Chapter 385: Chapter 354: Netherworld Ascension Spell!
At this moment.
On the entire sect square, dozens of disciples held their breath, their expressions becoming incredibly tense.
Wang Hao clenched his fist tightly, staring intently at Chen Tianchen on the high platform, his face flushed with excitement and nerves.
"Come on."
On the high platform, Chen Tianchen smiled and gestured towards the curtain on one side.
The next moment.
The curtain was lifted, and a slender, scholarly-looking young man with a refined face walked out from behind it, standing beside Chen Tianchen.
"Fourth Peak Master."
Wang Lin respectfully cupped his hands towards Chen Tianchen.
As Wang Lin stepped forward.
The previously noisy sect square instantly fell silent, turning deathly still.
Everyone was gaping in disbelief at Wang Lin, who stood on the high platform clad in luxurious black robes with the twelve emblems of sun, moon, and stars embroidered on the cuffs!
"How... how can it be him?!"
"Wasn’t this person eliminated long ago?"
"How did he become the Saint Son?!"
The entire sect square erupted in a roar.
Wang Hao couldn’t help but shout, "Elders, is there a mistake? His name is Wang Lin, I’m Wang Hao!"
A cacophony of voices arose.
"Silence!"
On the high platform, Elder Zhaoguang and Elder Guichen’s expressions darkened as they issued a low shout.
This shout, falling into the ears of the novice disciples, was like thunder piercing their ears, instantly making their knees go weak, with their hearts feeling as though seized by an invisible hand!
In an instant, the faces of the novice disciples turned pale, cold sweat broke out on their foreheads, and they dared not make a sound.
Nevertheless, Wang Hao, Wang Yi, and several other disciples still suppressed their fear, stubbornly looking at Wang Lin on the high platform.
They refused to accept it!
Behind the high platform.
"Patriarch, do you need our help? We could easily fabricate a reason to cover it up, just say that after testing, Wang Lin turned out to be one of the ten Divine Bodies..."
An elder frowned and said.
"No need."
Chen Zhixing sat on a large chair made of black golden dragon wood, took a sip of tea, and then watched Wang Lin on the high platform with interest.
He also wanted to see how Wang Lin would handle this situation.
"But..." That elder wanted to say more.
Chen Zhixing had already put down his teacup and smiled calmly, "You can protect him for a while, but can you protect him forever? To resolve this, he must rely on himself. The disciple I want is not a flower in the sunlight, but one who can blossom with thorns even in the darkness."
On the high platform.
The eyes full of doubt were like knives, directed at Wang Lin.
Wang Lin’s face remained expressionless.
Even before stepping onto the platform, he had anticipated facing countless doubts and criticism.
In fact, not only did they doubt him, he somewhat doubted himself too.
But...
He understood that standing on this high platform, he represented not only himself but also Chen Zhixing standing behind him!
He must not show any sign of fear!
"In three months’ time, if I fail to win the top spot in the novice disciples’ contest, I will voluntarily leave Ziwei Mountain!"
Wang Lin spoke calmly.
Then, amidst the startling voices, Wang Lin walked down from the high platform, step by step, with firm steps.
Afterward, the novice ceremony drew to a close, and Chen Tianchen announced that there would be seven days for the newly admitted disciples to return home to bid farewell to their family; after that, without the family’s permission, they cannot leave Ziwei Mountain.
Chen Zhixing went on stage at the last moment to encourage some words to the new disciples.
Chen Zhixing’s presence naturally brought the atmosphere to its peak, as the new disciples all had looks of fervent excitement, their faces flushed with zeal.
Thus, the novice ceremony drew down its curtain.
...
...
Third Peak.
Two figures squatted at the sect gate, one large and one small, their heads close together.
"Senior Brother?"
"Second Junior Brother?"
"Eeh ya eeh ya ~~!"
Little One Shi Huang seemed to possess a charm, quickly closing distances and making people like him.
These two figures, in the endless years to come, both became unparalleled existences; here at the sect gate, they began their first meeting.
"Junior Brother, I’ll protect you well in the future!"
Wang Lin patted his chest with full seriousness.
"Okay okay!"
Little One joyfully clapped his hands, though he felt that this Senior Brother might not be able to fight him.
"If you want to protect the Little One, you’d better work hard."
A booming laugh sounded.
Wang Lin and Little One quickly looked up.
"Master!"
Wang Lin quickly stood respectfully and bowed to Chen Zhixing.
"Master Hug!!!"
Little One opened his arms and eagerly fell into Chen Zhixing’s embrace.
"Come, Master will take you to eat."
Chen Zhixing smiled and rubbed Little One’s head, then carried him into the Third Peak’s main hall.
On a piece of green stone, Chen Buqi was gazing up at the sky in a daze.
"Little Brother..." Little One’s eyes brightened, just about to shout.
Buzz!
Chen Buqi was instantly startled, turned his head dully to look at Little One, and then, as if seeing a ghost, vanished into thin air in a fleeing shadow.
Little One’s enthusiasm was more than the socially anxious Chen Buqi could handle.
During lunch, Little One buried his head in a jade bowl larger than his head, gobbling down large mouthfuls, leaving Wang Lin dumbfounded on the side.
"Little... Little Junior Brother, slow down, don’t choke."
"Burp~~~., It’s okay, I can eat eight more bowls!" Little One lifted his head, giggling in a childlike voice.
Chen Zhixing put down his chopsticks, contemplated briefly, and then handed two ancient books to Wang Lin.
"Lin’er, as your master, I offer two methods. The first method is the Five Spirits Qi Collection Method, our Ziwei Chen Family’s clan secret technique, which absorbs the five elemental energies - metal, wood, water, fire, earth - to increase cultivation. Once mastered, it grants Primordial Power, rarely facing rivals of the same level! However, despite its strength, it severely tests one’s aptitude and constitution; the more one advances, the harder it becomes!"
"As for the second method... it’s called ’Netherworld Ascension Spell,’ which has nine levels. While cultivation doesn’t test aptitude, it demands great perseverance since it requires practicing in extremely frigid places, absorbing the desolate Death Qi to strengthen cultivation! The pain involved is akin to slicing with a thousand blades, scraping bones and flesh, indescribable to outsiders!"
The key is that while cultivating this method, one must bring oneself to the brink of death. If careless... at the least, one’s meridians are completely destroyed; they risk qi deviation. At worst, it means real death, the person dead and their tao gone."
"From ancient times to the present, no one has ever survived to achieve the ninth layer of this method."
"How you choose is up to you."
Once spoken, Chen Zhixing pushed the two Cultivation Techniques before Wang Lin.
Netherworld Ascension Spell!
This was what Wang Lin originally cultivated in Chen Zhixing’s memory, in the game ’Great Cultivation.’ As fate would have it, the Ziwei Chen Family’s Scripture Pavilion contained this method, so he slightly modified it before giving it to Wang Lin.
This method was a thorough demon skill, requiring one to endure the bone-eroding pain from icy energy constantly, and carrying the risk of falling at any moment.
However, its advantage was that it didn’t test one’s aptitude and constitution. If one could endure the pain, the early cultivation level would increase at an exaggerated speed!
In the game’s storyline, Wang Lin chose this method, yet it was driven by desperate circumstances of being hunted down, life hanging by a thread.
But now it’s different.
As the Ziwei Saint Son, Wang Lin’s prestigious status granted rich resources, making it entirely unnecessary to take such risks of facing potential death and disappearance.
He also wanted to see.
With the storyline thoroughly disrupted, which path Wang Lin would take when facing two different roads.
"Master, does this ’Netherworld Ascension Spell’ allow faster cultivation?" Wang Lin asked.
"Yes."
"Then I’ll choose ’Netherworld Ascension Spell’!" Wang Lin’s voice was calm yet utterly determined.
Chen Zhixing gazed at him deeply, and after a brief silence, uttered one word:
"Good."