To comprehend all laws and attain immortality

Since entering the world of cultivation, Gu Fan has only come into contact with disciples of the Lingxiao Sect.

Gu Fan's understanding is insufficient to assess the cultivation methods of the Hualing Sect, but as one of the three major sects of Wei, it must have its own strengths.

Thinking of this, Gu Fan suddenly became interested in the other sect among the three sects of Wei.

"Senior brother, if the cultivation methods of the Spirit Transformation Sect are already so unique, how is the Hundred Refinements Sect any different?"

Gu Fan asked out of curiosity, but when the Hundred Refinements Sect was mentioned, Fang Linghe seemed to break down, and his fair face turned red in the blink of an eye.

He muttered phrases like "rude and uncouth," "good-for-nothing," and "cheapskate," without caring whether Gu Fan understood or not, before taking his leave and returning to Chenxing Pavilion.

This scene left Gu Fan completely baffled, so he had no choice but to ask Zhou Furui.

As soon as Gu Fan turned his head, he saw Zhou Furui trying to suppress his laughter. He couldn't help but burst out laughing until Fang Linghe's figure disappeared.

After laughing for a while, Zhou Furui shook his head and said, "Junior brother, you really know how to bring up the most sensitive topics."

Gu Fan blinked and stammered, "Third Senior Brother, what's going on...?"

"It's nothing." Zhou Furui couldn't hide his smile. "Linghe just has some personal grudges with the disciples of the Hundred Refinements Sect."

Zhou Furui's words were mysterious, so Gu Fan didn't press him further. In any case, he would encounter Hundred Refinement Sect disciples at the Three Sects Dharma Assembly, and he could see for himself then.

Fortunately, the second-tier talismanic inheritance has been obtained, and the goal has been achieved. At least the effort was not in vain.

Looking at the dark, gloomy staircase on the second floor of Chenxing Pavilion, Gu Fan couldn't help but ask, "Senior brother, how many people are there in our sect?"

Zhou Furui's smile faltered for a moment, then fell silent.

"Including you, Master has a total of four disciples, and I am the second in rank," Zhou Furui said softly.

"So... we have another senior brother?"

A look of reminiscence flashed in Zhou Furui's eyes, and a touch of sadness permeated his gaze. He shook his head and said, "Our eldest brother passed away many years ago due to some...accidents."

Zhou Furui's words were vague, and Gu Fan's eyes flickered slightly before he said no more.

......

Back at Lingxi Peak, Gu Fan couldn't wait to examine the jade slip.

In an instant, a massive amount of text unfolded in his mind, startling Gu Fan.

Only after looking at it in detail did I breathe a sigh of relief.

About half of these texts are Fang Linghe's insights and annotations, while the remainder contains precautions for drawing second-tier spirit talismans, as well as methods for drawing various spirit talismans.

According to the jade slip, drawing a second-tier spirit talisman not only requires a higher level of magical power and spiritual sense from the cultivator, but also necessitates the use of more precious materials.

First-tier spirit talismans are made by pressing spirit herbs into paper, while drawing second-tier spirit talismans requires the hide of a second-tier demon beast or the bark of a spirit tree, which increases the price several times over.

The same principle applies to talisman ink; it must be prepared using the blood of a second-tier demon beast or the sap of a spirit tree.

Fortunately, Gu Fan had recently accumulated some spirit stones through weapon crafting; otherwise, he would have been unable to cook without ingredients.

In the following months, Gu Fan became quite busy.

He was constantly engaged in qi cultivation, elixirs, weapon crafting, and talisman drawing, never having a moment's rest.

The sun and moon revolve endlessly, and a year passes by in a flash.

When Gu Fan came to his senses, the day of the competition was just around the corner.

......

With three days to go before the grand competition, a huge crowd surged in front of the Hall of Diligence.

Gu Fan arrived in his Sky-Breaking Shuttle and was deeply moved by the scene before him.

There's no other reason than that today is the day to verify one's cultivation level.

According to the sect's rules, all of the more than two thousand outer disciples of the Lingxiao Sect must come here to test their cultivation.

The person in charge of testing cultivation levels was an elderly man with white hair and a youthful face, dressed in white robes. He stood before the Hall of Duty, a jade-colored scroll floating in front of him, his Foundation Establishment cultivation level clearly displayed, making the outer disciples present dare not act rashly.

Gu Fan was also in line, waiting for testing.

A year has passed, and although Gu Fan's appearance remains unchanged, the feeling he gives off is quite different.

His long, jet-black hair was tied back with a crimson-gold crown, his face was resolute and handsome, and his eyes shone like morning stars.

His robes were bright red, embroidered with seven flame birds in gold thread. If you looked closely, you would notice that the seven flame birds seemed to come alive, flapping their wings from time to time.

He wore a pair of dark cloud-patterned boots, embroidered with white cloud patterns, and walked as if the wind was blowing beneath his feet.

Although Gu Fan deliberately concealed the spiritual light on his robes to avoid being too conspicuous, the influence left by the decisive battle a year ago was still there. The surrounding disciples immediately recognized him and unconsciously kept a distance.

The white-robed elder was extremely nimble; he could discern the cultivation level of an outer disciple with just a glance. After verifying the jade ring, if an outer disciple wished to participate in the sect's grand competition, he would issue a number plate.

If they encounter someone who is over sixty years old and has not yet broken through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining, they will ruthlessly remove that person from the list, leaving them to choose whether to stay in the sect or go down the mountain to make a living on their own.

Therefore, when Gu Fan arrived here, he saw many outer disciples leaving with empty eyes and sighs.

About 15 minutes later, it was finally Gu Fan's turn.

"Show me your identity jade ring." The old man's face was cold and his voice devoid of any emotion.

"Disciple of Wendao Peak..." the white-robed elder murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly, "Seventh level of Qi Refining, would you like to participate in the competition?"

"Of course I will," Gu Fan nodded in response.

Only the top 100 in the sect competition receive rewards, and only the top 32 receive Foundation Establishment Pills. Among the more than 2,000 outer sect disciples, there are as many as 200 in the late stage of Qi Refining. Therefore, ordinary mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators, or even late-stage Qi Refining cultivators who are not good at fighting, will not choose to participate.

Those like Meng Wei, who achieved a top-100 ranking in the mid-stage of Qi Refining, relied entirely on the profound magical power of their superior cultivation techniques and the offensive characteristics of their lightning magic; they were extremely rare.

The old man in white robes nodded slightly, summoned a divination tube from his side, and it floated to Gu Fan's front.

Gu Fan had just seen others draw lots, so he followed suit and put his hand in. He felt his fingers touch a cold object, then took it out and looked at it. It was a purple bamboo stick.

"The grand competition will be held in front of Yanfa Peak at Chenshi (7-9 AM) three days later. Those who are late will be considered to have forfeited," the white-robed elder instructed.

Gu Fan nodded in agreement, bowed respectfully, and left.

"Next." The old man in white robes spoke in a cold voice from behind.

......

Three days later, Yanfa Peak.

Several Foundation Establishment cultivators stood in mid-air, while more than a dozen disciples of the Enforcement Hall stood by, awaiting their summons.

Further ahead stood a middle-aged man in a purple robe, exuding an air of authority despite his lack of anger.

Gu Fan glanced at it once and then looked away.

The middle-aged man in purple robes gave him a similar feeling to Xuanji Zhenren, and was most likely also a Golden Core Zhenren!

The cultivators participating in the competition were gathered near the Yanfa Peak, while many more disciples watched with great interest from the outer perimeter.

As a once-a-decade event for the Lingxiao Sect, no one wants to miss it.

Gu Fan even overheard people betting on who could obtain the Foundation Establishment Pill.

The eight peaks surrounding Yanfa Peak were built according to the Bagua (Eight Trigrams) orientation. Gu Fan took out the purple bamboo slip he had drawn, on which was written the words: Li Seventeen.

This means that his competition will be held on Li Peak, and his opponent is also a disciple who has obtained the Li bamboo slip.

When he flew to the front of the Lizi Peak, his gaze sharpened.

There were nearly forty figures in front of the Lizi Peak, but what caught his attention was a familiar face.

"Liuqin!"