Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 56

“What is this Heavenly Mist Platform Ascension Tournament?”

O Guji suddenly asked. He had heard the name ‘Ascension Tournament’ in stories, but he had never had a chance to hear a detailed explanation.

‘Could it be another kind of trading market like the Southern Sky Gathering?’ Han-lip wondered.

“Surely you know about the Ascension Tournament? It’s the best opportunity for young cultivators in the Yue Kingdom to enter a major sect, happening only once every ten years!”

“Brother Oh is still young, and it seems he has been secluded for cultivation, so it’s understandable,” Black Mu exclaimed in surprise, and Taoist Song defended O Guji.

“Wow! Then please tell me more! If you just get into one of the Seven Great Sects, your life changes overnight, right?”

“Now is not the time to talk about the Ascension Tournament. We need to talk about the disappearance of the mountain cultivators,” O Guji said excitedly to Black Mu, and Hopyeonggo expressed her dissatisfaction with the young man.

“It’s alright. It would be good to explain it to Brother Oh. Others who don’t know the details of the Ascension Tournament can also listen.” The Taoist soothed Hopyeonggo with a smile, glancing at Han-lip. He had always tried to hide that he was a newcomer to the cultivation world by answering vaguely, but he couldn’t fool Taoist Song’s sharp eyes.

“Since Taoist Song says so, I will tell Brother Oh about it.” Black Mu confidently stepped forward, excited. Everyone sat back in their original places, except for Hwang Hyocheon, who remained standing.

“I know the Ascension Tournament well, so I’ll go to bed first. You guys talk.” The fatty finished speaking and left the room without waiting for anyone’s reply.

“Don’t mind him. The cultivation method that Brother Hwang practices is special, so he always feels sleepy. He doesn’t mean to disregard you all,” Taoist Song hurriedly explained on behalf of the fatty. The people in the room smiled wryly at the Taoist’s words. What could they do if they didn’t mind? The fatty was stronger than Taoist Song, after all.

“Brother Black Mu, please continue,” O Guji broke the awkward atmosphere and urged Black Mu. Black Mu smiled again and began to speak.

“To explain the Ascension Tournament, we can’t leave out the Foundation Establishment Pill. Any cultivator in the Qi Refining stage [the initial stage of cultivation] would go crazy for it…” After refining the basic cultivation method to the 7th level, if one takes the Foundation Establishment Pill, a spiritual medicine that can only be refined by a large sect, the probability of reaching the Foundation Establishment stage [a higher stage of cultivation] greatly increases, overcoming a difficult hurdle.

When a cultivator in the Qi Refining stage reaches the Foundation Establishment stage, they are recognized as a true member of the cultivation world.

That’s why the Foundation Establishment Pill has the nickname ‘Ascension Pill,’ and it is something that every cultivator desires.

The raw materials for the Foundation Establishment Pill are difficult to find, so even if the cultivation sects of the Yue Kingdom work together, they can only make about a thousand pills every ten years. Moreover, these pills are distributed among the sects, and they are always in short supply even within the sects.

However, throughout the Yue Kingdom, countless cultivators who have reached the 7th level or higher in their basic cultivation method are eagerly awaiting their next step.

Thus, the Foundation Establishment Pill is monopolized by the major sects, and the external demand for the pill only increases, so it was obvious that conflict would arise between the two.

Of course, the sect members were aware of this uneasy atmosphere, but what could they do? The Foundation Establishment Pills were woefully insufficient even for their own use, so how could they give them to outsiders?

However, there was no problem in the world that could not be solved. A cultivator from one sect suggested that every ten years, when the Foundation Establishment Pills were made, they should select talented cultivators from outside to join the major sects and, at the same time, have them take the Foundation Establishment Pill.

This way, they wouldn’t have to give the Foundation Establishment Pill to outsiders, and they could quell the dissatisfaction of the cultivation world. In fact, entering a major sect was a good thing for cultivators, and it was also a good strategy for the sects to recruit excellent disciples.

The selection method had to be fair and clear, leaving no room for complaints. Otherwise, it could have the opposite effect.

Thus, the sects put forward the most classic and convincing principle of the survival of the fittest. Only those with outstanding skills would be qualified to enter the sect.

The Seven Great Sects each offered ten spots and ten Foundation Establishment Pills, waiting for the final winners.

There was an age limit, and those over forty years old were not allowed to enter. This is how the Ascension Tournament was created!

As the Ascension Tournament continued, cultivators became even more enthusiastic as they watched 70 lucky individuals become disciples of the Seven Great Sects every ten years.

Any cultivator of the right age would risk their life, hoping to be the lucky one. However, competing in the tournament was by no means easy. Many casualties occurred each time, and it was common for cultivators to become mortal enemies.

By the time Black Mu finished his story, almost an hour had passed.

“So, if I win the tournament, I can become a disciple of a major sect?” O Guji’s face was filled with desire after hearing the whole story.

“Dream on! With your level, you’ll likely die or get injured if you go there,” Hopyeonggo scoffed as O Guji was lost in thought, grinning.

“Um. Why? Why can’t I? Does that mean I’m not qualified to participate in this tournament even with an 8th level cultivation method?” O Guji asked Hopyeonggo with a serious face. Hopyeonggo hesitated for a moment at his sincere attitude before answering him.

“Kid, do you know who the 70 people selected in the last tournament were? And how many cultivators died or were injured with your level?”

“I would like to receive Madam Ho’s teachings,” O Guji asked for guidance with a very sincere attitude.

“I saw the last tournament’s arena battles myself. Even thinking about it now makes me shudder!” Hopyeonggo’s face turned pale as if she had a terrifying thought.

“My husband and I have no intention of fighting, even if we stay in the Qi Refining stage for the rest of our lives. But since you all have aspirations and are going to challenge it, I will explain it in detail before I die.” Hopyeonggo began to speak calmly.

“First of all, those who participate in the tournament must have reached at least the 7th level in the Five Elements Basic Cultivation Method. Only then do they have the basic requirements to take the Foundation Establishment Pill. And the age limit for participation is 40 years old or younger, but it’s best not to try to cheat about your age. The person in charge of the application uses bone reading to find out each person’s actual age. If you meet these two conditions, anyone can apply, regardless of anything else! That’s probably why the competition is so terrible.

The reason why there are so many people in Tae Nam Valley is probably because of the Ascension Tournament. In the last tournament, there were about a few hundred people, but this time, there are at least a thousand, if not more. They are participating in our Tae Nam Valley’s small gathering to exchange goods, and at the same time, they will observe the cultivators they might meet as opponents in the Ascension Tournament. It’s the principle of knowing yourself and your enemy to win every battle.” Hopyeonggo paused for a moment, and O Guji’s face changed as he asked again.

“According to Madam Ho, does that mean that even those who have reached the 10th level in the valley are participating in the tournament? Then why are cultivators with low cultivation like us risking death to participate?”

“That’s hard to say. Having high cultivation doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll win. If someone with low cultivation uses a powerful magic tool or has a powerful magic artifact on their body, they can knock out an opponent with high cultivation.” Black Jin, who hadn’t said a word since Han-lip arrived, suddenly shouted, and everyone’s attention turned to him.

“That’s right. Brother Black Jin’s words are reasonable. In our cultivators’ battles, the level of cultivation is not important. What’s really important is how skillfully you can use your magic techniques, how versatile you can be in using them, and, in addition, the power of the artifacts you possess determines the outcome,” Taoist Song also agreed with Black Jin’s opinion, adding his own words.

“Brother Black Jin and Taoist Song are right. Otherwise, why would they hold the Ascension Tournament? They could just look at the level of cultivation and choose the most profound ones,” Hopyeonggo also agreed. Despite the words of Black Jin and others, O Guji was not happy at all, and with a tearful face, he muttered something.

“Powerful magic artifacts… powerful talismans…?” Ignoring O Guji, Madam Ho continued.

“Because there are so many people competing, the Ascension Tournament sets up seven stages at the same time. They symbolize the Seven Great Cultivation Sects of the Yue Kingdom, and anyone can go up to the stage of the sect they want to join and compete. First, two people go up and fight, and only the winner goes on to the next match. Then, they compete against a new challenger. This continues until no one else comes forward, and then the next round of matches begins, with the winners of the previous matches competing against each other. In this way, only the final 10 people on each stage will be qualified to take the Foundation Establishment Pill, which is highly competitive even within the sect. Don’t take my simple explanation lightly. The actual scene of the competition is so terrible that it cannot be described in words.” Madam Ho seemed to be overwhelmed with emotion as she spoke.

“In the last tournament, more than a dozen cultivators at the 10th level died, and even some great masters at the 11th level fought each other to the death! Of course, countless cultivators at the 9th or 8th level died, and some say that more than a hundred died. Everyone is desperate to seize the opportunity, so there are bound to be many casualties,” Hopyeonggo lamented.

“Do you mean that even those who have reached the 11th level in their basic cultivation method participate? I heard through rumors that the cultivation sects accept such talented individuals as disciples. Why would those two risk their lives?” A woman’s voice suddenly interjected. It was Hongryeonsanin, the silent girl. Hopyeonggo smiled at her question.

“I asked the same question as Sister Hongryeon. I couldn’t understand it at all. Later, after meeting a senior in the mountain cultivator world and talking to him, I finally realized it. Perhaps Brother Oh and Brother Han are also curious about this?”

“Not only them, but we brothers are also curious. How can a talent at the 11th level die trying to break through such a narrow door!” Black Mu couldn’t help but ask as Hopyeonggo hesitated.

“Looking at Taoist Song’s expression, it seems that the Taoist knows. It would be better if the Taoist could tell us,” Hopyeonggo laughed out loud and naturally passed the burden to the Taoist. The Taoist was flustered by her sudden request, but he nodded in agreement and opened his mouth.

“In fact, both of them were from cultivation families. They probably took quite a few pills to reach the 11th level.” He shook his head as if it was not right.

“Isn’t it normal to use pills to increase one’s cultivation level? They can still enter a cultivation sect,” O Guji widened his eyes and raised a question.

“Brother Oh, you’re forgetting something. To us, a cultivator who reaches the 11th level before the age of 40 is an incredible talent, but to those who have been running sects for a long time, they are just ordinary talents who are barely qualified to be accepted. Otherwise, they would have been accepted as official disciples of the sect when they were younger.

Therefore, their families know that even if they barely manage to get their children into a cultivation sect, they don’t know what their future will be like, and there is a high possibility that they will be pushed aside by more talented individuals and not get the Foundation Establishment Pill. So, they don’t send them to the sect at all. Instead, they train them professionally within the family to obtain the qualification for the Foundation Establishment Pill and the opportunity to enter the sect at the same time.

However, they probably didn’t expect that they would meet an opponent with similar calculations and end up dying together,” Taoist Song sighed as he spoke.

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