Filthy Cultivation: I Pierced the Heavens with the Merit System

The blue stone tablet was not tall, but it was a large, short, and thick piece, shaped like a giant, freshly cut spinach-flavored dough ball. Its surface was as smooth as a mirror, without any words or patterns, only occasionally flashing a faint, almost imperceptible light.

The stone tablet, surrounded by clusters of unknown golden minerals below, sat quietly in the center of the massive stone platform used in the first level.

Golden streaks, like chains, spread upwards from the mineral, firmly trapping the blue stone tablet within. Like luminous pearls, they slowly emitted a soft, non-glaring glow, which echoed the colorful radiance of the spirit boats above, creating a beautiful scene that subtly tempted one to reach out and touch it.

There are disciples of the Yanjian Sect guarding the entrance to Shenwu Square.

The black-clad stewards would check the names on the roster jade slips one by one. Only after finding the name of the cultivator entering the venue in the roster with their divine sense would they make a record and let the person in. Therefore, the cultivators in the square at this time were all here to participate in the second trial.

Those who pass the first screening are all exceptionally talented, and the second screening, which tests character, is almost universally known, so they are naturally well-prepared.

Even if one longs for that blue stone tablet, how could one resist the urge to touch it?

At this moment, a crowd of people was bustling in front of the blue stone tablet, but no one dared to step onto the platform rashly. All the cultivators consciously kept a distance around the stone platform, as if they were waiting for something.

Li Fuyao and Bai Suifeng finally managed to squeeze to the front, and seeing this situation, they quickly stopped obediently. Neither of them wanted to be the one to stand out.

"It looks quite mysterious."

Bai Suifeng muttered to himself, his dog-like eyes wide with interest as he stared intently at the stone tablet, afraid of missing any detail.

Li Fuyao was even more cautious. She used her divine sense as her eyes to look around, trying to catch some clues from the expressions and actions of other cultivators. However, apart from a very few people who looked indifferent, most people were either excited or nervous, obviously seeing this scene for the first time.

Perhaps discouraged by the situation in the first round, Yu Zhenzhen and the others did not come today.

With no familiar faces around, Li Fuyao raised an eyebrow slightly, feeling a pang of nostalgia. She wondered if she had bullied the young lady to the point of making her withdrawn, but considering that the second meeting would last for five days and they might come tomorrow or the day after, she didn't dwell on it.

I've arrived with Xiao Suifeng, but none of my old acquaintances are here. Where am I supposed to get information?

Thinking of this, Li Fuyao had an idea and decided to focus her divine sense directly on those few people with indifferent expressions.

These people were groups of several guards surrounding a boy or girl. Presumably, these guards had made a special trip through the first hurdle for their young master.

The most conspicuous among them was a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy wearing a navy blue cloak but without a hood.

The young man had handsome features but not sharp features; instead, he had a cunning and charming air about him. He was radiant and reserved, with a noble air about him. At this moment, as if he had sensed something, he suddenly raised his bright and sparkling peach blossom eyes and looked at Li Fuyao.

Oh?

His soul power far exceeded that of an ordinary Qi Refining cultivator, yet he was still detected!

This handsome young man is quite interesting!

Caught red-handed, Li Fuyao felt no guilt whatsoever. Instead, she raised an eyebrow and smiled at the young man with great interest.

I've heard that there are quite a few young talents who have emerged from the first trial. This young man's perception is so sharp that he must be one of the best among them. If I were to encounter such a person in the third trial, he would surely be a formidable opponent.

The young man was slightly taken aback when he saw her raise an eyebrow. Then, as if he had seen something extremely interesting, he curled his lips and seemed about to mouth something to Li Fuyao. But before Li Fuyao could see clearly, Bai Suifeng, whose face didn't look too good, leaned in and blocked his view completely.

"Fuyao, what are you looking at?"

He asked in a sarcastic tone, his handsome face puffing up like a pufferfish in displeasure, looking utterly silly and devoid of any ethereal charm.

"With your brother right here, why are you looking at others?"

"You even smiled at him. That boy in blue is nowhere near as good-looking as me. What's so funny?"

Li Fuyao turned her gaze back to the front of her with a somewhat bewildered look. She looked at Bai Suifeng's displeased little face and belatedly realized that this sensitive little brat was jealous.

It's probably because they lack a sense of security that they cling so tightly to what little they have.

Li Fuyao recalled the panicked pain she felt the first time she did this in her previous life, and her heart softened slightly. Out of an elder's tenderness for the younger generation, she did not want Bai Suifeng to struggle in the whirlpool of emotions for too long, just like she had in the past.

She pinched Bai Suifeng's cheek and pushed him away a little, then gently tapped his nose like she was coaxing a child, and chuckled:

"I'm just looking at the source of the information. I don't intend to recognize him as my brother. Fuyao only has you as her brother. Fuyao can also promise you that she will never call anyone else her brother again."

After saying that, she observed the shy joy on Bai Suifeng's face, then held his arm earnestly and said:

"But you also need to have more trust in our relationship. Life is a long journey. I can always keep you second in my heart, but I can't only socialize with you. I will have many friends in the future, and so will you."

"I'm second?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Suifeng, his eyes slightly red, asked angrily, "Who was the first one?!"