Chapter 127: First Steps into the Boruo Sect

Lei Xiang opened his eyes. The first thing that came into view was a fair-skinned face; it was the young man who had greeted the new disciples at the mountain gate. His expression remained stern, but his tone had softened considerably. "Congratulations, junior brothers. You have successfully passed the entrance examination of our Bo-Ruo Sect. Our master has already agreed to accept both of you. Let us get acquainted; my name is Jiang Gan, and I am your senior brother."

Lei Xiang rolled his eyes. It seemed that the master Jiang Gan spoke of was not particularly powerful; otherwise, he would have seen through their true cultivation level at a glance. It appeared they had truly managed to sneak in. Pretending to struggle as he rose, Lei Xiang cupped his hands in a salute. "Greetings, Senior Brother. My name is Lei Xiang. I hope you will guide me well in the future."

Dugu Yixiao remained as he always was, uttering only four words: "Dugu Yixiao," before falling silent.

Jiang Gan glanced at Dugu Yixiao with a hint of dissatisfaction before turning back to Lei Xiang. "Lei Xiang, our sect opens its gates to recruits every hundred years. Thousands participate each time, yet fewer than a hundred pass the three assessments. That you could emerge from the Labyrinth Forest shows your strength of will; passing the left-turn maze proves your intelligence; and finally, daring to dismantle the teleportation room shows your courage. Do you know? Only by dismantling that wooden hut could the teleportation array be triggered, and those cold lights that entered your bodies were the core stones of the array. This is the only way to enter our Bo-Ruo Sect."

As dawn broke, only Lei Xiang and Dugu Yixiao remained in the room. Lei Xiang jumped onto his bed and stretched his limbs comfortably, eager for a good night's sleep. Dugu Yixiao, however, stood as rigid as a spear; seeing him, no one would believe he was a man over sixty. What surprised Lei Xiang most was that Dugu Yixiao, usually a man of few words, began to speak incessantly.

"Lei Xiang, how did you know to always turn left? How were you certain about dismantling that small wooden hut? And when faced with the attacks of the demonic beasts and the cold lights from the hut, how could you remain so calm without revealing your true cultivation? Did you see through the fact that this was all a test?"

So, he had been dwelling on this all along. Lei Xiang turned his face to the wall and mumbled, "Heaven's secrets must not be leaked. I am going to sleep, so leave me be. You should get some rest, too."

Standing on the floor, Dugu Yixiao shook his head helplessly. Lei Xiang’s image in his mind became even more mysterious; it was as if he possessed a natural, special ability, appearing almost omnipotent, yet at times, he seemed incredibly naive and prone to impulsive behavior.

Dugu Yixiao turned to leave. Just as he reached back to close the door, Lei Xiang called out to him. With a flick of his hand, a pill the size of a fingernail appeared. "Take this." Dugu Yixiao frowned, but still reached out into the air to catch the pill, swallowing it without hesitation. A smile appeared on Lei Xiang's face. "Good brother! You aren't afraid I might poison you."

Dugu Yixiao remained silent, but his cold, clear gaze remained as steadfast as ever.

Lei Xiang stretched again. "This is a 'Youth-Preserving Pill' I refined. There are only seven in total. Its effect is to keep one's appearance forever young. Now you will remain a middle-aged man; I don't want my brother to turn into an old man. When we travel together in the future, people would mistake us for grandfather and grandson."

The enclosed stone cave was somewhat primitive; this was Lei Xiang's residence within the Bo-Ruo Sect. He had been in solitary seclusion for five years, and his gains were immense. First, he had successfully improved the Heaven-Crystal Shells. Now, the shells fired from his "Nine-Nine Immortal-Slaying Gun" could be described as perfect in both speed and explosive power. Lei Xiang was confident that as long as he raised his hand, even a mid-stage Golden Core cultivator would not be able to escape unscathed. If he were to launch a sneak attack, it was entirely possible to instantly destroy the physical body of the fat woman, Qianqian.

If he could find the time to fire a second shot, even Qianqian's primordial spirit would not be able to escape.

Lei Xiang had also spent half a year carefully studying the "Map of White Mountains and Black Waters" obtained from the Immortal Mansion. He had mastered the basics of its use and could currently unleash one-fifth of its power. Unfortunately, he had yet to make any sense of the small ball, likely because his cultivation was still too shallow.

Suddenly, a streak of fire flew in without warning. Lei Xiang reached out and caught it. A youthful voice rang out.

"Junior Brother Lei Xiang, the sect's decennial New Disciple Tournament is about to be held. Please emerge from seclusion to register."

Lei Xiang’s heart stirred. He knew this was the competition held every ten years by the Bo-Ruo Sect, open to all disciples below the Foundation Establishment stage. The top ten would each receive a Bo-Ruo Foundation Establishment Pill. For disciples in the Qi Refining stage, this was a coveted treasure, as it increased the chances of successful Foundation Establishment by twenty percent. Lei Xiang, of course, did not care for a Foundation Establishment Pill, but not participating would make him stand out too much. After all, his current persona was that of a new disciple at the tenth level of Qi Refining; it would be irrational not to be interested in the pill.

Lei Xiang packed away his bottles and jars, removed the inner layer of his defensive restrictions, and said loudly, "Thank you for the reminder, Senior Brother. I shall emerge immediately." He then raised his hand to remove the restrictions outside the cave and strode out.

Outside, the sun was bright. Standing in the sunlight was a handsome young man. Lei Xiang hurriedly cupped his hands. "Ah, it is Senior Brother Liu. Thank you for the reminder, or I surely would have missed this great opportunity." He knew that this Senior Brother Liu, at the fourteenth level of Qi Refining, was a rising star of the Bo-Ruo Sect. It was said he had reached the peak of Qi Refining in less than twenty years. At only twenty-eight, he was considered a genius of the sect.

Senior Brother Liu smiled slightly. "Lei Xiang, you have been in our Bo-Ruo Sect for several years. I have always admired you; there are truly few people nowadays who devote all their time to cultivation as you do. How was your seclusion? Do you have the confidence to win the Bo-Ruo Foundation Establishment Pill?"

Lei Xiang gave a shy smile. "Senior Brother, you flatter me. Compared to you, my meager abilities are like the difference between heaven and earth. Of course, I want the Foundation Establishment Pill, but given my current cultivation, I likely have no chance. You, on the other hand, Senior Brother Liu, will surely shine in this tournament. Winning the pill will be a piece of cake; I imagine your goal is the championship."

Senior Brother Liu smiled noncommittally and said modestly, "I only entered the sect a bit earlier than you. I am approaching this competition with the attitude of learning; after all, there is always someone better. If I can win the pill, that would be even better. As for you, there is plenty of time. Consider this an opportunity to gain experience. Who knows, perhaps you might have an unexpected surprise or a sudden breakthrough. Anyway, the tournament will be held at the training grounds on the eighth of next month. I hope you register on time."

"Thank you, Senior Brother Liu. I will certainly be there. After today's conversation, I admire you even more. To possess such cultivation while remaining so humble and maintaining such a calm state of mind—you are truly a model for us all to emulate. No wonder your cultivation has progressed so rapidly; in terms of self-cultivation, you are simply invincible..."

...

Under the bombardment of Lei Xiang's "sugar-coated bullets," Senior Brother Liu’s young heart soared. He firmly believed that the championship of this tournament was his to lose, and that in the future, the position of Sect Master would inevitably belong to him, this peerless genius. In his eyes, Lei Xiang had become quite endearing; Senior Brother Liu even began to contemplate how, once he had established his position, he would surely promote and mentor this Junior Brother Lei Xiang.