The Long Journey to Immortality

Fearing the stone gate would fall immediately, he refrained from further pretense and superficial actions at Xiaoyaozi's statue.

"Hopefully the second challenge won't be too difficult."

Feng Bailu silently prayed and then quickly put the Xuanhuo Sword hanging at his waist back into his storage bag.

Hurry forward and cross the stone gate.

The moment Feng Bailu entered the second stone chamber, the stone door slammed shut, completely blocking Feng Bailu's way out.

[Author's Note] The Dragon Boat Festival holiday is over (actually, due to certain reasons, I've been on holiday for almost two weeks lol), please continue to vote for me!

Chapter Four: Rebirth of the Mysterious Female

The second stone chamber was even emptier than the first.

Only a throne made of an unknown material stood in the center of the stone chamber, and some words were clearly engraved on the walls, which could barely be considered decoration.

Similarly, a heavy stone gate blocked Fengbai Road's path.

However, this stone gate was not carved with strange and monstrous spirits like the first stone gate.

There is only one indented handprint on the stone gate.

Apart from these things, this stone chamber located behind the first stone gate is no different from an ordinary cave.

Having successfully passed the first hurdle, a slight smile finally appeared on Feng Bailu's previously expressionless face.

He had always been quite self-important, but because of his cultivation level, talent, and age, he was categorized as an older cultivator. Finally, he had something to show for himself and his fellow disciples that he was different from those older cultivators who had no future and were willing to give up.

Standing in the second stone chamber, after a breath, Feng Bailu keenly sensed that the environment of the second stone chamber was significantly different from that of the first stone chamber.

"The temperature seems to have dropped a lot, like going from summer to winter all of a sudden."

Although it was July, it wasn't considered hot in Moyu City, Liangzhou, the northernmost part of the Southern Dynasty. For the Foundation Establishment cultivators who came to Liangzhou, even wearing their not-so-thin sect uniforms, they didn't sweat from the heat.

Even so, upon entering the second stone chamber, Feng Bailu still felt a chill in the air.

Breathing in this stone chamber feels slightly cool to the throat, and exhaling brings out wisps of white mist, as if one were spending the winter on the mountain called "Cold Cicada Peak" at Zhengyi Gate.

The change in temperature aroused Fengbai Road's curiosity.

He walked around the not-so-large stone chamber and finally determined that the source of the temperature drop was behind the second stone door.

"Could it be that the third trial requires surviving in extremely cold conditions for three days?" Feng Bailu, in a good mood, guessed wildly. "Or is there a water-attribute true spirit beast imprisoned inside, and we have to fight and defeat it to gain recognition?"

After a moment of random thoughts, Feng Bailu habitually sat down on the Dharma seat in the stone chamber.

Taking a deep breath and calming himself, he finally focused his gaze on the words carved on the wall.

Just like in the first stone chamber, Xiaoyaozi had inscribed the second test and how to pass it all on the stone wall.

Senior Xiaoyaozi's handwriting was not good, and his carving skills were terrible, but the text written on the stone wall with spiritual energy was not difficult to read.

The second test is slightly more complicated than the first.

After reading the explanatory text on the wall, Feng Bailu summarized it in his own words.

"You need to learn the secret technique engraved on the wall within thirty-six hours, touch the stone door, and correctly activate the secret technique in order to open the stone door and enter the third level."

"If you do not complete this within the allotted time, your memories of the second stone chamber will be erased. Please leave the cave."

At this point, Feng Bailu paused before continuing, "Although I don't know which trait hidden in my blood was valued by Senior Xiaoyaozi and allowed me to pass the first test."

"But clearly, the second test assesses a cultivator's comprehension and learning ability regarding secret techniques and cultivation methods."

"In fact, the secret techniques on the wall may very well be secret techniques from the lineage of Senior Xiaoyaozi. If one can learn them within three days, it means that the cultivator undergoing the test is destined for the technique and is a suitable successor to the lineage."

Make inferences based on the actual situation.

This guess was reasonable, and Feng Bailu believed that he had guessed Senior Xiaoyaozi's thoughts and hit the right answer.

But instead of sitting there smugly, he turned his attention back to the stone wall and continued reading the secret incantations recorded there.

Three days is neither a long nor a short time.

Although Feng Bailu considered himself to be one of the most insightful cultivators in the Zhengyi Sect, and could be considered a cultivator with great potential, he was not entirely confident that he could easily master the secret techniques of a Nascent Soul stage senior in just three days.

Just like when he usually studied martial arts manuals in the quiet room of his sect, Feng Bailu decided to read it through from beginning to end in a general way, and then read it carefully to understand the mystery between the words.

The text about the cultivation method on the stone wall totaled only about three hundred characters, and Feng Bailu read it through in just half a cup of tea's time.

The content of the cultivation method was not difficult to understand, and Feng Bailu summarized some useful things.

"The secret technique is called 'Mysterious Female Reincarnation'? It doesn't sound like a secret technique used for combat."

"The cultivation technique is water-based, which is an advantage for me, given my fire, earth, and metal spiritual roots."

"Gold generates water. I have read at least twenty water-attribute cultivation manuals. There are bound to be some points of mutual reference between manuals of the same attribute. This should help me learn 'Rebirth of the Mysterious Female' and integrate it into my understanding."

"The technique does not restrict the user's cultivation level. Fortunately, if it required a Golden Core stage cultivation level to use it, I would just be sitting here meditating and waiting for the three days to be over before being asked to leave the cave."

……

Based on the information he had obtained, Feng Bailu felt that he had grasped the essence of the "Mysterious Female Reincarnation" secret technique, and began to study the text and practice the secret art.

He meticulously studied and understood each word and phrase, manipulating spiritual energy to simulate and experiment on himself in accordance with the guidance of the cultivation method.

When learning a new cultivation technique, the effort a cultivator puts in is no less than that of a Confucian scholar studying scriptures.

It took Feng Bailu the time it takes to eat a meal to memorize the words on the wall. Only then did he close his eyes and try his best to enter a meditative state in order to speed up his understanding of the technique.

For Foundation Establishment cultivators, endorsing something is as simple as drinking water.

However, learning a new technique is not an easy task.

Even for Feng Bailu, who can be considered a genius in this area, this is the case.

Twelve hours passed, and Feng Bailu, sitting on the Dharma throne, opened his eyes again with a serious expression.

“I haven’t even scratched the surface,” he said, taking out the dry rations he had prepared for this long journey from his storage bag. He chewed them slowly, muttering to himself, “When I use the secret technique, I feel hot all over, but I don’t know how to relieve it.”

"This is a water-attribute technique, it shouldn't be like this."

Foundation Establishment cultivators cannot abstain from grains, but they only need one meal a day to meet their basic dietary needs.

Lu Baifeng took out a water bottle from her storage bag, took a sip, and imagined the spiritual energy entering her dantian, transforming into spiritual power, and flowing through her body like water. Her confusion about this technique deepened.

Despite the confusion, I still need to continue practicing this skill.

After finishing his dry rations, Feng Bailu pinched his face to relax the muscles that had been stiffened by the cold air inside the cave, before sitting cross-legged on the Dharma seat again.

While Feng Bailu was diligently cultivating inside his cave, stories were also unfolding outside.

Feng Bailu had not come out of the cave for a long time after entering, and the four people who were with him, including Bai Chi who was not very compatible with Feng Bailu, were getting a little anxious.

Fortunately, the booklet from before helped me find my way.

Anxious about the situation on Fengbai Road, Yuan Xin repeatedly flipped through the booklet and found the explanation for everything.

“I understand,” Yuan Xin said, pointing to the last page of the booklet. “Senior Brother Feng must have passed the first test and is now facing the second one.”

The place Yuan Xin was pointing to was written very clearly.

Several cultivators who passed the first test were thrown out of the cave on the third day after entering, and then reappeared outside the cave.

"So," Long Qian said, her feelings complicated, "that Senior Brother Feng has found his opportunity and has the chance to inherit the lineage of the cave?"

As agreed before the trip, whoever received the Taoist lineage had to give a benefit to the other four people traveling with them.

Although Long Qian was somewhat annoyed by the opportunity that Feng Bailu, a fellow older cultivator, found, was a bit arrogant and "unlikable," the chance to receive a substantial reward made him, who considered himself a "merchant cultivator," even more excited.

"That should be the case. I hope Senior Brother Feng will succeed."

Yuan Xin was happy for his friend; what could be more exciting than a dream coming true?

In Yuan Xin's view, if Feng Bailu can successfully inherit Xiaoyaozi's lineage, he will definitely be able to make great strides in the future, take a further step on the path of cultivation, and achieve his wishes.

Shiraike, however, offered a different perspective.

"So, those two cultivators who perished in this cave probably died from the second trial, right?" Bai Chi said, spoiling the mood. "I wonder if Senior Brother Feng will have the good fortune to enjoy the opportunity he gained."

Although Bai Chi's words sounded harsh, they did make some sense.

Yuan Fei concluded, "Anyway, we won't know the answer for three days. Let's not wait here in vain. Let's come back in three days. By then, we'll know whether Senior Brother Feng is alive or dead, whether he has gained wealth or nothing."

Yuan Fei's words made sense, and everyone nodded in agreement.

While searching for a place to stay near the cave, news had already spread that Feng Bailu had passed the first test of the cave.

Because the group was wearing the uniforms of the Zhengyi Sect, most cultivators knew that the four of them were traveling with Feng Bailu.

After some cultivators overheard the agreement between Bai Chi and the others during a casual conversation, a few idle cultivators brought spirit stones and pills, wanting to invest and get a share of the profits, hoping to snag a sliver of this "Nascent Soul" level opportunity.

Bai Chi, driven by greed and disregarding morality, initially intended to deceive everyone into agreeing so he could first accept the kickbacks.

However, both Long Qian and Yuan Xin disagreed.

Long Qian felt that selling her interests in this area for a few low-grade spirit stones and ordinary pills was not an equal exchange, which was why she was unwilling.

Yuan Xin, however, felt that this matter should be decided by Feng Bailu.

"Besides, we are also disciples of the Zhengyi Sect. If we rashly agree to this and then break our promise, it would be a disgrace to the Shimen Sect."

"Senior Brother Feng may not be able to return with a full load."

"Even if we return with a full load, it's still appropriate for him to make the decision."

Yuan Xin held considerable prestige among the four, so Bai Chi refrained from acting on his own initiative.

Not only that, he also voluntarily returned the spirit stones he had received, so as not to damage the reputation of the Zhengyi Sect, violate the sect's rules, or go to the Enforcement Academy with the enforcement disciples.

Besides these overt events, there were undercurrents surging outside the cave and even within Moyu City, where the news had reached.

The fact that the five individuals belonged to the Zhengyi Sect deterred the cultivation forces in Liangzhou from taking action, but this did not mean that there were no rogue cultivators blinded by greed who wanted to resort to underhanded tactics.

In fact, several Foundation Establishment stage cultivators have already formed a gang and are plotting something big.

While the winds and clouds raged outside the cave, Feng Bailu remained firmly seated on his throne inside, exerting all his strength to try to comprehend the mysteries within the texts and practice the techniques inscribed on the stone walls.

The next day, during his meal, Feng Bai had just stuffed a round steamed bun, frozen solid by the cold, into his mouth and hadn't even had a chance to chew it when, as he kept recalling the inscriptions on the stone wall, a sudden inspiration struck him.

As Feng Bailu removed the frozen bun, still slightly sticky with saliva, from his mouth, an astonishing plan gradually took shape in his mind.

Holding the steamed bun, he excitedly shouted, "I understand!"