In the following month, Li Yan reduced the tasks in the spiritual garden and spent most of his time practicing martial arts and magic.
He knew that he had just broken through to the late seventh level of the Qi Condensation Stage not long ago. If he wanted to advance to the eighth level in a short period of time, that would be a dream, unless he was given some rare treasure to take.
But he didn't have the chances that the old scholar in the village told about in the books, such as the scholar who passed the imperial examination but failed, and met a fox fairy in a dilapidated temple and had a wonderful encounter;
A young man was in danger and fell off a cliff, but he survived and actually found the Immortal Peach Fruit below that could improve his martial arts skills by decades. These are all just fabricated stories.
There are immortals in this world, of course there are also fox immortals, and there are also many exotic fruits and treasures, but they are not something that can be obtained by someone like him who stays in the sect and doesn't even leave Xiaozhu Peak.
Even if there is such an opportunity within the sect, it is estimated that it will be buried at least thousands or tens of thousands of feet deep underground.
Otherwise, with so many Foundation Establishment and Golden Core cultivators, and even a few Nascent Soul ancestors, in the sect, their spiritual consciousnesses would have already scanned every inch of the sect countless times, and would have taken away many exotic fruits and treasures.
One day, Li Yan was sitting cross-legged in the room when suddenly the token on his waist emitted a white light. He immediately immersed his consciousness in it. After a moment, he raised his head and looked out the window.
"Is this about to begin?"
Laojun Peak, the top of the mountain reaches deep into the clouds, and its height is unknown.
There is a super-large platform covering an area of 100,000 feet halfway up the mountain. Today, ten high platforms rise in the center of the platform, and the distance between each two platforms is 20 miles.
The platform is three meters high and about fifty miles long. Ten platforms are arranged in a diamond shape, and in the middle of the diamond is an open area of hundreds of miles.
At the upper back of this large platform, there is a carved attic suspended in the air, with more than a dozen rows of seats waiting to be filled on the balcony in front of the attic. At this time, many handsome boys and girls were shuttling between the seats on the balcony, placing some fresh and exotic fruits, or a small dish of light delicacy.
At this time, in the middle of the diamond shape formed by the ten high platforms below, people were coming and going in an endless stream. Looking closely, although there were crowds of people, they were all in order. The hundred-mile space here was divided into five blocks, and each block was twenty miles wide.
Li Yan looked at the lively scene dozens of miles away, and then looked at the dozen people around him, who seemed so lonely. There were only eleven people in their area, and even if each of them was two miles apart, they could only barely line up to the edge.
"Big Brother, why don't we move to one side? There are too few people in Xiaozhu Peak. Standing in the middle of these dozens of miles, it would be a bit too conspicuous."
A crisp voice sounded beside Li Yan. Lin Daqiao looked left, right, front, and back, feeling as if there was wind blowing from all directions.
"No, this is the dignity that a peak should have. What does it mean for you to lean on someone else's area? Do you want to leave Xiaozhu Peak?"
"Don't... don't, Senior Brother, you can't just put a big hat on me. I'm just suggesting something, I'll just stand here if it doesn't work."
Lin Daqiao was shocked when she heard this and quickly waved her hands.
Li Wuyi raised the corner of his mouth, looked around him, and couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
"Master, can't you be more kind? Every time you come to participate in the sect's major events, you always make us stand out."
At this time, except for Li Yan and three nephews who were looking around curiously, the rest of Li Wuyi had serious expressions, some sitting cross-legged with their eyes closed, or whispering to each other.
This was the first time for Li Yan to participate in such a big event of the sect. He was shocked when he first arrived. He had never seen such a magnificent scene. Ten high platforms stood covering an area of hundreds of miles. They stood in the middle of the diamond and looked as small as ants.
The five major areas naturally correspond to the five mountain peaks. The disciples of each peak stand in their respective areas, building the foundation in front and condensing the Qi in the back, in neat and tidy order.
However, there are thousands of disciples in each peak. Although the area of 20 miles is wide, it is crowded with people, which is really impressive.
The eight brothers and three disciples on their side were standing alone in the middle, which was quite eye-catching.
Fortunately, the monks' eyesight and hearing are quite sharp. In this unobstructed place, they can certainly see clearly for dozens of miles.
From time to time, rays of light streaked across the sky, followed by groups of people descending. It was obvious that disciples from the other four peaks were still arriving.
Just as Li Yan was looking around, Li Wuyi's gentle voice sounded.
"My fellow disciples, please listen to me."
Upon hearing this, everyone looked at Li Wuyi.
"You all know that there are only forty-nine places in this foundation-building competition, so you just need to give it your all and do your best to earn a great opportunity.
But there are a few people you must be on guard against. I know some of you have made preparations in advance, or you have known the situations of many disciples from other peaks over the years since you joined the sect, but I still have some past experiences that can be used as a reference."
When everyone heard this, they knew that the eldest brother wanted to pass on some experience to them based on his previous experience in participating in the competitions, and that it was mainly to provide information to the new contestants.
Wen Xinliang and Lin Daqiao immediately looked at him with respect and gratitude. Neither of them had participated in the secret realm picking trial. Except for Wen Xinliang who had experience fighting against disciples from other peaks in the foundation-building competition in previous years, Lin Daqiao had never had that experience.
Even Miao Wangqing, who had spent a long time building her foundation, hoped to hear this kind of news. She was a cultivator who was not good at fighting.
On the other hand, Li Wuyi also wanted to explain it to newcomers like Li Yan and the three nephews.
"Look at the Four Elephants Peak over there, there are three men and one woman in the front row!"
Li Wuyi looked to the left, but he did not raise his hand to point, because the cultivators' senses were sharp, and even if he looked over there, he might be discovered by the other party. From their angle, because it was a diamond-shaped area, they could only see three areas, because the Xiaozhu Peak area was on one side of the diamond.
The five areas are composed of four sides and a center. The center is where the disciples of Old Monarch Peak are located, so Li Yan and his companions can only see the two sides and the center of themselves, while the group of cultivators diagonally opposite are blocked by the group of disciples of Old Monarch Peak in the center.
Li Yan, like everyone else, followed Li Wuyi's gaze and looked towards the Four Symbols Peak on the left. The first three rows there were disciples in the Foundation Establishment Stage, about fifty people in total, forming a triangular formation.
There were three men and one woman standing at the front. One of the men was tall and the other two were short. The tall one was extremely burly, with a broad face and thick ears. He was over ten feet tall, with bulging muscles. He had short golden hair, each hair standing upright like a steel spike. He stood there like a golden statue of god or Buddha.
The other two shorter men were obviously twin brothers. They looked very similar and their bodies gave people a sense of sturdiness and strength.
The two of them were looking around and pointing. The remaining female cultivator was about twenty years old, with creamy skin, a slim waist and a plump butt, an outstanding figure, and her black hair was piled high.
She seemed to feel someone was looking at her, and turned her head to look over here. Then, the corners of her cherry lips curled up, and she smiled slightly at Li Wuyi and the others, then turned her head away again.
Her action also made the two twin brothers around her turn their heads at the same time and grin at them. Li Wuyi also smiled and nodded. However, the big man who looked like a god didn't seem to see anything and didn't even turn his head.
Li Yan heard a cold snort coming from beside him. He looked up and saw that it was from his third senior brother. He didn't know whether it was directed at the big man or the other three.
Li Wuyi withdrew his gaze and continued speaking.
“The yellow-haired man’s name is Gan Shi, he is in the late stage of foundation building, has natural spiritual roots, and possesses rare spiritual roots of earth and gold. He is the eldest senior brother of Four Symbols Peak, and is good at both offense and defense.
Generally, earth-type spiritual roots will not simultaneously possess gold-type offensive spiritual roots, and are mostly combined with wind, fire, wood, etc. However, he is good at both offense and defense, and is proficient in combination attacks. If he can condense the golden elixir, he should be a candidate for the next master of the Four Symbols Peak.
Gan Shi is good at attacking and defending formations, and has condensed the formations into himself. His whole body can be used to defend against the enemy. The formation follows the method, and the method appears when the formation appears, and the enemy is killed instantly. This is an extremely difficult person. You must be extra careful when you meet him. "
In fact, Li Wuyi had something else in his mind that he hadn't said yet. Perhaps only his second junior brother could compete with him, and the others would hardly be his match.
But he was afraid of hurting the morale of Li Yan and others, so he didn't say it. He had fought with this person before, and he won in the end by suppressing him by his realm, and it was also an extremely difficult victory.
However, this time the competition is presided over by Grandmaster Jindan, and no lives will be lost. Let these junior brothers and sisters see it for themselves. It is also a rare opportunity for communication.
“Chu Weixiong and Chu Weili are twin brothers, in the late stage of foundation building. They also have natural spiritual roots, but are dual-element earth and fire cultivators. They are good at combining the Four Symbols Formation, the famous formation of the Four Symbols Peak.
This formation can generally be set up by eighteen, thirty-six, seventy-two, one hundred and eight, three hundred and sixty, or seven hundred and twenty people to form the Sky-Locking Four Symbols Formation.
However, these two are geniuses in the art of fighting, and can be said to be the chosen ones of this generation of formation. When they reached the eighth level of Qi Condensation, they were specially approved by the Grand Elder of the Four Symbols Peak to use the Four Symbols Formation.
After three years and seven months of painstaking research, he actually came up with a two-person Four Symbols formation. Although it has many loopholes, his talent in formation is astonishing.
After decades of painstaking research, the small Four Symbols Formation of these two people has gradually taken shape. The two of them cultivated immortality by entering the Tao through the formation, and only then were they promoted to the late stage of foundation building. It can be said that it was a call from heaven.
It is said that when the two of them join forces, they can defeat seven or eight people of the same level. Although they will compete separately this time, with their formation skills, they will definitely be very difficult to deal with."
Everyone listened in silence for a while, Lian Yunchun did not say a word. Although the Chu brothers were not as high in realm as Gan Shi or as famous, their formation skills were much higher than Gan Shi's. Formation masters who entered the Tao through formations were really difficult to deal with.
Unlike ordinary formation masters who have low defense and weak bodies, they need masters to protect them every time they set up the formation, otherwise they may be killed by a sudden attack from others.
These two brothers entered the Dao through formations. They did not set up formations just for the sake of setting up formations. Rather, the formation is the technique, and the technique is the formation. Practicing the technique is practicing the Dao of formations. Generally, the opponent cannot be killed or worn down, and they will exhaust their strength to death.
What's more, the Wuliang Sect is best at poison, and they have already integrated the formation and poison.
“As for that junior sister, her name is Wei Feng. She is at the peak of the middle stage of foundation building, has a sharp spiritual sense, and is also a cultivator with natural spiritual roots. She is a cultivator of both earth and water elements, and is good at the magic poison formation. She can create a state by waving her hands.
The illusion was filled with poisonous gases, some were colorless and odorless, some had intoxicating colors and fragrances, some were bewitching, and some were a dream that lasted until death. It was said that her illusion array had also integrated eleven kinds of deadly poisons.
It is said that she had competed with the Chu brothers, but was trapped in the formation formed by the two of them. The Chu brothers were unable to defeat her for a while, which shows how profound her cultivation was.
Besides these four, there are probably at least five other disciples in the Four Elephants Peak who are inferior to them."
After Li Wu finished speaking, except for Wei Chituo, Yun Chunqu, Miao Wangqing, and Gong Chenying who looked like they knew what was going on, the rest of the people were a little frightened. Even Wen Xinliang put away his usual lazy expression.
Although he had participated in a small foundation-building competition and collected some information about fellow brothers from other peaks, it was not as comprehensive as what the eldest senior brother said.
Li Yan looked curious, and Lin Daqiao was no longer as lively as before. He lowered his head and was thinking about something. It was obvious that he was calculating how far he could go.
But after thinking about it, he still felt depressed. Unless he didn't meet these people, he would have to admit defeat on the spot. In this way, Cang would be gambling on his luck.
Li Wuyi paused, and without waiting for them to discuss, he turned his gaze to the right, which was the area where Lingchong Peak was located, and it was also the most powerful area.
Monsters of all kinds stood in every corner, and each one was separated from the others by a distance. Even so, the monsters could still hear continuous roars and hisses from each other.
The masters of those monsters had a leisurely expression and did not try to stop the provocations of their monsters. It was not that they could not stop them, but this was the time for them to show their style. They were also happy to see the monsters glaring at each other and growling and roaring.
But after Li Wuyi looked for a few times, it seemed that he did not find the person he was looking for. He was about to look away when several rays of light came from the sky.
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PS: The next three chapters will not describe the foundation-building battle in detail (not the protagonist's battle), but because there are characters that need to be explained, it can be regarded as a transition.