Immortal Reincarnation Tribulation

Chapter 191 The Scramble

At this moment, Du Fan's heart was racing. He was quietly spreading his divine sense and scanning the number of Nether Stones in the hands of the cultivators present.

He had originally intended to hoard the Nether Stone, so after coming out, he deliberately stood at the very back of the group so that he could be the last to be checked.

If he simply wanted to hoard the Nether Stones or just wanted to win first place in the trial, that would be extremely easy. But to have both at the same time is a skill in itself.

Du Fan discovered that these rogue cultivators had an average of around eighty Nether Stones, with some having over a hundred and others having a single-digit number.

The man surnamed Zhen produced over 270 pieces of Nether Stones, making him the cultivator with the most Nether Stones among those examined.

During the trial, Du Fan obtained more than 1,800 Nether Stones, most of which were stored in his Qiankun Ring.

With the results of other cultivators as a comparison and reference, he quickly made a decision in a flash. He quietly released a wisp of divine sense and a trace of magic power, which were applied to the Qiankun Ring, leaving only a thousand Nether Stones inside.

He put the remaining Nether Stones into his storage bag, totaling more than eight hundred pieces.

In this way, barring any unforeseen circumstances, winning first place in this trial should be a sure thing.

The Golden Core elder who examined Du Fan was none other than the barefoot giant who had sent him into the trial grounds. He gave Du Fan a strange smile and said in a deep voice:

"Fellow Daoist, please take out the Nether Stones you have obtained."

"All the spirit stones I obtained are here."

Du Fan took a deep breath, bowed respectfully, and then took out all eight hundred-plus Nether Stones from his storage bag and put them into a bag that the barefoot giant had prepared in advance.

"Over eight hundred yuan!"

The barefoot giant was momentarily stunned by the sight, but quickly smiled and said nothing more. He then cast a spell on a talisman, recorded it, and left.

The other rogue cultivators around Du Fan also witnessed this scene, and they all stared at him with their mouths agape, as if they were looking at a monster.

There were also some cultivators who had met Du Fan in the Eastern Beginning Mountain. While they were astonished, they couldn't help but feel a little annoyed and regretful. However, it was too late to say anything now.

Du Fan sneered at the greed and resentment in these people's eyes and then ignored them.

Before long, the Golden Core elders confiscated the Nether Stones from all the rogue cultivators in the area and recorded their achievements.

"The monk whose name I called stepped forward."

Elder Qianxun held a talisman in his hand, glanced at the cultivators below, and said calmly.

"Du Fan, He Chunniang, Zhen Yuanzi, Zhang Xiushan, Lü Ming..."

Qianxun calmly began to read out the names one by one. Each time a name was called, a cultivator would step out from the group of rogue cultivators and stand respectfully not far in front of a row of Golden Core elders.

In less than the time it takes to eat a meal, more than fifty rogue cultivators stood there solemnly. Although they tried their best to keep their expressions calm, they could not hide their joy.

A short while later, Qianxun paused, smiled slightly, and looked at the cultivators in front of her.

By this time, everyone understood that only these fifty-odd rogue cultivators were qualified to receive rewards in this trial, and the spots for joining various sects as disciples would naturally be selected from among these individuals.

The other rogue cultivators looked somber, but dared not leave without permission.

"Everyone else, you may leave."

With a flick of his wrist, Elder Qianxun put away the talisman in his hand, and at the same time, his voice was deep and commanding in an unquestionable manner.

The other cultivators were naturally extremely disappointed upon hearing this. After bowing deeply to the Golden Core elders, they left one by one, looking dejected. In no time, they all disappeared into the distance.

"The first five names that Qian just read out can each choose three items from these items. Those ranked six through twentieth can choose two items. However, for the same type of item, you can only choose one item."

"Du Fan, you are the first to pass the Eastern Beginning Mountain Trial this time, so you shall begin."

With a wave of her sleeve, Qianxun conjured up a variety of magical weapons, tools, talismans, and pills, which floated in mid-air in front of everyone. There were about a hundred items in total.

As soon as Elder Qianxun made his move, Du Fan glanced over at him, but after a moment, he couldn't help but show a hint of disappointment.

The items Elder Qianxun brought out were already quite good for a Qi Refining stage cultivator.

Especially among independent cultivators, any random item would be enough to drive them crazy.

However, the Bone-Cleansing Pill that Du Fan wanted was not among them.

Although Du Fan had never seen the Bone-Cleansing Pill, he could tell that all the pills in mid-air were for improving cultivation, so the Bone-Cleansing Pill was naturally not among them.

"What's wrong? Judging from your expression, is there nothing that meets your standards?"

Before Chihiro could speak, the stunningly beautiful woman suddenly frowned, as if expressing her dissatisfaction.

"This junior absolutely did not mean that. Every item here is a rare and precious treasure for a low-level cultivator like me. However, this junior mainly cultivates physical techniques, so I am out of luck when it comes to these treasures."

Upon hearing this, Du Fan felt a chill run down his spine. He quickly bowed to the beautiful woman and explained respectfully.

Outside of Zhongzhou, he dared not be arrogant. If he incurred the displeasure of a Golden Core expert, killing him would be a matter of moments. He did not want to suffer such a disaster in a muddle.

"Oh? So you're a cultivator who specializes in physical techniques. No wonder you've obtained such an astonishing number of Nether Stones. Just tell me what you want. Considering your outstanding performance in this trial, I'll try my best to satisfy you."

Qianxun seemed somewhat surprised by Du Fan's words. After a slight smile, she spoke in a relatively gentle manner.

"Thank you, Elder Qianxun. I have no other request but to obtain a few Bone-Cleansing Pills," Du Fan said, taking a deep breath and clasping his hands in greeting.

Upon hearing this, all the Golden Core elders were slightly taken aback. It wasn't that what Du Fan was asking for was particularly valuable, but rather that this kind of pill was too obscure. They hadn't expected that a mere low-level rogue cultivator would know about it.

After a while, a kind-looking middle-aged monk suddenly chanted a Buddhist prayer and came out.

This man, clad in a red kasaya and carrying a staff, took a few steps and arrived before Du Fan. After a gentle smile, he spoke:

"Benefactor Du, I am an elder of the Hanshan Sect, my Dharma name is Wuyuan. I do have three Bone-Cleansing Pills that you require. Although this kind of pill is not considered precious, it is rare and is a unique pill that my Hanshan Sect does not circulate to outsiders."

Since Benefactor Du performed exceptionally well in the trials at Dongshi Mountain, this old monk may offer you this elixir.

After Wu Yuan finished speaking, he recited a Buddhist chant again, then flipped his wrist and took out a small dark green bottle, which he handed to Du Fan.

"This junior thanks Master Wuyuan for bestowing the pill!" Du Fan was overjoyed upon seeing this, and after accepting it, he quickly expressed his gratitude.

"Since Benefactor Du is a physical cultivator, why not join my Cold Mountain Sect? Most of our sect members are Buddhist or Taoist disciples, and the Buddhist and Taoist techniques we practice are mainly physical techniques with magic as a secondary method."

In addition, our sect has a large quantity of unique body-tempering pills for its disciples. Given Benefactor Du's situation, joining the Cold Mountain Sect is undoubtedly the best choice. You might want to consider it.

After giving away the pills, Master Wuyuan did not leave. Instead, his eyes flashed, and he spoke very kindly. However, he did not mention at all that the pills needed to be taken together with the Cleansing Muscle Pill.

Du Fan quickly understood the other party's intention. If he agreed to join the Cold Mountain Sect, Master Wuyuan would naturally inform him afterward. But if he did not agree, then he would have to fend for himself.

However, Du Fan already knew about this, so he didn't need to worry about it too much.

"younger generation……"

Du Fan smiled bitterly to himself, and just as he was about to speak, he was overwhelmed by a thunderous sound. He felt his vision go black and his ears ring instantly.

"Master Wuyuan, isn't it a bit too hasty for you to start recruiting disciples for your sect now?"

Besides, it's not only your Hanshan Sect's Buddhist and Taoist techniques that can refine the body; our Ciguang Sect also has powerful physical techniques.

As for the claim of body-tempering pills, that's a joke. Which sect doesn't have its own unique pills?

Upon hearing Master Wuyuan's words, the barefoot giant could hardly stand. He disregarded everything else, took a big step forward, and roared.

The sound was so loud that it made the blood and qi of the scattered cultivators present churn, and they almost collapsed.

"Physical skills are difficult to cultivate, slow to advance, and have little potential for development. They are truly useless skills. If Fellow Daoist Du is willing to pull back from the brink and switch to magic, you might as well join my Qingjiang Sect."

If I am not mistaken, Fellow Daoist Du possesses a rare and exceptional hidden spiritual root of the water attribute. Our sect has a set of secret techniques specifically suitable for cultivators with hidden spiritual roots of the water attribute. This technique is not only extremely powerful, but can also be cultivated all the way to the Golden Core stage.

"If you are willing to join the Qingjiang Sect, I can guarantee that you will be able to cultivate this secret technique as you wish."

A young man in a blue robe followed closely behind, ignoring the unfriendly gazes of Master Wuyuan and the barefoot giant, and smiled slightly at Du Fan, saying this.

Upon witnessing this scene, not only was Du Fan speechless and stunned, but the other rogue cultivators also stared at each other in disbelief.

Elder Qianxun's face was rather grim, and the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily. This was a scene he had not anticipated and was the last thing he wanted to see. If it continued, things might change.