Purgatory Artist

(TN: I can't promise 2 chaps a day but I will update 1 every other day 100% this is how it's going to be until I'm far enough into the story then I will most likely go for 1 a day or maybe even 2 daily. here is an extra chapter. enjoy ;3) 

Liu Ping walked along the stone path in the Western Wilderness Camp, gazing up at the sky.

Night was falling.

The sky of the dead world always looked like this, but in the world of the living, it was almost noon at this time.

Before true night arrived, they needed to uncover the cause of the monster riot and then rush back to Dark Mist Town to relay the news.

Only then could they defend Dark Mist Town.

According to Karadu,

Only by achieving these two goals would they avoid being hanged.

The practitioners along the path moved quickly, forming teams as they rushed toward the teleportation circle.

War—

It seemed the moment was drawing near.

Liu Ping's brow relaxed, only to furrow again moments later.

At some point, Wang Cheng's strange appearance came to mind once more.

Resurection of the dead.....

Master's words echoed in Liu Ping's mind:

"There is a great terror hidden in the void. It has been watching our world. I have pondered it for a long time, but I have no way to deal with it—I can't even see the truth clearly, and I am about to die."

"But, I hope you can... survive..."

Liu Ping paused, his thoughts racing.

Master must know something, but hadn't shared it with him.

In Master's final moments, he had been with the heads of the seven sects, revealing those secrets to them.

And then there was the matter of Wang Cheng. If he could be resurrected, why not Master?

The three elders had just said Master was dead—hadn't he come back to life?

Only by entering the Seven Great Sects would he have the opportunity to uncover these truths.

Liu Ping gazed into the void, and there, he saw a line of ordinary text already floating:

{You entered Act Three.}

{This is a scene dedicated to apprenticeship.}

{Small sects are easy to enter.}

{Medium-sized sects require certain tests. Corresponding strategies have been prepared.}

{The seven sects are very difficult to enter, with surging clouds Immortal Sect and Profundity Palace being the leading ones. No one has yet managed to join these two sects.}

{As for the other five factions among the seven major sects, it's still quite difficult to join. Even with a strategy, success depends on luck. The details are as follows...}

Liu Ping glanced at the text and silently spoke in his mind: "Sequence, can you remove all these reminders?"

In an instant, the regular fine print vanished.

A line of burning characters appeared in the void:

[This sequence muted those ugly prompts.]

"That's right, we'll do everything according to our own ideas from now on, without worrying about the rest" Liu Ping muttered.

Two fiery characters flashed in mid-air [Let's Go!]

Liu Ping turned away, his steps quickening as he headed east across the camp.

Soon, a law enforcement cultivator stopped him. After checking his token, he escorted him all the way to the eastern side.

Looking around, Liu Ping saw many tents set up here, each marked with the insignia of their respective sects.

cultivators moved quickly between the tents, occasionally entering one. The cultivators emerging from the tents either wore expressions of joy or disappointment, their moods reflecting their experiences.

Seeing that Liu Ping was new, the law enforcement cultivator explained "Those who make it here are all low-level practitioners with clean identities, and their journeys are similar to yours. If you find a sect you like, you can try to join. If they accept you, you can become part of the sect."

"Understood, thank you, Senior." Liu Ping clasped his fists respectfully.

The law enforcement cultivator nodded, then turned and walked away.

Liu Ping found a quiet corner and observed the various sects for a while.

The Western Desolet Camp served as a temporary resting place for cultivators, so the larger sects didn't devote much attention here.

The sects that attracted more people were mainly smaller and mid-sized ones, as they had suffered significant losses during the war and urgently needed fresh recruits.

As for the seven great sects, they were far more concerned with preserving their own traditions, with much stricter standards for accepting apprentices.

Though there were recruitment camps set up at various military outposts, these often felt more like a formality than a genuine effort to take in new members.

surging clouds Immortal Sect, Grand Profundity Palace, Divine Radiance Sect, Heavenly Resonance Pavilion, Azure Nether Sect, Xiaoxiang, Demon Eradication ValleyThese were the seven sects.

Surging Clouds Immortal Sect was the oldest, Grand Profundity Palace only accepted the most talented individuals, Divine Radiance Sect excelled in technique, Heavenly Resonance Pavilion's sound-based techniques were unrivaled, Azure Nether Sect specialized in battle and combat, Demon Eradication Valley was the nemesis of demons, and Xiaoxiang School was known for its secret arts.

Liu Ping walked around the camp and noticed that only four of the seven major sects had camps set up for recruiting disciples.

These were surging clouds Immortal Sect, Grand Profundity Palace, Azure Nether Sect, and Heavenly Resonance Pavilion.

A faint sound of a guzheng echoed from the tent of Heavenly Resonance Pavilion, accompanied by a soft female voice singing:

"Thousands of miles of mountains and rivers reveal new vistas,

The autumn air is crisp, free of dust;

Enjoy the journey together during the festive season,

With a bottle of wine for a half-day of leisure..."

At this moment, the night was dark and overcast, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive. Yet, as soon as the libretto sounded, a sense of joy blossomed in everyone's heart.

many cultivators quickly sensed the change in their state of mind even from far away.

— The reach of these sound-based attacks is quite broad.

Practitioners with talent in music are extremely rare and are difficult to defend against. Simply covering one's ears is ineffective.

Liu Ping withdrew his gaze and pondered quietly.

Four sects were present.

— Which one should he join?

He walked towards the tent of surging clouds Immortal Sect and saw a two-person-high stone stele standing at the entrance. The stele displayed the various rules of surging clouds Immortal Sect, along with a detailed account of the sect's glorious history.

To emphasize its grandeur, the stele could only be read slowly with one's eyes.

As the oldest and most prestigious of the seven major sects, it was only natural for the surging Clouds Immortal Sect to have such rules and traditions.

Many practitioners stood before the camp, reading the inscriptions carefully.

Liu Ping squeezed behind the crowd, thought for a moment and decided to leave.

It would take at least a quarter of an hour to read those rules, and with the crowd so packed, there was no order to the flow.

It was simply too much of a hassle.

— Besides, surging clouds Immortal Sect is the leader of all sects. The sect is filled with rules, and seniority is valued above all else. As a newcomer, it would be difficult to even learn about Master in a short amount of time after joining.

Liu Ping paused for a moment, then continued forward.

Not far from surging clouds Immortal Sect was Azure Nether Sect.

He noticed a small martial arts platform set up outside Azure Nether Sect's camp.

Low-level practitioners who wished to join Azure Nether Sect had to defeat three competitors on the stage before they were allowed to enter the tent and undergo further examinations.

— This sect excels at combat and emphasizes finding breakthrough opportunities through life-and-death battles. From the leader to the elders and disciples, a day without fighting would make them feel uncomfortable.

Do you enjoy fighting with others?

Liu Ping didn't.

If he joined Azure Nether Sect, there was a high chance he'd be assigned to the front lines, forced to "find opportunities for breakthroughs in life-and-death struggles." That would only bring him farther from his true goal.

Azure Nether Sect was ruled out.

Liu Ping turned around, not even sparing a glance at Heavenly Resonance Pavilion, and headed straight for Grand Profundity Palace's tent.

— Many low-level practitioners stopped in front of the tents of surging clouds Immortal Sect and Azure Nether Sect, but there was almost no one outside Heavenly Resonance Pavilion and Grand Profundity Palace's tents.

Among the seven sects, Heavenly Resonance Pavilion and Grand Profundity Palace attracted the fewest people.

Heavenly Resonance Pavilion only accepted practitioners with Sound affinity, and they often communicated through the libretto, a style that didn't suit him.

He dismissed the idea of joining.

Grand Profundity Palace only accepted those with extraordinary talent and brilliance.

Ordinary people, after giving it some thought, would usually prefer to try their luck with other sects, feeling uncomfortable in the tents of Heavenly Resonance Pavilion and Grand Profundity Palace.

But for Liu Ping, Grand Profundity Palace was the best choice.

— Few people.

— Every disciple is highly valued.

Because of this, Grand Profundity Palace placed far more emphasis on its disciples than other sects.

If he could join, he would undoubtedly attract attention right away, and he'd have the chance to uncover Master's legacy.

— It's decided then.

Liu Ping took a deep breath and lifted the curtain of the tent.

A strong, savory scent immediately hit his nostrils.

Inside, a man was squatting on the ground, roasting a chicken.

A line of small characters appeared above the man's head:

[Life Seizing Scholar, Nascent Soul Stage.]

[Title: Life Seizing Scholar.]

[sect inheritance title.]

[Explanation: this is one of the Grand Profundity Palace's seven inheritance titles.][Title effects: Dedicated to the collection of various innovative techniques and knowledge. Additionally, when using swords and books in battle, there is a certain probability of breaking the opponent's techniques and directly defeating the enemy.]