THE RULE KING

Elder Sun sneered and said, "It seems that you have an affinity with the Fireball Spell. Those ancient cultivators were really something. They didn't use the Spiritual Thought Jade Slip but insisted on doing all those fancy things. In the end, weren't they still phased out?" As he spoke, he didn't notice at all that Xu Shan's face in front of him had already turned into a long, gloomy one.

Damn this ancient jade slip! After all that trouble, it's just like a projector? And it only has the Fireball Spell recorded in it? Learning from this kind of explanatory video might not even be as effective as learning from an ordinary jade slip. "Elder Sun, since it's just the Fireball Spell, can I change it for another one?" Xu Shan said with a dejected expression.

Elder Sun withdrew his spiritual power, and the light screen dissipated. He glanced at Xu Shan sidelong and threw the jade slip to him. "No, you can't. Just take it as a lesson. You new disciples always want to take advantage of a good deal. I'm here every day. How could I let you find such a bargain?"

Realizing that his little intention had long been seen through, Xu Shan blushed with embarrassment. He composed himself, held the jade slip, and asked, "Elder Sun, can this jade slip only project a light screen? Can the scene in the light screen be modified?"

"Yes, it can. The talismans on the jade slip are divided into two parts, left and right. Channeling spiritual power into the right side allows you to record a scene, and channeling it into the left side is for projecting it. It can be considered a rather nice little gadget."

Xu Shan felt much relieved. Since it can project and record, it's not too bad. This isn't a total loss. There are no movies in the cultivation world. It's not impossible to use this thing to make movies and earn some Spirit Stones in the future, right?

"Thank you, Elder Sun, for your guidance today. I will come to pay my respects to you another day!"

Elder Sun casually waved his hand, and Xu Shan turned and left the hall. Outside the door, Elder Cao was still admiring the scenery. When he saw Xu Shan come out, he stepped forward and said, "So, how was it? Did you meet Elder Sun?"

"Yes, I did. He's a very nice person, unexpectedly kind-hearted."

Elder Cao couldn't help but laugh. "You Outer Sect disciples always think that those above are as fierce as wolves and tigers. But apart from cultivation, when have I ever been strict with you in other aspects? However, this kind of environment can only be found in the Xinglan Sect. It would be much harder to get by in a large sect. The Xinglan Sect was established not long ago. Elder Sun, I, and the other elders in the sect have all gone through hardships together. We were all wandering cultivators who finally decided to stick together for mutual support because we had no hope of breaking through our cultivation levels."

"We've all experienced hardships, so no one would deliberately make things difficult for you young disciples out of boredom. After all, you are all disciples that we have watched grow in cultivation. As long as you put in the effort and work hard, we are all willing to give you a helping hand."

"Disciple... is truly very lucky!" Xu Shan nodded in agreement. He really was lucky to have joined this sect. He had heard a lot about how treacherous the outside world was, but the atmosphere of this newly established sect was really heartwarming, just like that of a startup company!

"What cultivation technique did you choose?" Elder Cao asked.

"The Fireball Spell."

"The Fireball Spell? Good choice. Go back and practice it well. If you don't understand something, don't ask anyone. It all depends on your own comprehension."

.....

On the grass, the light screen flickered. The figure of the cultivator kept repeating the action of casting the Fireball Spell. The explanation echoed in Xu Shan's ears. Xu Shan sat cross-legged on the ground with his hands resting on his knees. Zhang Biao poked out a head the size of half a finger joint, with his two eyes peeking out to watch.

"Tsk tsk tsk, it's amazing! It's so amazing!"

"You have no sense of what's truly remarkable. I'll show you something more exciting later. This is really boring." Xu Shan put away the jade slip, recalled the explanation of the Fireball Spell, and extended his right hand to channel his spiritual power.

With a whoosh, a cluster of flames ignited in his hand, but then it went out in an instant.

"Master Xu, you're awesome!" Zhang Biao shouted loudly.

Xu Shan smiled proudly. It wasn't that difficult after all, and it was probably thanks to Zhang Biao. At this rate, with a cheerleader like Zhang Biao by his side, he should be able to master it in just a few days. Then, passing the Outer Sect examination shouldn't be a problem.

"Do it again, Master Xu!" Zhang Biao shouted excitedly.

Xu Shan was delighted to hear this. With the help of the spiritual root and Zhang Biao's encouragement, his sense of accomplishment was overflowing. If he had had such a close friend by his side when he was taking exams at school, who would shout "awesome" every time he got a question right, he might have been admitted to a third-tier college much earlier.

"Okay! One more. Watch carefully!"

.....

A month passed by in the blink of an eye. Outside the cave on the back mountain of the Outer Sect, Elder Cao stood with his hands behind his back. In front of him were three disciples.

"Ma Zhongzhi, Zhu Kunhong... Xu Shan." Elder Cao turned slightly and pointed into the cave, saying, "You should all know the content of the final examination, but according to the rules, I'll repeat it again. Once you enter here, you need to fight against the Sect Master's clone! This clone is formed from a drop of the Sect Master's blood essence, and its strength is close to the early stage of the Foundation Establishment realm. However, its swordsmanship and Taoist magic are extremely exquisite. If you can hold out against the Sect Master's clone for half a stick of incense's time during the battle, you will pass the examination!"

"I warn you in advance that the clone doesn't know how to hold back. Therefore, this trial is extremely risky. If you withdraw now and return to the mortal world, you can still enjoy a peaceful life. But if you end up with a hidden injury or even lose your life, it will be a great loss."

"However, if you're lucky enough to pass, you will gain great fame in the Inner Sect and will also be rewarded with an extremely precious Foundation Establishment Pill by the Inner Sect."

As soon as the Foundation Establishment Pill was mentioned, the three of them immediately became excited, and Xu Shan's heart also throbbed with anticipation. This was it! Although reaching the peak of the Qi Refining stage and breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage might seem like just a small step away, in reality, it's like an insurmountable chasm. Countless cultivators are stuck at this threshold. It can be said that only by breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage can one truly set foot on the path of immortality!

"What if I hold out for more than half a stick of incense? What if I defeat the clone?" Xu Shan blurted out.

Elder Cao observed everyone's reactions. When he saw Xu Shan speak, a faint smile appeared on his lips. "Then I really have to admire you." Since the establishment of the sect and the start of this trial, no one has ever been able to defeat the trial clone, and the people who passed could only hold out for at most half a stick of incense. Asking such a question is simply being overly presumptuous!

"Let me ask one last time. Does anyone want to withdraw?"

The three of them stood upright with their chests out, and no one responded.

"Good. Since no one wants to withdraw, let's decide the order of entry." Elder Cao waved his hand and summoned three branches from the nearby bushes, holding them in his hand. "Draw lots by yourselves, so that no one will think it's unfair."

The three of them stepped forward to draw lots one by one. Xu Shan couldn't help but smile when he saw the shortest stick in his hand. It's better to go later. He could observe the situation of the people in front and get more information, which would help him make better judgments.

Elder Cao reached out again, and three long swords flew out from his storage pouch and hovered in front of the three of them respectively. "These swords are ordinary weapons. They can only be used for a little blocking. Don't rely on them too much. Take them... Now, let the first person, Ma Zhongzhi, start!"

Ma Zhongzhi clasped his fists and stepped forward, grabbed the long sword, and walked straight into the deep trial passage.

Xu Shan and the other disciple stared intently at the entrance of the trial passage. Just a few minutes later, a staggering figure emerged from it, holding a broken sword in his hand and seemingly spitting out blood.

Elder Cao immediately flew over and brought the person back. Xu Shan and the others couldn't help but step forward to check. They saw Ma Zhongzhi lying on the ground, his front clothes already soaked in blood. He was in a state where he was barely breathing.

Elder Cao bent down and stuffed a pill into his mouth. He held Ma Zhongzhi's back with one hand and channeled his spiritual power to check and treat his injuries. He also said, "Nine broken ribs, a broken left wrist bone, a shattered right finger bone, severe injuries to the heart and lungs, eighteen sword wounds, and damaged meridians... Even if his cultivation recovers in the future, he will lose seven or eight out of ten of his original strength."

Elder Cao withdrew his right hand and looked up at Xu Shan and the other disciple. "There's no shame in knowing when to retreat. Who among you wants to withdraw now?"

The faces of the two of them suddenly changed. Xu Shan couldn't help but feel a heavy heart. Ma Zhongzhi's miserable state really shocked him. An ordinary person who was hit by a car in a serious accident and survived would probably be in a similar state, right?

Zhu Kunhong beside him turned pale. After letting out a long sigh, he clasped his fists and said, "Thank you, Elder, for your reminder. Disciple chooses to withdraw!"

Seeing that only Xu Shan was left, Elder Cao smiled faintly and said, "You're not withdrawing?"

Xu Shan didn't respond. He stared at the broken sword in Ma Zhongzhi's hand and thought hard. The sword had been broken in half, and the remaining part was full of notches. The deepest notch was more than half of the sword body. It was enough to show that the opponent's strength was powerful and swift. But with such strength... he might have a way to defend against it.

Moreover, the sect takes good care of its disciples, but the clone doesn't know how to hold back, which means that the clone doesn't have independent consciousness and is probably attacking in a certain fixed pattern. In this case, even if he can't defeat the clone, he can definitely look for the clone's weaknesses and hold out for half a stick of incense...

"Xu Shan, I'm talking to you. Did you hear me?"

Xu Shan straightened his face and said firmly, "Disciple is willing to go!"