Chapter 26: The Test and the Secret Talk

  He was suspended in mid-air, with only his arms barely able to move, his face had turned purple from being choked, and his throat made a gurgling sound, as if he would suffocate at any moment, but in his heart, there was a strong sense of unwillingness.

  "Great, great elder, the junior has... told you the truth. If you don't believe it, you can go to Gǔ Huái village and ask around!" Shi Shēng managed to squeeze out a few words from his throat with difficulty.

  "No need to be so troublesome, the news you've heard may not even be true. Speak up! Who sent you? What's your intention in infiltrating Tianxuan Sect?" Cold Yuan's face was as cold as frost, showing no signs of stopping due to Shi Sheng's impending death.

  Shi Sheng saw that it was fundamentally impossible to explain, even if he presented more evidence, he feared it would be difficult for the two of them to believe him. His own consciousness began to blur and he couldn't catch his breath. Shi Sheng felt the breath of death. For these people, they would rather kill the wrong person than let him go.

  "Haha!" Shi Sheng stopped explaining and instead burst out laughing, his eyes filled with thick ridicule as he looked at the Great Elder without restraint.

  "Hmm?" Seeing this, the elder's eyes flashed with confusion, and he pointed at Shi Sheng with one hand, then opened his mouth to say: "What, now that death is imminent, you finally want to tell the truth?"

  Shi Sheng didn't respond, earlier the elder had reduced the immense force holding his neck, Shi Sheng was taking big mouthfuls of air, somewhat greedily breathing, in his heart secretly thinking that indeed, the more he explained the more he would be toyed with to death, on the contrary, by pretending to surrender, he had managed to buy himself a brief period of time.

  After a moment, Shi Sheng regained some strength and said with a raised corner of his mouth: "Alright, I'm ready to tell the truth!"

  "That's good, let's talk, what kind of person are you?" The Great Elder asked a sentence, his face still without any expression, while Xiao Lao also didn't speak from start to finish.

  "I am a man who has died once!" Shi Sheng said with a serious face, his eyes not dodging, staring straight at the Great Elder, because this sentence was indeed true.

  "What does it mean?" asked the elder.

  "That day I was seriously injured by the robbers, indeed I fainted, but my consciousness was still there. It wasn't until the second night that my consciousness gradually disappeared. But afterwards, a series of strange things happened and I'm not quite clear about some of them. On the third day, somehow I woke up." Shi Sheng said another true statement, only omitting some crucial parts.

  "What strange thing have you experienced? Speak your mind!" asked the elder.

  "I met some people who didn't seem to be from our world, they said some things that weren't from our world either. I learned a lot of truths and my mind was opened up, no longer as foolish as before." Shi Sheng said with a half-true, half-false tone.

  "Nonsense!" The elder's face turned stern once again, as if ready to take action.

  Shi's face was expressionless, and he said, "Has the Great Elder never seen anything like this before? Does that mean it's fake? The world is vast and full of wonders, does the Great Elder think I'm a spy who sneaked into the sect?"

  The old man let out a cold snort, but didn't say anything.

  Shi Sheng suddenly revealed a wretched smile: "In vain, I had been yearning for it with all my heart. I entered two sects one after another. The first time was at Wugu Mountain. As a result, I was framed by Lu Yuan and Li Zhi, which made me fail the test without enlightenment."

  Later, I heard that the Tianxuan Gate was recruiting disciples and rushed to come for testing. I just thought that one day I could stand in front of them again and tell them that Wugu Mountain didn't accept me, and it would be their loss in the future!

  "Haha, what a big tone, indeed you are ignorant of your youth, do you think you're some kind of genius? Loss? You don't even look at yourself, how many catties and taels you are worth. But why did Lu Yuan and Li Zhi want to make things difficult for you?" The elder's face seemed to soften a bit.

  Li Yuan's family celebrated his birthday... Shi Sheng revealed the matter of the birthday poem, and at the same time felt relieved in his heart. If he hadn't pretended to be young and ignorant with a strong tone, how could he have deceived you two old guys? Fortunately, he temporarily fooled them.

  "Ah, I see!" The elder nodded thoughtfully and slowly began to speak: "Ten years ago, many sects went to Gǔ Huái Village. If you had the qualifications you have now, why weren't you chosen back then?"

  "Things from ten years ago, even I'm not clear about them anymore. It seems only my foster parents can remember!" Shi Sheng fell silent, seemingly somewhat distressed.

  "Alright, I'll believe you for now. Hopefully, you're not lying, but if we find out you have any ulterior motives towards our sect, don't blame us for taking action." The Great Elder said with a chilly gaze, a hint of murderous intent flashing across his face.

  "Elder, rest assured, I am not one who forgets kindness and betrays righteousness." Shi Sheng said.

  "Alright, you can go back first!" The elder waved his hand casually and immediately stopped looking at Shi Sheng. Shi Sheng slowly descended to the ground, gave a serious nod as a greeting to the two of them, then turned around and left.

  It wasn't until he left the grand hall that Shi Sheng finally let out a long sigh of relief, his back already drenched in cold sweat. It seemed that in this world, regardless of right or wrong, if one's strength was insufficient, they could be killed off indiscriminately. After this incident, Shi Sheng's desire for power grew even stronger.

  "Blending in with ordinary people, perhaps having some money can sustain life, but in the world of cultivators, only those with sufficient strength can survive!" Shi Sheng clenched his fists tightly and ran towards his residence with a solemn expression.

  ……

  "What does the Great Elder think? Is there anything special that can be seen, I really can't see through it, so I can only let the Great Elder take a look himself!" After Shi Sheng left, Xiao Chang Lao spoke up for the first time and asked.

  Leng Yuan Dazhang's eyebrows furrowed: "Actually, nothing was found. When I controlled him, I checked him out and this child doesn't have a spiritual boundary, he isn't a cultivator."

  But on his body, there was no hidden treasure of cultivation, only a rosary, a few talismans, and two failed medicinal talismans that looked like something an apprentice or medicine boy would carry.

  "Oh? At first, this child said he wanted to go home and explain things, and in the end, he indeed went to a doctor's house. Wan Kun followed him all the way, but didn't discover any other unusual behavior." Elder Xiao spoke up.

  That should be about it, possibly ten years ago, his parents didn't bring him for testing, or there was an accident during the test, otherwise he wouldn't have been missed by some sect back then. However, these things cannot be verified, after all, his adoptive parents are no longer in this world.

  However, Wugu Mountain really miscalculated this time. Since this person's comprehension is so high, as long as he has perseverance and determination, he will have some development in the future. It's just that his tone is a bit too big, haha, children's words are innocent! The Great Elder burst out laughing.

  "Elder, what this child said earlier, could it be true?" Elder Xiao suddenly remembered something.

  "You're saying, one body two souls? Consciousness surge?" Cold Yuan's elder furrowed his brow and said in a low voice: "Legendary things, I dare not rashly say whether this person is or isn't."

  It is said that before a person dies, they will have a thread of obsession, which is actually what we call the power of consciousness. If the obsession is great, the power of consciousness will combine the thoughts before death, forming the power of intention of us cultivators, taking shape and leaving the body to cross the void, and finally surviving in another deceased body with a higher degree of harmony.

  However, this survivor cannot confirm to whom the body's owner's consciousness belongs. It is possible that they are merged into one, or it is also possible that they occupy the body separately, and are somewhat similar but not quite the same as those who have been 'soul swallowed' by the cultivator's consciousness.

  But legend has it that if such a thing were to happen to an ordinary person, their foundation and enlightenment would greatly increase. After all, the two souls' powers are combined as one, and the progress of their mental cultivation is incredibly fast. If this is really the case, perhaps we've stumbled upon a treasure, hehe!

  "That old man was so heavy-handed earlier, I thought you really wanted to kill that kid, and he might have actually died if it wasn't for a single breath." Xiao Lao didn't understand.

  "Haha, I didn't intend to kill him, just scare him a bit. However, we still need to keep a close eye on him for a while, in case he does something that harms the sect. What he said earlier was only half true, and I almost believed it myself, haha."

  "Of course, even if this child really has a natural talent for cultivation, don't spoil him too much.

  "Alright, I understand. Leave this matter to me and I will handle it. If there is indeed any ill intention, I will not show mercy!" Elder Xiao's face turned serious as he nodded his head.

  "Right, this child has been by Fu's side for a while and should have already learned some basic meditation techniques. I checked his qualifications earlier and he is now eligible to receive the Open Mind Pill. Take him to the Alchemy Pavilion later to collect an Open Mind Pill, let me see what kind of talent he has and how long it will take him to open up his spiritual realm!" As he spoke, a hint of expectation appeared in the eyes of the elder.

  Shi Sheng was unaware of the conversation between the two, having already returned to his residence. Seven or eight young men were crowded in the small room, chatting and laughing, some curiously discussing something. Shi Sheng lay in a corner of the room, gazing up at the ceiling with narrowed eyes, deep in thought. (End of this chapter, next chapter will be even more exciting!)

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