Isn't This a Game? Why Are You All Cultivating for Real!

Her avatar’s cultivation was currently only at the Early Stage of Qi Refining.

Dressed in a simple yellow martial arts dress fit for a mortal, Song Jiulai entered the Biyin Sect.

She had even put her hair up in a maiden’s bun, just to look cute.

She even made a point to ask the system, "How do I look?"

System: "I am just unfeeling data. What is it you want to hear?"

Song Jiulai: "Words of praise."

System: "You are the most beautiful woman in the world."

Song Jiulai was extremely pleased. "You’re the most filial child in the world."

System: "..."

’You little monster!’

The Biyin Sect disciples managing the main gate heard that Song Jiulai had come for the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect’s selection assembly, and they looked her over with a hint of surprise.

Without asking any questions, they took a processing fee of fifty low-grade spirit stones and gave her a small wooden plaque.

"This wooden plaque will allow you to stay in the Biyin Sect until you are eliminated from the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect’s selection assembly."

Song Jiulai accepted the wooden plaque and thanked the cultivators at the Sect City gate.

The Biyin Sect was magnificent. At each of the four corners of the Sect City stood a massive, medicine furnace-shaped building.

Judging by the Spiritual Energy and light they emanated, they had to be Magic Treasures of Heavenly Grade or higher.

The entire city had an ethereal, immortal air and gave off a rich, mellow scent of medicinal pills.

Song Jiulai said to the system, "Look at the Biyin Sect. Their fees are so much more humane. Why is the Sea View Sect so unreasonable?"

System: "You could report the Sea View Sect to the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect for overcharging."

Song Jiulai: "..."

’Are you out of your mind?!’

Song Jiulai took a curious look around the city.

With the news of the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect’s selection assembly, Biyin Sect—one of the preliminary trial locations—saw a noticeable increase in visiting cultivators.

Countless cultivators walked the city streets, their cultivation ranging from the Early Stage of Qi Refining to the Foundation Establishment Stage, the Golden Core Stage, and beyond.

The bustling scene made it feel just like a mortal city.

The only difference was that the mortals of Biyin Sect were not allowed to meet with the cultivators.

The Biyin Sect treated cultivators with a relatively gentle attitude, but she heard the mortals were all confined to a specific area, unable to meet freely with them.

Song Jiulai took a closer look around. She had originally wanted to buy a Magic Treasure, but then she thought, ’With my cultivation at the Early Stage of Qi Refining, buying an early-stage Magic Treasure would be a total waste.’

Her main body was back in the Dragon Frost Swamp, cultivating frantically. Though she had created this avatar, its cultivation was growing so rapidly in the early stages that after just a few days, she could already feel her Realm becoming unstable.

She hadn’t done a thing for the past few days, precisely because she was afraid of breaking through directly into the Qi Refining Middle Stage.

To participate in the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect’s disciple selection, she had heard that the initial stages didn’t involve fighting other disciples. Instead, one had to pass an assessment set by the sect itself.

As for what that assessment entailed, she would have to go and see for herself.

The Ten Thousand Immortals Sect’s selection assembly at Biyin Sect wasn’t held within the Sect City, but on a mountain behind it.

That mountain had been temporarily set up by the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect for this purpose.

When Song Jiulai arrived at the foot of the mountain, she found it shrouded in mist. The entire peak was only faintly visible, appearing and disappearing within the clouds.

It was impossible to see what lay on the mountain with the naked eye.

A ceaseless stream of countless cultivators was already gathered at the foot of the mountain.

Despite the disparities in their cultivation, everyone at the foot of the mountain refrained from causing trouble.

There was only one path up the mountain, and at its base stood a child cultivator. He had a charmingly naive smile and looked quite young.

He was guiding each cultivator who arrived, telling them that the first trial of the selection was to ascend the mountain from this very spot.

It was called "ascending the mountain," but it was surely not that simple.

The mountain path was completely obscured by mist, and even Song Jiulai couldn’t see what lay within.

Hearing his words, the cultivators entered the mountain path without the slightest hesitation.

Even though a continuous stream of people went in, they vanished without a trace once they stepped onto the path.

It was as if no one had ever ascended the mountain at all.

When Song Jiulai reached the foot of the path, the child looked at her and said, "Please."

He was just a child, yet even with her avatar at the Early Stage of Qi Refining, Song Jiulai could feel that his aura was astonishing.

’Golden Core Stage? Damn, the gap between people really is bigger than the one between humans and animals!’

’Such a young-looking child is already at the Golden Core Stage.’

’The Ten Thousand Immortals Sect truly is on another level.’

Song Jiulai’s heart pounded in her chest. She took a deep breath.

And stepped onto the unknown mountain path before her.

The moment she took the first step, her vision blurred.

Faint mist swirled around her, and a damp wisp of it brushed across her face.

Everything around her fell silent. She couldn’t see the path ahead, and when she turned back, the path behind her was gone too.

An ordinary person would have been unnerved by the scene.

As Song Jiulai walked forward, she was still able to chat with her system. "Can you cheat for me?"

System: "...For a Sect Master, aren’t you being a little shameless?"

Song Jiulai tutted. "What good is shame? I just want to secure my spot in the Ten Thousand Immortals Sect!"

"Unfortunately, no," the system said. "The Ten Thousand Immortals Sect must have used a grand formation to alter this environment. Look at this technique—not even a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator could break it, let alone you. Don’t make things difficult for your dear system."

"Sigh."

"Sigh."

The woman and the system sighed in unison.

Song Jiulai continued walking through the mist, unsure if she was ascending or descending.

Every step brought the heart-pounding sensation of stepping into an empty void.

The mist was eerily quiet. She could see nothing; there was nothing.

She was terrified something would suddenly leap out of the mist.

Song Jiulai walked for a very long time.

After a long while, she suddenly had a realization.

’My cultivation is low right now. Are they testing my patience?’

For a new cultivator at the Early Stage of Qi Refining, time was a pressing concern.

After all, their lifespan wasn’t much different from that of a mortal.

If she kept walking endlessly, a cultivator with a weaker mentality probably wouldn’t be able to stand it.

Her mental fortitude was now extraordinary, so she could endure it. But why should she suffer for nothing?

Bored, she announced, "I’m gonna go watch a movie for a while. Let me know if anyone shows up."

System: "..."

Song Jiulai might have been right. Although time seemed to have no meaning in this Illusion Realm, a bug had clearly appeared.

She started watching her movie, and not even an hour had passed.

But the scene before her eyes changed.

Song Jiulai’s vision blurred. Her next step landed on solid ground, and the mist-shrouded mountain path finally revealed its true form.

A white-bearded old man and a gentle-looking, middle-aged female cultivator were standing before her.

They both looked at her with satisfaction.

"Excellent. This is an Illusion Realm of Time. One hour on the outside is seven days on the inside. You walked for one hour, which means you were inside for seven days. Yet you showed no arrogance or impatience. With such mental fortitude, you far surpass your peers. You have passed the first trial."

The female cultivator appraised Song Jiulai from head to toe. "This Illusion Realm adapts to your patience. That you showed no impatience at all for seven days... your future is immeasurable."

Song Jiulai: "..."

System: "...How is it that even I, a mere set of data, am blushing from secondhand embarrassment?"

"..."

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