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

Huang Shan led Liu Xing up the mountain, and soon they arrived at a large hall. The three characters "Scripture Repository" were written in a flamboyant style. It was much quieter here than the administrative hall. The hall had five floors filled with books. To the left was a school, where Foundation Establishment cultivators received monthly classes. To the right was another school, where Qi Condensation cultivators received monthly classes. Gazing at the grand hall and the vast sea of ​​books, a sense of happiness washed over him. Liu Xing figured this would be his regular spot, and he memorized the route and various precautions.

Huang Shan then took him to his final stop, a residence halfway up the mountain. The previous senior brother had moved out after failing the assessment, leaving the vacant spot for Liu Xing. This was an isolated space, 500 meters in radius, with a cave in the center. This was where Liu Xing would stay and practice from now on.

"Alright, Junior Brother Liu, we've visited all the important places and completed my mission. Any questions, Junior Brother?" Huang Shan finally breathed a sigh of relief. He had completed today's task of recruiting new members. The reward was fifty spirit stones. It wasn't much, but at least it was safe and only took a day.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Huang, for guiding us and patiently explaining things along the way. I'm deeply grateful. Please accept this small gift." Liu Xing hurriedly produced a mid-grade spirit stone and pressed it into Huang Shan's hand. He knew that courtesy was always welcome. As a newcomer, lacking support was one thing, but lacking a source of information was a real disadvantage. He felt Huang Shan was a warm-hearted person with a high level of cultivation. Furthermore, his powerful spiritual sense suggested that Huang Shan was nearing a breakthrough. Befriending someone nearing the late Foundation Establishment stage would be very helpful in gathering information later. Liu Xing had ample funds, one of his greatest strengths. He envisioned using them to build a network of connections, which would then lead to further information, transforming it into resources for his cultivation. Now that he had successfully entered the Thousand Machine Sect, he needed to gradually cultivate his own network, and Huang Shan offered a good starting point.

"Junior Brother Liu, you are too polite. I accepted this welcoming mission with a reward. It is not easy for you as a casual cultivator to make money. You don't have to be like this." Huang Shan refused without showing any greed, which made Liu Xing more satisfied.

"Brother Huang, please accept it. You know my qualifications. Please take care of me in the sect in the future." Liu Xing insisted on giving it to Huang Shan. Huang Shan was not a pedantic person. Seeing Liu Xing's sincerity, he accepted it. He was very happy in his heart and had a better impression of Liu Xing.

"Junior brother Liu is so sincere that I won't refuse. I have a Qianji Sect relationship map compiled by a senior here, so I'll give it to you. I want to remind you that the disciples of the sect are a mixture of good and evil, so you have to be careful." Huang Shan returned the favor by giving Liu Xing a precious book, which surprised Liu Xing.

"Junior Brother Liu, I have other things to do, so I'll take my leave now. Please keep this sound transmission note, and we'll keep in touch." Huang Shan said goodbye and left when he saw that the matter was resolved.

"Farewell, Senior Brother Huang!" Liu Xing watched Huang Shan leave.

He turned and walked into the cave, which had three rooms and a living room, and was quite spacious. He cast a spell, and a breeze blew in, sweeping away all the dust and turbid air in the cave. Instantly, the cave was refreshed. Liu Xing took a deep breath, very satisfied. Then he walked around the cave again, setting up three defensive formations in one go to ensure that he would not be disturbed during his cultivation. The cave was backed by a huge peak, halfway up the main peak. The spiritual energy here was quite rich. There was a small platform in front of the cave. Standing on this platform, the many mountains of the Qianji Sect were in full view, and the scenery was quite beautiful. Liu Xing was in a good mood. He took out his bamboo flute and played a tune with all his heart. The melodious flute sound echoed far and wide.

Liu Xing returned to his cave abode and placed Jiao Jiao and Duo Duo in separate caves for training, setting up restrictions to prevent the spread of demonic energy. He himself sat cross-legged on the bed in the middle bedroom, opening the roster Huang Shan had sent him. Su Xingchen, the head of the Restriction Department, was in the late Nascent Soul stage; Nan Suanzi, the head of the Divination Department, was in the late Nascent Soul stage; Yuan Chenggong, the head of the Puppetry Department, was in the middle Nascent Soul stage; and Li Yuanhua, the head of the Alchemy Pavilion, was in the early Nascent Soul stage... It detailed the information of the elders, important figures, and masters in each department. Of course, the content consisted of information readily available to everyone, leaving no room for personal privacy. The privacy of Nascent Soul and Core Forming experts was especially forbidden to be shared, and no one dared to discuss them, as they could end up dead without knowing how. Liu Xing, however, read with rapt interest, memorizing every name. This was crucial information for future social circles, especially for establishing a first impression. Greeting someone for the first time by saying "I've heard a lot about you" and then mentioning their achievements is far more powerful than just a dry greeting. It's more memorable and creates a closer bond. This is the value of having information in advance. In his previous life, Liu Xing worked at a large company. He discovered that senior executives all had a special ability: they could quickly remember each other's names. Being able to quickly call out someone's name on a first meeting can also instill a good impression.

……

In a cave atop the Forbidden Division's main peak, two old men drank tea and played chess. The man holding the black pieces was cloaked in a black robe, even his face obscured by a black mask. The man holding the white pieces had white hair and a youthful face, resembling an immortal. Both were powerful cultivators in the late Nascent Soul stage, a small but elite group within the mortal realm.

"Senior Brother Su, a new star has recently descended upon our Qianji Sect, which is a sign of the prosperity of our sect!" said the old man in black robe as he walked down.

"Oh, junior brother, tell me in detail." The white-haired old man became interested.

"A few days ago, on a whim, I cast a fortune, and the fortune showed that our sect would prosper. I also observed the sky at night, and saw five stars gathered above our sect, and a new star rose, which foreshadowed the emergence of a genius in our sect." The old man in black robe spoke slowly and leisurely. When it comes to predicting and divination of the future, no one in this world can match him.

"So it's true. Do you know any more information?" The white-haired old man pondered for a moment.

"No, senior brother, should we find it out? I will lose some of my lifespan, but I will definitely be able to get a glimpse of the secret." The old man in black robe was eager to try.

"Junior brother, you can't do that. Now our sect is peaceful and everything should be left to nature, which will be more conducive to his development." The white-haired old man pondered for a moment and said solemnly.

"Alright, I'll follow your instructions." The black-robed elder also felt his brother's words made sense and didn't insist. Then, the two elders, black and white, focused on the chessboard again, engaging in a hearty battle.