The two argued back and forth, each sticking to their own version of events, and the atmosphere inside the bamboo house gradually became tense.
The Master finally put down the bamboo slips in his hands. He was dressed in plain clothes, his face was gentle, but his eyes revealed a clear understanding of the world. His voice was not loud.
But he instantly silenced their argument: "Arguing is useless. The third trial is meant to test those who enter the cave; let's use it to decide today."
“Each of you choose one person as your representative. Whoever’s representative passes the third test, I will support their proposal.”
Fang Lie's eyes flashed with wild joy, and he quickly replied, "Okay! I'll go and fetch them right away!"
Having said that, he hurriedly turned and left, as if afraid of being too late.
Old Huai frowned slightly, pondered for a moment, then bowed to the teacher to take his leave and walked towards the inn where Lin Zhou was.
Lin Zhou had just returned to his inn room and was pondering how to find innate energy more quickly when a soft knock came at the door.
He opened the door and saw Old Huai standing there with a middle-aged guard dressed in shorts.
The guard possessed a refined aura and exuded a subtle pressure, clearly indicating that he was a trusted confidant of the village chief.
"Fellow Daoist, I apologize for disturbing you."
Old Huai wore a gentle smile and, without beating around the bush, directly stated his purpose.
"The village was divided over whether to participate in the disputes with outsiders. The Master asked me and the Fang family to each choose one person to go through the third challenge, and whoever won would be supported."
"I see that you have extraordinary strength, and I would like to ask you to be my representative."
Lin Zhou's eyes remained unwavering. He even stepped aside to block half of the doorway, his tone indifferent: "I have no interest in your factional infighting. I refuse."
He had a clear understanding of the situation. Being a representative meant getting involved in the internal strife of Luoxing Village, which would not only cause him trouble but also make him a thorn in the side of the Fang family, creating a lot of unnecessary problems.
He came here for one purpose only: to obtain innate energy. If he really couldn't find it, he could just take it by force; there was no need to get involved in this trivial matter.
Old Huai wanted to say something more, such as promising to inform him of the whereabouts of the innate energy afterward.
Lin Zhou raised his hand to interrupt him, his tone more impatient: "If you have nothing else to say, please leave. I don't want to be disturbed."
Before Lao Huai could respond, he slammed the door shut, leaving the two outside.
The middle-aged guard's face instantly darkened, and his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
He said angrily in a low voice to Old Huai, "Village Chief! This cultivator is far too presumptuous!"
"He's just an outsider, yet he dares to treat you like this! We should go find Lu Zhizhou of the Star Luo Sect or Luo Yunchu of the Ice and Snow Sect. They are disciples of prestigious sects, and they wouldn't be so rude!"
Old Huai waved his hand, his face showing no anger, but rather a knowing smile.
He looked up at Lin Zhou's door and lowered his voice even further: "No need to look for anyone else."
“The Fang family is definitely watching our movements at the inn. Fang Lie is impatient for quick success and has always been wary of powerful outsiders. He has probably already concluded that since I came to see this fellow Daoist, he is my representative.”
The middle-aged guard was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes: "Village Chief is brilliant! This way, the Fang family will focus all their attention on this fellow Daoist."
"Not only will they not cause us any trouble, but they will also target him in the third level, allowing us to sit back and watch what happens!"
“That’s exactly right.” Old Huai nodded and turned to walk out of the inn. “This fellow Daoist’s strength is unfathomable. Even if the Fang family targets him, they may not be able to gain any advantage.”
"Let's go back and wait for the third level to open. The rest is up to fate."
The two figures gradually disappeared at the end of the inn's corridor, while Lin Zhou, inside the room, had already captured their conversation with his divine sense.
He raised an eyebrow, a faint smile playing on his lips. This village chief was quite cunning, trying to use him as a shield.
Don't let your teeth break.
He walked to the window and looked towards the bamboo forest behind the village. A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. Neither the village chief's plans nor the Fang family's ambitions could affect his purpose.
Once the third level opens and he obtains the innate energy, he will leave Falling Star Village. As for the conflicts here, they are none of his concern.
………
In the open space at the village entrance, an old man in gray robes held a bronze bell in his hand. With a gentle shake, the clear sound of the bell echoed throughout the entire mortal village.
The third level is finally about to begin.
As Lin Zhou arrived with the crowd, his gaze swept across the area and unexpectedly caught sight of a familiar figure. He couldn't help but frown: "Shen Jinhao? What are you doing here?"
Shen Jinhao was standing at the edge of the crowd. When he saw Lin Zhou looking over, he quickly stepped forward, his face showing a bit of embarrassment: "Fellow Daoist, I... I used some family connections."
He scratched his head and lowered his voice, "The Shen family has an old acquaintance in Luoxing Village who can make an exception and let me participate in the third trial. But that's all I can do. If I go any further, there's no way I can."
Fearing Lin Zhou might misunderstand, he quickly added, "I didn't mean to hold you back! I just thought that having more people around might help you keep an eye on the jade pendant, since the Fang family will definitely target you."
Lin Zhou glanced at him, and seeing the sincerity in his eyes, he didn't say anything more.
Having more people around can help ward off some unnecessary trouble, and as long as Shen Jinhao doesn't wander off recklessly, they're not a burden.
At this moment, the old man in gray stepped forward, carrying a wooden box in his hands, inside which dozens of jade pendants were neatly arranged.
Each jade pendant gleams with a different subtle light, in five colors: red, yellow, blue, green, and black.
He announced loudly to the crowd: "The third challenge: Searching for the Jade Pendant in the Secret Realm. The rules are as follows..."
"Firstly, you will be randomly divided into teams, and each team will initially receive only one jade pendant of a random color. Shen Jinhao was given special consideration and was assigned to Lin Zhou's team."
"Secondly, the secret realm is a random teleportation system. Team members will be teleported to different areas of the secret realm and need to reunite on their own while searching for the other four colors of jade pendants."
"Thirdly, after collecting five jade pendants of different colors, the pendants will automatically merge and reveal an ancient martial arts technique."
You must comprehend the core of the cultivation technique before the secret realm closes. Only those who succeed will be allowed to enter the core area of the Celestial Realm; those who fail will be eliminated.
The gray-robed elder emphasized his last sentence: "I must remind you all that this technique originates from ancient times and contains fundamental principles of the Dao."
The difficulty in comprehending this skill is extremely high; in previous years, less than 30% of participants have succeeded.
Furthermore, within the secret realm, one can compete for the jade pendant; I urge everyone to act accordingly.
As soon as he finished speaking, a low murmur arose from the crowd.
Huo Zheng clutched the red jade pendant in his hand, his eyes full of disdain: "It's just an ancient technique, how could it possibly be difficult for me?" The Flame Clan followers behind him quickly echoed him, their tone full of flattery.
Lu Zhizhou held the blue jade pendant, his fingertips gently stroking the patterns on its surface, his expression cautious: "Ancient cultivation techniques contain Dao principles, they are probably not so simple, we must be careful."
Luo Yun Chu held the green jade pendant, her gaze unconsciously sweeping over Lin Zhou, noticing him looking down at the black jade pendant in his hand, his expression indifferent.
He seemed completely indifferent to "comprehension of cultivation techniques," which made me a little curious. Did he not care at all about the chance to enter the Immortal Cave Realm?
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