◎This test is about teamwork. “Multitude”—the power of three!◎
[Gang Yi, Gang Er, and Mei Xin challenge Huangfu Yuan, Meng Zi, and Lin Shuang!]
[Three incense sticks’ time until it begins.]
Lin Shuang’s expression was rather complex.
In a team, having your name listed first didn’t mean your cultivation was the highest—only that you had joined earlier.
When three cultivators were close in strength, it was often the third one who posed the greatest threat.
She thought of the tall, bold woman she had seen earlier in the rest courtyard—wild curls cascading down her back, exuding an untamed energy. Two equally fierce-looking men had stood on either side of her.
The leader of the trio was clearly Mei Xin.
Lin Shuang considered this while opening the door to their resting quarters.
Two backup mechanical talisman devices—Xiao Ai charms—pushed forward a wheelchair carrying the “half-disabled” Huangfu Yuan and the “exhausted” Meng Zi.
“Elder.”
“We’d like to redeem the reward from our last challenge.”
“……”
“…!”
The entire tier-three-thousand Rest Pavilion fell silent—the disciples had yet to leave.
Were they about to break through again?
“No, no—this time we’re really just here to claim our reward.”
Lin Shuang gave a humble smile and nodded to the crowd.
“Senior Sister,” Zhao Keran immediately flailed her arms and legs enthusiastically as she emerged from the crowd with Zhou Xuanwu and Chen Sixin. “The elder went to repair the arena that Senior Brother Huangfu wrecked.”
“Ahem—”
Huangfu Yuan coughed heavily on cue.
Lin Shuang froze for a beat.
She had learned.
She finally understood why his performance had been so over-the-top.
Only the weak fail to control their strength.
Like a child handed an adult’s toy—one play, and they’ve broken it and themselves. Not worth fearing.
That was exactly the persona Huangfu Yuan was presenting now.
A sickly, powerless wreck—one explosive burst, and he was ruined for another twenty years.
To outsiders, he posed little threat.
Such a flawless cover.
Lin Shuang almost wanted to applaud.
“It was a moment of rashness. I lost my head,” Huangfu Yuan spoke up at last.
A true schemer never lets a good scene go to waste.
Especially not one as tragic as this.
“In addition to compensating Junior Brother Yunhe with five thousand spirit stones for the pills, I will personally donate fifty thousand spirit stones to the Zhenchuan Arena tier, to make up for the damage I caused during the trial.”
The disciples around them were all visibly stunned.
Meng Zi’s eyes went wide.
He halted the wheelchair Xiao Ai had been pushing. “Senior Brother Huangfu, maybe… you should just stab me instead. Five thousand? Come to my quarters and stab me!”
The crowd held their breath.
Huangfu Yuan smiled gently. “Think of it as my punishment to myself—for going too far against a fellow sect member.”
Every face in the room showed admiration.
Lin Shuang lowered her gaze, her eyes glinting.
From now on, whenever this incident was mentioned, the narrative would shift.
The impression of Huangfu Yuan defeating a stronger opponent would be diluted—overshadowed by his generosity, his loyalty to his fellow disciples.
She had learned.
[Tier 2798: One-on-one arena battles.]
[New Tier Lords: Huangfu Yuan, Meng Zi, Lin Shuang!]
Three beast heads suddenly appeared—materializing from nothing—forming slowly from spiritual energy upon the robes of Lin Shuang and her teammates.
The disciples: “!”
Zhao Keran: “!”
So this was what a fifty-thousand donation bought you?
Indeed.
Brotherhood among disciples—check.
Arena repairs—check.
Pill reimbursement—check.
All the barriers keeping them from being named tier lords—swept away with a wave of lavish generosity.
The disciples’ mouths twitched.
Huangfu Yuan smiled, “Thank you, Elder, for your favor. And thanks to my fellow disciples for their understanding.”
“……”
Lin Shuang promptly directed Xiao Ai No.2 to wheel him away.
“Come on, come on. Time for your medicine, Big Treasure.”
“……”
Chen Xingchuan, Yun He, and Mu Wenchang had all received treatment. Though still depleted of spiritual energy and emotionally rattled, their lives were no longer in danger.
The three of them, supporting each other, were already waiting by the stone monument on the resting floor.
They stared at Lin Shuang’s group with complicated expressions.
Chen Xingchuan stepped forward first, giving a bitter smile as he handed over his disciple token.
“Do as you will.”
[Zhenchuan Internal Challenge: The victor may choose one of the following rewards.]
1. “Hand Over the Spirit Stones”: Randomly draw any amount (1–9999) of spirit stones the opponent has earned within Zhenchuan.
2. “Give Me Your Contribution”: Randomly receive up to 9999 contribution points earned by the opponent within Zhenchuan.
3. “Lend Me That Technique”: Randomly draw a cultivation technique acquired by the opponent within Zhenchuan. If none, the winner receives 1500 spirit stones.
4. “Let Me Peek in Your Storage Pouch”: Randomly receive a pill or treasure redeemed by the opponent within Zhenchuan. If none, the winner gets 1500 spirit stones.
5. “I Want Nothing”: Winning and losing are part of a cultivator’s life. Why take their belongings? You might earn their gratitude… or not!
Lin Shuang rubbed her forehead.
So this was the option Dao Dong had picked back then—a random technique?
This Zhenchuan really was something.
Everywhere she turned, she somehow stumbled into amusing side quests.
She might even be able to skip a few entertainment Pomodoro sessions this week.
“Hiss…”
Meng Zi’s eyes lit up as well, and he immediately jumped out of his wheelchair!
“Let me think… Don’t move just yet…”
Huangfu Yuan glanced over, not particularly interested, and remained seated without budging.
“This is such a dilemma, truly a torment. One to 9,999 spirit stones—the gap between the lowest and the highest is just outrageous.”
“Ugh, and if I pick techniques or other items, there’s too little to gain. If nothing comes out, you only get 1,500 spirit stones as compensation—that’s such a big drop from 9,999.”
Meng Zi was visibly torn.
Chen Xingchuan and the others gave a wry smile. “Junior Brother, that’s assuming we have anything to give.”
This was only tier three-thousand. Who could’ve earned 9,999 spirit stones here?
“We did.”
Meng Zi turned to the side. Their last mission, catching those thieves, had earned them twenty thousand in rewards.
Chen Xingchuan instantly fell silent.
Meng Zi turned back, still fretting. “Which one should we choose? Do either of you have any thoughts?” He looked expectantly at Huangfu Yuan and Lin Shuang—both sharp and shrewd in their own ways.
Huangfu Yuan didn’t speak, only lifted his lashes. “It’s all the same.”
How could it be all the same?
Meng Zi wasn’t satisfied and looked to Lin Shuang instead.
She had actually taken the rest period to give some useful advice.
“I think choosing a technique or item is at least guaranteed to give 1,500 spirit stones.”
It wasn’t that she was overly cautious.
But—
She glanced at Meng Zi.
“Senior Brother, the next match is coming up. If you go with the 1–9,999 option, there’s a risk of emotional whiplash—extreme joy or crushing disappointment.”
“I don’t mind either way.”
That hit Meng Zi hard. His whole body jolted in place.
Chen Xingchuan and the others nodded meaningfully.
Exactly. Meng Zi had to be self-aware. If he ended up drawing a one, he might go mad before even stepping into the next fight.
Meng Zi sighed, pressing a hand to his brow. “You’re right. Then I’ll go with technique?”
Huangfu Yuan remained silent.
Lin Shuang, meanwhile, flipped through a spreadsheet of trial data and showed it to him.
According to the red list, Chen Xingchuan had been floor master on three tiers and cleared seven trials.
But there was no record of him visiting a library-like tier, such as the Scroll Pavilion.
Meng Zi understood instantly. He turned to Chen Xingchuan and his group, rubbing his fingers together eagerly. “Let’s go with ‘Let Me Peek in Your Storage Pouch’!”
A random draw of pills or treasures they had redeemed within Zhenchuan.
Chen Xingchuan and his teammates looked momentarily stiff but soon nodded.
Their disciple tokens rose into the air.
Meng Zi rubbed his hands together, noting that Lin Shuang and Huangfu Yuan remained completely indifferent to the draw.
So he went for it.
He reached out and snatched at Chen Xingchuan’s token midair.
Chen Xingchuan blinked in surprise.
“Senior Brother, let me peek again…”
As soon as he finished speaking—three books dropped into his hands.
Meng Zi lit up in delight.
A triple draw!
Even Lin Shuang and Huangfu Yuan showed interest.
They were a matched set.
“Senior Brother, are these the ones you exchanged back on the two-thousandth floor?” Yun He asked urgently beside them.
Chen Xingchuan gave a bitter smile and turned away without answering.
Meng Zi was ecstatic. “I knew it! When it comes to spirit stones, I never miss! These must’ve come from the two-thousandth tier!”
For reference—Huangfu Yuan once exchanged five hundred spirit stones on the eight-hundredth floor for a Sect Leader’s Collection.
Three matching books from the two-thousandth tier? At minimum, they had to be worth two to four thousand spirit stones.
A steal.
Overjoyed, Meng Zi flipped the books over.
The moment he saw the cover, his shoulders stiffened.
—How to Escape Being Single for a Thousand Years, Volumes 1–3
Meng Zi: “……”
Huangfu Yuan: “……”
The dog clan’s reputation had just taken a major hit.
Lin Shuang cleared her throat and stopped him just as he raised his hand in rage, clearly about to slam the books into the ground.
She showed him the exchange value on the trial’s stone monument.
Escape Eternal Singledom, Volumes 1–3 (Zhenchuan Floor 2000): 6,000 spirit stones.
“What? Hahaha! Huge win!”
Meng Zi burst out laughing.
“This dogcrap book is worth that much?!”
Huangfu Yuan’s expression soured. Why couldn’t it be cat crap?
Lin Shuang, intrigued, borrowed the set from Meng Zi and opened it.
Volume I: An Analysis of Outer Sect Singles from the Twelve Sects of Donghua Territory – 1,000 spirit stones
Volume II: An Analysis of Inner Sect Singles from the Twelve Sects of Donghua Territory – 2,500 spirit stones
Volume III: An Analysis of Single Demonic Beasts and Half-Beasts – 2,500 spirit stones
She opened the second volume and examined the table of contents.
You may channel spiritual energy through your fingertips to write the name of a disciple you wish to look up.
Note: You can only search three times per day. Excessive use may harm the body.
…Harm the body?
What kind of book was this?
Lin Shuang’s expression turned strange. It felt like she had just opened a Haitang Romance Novel.
Meng Zi was itching to enter his own name, curious how the book would describe him.
Even Huangfu Yuan looked tempted.
But Lin Shuang beat them to it. With precise strokes, she wrote the name “Mei Xin.”
Meng Zi and Huangfu Yuan immediately lost their playful looks.
Mei Xin—the inner sect disciple who would soon challenge them.
“Oh, you don’t need to look her up—you can just ask me. She’s in the patrol squad,” Meng Zi said, shaking his head, hinting that Lin Shuang had wasted a search.
“She’s of mixed blood—part-demon, part-human. Her spiritual weapon is a two-stringed fiddle. Her melodies are highly seductive and powerful. Before you know it, you’ve already lost.”
“I suspect her spiritual consciousness has already reached the sixth level of Core Condensation. In the upcoming match, the only way to win is to strike fast. Don’t give her the chance to start a tune.”
Huangfu Yuan’s phoenix eyes shimmered.
Lin Shuang raised a brow.
The book’s pages flipped rapidly in her hands.
After turning nearly half the volume, she found the entry.
Mei Xin — Half-demon. Said to be the daughter of a charming snail noble from the water tribe and a mighty female general.
“……”
One day, the kind-hearted snail gentleman was released by the general. To repay her kindness, he snuck ashore each night to cook and do laundry for her.
Lin Shuang’s mouth opened in disbelief.
Their daughter, Mei Xin, currently at fourth level of Core Condensation (as of last publication), ranked in the top 100 of low-tier Core cultivators in Donghua Territory. Expected to reach Spirit Refinement within a century.
Exceptionally talented—she inherited her mother’s military brilliance and her father’s natural siren’s voice.
Not just any male cultivator can win her heart, mind you.
Signature Move: A deadly harmony between her alluring voice and sorrowful erhu melodies—capable of bypassing levels to attack a cultivator’s sea of consciousness. Especially effective against lonely cultivators who desperately need a little snail demon to cook and clean for them—double the damage!
—Only when you fall asleep will the snail creep ashore to serve you in secret.
But she has a little secret…
So the straightforward Senior Sister specialized in hypnosis?
Lin Shuang felt like this book was more entertaining than a serialized romance scroll and began flipping pages at lightning speed.
Meng Zi craned his neck, equally enthralled.
Huangfu Yuan’s phoenix-shaped eyes narrowed in on the word “secret,” a flicker of wariness flashing in his gaze.
But when he turned the page—
Please input your spiritual imprint here to forward and recommend this book to nearby friends, fellow disciples, and sect siblings.
Support original editions—it’s not easy to produce them. Thank you for your support~
Disciples’ Secrets Section: The author is still losing hair while writing, to be continued. (Quite a few spirit stones were spent to obtain the rights to share their secrets.)
Once the third set hits 100,000 copies, the author will release “In-Depth Potential Rankings: Core Condensation Edition, Volume 4” — also known as “Yes, Yes, Yes, Your Dao Companion Is Probably in Here.”
“……”
“!”
“……”
Lin Shuang closed the book, and with a soft thump, a small seashell dropped out of the book’s miniature storage space.
Bonus Gift from the Mei Xin Entry
This is just an ordinary seashell from the mortal realm. But if Fellow Daoist Mei Xin sees it hanging at your waist, she might just glance your way~
Lin Shuang inhaled deeply and entered the names “Gang Yi” and “Gang Er.”
Search results: No data found.
The three of them: “!”
They already have Dao companions.
There are millions of handsome men—leave the married ones alone.
Junior Sister, it’s time to let go.
Lin Shuang’s expression shifted rapidly. She flipped to the title page—
There, in bold calligraphy, was the author’s name: Anonymous Senior Brother of Hundred Flowers Sect.
Huangfu Yuan’s wary expression dissolved instantly, while Meng Zi was clearly still invested, taking the book back into his hands.
“So should we wait for the fourth volume and buy them all together?”
“Will it go up in value later?”
Gang Yi, Gang Er… the challenge is about to begin.
One incense stick’s time remaining.
Meng Zi immediately stopped speaking and flopped back into his wheelchair.
There wasn’t enough time—his spiritual energy, ignited earlier by the thought of those ten thousand spirit stones, had yet to recover.
Huangfu Yuan glanced at his still-numb right arm.
Lin Shuang, who had just finished a sword session across all 98 of her dantians, was sore all over. Frowning, she debated whether to splurge on an expensive pill to coax them into working again.
Then a bright voice came from behind.
“For this round, let’s do a team battle.”
It was Mei Xin.
Lin Shuang turned and saw the tall snail-blooded woman standing behind her, flanked by the two bearded, broad-shouldered men.
Mei Xin had a strikingly heroic appearance—no doubt inherited from her general of a mother.
And yet, her voice twirled and lingered with melodic charm, as if every syllable came wrapped in a soft, seductive echo.
It was beautiful—almost impossible to refuse.
She smiled at Lin Shuang, then her gaze quickly swept over to Meng Zi and Huangfu Yuan.
“After that last fight, you must be exhausted, right?”
Lin Shuang removed her hand from her abdomen and pulled out a mist-inhaler mask for fast-acting medicinal absorption.
Meng Zi tightened his grip on his blade.
Huangfu Yuan, silent in his wheelchair, began pulling out one defensive artifact after another.
Mei Xin: “……”
As he was about to bring out a twelfth one, her eye twitched, and she quickly stepped forward to speak.
“If I were to challenge you now, while you’re still weakened, then even if Gang Yi, Gang Er, and I were to win today, it would weigh on our hearts as an unworthy victory.”
Her voice was frank and honorable, yet it carried that same echoing charm.
All around them, disciples seated at tea tables were watching—and now, they all heard her loud and clear.
In an instant, expressions shifted. Even those who had previously lost to Lin Shuang’s trio—Dao Dong, Dao Xi, Dao Bei team—couldn’t help but nod.
They were still in the lower tiers of Zhenchuan’s three-thousand level. Within the sect as a whole, they were merely lower-level Core Condensation cultivators.
Beyond this were Spirit Refinement, Void Entry, Tribulation Crossing, Ascension… the cultivation path was long.
To win through dishonor today would damage one’s Dao heart—casting a shadow over the path ahead. It would be like tripping yourself with your own pride.
Not to mention, Mei Xin was already listed on the Core Condensation Potential Rankings—destined to reach Spirit Refinement within a hundred years.
“I’ve already spoken to the elder—I choose a team match.”
She smiled at the three of them.
“This round, let’s test our coordination.”
Lin Shuang’s eyes flew open, and her hand trembled.
Meng Zi, holding his blade, almost stabbed Huangfu Yuan.
Huangfu Yuan dropped his defensive artifact.
Coordination? Was that something they had?
“Actually, Senior Sister Mei, I’d rather fight you.”
“…??”
“Wait—wrong words. I meant, fight all three of you.”
“……”
Lin Shuang looked like all hope had fled her soul as she stepped into the teleportation array, pushing the wheelchairs of both Meng Zi and Huangfu Yuan.
It was over.
They were doomed.
Zhao Keran inhaled deeply, her hands and feet moving in nervous sword gestures, eyes full of worry.
Zhenchuan Tier 3000: You’ve finally arrived.
All disciples watching the projection jolted to attention.
Zhenchuan 3000—just a scoop from this vast river, but a checkpoint every disciple below Tier 3000 must pass.
Upon clearing it, one may ascend to Tiers 3000–6000!
Due to the challenge format change to team battle, projection access is now open to all Zhenchuan disciples.
Viewing: 100 spirit stones per incense stick. Text projection: 1 spirit stone per 5 words.
Instantly, Lin Shuang and her team appeared on the projection screens.
The moment she saw the text, Lin Shuang quickly counted with her fingers.
Three thousand. Remove all multiples of nine. The remaining is three.
That meant this year’s test was likely speed-based!
You’ve finally arrived. I’ve been waiting here for you for a long time.
With a sigh, Lin Shuang found herself facing a familiar scene.
Five thatched cottages. Distant mountains. An old man running frantically from the innermost hut, nearly tripping in his haste.
Li Family Village!
Lin Shuang froze.
Meng Zi facepalmed. Huangfu Yuan smirked faintly.
“Immortals—three immortals! You’ve finally come!”
Old Man Li ran up, holding three bright red cloth bundles.
“Uncle Li, is it your dog again—I mean, is your Fangfang being kidnapped again?” Meng Zi asked, face twisted in disbelief.
This time, Old Man Li wasn’t moved by being called young.
Instead, he looked utterly bewildered.
“Immortal, you even deduced what happened ten years ago? That’s amazing!”
The three of them stiffened.
It had been ten years since the Li Village scenario?
Right. That trial was on floor 1700—and now they were on floor 3000.
“Fangfang already has a granddaughter,” the old man said proudly.
But almost immediately, his face contorted again into a mask of urgency.
“Immortal, this time it’s serious. Over at our ancestral shrine, a spiritual spring that hasn’t bubbled in a hundred years finally started flowing.”
“But those damned villagers from Wang Village rushed over overnight with three of their own immortals, claiming the spring is theirs!”
How familiar that line was.
Li Village + Spring Snatching—wasn’t that just like the current situation between Mountain and Sea Sect and Clearwater Sect?
The elder in charge of writing this trial really was efficient. Barely changed the script and even lifted it from real life.
Lin Shuang clicked her tongue.
“Immortals, we can’t lose the spring. Our village has lots of kids eager to cultivate.”
Meng Zi’s eyes gleamed. “Are they going to seize it by force?”
Old Man Li shook his head. “Our villages border each other. If we truly fight, the wheat will be trampled, houses destroyed, children injured… it’ll ruin decades of prosperity.”
“Wang Village isn’t stupid either. So we agreed to set a Hundred-Step Path near the spring.”
“Both villages start from opposite ends. Whoever reaches the spring first gets to claim it for the next ten years.”
Sure enough, the remaining ‘three’ in floor 3000 referred to a speed trial.
Lin Shuang pressed her hand to her brow.
As trial floors increased, it was like progressing from elementary school to high school.
Questions no longer tested one skill at a time, but layered multiple skill points onto a single challenge.
Like this one: the Hundred-Step Path. Whoever reached the spring first passed the speed assessment.
But it also tested the ability to attack opponents while dashing forward.
It added secondary points in offense and defense.
Array masters, talisman users, alchemists—everyone could use their specialties.
It had become a comprehensive application question centered on speed!
Lin Shuang finished her deduction and felt… strangely reassured.
As long as you knew the question type, you had nothing to fear.
Not.
The next moment, Old Man Li added anxiously, “During negotiations with Wang Village, we agreed to three rounds in total.”
“Each round you win gives you a head start in the next.”
Lin Shuang and the others understood immediately.
This change in format was clearly a result of Mei Xin entering the trial.
“Our two villages are supposed to take turns choosing the competition format,” Old Man Li grumbled, “but those shameless Wang villagers chose teamwork as the first challenge!”
Lin Shuang’s temple twitched.
Meng Zi and Huangfu Yuan both closed their eyes.
“A teamwork test—how did they even come up with that?”
Old Man Li slapped his thigh repeatedly. “How are us mortals supposed to compete in that? Immortals can divine the heavens and even transmit thoughts!”
“That’s why I rushed to summon you three overnight—it’s all on you now!”
You’ve Finally Arrived: The Li and Wang villages have long been at odds, and now they’ve decided to race to the spiritual spring.
Rules:
- There are a total of three rounds (each side proposes one format alternately; since Mei Xin holds the highest inner sect ranking, she chooses the first).
- Winning a round allows the team to dash toward the spring for three breaths. The losing side must stay immobile during those three breaths.
- The team that reaches the spring first passes the trial.
The winning team will ascend to the 3000–6000 tier range.
The losing team will be demoted by 300 tiers.
In the blink of an eye, the thatched village scenery around Lin Shuang shifted.
They now stood on a muddy trail.
Wheat fields stretched on both sides. At the distant end of the path stood a stone well wrapped in red silk—the spiritual spring, just barely visible on the horizon.
It was said to be a hundred steps away, but in reality, it was much farther.
Meng Zi surveyed the terrain. “If I sprint using my movement talisman, it’d still take me five to six breaths.”
Which meant they had to win two out of three rounds to reach it.
Each win granted only a three-breath lead.
Key insight acquired.
Lin Shuang got it.
Round One (Chosen by Mei Xin): Team Synergy Test.
Please note: Mei Xin has prepared ten questions for this round.
The team with the most matching answers will be declared the winner. If both sides score equally, both will be allowed to advance three breaths toward the spring.
Each question must be answered within ten breaths.
If all three teammates give matching answers within the time limit, the question is counted as successful, and they proceed to the next.
If their answers differ, they may discuss. But if the ten-breath limit passes and the answers still don’t match, the question is failed.
Lin Shuang let out a huge sigh of relief.
“So we’re allowed to talk things through—that’s something,” Meng Zi said, resting his sword on his shoulder. He felt hopeful.
At least the three of them hadn’t really fought with one another.
They’d made it through countless Zhenchuan trials smoothly enough. Differences in opinion had been rare, and there had never been any serious falling out.
Huangfu Yuan nodded slightly.
Who would’ve thought Zhenchuan included this kind of test…
Right? Then couldn’t I just propose a poetry challenge? Tier 3000 is easier than I thought!
Yeah, I could agree with my team in advance to pick something simple—like reciting a cultivation mantra. Instant win!
?? Why are there suddenly so many idiotic comments on the projection screen? Did a bunch of elder spirit beasts gain sentience and sneak in?
…Did the disciples from below tier 3000 just arrive?
…Ahem, greetings to our senior brothers and sisters. Yes, it’s us. This battle is being broadcast to all of Zhenchuan.
Fools. No wonder you lost to an Outer Sect team! If Clearwater Sect continues like this, we’re doomed within a century!
…Please enlighten us, senior brothers and sisters. What do you mean?
Why is Zhenchuan designed to allow teams of three? Do you even know the purpose of the trial? No wonder you’ve never reached Tier 3000!
!!
Teams of three allow cultivators to complement one another’s techniques. A coordinated trio can overpower a disorganized group of ten!
Hey now, don’t be harsh—let’s explain it properly. Clearly, these juniors were never taught by personal mentors. Most of Clearwater Sect’s field missions are assigned to teams of three or more. Even the inner and outer sect tournaments in Donghua Territory have team battles.
Why?
Because no cultivator can conquer secret realms, ancient ruins, or fight demonic cultivators alone!
Let me put it this way: Zhenchuan opens every ten years, and disciples enter in teams of three. The senior brothers who’ve reached tier 9000? Even the ones who’ve only entered six times—that’s 60 years of fighting together. You’ve heard the stories—how they’re like brothers in arms?
Even if Spirit Refinement cultivators act all mysterious and stay in seclusion, you’ve heard of the Ten Sons of Dao Mountain, right? Ten cultivators practicing different arts, bonded by deep friendship, rotating in and out of Zhenchuan in trios!
Someday you’ll face a true life-or-death crisis, and you’ll realize—aside from yourself, the ones who’ll save you are the companions by your side.
That’s why teamwork is one of the approved challenge formats in Zhenchuan.
Poetry? Save that for serenading your Dao companion at home!
If you don’t understand this, you’ll never reach Tier 6000. Mark my words.
The projection screen flooded with scrolling commentary.
Inside the rest caves below tier 6000 and tier 3000, many disciples’ faces changed.
Zhao Keran, watching the projection, suddenly had an epiphany.
“I get it now.”
Everyone turned to look at her.
She got it again?
“Senior Sister wrote this long ago.”
“??”
“A single person cannot support the sky. But together, we form a fortress—only then can we turn the tide. That’s what makes someone the king of efficiency.”
Three moving as one—now that’s a team!
Zhao Keran gazed at Lin Shuang’s image in the projection with tears in her eyes. “So Senior Sister had already told me how to pass Tier 3000 all along.”
Everyone: “……”
Wake up! This round’s format was Mei Xin’s idea!
“Ohhh… so the Dao Mountain trio, Wan and the others… they’ve been together for years?”
“Right! I was wondering how those senior brothers who entered ten years ago are still together now!”
Equal in strength—but the more coordinated team always wins.
In Zhenchuan’s team battles, when two squads meet, only one can rise.
The lower-tier disciples of Clearwater Sect stared at Lin Shuang, Meng Zi, and Huangfu Yuan on the screen with sympathy.
“Mei Xin, Gang Yi, and Gang Er… they entered the sect the same year.”
“They’ve been entering Zhenchuan together for ten years—must’ve completed over a hundred field missions by now.”
“But Meng Zi, Lin Shuang…”
Silence fell among the disciples—especially upon seeing the trio already discussing strategy before the questions even began.
Speechless.
One from the Outer Sect, two from the Inner Sect.
And they’d only just met.
“It’s fine. I believe in Senior Sister!”
Zhao Keran declared with confidence, making strange sword gestures with her hands and skimming her feet across the floor.
Everyone else: “……”
“Senior Sister has a good temper—she’s kind to everyone.”
“Senior Brother Meng and Senior Brother Huangfu aren’t bad-tempered either.”
Zhao Keran remained optimistic. “Teamwork can be cultivated.”
The next moment, an elder’s voice echoed from the projection, announcing the start of the synergy test.
A gentle ripple of light appeared in front of Lin Shuang and her team.
From within the swirl, the silhouette of a woman in pink gradually emerged, standing tall with her hands behind her back—every inch a master.
Old Man Li immediately fell to his knees. “Heavenly Immortal! You’ve come! Please preside over our villages’ competition for the spring!”
Lin Shuang: “……”
The elder… was presiding over the team battle like this?
Huangfu Yuan’s eyes glimmered with deep thought.
The woman in pink kept her hands behind her back and nodded slightly toward them.
“The first teamwork question. Listen carefully.”
All three perked up and listened intently.
But in that instant, a complicated glint flashed through the cat-like eyes of the ageless woman.
Her pale fingers reached into the sleeve of her right arm…
And pulled out a jade vial sealed with red clay.
With a flick of her wrist, Lin Shuang and her teammates doubled over in unison—gripping their stomachs as an unbearable pain exploded from within!
“One day, during a Clearwater Sect mission, you mistakenly wander into the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons. All three of you are severely poisoned. At this moment, you’ve only managed to find a single antidote.”
As the elder spoke, her face remained expressionless. She tipped the vial and poured a single crimson pill into her palm for them to see.
She even gave the bottle a cold shake—
Empty. Not a single drop remained.
“This one and only antidote—who do you give it to?”
“Ten breaths. Nine. Eight…”
Lin Shuang: “!”
Meng Zi: “!”
Huangfu Yuan: “…”
…It’s over.
Heh.
Laughing now? Junior brothers and sisters, take this as a lesson—your cultivation journey is just beginning.
Author’s Note:
Zhao Sect Master’s Notes, Entry 41:
“I saw Senior Sister totally flustered for the first time.”
—A disciple a hundred years later: …What was that laugh?
—Zhao Keran: You heard wrong! I didn’t laugh! Ahahaha.
—The disciples: …
See you tomorrow~
Juju’s Note:
About the comments… I (belatedly) realized that the comment reCAPTCHA wasn’t working 😭 I tried fixing it multiple times, but technology won this round. So, I’ve disabled it so everyone can comment freely now! That also means… hello, spam 😩 I’ve been tricked a few times—got excited over new comments, only to find out they were spam bots dropping weird links 😂
While we’re here…
If you haven’t rated this novel on Novel Updates yet, please consider doing it! Every little boost helps the project reach more readers. 🤎