedom and that I am allowed to leave the sect whenever I want. In other words, I am not required to give the sect my commitment. Of course, that is not to say I don't care about the sect."

"..."

Min Li turned silent afterward, and she pondered to herself.

'While it's not impossible for him to be free in the future, the Min Family will most likely restrict his movements for a while to ensure that he doesn't run away, especially if they learn about his unfathomable talents.'

Sometime later, Min Li opened her mouth again, "What do you want?"

"Huh?" Yuan raised his eyebrows in a puzzled manner.

"I'm asking you what it would take for you to join the Min Family! Do you want money? Do you want fame? If you're that kind of person, the Min Family can even provide you with as many beautiful women as you want!" Min Li said with a cold gaze.

"Uh…" Yuan was speechless. Why does Min Li seem so desperate trying to recruit him?

"Does it really matter if I join the Min Family or not? I am just a single individual, and there are plenty of talented individuals out there. It would be fine if you ignored one or two of them, right? Why do you want me to join your family so much?" Yuan decided to ask her.

"You have no idea what it means to be part of one of the Seven Legacy Families! Everything is a competition here! Your performance! Your achievements! Your contribution! Everything! I don't want to stay in the Lower Heavens forever, nor do I plan on staying here! And the only way I can leave this place is with my family's help!"

"However, just because I was born in the family doesn't mean I will naturally get their help! I must earn it! And I am currently nowhere near my goal whilst my siblings are way ahead of me! If I can recruit someone as talented as you into the Min Family, it will definitely help me achieve my goal! So please, join the Min Family! If you want, I will even become your woman! If you join the Min Family, they will definitely assign you someone within the family as your wife to keep you there, and I will volunteer to be your wife! No, I will even fight for that position if you want! If I somehow still lose, I will become your concubine instead!"

Yuan's jaw dropped after Min Li's unexpected outburst and offer. But alas, no matter how much he tried, he simply could not understand Min Li's feelings.

Yuan suddenly noticed the glistening tears in Min Li's eyes that were on the verge of falling and sliding off her face, which made him swallow nervously.

"I...Give me some time… I need to think about it…" Yuan spoke in an awkward voice a moment later.

Min Li wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded afterward.

"Don't worry, I won't reveal your identity, nor did I have the intention to from the start. After all, I cannot risk the other Legacy Families knowing about your existence before you join the Min Family!"

A few minutes later, Yuan left Min Li's house and returned to his own.

"Xiao Hua, Feng Feng, I have a question. Why would someone want to leave the Lower Heavens to go to the upper heavens? What's up there?" Yuan asked them in a pondering voice as he laid on the bed with a dazed look on his face.

"Most people— Cultivators yearn for the upper heavens because there are more opportunities there compared to this Mortal world. The Qi in that world is more abundant and dense, allowing Cultivators to cultivate many times faster. This also means the treasures that can be found in the upper heavens are more powerful and valuable, as they are being nurtured by higher quality Qi. It's like giving plants different qualities of fertilizers, and the better quality the fertilizers the better quality the plant will grow to be." Feng Yuxiang responded to his question.

"Brother Yuan, for us Cultivators, we always strive for constant growth. The Lower Heavens greatly limit our growth so it's only natural for Cultivators to want to travel to a place that is not as limiting." Xiao Hua spoke next.

"I see…" Yuan closed his eyes, seemingly trying to go to sleep.

However, Feng Yuxiang's voice resounded again.

"Young Master, if you're thinking about joining one of the Seven Legacy Families, I highly suggest you refrain from doing that."

"Eh? Why is that?" Yuan opened his eyes and asked.

"I don't know what the Seven Legacy Families look like in the Lower Heavens since I don't interact with them much, but in the upper heavens, they are all incredibly arrogant and self-centered people who will do anything to achieve their goals. I don't want someone like the Young Master to be affiliated with these kinds of people, as I am afraid that they might corrupt your mind and soul."

"As for what that little girl said… While I didn't detect any lies in her words, you can never be too cautious in the cultivation world."

161 Stairway to Heaven

"I see… Thank you for telling me about this. I might have rushed my judgment if it were not for you, Feng Feng. If the Seven Legacy Families are truly such nasty people then I'd rather stay away from them," Yuan said afterward.

"As for Disciple Min… Maybe I can help her achieve her dreams without needing me to join her family."

"How does one even travel to the upper heavens, anyway? I know of the Stairway to Heaven, but are there any other methods one can use to travel to the upper heavens?" Yuan asked a moment later.

"Indeed, the Stairway to Heaven is only one of multiple methods, and it's even the second most difficult method, but despite that, it's the most used method by Cultivators since the other methods are somewhat unrealistic." Feng Yuxiang said, and she continued, "The first method, as most people know, would be to breakthrough the Spirit Grandmaster realm and become a Spirit Lord. Once that happens, you will be able to access the Stairway to Heaven and ascend the staircase without needing to clear the trials as you have already qualified to ascend with your cultivation."

"For our second method, as you know, would be to challenge the Stairway to Heaven and attempt to clear the trials to gain recognition and the qualifications to ascend. This is the most commonly used method simply because this allows Cultivators who have not reached the Spirit Lord realm to ascend to the upper heavens. Of course, it's not an easy thing to achieve, and only a couple of Cultivators will manage to pass the trials and ascend to the next realm every 100 years."

"As for the third and final method… while this is technically the easiest way to ascend, it's also the most unrealistic method, as it requires someone from the upper heavens to come down to the Lower Heavens and take you to the upper heavens. This is something only the Seven Legacy Families and the Four Ancient Families can achieve, as they have families in the upper heavens."

"However, even if they can do such a thing, it requires a tremendous amount of resources for someone in the upper heavens to come down to the Lower Heavens, hence why they only do that once in a blue moon when they have someone extremely talented."

"I see…" Yuan mumbled as he obtained a firm understanding regarding the upper heavens and the Stairway to Heaven.

Sometime later, Yuan said, "I am going to log off now. Too many things have happened today and I need some rest."

"See you later, Young Master."

"Goodbye, Brother Yuan."

Yuan logged off the next moment.

Once he returned to the real world, Yuan took a few deep breaths to calm his mind before he started cultivating until Yu Rou entered his room.

"Brother, you probably know about this already but apparently something amazing happened in Cultivation Online today!" Yu Rou said to him as she cleaned his body.

"Huh? What happened?" Yuan asked her.

"Many Players within the Eastern Continent heard a loud beastly roar that traveled hundreds of thousands of miles! Some even said it sounded like a dragon's roar! Maybe there's going to be a special event and the roar was some sort of sign!"

"R-Really? I didn't hear anything, though." Yuan mumbled.

Although Elder Xuan had spoken to him about his performance at the Carp Leaping Over Dragon's Gate Tower, Elder Xuan never mentioned the dragon escaping the tower, nor did he mention the loud roar that came from it.

"If it's true, you must try to participate in this event! Who knows what you might be able to get from it!" Yu Rou said to him.

"Okay," Yuan said.

"I will also keep my ears peeled for any information regarding this event. Once I learn something, I will immediately let you know!"

Sometime later, Yu Rou left his room and returned to her own room.

Yuan continued cultivating for the rest of the night afterward.

After his morning routine, Yuan dived back into the game and wondered to himself, "What should I do today?"

Yuan retrieved the guide book and began flipping the pages until he found something interesting.

"Oh, right. I have wondered what the Mission Hall looked like ever since they introduced it to the disciples. I should take a look at it now."

With this in mind, Yuan went outside.

However, he did not immediately leave and turned to look at Min Li's house, almost like he was expecting her to come out and follow him around.

But to his surprise, Min Li didn't show up.

"I guess I'll be alone today," Yuan casually shrugged before making his way to the Mission Hall.

As Yuan walked away from the area, Min Li peeked through her window curtains and watched Yuan's back disappear from her view.

Once Yuan was gone, Min Li squatted and covered her face with her hands in an embarrassed manner.

"What in heavens' name was I thinking yesterday?! Why did I offer myself to him?! He must now think I am some slut who'd offer her body to anyone that can help me achieve my goals! Aaaaah! I shouldn't have spoken without thinking about it!" Min Li cried out loud with her face flushed with redness, feeling like digging a hole and jumping into it.

"I want to follow him and see where he's going today, but I don't have enough courage to stand before him and act like nothing happened yesterday! Ahhhhh! Damn it! I should've waited a bit longer before inviting him to join the Min Family!"

Sometime later, Yuan arrived at the Mission Hall. It was a large two-story building that took up an entire block with disciples constantly entering and leaving the place, being one of the most active areas that Yuan has experienced in the sect thus far.

But that's to be expected since this place is where most disciples go to earn their contribution points, which is mandatory if they want anything from the sect. 

···

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