Sure enough, being a boring person isn't easy.

 

“What did you hear?” the others asked.

Yu Xian furrowed his brows, recalling what he had heard, and replied, “The three elders were discussing the arrangements for the Trial Assembly. They seemed to be worried about being overheard, so they spoke vaguely and not in detail. I heard them mention Wanchao Valley of Hengtian Sect… Xiao Linzi also mentioned that this is the main venue for the Trial Assembly every time. They also talked about blood beasts and the Nine Killing Formation. Those useless things were speaking word by word, and after one finished, the other two had this annoying look of ‘I already understand, you need not say more,’ which made me quite angry. But judging by what they said, it seems they intend to place blood beasts and the Nine Killing Formation at several suitable locations in Wanchao Valley to carry out ambushes. Moreover, they also plan to strengthen the guard over the Sanqing Pool during the Trial Assembly, and it is said that three additional barriers have been added and a formation set up, and it seems they also want to place a Nine Killing Formation and blood beasts near the Sanqing Pool. But have you all heard of blood beasts? I have some guesses about the Nine Killing Formation.”

“Blood beasts?” Junxiao pondered for a moment and said, “Perhaps these are the evil creatures they are raising in that secret valley? However, if they are indeed beasts, what does it mean to be raised or not? Regardless of how well they are raised, once the ‘Ice Soul’ shows any signs of disturbance, they can be tossed in, and we can only hope it can block them for a while.”

The others felt that this reasoning was indeed valid.

“So, these blood beasts are not really wild animals but something that resembles beasts in some aspect, hence the name? And if they haven’t been fully raised, they cannot be thrown into the ‘Ice Soul’ to resolve urgent matters... Could it be that they haven’t formed yet before being raised, thus they can’t be thrown in or controlled?” Bai Ke speculated.

Junxiao thought for a moment and shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Without having truly witnessed it, it was difficult for them to imagine what exactly these “blood beasts” were based solely on speculation.

“And what about the Nine Killing Formation?” Although Aunt Fat and the others were also century-old demon cultivators and should know much more about these things than Lin Jie and his group, it was clear that the Nine Killing Formation was not within their area of expertise.

“To talk about the Nine Killing Formation, we need to mention another formation... Have you heard of the Seven Stars Immortal Formation?” After Yu Xian spoke, Junxiao’s body stiffened, and then he frowned at Yu Xian as if he had mentioned something that shouldn’t be brought up.

Lin Jie and Aunt Fat were momentarily taken aback, as if they didn’t react at first.

However, the other two spoke in unison, “Why does that sound somewhat familiar?”

Upon hearing this, Yu Xian and Junxiao turned to look at Bai Ke and Bai Zixu, their expressions complex, filled with emotion, nostalgia, and seemingly a hint of pain.

Meanwhile, Lin Jie and Aunt Fat began to recall what the Seven Stars Immortal Formation was and gasped in realization.

“Many have heard of the Seven Stars Immortal Formation; it’s probably the only formation of its kind that is widely known to this extent, but so well-known that no one is foolish enough to seek ways to study it, since basically no one would be dumb enough to use this formation,” Aunt Fat was the first to speak up. “I don’t know the specifics of how to set it up, but I only know that this formation uses one’s three souls and six spirits, along with their flesh, bones, and blood as offerings. It can suppress and kill immortals, demons, and monsters, making it the ultimate killing formation. However, once it kills others, one’s own soul would also be scattered, making it impossible to even enter the cycle of reincarnation.”

“Hmm.” Yu Xian nodded. “The reason I mentioned the Nine Killing Formation is because, if I’m not mistaken, it is exactly the opposite of this formation.”

The others were puzzled. “Opposite? How is it the opposite?”

“I remember seeing a restricted formation called the Nine Absolute Formation on some scrolls before. I just skimmed through it and thought it was too evil, so I destroyed that page. The Nine Absolute Formation also requires the offering of flesh, bones, and blood, but instead of killing evil beings, it nourishes them. It’s called Nine Absolute because anyone who is bewitched and lured into the formation would have their three souls and six spirits devoured, making it impossible for them to reincarnate,” Yu Xian explained. “Although I can’t be certain, I always feel that the Nine Absolute Formation has some relation to what Hengtian Sect calls the Nine Killing Formation. Back then, although I destroyed one, I don’t know if there are other ancient scrolls mentioning this formation. It’s possible that Hengtian Sect got their hands on it and are using it for their own purposes.”

Whether it was the blood beasts or the Nine Killing Formation, the only message that emerged was this—this Trial Assembly was bound to be a bloody storm.

*

As the date approached, everyone had no choice but to hasten their calculations and preparations.

Among them, the ones taking the most risks were Bai Ke and Lin Jie.

Bai Ke was trying to use the malevolent "Ice Soul" to extract the Seven Stars Pill from within his body. During this process, it remained uncertain whether any mishaps would occur and what kind of mishaps might happen; the only support he had was Jun Xiao, who would always be by his side. However, even with Jun Xiao's protection, it was hard to guarantee that there won’t be any dangerous situations.

As for Lin Jie... The group hoped to create a stir during the Trial Assembly to draw Hengtian Sect's attention, ensuring that Junxiao and Bai Ke were not disturbed, while also eliminating the evil creatures that Hengtian Sect had been concocting to prevent them from causing more harm. But they were not familiar with Hengtian Sect's involvement in the Trial Assembly, so having Lin Jie around would certainly make things much more convenient. Besides, Lin Jie remained hopeful to find traces of his sister—alive or dead.

Yet, these two happened to be the weakest among them. So, in the remaining days, the entire secret realm was in chaos, using the excuse of enhancing their cultivation while actually engaging in abusive practices towards the younger generation.

Even Junxiao, who usually spoiled Bai Ke to the extent of being overly indulgent, had to be ruthless for Bai Ke's sake, imposing training intensities that were even higher than those for Lin Jie. This made Bai Ke feel as though he was living through a second life.

The few days felt so short that it was almost shocking; it seemed like just a moment of distraction, and Hengtian Sect opened its doors, welcoming the various sects and visitors from all directions.

As expected by the sect master of Hengtian, once the reason for advancing the Trial Assembly was conveyed to the various sects, they indeed became suspicious and were both curious and wary about this Trial Assembly.

On one hand, the various sects wanted to know what kind of schemes Hengtian Sect, known for its elixirs, had concocted this time that warranted such an enthusiastic invitation for everyone to come and taste. Although the Medicine ghost had passed away a century ago, his reputation was still formidable. Any pills refined by him would undoubtedly be extraordinary.

On the other hand, the sects were not foolish. Although Hengtian Sect held a dominant position and boasted about being very upright, some of the more senior members of the other sects were not unaware of Hengtian Sect's true nature. This tasting event was likely to hide ulterior motives; whether it was the elixirs being problematic or Hengtian Sect planning some covert maneuver, caution was warranted.

In past Trial Assemblies, it was typical for each sect to send one or two elders as representatives to bring along newly recruited disciples within ten years to participate, sparring a bit to gauge their disciples’ abilities, while also fostering relationships among the sects through diplomatic etiquette, and that was that.

Nonetheless, due to these concerns, it was uncertain whether the various sects had coordinated their plans or if it was mere coincidence, but the scale of their gathering was somewhat grand. The sect masters led their respective elders and brought not only newly recruited disciples but also some capable or leading disciples along.

It had clearly transformed from merely a Trial Assembly for newly recruited disciples into a grand assembly of the three sects and six factions.

However, the “three sects and six factions” was just a conventional term; in reality, there were only two sects and six factions. The once leading Yusheng (NT: born of jade) Sect had long since fallen into decline amidst storms and had faded into obscurity, becoming a sect that only existed in stories. The remaining two sects were currently the leading Hengtian Sect and the rapidly developing Qingyun (NT: green clouds) Sect.

The strength of the six factions was now vastly different from Junxiao's generation. The Changling and Xuanwei Sect, which were once highly esteemed among the six factions, had nearly declined to the point of being considered minor sects, but at least they had not completely disbanded. The Shaoyang faction, which was previously inconspicuous, has surged forward and had now become the second-largest sect, second only to Taichu faction.

Yu Xian stood among the newly recruited disciples of Hengtian Sect, gazing at the current state of these sects, as if a thousand years of cloud and smoke surged through his mind, filling him with emotions. However, as he was wearing someone else’s face, it was not convenient to express it in front of others.

A young lad standing in front of him kept glancing back at him from time to time, but due to the formal and solemn occasion, he didn’t dare to speak up.

After holding it in for a while, he finally seized the opportunity during the exchanges and pleasantries among the sect masters and elders to turn to Yu Xian and say, “I haven’t seen you since that last incident. Are you doing okay? After you were rescued, A Jie told me to stay in my own courtyard and not go out unless the sect notified us. I was really anxious and worried about you all, so later I couldn’t help but run to A Jie’s courtyard to look for you. I called out a few times, but no one answered. I just recklessly went inside, but after searching around, I found that you weren’t there. I went a couple more times, and still didn’t see you. I was really worried something had happened to you!”

Yu Xian felt sweat on his forehead after hearing this, thinking: Who are you, kid?!

But considering he was currently wearing Bai Ke's face, he imitated Bai Ke's usual demeanor, nodded, and said calmly, “We’re fine.”

After a brief moment of thought, he realized that the kid was probably talking about the incident when some spiritual bodies from the “Ice Soul” escaped and started attacking people. After that, he and Junxiao formed a formation and transferred their cultivation energy to Bai Ke. Everything in the secret realm was indeed abnormal during those days, and naturally, there was no movement from the mirror ocarina. If the kid had come to Lin Jie’s courtyard back then, they really wouldn’t have known.

“By the way, why are you always keeping your sleeves up? You didn’t have this habit the last time I saw you.” The kid, clearly very familiar and casual, teased him right after expressing his concern. He patted Yu Xian on the shoulder and said, “Young people should be full of energy!”

Yu Xian didn’t want to attract any negative attention while wearing Bai Ke's face, so he had to hold back and pretend to be reserved, but inside, he was jumping with frustration: I’m practically an ancient tortoise at this point! Full of energy? You look full of it!

Indeed, being a boring person is not an easy job.

 

Translator : DarNan