Cultivation starts from simplifying the exercises

Chapter 2048 The human heart is full of ghosts

Although Wei Zhongqian was disappointed that Chen Fei was cultivating the Heavenly Origin Technique, forcibly stripping a disciple of his natal plane was an act that was seriously inconsistent with Wei Zhongqian's consistent character and code of conduct.

Moreover, it was he and Cao Feiyu who personally went to Tianhai City to bring Chen Fei back to Danchen Sect, on the grounds that Chen Fei had inherited Chu Xuanyu's legacy. If they were to go back on their word now and ruin someone's path to deprive Xuanyu Realm of its power, it would be tantamount to slapping themselves in the face and would also tarnish the reputation of Cuiping Peak and Wei Zhongqian himself.

Despite Cao Feiyu's angry rebuke and Wei Zhongqian's rejection, Cheng Zhengchu's smile did not disappear; instead, it became even more pronounced.

He leisurely dusted off his sleeves, his gaze shifting between Cao Feiyu and Wei Zhongqian, before asking, "Junior Sister Cao, Senior Brother Wei, since you disagree with separating the Xuanyu Realm, what should we do now?"

"Should we have Chen Fei start revising his cultivation method immediately?"

He shook his head. "No one can say for sure how long it will take or to what extent it can be restored."

Or perhaps…

Cheng Zhengchu drawled out his words, looking at Cao Feiyu, "As Junior Sister Cao just said, we'll equip Chen Fei with an even stronger Tai Cang Divine Weapon, forcibly enhancing his combat power with external force?"

"Ah!"

Cheng Zhengchu chuckled lightly, "Divine weapons are indeed good, but they are ultimately external things. Moreover, how precious is a custom-made mid-grade Tai Cang divine weapon? Is it worth spending such a huge price to cultivate a disciple with a flawed foundation?"

Cheng Zhengchu's words once again brought the conflict to the forefront.

Without separating from the Xuan Yu Realm, one must confront the enormous drawbacks brought about by Chen Fei's Heavenly Origin Technique foundation. Whether it's the time-consuming and laborious repairs or the costly acquisition of divine weapons, both are extremely thorny issues.

Wei Zhongqian pondered for a moment, his gaze becoming even more profound. He slowly scanned the crowd present, finally fixing his gaze on the calm Chen Fei, his voice echoing in the silent training ground:

"Gentlemen, the debate has come to this point simply because of the flaws in Chen Fei's cultivation method and its impact on the future."

"But Chen Fei's current strength is evident to everyone just now, there is no problem with it. His ability to suppress Shi Zhou Shuo with an array shows that his current combat power is already among the best in his class."

"The Tai Cang Realm... that's something that happened later."

Wei Zhongqian's tone became more resolute: "On the path of cultivation, the foundation is important, but opportunity, temperament, and circumstances are equally important. No one can predict what the future holds."

After saying that, Wei Zhongqian turned his head and looked at Chen Fei with a complicated expression. He said slowly, "Chen Fei, I really didn't expect you to cultivate the Heavenly Origin Technique. It was my oversight that I failed to notice it back in Tianhai City."

Wei Zhongqian paused, his tone becoming solemn: "I said back then that if you passed the test, I would give you that sixteenth-grade low-rank spiritual material. Now, that promise still stands."

"Your duel with Shi Zhoushuo just now was the first test. You passed it, proving your strength."

"Now, the second test begins."

Wei Zhongqian raised his voice, making it clear to everyone, "Are you willing to participate in the Kunyuan Trial later?"

"The Kunyuan Trial is fraught with danger, but it is also the best place to test a cultivator's true combat ability, mental fortitude, and perseverance."

"If you can achieve a top-thirty ranking in this trial, then this sixteenth-grade low-rank spiritual material will still belong to you. At that time, I believe no one in the entire peak will have any objections!"

"Top 30?"

Wei Zhongqian's words surprised many people present. They hadn't expected the Kunyuan Trial, which had just been rejected, to be brought up again.

The Kunyuan Trial is an important trial for the fifteenth-level disciples of the Danchen Sect. It tests not only individual combat strength, but also survival, judgment, and ability to fight against demons and demonic cultivators in complex and harsh environments.

Each Kunyuan Trial involves a large number of fifteenth-level disciples, including elites from various peaks and even several true disciples.

To break into the top thirty in the Kunyuan Trial, which involves true disciples, is an extremely rigorous standard. This means that one must be among the top thirty of all fifteen-level disciples in the entire Danchen Sect.

There's really nothing to say about bestowing a sixteenth-tier spiritual material upon such a disciple.

Although Chen Fei's Heavenly Origin Technique remains a significant drawback that cannot be ignored, as Wei Zhongqian said, now is the time, and Chen Fei should use his current strength to seize the opportunities he has now.

What's to come is to come; we can plan for the future separately.

This is a compromise that can keep most people quiet for the time being.

All eyes turned to Chen Fei once again, awaiting his answer.

The top thirty in the Kunyuan Trial are not as simple as the battle against Shi Zhou Shuo just now; the dangers and competition there are far more brutal.

Cao Feiyu looked at Chen Fei with worry in her beautiful eyes, and wanted to advise him that it would be more appropriate to change his cultivation method.

The path of cultivation is long and arduous; who doesn't start with thousands or tens of thousands of years? Breaking through to the sixteenth level a little slower is nothing special. Steady progress and solid foundation building are the long-term solutions.

She was genuinely thinking of Chen Fei. Having witnessed Chu Xuanyu's demise, she understood even more the importance of staying alive and being stable.

In the end, Cao Feiyu remained silent. Wei Zhongqian's words had already given Chen Fei a way out, and any further obstruction would only create more trouble.

Under Cao Feiyu's worried gaze, and the curious, expectant, or disdainful stares of everyone around her, Chen Fei first smiled at Cao Feiyu and nodded slightly.

Then, he turned to face Wei Zhongqian, his expression becoming solemn, and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Disciple Chen Fei is willing to go to Kunyuan for trials."

"it is good!"

Upon hearing Chen Fei's unwavering choice, Wei Zhongqian's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed. A barely perceptible hint of admiration even flashed in his eyes.

Regardless of whether Chen Fei's future path will be bumpy, at this moment, facing the requirement of being among the top thirty in the Kunyuan Trial, he was able to accept it without flinching. This courage and this mindset are already enough to make him successful.

The matter was temporarily settled, and the crowd of onlookers gradually dispersed.

However, news of everything that happened today, especially Chen Fei's personal admission of cultivating the Heavenly Origin Technique, spread like wildfire throughout the entire Dan Chen Sect at an astonishing speed.

A newly joined disciple of the Danchen Sect should not generate much buzz. Even if his formation skills are impressive, it will only cause some discussion within a small area such as Cuiping Peak or Tianzhen Peak.

However, Chen Fei happens to be involved in a sixteenth-grade low-level spiritual material that remains unresolved.

This made his every move under scrutiny. And the news of his cultivation of the Heavenly Origin Technique instantly ignited public opinion throughout the entire sect.

"Heavenly Origin Technique? Did I hear that right? This kind of self-destructive cultivation method is actually practiced as a main cultivation method? And in my Dan Chen Sect?" Many disciples' first reaction was one of disbelief.

"That's not quite right. The Heavenly Origin Technique is, after all, a legacy passed down from the ancient Heavenly Court, and it has its own unique features. We'll talk about the future when it comes."

"What's unique about it?" some people scoffed.

"That's for people with powerful connections and abundant resources. What kind of connections does Chen Fei have? He just happened to inherit the plane of his senior brother Chu Xuanyu."

"That's right. Relying solely on oneself, without abundant resources and a comprehensive subsequent transformation plan, the Heavenly Origin Technique is indeed not a good choice. It's tantamount to cutting oneself off from the Great Dao."

Discussions about Chen Fei and the Heavenly Origin Technique erupted instantly among the various peaks of the Danchen Sect during breaks from tea and meals, and during cultivation.

Because that sixteenth-grade low-level spiritual material is a treasure that many disciples stuck at the peak of the fifteenth grade dream of and envy.

Now that it has been discovered that Chen Fei, this lucky guy, has such a huge fatal flaw, those who are resentful and jealous have naturally seized this opportunity to launch a massive attack and ridicule.

It was as if only in this way could they prove that Chen Fei was unworthy, and only then could they slightly alleviate the imbalance in their hearts.

Cuiping Peak, the disciple's courtyard to which Chen Fei was assigned, is located in a relatively quiet mountainside.

The courtyard is not large, but it is quiet. There is a small medicinal herb garden and several quiet rooms with complete restrictions, which is enough to meet the needs of daily cultivation and living.

Although the concentration of vital energy here is not as high as in the core area of ​​the peak, it is still far higher than that of ordinary caves outside.

On this day, the restrictions outside the courtyard gate were gently touched.

With a slight thought, Chen Fei opened the courtyard gate and saw a group of fifteenth-level cultivators, led by Venerable Tianxuan and including Le Boyang, who had come from Tianhai City to Danchen Sect, standing outside the gate.

Their faces showed concern, but also a hint of seriousness that was hard to detect.

"You've all arrived, please come in." Chen Fei stepped aside and led everyone into the small hall in the courtyard.

Everyone took their seats, and spirit tea was served, but the atmosphere was not as relaxed as when they usually reminisced. They had naturally heard about the recent events that were circulating within the peak and the Dan Chen Sect.

The three words "Tian Yuan Jue" were like an invisible shackle, weighing heavily on the hearts of everyone connected to Chen Fei.

"Chen Fei..."

After a moment of contemplation, Venerable Tianxuan spoke first, his brows furrowed slightly, his tone filled with genuine concern: "These past few days, I have specifically inquired about news regarding the Kunyuan Trial."

He paused, and seeing Chen Fei listening calmly, continued in a deep voice:

"The Kunyuan Trial is arguably the most severe trial within the Danchen Sect below the Tai Cang Realm."

"Yes!"

Le Boyang took over the conversation, his usual smile fading, his voice low and deep:

"Although the rewards for each trial are extremely generous, the casualties are also staggering. This does not even include those who are seriously injured and whose Dao foundation is damaged, and who never recover."

"Kunyuan is actually an outer branch fissure of the Flooding Abyss."

Another level 15 cultivator added, "There are many such branching fissures around the Condensation Abyss. Their spatial structures are quite complex and bizarre, sometimes stable and sometimes turbulent. The internal environment is extremely harsh, filled with chaotic demonic energy, broken rules, and dangerous spatial turbulence."

"For this reason, there are a large number of monsters lurking in these branch rifts, and because of the special environment, they are often more ferocious, cunning and difficult to deal with than monsters of the same level outside."

The Dan Chen Sect specifically designated these branch rifts as training grounds, firstly to hone the disciples through real combat, and secondly to periodically eliminate the demonic scourges breeding within these rifts, preventing them from growing too powerful and threatening the sect's defenses.

The group of people shared their findings about the dangers, environmental characteristics, and potential opportunities of the Kunyuan Trial, providing Chen Fei with detailed analyses and suggestions.

They knew that Chen Fei's formations were exquisite and his combat power was extraordinary, but the Kunyuan Trial was not something that could be won by strength alone. Intelligence, preparation, luck, and even defense against fellow disciples were all crucial.

"Senior Brother Chen, I heard that you can form teams during the trial, but the final ranking is based on individual gains. Should we wait for you to join us?" a cultivator asked tentatively.

Although their cultivation levels were mostly in the mid-to-late stages of the fifteenth rank, inferior to Chen Fei's, they could still serve as a help in crucial moments.

"I appreciate your kind intentions, but I will go alone on this journey!"

Chen Fei picked up his teacup, his gaze slowly sweeping over the concerned faces of everyone present, a smile spreading across his face.

Having decided to participate in the Kunyuan Trial, Chen Fei naturally did some research beforehand; he couldn't just rush in without knowing anything.

Within Kunyuan, there are far more demons than demonic cultivators, but whenever a demonic cultivator appears, they are all powerful among them.

The Dan Chen Sect disciples participating in the Kunyuan Trial are all at the sixteenth level or below in cultivation. However, there will also be Dan Chen Sect experts at the Tai Cang Realm in Kunyuan at that time, in order to prevent the appearance of demonic cultivators and monsters above the Tai Cang Realm who would slaughter the Dan Chen Sect disciples.

Therefore, participating in the Kunyuan Trial is dangerous not only because of the fifteenth-level demonic cultivators and monsters, but also because if you are unlucky, you may encounter demonic cultivators and monsters from the Tai Cang Realm.

In the blink of an eye, more than twenty days have passed like sand slipping through one's fingers.

Chen Fei leads an extremely regular and low-key life.

Aside from his daily meditation and breath control, he devoted most of his time and energy to understanding and analyzing all the information related to the Kunyuan Trial.

He collected a wealth of information about Kunyuan's geography, the characteristics of different types of monsters, past trial experiences, and various potential dangers and opportunities through the sect's library and the market.

Meanwhile, during this period, discussions about Chen Fei within the Dan Chen Sect not only did not decrease over time, but became more frequent as the date of the Kun Yuan Trial drew closer, with the topic gaining more and more attention.

Amidst the various discussions, most were pessimistic, and many were waiting to see him fall from grace or suffer a humiliating defeat. Chen Fei's name had become inextricably linked with words like overestimating his abilities and being impatient for quick success.

Shortly before the trial, a somewhat unexpected visitor knocked on the door of Chen Fei's courtyard.

The newcomer was dressed in a moon-white robe, unique to Tianzhen Peak and embroidered with intricate array patterns. He had a refined and scholarly air about him and introduced himself as an inner sect steward of Tianzhen Peak.

"Junior Brother Chen's talent is well known to our Peak Master and all the elders."

The steward smiled and said, "To be able to use formations to such a superb level, even surpassing Junior Brother Shi who only has the Earthly Origin Dao Foundation, based on such a special technique as the Heavenly Origin Technique, is truly astonishing..."

His words were tactful, but the meaning was clear: Chen Fei cultivated the Heavenly Origin Technique, which had the weakest combat power, yet he was able to suppress the Earthly Origin Dao Foundation. No matter how you look at it, he was a genius in formations.

Tianzhen Peak specializes in array formations, so naturally they are eager to find talented individuals with unrefined array skills.

"Junior Brother Chen, would you be interested in joining my Heavenly Array Peak sect?"

The steward extended an olive branch, saying, "Our peak will definitely do its best to cultivate you and provide the best environment for array inheritance and cultivation. Even for a sixteenth-grade low-level spiritual material, our Heavenly Array Peak cannot provide such a promise at the moment."

"but……"

The steward changed the subject, "Our peak can help junior brother change his main cultivation method to one more suitable for array cultivation to the greatest extent possible, and provide corresponding resource subsidies to help junior brother consolidate his foundation."

Chen Fei did not immediately accept Tianzhen Peak's invitation, saying that he needed time to consider it.

In the early morning, before the mist had dissipated, dewdrops clung to the grass leaves.

Chen Fei pushed open the courtyard gate, his expression calm, preparing to head to the Dan Chen Sect's mountain gate for the assembly.

Chen Fei had barely stepped out of the courtyard when she saw a familiar figure in light blue standing quietly at the corner of the path ahead. The morning breeze stirred her clothes and hair, creating an effect like a delicate ink painting; it was Cao Feiyu.

Sensing Chen Fei's presence, Cao Feiyu slowly turned around.

"Are we leaving?" Her voice was soft.

Chen Fei was slightly taken aback, not expecting Cao Feiyu to be waiting here. He nodded and said, "Yes, Senior Sister Cao."

Cao Feiyu took two steps closer, her gaze lingering on Chen Fei's face for a moment. Then, she suppressed her smile and her expression became serious: "Chen Fei, don't be reckless in the Kunyuan Trial."

"Remember, be wary not only of demonic cultivators, but also of your fellow disciples."

Chen Fei's gaze sharpened slightly. He met Cao Feiyu's eyes for a moment, nodded solemnly, and said in a deep voice, "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister Cao. I will keep it in mind."

Then, Chen Fei cupped his hands to Cao Feiyu, turned around and transformed into a streak of light, flying towards the Danchen Sect's mountain gate.

Before the massive mountain gate of Danchen Sect, the place was now bustling with activity and filled with the shimmering light of spiritual energy.

Fifteenth-level disciples, dressed in the attire of their respective peaks, have already gathered here.

They either chatted in small groups or stood alone with their eyes closed, resting.

Just as Chen Fei's figure appeared at the edge of the mountain gate square, looking for a relatively quiet place to wait.

"Look, Chen Fei is here."

As if receiving some unseen command, a considerable number of eyes in front of the mountain gate converged on the direction where Chen Fei was.

In those gazes, there was pure curiosity and inquiry, undisguised scrutiny and evaluation, and even more so, the anticipation of watching a good show about to unfold.

Amidst this complex gaze, Chen Fei keenly sensed that several undisguised hostility, even murderous intent, had briefly locked onto him.

However, these cold gazes came and went quickly, disappearing as if they were illusions and vanishing back into the crowd.

Just as Chen Fei was quietly adjusting his breathing in a corner of the mountain gate, dozens of familiar auras approached from afar.

Chen Fei opened his eyes and saw Le Boyang, Venerable Tianxuan, and the others walking briskly through the crowd. Their faces were filled with worry and genuine concern, a stark contrast to the onlookers' gazes.

"Chen Fei, is everything ready?" Chang Xiwen spoke first, his voice loud and clear. He patted Chen Fei's shoulder forcefully, his movements still bold, but a hint of unease lurked deep in his eyes.

Venerable Tianxuan carefully examined Chen Fei's complexion and said in a deep voice, "Chen Fei, Kunyuan is dangerous. You must be cautious in everything you do, especially beware of the treacherous nature of people's hearts!"

Chen Fei smiled and nodded slightly.

About half an hour later, a deep and loud hum came from the sky, like the breath of an ancient beast, which drowned out the noisy voices in front of the mountain gate.

As everyone looked up, they saw the clouds in the distance churning violently, and a dark black flying boat tearing through the sea of ​​clouds, slowly approaching.

The flying boat was so large, like a moving mountain, that its shadow enveloped the entire mountain gate plaza, bringing an indescribable sense of oppression. (End of Chapter)