The Long Journey to Immortality

Even more powerful and advanced earth-遁 (earth-遁 is a type of magic/technique) techniques.

Information about monsters and spirit beasts that live underground.

In the darkness of the underground, a light source to help cultivators see or a magical artifact similar to Han Lu's beast eyes to help Foundation Establishment cultivators project their divine sense.

Wait, wait.

Wen Erya said a lot, her purpose being to make her two teammates take the three days of preparation time before entering the secret realm to participate in the test seriously.

With a unified mindset, the "preparations" for the coming months will be much easier.

Seeing Han Lu and Yi Qiyan listening attentively, Wen Erya was very satisfied, feeling that the three of them together would definitely be able to exert a much greater force than the three of them in the competition.

Wen Erya had said a lot, and when she paused to drink water, Han Lu interrupted.

"How about this, I'll have Zhong Wencheng gather detailed information and have him compile a list of all the secret realm themes that have appeared in the competition, and create a detailed countermeasures list."

"Then we can just deal with whatever comes our way, right?"

"Who is Zhong Wencheng?" Yi Qiyan asked.

Wen Erya answered in her own words, "This is just a tool."

Han Lu replied in detail, "Zhong Wencheng is an intelligence broker I know. We've cooperated many times. This is a trivial matter for him."

Yi Qiyan nodded, "I see, that does save a lot of effort."

"I imagine the three of us all possess numerous magical techniques, and the magical treasures in our storage bags are countless."

"We don't need to guess. Three days is enough for us to go further and make some targeted arrangements."

That makes sense, Wen Erya and Han Lu echoed in agreement.

Because of the rule that the three of them should cooperate and coordinate their adventures, Han Lu suggested that they go to the academy to find the secret technique of No. 1 Middle School that allows the three of them to communicate their minds over short distances, and practice it in advance.

This was the inspiration Han Lu drew from the three highway robbers in the Da Yu Dynasty.

Although she worked well with Wen Erya, she had never fought alongside Yi Qiyan.

If the three of them had another secret technique to communicate quickly, their teamwork would definitely be more coordinated and harmonious.

Wen Erya and Yi Qiyan also agreed with this approach.

After all, regardless of the theme of the dungeon, the requirement for three people to work together will never change.

Making this preparation and practicing this secret technique will certainly provide opportunities for its application.

The three of them chatted happily, each offering their own perspective.

Although Yi Qiyan's spot has not been finalized, the three of them managed to come up with a rough plan in a short period of time.

It seems that all they need to do is wait until the competition is close, and then they can proceed with the current plan, increasing the chances of winning the top spot, which was already 95% likely to fall into the hands of the three, to 100%.

"Then let's arrange it like this..." Wen Erya concluded.

“Fellow Daoist Yi and I will work on this spot for a while longer, making arrangements everywhere,” Wen Erya said confidently. “As long as Sect Master Yun Min gives her the nod, this matter will be settled.”

"As for Junior Sister Han, I'd like to trouble you to make a trip to the academy."

"I imagine you still have quite a few contribution points left, so finding a mind-communication technique that can be used by a Foundation Establishment cultivator shouldn't be a problem."

Han Lu nodded and accepted the task.

After assigning tasks, the three of them solemnly shook hands, officially announcing the formation of their three-person team.

Because of the plague that year, Han Lu and Wen Erya became acquaintances in the eyes of the three sect leaders.

Compared to other Foundation Establishment disciples, Han Lu and Wen Erya held a significantly higher status in the eyes of these elders.

This is why Wen Erya was so confident that she could persuade Daoist Yunmin to allow Yi Qiyan, the Holy Maiden of the Five Poisons Sect from the Southern Frontier, to participate in the sect competition.

Seizing the opportunity, after bidding farewell to Han Lu and Yi Qiyan, Wen Erya took the initiative to seek out Daoist Yunmin and tell him about the matter.

First, they discussed the matter, then defined its nature. Wen Erya portrayed it as an excellent opportunity to ease relations with the Southern Frontier, thus enhancing the "political significance" of Yi Qiyan's participation in the Zhengyi Sect Grand Competition.

As expected, this characterization caused Yunmin Daoist, who hadn't originally cared about the matter and thought it was a big fuss, to fall into deep thought. After a long time, he gave Yunmin a satisfactory answer.

"As long as the Five Poisons Sect sends a letter of application, our Zhengyi Sect can agree to let the Five Poisons Sect's Holy Maiden team up with you and Han Lu to participate in the competition."

With the Seven Mountains Alliance and the Western Regions exchanging glances, the Zhengyi Sect naturally also wanted to find allies in the Southern Frontier.

That's why Daoist Yunmin agreed to this matter so readily.

Upon hearing this, Wen Erya was overjoyed, feeling that she had already accomplished two-thirds of the task.

As for Yi Qiyan, things didn't go very smoothly due to the distance between the two places.

The first letter was too brief, so after returning to Han Lu's residence, Yi Qiyan wrote another one, explaining the whole story and giving it a certain political significance.

Yi Qiyan claimed that this was an excellent opportunity to befriend the Zhengyi Sect.

She believed that her master, who was currently embroiled in the power struggle for the leadership of the Five Poisons Sect, would be willing to open a letter to pave the way for her after receiving this letter, and would make a big fuss about it within the sect.

Being able to establish closer ties with the Zhengyi Sect, the leading sect in the Southern Dynasty near the southern border, is a tremendous boon for the Five Poisons Sect.

The current leader who facilitated this event can naturally use it to dispel criticism within the sect and solidify his position.

I don't know which letter played the decisive role.

But soon, in just four days, a more formal letter arrived in the hands of Yi Qiyan, who was temporarily staying in Han Lu's courtyard.

The letter explained the general situation and clearly submitted an application to the Zhengyi Sect in the tone of a first-level official, requesting Yi Qiyan to participate in the competition and expressing the friendly sentiments of both sides.

The letter also included a second page with a supplementary note, in which Yi Qiyan's master, the leader of the Five Poisons Sect, praised Yi Qiyan highly and wished her good results in the competition.

The letter arrived in Wen Erya's hands through Han Lu, and then Wen Erya handed it over to Daoist Yunmin.

With everything in place, Daoist Yunmin naturally wrote a stroke of his pen and approved it.

After a symbolic three-day public announcement, Yi Qiyan's participation in the competition was finally finalized.

And so, Yi Qiyan successfully joined Han Lu and Wen Erya's team.

The cultivators of the Zhengyi Sect also learned that a Holy Maiden of the Five Poisons Sect was now living in the sect.

This Holy Maiden of the Five Poisons Sect will team up with two celebrities from the East Mountain Academy to compete against other disciples in the grand competition two and a half months from now.

Chapter 511 Gathering of a Hundred Thoughts

The three had expected the competition to be a little difficult, but the process went much more smoothly than they had imagined.

Under the theme of peaceful development in the greater Central Plains region, both the Zhengyi Sect and the Five Poisons Sect had the idea of ​​getting closer to each other and establishing ties.

With the intentions there, and Wen Erya and Yi Qiyan acting as a mediator, everything fell into place naturally.

On the contrary, Han Lu encountered some minor difficulties.

The difficulty lies not in finding the secret to collaborative communication.

What would be somewhat difficult for an ordinary cultivator was a piece of cake for Han Lu.

Most of these secret techniques can only be practiced by cultivators at the Golden Core stage.

With a little screening, when it is required that even Foundation Establishment cultivators can practice it, the number of secret techniques that meet the conditions becomes extremely small in an instant.

However, among the numerous secret techniques and cultivation methods collected in the Zhengyi Sect academy, there were still two that met Han Lu's requirements.

The two secret techniques that meet the criteria are in high demand every year before the grand competition, with countless cultivators who want to advance further in the competition inquiring about their prices.

Because both of these secret techniques are rare and are often practiced by multiple people once purchased, their prices are naturally several times higher than those of ordinary Foundation Establishment techniques.

Its high price often deters disciples who have few contribution points from acquiring the tokens.

But for Han Lu, who has a lot of contribution points that she has hardly ever used, this is not a problem.

After inquiring about the advantages and disadvantages of the two cultivation methods from the cultivators at the academy, Han Lu, considering the real needs of the three of them and the requirements and characteristics of communication in the Grand Competition Secret Realm, paid for one of the cultivation methods called "Gathering of a Hundred Thoughts".

The price of 6,000 contribution points was a significant expense for Han Lu, but after obtaining the cultivation technique and briefly reviewing it, she still felt that the contribution points were well worth the money.

The "Gathering of a Hundred Thoughts" technique is a secret art that can be used by those at the Foundation Establishment stage. It was once used for communication and liaison among Foundation Establishment cultivators in groups of one hundred during wartime.

In addition, it is easy to cultivate, fast to transmit information, and covers a wide area.

Within a kilometer, as long as a Foundation Establishment cultivator has sufficient spiritual power, communication can be maintained.

Such excellent efficacy is more than sufficient when used with only three people.

However, even good things have their drawbacks and disadvantages.

Although this cultivation method is not slow, it requires a high level of talent from the cultivators. Only an elite team composed of outstanding Foundation Establishment cultivators can use this remarkable secret technique to communicate and exchange ideas.

However, this drawback is not considered a drawback in the eyes of Han Lu and the other two.

Han Lu felt that if none of the three of them could cultivate this technique, then it would have been impossible for this technique to have been used in the cultivator army thousands or tens of thousands of years ago.

Since there were no obstacles in finding and exchanging cultivation techniques, the task was completed smoothly.

Han Lu must have made a mistake while searching for information about past Foundation Establishment Competition secret realms.

After finding a suitable cultivation method in the Transmission Hall, Han Lu took the initiative to approach Zhong Wencheng and explain her purpose.

In the past, Zhong Wencheng would always grant Han Lu's requests, but this time he was in trouble, saying that it would take him at least half a month to collect and organize what Han Lu needed.

In addition, he stated that he could not guarantee that the data obtained would be as perfect as the data obtained in the past.

Han Lu was quite puzzled by this, after all, her collaborations with Zhong Wencheng had been quite pleasant, and Zhong Wencheng's "all-powerful" side had left a deep impression on her.

This time, however, the information she requested was not absolutely confidential, and Zhong Wencheng's response puzzled her greatly.

Zhong Wencheng didn't mind exposing his own shortcomings. He introduced his core business group to Han Lu and explained why he couldn't complete the task perfectly.

“Senior Sister Han,” Zhong Wencheng said sincerely, “it’s not that I’m unwilling to help or do a good job, it’s just that this is beyond my scope of work.”

"Although I have never missed an opportunity to make money by using information in my more than 20 years in the sect, regardless of whether it is a big competition or a small competition."

"But I haven't spent enough time in the sect, and the level of cultivators I've come into contact with is still too low."

"I have only ever dealt in the Qi Refining Realm competitions, and I have never had any information about the Foundation Establishment Realm competitions."

“We know very little about this.”

"Not to mention that my cultivation level is not high enough, so I dare not speak rashly and make any comments, for fear of making a fool of myself."

After a pause, seeing that Han Lu's expression was natural and showed no sign of blame, Zhong Wencheng quickly made a pledge, signing a pledge to her.

"However, since Senior Sister Han entrusted me with this task, I will definitely do my best to handle it well."