Mysterious mirror hanging high

"What does that mean?"

Jing Yu wondered, "This secret realm is an opportunity, after all. If the entrance were moved to the market town, the Foundation Establishment masters stationed there would immediately notice it. The market town is densely populated, and a large number of cultivators would be drawn in. Wouldn't the opportunity in this secret realm be diluted?"

"Alas, uncle, you just arrived and you don't know much."

Mu Shan pointed to the Heavenly Gate held up by the puppet statue's right hand and said, "Do you see the twelve precious orbs on that metal gate?"

"Every monk who enters this room must first undergo an entrance test before being able to leave the room and enter this square."

"This puppet statue in the square has an advancement test inside. I've discussed it with the fellow Taoists who entered earlier, and we should all be facing a Qi training puppet that's slightly higher in realm than ourselves."

"This advancement test is divided into several levels. The first level's guarding puppet is extremely difficult, and the second level is even more difficult. The third level? Two fellow Taoists who are skilled in combat were lucky enough to get in and take a look. They were seriously injured by the puppet and almost couldn't get out! As for whether there is a fourth level? I'm afraid no one knows."

"The twelve orbs on the metal door represent the twelve monks who have passed the advancement test. Every monk who passes at least the first level of the test can light up an orb."

"This metal door can only teleport us out once all twelve orbs are lit. Otherwise, we'll just have to sit here in boredom!"

Mu Shan's tongue felt bitter. "The entrance to this secret realm appeared in the Spirit Plant Garden from the very beginning. Most of the Daoists who strayed in were Spirit Plant Husbands who hadn't practiced any powerful magic and whose combat power was far inferior to that of cultivators of the same level. There are a total of thirty-six Daoists in the square now, and only seven of them have made it through the first level..."

"If the entrance to this secret realm were to move into the wilderness, or even into the spiritually barren mortal realm, we wouldn't be able to gather the remaining five Daoists to light the orb! By then, we'd probably be trapped to death in this secret realm..."

However, Mu Shan immediately said happily: "Fortunately, uncle, you have entered the secret realm. You should be able to light up a gem steadily!"

"What do you mean?" Jing Yu's expression changed.

"The puppet's strength in the advanced test is determined solely by the cultivator's Qi training realm. Uncle, you're currently only at the second Qi training level. The puppets in the first level are at most at the third Qi training level. Plus, their moves are rigid, so they're roughly equivalent to a cultivator at the second Qi training level who's skilled in combat... Now that you're also cultivating your body, having perfected your Earth and Rock Body to the fourth level, dealing with a third Qi training puppet is a piece of cake."

"Since the puppet's strength is only determined by the Qi training level, then shouldn't a mortal body cultivator be able to directly break through the test?"

"That won't work. There are two mortal body cultivators in the square, and they can't even open the door to the advancement test... This test is specifically for cultivators." Mu Shan shook his head and smiled bitterly, "How can there be such a big loophole for us to exploit?"

"Now that Fellow Daoist Zhao has arrived, it is equivalent to lighting up the eight gems. As long as we wait for four more fellow Daoists who are good at fighting to come, we can get out!" A weak voice sounded from behind Mu Shan.

Jing Yu looked behind Mu Shan and found that the person who was speaking was an old acquaintance of his, Hu Yiming, who entered Wushan Market at the same time as him!

The two had just met at a dinner party at Mu Shan's house last night, and now they met again in this secret place. It must be said that they really were destined to meet.

Jing Yu found that Hu Yiming was not in a good condition at this time. His face was extremely pale, and his shoulders were bandaged with several pieces of spiritual cloth for stopping bleeding, with a faint hint of red.

"Friend Hu, are you injured?"

"Oh, don't mention it... It was Hu who overestimated his own abilities and wanted to take on this advanced test. He almost died in it."

Hu Yiming's head drooped like a frost-bitten eggplant. "I was too greedy. The entry test was a close call, but I got a good reward after passing it. That's when I got greedy. I thought I'd try my luck in the advanced test. At worst, I could get away with it."

"I didn't expect the puppet I encountered to be quite agile. Two strikes from it nearly ripped off my arm... Luckily, I managed to crush the life-saving amulet distributed by the secret realm in time and escape."

"Brother Zhao, every cultivator will be given a jade talisman when they pass the level. If you know you are no match for your opponent, you must crush the jade talisman in time to save your life."

Hu Yiming said, "Three fellow Taoists failed to crush the jade talisman in time, and I'm afraid they've already died in it!"

"Old Mu, you didn't pass the first level either?" Jing Yu realized something and turned to ask Mu Shan.

Mu Shan touched his nose and said with a wry smile, "Uncle, I just broke through to the seventh level of Qi training yesterday. My realm is not yet stable. Why would I humiliate myself? I haven't even tried!"

"Among the three deceased Daoists that Daoist Hu just mentioned, one was the old deacon of Area B of the Spiritual Plant Garden. He was also a high-level cultivator at the eighth level of Qi training. Who would have thought he still died there? I'm afraid he was careless and capsized in the ditch."

"After all, Mu is a family man, and all he wants is to be safe and secure."

Jing Yu nodded in agreement. "Old Mu, you know what? Although your cautious nature may put you at a disadvantage in seeking opportunities, you might be able to go very far in the world of immortal cultivation!"

"This must be Fellow Daoist Zhao Mingjing!" At this time, a white-haired old man with a silver spear tied behind his back also came over.

"It turns out to be Senior Zhao!" Jing Yu recognized this person, Zhao Yunlong, who was at the eighth level of Qi training and the captain of the Spirit Plant Garden's law enforcement team. He was responsible for patrolling and guarding the Spirit Plant Garden itself, as well as the official road connecting the Spirit Plant Garden and Wushan Market. His cultivation level of the eighth level of Qi training was already extremely high. It was said that he also practiced physical training, and his physical training had reached a strength close to the peak of the middle stage of Qi training. It was said that in the entire Wushan Market, there were not many Qi training cultivators who could remain undefeated in a battle with him.

Unfortunately, he is already eighty-three years old, and his path to building the foundation is almost over. He is still active in such a high-risk position in the law enforcement team at such an old age, just to earn a future for his descendants.

Mu Shan was also extremely respectful to this senior member of the law enforcement team and said to Jing Yu, "Senior Zhao is one of the two people who passed the second level."

"You and I are relatives, so there's no need to be polite. Are you sure, Brother Zhao?" Zhao Yunlong said with a smile.

"Old senior, I wonder what the situations were like for the three levels you passed? You might as well tell me about it so that I can think about it." Jing Yu pondered.

"I was just about to discuss this with you, fellow Daoist." Zhao Yunlong nodded and said, "The first level was a puppet wielding a sword and shield. Its spiritual pressure seemed to be around the ninth level of Qi training, but the puppet was stiff. Although I'm only at the eighth level of Qi training, I've made some progress in physical training, so I won fairly easily."