Chapter 6: Sect Master’s Token

Taixu Ruins.

Qian Tuo was treating his injuries in the Immortal Cave. He was startled when Qin Wu, with a grim face, suddenly appeared.

“Why are you back so early today?”

Usually, he would only show up in the evening. Why was today different?

“Did something happen?”

Qian Tuo immediately became vigilant. If he remembered correctly, after the Recruitment Order was activated, those people at the Outpost should have sensed it. Could it be that someone has already been sent in?

Thinking of this, he immediately grew tense.

Although he didn’t know if his Master was human, based on his observations over the past few days, his Cultivation was definitely not high—it wasn’t even stronger than his own. If he hadn’t been severely injured that day, he definitely wouldn’t have been captured.

Qian Tuo secretly glanced at Qin Wu. If the people from the Outpost entered the Ruins and saw how weak he was, they probably wouldn’t let him off.

“Master…” Qian Tuo pondered for a moment, “There might be some strangers entering the Ruins recently. It’s best if you avoid them. I’m afraid…”

Now that the two of them shared the same fate—glory or ruin—he couldn’t worry about revealing anything.

“I know.”

Qin Wu had originally been wondering who was targeting him. Hearing Qian Tuo suddenly speak, he gave him a strange look, not understanding why he suddenly mentioned this.

“You… wait, you know?” Qian Tuo was stunned.

Qin Wu cast a fleeting glance at him, too lazy to say more.

Qian Tuo immediately felt uneasy, not knowing what exactly he knew.

“When can you recover to your Peak?”

Qin Wu glanced at the countdown for the plot’s start.

【07:49:21】

“Can you heal your injuries within four hours?”

His Cultivation was still too low. Once the Holy Land recruitment plot began, he would no longer be protected by the Senior Brother. Therefore, he needed Qian Tuo to guard him during this period.

“I can.”

Qian Tuo immediately nodded. Although his injuries were severe, the Medicinal Pills Qin Wu gave him were incredibly effective.

Qin Wu threw him a few more bottles of healing Medicinal Pills, his tone serious: “Don’t be stingy. You must recover your Cultivation as soon as possible.”

“I understand.”

Seeing this, Qin Wu said no more and turned towards the Scripture Pavilion. He suddenly paused: “Do you know the Ten Directions Taixu Sacred Method?”

Qian Tuo hesitated for a moment, unsure how much to reveal: “I know it, but as far as I know, no one has managed to Cultivate it yet.”

Half an hour later, Qin Wu walked out of the Immortal Cave. He currently didn’t plan to return, intending to wait right here until the plot started.

If he guessed correctly, the Cultivators blocking the gate outside today were probably sent by Zhao Qiantong, as he had only provoked this one person recently.

He hadn’t even signed that application, yet Zhao Qiantong was still determined to kill him.

Qin Wu gripped his sword hilt, feeling heavy-hearted.

He was still too weak.

If he and Zhao Qiantong were both at the Foundation Establishment Stage, why would he have to retreat again and again?

Moreover, the original body’s Luck was too poor.

From the First Outpost where he never worried about food or clothing, he ended up in the worst Seventh Outpost.

Upon arriving here, he encountered continuous bad Luck over several years. Looking at the original owner’s memories, he even suspected there might be something wrong with this person’s fate.

However…

Thinking of the malicious bullying that led to the original owner’s death, he always felt something was strange.

Qian Tuo’s personality was indeed unpleasant, but he wouldn’t bully others without reason. Furthermore, he had no conflict with the original owner. Why did he cruelly dig out his Spiritual Root that day?

It was a pity that with his current identity, it wasn’t convenient to ask him the reason directly.

Walking to the entrance of the Scripture Pavilion, black mist enveloped most of it, making it look somewhat eerie and terrifying.

However, to an outsider, this place truly resembled a Forbidden Land.

Qin Wu took out his Disciple Jade Talisman and waved it at the entrance. With a creak, the great door of the Scripture Pavilion slowly opened.

The moment he stepped inside, he vaguely saw that the interior of the Scripture Pavilion was entirely forged from scarlet flesh. Countless Jade Slips were deeply embedded in the center of the flesh, and countless dark red blood vessels crisscrossed the air like a spider’s web.

Entwined in the center of the blood vessels was a giant humanoid monster. It hung its head low, its hair hanging straight down. Its body was dozens of feet tall, its head almost touching the roof of the Scripture Pavilion.

But it was only for a brief moment; everything returned to normal.

Qin Wu walked in without changing his expression, as if he hadn’t seen anything.

He came here intending to find an offensive technique, preferably a sword technique.

Following the markers, Qin Wu arrived at the sword technique area. There seemed to be at least a thousand Jade Slips here.

However, there were only a few dozen that could be Cultivated by someone at the Qi Refining Stage and met his requirements.

Qin Wu casually pulled out a Jade Slip and sent his consciousness into it.

“Rending Wind Sword Art: Suitable for Qi Refining Level Three. Gathers Spiritual Qi onto the sword body. When striking, it carries a slight air-tearing force. Slashes can split wood and break stone, and thrusts can pierce skin and bone.”

He shook his head and pulled out another Jade Slip.

“Flowing Cloud Light Sword: Suitable for Qi Refining Levels One and Two. A basic sword technique leaning towards agility. Sword moves flow around the body like clouds, consuming very little Spiritual Qi, suitable for prolonged entanglement.”

“Cold Edge Thrust Sword: A low-tier sword technique specializing only in thrusting. The sword moves are extremely simple, the strike speed is very fast, and the accuracy is extremely high. Like a viper striking, the Spiritual Qi circulation path is simple, easy to pick up, and the damage is concentrated. Suitable for close-range surprise attacks and breaking defenses.”

“Evil Warding Swift Sword: Incorporates simple methods for circulating evil-dispelling spiritual power into the sword moves. The sword body carries a slight purifying spiritual energy, which has an extra restraining effect on monsters mutated by the black mist.”

Seeing this sword technique, Qin Wu stopped. It seemed this technique must have been created after the black mist spread.

However, for this Holy Land recruitment, he would likely be dealing with competitors who were also human. The Evil Warding Swift Sword wouldn’t be of use.

Ultimately, he chose a sword technique named Mist Concealment Flowing Cloud.

Suitable for Qi Refining Levels One through Five. The sword moves are like the morning mist in the mountains. When executing a move, mist follows the sword, and the sword hides within the mist, making it unpredictable.

Qin Wu looked at his Health Value; he still had 99 points. To master the sword technique, it would cost 23 points.

He couldn’t help but click his tongue and decided to try mastering it himself first.

Qin Wu sat down cross-legged right there in the Scripture Pavilion, completely immersed in the sword technique. He didn’t know how much time had passed until he was suddenly awakened by the Senior Brother.

Snapping back from the sword technique, he realized nearly six hours had passed. His entire face was dark. After such a long time, he hadn’t even reached the introductory level.

It seemed he couldn’t save the Health Points.

Making up his mind, the Health Value on the panel instantly dropped, and countless memories about Cultivating the sword technique flooded his mind.

【Health Value: 76 (Parasitized by a spirit root worm larva, Health Value -1 daily)】

【Sword Technique: Mist Concealment Flowing Cloud (Level One) — 0%】

Qin Wu walked out of the Scripture Pavilion and looked towards the mountain entrance.

There were still about two hours until the plot began, but some people had already arrived early.

…

…

In front of the Taixu Sect mountain gate.

A group of students were wearing ancient costumes. The boys also had long hair, tied high with wooden pins, but perhaps because they were used to modern life, some looked a bit awkward wearing them.

The person leading them was Fang Ruoyan, the first person in Qin Wu’s class to learn the Obscuring Concealment Technique.

The others followed behind her, also in no mood to chat, all looking tense.

After all, they had all heard about the strange aspects of the Taixu Ruins.

Fang Ruoyan took a deep breath, pulled out a Jade Pendant from her embrace, and announced loudly: “This is the Sect Master’s Token of the Taixu Sect. I request that Sect Disciples present themselves.”

She held the Jade Pendant, feeling nervous.

Before they left, their teacher had told them that there were many Disciples inside the Ruins who had been assimilated into monsters by the black mist, but as long as those monsters saw this Jade Pendant, they would have to grant her one request.

She just didn’t know if the monsters that came out would harm them.

At this moment, Qin Wu, who was just coming out of the Scripture Pavilion, was walking this way when a message suddenly popped up on his game panel.

【Sect Master’s Token: Two hundred and ninety-eight years ago, the Taixu Sect Master was severely injured and stranded in the mortal realm, where he was saved by a woodcutter. Before leaving after recovering, he left behind this Jade Pendant, promising that anyone who brought this token to the Taixu Sect could make one request.

Time passed, and finally, the person holding the token has arrived at the Taixu Sect. As the Young Sect Master, please resolve this Karma.】

Seeing this passage, Qin Wu: “????”

Why did he feel like he had become an NPC?

But it seemed he could use this to stir up some trouble.