Chapter 590: Lu Lihong’s Fortuitous Encounter

Chen Fengxiao continued, “The Youlan Twilight Trial has been held for so many years that no one can even count them anymore. So the sect already knows which areas are safe and which are dangerous. The places each hall is assigned to are basically fixed, and even the routes taken are fixed. On top of that, we’re escorted by outer sect disciples, so although there’s still the danger of being attacked by wild beasts, the risk is much lower. Even so, every time our Tuodan Hall comes out of the canyon, there are always casualties. Back when I took part in the Youlan Twilight Trial, we ran into a herd of wild boars on the way into the valley. They scattered our group, and quite a few disciples were bitten. More than a dozen were seriously injured, and they never made it back out.”

“Alas, I was lucky. I knew a little martial arts, and I stayed close behind the outer sect disciples the whole time, so I escaped without a scratch. But even that wasn’t the worst of it. I heard that during one trial, disciples from the Qiankun Hall had the misfortune of encountering a pack of wolves. Not even the outer sect disciples survived—they all perished.”

“Ah??? It’s that serious?” Zhang Xiaohua exclaimed in shock. “They’re just wild beasts. Even if the outer sect disciples couldn’t defeat them, couldn’t they at least use Qinggong to escape?”

Chen Fengxiao sighed. “Junior Brother Ren, you don’t know this, but the wild beasts in the Youlan Grand Canyon are nothing like the ones you usually see. Many of them are highly intelligent, practically becoming spirits. Back then, my Qinggong wasn’t good enough. When those wild boars charged like lightning, I barely managed to dodge them. If even wild boars are like that, there’s no need to mention those ferocious wolves. The outer sect disciples all possessed profound martial arts, yet they still ended up in the wolves’ bellies. As for disciples like us, there’s even less to say.”

After speaking, Chen Fengxiao sighed again before smiling bitterly. “Still, as long as you can make it out of the Grand Canyon alive, the rewards from the hall are quite generous. That’s why the disciples of our Herb Division have such a love-hate relationship with this Youlan Twilight Trial.”

Seeing Chen Fengxiao drift off-topic again, Zhang Xiaohua could not help but remind him, “Then how do Senior Brother Lu and the others undergo their trial?”

Somewhat embarrassed by the reminder, Chen Fengxiao scratched his head. “Once the outer sect disciples escort us to our designated area, they leave us behind and head to their own assigned trial grounds. Their trial consists of hunting wild beasts. The more beasts they kill, and the fiercer those beasts are, the more points they earn. As for which areas they go to, what kinds of beasts they hunt, and how the points are calculated, I have no idea. I only heard this from one of the outer sect disciples who went with me last time.”

“Hehe, you two went through life and death together. After you came back, why didn’t you ask him more about it?”

Zhang Xiaohua said with a smile.

Chen Fengxiao sighed. “Unfortunately, although that senior brother survived the wild boars and successfully escorted us to our destination, I heard that during his own trial, he encountered a venomous snake and died from its poison. I never even got to see his body.”

“Ah~” Zhang Xiaohua said in surprise. “Didn’t he carry antidote pills with him?”

“Of course he had Antidote Pills. It’s just that the pills we refine aren’t potent enough. Their medicinal efficacy is limited, so perhaps they weren’t able to neutralize the poison.”

“I see.” Zhang Xiaohua nodded, but his thoughts drifted to the antidote pills Qin Shiyue of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Cult possessed. He wondered whether the Heavenly Dragon Divine Cult’s pills would have been effective. Then he opened his mouth and asked, “Then…”

Before Zhang Xiaohua could speak, Chen Fengxiao waved his hand and said: “Junior Brother Ren, I can see you’re quite interested in the outer sect disciples’ trial, but I really don’t know much about it. The outer sect disciples have always been rather proud and don’t usually associate with ordinary disciples like us. If you want to know, why not ask Junior Brother Lu?”

Zhang Xiaohua slapped his forehead. Right, why was he asking Chen Fengxiao when there was an actual outer sect disciple right here?

Nearby, Elder Lei and the others were also talking with Lu Lihong about the Youlan Twilight Trial of previous years. Finding an opportunity, Zhang Xiaohua asked, “Senior Brother Lu, I’d like to ask how the outer sect disciples undergo their trial.”

Lu Lihong smiled with interest. “Junior Brother Ren, are your hands itching too? Do you want to test your skills in the Youlan Grand Canyon?”

Elder Lei laughed. “Martial Nephew Ren’s martial arts are quite good, but he only recently joined the Incense-Spreading Sect, and he’s still young. I don’t think he’ll have the chance for at least another ten years. He can think about it then.”

Beside them, Wu Zhouxu said somewhat enviously, “At least after ten years, he’ll have the chance to enter. Unlike those of us in the Pill Division—we don’t even qualify to enter the Grand Canyon.”

Chen Fengxiao also walked over and said, “As for the Youlan Grand Canyon, it’s just as well not to go. Otherwise, your Pill Division would end up like our Herb Division, constantly losing disciples. That’s why every few years we have to recruit new herb apprentices from the outside sects.”

Zhang Xiaohua suddenly understood. No wonder they brought ten herb apprentices from Spring Rebirth Valley every two years. That was probably one of the reasons.

Wu Zhouxu, however, disagreed. “Oh, come on. Every disciple in our Pill Division envies your Herb Division for having such a great opportunity. Sure, it’s dangerous, but without great risk, where would great rewards come from? If Senior Brother Lu hadn’t happened to find that spirit herb in the Youlan Grand Canyon back then, how could he have received an inner cultivation method bestowed by the inner sect? And without that cultivation method, how could Senior Brother Lu have cultivated successfully and passed the examination to enter Wuming Hall? Of course, Senior Brother Lu’s talent is exceptional—that goes without saying. There have been disciples before who also obtained inner cultivation methods but failed to master them. Still, without that cultivation method, wouldn’t Senior Brother Lu’s entry into the outer sect have been delayed by many years?”

Seeing Wu Zhouxu bring up his own past, Lu Lihong quickly smiled and said, “Weren’t we talking about the Youlan Twilight Trial? How did the conversation end up on me? Back then, I was just lucky.”

Zhang Xiaohua asked curiously, “What kind of medicinal herb did Senior Brother Lu find that it was actually called a spirit herb?”

Lu Lihong replied, “It’s no secret. Everyone in the hall knows about it. It was simply a three-hundred-year-old ginseng.”

“A three-hundred-year-old…” Zhang Xiaohua said in surprise.

“Ginseng itself isn’t anything remarkable. It’s just that its age was astonishing. Coincidentally, an inner sect master had been injured that year and happened to need that ginseng, so it was taken away by the inner sect disciples. Under ordinary circumstances, I might never have received the opportunity that came afterward,” Lu Lihong said modestly.

“Then what kind of inner cultivation method did Senior Brother Lu receive?”

Zhang Xiaohua asked curiously.

“Hehe, you’ll have to forgive this senior brother for not telling you. It’s nothing more than the complete version of one of our Incense-Spreading Sect’s ordinary cultivation methods.”

“The complete version?” Zhang Xiaohua was even more confused.

Seeing his expression, Chen Fengxiao explained: “Besides records on medicinal herbs and pills, our Tuodan Hall’s library also contains martial arts manuals. However, those are only the most basic ones. The subsequent stages of cultivation are all kept in Wuming Hall, or even within the inner sect. Junior Brother Lu was blessed with great fortune and managed to obtain a complete inner cultivation method.”

“Oh, so that’s how it is.” Zhang Xiaohua understood.

The Incense-Spreading Sect did not forbid ordinary disciples from practicing martial arts. It was simply that ordinary disciples could only cultivate the most basic martial arts, namely the first layer of the sect’s martial arts or introductory cultivation methods. Only the outer sect disciples of Wuming Hall were allowed to cultivate more profound martial arts, while advanced or top-tier cultivation methods were reserved for inner sect disciples, or for those who possessed the qualifications to cultivate them.

By a fortunate coincidence, Lu Lihong had obtained a complete cultivation method. Leaving aside the fact that it had been bestowed by the inner sect and could not possibly be poor, even if it were merely a mid-grade inner cultivation method, as long as it was cultivated to its highest level, he would still become an influential figure within the Incense-Spreading Sect’s Wuming Hall. It was no wonder Chen Fengxiao and Wu Zhouxu thought so highly of Lu Lihong.

However, judging from the fact that Lu Lihong had cultivated this inner cultivation method for so many years and still possessed less inner energy than Young Master Long of Soaring Dragon Manor, either Lu Lihong’s aptitude was limited, or the cultivation method itself was not particularly outstanding. Zhang Xiaohua had no interest in asking further.

So he said, “Senior Brother Lu, you still haven’t told me how the outer sect disciples’ trial works. Although I can’t participate in the Youlan Twilight Trial, I’m very curious about it.”

Lu Lihong burst into laughter. “Junior Brother Ren, you’re really an interesting person. I remember that after I returned from the Youlan Grand Canyon, every single herb apprentice from Spring Rebirth Valley who came to the Incense-Spreading Sect pestered me with questions about the scenery in the canyon and all the interesting things there. You’re the only one who’s interested in the outer sect disciples’ trial. What a peculiar fellow you are~”

“Ah?” Zhang Xiaohua was taken aback, then said with a completely serious expression, “So Senior Brother Lu saw through the one little secret I have? It seems Senior Brother Lu is quite an extraordinary person as well!”

At his remark, everyone was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. Pointing at Zhang Xiaohua, they laughed and said, “Who would have thought Junior Brother Ren was so humorous? Rare, truly rare.”

Seeing all his senior brothers, along with several of the elder offerings, laughing so hard they were doubled over, Zhang Xiaohua could not help rubbing his nose and laughing as well. “Why is it so hard to tell the truth?” he thought. “Not a single one of them believes me.”

After everyone had finished laughing, Lu Lihong said, “Everyone knows that the outer sect disciples’ trial consists of hunting ferocious beasts. However, the scoring system is considered confidential within the hall. Hehe, although it’s called a secret, so many years have passed that any disciple with a bit of seniority already knows it. Since Junior Brother Ren is so amusing today, I’ll explain it briefly. In fact, these elders probably know even more than I do.”

Elder Lei smiled and said, “Most of what we know is hearsay. It can’t compare to the detailed knowledge of a genuine outer sect disciple like you.”

“Not necessarily. The detailed scoring methods are only explained face-to-face by designated senior brothers after one has qualified for the trial. What I know is also nothing more than hearsay.”

There was a trace of loneliness in Lu Lihong’s voice.

Elder Lei and the others said nothing.

After all, the methods for earning points were matters belonging to Wuming Hall. If Lu Lihong had not been present, they could have discussed them freely, since they were secrets every disciple of the Incense-Spreading Sect would eventually learn. But with an actual outer sect disciple standing right before them, discussing his hall’s so-called “confidential information” in front of him would be tantamount to slapping him in the face.

After thinking for a moment, Lu Lihong said, “Anyone who has entered the Youlan Grand Canyon knows that it is filled with wild beasts. The common ones include wild boars, antelopes, and deer. The less common ones are wolves, tigers, leopards, and venomous snakes. Oh, and there are also the legendary Yellow Wind and Black Lightning!”

“Yellow Wind?”

“Black Lightning?”

Zhang Xiaohua asked curiously, “Yellow Wind? That’s supposed to be legendary? And what exactly is Black Lightning?”