Eternal Tale
chapter-32

Chen Xun led the black ox into the Nine Stars Valley, and they found themselves surrounded yet again by a bunch of unfamiliar faces.

They joined the crowd and walked in the street along with the many seeking to improve their strength.

Three days passed and it was soon time for the representatives sent by the ten great sects to arrive. The regular atmosphere broke into uproar as they pompously came into the valley.

The representatives sent by the sects were changed every year. Nonetheless, all of them were at the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Old ox."

"Moo!"

"Let’s try the trials out." Chen Xun said before leading the black ox towards the Purple Cloud Sect's high platform.

This surprised many cultivators. After all, bringing an ox to challenge the trials seemed quite ridiculous.

At the top of the high platform stood three women with their hands behind their backs. They eyed the headgeared cultivator approaching with a piercing look. There seemed to be a glint of interest in their eyes.

The first trial involved fighting puppet beasts. In order to pass this trial, one had to dodge their attacks while crossing the path towards the next level.

Chen Xun slowly approached the trial grounds, and many cultivators’ eyes were drawn to him as he entered.

The moment his feet touched the trial grounds, the puppet beasts emitted a flash of red light. They went into formation and lunged at him. They had no emotion in their eyes.

A tremor passed through Chen Xun's feet and he darted, leaving a blurry afterimage behind. He lifted the black ox overhead with one hand and quickly dodged several incoming spells. He then bolted ahead and arrived behind one of the puppets. Palms covered in searing flames, he slapped the puppets back, causing its solid body to melt into sprouts of lava, revealing a crystal core hidden inside. He crushed the core and the puppet went limp, falling to the ground. He then swiftly moved on to the next puppet. He displayed exceptional speed and precision.

Shortly after, all ten puppets were eliminated. Everything seemed to have been done with relative ease.

"What kind of spell did this person just use?"

"The mechanical puppets of the Purple Cloud Sect were all taken down by him singlehandedly. Do you know how valuable these puppet materials are?"

"This is really eye-opening. We thought the most we could do was dodge, but this person has managed to destroy all these puppets. His strength is terrifying!"

A buzz of excitement filled the area beneath the Purple Cloud Sect's high platform. They had never heard of someone single handedly defeating ten mechanical puppet beasts. He even carried a black ox with him while doing so!

At the top of the platform, the three women exchanged glances, their eyes filled with shock.

"Sister Yun, isn’t this a little too much?" One of the women spoke indignantly. These puppets were the Purple Cloud Sect's property, and he had damaged them.

"This is getting interesting," Sister Yun said with a faint smile. She didn’t seem to care about the puppets."I want to see what his qualifications are."

As she spoke, all three of them picked up a token.

The second test involved measuring bone age and aptitude.

Chen Xun brought the big black ox into a grand hall with colorful lights. In the center, there was a formation. He stepped on it.

"Bone age twenty?!" The woman holding the token looked at her hand and trembled as she spoke. "Aptitude... Five-element mixed spiritual root..."

"What a pity. Still, among the vagabonds, he can be considered a remarkable figure." Sister Yun said with a hint of regret.

Aptitude was of most importance in the Purple Cloud Sect. Fighting prowess was not essential.

Inside the hall, Chen Xun smiled faintly; his goal had been achieved. The Purple Cloud Sect valued aptitude the most, and there was no need to continue challenging the tests.

The first test was merely giving everyone hope, but after observing for several years, Chen Xun had already seen through the Purple Cloud Sect's approach.

"Old ox, let's go."

"Moo!"

Chen Xun left through another door without continuing to challenge the trials, seemingly aware of his limited aptitude. Sister Yun merely glanced deeply at them before shifting her focus elsewhere.

The Purple Cloud Sect also dispatched several disciples who released puppet beasts from their storage bags, starting a new round of challenges.

"Friend, please wait," a middle-aged man in blue clothes called out to Chen Xun. His eyes seemed friendly.

Chen Xun didn’t let his guard down seeing his friendly smile. This entire valley was like a patch of grass that was littered with snakes.

He held the ox’s reins and looked at the man in confusion. “Is something the matter, friend?”

"I am a disciple of the Five Elements Sect in Zhiyang Province, my name is Yin Jun," the middle-aged man introduced himself and sighed lightly. "I witnessed your bravery on the stage. Alas, your aptitude seems to hold you back.”

Qian Nation has nine provinces. The Ningyun Mountain Range was located in the Yongquan Province, which was quite a distance away from the Zhiyang Province. It would take at least half a year to travel there on foot.

The Five Elements Sect—although not as prominent as the Ten Great Sects—had a well-known presence in the Qian Nation’s cultivation scene. The sect maintained friendly relations with the Purple Cloud Sect, and there were rumors circulating that there were strong connections among the high-ranking individuals in both sects. This was the reason why Yin Jun was here to recruit talented individuals.

"So you are a disciple of the Five Elements Sect. I've heard of your sect's reputation," Chen Xun nodded politely.

He was curious about what Yin Jun would say next, especially since the man was a ninth-level Qi Cultivation stage cultivator.

"Do you have any intention of joining the Five Elements Sect?" Yin Jun asked with a smile.

Yongquan Province didn't have many major sects, and the resources for cultivation were relatively scarce. When vagabonds were offered such invitations in the past, they would shake with excitement and quickly accept the offer.

"How can you prove that you are a disciple of the Five Elements Sect? I can’t take your words at face value and follow you," Chen Xun pressed, well aware of the potential risks.

"Well, I've actually been observing you for quite some time. I have always wondered why some sects are interested in cultivators with strong combat prowess, regardless of their aptitude. I understand now. So please don’t beat around the bush and be frank with me," Yin Jun said.

"What is required of me after joining the Five Elements Sect? There's no such thing as a free lunch in this world," Chen Xun replied.

He had been pondering over these questions for a long time, which was also why he dared not join the Ten Great Sects.

These medium-sized sects had some room for negotiation, but the Ten Great Sects were not flexible at all. If his aptitude barely made the mark, what would they do with the big black ox?

Back then at the foot of the mountain, the chubby cultivator had advised him to get rid of the big black ox. Chen Xun remembered the words "It's better if you deal with it now. It would be even worse if they ask you to kill it."

Yin Jun was at a loss for words. _What’s wrong with this guy? Did he experience some traumatic event in his childhood?_

"This is the Five Elements Sect disciple token. Please take a look." Yin Jun took out a green token from his storage bag. It had the Five Elements Sect's name, and intricate patterns were engraved on its body.

"When this token is activated, all Five Elemental Sect disciples within a hundred miles can sense it." Yin Jun said, somewhat speechless.

If it weren't for the benefits of recruiting a qualified disciple, he wouldn't have gone through so much trouble.

"Then go ahead and activate it, please. It’s hard for me to gain your trust as a vagabond, that's why you should call your fellow disciples and rest easy." Chen Xun said, knowing that vagabonds like him were at a disadvantage compared to disciples of major sects.

"When the event is over, I will activate it. At that time, you will know if it's genuine or not," Yin Jun replied.

"All right. What did you need?" Chen Xun nodded and smiled, looking forward to that moment.

Yin Jun took a deep breath and blinked. "Actually, it's not much of a secret. It is only a matter that concerns low-level cultivators in Qian Nation."

"Please, go on," Chen Xun urged.

"It's about the spiritual herbs for Foundation Establishment Pills..." Yin Jun began explaining.