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

He had read most of the books in the market, and the contents of the books became more and more similar, so the next few markets passed by very quickly. Only new content could arouse his interest.

The southern region, encompassing hundreds of thousands of miles, is dominated by five major sects: Xuantian Sect, Jiuyang Sect, Xuanyin Sect, Moyan Sect, and Yuling Sect. To the east and south, it borders the Boundless Ocean, to the west, the Hundred Thousand Mountains, and to the north, the vast grasslands.

The boundless southeastern sea is perpetually shrouded in thick fog, making it incredibly dangerous. Ordinary cultivators simply don't dare venture into it. Countless cultivators, unconvinced by the dangers of the sea, have ventured into the area, only to never return. Consequently, the true nature of the sea remains largely unknown. Liu Xing had read countless travelogues, but none contained any mention of the dangers. He was curious, but few, before reaching the Nascent Soul stage, dared venture.

On the northern grasslands live another group of cultivators called the Qiang. It's said they worship divine beasts and can summon their powers to defend against powerful enemies. The grasslands are vast and rich in resources. The Qiang live in tribal communities, while mortals are mostly nomadic. The grasslands are home to many expert cultivators, and occasionally senior cultivators visit the southern regions to exchange resources.

The Shiwan Mountains to the west are deep and densely forested, teeming with demonic beasts and presenting an extremely dangerous environment. Danger often brings opportunity, as many rare medicinal herbs are found in the Shiwan Mountains. Some daring cultivators even form groups to venture into the mountains, hunting demonic beasts for demon elixirs and refining materials, or gathering elixirs for alchemy. Liu Xing encountered numerous records of demonic beasts in the market, mostly information brought back by adventurers from the Shiwan Mountains. He read the records with gusto, citing thousands of types, some described in great detail, others vague. He memorized every recorded demonic beast, insect, or ant, and clearly understood their characteristics and abilities. With these preparations in place, he planned to seek opportunities in the Shiwan Mountains once he had established his foundation.

Back in the southern region, the Xuantian Sect and the Jiuyang Sect are considered the orthodox sects, their disciples practicing the righteous ways of the Xuanmen, emphasizing a calm and steady mind and gradual progress. The Xuanyin Sect and the Moyan Sect are considered the so-called demonic sects, their disciples cultivating the Yin-blood magic, emphasizing daring and unrestrained pursuit. The Yuling Sect cultivates demonic beasts and spirit insects to aid in cultivation, employing techniques that are both righteous and evil. Liu Xing holds no bias towards either the orthodox or demonic sects. His advanced thinking in his previous life has taught him that these are merely ideological inconsistencies between political parties, ultimately guided by the law of the jungle. Recent encounters have also made him realize that cultivators are selfish and will do anything to achieve immortality. Therefore, he constantly reminds himself to be cautious in his words and not to completely reveal his heart. Although Liu Xing does not reject the demonic path, he prefers a humble and peaceful disposition to erratic and violent behavior.

Xuantian Sect, the authentic Xuan Sect, boasts a 5,000-year history and has always been led by Nascent Soul-stage masters. Disciples cultivate a wide range of cultivation techniques. The sect's requirements for disciple cultivation are very generous, supporting any technique not involving demonic influence. The sect's rules are also quite relaxed, requiring only that fellow disciples not engage in violence; all other rules are relaxed. Xuantian Sect is where Liu Xing most desires to go. He possesses many secrets and does not want to be subject to excessive restrictions. Therefore, he plans to prepare his treasures and depart for Xuantian Sect to take the entrance exam, as the time is almost up.

The Nine Yang Sect was founded by True Man Jiuyang. Three thousand years ago, True Man Jiuyang achieved a breakthrough to the late Nascent Soul stage, mastering the Nine Yang Divine Art and attaining profound Daoist prowess. All the southern sects followed his lead, and he enjoyed a period of immense power. However, with the passage of time, no more late Xuan Yin cultivators emerged, forcing newcomers to maintain an equal footing with the other sects, refraining from excessive arrogance. Information on higher levels is scarce in written records, consisting of fragmentary accounts that Liu Xing pieced together based on speculation, much of which is conjecture.

The Xuanyin Sect, a formidable sect of the demonic realm, currently boasts two Nascent Soul-stage masters, and its power is at its peak. Its disciples specialize in the Path of Blood, a technique known for its immense power. According to historical records, righteous cultivators who engaged in combat with Xuanyin disciples had their magical weapons instantly tainted by blood, causing a significant loss of spiritual energy. The Path of Blood's mystical powers are so mysterious that they can even mobilize the blood of their opponents, causing them to lose their minds. They can forcibly boost their cultivation by burning their own essence and blood, or exploit their opponents' essence and blood to perform unpredictable and unpredictable magic. Consequently, everyone avoids Xuanyin disciples, unwilling to engage them. This, in turn, leads to their arrogance and unbridled behavior. Of course, the Path of Blood has its drawbacks. First, advancing through realms is difficult, and second, forced cultivation can leave serious side effects. At best, this can lead to severe damage to one's vitality, necessitating years of seclusion, or, at worst, a drop in realm or even the onset of demonic possession.

The Demon Flame Sect, somewhat similar to the Xuantian Sect, shares no restrictions on the inheritance of martial arts, but their styles differ, one righteous, the other evil. The Demon Flame Sect has several branches. The most powerful is the Hehuan Elder Demon, who has reached the mid-Nascent Soul stage. His disciples follow the path of Hehuan and practice the art of replenishing yin and yang, bringing harm to countless young men and women. They are hated by everyone, but their lack of strength makes them powerless. There's also the Ghost Division, which specializes in attacking the enemy's souls, killing and extracting their souls, then using their soul power to create magical instruments to combat the enemy. Those who practice this art are eerie and terrifying. Then there's the Corpse Refining Division, which takes the corpses of powerful creatures and refines them into zombie instruments to use against the enemy. Some even resort to such means to transform themselves into zombies, possessing immense physical strength. In short, no disciple of the Demon Flame Sect is normal, and everyone shuns them.

In the Yuling Sect, some raise Gu, some raise insects, and some raise demonic beasts. By establishing contracts with their natal pets, they cultivate mutual growth and advancement, achieving a win-win situation. In battle, they fight alongside their natal pets, significantly increasing their strength. Liu Xing was very interested in this. Having raised cats in his previous life, he also wanted to raise some exceptionally powerful pets to further his path to immortality. However, the books in the market listed too few types of pets, and most of them were of low quality. Therefore, he desperately needed a professional list of pets, such as a ranking list.

As he hurried on, he carefully recalled his knowledge of the southern sects. Though limited, it gave him a general idea of ​​the various forces, preventing him from being completely blind. He had previously been wandering the market town governed by the righteous sects, but was about to enter the demonic realm. His current destination was the Yinshan market town governed by the Xuanyin Sect. Liu Xing was extremely alert, considering the need for pre-arranged backup plans to deal with any emergencies.