Chapter 17 "Crucible of Hell"

  The Eastern Flag Peak of Xuantian Sect, Elder Tan De pushed another disciple away and his eyes fell on Wen Tao.

  "Wen Tao, you've let me down too much. I used all my strength to get this rare opportunity for you, but you wasted the sect's resources and not only didn't achieve anything, but also made a mess of it! I'm extremely disappointed in you. If you can't even handle a small task like this, how will you become a great figure in the future?"

  Wen Tao lowered his head and said: "Disciple knows his mistake, ashamed of the elder's care."

  "I and your grandfather are old friends, so I have been lenient with you in the Xuantian Sect. However, your past performance has not been bad, and among the younger generation, you can be considered outstanding. I thought you could use this great achievement to directly become a true disciple, but unexpectedly, you still disappoint me."

  Wen Tao was also extremely frustrated, just as he was about to succeed, Xie Li's two siblings stole the Tianyi Sect's command, causing the ritual to be abandoned halfway. Later on, just as he was about to capture Xie Yin, Lin Heng suddenly appeared again. Two small unexpected events ruined all his efforts and hard work.

  All his hard work and future prospects were thus reduced to ashes, and Wen Tao's heart was burning with intense hatred for Lin Lang: it was that stinky little brat surnamed Lin, everything was because of him! If he hadn't made a move, those two little...

  The doll was already in my hands, and the lost heirloom of the Zong family has been recovered!

  If he could obtain the Ti Yin Zong Zhi, then he wouldn't have to receive training from the elder here, and it's possible that he might already be one of the twenty-one true transmission disciples of the Xuan Tian Sect.

  Outer disciples, inner disciples, direct disciples, true disciples, step by step climbing up. The first step is filled with long and arduous efforts, even more so requiring opportunities. The Xuantian Sect, such a large sect, has a total of over 100,000 disciples, but only 21 can squeeze into the final true disciple position. And these 21, are also candidates for the next sect master.

  This rare opportunity was lost because of Lin Yang's carelessness!

  "The guest elder of the Ti Yin Sect has returned, and his disciple even killed Yang De Song of the Ti Yin Sect after you left. That guest elder is a formidable figure, and even our Xuan Tian Sect has to be cautious. The Council of Elders has already passed down an order, temporarily do not make any moves on the Ti Yin Sect."

  Wen Tao was taken aback: "Even our Xuan Tian Sect is wary of Guest Elder Qing?" Tan De nodded and said, "This Guest Elder Qing, neither you nor I can afford to provoke him. Even within the sect, it has been decided to avoid stimulating him and stop the annexation of Wei Yin Sect, which shows his strength."

  "Your promotion to true disciple has been put on hold due to this setback, don't harbor any extravagant hopes for the time being."

  Don't be too disheartened. According to the latest news from within the sect, "Furnace Hell" will be postponed for a year due to some unknown reason. The original plan for true disciples to go and train...

  Cancel. If you can squeeze into the true transmission disciple within a year, you will still have the qualification to go.

  Wen Tao's eyes revealed a hint of excitement, as if he had encountered a treasure that left him enchanted.

  One hundred years ago, several major sects unexpectedly discovered the ancient secret land of "Furnace Hell" in a joint operation at a certain secret location. However, this ancient secret land was guarded by a powerful formation and could not be entered. The master of the Tianji Sect spent five years pondering and finally calculated that "Furnace Hell" opens once every three thousand years, and the next opening time is just two months later. Unexpectedly, the current opening time has been postponed to one year later.

  Since it's an ancient secret land, the treasures inside are naturally very tempting. You can casually pick up a discarded elixir and it might be a priceless treasure.

  Because of this, all major sects are eager to try, preparing to send out the most elite disciples of their respective sects to gain experience and reap a huge profit.

  Tan De talked about the situation of "Melting Furnace Hell" and analyzed the situation of the true disciples within the sect. Then, he returned to the topic of Ti Yin Sect and said slowly: "Ti Yin Sect has a guest elder who is very difficult to shake off. However, after Xie Ping closed himself off and disappeared, Ti Yin Sect gradually declined. Now, even the only fourth-grade late-stage cultivator is dead. Looking at the situation, it's only a matter of time before they are devoured by other sects and disappear." Wen Tao thought back to his previous encounter with Ti Yin Sect and couldn't help but feel a sense of schadenfreude: Ah, Ti Yin Sect, you're really asking for trouble! If only you had surrendered to our Xuan Tian Sect, as long as you paid some minor tribute every year, you could have slowly become a part of us and continued to thrive. It would have been a win-win situation, how wonderful that would be!

  Little did you know that you didn't recognize the kindness of others, and instead resisted with all your might, damaging three thousand miles of land. Now it has become this bleak situation, which is a self-inflicted punishment that cannot be escaped. A small sect like yours can't even keep its only fourth-grade late-stage cultivator alive, what will you do now?

  "You can't always rely on that guest elder, letting a guest elder take charge of everything and help you manage the sect's affairs, against others' joint attack? The world is full of people who kick others when they're down. If the sect is in such a situation, even if it's just barely holding on, it won't last for more than a few days before the disciples lose heart and the sect collapses."

  Tan De said slowly: "Three months later, more than ten sects from the eastern part of the Shoujing Mountains will compete for the 'Lianjing Mine Vein'. This mine vein is competed for every twenty years by the top ten sects in the Shoujing Mountains. The winner gets the mining rights for twenty years. Our Xuantian Sect will once again be one of the judges. Twenty years ago, the Lianjing Mine Vein was won by the then-master of the Tuiyin Sect, Xie Ping, which is why the Tuiyin Sect has been able to grow stronger over the years. This time, the Tuiyin Sect doesn't have Xie Ping, and many sects are eager to take it away."

  "Among them, Jin Wu's sect master, Jin Chong, has already come to visit and expressed his desire to obtain the 'Lian Jing Mai Kuang'. He hopes that we can help him in this matter. This task will be handled by you, and there must not be any mistakes." Wen Tao nodded respectfully: "Disciple understands."

  "Di Yin Sect, you dare to offend my Xuan Tian Sect and cause me to lose the opportunity to obtain a true transmission disciple? Then I will make you lose your foundation! You have today's prosperity because of that 'Lian Jing Mine' which is currently entrusted to me for evaluation within the sect. So wait for it, you'll be handing over the 'Lian Jing Mine' and waiting for death while sitting on your old capital." However, he then thought that Di Yin Sect's only 4th rank late-stage cultivators had all fallen, so they didn't have the ability to contend anymore. Xuan Tian Sect's master sneered with a smile at the corner of his mouth: "Haha, but with Di Yin Sect's tiny bit of strength, being a bunch of useless trash, perhaps I don't even need to take action and you still won't be able to keep it."

  "It's said that this time, apart from the 'Refining Crystal Vein', they will also be competing for the 'Fire Crystal Vein' discovered a year ago. Whoever wins the 'Fire Crystal Vein' will get to claim it! The 'Refining Crystal Vein' of the Hidden Sect is just a small portion compared to the 'Fire Crystal Vein'. Those small sects are sharpening their knives, preparing to snatch the 'Fire Crystal Vein', and even the Sect Master has spoken out - if any sect obtains the 'Fire Crystal Vein', our Xuan Tian Sect will offer free cultivation of true transmission disciples, reaching the third-grade later stage, as a price for a share of the profits."

  "Huh!" Wentao took a deep breath. "Free help to cultivate a true disciple of the opponent to the late third grade? This is too generous, for those small sects, this temptation is almost fatal."

  Guifeng Ridge, Lin Heyan's dwelling cave, apart from him, there were two visiting guests.

  Xie Li's gaze had been curiously scanning the surroundings since he entered, sizing up this mysterious place that he could only guess about from outside but never got to enter.

  Although he is now in charge of "Wei Yin Zong", after all, he is only 14 or 15 years old and has not yet shaken off his innocent childlike heart.

  "My siblings and I have met with Lin Shixiong before, thank you for standing up at this critical moment, preventing the 'Diyan Sect' from falling into an abyss of no return."

  The two siblings bowed their heads in unison and gave three sincere bows towards the cup.

  Lin Heng hastily bowed and said, "It was just a casual move, it doesn't count as anything. If I didn't kill Yang Desong, he would have killed me for sure. So it's not only to help you all, but also for my own sake, you don't need to be so polite."

  Xie Li replied in a small, adult-like tone: "This time in danger, my sister and I don't know how many of Father's old friends and seniors in the clan we asked for help, but they all politely refused. Only Brother Lin, you were not afraid to offend Yang DeSong and Xuan Tian Sect, protected my sister into the array, and helped us kill the treacherous Yang DeSong."

  "If you weren't protecting my sister, Yang DeSong wouldn't have thought of investigating the Elder's 'Breath Symbol' to its roots, and it would be our siblings' fault that you got involved. Later on, you risked your life to kill Yang DeSong, this deep affection is not only remembered by us siblings but also etched in the hearts of the entire Tui Yin Sect."

  If it were someone else, even if they knew Yang Desong would check the "breath mark" to avoid offending Yang Desong and the powerful Xuantian Sect, they might immediately flee far away, or hand over my sister and brother to save their own skin. How could they be so foolish as to thoroughly oppose the Xuantian Sect? "Hmph, Lin Heng looked at Huajue with a new gaze, such a young age, yet seeing through the beginning and end of things so clearly, it's really beyond expectation.

  As Xie Li said, many people stood by and watched, or knew that it would harm their own interests, but did not dare to stand up. Fear of the great elder Yang De Song was one reason, and a bigger part was because they were afraid of offending the Xuan Tian Sect. Even someone like Lin Hong, at first, did not dare to recklessly provoke the Xuan Tian Sect.

  Xuantian Sect is too famous in the Han country, even in a small corner like Qili Gou, almost every child has heard of the three major sects of the Han country since birth. Shoujing Mountains are the location of Xuantian Sect, provoking Xuantian Sect here is equivalent to seeking death.

  Lin Heng smiled bitterly in his heart, I also wanted to leave, but my task is not yet complete, can I go?

  Xie Yin said: "We brothers and sisters have come, after feeling grateful, we also want to ask Lin Shixiong for one more thing?"

  Lin Lin showed a questioning gaze, seeing that both of them were serious, and could only say: "I don't know what's going on?"

  "We had a strong backing from our family in the past, and with the rise of wind and water, we rose from a small sect with less than 200 people to a major power in just 40 years. My father was a fifth-grade cultivator in his later years, and when he burst out with all his might, he could even defeat a sixth-grade cultivator in his early years. During his time at our sect, those smaller sects hardly dared to provoke us. Six years ago, he was ambushed by his arch-nemesis and suffered severe injuries, after which he went into seclusion in a mysterious place."

  "The highest achievement of the entire Tiande Sect has become Yang Desong, a fourth-grade cultivator in the later stage. Without my father, the Tiande Sect has been declining for years, getting worse day by day. The reason why Yang Desong wants to affiliate with the Xuantian Sect is not only due to personal selfish desires but also partly because the Tiande Sect is struggling to move forward and can no longer compete with other sects in the Shoujing Mountains."

  Xie Li slowly said, "Nowadays, even a strong fourth-grade cultivator like him is gone. The future of the Wei Yin Sect will be even more bleak. From what I know, in the past two days, many disciples have proposed to leave the sect, and people's hearts are panicking."

  Lin Huan bowed his head slightly and said: "Is that why you siblings have invited me as a guest elder?"

  His adoptive father's news of not returning home was kept strictly confidential, but he had told Xie Yin before and let her come in to check, so Xie Li should also know.

  The most powerful guest elder is not there, so invite him and temporarily deal with it, which is normal.

  Although Lin Huanxiu's cultivation was only in the late third grade, his qualifications were questionable. However, he openly killed Yang Desong, a fourth-grade cultivator, which exceeded the power that his realm should have demonstrated. Appointing him as the guest elder was equivalent to having a strong fighter who was not inferior to a fourth-grade cultivator.

  Xie Yin shook her head and said: "No, we want you to join the Ti Yin Sect and become an elder of the Ti Yin Sect."

  Xie Li added, "In the Zhi Yin Sect, my younger brother and I were young, so the elders temporarily managed the sect's affairs through me because of the sect's rules and my status as the Young Master. However, our strength was ultimately insufficient. If you were here, I could suppress them. From outside the sect, we need a strong person who can resist humiliation and protect the interests of the Zhi Yin Sect in competition with other sects. If we hire you as the Guest Elder, then you cannot interfere with our internal affairs."

  Lin Heng was taken aback and couldn't help but take another look at this young man.

  It's obvious that such an idea couldn't have come from Xie Yin, this simple and innocent little girl.

  In fact, he made himself join the Weiyin Sect instead of being a guest elder. Another reason is to maintain the appearance of "義父" returning, and to intimidate those with ulterior motives. If he also hired himself as a guest elder, even fools would guess that "義父" had not returned. In this way, without saying anything else, the Xuantian Sect will definitely go back and forth.

  Seeing Xie Li's eyes filled with a pleading and yearning gaze, Lin Heng thought for a moment before shaking his head and saying: "No way. If it were something else, I might consider it, but not this."

  Xie Li's sister and brother also predicted this answer, after all, with Lin Hong's cultivation, he is also the disciple of "Guest Elder", how could he give up everything to join Ming Ri Huang Hua, the already declining and hidden Ti Yin Sect.

  If he wanted to join a sect, with his qualifications, he would be in high demand by those large sects.

  Lin Hang didn't explain either, joining a sect is a lifelong matter, he wouldn't make a stupid decision just to help others.

  He is not Lei Feng, it's hard for him to have the realm of sacrificing himself for others.

  Xie Yin's big eyes were filled with tears, blinking and begging him: "Lin Shixiong, can you help us just one more time? Now, the only person we can trust is you."