“What?”
Lv You asked subconsciously. Su Li didn’t answer but smiled mysteriously. She instructed, “Get out now. I haven’t finished with the preparation. Call me when the tryout begins tomorrow. Do not disturb during this time.”
“Yes.”
Seeing Su Li had no intention to tell him, Lv You stepped out helplessly and kept on waiting in the outer room.
The peace came back in the room. Su Li’s bright eyes shined brightly. She wiped the universe ring on her left hand with another hand, and a pouch made by demon beast leather fell after a flash. There were poisonous materials, which Lv You had collected before, in the pouch.
“Tiandu Scorpion, Eyuan Worm…”
Su Li placed the bodies of the poisonous materials in front of her in the order she said silently. One could recognize a transparent layer around those toxic materials. The layer could prevent the toxicity from getting lost.
When the 21st item was placed, Su Li looked around the materials with a faint smile.
“Well done! The toxicity of the poisonous materials Lv You collected was kept in a complete state. If nothing goes wrong, I can refine at least three bottles of Tianxin Poisonous Powder. The time is short, and I have to begin right now…”
After deploying a sound-insulating tactical matrix casually, Su Li took a deep breath and concentrated her mind on dealing with the first poisonous item she just picked up.
Among the various poisons in the cultivation circle, Tianxin Poisonous Powder, which was just ranked to the second grade, could poison practitioners of Zhuji Realm to death, while the method of refining it could be practiced by third-grade poisoners!
Third-grade poisoners corresponded with practitioners of Jindan Realm! Besides, there were two or three similar second-grade poisons, methods of refining of which were much easier than that of Tianxin Poisonous Powder. They could be made successfully just by the refinement of Weizhen Fire.
So, Tianxin Poisonous Powder was of little value to normal poisoners, and no one would concoct it.
However, Tianxin Poisonous Powder was a perfect choice for Su Li, who hadn’t reached Zhuji Realm and couldn’t use Weizhen Fire.
She had spent her whole life in the illusion in toxicology. Compared with poisoners in the cultivation circle now, she might not have reached the fourth-grade but was much better than those third-grade poisoners.
As time passed by, the sun went up and down. When the sun rose the next morning, it became livelier than the day before in Wuyang Town.
Squeak —
The door of the back room creaked open. Lv You, who was counting the time with his eyes closed, woke up and looked back. He was deeply surprised.
Su Li had worn a grey robe, which was often seen on those casual practitioners, and covered her skinny body. A suit of black tights for action was seen indistinctly.
It was reasonable for her to wear in this way to avoid unnecessary attention. What surprised Lv You, was not the outfit, but the temperament Su Li emanated.
It was the natural coldness along with the experiences she had and the loneliness Lv You couldn’t understand. No one would expect that the real face of this woman belonged to a nearly 15-years-old girl.
Even Lv You couldn’t help doubting the identity of Su Li and began to speculate unrealistically.
“Come on; are you still in a daze?”
Came an emotionless voice, and Lv You woke suddenly. He opened the door in a hurry and bent over. Then he followed Su Li like an old butler and left.
In the meanwhile, another premium suite door in the opposite opened either. A young man in black was walking out, carrying a sword on his back. He glanced at Su Li and Lv You and walked straight downstairs without stopping.
“Master, that is Qi Chen! Living in a premium suite and having two tokens, this guy is not so simple as I have imagined!”
After being surprised for a moment, Lv You transmitted the sound to Su Li. Her eyes flickered, “Let’s go downstairs either. Why didn’t I see anyone from Huajian Sect?”
“Master, Huajian Sect and the other two sects have their stronghold in Wuyang Town, so, they don’t have to stay in the inn.”
Su Li was enlightened to hear that and nodded, “Let’s go directly to the square.”
…
Soon afterward, they arrived at the outside of the square. It was very close to the beginning time.
The tryout was about to begin, and it was overcrowded with viewers outside of the square. The clamor of the people bubbled up. What differed from the day before was an empty passage one person could go through, right in front of the square. At the entrance of the passage, two elders with deep pneumas were guarding. Beside the entrance stood a sign “Entrance to the exhibition.”
“Master, you can enter with the token. I will observe outside. You can transmit the sound to me anytime.”
As Su Li responded, she saw Qi Chen with a cold face being examined by the elders and walking in.
“It’s about time.”
Su Li didn’t hesitate anymore. While the practitioners around watched her with doubt and surprise, she walked to the entrance and handed the token over without saying a word.
The guarding elders took a glance at Su Li, and examined the authenticity of the token, nodding, “The token is real; let her pass.”
“I appreciate it, Elder.”
Su Li bowed slightly, expressionlessly walking into the passage.
Once she left, the noise was becoming louder.
“That is the token for Round Two, and she is a casual practitioner? A female casual practitioner takes part in the Shattered Spirit Secret Realm tryout!”
“Such a rarity! A female casual practitioner… I haven’t seen one for hundreds of years!”
“My time of practicing is short, and I’ve never seen one before!”
“That female practitioner looks not bad except that she is too skinny. She doesn’t seem to be excellent, incomparable with the first apprentice of Danxia Mount, Huajian Sect.”
“…”
Those viewing practitioners were discussing intensively.
There had always been more male practitioners and fewer female practitioners in the cultivation circle, and female practitioners were in a weaker position, especially among casual practitioners. As to those female practitioners who were able to survive on their own, the number was even less. Most of them existed by depending on the powerful, and they had a pretty face but no use.
In sects, the situation was slightly better. The more powerful the sect was, the more equal the status between men and women was. Just like Yuxu Sect and Zihan Sect, they would even set up positions for holy boys and holy girls and made them an icon of the sect!
Thousands of years ago, either the icon of Yuxu Sect, Su Li, or the icon of Zihan Sect, Su Zipei, was a female practitioner!
Lv You, who was standing in the crowd, couldn’t help but sneer in his heart to hear these remarks. How could these people from the bottom of the cultivation circle ever know the strength of his master?
As Su Li arrived in the square and got through the passage, the noise in her ears was getting much less. She was already inside the tactical matrix, which insulated most of the sounds from outside.
She glanced over and found twenty platforms were standing high in the middle of the tactical matrix. The battle had not yet started, so, they were empty. In the opposite direction to the platforms and out of the tactical matrix, there were three parts of seats, which were obviously reserved for the three sects.
“Hm? Immortal Bingshu doesn’t come today?”
Seeing the most eminent seat was still empty, Su Li frowned slightly. Since no one was there, she couldn’t verify her thoughts. She had to put it aside until she finished with the Secret Realm of Shattered Spirits.
As Su Li observed the surroundings, somebody was watching her.
“It’s her!”
Qi Chen, who was laying and resting at the edge of the tactical matrix, glimpsed at Su Li and then withdrew his gaze. He was on the alert. He kept calm as he met Su Li in the morning, but his heart was not quiet at all.
As Lv You didn’t disguise himself at that time and his memory wasn’t bad, he immediately recognized Lv You, knowing he was the elder of Jindan Realm who had exchanged the token for Round Two with him before.
“Could it be possible that she’s a descendant of that elder of Jindan Realm?”
Qi Chen recalled Lv You was as humble as a lackey in the morning and immediately denied his assumption. At the same time, he was more puzzled. If this girl had a splendid background, why would she come to compete for a place to enter the Secret Realm of Shattered Spirits?
It should be known that powerful sects didn’t even need to choose a candidate through the Shattered Spirit Tryout. The inherited disciples of those twenty-five sects, as long as they could get the approval of the elders in their sect, could quickly get a place to enter the Secret Realm directly.
He couldn’t figure out why Su Li chose this way.
“No matter what happens, she has an elder of Jindan Realm in her back. I should not offend her unless I have to…”
Thinking of this, he glimpsed at the practitioners around him with a secret smile, for only he was aware of the information.
In the twinkling of an eye, the beginning time was up.
The two guarding elders checked their time and closed the passage. They jumped into the tactical matrix to maintain its operation.
“Time is up, and the Shattered Spirits Tryout will begin soon! Those who haven’t arrived will be treated as giving up their qualification.”
The tall elder who showed up yesterday came forward, and his voice had spread all over the square. Two practitioners hadn’t arrived on time. Although they wouldn’t accept that, they had no guts to do anything against the three sects. They had to wait for the tryout result among the other viewers.
Seeing no objections, the tall elder felt relieved, and he glanced over the thirty-three casual practitioners in the tactical matrix, saying, “Now, please welcome the inherited disciples from Huajian Sect, Meng Sect and Yuling Sect!”
As soon as the words were spoken, all the inherited disciples sitting on the seats reserved for the three sects immediately stood up at the same time, turning them into streams of light and flying into the tactical matrix. The significant fluctuations immediately drew gasps from the crowd. And a serious expression appeared on the faces of those casual practitioners, who were already in the tactical matrix.
Those fifteen inherited disciples from the three sects were at least above the late phase of Zhuji Realm!
The strength was much more potent than those of casual practitioners!
Su Li stood on the edge of the tactical matrix and watched Fan Zisang, who looked solemn and lonely. In the past days, he had changed. The optimism in his temperament was getting less while he was getting dull.
Sensing the seal in Fan Zisang’s body, Su Li was relieved.
Then, her gaze landed on Yue Lin beside him. She could see the pride in Yue Lin’s eyes, and she sneered secretly.
“The rule for the second round is simple. Twenty high platforms are standing in the tactical matrix, and each represents a place to the Secret Realm. The tryout will last three days. If you can stay on the high platform in the last day, you will be qualified!”
The words of the tall elder reflected a cruel but real rule in the cultivation circle.
Strength decided everything.
“Only the real strong one has the chance to enter the Secret Realm of Shattered Spirits and find their serendipity. Now… the second round of the Shattered Spirits Tryout officially begins!!”