Immortal Path in the Palm of a Mortal's Hand

This person, surnamed Wu, is at the twelfth level of Qi Refining. His spirit beast is a golden serpent coiled around his shoulder, a golden thread serpent, late stage of the first rank, with potent and swift venom. If bitten, a Qi Refining cultivator without an antidote will lose their fighting ability within half a cup of tea! His magical weapon is a set of flying needles, as fine as cow's hair, specifically designed to break through protective spiritual light and defensive magical artifacts. The serpent and the flying needles, one visible and one invisible, one poisonous and one sharp, are extremely difficult to deal with.

At the start of the contest, the golden thread snake shot out from the shoulder of the cultivator surnamed Wu, transforming into a golden thread that darted along the ground at lightning speed! At the same time, three flying needles silently dispersed, encircling Chen Fan from three directions!

Chen Fan dared not be careless. He activated the Golden Mirror to its maximum, its golden light protecting his entire body! The iron armor leaped down from his shoulders, blocking two steps in front of him, his back armor slightly arched, his scythe extended, assuming a defensive posture! He unleashed his divine sense at full power, revealing every detail within a seventy-foot radius!

The golden serpent's speed was indeed astonishing. Its movement was unpredictable, sometimes left, sometimes right, bouncing close to the ground. Ordinary cultivators would likely struggle to catch a glimpse of it. However, under Chen Fan's divine sense, every trajectory was clearly traceable! He didn't directly attack the golden serpent, as that would be too easy to miss. Instead, he used earthen wall talismans to continuously create obstacles on the platform, gradually compressing the golden serpent's space to maneuver!

Earthen walls rose one after another, cutting the arena into several narrow sections. The Golden Thread Serpent was forced to change direction, greatly reducing its speed advantage!

The flying needles were all blocked by the Golden Mirror. The cultivator surnamed Wu frowned, surging his magic power to increase the number of flying needles! However, Chen Fan's divine sense had already locked onto the location of each flying needle, and the Golden Mirror's protective shield continuously thickened where the needles were about to strike! The flying needles pierced the shield, unable to penetrate even a fraction!

The struggle lasted for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. The golden-threaded snake was finally trapped in a narrow corner by the earthen wall, with no room to maneuver! Taking advantage of the opportunity, the armored snake slashed in with its scythe! The golden-threaded snake tried to dodge, but the space was too small, and it couldn't avoid the scythe's blade, which slashed viciously down its middle! The golden snake, in pain, tried to retaliate, but the armored snake's second strike landed squarely on its head! The golden-threaded snake was knocked to the ground, twitching a few times before becoming still.

The cultivator surnamed Wu's expression changed drastically! The spirit beast was lost, and the flying needles were countered; further battle was futile!

"I surrender!" He put away his needles and hurried forward, carefully picking up the golden snake. The snake wasn't completely dead, only stunned, but the sickle-shaped wound on its body was deep enough to expose bone, and it would take more than a month to heal.

The seventh and final round. Chen Fan versus Zhang Ziming of Aoki Peak.

The two stood at opposite ends of the arena, facing each other across a ten-zhang-wide stretch of blue stone. Zhang Ziming's expression remained cold and stern, his longsword already drawn, its blade shimmering with spiritual light and exuding a sharp sword intent. The jade-eyed spirit sable perched on his shoulder, its amber eyes fixed on the iron armor on Chen Fan's shoulder, a low growl escaping its throat. The armor's whiskers bristled slightly, its scythe slowly unfolding, also sensing hostility.

Zhang Ziming's gaze swept over the iron armor on Chen Fan's shoulder, and he said calmly, "Golden-backed Demon Mantis, well-raised. But what are its chances of winning against a mid-stage first-tier Azure-eyed Spirit Sable?"

Chen Fan did not respond. His divine sense had already spread out like a net, covering the entire arena.

Zhang Ziming moved! Before the spirit sable could even move, he moved with his sword! A flash of azure light, and he was already three zhang in front of Chen Fan, the sword tip shrouded in pale azure sword energy, the sound of it cutting through the air sharp and piercing! At the same time, the azure-eyed spirit sable leaped off his shoulder, transforming into a green light and shadow that rushed straight at the armored man!

Chen Fan retreated swiftly, unleashing three fireball talismans! Nine fireballs hurtled towards Zhang Ziming, blocking his path! The armored creature met the spirit sable head-on, the insect and the beast colliding fiercely in the center of the platform!

The Azure-Eyed Sable swiftly defeated the Golden-Threaded Serpent! Its agile and unpredictable movements allowed it to weave and dodge amidst the slashes of the Ironclad Scythe, narrowly escaping biting its joints several times! However, the Ironclad Scythe was no easy opponent; the Golden-Backed Demon Mantis possessed unparalleled defense among its peers, and the Sable's sharp teeth, though biting at its carapace, left only faint tooth marks, barely breaking through! The two beasts were locked in a fierce battle, neither gaining the upper hand for the time being.

On the other side, Zhang Ziming's sword momentum surged like a tide! His Qingfeng longsword transformed into continuous blue light, each strike enveloped in sharp sword energy! Fireball talismans were cleaved apart one by one, earthen wall talismans were pierced by sword energy, and ice cone talismans were shredded by sword light! His fighting style was completely different from before. He did not rely on spirit beasts to attack, but instead used both humans and beasts to advance, with humans taking the lead and beasts assisting, their coordination was exquisite.

However, Chen Fan had far too many talismans!

He retreated while unleashing talismans. Fireball talismans, ice cone talismans, wooden vine talismans, earthen wall talismans… all sorts of talismans were unleashed in turn! Every time Zhang Ziming broke through a barrier, Chen Fan had already retreated to a new position, and new talismans rained down upon him! The disciples watching the battle were dumbfounded. So far in this battle, Chen Fan had unleashed at least seventy or eighty talismans! At the lowest price in the market, that's worth hundreds of spirit stones!

Zhang Ziming's expression gradually darkened. His magical power was being continuously depleted. Manipulating the high-grade magic weapon, Qingfeng, was already exhausting, and the Azure-Eyed Spirit Sable also required spiritual energy to sustain it; his magical power was already more than half depleted. In contrast, Chen Fan's magical power was almost completely undiminished! His talismans required no magical power to activate, and his armor, being a spirit insect, needed no spiritual energy from him; it only maintained the Golden Mirror and allowed him to move.

This is an unequal drain!

What made things even more difficult for Zhang Ziming was that the Azure-Eyed Sable was being tightly entangled by the Ironclad! The Golden-Backed Mantis's fighting style was extremely steady, neither reckless nor greedy for merit; every strike was a transition between offense and defense. The Sable's superior speed was rendered useless against the Ironclad's impenetrable defense, and the Ironclad seized the opportunity to slash a bloody gash on its side, its emerald green fur stained with dark red!

Zhang Ziming finally stopped. He stood in the center of the platform, his sword lowered, his chest slightly bowed. The Azure-Eyed Sable retreated to his feet, blood seeping from its wound, its amber eyes devoid of sharpness. His gaze swept over the faint teeth marks on the iron armor's backplate, then over the unsheathed Golden Flame Sword at Chen Fan's waist, his eyes filled with complex emotions: resentment, anger, but mostly helplessness.

Throughout the entire process, Chen Fan did not even use his weapons.

"You win." Zhang Ziming sheathed his sword, bent down to pick up the spirit sable, and turned to leave the stage.

The training ground fell silent for a moment, then a buzz of discussion erupted like a tidal wave! Some were amazed by the abundance of talismans, some discussed the ferocity of the demon mantis, and some speculated about the grade of the unsheathed short sword.

Chen Fan stood alone on the platform, putting the talisman in his hand back into his storage bag. The armored creature climbed back up from the platform, scrambling up his trouser leg to his shoulder. Several spirit sable teeth marks were visible on its back armor, but it was otherwise undamaged. It lay on Chen Fan's shoulder, its scythe folded, as still as a dark golden, stubborn stone.

……

Three days after the competition concluded, the sect distributed the rewards as promised.

The ceremony was held in the main council hall on the main peak of Spirit Beast Mountain. The hall was magnificent, with luminous pearls embedded in its walls, their radiance illuminating the interior as bright as day. At the head of the hall stood a main seat carved from spirit jade, flanked by rows of grand master chairs on each side. Chen Fan, along with the other two winners, Zhang Ziming and Han Tong, stood in the center of the hall, awaiting the elders.

The newcomer was the sect leader of Spirit Beast Mountain, a middle-aged cultivator at the mid-stage of Core Formation. He wore a simple green robe, had a lean face, and a peaceful gaze. Behind him were several Foundation Establishment deacons, each carrying a tray covered with red silk.

The sect leader took his seat in the main position, his gaze sweeping over the three of them. He nodded slightly and said, "In this competition, you have all stood out and are the cream of the crop among the younger generation of the sect. The sect has always been fair in its rewards and punishments. Today, I bestow upon you Foundation Establishment Pills. I hope you will make good use of them, reach the Foundation Establishment stage as soon as possible, and serve the sect."

Having said that, he waved his hand. Three stewards stepped forward and presented the items on the tray one by one.

Zhang Ziming was first, Han Tong second, and Chen Fan last. All three received the same thing: a palm-sized jade elixir bottle. The bottle was smooth and lustrous, engraved with spirit-sealing runes to preserve the elixir's spiritual energy for years.

Chen Fan took the bottle, which felt slightly heavy in his hand. He didn't open it immediately, but his divine sense had already quietly probed inside. Inside lay a pill, the size of a longan, deep blue in color, with a faint blue halo flowing across its surface. The spiritual energy emanating from the pill was rich and gentle, exactly as described in the classic texts about Foundation Establishment Pills.

He carefully stored the pill bottle in his storage bag, his face remaining calm. Yet, deep within his heart, a ripple stirred. This was the first Foundation Establishment Pill he had obtained since embarking on the path of immortality! A precious item that could help Qi Refining cultivators break through the Foundation Establishment bottleneck, increasing their success rate to 30-40%! Something that many rogue cultivators could never attain even after a lifetime of effort!

After bestowing the rewards, the sect leader offered a few words of encouragement and then dismissed the three men.

Stepping out of the council hall, the sun was nearing its zenith. The blazing sun baked the bluestone pavement of the main peak plaza until it was scorching hot. Ironclad peeked out from the opening of the spirit beast pouch at its waist, its whiskers trembling slightly in the hot wind. Chen Fan reached out and pressed it back into the pouch, then summoned his flying sword and headed straight back to Fire Cloud Peak.

The cave's stone door was tightly shut, but the protective barrier was activated. Chen Fan took out the pill bottle and placed it before the futon. The pale blue bottle glowed faintly in the dim stone chamber, and the outline of the deep blue pill was vaguely visible through its semi-transparent walls.

One Foundation Establishment Pill.

He stared at the elixir bottle for a long time.