The End of the Immortal Path

Chapter 238 - 163: Got My Hands on Something Good

Zhuo Ling stood atop a mountain peak within the First Courtyard’s territory. The Spiritual Qi was so thin here that even grass and trees struggled to grow.

It was practically a barren wasteland.

It would take countless years for the Spiritual Qi to blanket this area.

"Miss Zhuo, are you planning to deal with that Jiang Man?" a man beside her asked.

Zhuo Ling was silent for a moment before saying, "Not exactly. I don’t want to be his enemy, either. The family clearly wants to win him over."

"I can’t go against the family."

Zhuo Ling understood her cousin’s plan.

But she didn’t agree with the method.

"Then, Miss Zhuo, if you run into him, what exactly is the plan? Do you need our help?" the woman on her other side asked.

She was also quite curious about this Jiang Man.

After all, few people would so openly advocate for all-night Cultivation.

People like that usually hid in the shadows.

They were terrified of being discovered cultivating all night.

Because in everyone’s conventional wisdom...

...cultivating all night wasn’t something honorable, but rather a way to burn one’s future to illuminate the present.

’So how should one evaluate this person?’

’Unafraid of worldly judgment?’

’Or just arrogant and ignorant?’

They weren’t interested in common arrogance.

But an arrogance of this magnitude... they were somewhat eager to witness it for themselves.

They wanted to see for themselves just how strong someone who praised all-night Cultivation so highly could be.

Someone with great Talent who also cultivated all night should be much stronger than an ordinary genius.

But by how much, they couldn’t possibly know.

They wouldn’t have a clear idea without clashing with him at least once.

It would also serve as a benchmark for the future.

Zhuo Ling said calmly, "I just want him to understand that there’s a gap between us. But if he needs something, I can help him out. After all, a fight is to determine rank, not because we have a grudge."

’She was just unwilling to accept it.’

’She had worked so hard to get where she was, only to seemingly end up as a sacrifice.’

’She had her pride. She had gotten this far through her own Talent and hard work.’

’In the future, she too could hold up a piece of the sky for her family.’

’And not...’

’...be forced to cast aside her pride to win over a man who was burning away his future by cultivating all night.’

’And the fact that Zhuo Bufan held him in such high regard made her even more defiant.’

’It felt as if all her years of hard work had suddenly been negated.’

’So she had to prove herself with facts.’

’That she, Zhuo Ling, could rely entirely on her own Talent to go further and further.’

’She would not disappoint her family.’

The woman beside her smiled. "No need to rush. It’s not even certain you’ll run into him. After all, our rankings are very high. If someone from the Seventh Courtyard actually manages to catch up, then he’s someone we truly can’t underestimate."

The man nodded in agreement. "Indeed. If he can reach a point where we encounter him, that alone will be a testament to his strength. If we do fight, we should show some restraint."

"There’s no need to completely crush him."

’What if...?’

’What if a prodigy like him could truly defy expectations?’

’Antagonizing someone like that would be a bad idea.’

’They had to consider not just themselves, but also the families behind them.’

’If they made an enemy of him, they would have to offer a formal apology, and who knew how much Spiritual Source they would lose.’

’It wasn’t worth wasting the Spiritual Source needed for their own improvement just for a moment of satisfaction.’

——

Jiang Man felt no particular attachment to the Second Courtyard’s territory.

Compared to the allure of a treasure, he felt he could completely abandon his ranking in the Second Courtyard’s area.

’If I don’t find a treasure that can unlock my Talent, then...’

’...it wouldn’t be embarrassing to come back and work on my ranking later.’

’After all, no one knows my true intentions.’

’As for their guesses, they can think whatever they please.’

’But soon enough, they will see me display my power and ascend to the Golden Core realm with absolute dominance.’

’Once that happens, any speculation about me will turn positive.’

’They will assume my every action holds a deeper meaning.’

"We might run into people from the First Courtyard at that place. Although many have searched it before, there are always those who want to try their luck, hoping to find a hidden treasure."

"Of course, there might also be some Cultivation Skills or Magic Skills there," Su Qinya explained.

Jiang Man nodded. "Will they attack?"

"They might," Su Qinya said after a moment of thought. "The assessment for the First, Second, and Third Courtyards is all about rank. Since rank can’t be calculated simply from competing over Cultivation Skills, some people will take the initiative to attack others."

"The more people you defeat, the easier it is to raise your rank."

"And they’ll use a combination of Arrays, Talismans, and even poisoned Spirit Medicines."

"Their methods are endless."

Gao Rong asked curiously, "Why do they care so much about rank?"

’He actually knew the answer, but Jiang Man seemed completely clueless, so he asked first so the other man wouldn’t have to.’

"Because reaching the top fifty grants you direct qualification for the Promotion Secret Realm." Su Qinya paused, then added, "For the First and Second Courtyards, if they get into the top fifty this time, they’ll have a chance to enter the Promotion Secret Realm next month to compete for a Promotion Skill."

"The Promotion Skill is divided into the First Skill, the Second Skill, and the Third Skill."

"The competition is mainly based on one’s Cultivation Skill, Cultivation, overall standing, and Heart Spirit."

"Those with a higher comprehensive standing will naturally be able to obtain the Third Skill."

"What if you’re not from the First or Second Courtyard?" Jiang Man asked.

"Making it into the rankings means you’ve qualified. As for when you can actually enter the Promotion Secret Realm, I have no idea," Su Qinya said.

Jiang Man wasn’t concerned.

’I’ll probably have to file a special application anyway.’

’I’ll leave the pressure to Mr. Yan.’

’For now, I’ll just focus on qualifying.’

By evening, Jiang Man and the others arrived on a mountain peak via Sword Control. There were numerous buildings here.

Many of the houses were ancient and dilapidated, but some areas were shrouded in mist, giving them an extraordinary appearance.

Jiang Man frowned. "I don’t feel anything."

Gao Rong also looked around. "Besides a sense of mystery, I can’t feel the slightest trace of power."

"That’s right. Many people have come to this place and inspected it multiple times. The areas within the mist have also been investigated by quite a few people."

"But, unsurprisingly, no one has ever found anything."