Dashing Student

Chen Nan's speed was extremely fast, his entire being transforming into a blue shadow as he raced down the rugged mountain path!

In his mind, the scene of the duel with that young man in fancy clothes flashed through his mind.

That guy was only in the early Foundation Establishment Stage, yet his Fireball Technique had such power!

Though the True Qi of his "Scripture of the Hidden Talisman" had a cold and eerie characteristic, he needed to quickly enhance both the volume of his True Qi and his understanding of spells!

In this Kunlun Mountain Small World, the gap between cultivators was even greater than that between the martial artists of the mundane world!

"Roar!"

A beast's roar and a cultivator's scream suddenly erupted ahead!

Chen Nan frowned, his figure flashing to the front!

He saw an enormous Black-striped Demon Tiger pressing a loose cultivator in a tattered Daoist robe firmly beneath its claws!

The loose cultivator had a ghastly, bloody hole in his chest, with fresh blood gushing out, clearly beyond saving!

The demon tiger clamped down on a piece of Spirit Grass emitting a faint red halo that had fallen beside the loose cultivator, and with a mighty leap of its hind legs, turned to disappear into the dense forest!

At this moment!

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Two fierce sword lights descended from the sky, swift as lightning!

"Squelch!"

"Squelch!"

The sword lights pierced accurately through the demon tiger's head and heart!

The demon tiger let out a pitiful wail, its massive body collapsing to the ground, stirring up a cloud of dust!

Two cultivators in identical blue clothing, both at the mid Foundation Establishment Stage, floated down gracefully.

One of them deftly walked to the demon tiger's body, skillfully cutting open its head to retrieve a pigeon egg-sized demon core emitting a faint bloody scent, and satisfied, stored it in his storage bag.

The other bent over to pick up the reddish Spirit Grass, casually dusting off the dirt before putting it away.

Throughout, they didn't spare the dead loose cultivator a glance, as if it was nothing more than an irrelevant corpse.

After finishing, the two exchanged a glance and swiftly disappeared into the depths of the mountain forest.

Survival of the fittest!

That is the Kunlun Mountain Small World!

Chen Nan clenched his fist!

Power!

What he needed most now was power!

Nie Xiaoyu was still waiting for him at Yuantian Sect!

He had no time to waste!

Without hesitation, he immediately searched around and found a relatively secluded cave.

Once inside, he sat cross-legged, the "Scripture of the Hidden Talisman" cultivation technique frenziedly operating within him!

Boom!

Inside the cave, the extremely rich nature's spiritual energy seemed to be strongly attracted, transforming into visible white streams and frantically pouring into Chen Nan's body!

As soon as this pure spiritual energy entered his meridians, it was rapidly refined by the "Scripture of the Hidden Talisman," transforming into even purer, more concentrated True Qi!

Such cultivation speed, in the energy-poor mortal world, was simply a fantasy!

Chen Nan could clearly feel his Dantian's True Qi rapidly growing in strength, relentlessly pushing against the bottleneck of his cultivation!

Peak of the early Foundation Establishment Stage!

Just a sliver more!

Just a sliver more, and he could break through to the mid Foundation Establishment Stage!

"Hoo!"

Chen Nan let out a deep breath and temporarily stopped cultivating.

While he hadn't broken through in one go, his True Qi was now several times more solid than before!

His strength had significantly advanced!

"I must quickly enhance my strength, and I can't miss out on elixir pills and magic artifacts!"

Chen Nan ceased his cultivation, got up, and after identifying the direction, dashed towards the cultivator gathering place Lin Yiyi had vaguely mentioned.

Half a day later.

The outline of a sizable town built along the mountain appeared before Chen Nan.

At the town entrance stood a towering green-black rock, several zhang high, with the words "Spirit Grass Collection" boldly and anciently engraved on it, exuding a quaint aura enriched by time.

The town's streets were wide, paved with blue stone, and flanked by countless shops.

Cultivators bustled back and forth, with cries of selling and bargaining rising and falling, presenting a bustling scene.

Chen Nan walked up to a stall selling elixir pills, where an old man with graying beard was the vendor, his cultivation at the Qi Refining Great Perfection.

While his eyes scanned over the elixir pills, his ears keenly picked up the conversation of several nearby cultivators engaged in animated discussion.

"Hey, have you heard? The Yuantian Sect! Yuantian Sect is opening its gates to recruit disciples again!" a cultivator with a sharp face eagerly whispered, unable to hide the excitement in his tone.

"Really?! When does it start? Where is it? Are there any requirements?" a young cultivator eagerly inquired, his face flushed with excitement.

The sharp-faced cultivator proudly held back a little, clearing his throat.

"At the beginning of next month! The location is Yuantian Peak! Rumor has it that this time the Yuantian Sect has relaxed its requirements for recruiting disciples. As long as you're below the Foundation Establishment Stage, regardless of whether you're a loose cultivator or from a small family, you have a chance to take the test!"

"Hiss!"

A collective gasp rose around them.

The sharp-faced cultivator was even more pleased: "It's absolutely true! Moreover, if you pass the test, you'll have the chance to become a personal disciple of an Inner Sect Elder at Yuantian Sect! Then, abundant cultivation resources and profound secret techniques would be at your disposal!"

Chen Nan's heart shook violently!

Wasn't Nie Xiaoyu forcibly taken away by an Elder of Yuantian Sect?!

If he could pass this recruitment ceremony and successfully join Yuantian Sect, it would undoubtedly be the best way to get close to Nie Xiaoyu and bring her back from Yuantian Sect!

This opportunity, he absolutely couldn't miss!

He must go to Yuantian Peak!

Chen Nan made up his mind instantly.

He selected a few bottles of basic healing and True Qi recovery elixirs from the stall, paid with spirit stones, and casually inquired with the elderly owner:

"Old man, how difficult is the Yuantian Sect's recruitment test?"

The old stallkeeper took the spirit stones, glanced up at Chen Nan, seeing his youthful age, simple Daoist robe, but subtly sensing the aura of early Foundation Establishment Stage on him, a flicker of surprise appeared in his eyes before he chuckled,

"Young man, do you also want a shot at Yuantian Sect?"

The old man smacked his lips, "It's about as hard as ascending to heaven! What is Yuantian Sect? It's the top Immortal Gate in our Yan State! Every time they recruit disciples, not eighty thousand, then at least a hundred thousand prodigies from across Yan State and even other states come upon hearing the news!"

"Among these, only a hundred or so get selected in the end! It's like a thousand troops crossing a single log bridge!"

The old man paused, then added, "However, given your young age and that you're already at the early Foundation Establishment Stage, your talent must be extraordinary! Compared to those still wandering in the Qi Refinement Realm, your chances are significantly higher!"

"Thank you for the information, elder." Chen Nan cupped his hands in respect.

He stowed away the basic healing and Qi recovery elixirs he had purchased, left the Spirit Grass Collection, and after orienting himself, continued on towards Yuantian Peak.