Passing through customs
Inside the cave, the sound of the flames burning grew louder and louder; if a wood-type cultivator were to enter, they would likely be scared away.
Although the cave was mostly dark, the temperature was exceptionally high, creating a magical scene where one could hear flames burning but see no fire.
Outside the cave, Chen Hao walked over with a strange expression. Just as he was about to check if there was a problem with the formation inside the cave, he saw Elder Mo Wen standing at the cave entrance indicated by the duty artifact, as if he were resting with his eyes closed.
Could it be that Elder Mo Wen has already noticed something amiss? Chen Hao was startled. As the disciple on duty, he hadn't arrived in time. If the elder blamed him, he would not only lose his contribution points but also receive a demerit.
Chen Hao inwardly groaned and hurriedly stepped forward, bowing deeply, "Elder Mo Wen, I am late. Is there anything else I can do to help you with the unusual situation in the cave?"
As he spoke, Chen Hao subconsciously looked towards the cave, only to spot a slightly familiar-looking monster outside.
Wasn't that black panther the spirit pet of that junior sister from earlier? Why was it guarding this cave? Chen Hao suddenly remembered that some demonic beasts, if they had cheating effects on the level, would be left outside.
When Chen Hao realized what was happening, his eyes were practically overflowing with surprise. Although that junior sister seemed to have an extraordinary aura, her cultivation was only at the late Foundation Establishment stage. How could she have entered the middle level of the Golden Core stage?
This cave and the disciple's token actually let people in? Looking at Elder Mo Wen, who was always guarding the cave entrance, Chen Hao thought that the other party had come to check if there was a mistake in the detection of the cave.
Just as they were about to speak and reveal what they knew, Elder Mo Wen frowned slightly. He raised his hand and threw out his magical artifact, the Qiankun Gua, which cast a thin layer of spiritual light above their heads.
Just as Chen Hao was wondering, he heard countless piercing sounds coming from inside the cave. It sounded like a raging fire, but it was also mixed with many strange tones that he couldn't make out.
Then, Chen Hao was somewhat surprised to find that he had started sweating. It should be noted that cultivators, once they enter the Foundation Establishment stage, no longer need to eat. And sweating, a bodily reaction typically experienced by mortals, is something cultivators can counteract by circulating spiritual energy.
If he can still sweat, it's only possible after tempering his body and cultivating to the extreme. Yet now, he's being affected simply because a Foundation Establishment cultivator is attempting a trial.
It seems that this seemingly ordinary junior sister is not to be underestimated.
As Chen Hao was lost in thought, he suddenly heard Elder Mo Wen's voice in his ear: "Give me the duty artifact."
Mo Wen's voice was exceptionally calm and composed, as if he had anticipated the current situation. After Chen Hao quickly handed over the array token, which only a duty disciple could hold, he grasped the array token in his left hand.
With a tap of his right hand on the command plate, a massive influx of spiritual energy was released. The cave in Forging Heaven Mountain, which had been experiencing a temperature imbalance, instantly returned to normal.
Seeing that Elder Mo Wen had suppressed the strange occurrence in the cave, Chen Hao breathed a sigh of relief. He felt fortunate to have encountered a high-ranking elder today.
Mo Wen nodded slightly, and after confirming with his divine sense that the consequences caused by Ruan Qingyu had been completely contained, he returned the array token in his palm to Chen Hao.
"Go to the upper cave where the formation is stable and doesn't need testing. Go to the lower cave and check if any disciples attempting the trials are affected. Report back immediately." Mo Wen's voice was calm and unhurried. If it weren't for the fact that he was tasked with rescuing people, Chen Hao would probably have thought the matter was trivial.
He nodded hurriedly: "Yes, disciple will go right away."
After saying that, Chen Hao turned around and was about to leave quickly. But suddenly a voice came from the cave behind him: "Disciple Ruan Qingyu has passed the mid-level wooden mecha! He has passed the early stage of the Golden Core stage with the late stage of Foundation Establishment. He is rewarded with one contribution point and one cultivation resource."
Immediately, Chen Hao's right foot, which had been stepping out, stopped involuntarily. His face was full of astonishment. Although he knew he couldn't see his junior sister now, he still looked into the cave unwillingly.
She actually cleared it?! This junior sister is truly ruthless! It's not that no one has ever cleared it at Forging Heaven Mountain, but clearing it beyond one's level is extremely rare. Judging from the announcement, it's clear that no one had cleared this level before, hence the notification.
Every disciple still within the Forging Heaven Mountain area has heard of Ruan Qingyu's feat of clearing the level. For those aspiring to establish their own small power within the sect, this is undoubtedly the best pledge of allegiance.
Meanwhile, those outside the Forging Heaven Mountain had not yet entered the trial phase. The disciples, who were either resting or recuperating outside, all looked up towards the direction from which the sound came.
Their expressions were identical: curiosity! Who was this extraordinary person who, despite only being in the late Foundation Establishment stage, was able to pass the Golden Core stage?
Who is Ruan Qingyu? I've never heard of her before. Could she just be a new disciple? Only a new disciple would be someone no one remembers.
In an instant, many disciples walked towards the direction from which the sound came, eager to see what the new disciple looked like.
But they were destined to be disappointed. Before they could even get close to the cave in the middle area, they were restricted by an array.
It turned out that Ruan Qingyu had successfully bypassed the wooden mecha level by using the combined attack of the Phoenix Divine Fire and the Wutong Qin.
Then, upon hearing whether to accept the reward directly or continue through the special level, he chose the special level without hesitation, simply because in his previous life, a senior brother had obtained an enormous benefit after clearing the special level.
She didn't know exactly what it was, only that her senior brother, who was originally at the Golden Core stage, had advanced to the early Nascent Soul stage in just three years.
They then followed the sect's guiding elder to the Xuan Tian Sect's Lesser Sacred Realm. It was said to be the place where the four continents met, and not only the Xuan Tian Sect sent its elite disciples there to cultivate, but other major sects would also send their disciples with outstanding cultivation levels there.
Whether or not she could enter the Lesser Saint Realm was of no concern to Ruan Qingyu. She was simply very curious about the wonderful item that could quickly break through two major realms. If she could obtain it, perhaps the date she could avenge her enemy could be brought forward by a few days.
"Disciple Ruan Qingyu is willing to go to the special checkpoint." Ruan Qingyu said, cupping her fists towards the void. The various mecha wreckage scattered around her gradually dissipated like starlight.
Before Ruan Qingyu was taken away by the light of the special level, the mecha wreckage on the ground that had been destroyed by her sound waves had already disappeared.
She herself, after agreeing to take on the challenge, suddenly disappeared into the cave.
Meanwhile, Mo Wen's eyes lit up when he heard that Ruan Qingyu had broken the record for clearing the level and chosen to attempt a special level. It was as if he had discovered a promising talent.
Before he could send a telepathic message to the other elders, he heard a lazy voice beside him: "Is the disciple inside new?"
As he spoke, the other person yawned, and then, to refresh himself, took a purple-gold gourd from his waist. With a flick of his finger, he opened the gourd's mouth, tilted his head back, and took a large gulp of spiritual wine.
Yunyin, who had been oblivious to his surroundings and focused solely on the situation inside the cave, stood up warily upon the arrival of this cultivator.
He quietly concealed himself in the shadows of the cave, trying to minimize his presence. He then noticed the other person glance at him briefly before looking away.
Yun Yin didn't move. He knew this person had already discovered him, but he didn't know why he hadn't made a move. Moreover, the other party's current cultivation level of the Mahayana stage made Yun Yin unable to act rashly.
But then the other person spoke up: "I say, Mo Wen, could this little kitten be the pet of the disciple who went through the trial?"
Mo Wen already knew that Yun Yin's existence could not be hidden, and he had personally witnessed the close relationship between Yun Yin and Ruan Qingyu. Therefore, he did not embellish the story and said directly, "Yes, the disciple who participated in the special challenge is named Ruan Qingyu. She is a newly recruited disciple who recently joined the sect and comes from Mortal City."
Then he explained, "This beast has a pet badge and a close relationship with this disciple, so it doesn't matter if its cultivation level is higher."
The Xuantian Sect has a high tolerance for outstanding disciples. Secondly, Yunyin has not injured anyone since entering the sect, which is why Mo Wen did not report it after discovering that the other party had been discovered.
Nodding noncommittally, a faint glint appeared in Xuan Jia's eyes, and his mouth opened and closed as if he were saying something.
No one around, including Mo Wen, heard a single word, because these words only reached Yun Yin's ears.
"The ancient Thunder Leopard has been a legend for a long time. I didn't know that the Xuantian Sect could encounter an ancient demon beast. Now that you have formed a contract with our sect's disciple, as long as you abide by your duties and do not harm the innocent, it is fine for you to stay in the Xuantian Sect."
After mentioning the words "adhering to one's duty," Xuan Jia's voice suddenly turned cold, as if carrying a threat. The murderous intent came and went quickly; if Yun Yin hadn't held a grudge, she probably wouldn't have noticed it.
A savage killing intent flashed in the beast's eyes. A direct confrontation with this person wasn't out of the question. However, he thought of Ruan Qingyu, who was still progressing through the trials, and her goal.
Yun Yin endured it all, but finally couldn't resist baring his teeth at Xuan Jia, the lightning patterns on his body flashing incessantly. He was always the one bullying others; he had never been threatened like this before.
Yunyin could barely suppress his killing intent towards Xuanjia, but suddenly felt a reassuring emotion coming from the other side of the contract, and Yunyin quickly calmed down.
He shrank even smaller in the dark corner of the cave, turning his head away from Xuan Jia, who was watching him with great interest.
Xuan Jia, who was originally prepared to retaliate, watched as the black panther went from anger to the point of attack in the blink of an eye. But the next moment, he calmed down and ignored Xuan Jia no matter how Xuan Jia looked at him.
Xuan Jia couldn't help but chuckle: "Hmm? You actually managed to hold back. It seems the person you made a contract with is indeed capable." He had heard many secrets about the Thunder Leopard before, that it could make this ancient ferocious beast restrain itself.
Furthermore, he knew quite a bit about the scroll of the ancient thunder leopard. This was why he was able to discover that Yun Yin's cultivation was not as low as it seemed, and also because of Mo Wen's earlier telepathic message.
His original intention was merely to stand up for the Xuan Tian Sect and intimidate them. Unexpectedly, the ferocious beast held back, and the rising killing intent was suppressed.
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