Chapter 178 : Tribulation-Breaking Golden Core

Chapter 178: Tribulation-Breaking Golden Core

Bixiao Immortal Sect, outer perimeter of the blessed land, Greenpine Private Banquet.

Looking at the expensive dishes on the menu, Chen Beiwu’s eyelids twitched.

Chen Beiwu had thought that the prices in Bixiao City were already high enough, yet the prices in Bixiao Immortal Sect’s dining hall were even more outrageous. A single dish casually ordered cost dozens of Spirit Yuan, equivalent to several high-grade First-Tier Exotic Pills.

Good heavens, was Bixiao Immortal Sect treating them like fat pigs waiting to be slaughtered!

No wonder cultivators from Yuan-Kong County hadn’t rushed headlong into Bixiao City, a state-level city like this.

Aside from not being able to afford train tickets, the greater reason was likely that survival here was impossible. They wouldn’t even be able to save up enough for cultivation expenses; better to stay back in their hometowns.

Ordering a plate of Lion-Headed Goose, Chen Beiwu looked around the dining hall and found that all the passing Immortal Alliance examinees had at least Green First-Tier Fate above their heads, with the occasional examinee bearing Orange Third-Tier Fate.

“Buzz!”

Chen Beiwu’s screen popped up three messages: one from his parents, one from Xu Ziqing, and one from Xu Lingling.

Chen Beiwu first opened the message from Ms. Huang Xiaoling.

“Son, I heard this re-exam was very difficult, quite a few people died…”

Sensing his parents’ worry, Chen Beiwu replied with a touch of smugness: “A mere re-exam, how could it be difficult for me? I’ve already cleared it successfully and should receive a decent evaluation.”

Opening Xu Ziqing’s message, Chen Beiwu’s gaze dimmed slightly.

Xu Ziqing’s luck had been poor.

Since she wasn’t skilled at illusionary disguises, she hadn’t infiltrated the higher-ups of Chouyuan Star but instead chose to hide in desolate mountains and wilderness, planning to endure until the one-month survival period ended.

On the twenty-fifth day, however, the Chouyuan higher-ups went collectively mad, launching tens of thousands of Three-Phase Bombs worldwide. Xu Ziqing, who had been cultivating in seclusion within the mountains, couldn’t escape the nuclear bombardment.

To avoid perishing within the God-Void Realm and causing severe injuries to her true body—thus rendering her unable to attend the final exam—Xu Ziqing chose to end her own life early, greatly lowering her re-exam evaluation.

‘What a pity.’ Chen Beiwu sighed inwardly.

The difficulty of the Immortal Alliance’s final exam would be even higher than the re-exam.

Xu Ziqing’s cultivation was only at the Ninth Level of Qi Refining. With her failure in the re-exam and her low evaluation, her chances of entering the Thirteen Immortal Sects were slim.

Thinking of this, Chen Beiwu then opened Xu Lingling’s message.

This time, it was good news.

While he had been undergoing the re-exam, Xu Lingling successfully gained the recognition of Tianyan Immortal Sect’s exclusive spirit beast, the Blazing Flame Tiger, passing the special recruitment smoothly.

‘More than ten years of bitter cultivation really can’t compare to the effort of a second generation!’

Though Chen Beiwu grumbled in his heart, the smile on his face couldn’t be hidden.

After replying to all the messages, Chen Beiwu opened the official Immortal Alliance website.

As expected, today’s top trending topics were all about the re-exam.

Casually clicking on one trending thread, he found the comment section filled with curses, everyone complaining about how unfair the Immortal Alliance re-exam was.

If they caused trouble and slaughtered wantonly, they’d be bombarded with nuclear weapons!

If they didn’t cause trouble, chose to hide somewhere in seclusion, they’d still be bombarded—and their evaluation would drop.

Because the re-exam assessed not just survival ability but also performance during the task period. Simply hiding wouldn’t earn a high evaluation.

To obtain an A-grade evaluation, examinees had to kill Chouyuan higher-ups while also surviving nuclear bombardments—an extremely difficult mission, one that only very few could accomplish.

“Couldn’t you have just soul-searched, disguised yourselves, and infiltrated the higher-ups of the Chouyuan race?” someone objected, thinking the examinees of this year were simply too weak.

Nuclear weapons might be strong, but as long as the examinees acted cautiously, it wasn’t hard to infiltrate the Chouyuan leadership and even control them all.

“Heh, why don’t you try it? Outside Chouyuan Star, there are dozens of quantum radar satellites with a maximum detection range of fifteen million kilometers. They can pierce through illusions and lock onto your position the moment you descend. You have the skill to disguise yourself under those circumstances? Show me!” This comment had received millions of likes.

“Even if you successfully disguise yourself as an ape higher-up, it’s useless. The quantum radar satellites can predict your movements using big data.

Once you leave the military base and act in a way that doesn’t align with the daily logic of the Chouyuan race, the satellites will mark you as a priority surveillance target. Don’t ask how I know this!” This one had hundreds of thousands of likes.

“Just train harder if you’re weak! In the First Examination Venue of the Da Luo Immortal Sect, there was a lunatic who successfully infiltrated the Chouyuan higher-ups, controlled the entire military of Chouyuan Star, launched all nuclear weapons to bombard the surface, and even gave a worldwide speech—killed me too!”

This comment had the highest number of likes, reaching tens of millions.

Just as Chen Beiwu was absorbed in browsing the comments, a fragrant plate of Lion-Headed Goose was placed on his table, followed by six more dishes that clearly looked expensive.

“I only ordered one plate of Lion-Headed Goose. Did you bring the wrong dishes?” Chen Beiwu looked up, his pupils contracting.

For the one before him had jade-like features, golden patterns between his brows, a tall figure, golden fate above his head, appearing extraordinary—definitely not a mere food server.

“Mind if I share a table and a meal?” Zhao Wuchen smiled.

Chen Beiwu nodded, not refusing.

There were plenty of empty tables around, yet the man had chosen him. Clearly, there was a reason.

Halfway through the meal, the golden-patterned man suddenly took out a bottle of wine with an exquisite fragrance.

Noticing Chen Beiwu’s gaze, Zhao Wuchen spoke: “This is Second-Tier Spirit Wine, Azure-Glow Intoxication, brewed from Azure Star Grapes. Care for a cup?”

Chen Beiwu shook his head.

He dared not drink wine from a stranger, especially one who clearly wasn’t ordinary.

Unbothered by the refusal, Zhao Wuchen sipped a few mouthfuls before getting straight to the point: “Do you want to join Bixiao Immortal Sect?”

“Naturally, I do.” Chen Beiwu answered earnestly.

After all, this was the outer examination venue of Bixiao Immortal Sect. Nine out of ten examinees here desired admission into it.

Zhao Wuchen smiled faintly; the reply had been well within his expectations: “I can give you a guaranteed admission spot. Would you sign an entrance contract?”

Chen Beiwu’s eyes flickered with surprise.

After a moment’s hesitation, he shook his head and refused: “Apologies, but rather than a guaranteed spot, I’d prefer to participate in the Immortal Alliance’s final exam and test my own limits.”

Though Bixiao Immortal Sect was excellent, it couldn’t compare to the Supreme Yin Grotto-Heaven, one of the Five Great Grotto-Heavens.

If he performed outstandingly in the final exam, perhaps he might catch their interest.

Even if the chance was slim, Chen Beiwu still wished to try.

Zhao Wuchen’s gaze sharpened slightly as he raised his offer: “If you’re willing to join Bixiao Immortal Sect, I can promise that within a hundred years, you’ll receive a Tribulation-Breaking Golden Core.”

Hearing this, Chen Beiwu’s heart skipped a beat, though he quickly calmed himself: “Apologies, but I want to give it another try.”

“My promise remains valid at any time. This is my contact information.” Zhao Wuchen said no more, placing a card on the table before getting up and leaving.

Did the Thirteen Immortal Sects care about cultivation geniuses?

They did, and yet they also didn’t!