These great rewards naturally caused the cultivation sect to experience a great surge of registrations for a time. This surge was maintained for the next two to three times and then completely declined.
The bloody reality caused the many disciples to wake to the realization that these great rewards did not come without cost!
Because of the initial excitement over the great rewards, the original survival rate of those who fought in the forbidden area actually lowered from less than one third to less than one fourth after the introduction of greater rewards. Of those who survived, those capable of bringing out spiritual medicines were even fewer, and the majority of them were gravely injured. They fundamentally didn’t reap any rewards, not to speak of even recieving a Foundation Establishment Pill.
This was what Han Li was told after asking Wu Feng about the source of the spiritual medicines.
After hearing everything he had to say, Han Li felt nothing except depression!
He didn’t expect that gathering some medicine ingredients would require going to some forbidden area and, moreover, engaging in close combat with the disciples of other sects. Only by being the final victor would one be able to leave. Furthermore, the rate of survival was astonishing. Less than one fourth of the disciples were able to leave this so-called, “Trial by Blood and Fire”.
The hazards one would have to brave were far too great! Han Li wasn’t some expert. Among the low level disciples of Yellow Maple Valley, he was merely of medium strength.
As a result, without profound magic power and no powerful magic techniques, he could only rely on their several magic tools and his mind’s quick wit.
Relying on just this, how could Han Li believe himself to be one of the four that survive?
This caused Han Li to become angry, and he could not help but ask Wu Feng, “Why doesn’t each Immortal sect restrict their disciples and collaboratively divide the spiritual medicines? It should be known these medicines will inevitably be refined into Foundation Establishment Pills. Isn’t there no need to quarrel and tear into one another, thereby planting the seeds of hatred and revenge?”
After Wu Feng heard this, he immediately replied with a bitter laugh, “Junior Martial Brother does not understand. Although they will all be used to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, the distribution of the number of medicine pills would completely depend on the spiritual medicines available. Under these circumstances, how could they not do their utmost to fight for the spiritual medicines?”
After Han Li heard this, he remained silent for a long while.
Finally, with a belly full of worry, he asked about the next “Trial by Blood and Fire” and found out that it was in half a year. After several warnings from Senior Martial Brother Wu, Han Li left the Cultivation Guidance Pavilion and returned to Hundred Medicine Garden.
Over the course of the next few days, Han Li dispiritedly thought of this matter, repeatedly pondering about the stakes and risks involved. He attempted to compel himself to pick the more sensible option.
It was clear that in the State of Yue, apart from this forbidden area, these three spiritual medicines would not be found. Otherwise, the Seven Great Immortal Sects need not shed blood every five years and cripple themselves.
If Han Li did not want to brave these strange dangers, he could only hope to find the spiritual medicines in regions outside the State of Yue. Else, he would be completely without hope of achieving Foundation Establishment and become a pile of bones within a hundred years. However, after a careful thought, he knew that leaving the country to look for spiritual medicines was even more hopeless.
However, if he truly participated in the “Trial by Blood and Fire”, the three-fourth death rate was far too large! At that point, his possibility of death was immense! This truly caused Han Li to feel bewildered!
Chapter 161: Market City
After several restless nights of troubled sleep, Han Li carefully mulled over his thoughts of self-preservation and the thought of forever losing the opportunity for his Immortal path and his willingness to face unknown danger to reach Foundation Establishment. He gradually became inclined to the latter. After all, he had not resigned to have such an ordinary life!
However, his cautious nature caused him to rush a trip to Yue Lu Hall. After he confirmed the bitter reality of the Trial by Blood and Fire and the lack of heavenly spiritual medicines outside of the area with the greedy old man, he thoroughly abandoned his wishful thinking.
Since he clearly understood that he had no path of retreat, Han Li was fiercely determined to give his all in the Forbidden Trial by Blood and Fire. He would either find the spiritual medicines within that would allow him to reach Foundation Establishment or fall to his death in the struggle within the forbidden area.
With the determination to either live or die, Han Li began his preparations to travel to the forbidden area in half a year. Within this short time, he had to further his strength in order to improve his chances to survive.
It was impossible for him to reach the eleventh layer of the Eternal Spring Arts without the assistance of medicine pills. If he wanted to increase his strength, he could only learn a few new magic techniques and purchase a few powerful talismans and magic tools.
New magic techniques were not much of a problem. In all likelihood, if he were to mention it to Senior Martial Brother Wu, he wouldn’t refuse to teach him. However, with his aptitude, he would only be able to either learn two elementary low-grade magic techniques or a mid-grade magic technique in half a year. As for elementary high-grade magic techniques, it would be better not to think of them. Thus the quickest way to increase his strength would be by using talismans and magic tools.
Regarding magic tools, Han Li currently had a few. As for magic tools that could be used in combat, apart from the ring and the small black flag that Martial Uncle Ye gave him, he also had the long saber capable of turning into a rope and the gourd that could release automatically-attacking spheres that he got from the two yellow-clothed men who tried to kill and rob him.
As for when he entered the sect, he received a Fierce Sun Sword and Cold Moon Saber. They were simply the lowest level of magic tools, capable of attacking with a bit of flames and cold Qi. They were fundamentally unimpressive.
As for talismans, Han Li was originally extremely lacking in them. Fortunately, from the goods that the shady Martial Uncle Ye didn’t embezzle from him, he had quite a few talismans. He was truly given over ten elementary mid-grade talismans and two rarely-seen high-grade talismans, greatly increasing his confidence.
Furthermore, Han Li still had the small sword talisman that he still didn’t know what do with. In fear, the yellow-clothed man he beheaded called this a talisman treasure. It should have a grand origin. It would simply be seen as stolen property, so he didn’t dare to let others know of this talisman. He kept the two words “Treasure Talisman” in his head a secret and intended to find an opportunity to ask others about it.
Naturally, when facing the extremely terrible “Forbidden Trial by Blood and Fire”, having only these objects was certainly not enough. As a result, Han Li planned to leave the sect mountains and make a trip to a nearby sect’s market city to buy a few top quality magic tools and talismans.
However, he didn’t have the backing of many spirit stones. This purchasing trip was certain to not go as one would wish.
Although Han Li had quite a few spirit stones he could use, in his future trip to the forbidden area, these spirit stones were important support in a prolonged fight, causing him to be quite reluctant about parting with them.
A few thoughts later, Han Li decided to cultivate a few precious thousand-year medicinal herbs in the little time he had to exchange for spirit stones or to simply barter.
Actually, creating a few Face Setting Pills would probably be better, perhaps slightly increasing the value of the thousand-year medicinal herbs. However, Face Setting Pills truly required too many medicinal ingredients. There was not enough time to
actually collect all the materials. As a result, he could only directly use drug ingredients to exchange.
But in order to not arouse suspicion from the sect, Han Li inwardly decided that he would only sell the cultivated medicine ingredients to cultivators outside the sect. Were he to directly use medicinal ingredients to do business in the sect, he was certain to arouse the attention of others.
As a result, with a plan in mind, Han Li began to work.
He first visited Wu Feng and picked the most practical elementary magic technique, “Qi Restraining Technique”. It was an auxiliary-type elementary mid-grade magic spell that could resist the Heaven’s Eye Technique. As long as this technique was used beforehand, one would not appear to the naked eye and one’s Qi would be completely restrained. Its purpose was to conceal one’s self.
Naturally, this magic technique was of no use against experts at Foundation Establishment or above. It was, however, completely effective against the high-layer cultivators of Qi Condensation. This technique was far more practical compared to the “Body Concealment Technique”.
However, the reason why Han Li didn’t pick any attack or defense-type magic techniques was completely due to his own true combat experience.
Because of the time when he fought other cultivators in close combat, he discovered that in a fight between cultivators, there were far too few opportunities to completely execute the incantations of mid-grade magic techniques. There were far more opportunities to use magic tools and the low-grade magic techniques with the shortest execution time. Talisman methods were the next quickest in defending and attacking. That was why in a battle, it was more practical to use talismans rather than mid-grade magic techniques or higher. Naturally, if one had a companion that fought for time to cast a magic technique, that was a different argument.
When Han Li obtained the cultivation incantation of this technique, he detailedly asked Wu Feng the specifics of cultivating this technique and then began to practice it with his heart and soul. However, as a mid-grade magic technique, this Qi Restraining Technique was completely different compared to the auxiliary magic techniques he previously learned, such as the “Imperial Flight Technique” and the “Body Concealment Technique”. Its cultivation was extremely difficult. It seemed that completely mastering it within half a year was truly no small challenge.
Like that, Han Li bitterly cultivated the “Qi Restraining Technique” during the day, and gathered green liquid and concentrated on cultivating several often-used spiritual grasses during the night. In addition, in order to prevent Martial Senior Ma from discovering these medicinal herbs, he specially staggered the cultivation of the medicines between the periods he arrived to pick up the medicine ingredients. He also planted the medicine in the most remote corners of the garden. After all, the scent of herbs a thousand years old or more stood out quite a bit.
However, it was fortunate that this Senior Martial Senior had always come to collect right on schedule. He was neither early or late, and would hurriedly arrive and hurriedly leave. He seemed to be completely busy, though Han Li didn’t know what he was busy with.
Han Li had no interest in what the old man was doing. He would say it was for the best that Martial Senior Ma was continuously busy. With no chance of interference by snooping, Han Li was allowed to cultivate medicine at a larger scale.
By the time Han Li initially grasped the “Qi Restraining Technique”, four months had already passed.
He also eventually cultivated two thousand-year old spiritual medicines. It was believed that medicinal ingredients of a hundred or more years were difficult to find in the current cultivation world. They were certain to produce a small and pleasant surprise in the market city.
Han Li received a command medallion allowing him to exit the sect mountains from his acquaintance, the Hundred Opportunities Hall’s Honored Disciple Yu.
Actually, the disciples of Yellow Maple Valley had the chance to leave once a year. However, as cultivators wouldn’t want to squander this period of time by going out, the disciples who took the opportunity were very few in number.
After Han Li flew out of the sect mountains’ large restrictive formation, he flew to the northeast, straight toward the market city.
With this said, Yellow Maple Valley’s market city had quite the reputation. It was more prosperous than any other sect’s market cities.
Because the Tai Yue Mountain Range that spanned over the Jian Province was close to the northern State of Yuan Wu and there was a non-hostile relationship between the cultivation world of the State of Yuan Wu and the cultivation world of the State of Yue, cultivators from the State of Yuan Wu would come to Yellow Maple Valley’s market city to do business and bring many unusual goods not present in the State of Yue. It could not be said that it was not an unexpected and nice surprise, attracting quite a few rogue cultivators and cultivation clans to the city.
This market city was established in the northeast of the Tai Yue Mountain Range. That was why Han Li arrived there after flying for more than half a day.
When he grew near, Han Li didn’t immediately rush over. Instead, he changed his gray cloth jacket and all the garments on his body that would identify him as a Yellow Maple Valley disciple. After he was done, he appeared as if he were a common cultivator. Then he walked over to the market city.
According to the code of conduct of the cultivation world, cultivators were not allowed to fly within five li of the market city, which was why Han Li encountered many hurried travelers traveling on foot throughout his journey. Among these travelers, there were many who dressed very peculiarly, causing Han Li to suspect that they were cultivators from the State of Yuan Wu. It seemed that this market city was quite popular.
While Han Li was blindly pondering, he had already arrived at the entrance to the market city.
Chapter 162: Myriad Treasures Store
Yellow Maple Valley’s market city looked like Han Li’s hometown, Green Ox City. The entire market was only one street that pointed north and south. In the south, there were dozens of houses of various sizes. Some were tall, some were short. Some were buildings, while others were just huts. It was very inconsistent and uneven.
These were all industries of the Yellow Maple Valley, but only less than half were personally managed by Yellow Maple Valley’s disciples. The other large half was leased to the cultivator families and rogue cultivators who usually dealt business here. Most of these businesses were stores that traded raw materials, talismans, and magic tools. There was also a five elements bookstore that specialized in selling elementary spells, and there were two restaurants and inns that were convenient for people to get food and rest.
Aside from the lower level disciples at the market city, there were also a number of Foundation Establishment experts who stayed there regularly, keeping order in the city and preventing people from causing trouble.
A large portion of the northern part of the street was empty. It was reserved for cultivators who wanted to set up a shop on the spur of the moment. As long as they paid the Yellow Maple Valley disciples with a low-grade spirit stone, foreigners could set up a shop for a whole day on the side of the empty street without any interference. They would even have the protection of the disciples during the time that they had set up a shop, enabling them to have no fear of any enemies who would want to take revenge.
With these measures encouraging foreign cultivators to come here and do business, along with the special geographical location of the market city, the Yellow Maple Valley’s market city had been prosperous for many years. There would even be rare items that would appear from time to time in the market city, attracting even more cultivators.
However, because Han Li wanted to avoid arousing suspicion, he didn’t enter the market city from the convenient south street entrance. Instead, he circled around and entered from the north. Before setting foot into the street entrance, he covered his face with a blue cloak in case there was anyone here who could recognize him.
&
nbsp; It was already the afternoon. The street of the market city didn’t seem to have many people at a first glance. However, this was normal. After all, this market city was not some secular world downtown market that would be noisy all day long. The people who were qualified to come here were unique cultivators; you would only find one cultivator in ten thousand people! It was already pretty good to have this many people.
Han Li mocked himself a little after realizing this fact and walked towards the small shops on the side of the street. He decided to see if there was anything worthwhile in the small shops before going to the large stores.
After going through all the small shops, Han Li’s heart sank. The magic tools and talismans at these small shops were completely useless to him, with the exception of three or four items that could barely be considered passable. Buying them would only be a foolish expense, so he stopped wasting his time. He turned around and sprinted towards the large stores.
“Seven Opportunities Pavilion.”
“Wind Guiding Study.”
“Heavenly Crafts Store.”
……
…
This time, Han Li didn’t recklessly find a random store to walk into. He took his time and slowly strolled along the street. After he familiarized himself with the name, size, and type of each store, he picked the one that looked the largest and frequently had cultivators streaming in and out: Myriad Treasures Store. He went inside.
From simply hearing the store’s name, one could tell that the owner of the store was confident of his goods, so Han Li hoped to find some rare treasures here and not leave empty-handed.
Han Li slightly hesitated as soon as he entered.
The bright hall was large enough to accommodate dozens of people without feeling crowded. There was an extraordinarily long front desk, built with precious Red Aleurite wood, and seven or eight servants in blue uniforms. All of this gave off an impressive atmosphere of grandeur.
In the hall, two of the servants in blue were explaining something to a few people who looked like customers.
A Record of a Mortal’s Journey to Immortality c1-2248 Page 78