Chapter 68

Qin Sang was carried out of the Master's cave by two senior disciples.

All seventeen of them had the same ashen faces. The others were frightened, but Qin Sang was injured. In a moment of urgency, he had exerted too much force, severely damaging his spirit, and it would take a long time to recover.

Those insects were called Heart-Eating Bugs, an ancient demonic insect that had long since disappeared from the current cultivation world. These bugs fed on the spirits of cultivators, moved mysteriously, and were difficult to resist. They had once caused a demonic insect disaster in the cultivation world, striking fear into the hearts of cultivators.

According to the Master, the purpose of planting Heart-Eating Bugs in them was not to control them but as a precaution.

As long as they obeyed and devoted themselves to completing the tasks assigned by their sect, the Heart-Eating Bugs would remain dormant in their spirits, posing no danger. Once the task was completed, the sect would provide them with an antidote.

If anyone thought of escaping, or tried to leak information or betray the sect, the Heart-Eating Bugs would immediately awaken and, in the blink of an eye, completely devour their spirits.

No one knew how much of what the Master said was true and how much was false.

But they had already tasted the bitter consequences. Just thinking about the terrifying sensation of their spirits being devoured by the Heart-Eating Bugs made them shudder, and none of them wanted to experience it again.

Uncle Yue released a sword light, lifting everyone and flying them to the Yinsha Abyss. This time, they did not return to the previous cave but descended deep into the Yinsha Abyss.

On the pitch-black cliff face, there was a row of caves, with the cave doors heavily sealed, looking more like a prison.

"You have one month to try to absorb the power of the Qi-Gathering Pill. Only with sufficient strength can you survive the Ascension Ceremony. In the Ascension Ceremony of the Yuanzhao Sect, at least half of the participants die each time."

Uncle Yue gave them a meaningful look, waved his hand to release a burst of spiritual energy, and locked them in the cave before leaving on his sword.

In the pitch-black cave, Qin Sang lay on the ground, unconscious for an unknown amount of time. When he woke up, he felt a bit better, but his head still ached terribly.

Lying on the cold ground, Qin Sang stared into the darkness with wide eyes, reciting the *Tao Te Ching* countless times, but he could not calm the fear and unease in his heart.

After a long time, a weak sigh echoed in the silent cave.

Qin Sang got up, enduring the headache, and flicked his finger to release a flame for light. The cave was similar to the one he had been in before, with the only difference being that the cave door was sealed.

Fortunately, Uncle Yue had told them that if they needed to absorb Yinsha Qi, they could trigger a restriction in the cave, and Yinsha Qi would enter.

Qin Sang's consciousness returned to his sea of consciousness, where he found the Heart-Eating Bug wrapped in a layer of black membrane, attached to the golden light of the jade Buddha, and in a deep sleep.

The golden light of the jade Buddha, despite being gnawed by the Heart-Eating Bug, showed no signs of being penetrated, firmly blocking the bug outside.

This was the second time the jade Buddha had saved his life.

Qin Sang was grateful to have the jade Buddha's protection, not fearing the Heart-Eating Bug's gnawing on his spirit, and still having some room to maneuver.

With a glimmer of hope, he would spare no effort!

The confusion in Qin Sang's eyes gradually turned into determination.

He expelled all distractions, sat cross-legged, and began to practice his cultivation technique. After several dozen cycles, the pain in his spirit was no longer so excruciating, and he could finally calm down to carefully consider his situation.

The Ascension Ceremony was hosted by the Yuanzhao Sect, and only wandering cultivators who had broken through to the sixth level of the Qi Condensation stage before the age of thirty were eligible to participate. Each time, only twelve people were admitted to the sect.

If he failed, even if he did not die in the Ascension Ceremony, Qin Sang did not believe that Master Yi would show mercy and spare their lives.

With one month left, if Qin Sang absorbed all the power of the Qi-Gathering Pill, he could reach the late sixth level of the Qi Condensation stage, but it would not bring a qualitative change. Only by advancing to a higher level of cultivation would his strength significantly increase.

Qin Sang finally decided to stop cultivating and spend the entire month practicing the *Song Family Sword Technique* and spells.

Those wandering cultivators did not have the Yama Banner, and each of them who had broken through to the sixth level of the Qi Condensation stage before the age of thirty was a formidable opponent.

There was no doubt that this was not a situation where just surviving was enough. He had to go through fierce battles to stand out, and even the sixteen fellow disciples were his opponents!

Additionally, after entering the Yuanzhao Sect, he would likely not have access to Yinsha Qi, so he needed to collect more soul pills.

Qin Sang opened the cave's restriction, allowing the Yama to absorb Yinsha Qi, while he sat in meditation, his mind sinking into his dantian, where the black wood sword trembled slightly in the sea of qi.

...

"The Ascension Ceremony of the Yuanzhao Sect has always taken place in a place with ancient restrictions, originally a forbidden area. After the treasures inside were plundered, the Yuanzhao Sect occupied it. The terrain inside is in the shape of the Eight Trigrams. When you enter, you will be randomly sent to one of the eight outer areas. Due to the restrictions, communication devices cannot be used. I have given you a secret mark. When you encounter fellow disciples, you must work together to compete for the spots and not kill each other, or you will not be spared!"

"Alright, I have explained everything. You can now go to the Yuanzhao Sect, remember to go separately. Do not think of escaping. I can sense your location through the Heart-Eating Bugs, and if you do, you will be killed without mercy! Do you understand?"

The night was dark, with thick clouds obscuring the moon.

In a desolate mountain forest, Uncle Yue's face was slightly stern, his eyes filled with a strong warning.

Qin Sang and the others hurriedly agreed.

They had been confined at the bottom of the Yinsha Cliff for a whole month and were only released today. Uncle Yue had carried them on a flying shuttle for a whole day, landing in this forest.

Not far ahead was the entrance to the Yuanzhao Sect, and the Ascension Ceremony would begin in two days.

Qin Sang waited until the last of his fellow disciples left before bidding farewell to Uncle Yue and using the Cloud Escape technique to disappear into the forest.

From his observations, out of the sixteen fellow disciples, five had broken through to the seventh level of the Qi Condensation stage after taking the Qi-Gathering Pill. One senior disciple, in particular, had an astonishing amount of spiritual energy, likely close to breaking through to the eighth level of the Qi Condensation stage, which greatly worried Qin Sang.

Each of them had an excellent magical weapon, making them difficult to deal with.

As for Uncle Yue's warning not to kill each other, Qin Sang had long since dismissed it from his mind.

He could only hope not to be assigned to the same area as other fellow disciples.

After leaving the forest, Qin Sang pondered for a long time at the base of a large rock, then sighed and took a circuitous route toward the Yuanzhao Sect.

Even though Uncle Yue said it was not too far, Qin Sang still traveled for a whole day, arriving at the entrance to the Yuanzhao Sect in the evening.

The place looked rugged and dangerous, with ancient trees and perpetual mist, which was actually just to deter mortals.

Only with the *Qi Perception Technique* could one see that there was no dense fog in the mountains, and numerous pavilions and terraces, bridges, and waterside pavilions were surrounded by immortal clouds, forming a magnificent scene.

(Here's some good news: After waiting, the clouds have parted to reveal the moon, and I have finally signed the contract, which has been sent out.

This would not have been possible without everyone's support, and I am very grateful!

I would also like to ask for your votes.)