Filthy Cultivation: I Pierced the Heavens with the Merit System

The Ascension Ceremony, held once every fifty years by the Yanjian Sect, is naturally one of the most important events in the Yanjian Domain. Not only do people from all walks of life in the Yanjian Domain come to offer their congratulations, but many people from the other three domains also come.

Important figures had already been led into the sect and settled by disciples of the Yanjian Sect a few days ago when they presented their calling cards, while the nearly one million people who were not settled have been staying in the high-end Yanjian City these days.

Prices in Yanjian City are very high, and the Ascension Ceremony takes quite a while, sometimes even lasting for half a month.

Those who were wealthy were fine, but those who were not so well-off had already started to tighten their belts. They had started queuing up several days before the Ascension Conference, just so they could know the result a few days in advance, so that they wouldn't have to spend too much time and effort.

And today, the day that will decide our fate has finally arrived.

As the nine bells resounded throughout Yanjian City, the cultivators who had been waiting for a long time at the foot of the Yanjian Sect finally took action.

The smooth plaza paved with white stones was packed with people in less than three breaths, so crowded that it was impossible to move.

Among these people were those who wanted to become disciples of the Yanjian Sect and rise to the top in one step, and others who wanted to come and see the grand event and join in the fun. Amidst the mixed crowd, the air seemed to thin out.

The pungent smell of sweat and the warm aroma mingled together, making one's head spin, as if one had plunged their head into a nauseating steamer.

Li Fuyao also joined in the fun because of the bet.

But after squeezing for less than three minutes, she regretted it, because all she could see were lower backs and buttocks. Not only could she not see any excitement, but she was also made to see green by the stench of several muffled farts that sounded like hidden weapons.

Even with Zhang Ze and Bai Suifeng protecting her, she was still pushed off the ground by the crowd several times.

"Vulgar! Utterly vulgar!"

Bai Suifeng angrily snatched her long hair back from between someone's arms, her small face so dark it was almost the same color as her disguised hair.

Duan Hongzhi had been squeezed out of sight long ago, while Zhang Ze and Bai Suifeng on the outer perimeter were disheveled and their clothes were in disarray. Zhang Ze had even lost one of his shoes in the crush, and to make matters worse, his bare foot was covered in black sores from being trampled by countless shoes, causing him to groan and curse in pain.

If it weren't for the Yanjian Sect quickly arranging for their disciples to disperse the crowd, Li Fuyao estimated that several unlucky people would have been trampled to death in the square.

With the orderly calls and guidance of the Yanjian Sect disciples, the crowded throng finally began to flow slowly, gradually returning to order like a flood being channeled.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Li Fuyao and the other two escaped the nightmare of being crammed together and stood in a relatively open space at the edge of the square, their faces grim.

After glancing at each other's disheveled state, they looked at each other and gave each other a wry smile.

Li Fuyao, her face green with embarrassment, first showered the young guard Bai Suifeng, who was stroking his hair and begging for praise, with words of gratitude and compliments. Seeing him happily turn away to tidy his appearance, she then sighed, half-laughing, half-crying:

"Finally, I can breathe some fresh air. I almost saw my great-grandmother because of the fumes."

"This Ascension Ceremony is a hundred times more lively than I expected. Senior Brother Zhang, is it always this lively?"

"I don't know about that. At the time, I was only thinking that joining the sect would save my grandmother, and I was also young, so I didn't pay much attention to anything else."

Zhang Ze stood on one leg, rubbing his shoulder, and smiled helplessly:

"However, I've heard from the older students that there were several years when people were so crowded they died."

"You can't even squeeze past people, yet you want to cultivate immortality?"

A familiar voice came from behind. Li Fuyao and the other two turned around and saw Yu Zhenzhen, with her slightly disheveled hair, leading the little followers of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou families, being protected by her attendants as they squeezed out of the crowd.

Yu Zhenzhen stared at Bai Suifeng, who possessed a captivatingly disheveled beauty, for a moment before shifting her gaze to Li Fuyao and Zhang Ze, hands on her hips, chin raised, and asking:

"Hey Li Fuyao, did you get jostled? Don't blame it on being pushed if you lose the competition!"

It's really a narrow road.

Li Fuyao, who was in a less than pleasant mood, complained to herself.

"Oh, thanks for your concern!"

As Li Fuyao gently smoothed her slightly frizzy short hair like a kitten, she childishly chuckled and provocatively said to Yu Zhenzhen:

"It's impossible for me to lose. I just hope Miss Yu won't be so upset that she cries!"

"Ha, all you do is talk big. Who cares about you?"

Hearing her say that, Yu Zhenzhen rolled her eyes in annoyance, then gestured with her chin towards the sullen Bai Suifeng and asked:

"Hey, who is he?"

When Bai Suifeng heard Yu Zhenzhen asking about him, he exchanged a surprised glance with Li Fuyao.

Seeing that his younger sister didn't intend to speak, but only looked at him with a smile, he sighed speechlessly, then stepped forward to shield Li Fuyao behind him, and glanced at Yu Zhenzhen, saying succinctly and coldly:

"I'm her brother."

"You're her brother?! You're Bai Suifeng, the brother who fought alongside her in Yuanshan Town against the demonic cultivators?!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Zhenzhen's eyes widened. She scanned Li Fuyao and Bai Suifeng's faces, asking incredulously:

"But you two look completely different, how could you possibly be siblings?!"

Behind him, Zhou Baogui hesitated for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but the next moment he heard three more chimes in his ear.