Old Zhang, who had been silent all along, finally spoke:

"Besides, he won't actually enter the Nine Dragons Sect; he'll just die on the way there."

Old Liu continued:

"Yes, the Nine Dragons Sect is thousands of miles away, and it will not send experts to protect those who are chosen. Unless some powerful families use their own experts to protect them, they must rely on everything they have to get to the Nine Dragons Sect before they can enter the sect to cultivate."

The journey was fraught with danger, teeming with venomous insects and ferocious beasts, and the chances of survival were slim. However, some exceptionally talented individuals hoped to hone their skills through this experience and chose to join the Nine Dragons Sect. But such people were few and far between, and generally no one would actually report the sect's geniuses; they would simply find a few scapegoats to settle the matter.

The Nine Dragons Sect's actions were likely aimed at preserving its reputation as the leading sect among the three. They wouldn't truly expect every report to be a prodigy; merely passing must suffice. In fact, this approach was entirely beneficial to the Nine Dragons Sect.

“Every twenty years, the Nine Dragons Sect requires its affiliated forces to select suitable candidates to enter the sect for cultivation. This is simply to tell those people not to forget their roots. Since they are under the protection of the Nine Dragons Sect, they should show their loyalty. Over the years, the Nine Dragons Sect’s reputation has been deeply rooted in people’s hearts, and all within its jurisdiction, spanning thousands of miles, submit to it.”

The village elder responded noncommittally:

"The reason why Hidden Dragon Village is now viewed differently is probably because of our predecessor. Since we have received the favor of our predecessor, we must do our best to protect his successors. Last time Chen Jing went to the site of our predecessor's relics, the stone tablet was already glowing. It seems that Chen Jing's cultivation is not high enough to obtain the relics left by our predecessor. Once his cultivation improves and he breaks through to the Origin Movement Realm, he will be able to obtain our predecessor's mantle."

"Back then, we selected Chen Jing from among hundreds of people in the village, and he was the only one who could make the stone tablet change. Now he has gone even further. We have lived up to the expectations of our predecessors!"

Old Liu sighed deeply. It seemed that their predecessors had indeed done them a great favor, otherwise they wouldn't be so grateful and would be so dedicated to finding a successor for them.

"Then it's settled. Old Zhang, go back and tell that kid to come to me at noon tomorrow, and I'll personally teach him."

The village elder looked at Old Zhang and said. Old Zhang nodded and turned to leave. Only the village elder and Old Liu remained in the room. Old Liu looked at the village elder and said:

"What do you think of the Nine Dragons Sect? Why are they so eager to test us? Have they discovered something?"

The village elder glanced at Old Liu, whose face showed signs of anxiety, and said unmoved:

"Impossible. Even we don't know what our predecessor left behind. How could they, thousands of miles away, possibly know? Moreover, what our predecessor left behind is not something anyone can obtain just by wanting it. The more they test us, the more extraordinary what our predecessor left behind is. All we can do now is wait for Chen Jing to achieve success in his cultivation and inherit our predecessor's mantle. As for the Nine Dragons Sect, they shouldn't make any rash moves. But since they like to test us, let them continue to test us. It's fine."

Old Liu took a deep breath, turned, and walked out. Behind him, smoke swirled, the village elder's face appearing and disappearing in the mist, and only a sigh could be heard.

"What exactly did the senior leave behind that would make such a massive sect as the Nine Dragons Sect go so far as to sacrifice an expert like Old Toad, who was at the Origin Movement Realm, to test it? It shouldn't be Old Liu's Blood Dragon. What then is it?"

Li Sisui was still racking his brains trying to explain what was happening before his eyes, unaware that Lao Zhang had been standing behind him for a long time. Looking at the mess on the ground, Lao Zhang didn't know what to say. In his eyes, Li Sisui was already a dying man, so how much attention would he get?

Old Zhang walked into the blacksmith's shop, glanced at the shattered anvil on the floor, and completely ignored it. Behind him, Li Sisui looked embarrassed and at a loss for what to do. He said calmly:

“These stone anvils have been used for many years and should be broken. Kid, go to the village elder’s meditation room at noon tomorrow. He has something to tell you. If you’re free this afternoon, take some time to go to the back mountain and find a few decent stone anvils. Bring them back and replace these old ones.”

Li Sisui looked at Old Zhang with some surprise. Old Zhang, usually so taciturn, had unusually spoken so much to him today. Feeling ashamed, Li Sisui, without suspecting anything, quickly replied:

"Okay, I'll go find the stone anvil right now. I'll go see the village elder at noon tomorrow. I've got it."

Old Zhang couldn't help but sigh when he saw Li Sisui readily agree. Li Sisui wondered what was wrong with Old Zhang, why he was sighing all of a sudden.

After leaving the blacksmith's shop, Li Sisui headed straight for the open space next to the village elder's cultivation hut. It was the usual place for the village's cultivators to practice and for the villagers to gather. Li Sisui went there to ask A Mao and the others for help. The stone anvil couldn't be brought back to the village by just one or two people. They usually cultivated there, and Li Sisui felt they should be there at this time.

Although Li Sisui felt he could retrieve it on his own, it was better to keep a low profile to avoid unnecessary trouble and complications. The fewer people who knew about his great strength, the better, just in case.

As soon as Li Sisui entered the square, he saw several people gathered around Chen Jing from afar, listening intently to something, and they all seemed to be listening with great interest.

Li Sisui didn't go over to disturb him, but watched from a distance. Only after Chen Jing finished speaking and everyone dispersed did Li Sisui step forward and smile at Chen Jing:

"Brother Chen, you're telling them about your hunting again? Ah Mao, did you see him? I need to talk to him. Wasn't he following you around like a little shadow today?"

Chen Jing smiled and said:

"Ah Mao went to his father's place, so you can tell me whatever you need!"

"The blacksmith's anvil broke today, and Old Zhang asked me to go to the back mountain to get a few new ones. The anvil was too heavy for me to carry by myself, so I came to ask Amao for help. I didn't expect to find an even more capable helper instead of Amao, haha."

My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!