Fang Ming saw a lingzhi, over thirty centimeters long, standing tall in the grass.
This was the Fire Cloud Lingzhi.
The Fire Cloud Lingzhi was of great help to cultivators who practiced fire-element techniques. When refined into pills with other herbs, it could often advance one's cultivation by a level. Of course, it could also serve as a focus for many profound techniques; it was indeed valuable.
If he were to take it to the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion to sell now, he could get a considerable amount of spirit stones.
Fang Ming bent down and collected it. Suddenly, a problem occurred to him.
Without a spatial treasure, he would have to carry the Fire Cloud Lingzhi with him. Doing so would easily cause it to lose its medicinal properties. Although it wouldn't lose too much immediately, it still felt imperfect.
What should he do? Should he go back and buy a storage bag? That would be troublesome.
Wait... a storage bag?
Fang Ming remembered something. He recalled seeing such an item on the black-clothed man earlier.
He doubled back and searched the black-clothed man, finding a storage bag.
Storage bags were spatial treasures, created by cultivators for the convenience of storing various items.
It was perfect for Fang Ming to store the Fire Cloud Lingzhi in.
"Why didn't I notice this storage bag before..."
This thought flashed through Fang Ming's soul, only to be quickly erased by an inexplicable force.
As if nothing had happened, he placed the collected Fire Cloud Lingzhi into the storage bag, then gathered the teeth and fur of the Profound Fang Wolf. These, at market price, could fetch several hundred low-grade spirit stones; they couldn't be wasted.
"The sky is getting late..."
Just as Fang Ming was thinking that his strength was sufficient to spend the night in the wilderness.
A grand thought in his mind changed his decision.
"Since it's already late, don't linger outside. Let's return to the Lin family."
Fang Ming changed his decision.
He then returned to the Lin family from the Taihang Mountains.
...
High above the nine heavens, in the unfathomably deep and vast realm known as the True Immortal Realm.
"Immortal Lord Lin Xuan..."
Seven figures, immeasurably majestic, stood within the True Immortal Realm.
These seven figures, male and female, were all supremely majestic, eclipsing heaven and earth, causing all beings to tremble!
They were Immortal Lords who had transcended the beings of the True Immortal Realm and were revered by all races!
Immortal Lord-level Immortals!
They were just one step away from the legendary, supreme Immortal Venerable position!
And this step was stubbornly blocked by the seven great Immortal Lords.
The saying "Seven Lords extinguish, Immortal Venerable appears" implied that only by plundering all the opportunities for enlightenment held by the seven great Immortal Lords could one Immortal Lord break through to the Immortal Venerable realm.
And this was clearly impossible.
In the distant past, during the primordial era, Immortal Lord Lin Xuan had directly confronted the seven great Immortal Lords, seeking to challenge everything and attain the Immortal Venerable position.
However, he failed. His Immortal Lord body and soul were torn apart by three Immortal Lords—Iron Lion, Wonderful Joy, and Bright Universe—leaving behind only a trace of his unerasable remnant soul, which was cast into the countless dust-like minor worlds under the True Immortal Realm.
Through countless cycles of reincarnation.
His indestructible true soul was impervious to all tribulations.
The seven great Immortal Lords had been helpless against Lin Xuan, forced to wait for him to ascend from the minor worlds and fight his way back to the True Immortal Realm.
But six months ago, unexpectedly, they detected his presence.
"Nine Provinces Minor World..."
"So, he is there..."
Immortal Lord Ming Yu smiled.
His primordial spirit power swept across the infinite minor worlds beneath the True Immortal Realm.
"A mere dust-like minor world..."
"Oh, his soul, no, this is not his indestructible true soul..."
Immortal Lord Ming Yu seemed to have discovered something interesting.
He was very excited.
...
Upon returning to the Lin residence, Fang Ming clearly felt that something significant was happening within the clan, with many family members cheering.
"Did something happen while I was out for a day?"
Fang Ming was puzzled.
He had spent six months in the residence, and nothing major had happened.
Now, after going out for just one day and returning, he encountered something?
What a coincidence!
Although Fang Ming found it coincidental, he outwardly returned to his courtyard and asked Lin Zhuyu for an explanation.
After all, given their relationship, Zhuyu would surely tell him the truth about whatever had happened.
Lin Xuan, with the genuine feelings forged through shared hardships, greatly trusted Lin Zhuyu.
And Fang Ming, currently in Lin Xuan's stead, also trusted Lin Zhuyu immensely.
"Just a few days after you went out, Dao Xuan, a Golden Core True Person from the Lingxiao Sect, arrived in Liangchen County to announce that the Lingxiao Sect would be holding its once-in-twenty-years disciple recruitment."
"Besides recruiting talented disciples under ten years old, Dao Xuan True Person is also holding a grand competition. The top twenty young prodigies under twenty-five years old can join the Lingxiao Sect as outer disciples, and the top three can even become inner disciples," Lin Zhuyu explained.
"Lingxiao Sect recruiting disciples?" Fang Ming finally understood the reason.
He now knew why the family was so lively.
A sect like the Lingxiao Sect, with its power dominating half of Qingzhou, was far beyond what the Lin family, confined to Liangchen County, could compare to.
The strongest among the major families in Liangchen County, including the Lin family, were at the False Core realm. There were no Golden Core True Persons at all. The Lingxiao Sect, on the other hand, not only had Golden Core True Persons but also primordial spirit ancestors who had cultivated for a thousand years.
Even an outer disciple of the Lingxiao Sect would enjoy more resources than the geniuses in the Lin family. Naturally, everyone was eager to find ways to obtain those twenty spots.
Fang Ming shared the same sentiment. The Lin family was too small, with scarce resources. It would be easier to improve his cultivation in a major sect.
Although he had previously wanted to stay in the Lin family and enjoy their cultivation resources, circumstances had changed. While the Lin family's cultivation resources were decent, they were incomparable to those of the Lingxiao Sect.
As the saying goes, people strive for higher ground, and water flows to lower levels. Without such an opportunity, Fang Ming felt it was fine to cultivate in the Lin family, relying on their resources. But if he could go to the Lingxiao Sect... wouldn't that be even better?
With a shift in his thoughts, his initial intention changed. Fang Ming asked Lin Zhuyu, "Zhuyu, when will the grand competition be held?"
"Brother Xuan, the grand competition is in twenty days," Lin Zhuyu replied without any hesitation.
"Twenty days is enough."
Fang Ming calculated the time. Twenty days would be sufficient for him to go to the Taihang Mountains again, find the Yin Yue Blood as a focus, and then refine the profound technique: Stellar Sword Art.
He should be able to make it in time.
"It's a pity. This body is fourteen years old this year, just past the age limit for recruiting toddlers under ten. I can only participate in the grand competition and fight my way up with my strength."
Fang Ming sighed inwardly.
The Lingxiao Sect had two recruitment methods: the first was to recruit talented toddlers and nurture them from a young age. This method clearly focused on aptitude, not combat ability. After all, it was unreasonable to expect fights from children under ten; the Lingxiao Sect wouldn't be so foolish.