Yuan let out a heavy sigh, feeling the warmth of sunlight against his skin. As he opened his eyes and saw the sun rising, he stretched his arms and stood up slowly, sighing once more.
"I won't be free anytime soon…" Yuan thought, his mood sinking. The Flame Poison Cleansing Demonic Beast Technique was a high level flame refining technique that required months,if not years,to fully refine with his current cultivation stage.
The most frustrating part was that even if he managed to refine a portion of his Azure Basilisk Flame, he still couldn't use it effectively. His calculations had been flawed from the beginning.
He had assumed his body was like that of a Basilisk,but his current form was that of a human, not a demonic beast. The two were fundamentally different, and his approach had been mistaken.
"Because of that small oversight, everything will take much longer than I expected." Yuan's lips curled in irritation, but he forced himself to calm down.
Fortunately, advancing through the Blood Purification Stage didn't require specific techniques,just time and patience.
He could force a breakthrough using another method, but it would only damage his foundation and make future cultivation far more difficult. And that was a risk he refused to take.
"Patience…" Yuan muttered, his gaze fixed on the rising sun. "For now, I have to wait until I can fully refine my Azure Basilisk Flame and finally use the Flame Poison Cleansing Demonic Beast Technique to break free from this poison."
The process would be agonizingly slow. But he would endure. Because that was what he had always done.
With his thoughts about the Howling Wind Branch Sect coming to an end, Yuan began to piece together what little he had learned.
The mere fact that it was called a branch sect hinted at many things. It was likely just a smaller, secondary extension of the main sect,perhaps weaker in terms of cultivators and resources.
That also meant Old Man Viktor probably didn't hold much influence within the sect. After all, his authority would be limited by the fact that he was part of a mere branch, not the true heart of the organization.
The name itself Howling Wind Sect made Yuan wonder. Wind suggested freedom nad howling implied ferocity, power, and ruthlessness.
"Does that mean the sect is righteous and free spirited? Or brute forced and oppressive?" Yuan wondered. But the question lost its meaning almost immediately.
"Righteous or evil… it makes no difference to me. Either type will do."
His analysis finished, Yuan shifted his focus to the act he had to maintain.
He let his body tremble, his hands shaking as if from lingering terror. His shoulders hunched, his gaze fixed on the ground. To anyone watching, he was a submissive, broken figure,someone who had experienced too much horror the day before.
A perfect act.
Slowly, Yuan approached the carriage of the old schemer and the girl. They were eating and laughing as if nothing unpleasant had happened the day before.
When Viktor saw Yuan approaching, he snorted coldly and tossed him a pouch of water and a piece of bread.
"Come here. We're leaving now," Viktor said, his tone flat and indifferent.
Yuan nodded, keeping his head lowered. His hair fell over his eyes, hiding the cold calculation within them.
The girl, however, looked at him with pity in her eyes. But she said nothing. Maybe her kindness was genuine, or perhaps it was just another act. Yuan didn't care.
Without a word, he shuffled to the back of the carriage and began eating the bread and drinking the water.
His posture remained weak, his movements slow and uncertain. But behind the false mask of submission, his mind worked tirelessly, plotting his next move.
Time passed, and they finally arrived before the bustling city of Wolven. Along the way, they encountered all kinds of travelers,mercenaries, adventurers, mortal martial artists, and even a noble passing by with an armed entourage.
Emilia was excited, her eyes sparkling like a child's as she took in the grandeur of the city walls and the crowded roads leading to the gates.
But Yuan paid it all no mind. He kept his act of a weak, traumatized child intact, his gaze lowered and his steps sluggish. Not even the towering city walls or the lively chatter of merchants drew his attention.
Once they entered Wolven, Viktor guided the carriage to an inn named Relaxing Wind. Its name immediately caught Yuan's attention.
With wind in its name, it was obvious the inn had some connection to the Howling Wind Sect. Perhaps it was owned by them, or at least catered to their disciples.
After disembarking from the carriage, Viktor tossed Yuan a key and coldly instructed him, "That's your room. Stay there until I call for you."
Yuan nodded meekly, his head bowed. Keeping his cover was as important as ever. He trudged up the stairs and found his room.
It was a bare, minimalistic space. A simple bed, a rickety table, and a single chair. Practically empty. But Yuan had no complaints.
He shut the door, locked it, and sat down on the bed, crossing his legs into a lotus position. The plainness of the room suited his purposes perfectly.
He only had seven days. Seven days to refine his Azure Basilisk Flame as much as possible.
So, for seven days, Yuan remained in his room. He only left for food and the toilet. The rest of the time, he devoted entirely to cultivating, his mind focused on refining the Azure Basilisk Flame.
During this period, he caught glimpses of Emilia occasionally leaving her room to train. Her goal was clear,she was aiming to reach the Blood Purification Stage.
Based on Yuan's calculations, it would likely take her one or two years to break through, assuming she didn't use any medicinal pills to accelerate the process.
He recalled the steps to enter the Blood Purification Stage. It was a process Yuan had long since completed, but he still remembered every detail.
First, a cultivator must fully awaken all five senses during the Mortal Awakening Stage. After that, the next step is to sense the spiritual essence in the surroundings.
Draw the essence into the body. Let it flow into the bloodstream. Fuse it with the blood cells, purifying them bit by bit.
Once a cultivator successfully purifies 1% of their blood, they officially enter the early layer of the Blood Purification Stage.
From there, the process accelerates, as already purified blood naturally attracts more spiritual essence, making it easier to continue purifying the rest of the blood.
But it wasn't enough for Yuan to just continue purifying his blood. His focus remained solely on refining his Azure Basilisk Flame.
The Flame Poison Cleansing Demonic Beast Technique was a high level flame refining technique. With his current cultivation stage, it would take months, maybe even years, to fully refine the flame.
And worse, he could not even use the technique until the flame was fully refined. A part of him was grateful that he had advanced to the Blood Purification Stage,progress that required time and patience rather than specific techniques.
While he could force a breakthrough using other techniques, it would only damage his foundation, making future cultivation more difficult.
Patience and caution were his only options.
"Seven days… it's not enough," Yuan murmured to himself, his eyes narrowed in frustration. But frustration was useless.
All he could do was keep refining. Keep moving forward.
The world beyond his room became a blur of unimportant noise. All that mattered was his progress.
Yuan had already purified 0.99% of his blood. He could step into the Blood Purification Stage at any moment.
But he chose not to.
Advancing now would draw the attention of both the old man and Emilia. If they saw his breakthrough, it would reveal his strength,turning him into a more valuable tool or an better slave.
Yuan refused to play that role.
Besides, his current strength was still limited. As a basilisk, most of his inherited techniques were far too advanced for his human body.
They required cultivation stages like Bone Forging or Meridian Awakening to even attempt.
The only truly useful gifts he had inherited from the basilisk were its vast 30,000 years of knowledge, a basic understanding of alchemy, and a high level mastery of runes and formations.
The basilisk had been a masterful schemer, an expert in crafting intricate formations and powerful runes. But fully harnessing that knowledge was still beyond his reach.
"To use it all… I'll need to reach far higher stages of cultivation," Yuan mused, his eyes narrowing with frustration. For now, all he could do was accept his limitations and work around them.
The seven days passed quickly. Yuan remained locked away in his room, refining his Azure Basilisk Flame without pause.
Then, a sharp knock echoed from the door. The sound was calm and measured, but to Yuan, it was the signal he had been anticipating.
"It's finally time to leave."
Yuan rose from the bed, pulling on the plain brown robe Viktor had given him months ago. He cast one last glance around the empty room before opening the door.
Outside, both Emilia and Viktor were waiting for him. Viktor glanced at Yuan's attire and then simply turned, his gaze fixed forward as he strode away.
Emilia, meanwhile, offered Yuan a pitying glance but said nothing. She followed her grandfather's lead, her steps light and eager.
Yuan fell into line behind them, his head bowed in a perfect imitation of submission. But his eyes remained sharp, calculating every step.
They walked through the inn until they reached the garden.
The Relaxing Wind's garden was spacious and well-kept, a stark contrast to the bare, rough room Yuan had been confined to. Neatly trimmed grass stretched around small flowerbeds and stone pathways.
But what drew Yuan's attention wasn't the garden itself.
It was the crowd gathered there.
Around twenty to thirty children and young adults milled about, their expressions ranging from excitement to anxiety. Some looked barely older than Emilia, while others were young teens.
Most of the crowd were at the Mortal Awakening Stage, with only a few having reached the Blood Purification Stage. But among them, one figure stood out.
A young man lounged casually on a chair at the far end of the garden, his head resting against his arm as if he were half asleep.
He wore a green robe embroidered with a delicate leaf pattern, its quality far superior to what most disciples wore.
He had blond hair, blue eyes, and an average looking face,plain, but somehow sharpened by a certain confidence.
Despite his relaxed posture, his gaze was keen and observant, like a predator only pretending to be asleep.
But what caught Yuan's attention wasn't his appearance.
It was the spiritual pressure radiating from him.
Stronger. Denser. Unlike anything Yuan had felt from the others gathered here.
"A Meridian Awakening Stage cultivator…" Yuan realized with a cold chill, his gaze snapping away from the man's direction. He quickly lowered his head, staring at the ground as if he were nothing but a trembling, broken child.
The pressure weighed heavily on him, but he forced himself to maintain his facade. A weak, traumatized boy shouldn't have the composure to study someone so powerful.
So he waited, standing silently in the garden as more people gathered.
Eventually, the crowd's growth slowed to a stop. The murmuring voices faded as attention naturally shifted toward the young man.
Seeing that everyone had arrived, the blond-haired man rose from his chair with a slow, lazy grace. But his eyes were sharp, scanning the crowd with a mixture of amusement and boredom.
"Greetings, juniors," he said, his voice smooth but carrying a weight that silenced even the boldest chatter. "I am an Inner Disciple of the Howling Wind Branch Sect. Today, I will be your judge. It's my task to determine whether you're qualified to join our sect."
He paused, allowing his words to settle over them like a heavy blanket.
"For all Mortal Awakening juniors,if you are under the age of fifteen, step forward for testing."
His gaze drifted over the crowd, briefly meeting Yuan's eyes before continuing.
"For those in the Blood Purification Stage,if you are under thirty years old, step forward for testing."
He waited, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"As for those who exceed these age limits but still wish to join the sect…" He allowed himself a small, almost mocking smile. "Return in three days."
Disappointment rippled through the crowd. Whispers of frustration and resignation drifted on the cool morning breeze. Some cultivators left with sullen faces, their shoulders hunched in defeat.
Even Elder Viktor was among them. The old man's expression remained unreadable, but his departure carried a certain stiffness, as if he were bitter about the rejection.
Yuan's eyes narrowed as he watched Viktor leave. With the scheming elder gone, the safety net he had provided vanished as well.
But that didn't matter.
In fact, it was better. Now Yuan could act more freely, without Viktor's eyes constantly watching over his shoulder.
Now, only Yuan, Emilia, and the remaining Mortal Awakening and Blood Purification Stage cultivators,all within the age requirements,stood before the Meridian Awakening cultivator.
The blond haired young man glanced over the group, his expression almost bored, but his eyes glinted with interest.
"Alright, juniors. Follow me. We will now head to the trial ground."
With a casual motion, he reached into his sleeve and pulled out a slender, elegantly crafted sword. Its blade shimmered faintly in the sunlight, suggesting it was no ordinary weapon.
Without hesitation, he drove the sword into the ground before him.
For a moment, nothing happened.
Then the earth trembled.
Cracks splintered outward from the point of impact, thin lines snaking through the soil and stone. A deep rumble filled the air, causing some of the younger cultivators to flinch or stagger back in surprise.
Moments later, the ground crumbled away. Chunks of earth fell inward, revealing a wide, spiraling stone staircase that descended into darkness.
Cold, musty air drifted up from below, carrying with it the faint scent of damp soil.
The blond haired man's smile widened, his expression now holding a trace of genuine amusement.
"Alright, juniors," he said, his voice echoing faintly against the stone. "It's time to descend. The trial awaits below."
Some of the cultivators exchanged nervous glances. Others showed excitement, their eyes gleaming with ambition.
Yuan's gaze lingered on the staircase, his mind already racing with possibilities. Whatever awaited them below, he would face it without hesitation.
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AN:Will edit the next chapters of the tournement in the comming days.