Zanxing

Chapter 13 - Ghost Hand Flower (1)

The golden gate of light remained motionless, not bouncing anyone away.

The woman passed through it easily, facing no obstacles.

"How... how is this possible?!" Wang Shao was shocked.

"Miss is amazing! She made it through the door!" Hong Su cheered and high-fived Old Niu, "Miss can definitely do this!"

Duan Xiangrao frowned and asked Wang Shao, "Didn't you say her cultivation was only at the first stage of Qi Refining?"

"It was," Wang Shao quickly followed through the gate, catching up to Zanxing, grabbing her wrist. "Wait!"

"Do you need something?" Zanxing shook off his hand.

"When did you establish your foundation? Before coming to Pingyang Town, you were just at the first stage of Qi Refining."

Zanxing looked at Wang Shao and after a moment smiled, "I owe it to that beast in the Su Mountain stream."

"The beast?" Duan Xiangrao, who had caught up, looked suspicious, "That 'Yu'?"

"I was dragged into the water by the beast, and after narrowly escaping, I obtained a demon core." Zanxing replied calmly, "Wang Shao knows that a demon core is equivalent to a third-grade spiritual medicine. Absorbing its energy helps cultivators breakthrough."

"Where's the core?" Wang Shao pressed urgently, his face turning pale. "You didn't...?"

"I refined it."

"Refined it?" Duan Xiangrao also exclaimed in shock.

"Wang Shao," Zanxing said with a soft tone, "The core was meant for you, but since we're no longer bound as husband and wife, I had no choice but to refine it myself and use it to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, so I could join you in this selection trial."

Wang Shao was furious. That demon core had helped Zanxing reach Foundation Establishment from the first stage of Qi Refining. If he had absorbed it, he might have even reached the later stages of Foundation Establishment or even formed a Golden Core!

"This woman wasted such a treasure!" he thought angrily.

Duan Xiangrao was equally upset, not expecting that a disfigured woman she had underestimated would trick them like this.

"Time's almost up," Zanxing nodded at Wang Shao. "See you at Wangxiantai." Without looking back, she walked towards the platform.

Behind her, Wang Shao clenched his fists, his eyes red with rage. "I'll kill her!"

Zanxing, unconcerned with Wang Shao's feelings, arrived at the base of Wangxiantai, where many cultivators who had passed through the energy gate were gathering. She glanced up at the Taiyan Sect disciples standing on the platform and noticed Senior Sister Ziluo speaking to a disciple when suddenly, she heard someone call her name.

"Yang Zanxing?"

She turned around to see a seventeen or eighteen-year-old boy, tall and slender, with wheat-colored skin. His wild and fierce gaze, combined with a patched-up outfit, gave him the air of a young predator, ready to strike. Though she had never seen him before, Zanxing instantly knew this must be the male protagonist of Nine Heavens, Mu Chengxiao. His presence and aura made him stand out, despite his ordinary appearance, and he exuded the unmistakable glow of a protagonist.

"You're not dead?" he asked, shocked.

"I barely escaped," Zanxing replied, feeling puzzled. According to the original story, Mu Chengxiao should have fallen into the stream and used the Xiao Yuan Pearl to power up and reach the Foundation Establishment Stage, giving him the edge to shine in the selection. But after she transmigrated into Miss Yang's body, she got the Xiao Yuan Pearl instead.

Yet, Mu Chengxiao was still here, meaning he'd passed through the energy gate. To do so, he had to have reached the Foundation Establishment Stage. Had he encountered another lucky opportunity?

Zanxing couldn't help but marvel. He truly was the male lead, always blessed with endless fortuitous encounters.

"Are you joining the selection too?" Mu Chengxiao asked incredulously. Wasn't she just a spoiled young miss who barely managed to reach the first stage of Qi Refining?

"Just here to observe," Zanxing replied. Thinking that the main plotline hadn't changed, she was relieved. Mu Chengxiao and Wang Shao were bound to clash, but at least she wouldn't be the scapegoat this time.

"I'm also disfigured. Wang Shao broke off our engagement," she added.

Mu Chengxiao looked at her strangely, unsure why she mentioned it.

At that moment, the last cultivator passed through the energy gate. On Wangxiantai, Senior Sister Ziluo smiled and said, "It seems everyone is ready."

She pulled out a small cone from her sleeve and threw it onto the platform.

With a loud rumble, smoke billowed from the ground, and a massive stone mountain rose up, resembling a giant white mushroom, slowly rotating.

"What is this, a spinning amusement ride?" Zanxing wondered.

"This is 'Lianshan Flower,'" Ziluo explained. "See the purple flowers on the mountain? You have one incense stick's time to climb the mountain and pick as many as you can. The top 120 who collect the most flowers will become disciples of the Taiyan Sect."

Zanxing realized it was a climbing challenge, with spots based on rank. However, the rotating mushroom mountain posed a significant challenge, especially for those prone to dizziness. To collect more flowers, they'd need to climb higher, leading to inevitable competition.

The surrounding cultivators were already gearing up, ready to try.

Ziluo smiled, "The trial begins now."

The incense stick was lit.