106: Chapter 106 Glazed Mystic Sect

The terrifying pressure from the depths of the earth behind him closely pursued Ye Tian.

He had never felt such a suffocating sense of oppression; the soul-eroding black wind became even more violent and chaotic, and the force of the sand and stones whipped up against his protective True Essence grew stronger.

Ye Tian pushed his Blood Shadow Step to the limit, frantically releasing the Stellar True Essence within his body; if he held back now, his life would be forfeit here.

His figure flickered between rocks and crevices, covering dozens of zhang with each leap.

He didn't even dare to look back.

At this moment, Ye Tian had only one thought in his mind.

Burst out of the Black Wind Domain and escape the Meteor Star Great Rift Valley!

After an unknown amount of time—perhaps an hour or two, perhaps longer—that heart-palpitating pressure finally began to weaken.

But Ye Tian didn't dare to relax in the slightest until the soul-eroding black wind gradually subsided and the haze in the air thinned out, finally confirming that he had broken out of the Black Wind Domain's range.

Finding a hidden rock crevice, Ye Tian quickly slipped inside and leaned against the stone, panting heavily.

Ye Tian was drenched in sweat, his face pale from the exhaustion of his True Essence and that terrifying pressure; fortunately, his cultivation had improved significantly this time.

Had it been the Ye Tian from before he entered the Great Rift Valley, he likely would have been swallowed by that pressure and died in the depths of the rift.

Thinking back now, he was still filled with lingering fear.

"True Martial Realm... no, it was pressure likely far exceeding the True Martial Realm..."

Ye Tian recalled with lingering trepidation.

Had he not made a decisive choice, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

In the depths of this Meteor Star Rift, a great horror was definitely hidden.

Although curious, he knew that place was definitely not somewhere he could peer into right now.

He sat cross-legged, took a small jade bottle from the qingxuan ring, swallowed several Medicinal Pills to restore his True Essence, and circulated the Nine Revolutions Purple Heart Art supplemented by the Star Qi Induction Art to quickly adjust his breathing.

The recovery speed of his Stellar True Essence surprised him; that pure, high-level energy was also more efficient at absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.

At the same time, he carefully sensed the star core ring; the "star core" within still radiated boundless power.

The Incomplete Manual for the Taixu Star-Shift Steps also floated within the ring's space.

This trip to the rift, though he had narrowly escaped death, yielded the greatest gains since he stepped onto the path of martial arts.

His cultivation had jumped to the Peak of third-level Ningyuan, and he had obtained the Heaven Rank Cultivation Technique Star Qi Induction Art, the star core ring containing the Stellar Origin, and the Heaven Rank movement technique Incomplete Manual Taixu Star-Shift Steps.

Every single one of these was enough to incite the greed of those in the True Martial Realm or even stronger.

Having finished his meditation and recovered most of his condition, Ye Tian stepped out of the crevice, identified his direction, and headed toward the upper exit of the rift.

With his strength greatly increased, the return journey became much easier; ordinary Yao Beasts of the Ningyuan Realm no longer posed a threat and were easily dealt with.

He intentionally tested the power of his Stellar True Essence and found its quality far superior to before; when performing the Overlapping Wave Fist, the follow-through was more powerful and the burst stronger.

Supported by Stellar True Essence, the Blood Shadow Step was faster and lasted longer.

A few days later, Ye Tian emerged from the Meteor Star Great Rift Valley without further incident.

The moment he saw daylight again, the warm sunlight spilling over him gave him a sense of being in a different world.

Looking back, that bottomless, massive rift still stretched across the earth; thinking of the Martial Artists who had died inside, he felt moved for the first time.

"The path of martial arts has always been about the survival of the fittest..."

Ye Tian sighed softly and sped off toward Qingmu Town.

He needed to go back to rest for a while, dispose of some unnecessary gains, gather information, and plan his next move.

His cultivation had reached the Peak of third-level Ningyuan, much stronger than when he left Luo City.

But after witnessing the horror in the depths of the Black Wind Domain and the skeleton of that ancient stellar Cultivator, he knew his road was still very long.

Soon, Ye Tian returned to Qingmu Town.

The town was as bustling as ever; he checked into an inn discreetly, washed off the dust of travel, and changed into clean green robes.

Afterward, he went to the largest restaurant in town, chose a quiet window seat, ordered a few small dishes, and leisurely drank while gathering news.

Restaurants were always the places where information flowed the fastest.

Soon, the conversation of several Cultivators at a neighboring table caught his attention.

"Hey, have you heard? Something big has happened over in Liuli City!"

A man with a full beard lowered his voice.

"What else could it be? Isn't it just the Liuli Xuan Sect's once-a-decade mountain-opening disciple recruitment ceremony that's about to begin?" another chimed in.

"Exactly! This is the biggest event in our Northern Region! I heard that the Liuli Xuan Sect is offering more spots than in previous years, not just for the major families and Sects, but they've also relaxed the requirements for Loose Cultivators!"

"The Liuli Xuan Sect... that's a behemoth with Sea Transformation Realm powerhouses overseeing it! If one can join and receive their true Legacy, their future would be limitless!"

"Indeed! Now, talented young people from all over are preparing eagerly and rushing toward Liuli City! The assessment starts in half a month!"

"Alas, it's a pity we are already old and have average Aptitude; we don't have that kind of luck..."

The Liuli Xuan Sect, opening its doors to recruit disciples!

When Ye Tian heard these words, his hand holding the wine cup paused slightly, and a sudden, startling light erupted in his eyes.

The Liuli Xuan Sect was the undisputed overlord of the Northern Region's Canglan Realm!

Within the Sect, experts were as numerous as clouds, cultivation resources were countless, and the Legacy was ancient—far beyond what forces like the Blood Blade Sect or even the Liuyun Sect could compare to.

It was a platform that truly led to higher levels of the martial path!

His previous goal was Liuli City, simply wanting to gain experience in that world and look for Opportunities.

But now, a more direct path lay before him: joining the Liuli Xuan Sect!

With his current cultivation at the Peak of third-level Ningyuan, passing the assessment shouldn't be difficult!

Once inside the Sect, not only could he receive systematic guidance and high-level Cultivation Techniques, but he could also secretly search for clues regarding the secrets of the Black Fiend and the chaos bead!

The Sect's vast resources and connections would also allow him to avoid many detours.

To put it plainly, although he was a young Genius and had obtained many Opportunities...

...he was still self-taught, with no one to guide his cultivation.

A Martial Artist's cultivation was no child's play; with the slightest lapse in attention, one could suffer Qi Deviation, resulting in the loss of cultivation at best, or death at worst.

More importantly, the relatively safe environment of a Sect would allow him to temporarily avoid trouble from the Blood Blade Sect and the Liuyun Sect, letting him Cultivate in peace.

"I must go!" Ye Tian instantly made up his mind.

He quietly continued to listen, gathering more information about the assessment.

The assessment was divided into several stages, involving Aptitude, Comprehension Ability, Heart-Nature, actual combat, and other aspects, with extremely fierce competition.

Besides the Liuli Xuan Sect, other smaller Sects from the Northern Region would also set up testing sites to pick up the leftovers.

Just as he was lost in thought, a slight commotion occurred at the restaurant's entrance.

Ye Tian looked up and saw a familiar figure walking in, dressed in water-blue attire with a light veil over her face and a cold temperament—it was Mu Sisi.

She also saw Ye Tian by the window, and a hint of surprise flashed in her cold eyes, as if she hadn't expected to meet him here.

Her footsteps paused briefly; she didn't come over to greet him, but merely gave a slight nod from afar as a greeting before finding a seat in a corner alone.

Ye Tian nodded in return, understanding the situation.

It seemed that this mysterious woman was likely here for the Liuli Xuan Sect's disciple recruitment ceremony as well.

Given her strength and temperament, her background was surely extraordinary, and her goal was likely the Liuli Xuan Sect's true Legacy.

"Are the competitors already starting to gather..."

The corner of Ye Tian's mouth curled up; rather than feeling pressure, a strong fighting spirit surged within him.

It's only interesting when there are opponents!

Seeing that he had gathered enough information, he put down his wine cup, settled the bill, and stood up.

It was time to head to the Liuli Xuan Sect!