Su Shi'er originally had no intention of teaming up with anyone. Seeing this scene, he felt even less interested and shook his head decisively, "No, I'm more used to acting alone."
After speaking, he turned and squeezed into the crowd, finding an inconspicuous spot.
Zhu Hanwei wanted to persuade him further, but seeing Su Shi'er's firm attitude, he opened his mouth and then gave up, returning to his other three companions.
As soon as he approached, the young man at the third level of Qi Refining in the crowd rolled his eyes and said, "I told you not to call that kid, but you wouldn't listen. It's lucky he didn't come, or else we'd have another burden!"
"Exactly, that kid just started cultivating six months earlier than us, becoming a Qi Refining cultivator a step ahead. With his Mixed Spirit Root, he's probably only at the second level of Qi Refining at most. I'm at the peak of the second level now, ready to step into the third at any moment," agreed a square-faced young man beside him, speaking with a hint of pride.
"But that kid is quite arrogant, not knowing how to appreciate the opportunity. Does he think he can pass the trial on his own?" Another young man with an oval face pouted.
"Alright, enough about him. Once the trial is over and he fails the assessment, he'll regret being a servant disciple for life!" The young man at the third level of Qi Refining spoke again, putting an end to the topic.
Zhu Hanwei stood aside with a smile on his face, not saying a word.
But in his heart, he always felt that Su Shi'er wasn't that simple.
He clearly remembered that among the four of them, the fastest to cultivate was this Chen Tie, who took a full seven months to become a first-level Qi Refining cultivator.
Su Shi'er, of course, was unaware of this discussion.
He found another inconspicuous spot and continued to wait patiently.
As the sun was about to rise, the large square suddenly quieted down.
From the main hall, three figures emerged.
In the center was a man in a blue robe, with a ruddy complexion and white hair. He was Lu Mingshi, the Peak Lord of Luofu Peak.
Behind him were a young man and woman.
The man had sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes, handsome and tall, with a hint of arrogance in his demeanor. He was Han Yu, a genius who had joined Luofu Peak with Su Shi'er and others five years ago.
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The woman had a graceful figure, with eyebrows like spring mountains and eyes like autumn water, stunningly beautiful like a Heavenly Immortal. She wore a faint smile, revealing two small dimples, looking as gentle as a warm breeze. This woman was Xiao Yue, Lu Mingshi's granddaughter and the acknowledged first beauty of Luofu Peak.
The two walked side by side, looking like a golden couple. Their cultivation was astonishing, both at the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining.
Their clothes and shoes were much more luxurious than those of the others, emitting a faint glow. Each carried a blue and purple longsword on their back.
These clothes, shoes, and swords were all High Grade Ritual Artifacts.
Seeing these two, everyone in the square gasped. At this moment, it wasn't just envy but jealousy and resentment!
What is true wealth? This is true wealth!
Among the crowd, Su Shi'er also looked on with envy. What he could see was just three Top Grade Ritual Artifacts each; what about what he couldn't see?
He clearly saw that both Han Yu and Xiao Yue had a delicate little pouch at their waists.
Those were clearly Storage Bags.
"The Peak Lord's personal disciples are indeed different."
"But Han Yu's talent is just too strong. In just five years, he's reached the peak of the sixth level of Qi Refining! No wonder the Peak Lord favors him."
Su Shi'er wasn't surprised by Xiao Yue's cultivation realm. After all, five years ago, Xiao Yue already had some cultivation.
But Han Yu truly shocked him.
It was only at this moment that he realized the gap between a genius and an ordinary person.
However, he didn't lose his balance. He had no intention of comparing himself to anyone. He just wanted to steadily improve his strength, find that black-clothed person, and avenge his grandfather and villagers.
At this time, Lu Mingshi led Han Yu and Xiao Yue to the front of the square. He glanced over everyone with a calm expression and began to speak.
"This newcomer trial has only one focus, and that is to collect materials. The materials include those for crafting, pill refining, and various other materials."
"The final results will be based on the number of materials collected. Those who collect more than ten second-level materials can become official disciples."
"To help everyone better collect materials, the sect will issue each person a temporary Storage Bag, a comprehensive material guide, and a teleportation talisman."
"The teleportation talisman requires ninety days to charge with spiritual energy. After ninety days, it will automatically teleport the wearer back. Therefore, it must be kept safe and not lost."
...
Lu Mingshi spoke concisely, introducing the trial rules and mentioning some information about the ancient restricted area.
It was almost the same as what Su Shi'er had learned from Meng Tianyi, except for the process of discovering the restricted area.
After finishing his speech, Lu Mingshi quickly scanned the crowd, frowning slightly and shaking his head with some dissatisfaction.
Although there were many people in the square, in his eyes, they were mostly insignificant, like transparent people, not worth mentioning.
Sighing, he turned to look at Han Yu and Xiao Yue beside him.
"This trial is in a new place, and there will certainly be some danger, but also great opportunities."
"I can't rely on the others, Yu'er, this time it's mainly up to you! Although your senior sister's cultivation isn't bad, her strength is still slightly inferior to yours, so you must take care of her."
As he spoke, Lu Mingshi's face broke into a happy smile, looking amiable, with satisfaction written all over his eyes.
"Master, rest assured, your disciple will not disappoint you!" Han Yu said proudly, standing tall with a determined gaze.
Lu Mingshi nodded with satisfaction, ignoring the others, and continued to speak softly with Han Yu and Xiao Yue.
On the square, everyone became excited because of Lu Mingshi's words.
A newly discovered ancient restricted area, filled with countless treasures of heaven and earth?!
This news was quite explosive.
For many disciples with average aptitude, relying solely on hard work in cultivation would not lead to any achievements.
Only by using treasures of heaven and earth could they possibly advance further.
Even ants cling to life, and many servant disciples who had lost hope in their immortal path reignited the flame of hope at this moment.
Su Shi'er, blending into the crowd, remained relatively restrained. He had known this information for a long time. Unlike others' excitement, he only felt that this journey would be even more dangerous than imagined.
At the same time, two young boys in disciple's robes appeared, each carrying a large tray to the square.
The trays held brand new pouches, each about the size of a palm.
Those pouches were Low Grade spatial-type Ritual Artifacts, Storage Bags.
Using his identity token, Su Shi'er quickly received one.
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