Traveling through time to cultivate immortality: a life and death test

The three chatted back and forth. Liu Xing's vast knowledge, rich experience, and witty language kept the two ladies laughing non-stop, making the meal quite enjoyable. All three were very smart, knowing that it's best not to talk too much when you're just starting out, so none of them bothered to inquire about each other's backgrounds. Instead, they simply shared amusing anecdotes and joked with one another, creating a relaxed and joyful atmosphere. It was a rare moment of relaxation after years of arduous cultivation.

The chefs at the restaurant were incredibly skilled, pan-frying, roasting, stewing, and braising shrimp and beef in dozens of different ways, leaving Liu Xing and the other two craving a feast of delicious food. Zhou Yan even pulled out two bottles of fine wine and filled them for the three of them, leading to a lively feast of meat and wine. Xie Juan had been rather reserved at first, but, encouraged by Liu Xing and Zhou Yan, she finally let loose, grabbing a steak with her delicate hands and beginning to tuck into it. Liu Xing and Zhou Yan both gave her a thumbs-up and laughed heartily.

The wine had made them slightly tipsy, and they could no longer eat the meat. As the sun was setting outside the window, the three of them finally returned home, reluctantly bidding farewell. Meeting two beautiful women by chance and chatting with them was quite interesting, and Liu Xing felt a little warm on his lonely journey of cultivating immortality.

The next day, Liu Xing began shopping for supplies and was about to leave. Suddenly, in an alley, he was stopped by a Taoist priest holding a whisk. The Taoist priest had white hair and a youthful face, and was affable and amiable, which made him very appealing. He was also at the mid-stage of the Foundation Establishment stage.

"I wonder what advice you have for me, Captain?" Liu Xing asked coldly, not being fooled by the other party's appearance.

"Fellow Daoist, don't be nervous. I just happened to run into you in the pharmacy. I saw that you were frowning, and it seemed that the things you bought were quite hard to find, so I came to you to provide some information." The Taoist priest explained with a smile.

"Could it be that the Taoist priest has the elixir that I need?" Liu Xing asked again.

"That's not the case. Tomorrow we have a gathering for Foundation Establishment cultivators. It's being held at Xiyuan Teahouse in the city. Fellow Daoist, you can go and try your luck." The Taoist priest explained his purpose. It turned out he was inviting Liu Xing to the gathering. Liu Xing had originally planned to leave Tianyuan City, but now that he heard about the gathering for Foundation Establishment cultivators, he immediately became interested.

"Oh, I'll go and attend it tomorrow. Thank you for the information, Taoist priest." Liu Xing bowed and thanked him, and agreed to attend the meeting tomorrow.

"You're welcome, fellow Daoist. We cultivators are all alone and helpless, so we should support each other. Tomorrow I'll introduce you to a few reliable fellow Daoists. Let's get to know each other." The Taoist stroked his beard, looking like he had the world at heart. Liu Xing then took his leave and agreed to meet again tomorrow.

The next day, Liu Xing arrived at Xiyuan Teahouse, where the owner hurried out to greet him. With the constant stream of cultivators attending the free cultivator exchange meeting, the teahouse's business had increased a hundredfold, and the owner was beaming from ear to ear. Liu Xing explained his purpose, and the owner personally led the way, directing him to a large reception room on the second floor. Liu Xing was early, but the hall was still half full.

Since it was just a casual exchange meeting, the seats were arranged in a circle, with two rows of chairs, seating approximately thirty or forty people. Liu Xing hadn't deliberately concealed his cultivation level, so everyone present smiled and nodded in greeting, some even bowed to him.

"Fellow Daoist, you're here really early! Come over here." Liu Xing saw the Taoist priest with the whisk he had met yesterday, sitting in the back, standing up to greet him. Liu Xing didn't know anyone else, so he walked over.

"Good morning, Taoist priest." Liu Xing bowed and sat down in the back row next to the Taoist priest.

"I am Laochen, but I would like to know your name, my friend?" The Taoist priest with whisk dust began to communicate through voice communication.

"My name is Liu Xing, a casual cultivator. Taoist Master Liaochen is familiar with the exchange meeting, could you introduce him to me?" Liu Xing wanted to take the opportunity to understand the situation.

"Of course. Independent cultivators don't have the support of a sect, nor do they have a master to guide them. They basically rely on themselves to explore and practice independently. Resources are scarce, and knowledge is lacking, so we want to organize daily exchanges to share what we have and exchange resources. Exchange meetings like today's are held frequently." Taoist Master Lechen introduced patiently.

"Those who can build a foundation are all extremely talented. Why don't you choose a sect to join?" Liu Xing asked curiously.

"A small number of people will eventually choose to join a sect or family, but the majority are accustomed to their freedom and don't want to be bound by a sect. However, a single person is powerless, so independent cultivators spontaneously form small teams to support each other and jointly hunt monsters and explore secrets," Liaochen explained. Liu Xing nodded in understanding. If only his spiritual roots were too poor and his progress on his own was too slow, he would have sought the help of a sect to gain more information. Otherwise, he didn't want to be restricted and wanted to practice freely.

"Will there be any disciples from the sect participating in this kind of exchange?" Liu Xing asked again.

"Generally not, unless there are disciples from the sect pretending to be casual cultivators to attend the meeting. It's just that sect disciples have the guidance of their master in their cultivation, and the sect can exchange the materials they need, so they rarely need to use the resources of casual cultivators. If they are willing to come to the meeting, we welcome them even more, haha." Taoist Master Lechen was indeed very patient, telling everything he knew, which made Liu Xing feel that he was a good person worthy of trust.

As the two exchanged voice messages, people began to arrive in the hall, and by now the room was full. At this moment, a couple sitting in the front row stood up. The man was at the peak of the late Foundation Establishment stage, and the woman was in the late Foundation Establishment stage. Together, they were enough to suppress everyone in the room.

"My name is Sun Yu, and next to me is my wife Wang Yan. Most of you here should know my husband and me. This exchange meeting is organized by my husband and me. We independent cultivators should support each other and keep each other warm, so that we can go further on the path of cultivation." Sun Yu made a passionate opening speech, and everyone nodded in approval.

Next, it was time for everyone to take turns speaking. Everyone could exchange treasures, swap possessions; share recent anecdotes and engage in lively discussion; and share their own cultivation experiences, asking questions to see if anyone could answer or provide clues. Regarding cultivation questions, Sun Yu answered the most. He had the highest level of cultivation, and therefore a deeper understanding. This instilled in everyone a fondness for him, and everyone was grateful, taking the opportunity to raise their own questions. Sun Yu accepted all the questions, answering them to the best of his ability. Liu Xing looked at Sun Yu several times, wondering if he was genuinely kind-hearted or had ulterior motives.

Liu Xing's turn arrived. He shared some of his battles with level-three monsters. His vivid descriptions reminded everyone how rarely they encountered such high-level monsters, and how often they fled. Everyone listened with rapt interest, deeply impressed by Liu Xing's fighting prowess. Afterward, he asked if anyone had any information on the Oolong Grass or related items, but naturally, he found nothing.