At these words, the expressions of all the Stewards in the Plague Bone Altar grew taut.
A mont later, they were overjoyed.
There were actually four spots for Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt. Didn’t that an the Plague Bone Altar had been allocated a full four Positional Divine Techniques?
Of course, so of the younger Stewards didn’t understand. After all, not everyone was like Qin Xuan, who had managed to obtain the legacy of the Blazing Fire Sect’s Position.
A Steward nad Cheng Hao plucked up his courage and asked, "May I ask, Incense Master, what is Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt, and how does it differ from a normal Foundation Establishnt?"
Cheng Hao had joined the Plague Bone Altar at the sa ti as Qin Xuan.
Back then, besides Cheng Hao, there had also been Liuu Yi, Tan Fu, and Xu Yi, making five of them in total.
However, Liuu Yi had been killed by the Righteous Dao while on patrol, and Xu Yi had simply vanished into thin air, as if he had never existed.
Wen Shichu said, "Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt ans cultivating with the aid of a Positional Divine Technique to lay the most perfect Dao Foundation during the Qi Cultivation Stage."
"If you wish to beco an Inner Sect Incense Master, one of the strict requirents is that you must be a Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt Cultivator."
"The Outer Sect Elders you normally see are all Human Dao Foundation Establishnt Cultivators who forced their promotions by consuming Foundation Establishnt Pills. They’re pathetically weak. The highest they can ever reach in this life is the Purple Mansion Realm; they have no chance of attaining the Golden Core."
After Wen Shichu’s brief explanation, Cheng Hao had a revelation. He instantly understood the importance of Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt.
’If I don’t aim higher and just choose Foundation Establishnt at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer, I can forget about ever becoming an Incense Master in this life. I’d never be able to advance further on my cultivation path.’
Without a second thought, Cheng Hao declared, "Incense Master, I wish to achieve Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt! I hope you will grant this opportunity and bestow upon a Positional Divine Technique!"
Hearing this, Wen Shichu smiled with satisfaction.
’The boy is teachable.’
However, there were also older Stewards among them, their heads bowed and their eyes deep in thought.
’In past years, there was one Positional Divine Technique at most, and everyone had to fight to the death for it. But now, four have suddenly appeared. Is Master Wen Xiang planning so kind of sche?’
Not a single Steward who had survived in the Holy Sect this long was a simple character.
Among them were plenty of old-tirs at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer.
Qin Xuan noticed two unfamiliar faces. Though they were in the sa Realm as him, they gave off an imnse sense of threat.
One was nad Zhang Yangzhou. His face was as pale as paper and his eyes were deeply sunken. He looked to be in his forties, with a sinister and vicious expression.
The other, nad Yu Qi, was an old man with a stooped back. His hair was thin and straw-colored, and his rough skin was covered in tiny insect bites, with molted husks still clinging to it.
They looked like trouble at a glance.
"There are four Positional Divine Techniques in total this ti: Rotting Body Miasma, Bloodthirsty Evil, Fla Demon, and Withered Marrow Spring."
The Plague Gu Daoist continued, "Of these, Rotting Body Miasma and Withered Marrow Spring are the legacy Positions of our Plague Bone Altar."
"Those who wish to cultivate Rotting Body Miasma must travel to the Market Town in Plague Valley, located in the Yinluo Country under our Blood Demon Sword Sect’s jurisdiction, and stand guard for ten years. No fighting is required. Within those ten years, whoever fully stabilizes this Divine Technique will obtain the spot for Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt."
"Those who wish to cultivate Withered Marrow Spring must go to the Blood Spring Cave and fight. The living return. The dead are buried. The sole survivor will be the one chosen for Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt."
"As for Bloodthirsty Evil and Fla Demon, they are bestowed by Master Yanxue Sword Demon of the Vast Qi Tower. He is a Golden Core Blood Demon, and you must receive his permission to cultivate them. The selection thod will be announced later."
’So two of the Positions were bestowed by Master Yanxue Sword Demon. In that case, there shouldn’t be a problem.’
So of the older Stewards imdiately felt relieved.
Wait!
Upon hearing the na "Yanxue Sword Demon," the Stewards were suddenly shocked. Snapping back to their senses, they exchanged glances, their faces filled with disbelief.
’Didn’t Master Yanxue fall during the Cyan Cloud Sect’s invasion? Could the news have been fake?!’
However, so of the Stewards seed contemplative.
Qin Xuan was one of them.
’That old bastard Yanxue really isn’t dead.’
For so reason, just hearing the na Yanxue Sword Demon gave Qin Xuan a deep-seated feeling of unease. He felt a natural aversion.
’I’m not competing. Why not just go back and focus on practicing the Blazing Fire Sect’s Positional Divine Technique?’
Qin Xuan thought to himself, quietly lowering his head. He was planning to lay low and reap the benefits.
Quite a few other Stewards had the sa idea as Qin Xuan. However, they simply wanted to hide, as they didn’t possess a Positional Divine Technique to begin with.
At this mont, the giant ball of light in Qin Xuan’s mind suddenly flickered.
There were nurous predictions this ti. A full five Ancient Bamboo Sticks flew out from the ball of light.
[Top-Top Lottery: Choose to cultivate Fla Demon. Though you will be targeted by a Golden Core’s sche, the trouble will not affect you. You will catch the eye of the Demon Monarch, and karmic retribution will be served. You will obtain the Positional Divine Technique and one Sixth-Grade Opportunity. Greatly auspicious.]
[Middle-Lower Draw: Choose to cultivate Bloodthirsty Evil. You will be caught in a Golden Core’s sche and be reduced to cultivation fodder. The Demon Monarch will ignore you. You will obtain the Positional Divine Technique, but your life will hang by a thread with only a sliver of a chance for survival. Ominous!]
[The Worst Draw: Choose to cultivate Rotting Body Miasma. You will be ensnared in a Purple Mansion’s sche, waste ten years of your life, obtain the Positional Divine Technique, and ultimately beco cultivation fodder. You will die without a proper burial. Extrely ominous!]
[The Worst Draw: Choose to cultivate Withered Marrow Spring. You will be plotted against by a Heaven Dao Foundation Establishnt Cultivator, fail to obtain the Positional Divine Technique, and suffer a violent death in the Blood Spring Cave. Extrely ominous!]
[The Worst Draw: Choose not to cultivate any of them. You will be implanted with a Corpse Marrow Gu Insect and be reduced to a mindless puppet for the rest of your life. Extrely ominous!]
After reading the contents of the five Divinations, Qin Xuan’s heart went cold. He held his breath, utterly shocked.
’Damn it all! What the hell is wrong with this goddamn Demon Sect? All four Positional Divine Techniques are part of a sche... Golden Core, Purple Mansion, Foundation Establishnt—they all want a piece of the pie!’
Qin Xuan glanced up at the beaming Plague Gu Daoist and felt a chill creep over his entire body.
’Without my Golden Finger, I’d probably have died eight hundred tis over by now in this Demon Sect.’
But not cultivating wasn’t an option. Qin Xuan could at least tell the difference between dying later and dying right now.
Since this was an evaluation and multiple people could choose the sa option, Qin Xuan wasn’t in a rush. Revealing his intentions too quickly would only make him a target.
The Plague Gu Daoist asked, "Have you all made your decision? Which Positional Divine Technique will you choose?"
Cheng Hao was the first to speak up. "Incense Master, I choose Withered Marrow Spring!"
"Very good." The Plague Gu Daoist roared with laughter. "What about the rest of you?"
Yu Qi, his back still stooped, said, "Reporting to the Incense Master, this old one chooses Rotting Body Miasma."
Tan Fu, who carried the faint scent of rotted earth and dicinal herbs, glanced at Yu Qi. "I also choose Rotting Body Miasma."
...
Several Stewards, as if by tacit agreent, all avoided the Fla Demon and Bloodthirsty Evil bestowed by the Yanxue Sword Demon, opting instead for the Plague Bone Altar’s own legacies.
"Hm? No one is going to participate in the selection held by Master Yanxue Sword Demon?" The Plague Gu Daoist frowned slightly.
However, he had anticipated this outco.
They were all seasoned veterans who had survived in the Demon Sect this long. Dealing with a Foundation Establishnt Incense Master might leave them a chance of survival, but getting involved with a Golden Core Blood Demon was tantamount to suicide.
So of the much older Stewards even chose nothing at all, which brought a look of displeasure to Wen Shichu’s face.
Just as the Plague Gu Daoist was about to report this result, soone suddenly spoke up.
"Reporting, my lord, I choose Bloodthirsty Evil."
Casting a glance out of the corner of his eye toward the voice, Qin Xuan saw that it was the pale, sunken-eyed, middle-aged Cultivator, Zhang Yangzhou.
Qin Xuan imdiately followed. "Incense Master, this lowly one chooses Fla Demon."
The elderly Stewards who had chosen nothing looked at Qin Xuan and Zhang Yangzhou with a mixture of mockery and pity in their eyes.
It was as if they were mocking them for not knowing their place, for daring to get involved with a Golden Core Blood Demon.
They were long past the ideal age for Foundation Establishnt. Their vitality was failing, they had no heart for the path of cultivation, and they only hoped to live out their remaining days.
According to past precedent, as long as you didn’t compete, you would be safe from any danger.
Wen Shichu was quite pleasantly surprised.
He had thought no one from his group would participate in Master Yanxue Sword Demon’s selection, but two people had unexpectedly stepped forward at the very end.
"Good, good, good! You have guts!"
Wen Shichu clapped his hands in praise. Then, his tone shifted, and his eyes narrowed.
"As for you old fossils who chose nothing, follow . Each of you will swallow a Corpse Marrow Gu!"
CRACK!
The elderly Stewards looked as if they had been struck by lightning. Their eyes widened in shock, the smiles slowly vanished from their faces, and they froze in place.
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