From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 86 A Triumphant Comeback, Glory Returns

The jade slip in my hand was burning hot, like a branding iron. I gritted my teeth, not daring to stop. The passage was dark and deep, like the throat of a giant beast, about to devour us. Behind me, that powerful aura grew closer and closer, carrying a suffocating sense of oppression. I could almost feel its cold tentacles brushing against my back.

"Xiao Yao, can we escape?" Fairy Yun asked breathlessly, her voice trembling slightly.

I held her hand tightly, giving her strength and myself strength. "You can do it! Trust me!"

Guard Lin remained silent, following closely behind us. The long sword in his hand emitted a faint, cold light, ready to deal with any sudden danger.

Suddenly, a glimmer of light appeared ahead in the passage. I was overjoyed and quickened my pace.

The moment I rushed out of the passage, I was stunned by the sight before me.

This is a vast underground space. The dome is inlaid with countless glittering crystals, like stars in the night sky, illuminating the entire space as if it were daytime. In the center of the space stands a massive altar, upon which rests a precious pearl radiating seven-colored light.

Is this... the ultimate goal of the trial?

Before I could think, the powerful aura behind me had already caught up to the exit of the passage. I turned around abruptly and saw a figure shrouded in black mist slowly emerge. I couldn't see the face, but the chilling pressure made it almost impossible for me to breathe.

I immediately realized that this was not Mu Feng! This power far surpassed Mu Feng's, and even exceeded that of any elder I had ever seen!

Could it be... an ancient ferocious beast guarding the trial grounds?

At the critical moment, a sudden inspiration struck me, and I slammed the scalding hot jade slip in my hand onto the altar.

The runes on the jade slip and the altar shone brightly, reflecting each other. A powerful energy surged from the altar, instantly filling the entire space.

I felt a powerful force flowing into my body, and I could even sense the fluctuations in the surrounding space, which I could control!

"Go back!" I shouted, mobilizing this newly discovered power to strengthen the runes at the entrance of the passage several times over.

The entrance to the passage shone brightly, and the runes seemed to come alive, spinning wildly to form an indestructible barrier.

The figure in the black mist let out an angry roar and lunged at the barrier, only to be bounced back as if it had hit an invisible wall.

I dared not delay. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I once again mobilized the power of the altar and created a huge collapse at the entrance of the passage, completely sealing it off.

After doing all this, I felt completely exhausted and could barely stand.

“Xiao Yao…” Fairy Yun supported me, looking at me with concern.

I forced a smile. "We're safe."

I looked at the jewel on the altar, and a strong longing welled up in my heart.

What exactly is this precious pearl?

I slowly reached out my hand...

"Wait!" Guard Lin suddenly spoke up, his gaze fixed on the area below the altar. "What's that?" I followed Guard Lin's gaze and saw a stone box covered in runes beneath the altar. The stone box was covered with a thin layer of dust; if Guard Lin hadn't had such sharp eyes, it would have been difficult to spot.

"I'll go take a look." I mustered my spirits and walked to the foot of the altar.

The stone box was very heavy, and it took me a lot of effort to open it. Inside, lying quietly, was an ancient jade slip and a tattered sheepskin map.

I picked up the jade slip and pressed it to my forehead, and a surge of information flooded my mind. This jade slip contained the incantation to control this trial ground! No wonder I could manipulate the altar's power; it was because of this jade slip.

The sheepskin map marked several key locations and provided simple explanations in ancient script. One location was prominently marked "Spiritual Marrow Spring," and another was marked "Treasure Pavilion."

The Spirit Marrow Spring! The Treasure Pavilion! These two places are coveted treasures for any cultivator. It seems these are the true rewards of the trial!

A surge of joy welled up inside me, and I quickly put away the jade slip and the map. Fairy Yun also saw the markings on the map, and a glint of excitement flashed in her eyes.

"Let's go!" I couldn't wait to explore these two places.

Guard Lin nodded, cautiously observing his surroundings. The three of us quickly left the altar and headed towards the Spirit Essence Spring marked on the map.

At the same time, Mu Feng and the others finally escaped from the collapsed passage.

"Damn Xiao Yao!" Mu Feng gritted his teeth, his face contorted with rage. "How dare she trick me!"

"Senior Brother Mu, what do we do now?" a disciple asked cautiously.

"What else can we do? Chase her! We must catch her and take back what belongs to us!" A vicious glint flashed in Mu Feng's eyes.

They followed the trail left by Xiao Yao, chasing after her. However, they were unaware that Xiao Yao had already mastered the technique to control the trial grounds.

Using the incantations in the jade slip, I avoided many dangerous areas and even used the traps in the trial grounds to cause some trouble for Mu Feng and the others.

"Damn it! What on earth is going on?" Mu Feng was caught off guard by the sudden trap and was furious.

They were mistaken for intruders by other trial participants and suffered wave after wave of attacks, greatly slowing their progress.

I, on the other hand, successfully reached the Spirit Marrow Spring.

The Spirit Essence Spring is located in a secluded valley. The spring water is crystal clear and exudes a rich spiritual energy. I couldn't wait to jump into the spring water and greedily absorb the spiritual energy within.

Nourished by the Spirit Marrow Spring, my cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, and I soon broke through the bottleneck and reached a new realm.

After leaving the Spirit Essence Spring, I found the Treasure Pavilion. It was filled with all sorts of precious elixirs, magical artifacts, and cultivation manuals. I carefully selected some items that would be useful to me, and then continued towards the end of the trial.

As I drew closer to the end of the trial, the surrounding environment became increasingly dangerous. I encountered all sorts of monsters and traps, and even some powerful fellow trial participants.

Using the experience and skills I gained in the trials, I resolved the crises time and time again.

Finally, I saw the end of the trial—a towering tower that reached into the clouds.

I took a deep breath and walked towards the tower.

Just as I was about to step through the tower's doors, a voice suddenly rang out: "You've finally arrived..." I turned around abruptly...

I turned around abruptly and saw Mu Feng standing not far away, looking at me with a gloomy expression. Behind him were several disciples, each with disordered breathing, clearly having gone through a fierce battle.

"Mu Feng, you still managed to catch up." I said calmly, but I was secretly on guard. Mu Feng's strength was not to be underestimated, and he harbored a grudge against me. He would definitely stop at nothing to prevent me from completing the trial.

"Xiao Yao, do you think you can escape?" Mu Feng sneered. "Today, I will make you pay the price!"

Before he finished speaking, Mu Feng drew a long sword and lunged at me. I dared not be careless and quickly summoned my own magic weapon to meet him.

In an instant, sword light flashed, spells clashed, and the entire space was filled with powerful energy fluctuations. Relying on my improved cultivation in the Spirit Marrow Spring and the magical treasures I obtained in the Treasure Pavilion, I barely managed to fight Mu Feng to a draw.

"I didn't expect you to last this long." A hint of surprise flashed in Mu Feng's eyes. "But do you think you can beat me like this? You're too naive!"

Mu Feng suddenly sheathed his longsword and rapidly formed hand seals. A powerful pressure emanated from him, and the surrounding air seemed to freeze.

Oh no! This is Mu Feng's signature move – the "Heavenly Gang Sword Formation"!

My heart sank; I knew I was in a dangerous situation. The Heavenly Gang Sword Formation was incredibly powerful; once trapped inside, there was almost no chance of escape.

I must find a way to break through this formation!

My mind raced through the various traps and formations I had encountered during the trials, as well as the incantations recorded in the jade slip. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck me.

I took a deep breath and channeled my spiritual energy to its maximum. Then, following the incantation recorded in the jade slip, I rapidly changed hand seals while chanting incantations.

As I chanted the incantation, the surrounding air began to fluctuate violently. Golden runes flew from my hands and merged into the environment.

Upon seeing this, Mu Feng's expression changed drastically. He hadn't expected that I could actually control the power of the Trial Grounds!

"Impossible!" Mu Feng exclaimed in shock, "How could you..."

Without a second thought, Mu Feng hastily activated the Heavenly Gang Sword Formation, attempting to trap me completely. However, he had already missed his best opportunity.

I manipulated the power of the Trial Grounds, reflecting the force of the Heavenly Gang Sword Formation back at Mu Feng. Caught off guard, Mu Feng was struck by his own sword formation, letting out a scream as he was sent flying backward.

I pressed my advantage, unleashing my magic weapon and smashing it down hard on Mu Feng.

"stop!"

Just then, a majestic voice suddenly rang out. Immediately afterwards, a figure appeared in front of me, blocking my attack.

It's Elder Xing!

Elder Xing glanced at Mu Feng lying on the ground, then at me, a complex expression flashing in his eyes.

“Xiao Yao,” Elder Xing said slowly, “you did very well.”

I put away my magical artifact and bowed respectfully. I knew I had won this trial.

I looked up at the towering structure that seemed to reach into the clouds, my heart filled with joy and pride. I walked step by step toward the tower, each step brimming with confidence and strength.

Reaching the tower gate, I took a deep breath and slowly pushed it open... "Welcome to the Celestial Palace," a voice came from inside the tower.

The tower was resplendent in gold and filled with spiritual energy. An elderly man with an air of otherworldly wisdom sat cross-legged on a futon, looking at me with kind eyes. Behind him stood several elegantly dressed disciples of the celestial palace, their gazes filled with inquiry and a hint of barely perceptible reverence. I then realized that this was not the end of the trial, but a new beginning.

“Xiao Yao,” the old man spoke, his voice booming like a great bell, yet carrying a reassuring power, “your outstanding performance far exceeded our expectations. With your current cultivation level, you shouldn’t possess such strength. How did you manage to do it?”

I took a deep breath and briefly recounted my experiences cultivating in the Spirit Marrow Spring and obtaining the mysterious jade slip, omitting the secret of my transmigration. After all, in this world where strength reigns supreme, revealing one's extraordinary nature might not be a good thing.

After listening to my story, the old man stroked his long beard, a glint of light flashing in his eyes. "It seems you have obtained an ancient opportunity. In that case, the Immortal Palace will certainly cultivate you well." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the disciples behind him. "Fairy Yun, take Xiao Yao to collect her reward and arrange for her to stay at Purple Bamboo Peak."

Fairy Yun smiled gracefully and walked towards me. "Xiao Yao, congratulations. Please come with me."

I followed Fairy Yun through a long corridor to a treasure vault. Shelves were overflowing with a dazzling array of magical treasures, elixirs, and cultivation manuals. Fairy Yun pointed to a pile of glittering items and said, "These are rewards from the trial; you can choose three."

My gaze swept over the treasures, and I finally chose an Ice Soul Sword that exuded a chilling aura, a bottle of Condensing Essence Pills that could enhance cultivation, and a cultivation manual called "Heavenly Evolution Heart Method".

After leaving the treasure vault, Fairy Yun led me to Purple Bamboo Peak. The area was rich in spiritual energy and had beautiful scenery, with an exquisite bamboo house nestled among the lush bamboo.

“This will be your residence from now on,” Fairy Yun said softly. “Please do not hesitate to ask if you need anything.”

I thanked Fairy Yun, but a vague unease lingered in my heart. The Celestial Palace's attention to me seemed to exceed that of an ordinary trial participant. What exactly did they see in me? Was this sudden attention an opportunity or a crisis?

Over the next few days, I devoted myself to cultivating the "Heavenly Evolution Heart Method," and my cultivation level improved further. However, I couldn't shake off that inexplicable sense of unease. This feeling was like the calm before a storm, making it hard to breathe.

One day, I was meditating in my bamboo hut when I suddenly received a message talisman. It contained only a few words: Refining Valley, come quickly.

The Refining Valley? A question lingered in my mind, yet I understood that this was perhaps the source of my unease. I rose, straightened my clothes, and headed towards the Refining Valley. At the valley entrance, two disciples stood guard, their expressions stern. After I introduced myself, they sized me up, and one of them said in an unfriendly tone, "You're Xiao Yao? Go in."

I stepped into the Refining Valley, a wave of heat hitting me. The air was thick with the smell of metal and gunpowder, and the clanging and hammering sounds were incessant. I looked around; disciples were coming and going, but no one noticed my arrival. Until a familiar voice broke the silence… “Oh, isn’t this our great genius Xiao Yao? What, tired of the trials, switched to refining weapons?”