Chapter 132: Ascension Conference

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"What is the Heavenly Mist Platform Immortal Ascension Assembly?" Wu Jiuzhi suddenly asked the question that had also been puzzling Han Li.

Han Li had heard the name "Immortal Ascension Assembly" mentioned several times since his encounter with Wan Xiaoshan, but he hadn't had the chance to learn the details. "Is it also a trade fair like the Taonan Gathering?" Han Li wondered to himself.

"No way! You don't even know about the Immortal Ascension Assembly? This is Yue State's once-a-decade best opportunity for all young cultivators to join a major immortal cultivation sect," Hei Mu said, looking surprised and a little excited.

"Brother Wu is so young, he must have been cultivating in seclusion elsewhere. It's understandable that he wouldn't know about the Immortal Ascension Assembly," said Daoist Qing Wen, not seeming overly surprised.

"Oh! Could you tell me more? Being able to join one of the Seven Great Sects is like ascending to heaven in one step!" Wu Jiuzhi's interest was immediately piqued, and he pressed Hei Mu for details.

"Now is not the time to talk about the Immortal Ascension Assembly. The disappearance of our fellow rogue cultivators is what we should be discussing," Hu Pinggu said with some dissatisfaction, perhaps directed at the young man.

"It's fine, explaining it to Brother Wu is good, and perhaps others aren't entirely clear on the details of the Immortal Ascension Assembly either," Daoist Qing Wen said with a smile, but Han Li felt the other party's gaze intentionally or unintentionally fall on him.

Han Li's heart tensed. Had Daoist Qing Wen seen through him? He had tried his best to obscure the characteristics of a novice cultivator and avoid contact with these people, but it seemed he hadn't escaped this person's sharp eyes. This Daoist Qing Wen truly had keen insight!

"Since Daoist Qing Wen said so, then I'll explain it to Brother Wu," Hei Mu said, seeing this, and his spirits lifted, eager to share the information.

So, everyone took their seats again, except for the胖 man, Huang Xiaotian.

"I know all about the Immortal Ascension Assembly. I'm going back to sleep now; you all can continue."

The fat man said with a cold expression, then left the room without waiting for anyone else to speak, leaving everyone in the room looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Please don't mind him; Brother Huang's cultivation technique is quite unusual and makes him prone to sleepiness. He didn't mean to be disrespectful!" Qing Wen quickly offered an explanation for Huang Xiaotian with a righteous air.

Most of the people in the room gave wry smiles upon hearing this. Mind? Who would dare to mind? This person's magical power was even stronger than the Daoist's!

The atmosphere in the room grew slightly awkward.

"Brother Hei Mu, please continue!" It was Wu Jiuzhi who broke the silence, urging him on.

Hei Mu chuckled and began to speak again.

"Speaking of the Immortal Ascension Assembly, one must first mention the Foundation Establishment Pill, that elixir that drives all Qi Condensation cultivators mad..."

It turned out that for Qi Condensation cultivators to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage and become true members of the cultivation world, they not only had to cultivate their foundational techniques to the seventh level but also had to consume the "Foundation Establishment Pill," a spiritual medicine that only major sects could refine. Only then could they hope to break through their realm bottleneck and successfully establish their foundation.

This gave the Foundation Establishment Pill the esteemed name "Immortal Ascension Pill," driving cultivators to madness.

Even within major immortal cultivation sects, the Foundation Establishment Pill was extremely scarce.

This was because the raw materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill were incredibly difficult to find. Even if all the immortal cultivation sects in Yue State cooperated, pooling resources and efforts, they could only hope to produce a few cauldrons of pills, a mere thousand or so, once every ten years.

Even if these pills were completely divided among the various sects, they were far from enough to satisfy their own needs, so it was impossible for any Foundation Establishment Pills to circulate outside.

However, throughout the cultivation world of Yue State, there were still many cultivators who had reached the seventh level of their foundational techniques. These individuals urgently needed Foundation Establishment Pills to attempt breaking through their bottlenecks.

This situation created a sharp conflict: on one hand, Foundation Establishment Pills were extremely scarce and controlled by major sects; on the other hand, more and more rogue cultivators needed "Foundation Establishment Pills" but couldn't find a single one externally. This led to intense resentment, even making some low-level cultivators, consumed by anger, deeply hostile towards these sects.

The people from the major immortal cultivation sects naturally sensed this unfavorable trend but were temporarily at a loss for a solution. After all, they didn't even have enough "Foundation Establishment Pills" for themselves, so how could they give some to outsiders?

But there was no problem that couldn't be solved. Ultimately, this crisis was resolved by a genius within one of the sects.

He came up with the idea that whenever Foundation Establishment Pills were refined, they would select some exceptionally talented rogue cultivators from outside, invite them to join the major sects, and then provide them with Foundation Establishment Pills.

This approach prevented the Foundation Establishment Pills from flowing out of the sects, keeping valuable resources within their control. It also alleviated the dissatisfaction of other low-level cultivators, as joining a major immortal cultivation sect was an opportunity cultivators would eagerly accept. Furthermore, it allowed them to select excellent disciples—truly a win-win-win situation.

However, the selection method naturally had to be fair and strict to avoid criticism; otherwise, it would have the opposite effect.

So, these sects adopted the most classic and convincing method of the strong preying on the weak: a challenge arena competition, where those with exceptional strength would earn the right to join their sects.

The Seven Great Sects each offered ten disciple slots and ten Foundation Establishment Pills as rewards for the ultimate victors.

Of course, they imposed an age limit, not accepting anyone over forty, as even with good aptitude, such individuals had no future prospects for cultivation.

Thus, the "Immortal Ascension Assembly" was born!

Those who triumphed in the arena were indeed mostly talented individuals with profound magical power and outstanding aptitude, bringing immense joy to the immortal cultivation sects who gained these high-quality disciples.

The resentment of other cultivators also dissipated with the holding of this assembly; their attention entirely focused on this once-in-a-decade opportunity to transform like a carp leaping over the dragon gate.

The Immortal Ascension Assembly was held repeatedly in this manner, and each time, seventy fortunate individuals became disciples of the Seven Great Sects, further driving other cultivators to madness.

Eventually, almost every eligible Qi Condensation cultivator who considered themselves strong would desperately try to challenge the arena several times, hoping for a stroke of luck to transform from a fish into a dragon!

However, the arena was not easy to win. After all, spells were not something low-level cultivators could easily control, and many people were injured or died each time, also creating deep-seated animosities among the participants.

Hei Mu spoke for nearly an hour, and Wu Jiuzhi listened with great interest, gaining much insight! Han Li, who listened alongside them, also benefited immensely, gaining a deeper understanding of the cultivation world.

"If I succeed in the arena challenge, won't I also become an inner disciple of a major sect?" Wu Jiuzhi asked after listening, his face full of longing.

"Dream on! With your level, challenging the arena would only lead to injury or death!" Hu Pinggu couldn't help but mock Wu Jiuzhi after hearing his daydream.

"Oh, why? Am I not capable? Is cultivation at the eighth level not enough to qualify for the arena?" Wu Jiuzhi didn't get angry this time; instead, he earnestly asked Hu Pinggu for advice.

Hu Pinggu was a little surprised, but after a moment's hesitation, she said:

"Young Wu, do you know what kind of people the seventy champions last year were? And how many cultivators at your level were injured or died in the arena?"

"I respectfully ask for your guidance, Madam Hu!" Wu Jiuzhi said quite sincerely.

"I witnessed the entire arena battle at that Immortal Ascension Assembly with my own eyes. Even now, thinking about it fills me with lingering fear," Hu Pinggu seemed to recall something terrifying, her face turning pale.

Seeing this, her husband, the big-bearded man, quickly placed a hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Hu Pinggu turned to look at her husband affectionately, and her complexion softened considerably.

"My husband and I don't plan to participate in the arena competition; we only plan to watch, resigned to staying at the Qi Condensation stage for the rest of our lives. But since you all still have ambition, I'll tell you about the dangers of the arena, so you don't die without understanding why," Hu Pinggu said lightly.

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