Cultivation towards immortality, starting from being a fisherman

Having reached the Third Layer Realm of Body Refining, Su Ping is considered to have made minor achievements in the Ten Directions Strong Body Skill.

Although Su Ping was unversed in techniques,

all paths lead to the same goal, and with the realm achieved, aside from the special talents required to execute unique skills, most martial arts could easily be mastered.

Upon leaving seclusion, he went straight to the study.

Frost Moon Villa already had its own collection of books, and after focusing on Body Cultivation, noble families eagerly contributed relevant books.

Among hundreds of various martial arts books from the Mortal World, Su Ping found those suitable for the techniques of punches and kicks his cultivation practice demanded.

He then spent more time reading battle experience notes authored by grandmasters of actual combat.

"Quite the expert, even grandmaster martial artists rely on gouging eyes and stealth attacks as their primary tactics!"

"Hmm... and there are tactics for running and fighting when surrounded by multiple opponents."

"Although it can't wholly fit into the Body Cultivation combat style, it still holds referential value."

Speed reading, Su Ping finished two volumes of experience talks in just half a two-hour period.

Reaching for the third book, he found it appeared to be a grandmaster martial artist's painstaking record of visiting several major cities within the territory overseen by the Chi Yuan Immortal Sect and tasting their myriad pleasures.

Su Ping became interested and was just about to critically assess the exaggerations in the text when,

he heard the voice of the maid Ping'er outside the door.

It was a messenger from the City Lord Mansion of Golden Sparrow City informing him that the Immortal Ascension Conference was all set, and participants from surrounding towns had almost all arrived in the city.

"Participating in this conference here in Golden Sparrow City poses no issue for the local powerful families, but for those traveling from afar… the less time they stay, the less they spend."

"Moreover, for me, completing the task earlier also means less risk."

"After all, among those loose cultivators mingling in the Mortal World, there are indeed bad elements!"

Su Ping silently placed the unfinished book into his storage bag.

Then taking a carriage with his servants, he headed for Golden Sparrow City.

Soon, the streets and alleys of Golden Sparrow City were filled with the sound of gongs and drums.

"The Immortal Ascension Conference begins today!"

"Starting at 7 a.m., ending at midnight!"

"Lasting three days, anyone who has never participated before can join now!"

"Hurry up and get in line, participants have free porridge!"

"Those seen by the Immortal Sect can become an Immortal Master lord!"

Night watchmen, constables, and their cohorts were all set in motion to spread the word.

The two Outer Sect cultivators, inspired by Su Ping, were stationed respectively on the rooftops of the City Lord Mansion and Book Pavilion, vigilantly watching all around to prevent any evil cultivators from causing trouble.

Although they were only at the First and Second Layer of Qi Cultivation, they had undergone systematic training from the Immortal Sect, aided by vestment robes, sharp swords, and talismans.

Compared to other loose cultivators of the same cultivation level in the Mortal World, they could easily take on two at a time!

Upon entering the city, Su Ping sensed a change in the city's atmosphere,

seeming to possess more vibrancy?

And the looks on the faces of the pedestrians watching him… their eyes sparkled with light!

"Is it the hope that they or their loved ones could be chosen and rise up to a position of authority?"

"This Immortal Ascension Conference indeed plays a stabilizing role much like the imperial examination system."

"The major difference is, while the imperial examinations assess scholarly knowledge, the Immortal Ascension Conference places a higher priority on innate talent."

"Compared to that, this pure talent-based Immortal Ascension Conference might be fairer for the lower classes, right?"

After all, except for children from powerful families like the Ji Family who could engage in Qi Cultivation and learning from a young age, and were thus assured of having a Spirit Root,

for most participants, the presence of a Spirit Root would only be discovered at the Immortal Ascension Conference.

Su Ping walked into the venue and took out the Magic Artifacts for checking Spirit Roots, which the Inspection Envoy had given him, from his storage bag.

It consisted of a complete set of sixteen, twenty-millimeter-long Magic Flags and a palm-sized Copper Mirror.

"Rise!"

Having reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Cultivation, Su Ping found using this Immortal Sect Magic Artifact, designed to be operable by practitioners at the Third Layer, was effortless.

The Array Flags swiftly flew to the perimeter of the venue and thudded into the ground in a formation of eight outer and eight inner flags before the array was successfully established.

"Phew!"

Su Ping took a deep breath as setting the array still consumed some energy.

It caused him to lose one tenth of his Mana and one percent of his physical strength!

After the array was arranged, Su Ping sat on a tall wooden chair, with the City Lord and the City Defense Officer respectively seated to his lower left and right.

Bang!

As the large copper gong on the high building was struck.

The Immortal Ascension Conference was officially held in Golden Sparrow City!

The first to undergo testing, needless to say, naturally were the children of the local noble families of Golden Sparrow City.

The first one was a Qilin child from the City Lord's family.

Approximately twelve or thirteen years old, with a cherubic face and white teeth that gave him a youthful appearance, he first respectfully made a bow towards Su Ping's direction, then immediately walked to the center position of the eight inner flags.

As the flags fluttered slightly, Su Ping looked at the Copper Mirror in his hand.

"Low Grade Spirit Root, qualified!"

Su Ping announced the result in a calm tone, simultaneously activating the array to imprint a very faint Chiyuan's Seal on the inner side of the participants' wrists to signify passing.

The whole process allowed no room for personal feelings, nor was there a need for an exam demonstration or on-the-spot performance.

Focused solely on talent, the fates of these individuals were decided in merely ten or so seconds.

The qualifiers were elated, while those who failed hung their heads in defeat.

There were also a very few carefree individuals, joyously raising the wrists bearing the light black spots that signified failure, and running off elsewhere to eat and drink for free.

On the first day, Su Ping also encountered the girl from Ji Family of Ji Hu.

Su Ping, with his average knowledge, merely found her to be in the prime of youth and quite beautiful.

And Su Ping, who now possessed one-tenth of a Sacred Body, faintly sensed that this girl might have a slightly enticing special constitution?

This realization somewhat alarmed Su Ping.

The trouble caused by beautiful women in the Immortal Cultivation World wasn't just empty talk.

While cultivators wouldn't simply kill each other over a mere beautiful appearance,

for a high-quality Dao companion, a fine cauldron... fights would only become fiercer.

Especially if this enticing constitution happened to be suitable for some special cauldron cultivation techniques that prolong life, even Golden Core Old Ancestors above the Foundation Establishment might be tempted!

"I only want to be a Fishing Immortal who interacts minimally with the world; such troublesome constitutions should decisively be rejected!"

Su Ping, who could achieve a Sacred Body through fishing, had no interest in such cauldrons.

Su Ping silently chanted the Heart Clarity Spell and looked at the Copper Mirror as before:

"Low Grade Spirit Root, qualified!"

The array could not detect the special constitution.

However, having a Spirit Root was already enough, and the Ji Family, despite clinging to powerful connections, couldn't prevent their daughter from entering the Immortal Sect!

And once she joined the Immortal Sect, she would have nothing to do with Su Ping, the Inspection Envoy.

Su Ping recalled the name that had just been reported.

Ji Yufeng!

Su Ping made a mental note; if he accidentally came into contact with her in the future, he needed to run as far away as possible!

The girl from Ji Family left happily.

In her view, once she entered the Immortal Sect, she would be able to escape her family's control and gain most of her freedom!

The Immortal Ascension Conference continued.

Soon, Su Ping discovered that there weren't many qualified individuals.

As the Qi Cultivation seeds from various families were initially qualified and passed through,

from Noon to Midnight, there was only one farmer's son with a Low Grade Spirit Root who qualified.

After that, no one else passed the array test of the Immortal Ascension Conference.

"That's unusually few," Su Ping said, frowning slightly.

As today's Immortal Ascension Conference came to a close, he immediately asked the City Lord for the records of previous conferences.

From the records he could review,

the number of qualified individuals from this first day of the Immortal Ascension Conference... shockingly ranked the second last!

And the only session with fewer qualifiers was when Golden Sparrow City had just experienced a great upheaval, and the population was less than half of the current!