novellaaa Chapter 1 Black and Yellow Rags
Chapter 1 Black and Yellow Rags
Tai Li Immortal Sect, Chenming Mountain.
The morning sun, carrying a touch of warmth, shone on this sacred mountain, causing wisps of mist to swirl around it, creating a scene resembling a fairyland.
In the center of a simple courtyard atop the mountain, a sturdy fourteen-year-old boy dressed in a light blue robe was adjusting his breathing, constantly aligning it with some kind of natural law.
With each exhale and each inhale, Xiong Zhou absorbed the rich earth and wood elemental energies of the mountains, refining them into his flesh and bones to construct his inner world.
"Clatter..."
As a clear echo rang out, the inner world immediately became more stable.
Xiong Zhou focused his consciousness into it and saw a dreamlike, vast ocean floating in the air.
In the very center of this vast ocean lies an extremely orderly, flat, pixelated grassland constructed from ten thousand "grass blocks".
They stood quietly, unmoved by the chaotic lapping of the dreamlike ocean.
Xiong Zhou slowly stopped what he was doing, and a stream of pixelated data flowed through his eyes, weaving together to form an information panel.
Name: Xiong Zhou
[The Path to Extraordinary Power: Qi Refiner]
【Innate Supernatural Power: █ (Pixel Cube)】
[Spirit Origin: Earth Block/Grass Block (10,000 blocks)]
Rank: Earth Origin (10,000/10,000)
Cultivation Realm: First Level of Qi Refining - Spirit Building
当前进度：Lv.3（10，000/10，000）】
[Technique: Tai Li Qi Refining Method]
当前进度：Lv.3（10，000/10，000）】
Xiong Zhou looked at the panel in front of him, then at the pixelated interior world, and sighed to himself, "Stuck at [Lv.3] and unable to move forward to [Lv.4], I've hit a bottleneck."
"Indeed, whether in my past life or this life, I am merely an average person."
In his previous life, Xiong Zhou's grades were always in the middle of his class from elementary school onwards. He entered junior high school with average grades in elementary school, and then entered high school with average grades in junior high school.
During the college entrance examination, he just barely passed the cutoff score for local private undergraduate programs and became an engineering student majoring in civil engineering.
After graduation, I honestly went back to my major and started working on construction sites, doing mortar work.
This life will be much the same.
The birth of geniuses within a sect is either accompanied by a celestial artifact, or the manifestation of a sacred body, a Dao body, or a celestial body, causing extraordinary phenomena across thousands of miles of heaven and earth, receiving the blessings of the Great Dao, and being blessed by the fortunes of all heavens.
When Xiong Zhou was born, there were no celestial artifacts, no extraordinary celestial phenomena, and no blessings bestowed by the Great Dao.
He searched his entire body, and only the [Innate Divine Power: █ (Pixel Cube)] emitted light, trying its best to demonstrate its extremely weak presence.
Of course, he was still a little better than a disciple who had no magical artifacts, no special physique, and no innate supernatural powers.
As for now, it's not the best, but it's not the worst either. The progress of the cultivation technique and the depth of the realm expansion are both stuck at [Lv.3].
【Lv.3】 is the level that Xiong Zhou displays by manually creating an information panel using his 【Innate Divine Power: █ (Pixel Cube)】, which quantifies the current state.
This indicates that one's own skills and realm have undergone three breakthroughs and qualitative changes.
Compare with the cultivation knowledge described by the elders who transmit the skills of the sect:
【Lv.0】 means "beginner".
【Lv.1】 means "beginner".
【Lv.2】is “Minor Success”.
【Lv.3】is "Great Accomplishment".
Before attaining immortality, there are six distinct stages.
After being summarized by the experts, they were respectively referred to as the "Second Realm of Mortal Life" and the "Fourth Realm of Immortality".
Once you reach the first level of Qi Refining, you enter the mortal realm.
The second level of Qi Refining corresponds to the two realms of the mortal world.
Having reached the third level of Qi Refining, one is already ageless.
In the Tai Li Immortal Sect, most inner disciples break through to the second level of Qi Refining using "Great Completion" level cultivation techniques.
With the help of the information panel created by [Innate Divine Power: █ (Pixel Cube)], Xiong Zhou smoothly cultivated to the peak of the "Great Completion" level. This level of cultivation is enough to rank him among the top ten thousand of all inner disciples in the Mortal Realm.
But this is not enough.
The first level of Qi Refining, Spirit Building, originally means: "Refining the Qi of Heaven and Earth to build one's own spiritual mystery."
During this foundational stage, the higher the level of cultivation of the "Tai Li Refining Qi Method," the deeper the expansion of this realm, the more Qi of heaven and earth can be refined, the more solid the spiritual mystery of one's own abilities can be built, and the higher the possibility of attaining immortality in the future.
If one advances to the second level of Qi Refining at the peak of [Lv.3], the hope of attaining immortality in the future is extremely slim.
When one reaches the sixth level of Qi Refining, that may be the time when one's potential is exhausted.
Moreover, his goal is to become a true disciple of the Tai Li Immortal Sect.
Only the true disciples of the Tai Li Immortal Sect are truly worthy of being called immortals and are recognized as the sect's prodigies.
However, the most basic requirement is to participate in the True Disciple Assessment, obtain the title of True Disciple, break through the bottleneck of [Lv.3], and advance to [Lv.4].
Xiong Zhou shook his head, his expression wistful, and said softly to himself, "If I really have to rely entirely on myself, with the [Innate Divine Power: █ (Pixel Cube)], it's not impossible to comprehend the 'Tai Li Refining Qi Method' to the level of [Lv.4]."
"But by the time the inspiration appears and one's level increases from [Lv.3] to [Lv.4], one's own blood and energy may no longer be at their peak, making it difficult to advance to the second level of Qi Refining, let alone attain immortality."
"As for the true disciple assessment of the Tai Li Immortal Sect, when one's qi and blood are in decline, there's no point in even thinking about it."
"So, it's time to rely on your parents' connections."
Xiong Zhou took out a blue futon from the storage bag at his waist and sat down on it.
In an instant, a cool sensation surged into his head, temporarily boosting his consciousness by two major realms.
He took out a small bottle of Enlightenment Pills from his storage bag, peeled off the yellow seal, and a faint fragrance wafted into his nose. A gentle sense of tranquility and nature lingered in his mind.
Xiong Zhou remained calm, poured out a small enlightenment pill of dark blue color, put it in his mouth, swallowed it, and looked at the information panel.
[Technique: Tai Li Qi Refining Method]
当前进度：Lv.3（10，000/10，000）】
Xiong Zhou stroked his chin and said in a low voice, "One Lesser Enlightenment Pill isn't enough."
"The information panel remains unchanged."
"Then give me a few more."
Confident in his own comprehension, Xiong Zhou calmly accepted the result and began to swallow the second, third, fourth... and tenth pills!
He swallowed the entire bottle of Enlightenment Pills, leaving not a single one.
[Technique: Tai Li Qi Refining Method]
当前进度：Lv.3（10，000/10，000+）】
The plus sign has appeared!
"Dad, Mom, add some more!"
"Let your son see your limits!"
Xiong Zhou's consciousness roared loudly in his mind, slamming hard towards the "+" symbol.
"boom!"
In a daze, Xiong Zhou's perspective broke through the limitations of his current realm and glimpsed the laws of heaven and earth engraved in his bloodline.
The flow of Qi within the body undergoes subtle changes silently.
The power of the [Innate Divine Ability: █ (Pixel Block)] erupted, spreading outward from within the pixelated grassland, reaching the illusory ocean, and completely pixelating the entire inner world.
Xiong Zhou's consciousness gradually solidified in the inner world, transforming into a sturdy fourteen-year-old boy dressed in a light blue robe.
His gaze was slightly unfocused as he murmured to himself, "I... it seems I can now perfectly control the entire inner world..."
Suddenly, Xiong Zhou sensed something abrupt in his inner world that hadn't been pixelated, and his expression froze for a moment.
He reached into the vast, dreamlike ocean and pulled out a piece of dark yellow rag.
"What is this?"
Xiong Zhou studied the tattered yellow cloth for a long time and came to the conclusion that it was "indestructible".
He raised an eyebrow, muttering hesitantly to himself, "Could what we retrieved from the inner realm be some kind of innate immortal artifact?"
"Isn't the difference between this tattered cloth and the accompanying celestial artifact too great, both in appearance and function?"
"And it doesn't seem like it either. Shouldn't accompanying artifacts appear immediately upon my birth?"
Xiong Zhou's noodles trembled slightly as he casually tossed aside the tattered yellow cloth and brought up his current information panel.
Name: Xiong Zhou
[The Path to Extraordinary Power: Qi Refiner]
【Innate Supernatural Power: █ (Pixel Cube)】
[Spirit Origin: Earth Block/Grass Block (10,000 blocks)]
Rank: Celestial Spirit Foundation (10,000/100,000)
Cultivation Realm: First Level of Qi Refining - Spirit Building
当前进度：Lv.4（10，000/100，000）】
[Technique: Tai Li Qi Refining Method]
当前进度：Lv.4（10，000/100，000）】
After glancing at the changed data and finding no major problems, Xiong Zhou slowly adapted to the changes in his power and exited his meditative state.
Xiong Zhou stood up from the futon, packed his things, and glanced at the sun high in the sky.
He murmured to himself, "It took about three hours to break through around nine o'clock in the morning. There are less than three hours left before the deadline for the True Inheritance Assessment."
"While there's still time, I need to hurry to Qianyuan Hall to register. The registration period for the next True Disciple Assessment is ten years from now."
Xiong Zhou opened his storage bag and took out a small, exquisitely crafted boat, no bigger than a fist.
The inner world's vital energy was mobilized, poured into the exquisite little boat, and then thrown into the sky.
"Splash..."
The small boat grew longer in the wind, reaching over eight meters in length, and hovered in mid-air, emitting wisps of blue light.
Xiong Zhou entered the small flying boat, placed the inner disciple's token on the control panel, opened the map of the Tai Li Immortal Sect, and clicked on the Qian Yuan Hall icon.
[Destination: Qianyuan Hall]
[Logging into the Tai Li Heavenly Network based on current permissions, connecting to the Qian Yuan Palace area...]
[Login successful, connection established]
[Route planning in progress... Route planning successful, estimated travel time: one hour]
The small airship slowly rose, and after reaching a certain height, it began to accelerate, leaving Chen Mingshan behind in just a few breaths.
Xiong Zhou looked at the "modern" autonomous driving system and the small airship that was coming from afar and merging into the main route, and clicked his tongue softly.
No matter how many times he saw it or experienced it, the system and facilities within the Tai Li Immortal Sect always brought him an extremely subtle feeling.
As the small airship began to decelerate, a majestic mountain range, imbued with the vast energy of heaven and earth, came into view.
Before he could even reflect on his actions, Xiong Zhou emerged from the small airship as it landed at the designated airport. He shrunk it to the size of a fist, stored it in his storage bag, and then weaved through the crowds of people, heading towards the main hall in the center of the mountain range.
Holding his inner disciple token, Xiong Zhou walked to a secluded special window and called out to the senior brother inside, "Senior brother in charge, please inform the elder on duty, Chen Mingshan, that Xiong Zhou is here to register for the True Disciple Assessment."
The senior disciple who was meditating by the window was startled, stood up, looked at the junior disciple who was sturdy, a head taller than him, and had downy hair on his chin, and opened his mouth.
These days, children develop so fast?
That head must be over 1.8 meters tall.
Wait a minute, this junior brother just said he's here to register for the true discipleship assessment...
So, is it some kind of special constitution that I don't recognize?
The senior disciple in charge straightened his expression and said, "Junior brother, could you please provide my identity token? I need to deliver it to the elder on duty."
When the senior disciple reached out and grasped the token that Xiong Zhou handed over, his expression froze again.
He suddenly sensed a powerful force awakening and growing within his sturdy junior brother.
The power of bloodline?
The senior deacon looked at his junior brother with a strange expression, but did not mention the matter.
His tone was as serious as ever as ever as he said, "Junior brother, please wait a moment. I will go and inform the elder on duty right now."
As soon as he finished speaking, the senior brother in charge of the deacon disappeared right before Xiong Zhou's eyes.
Such powerful spatial techniques left Xiong Zhou speechless.
You should know that this is the Qianyuan Hall, one of the nine great halls of Taili, and it is filled with all kinds of restrictions.
Such spatial manipulation can be performed here; the mastery of the Way of Space is beyond description.
Could this inner sect senior brother be close to completing the fourth stage of the Immortal Realm?
Just as Xiong Zhou's thoughts were drifting, a vast power descended from the void and directly enveloped his body.
The scenery inside Qianyuan Hall changes; the once bustling hall, now a quiet courtyard, transforms silently into a tranquil space.
A tall, muscular old man, whose wide robes stretched taut, stood in front of Xiong Zhou, smiling at him.
Looking at the old man, Xiong Zhou subconsciously said, "Uncle-Master Lu?"
"Is it you, sir, on duty at Qianyuan Hall today?"
Xiong Zhou was very familiar with this elderly man, who was over three meters tall, with white hair and beard, and who often came to Chenming Mountain for private meals.
Yes, the food he cooks is also very delicious.
Master Lu nodded and said, "Little Zhou, you came to the Qianyuan Hall to apply for the True Inheritance Assessment. Has your cultivation technique broken through the bottleneck of 'Great Completion' and reached the 'Subtlety' realm?"
He looked down at Xiong Zhou, who was not even up to his chest, his eyes gleaming with a faint light as he carefully examined him.
Instantly, Xiong Zhou felt a chill all over his body, as if his flesh, bones, meridians, and inner world had been stripped bare by his senior brother's gaze, and were laid bare, with no secrets left.
Fortunately, Master Lu's scrutiny only lasted a few breaths, and this terrible feeling didn't last too long.
He nodded again and said, "Judging from your inner world and the slightly adjusted operation of the 'Tai Li Refining Qi Method,' you have indeed reached the 'Subtle Entry' level and are qualified to participate in the True Inheritance Assessment."
Master Lu stroked his white beard, his eyes narrowed slightly again, and he flicked his finger onto Xiong Zhou's inner disciple identity token, inscribing one Daoist script after another before tossing it into Xiong Zhou's hand.
He said with a smile, "Alright, you are now the true disciple of Tai Li."
Xiong Zhou was stunned. He looked at the True Inheritance Token in his hand, which had "Tai Li" engraved on the back and "True Inheritance" engraved on the front. Then he looked at his smiling Uncle Lu. His expression gradually became blank.
He asked with a hint of disbelief, "That's it?"
"Isn't it said that only by passing the true disciple assessment can one become a true disciple?"
After each True Disciple Assessment, many senior brothers and sisters from the inner sect would complain on the Tai Li Tianwang website, saying that the True Disciple Assessment was getting more and more difficult. It was like a thousand troops crossing a single-plank bridge, requiring not only absolute strength but also a certain amount of luck to pass smoothly.
Before Xiong Zhou could even upgrade his Tai Li Qi Refining Method to [Lv.4], he had already done his homework and prepared all the necessary equipment. He was just waiting to compete fiercely with his senior brothers and sisters from the inner sect in the True Disciple Assessment.
Even the fact that he failed the true discipleship assessment this time and had to try again in ten years was something he was fully prepared for.
result......
That's it?
Uncle Lu smiled and nodded at Xiong Zhou, saying, "Yes, that's it."
"Xiao Zhou is now a true disciple of the Tai Li Immortal Sect."
"As for the sacred training ground assigned to you, it will be named 'Chenming Mountain'."