"What Tianwutai Ascension Assembly?" Wu Jiuzhi suddenly asked, voicing the question that had been puzzling Han Li as well.
The name "Ascension Assembly" had been mentioned several times since Han Li first heard it from Wan Xiaoshan, but he had never had the opportunity to learn its details. "Is it some kind of trading fair like the Tailan Assembly?" Han Li wondered to himself.
"You don't know about the Ascension Assembly? This is the golden opportunity once every decade for all young cultivators in the State of Yue to join the great sects!" Heimu said, somewhat surprised and clearly excited.
"Brother Wu is so young, he must have been cultivating in seclusion elsewhere. It's understandable that he doesn't know about the Ascension Assembly," Daoist Qingwen said calmly, showing no surprise.
"Oh! Can you tell me about it? Joining the Seven Great Sects would be an incredible leap!" Wu Jiuzhi's interest was immediately piqued, and he pressed Heimu for details.
"This isn't the time to talk about the Ascension Assembly. The disappearance of rogue cultivators is what we should be discussing now," Hu Pinggu said, possibly directing her remarks at the young man, with a hint of discontent.
"It's fine. Let Brother Wu hear about it. Perhaps there are others here who don't know the details either," Daoist Qingwen said with a smile, though Han Li noticed the Daoist's gaze lingered on him for a moment, intentionally or not.
Han Li's heart skipped a beat. Had this Daoist Qingwen seen through something? He had done his best to blur the signs of being a novice cultivator and avoided contact with these people, but it seemed he hadn't escaped this man's keen eyes. Daoist Qingwen's perception was truly sharp!
"Since Master Qingwen says so, I'll tell Brother Wu about it," Heimu said, his enthusiasm rising as if he couldn't wait to share.
The group settled back into their seats, all except Huang Xiaotian, the stout man.
"I know all about the Ascension Assembly. I'll go back to sleep first. You can continue," the stout man said with an indifferent expression, then left the room without waiting for anyone else to speak, leaving the others exchanging bewildered glances.
"Don't mind him. The technique Brother Huang cultivates is rather unique and makes him drowsy. He doesn't mean to be rude," Daoist Qingwen explained hastily, his face showing a dignified air.
Most of the people in the room smiled bitterly at these words. Mind him? Who would dare? This man's magic power was even greater than the Daoist's!
The atmosphere in the room grew slightly awkward.
"Brother Heimu, please continue!" Wu Jiuzhi broke the silence, urging him on.
Heimu smiled and resumed his explanation.
"When speaking of the Ascension Assembly, we must first talk about the Foundation Establishment Pill—the elixir that drives all Qi Refining stage cultivators wild..."
It turned out that for any cultivator at the Qi Refining stage to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage and become a true member of the cultivation world, they needed to not only master their basic technique to the seventh layer but also consume a special spiritual medicine called the "Foundation Establishment Pill"—something only the great sects could refine. Only then could they hope to break through the bottleneck and successfully establish their foundation.
This gave the Foundation Establishment Pill its reputation as the "Ascension Pill," driving cultivators to desperation.
Even among the great sects, Foundation Establishment Pills were extremely scarce.
The ingredients for these pills were incredibly rare. Even when all the cultivation sects in the State of Yue combined their resources and efforts, they could only produce a few cauldrons every decade—barely over a thousand pills in total.
Even after dividing these pills among themselves, the sects still couldn't meet their own needs, so it was impossible for any Foundation Establishment Pills to leak to the outside world.
However, throughout the State of Yue's cultivation world, there were many cultivators who had mastered their basic technique to the seventh layer. These people desperately needed Foundation Establishment Pills to attempt breaking through their bottleneck.
This created a sharp conflict: on one hand, Foundation Establishment Pills were extremely scarce and controlled by the great sects; on the other hand, the number of rogue cultivators seeking these pills grew ever larger, yet they couldn't find a single pill on the outside. This contradiction even led some furious low-level cultivators to develop strong resentment toward the sects.
The leaders of the great sects naturally noticed this dangerous trend, but for a time, they could do nothing. After all, they didn't have enough Foundation Establishment Pills for themselves—how could they possibly spare any for those outside their sects?
But no problem in the world is without solution. Ultimately, this crisis was resolved by a genius from one of the sects.
He came up with a plan: whenever Foundation Establishment Pills were produced, they would select some talented rogue cultivators from the outside world, allow them to join these great sects, and then give them the pills.
This approach ensured that no Foundation Establishment Pills left the sects, kept the benefits within the family, and also eliminated the discontent of other low-level cultivators. After all, who wouldn't be willing to join a great sect? It also allowed them to select talented disciples—a perfect solution in every way.
However, the selection method had to be fair and impartial, leaving no room for criticism, otherwise it would have the opposite effect.
So the sects chose the most classic and convincing method: the law of the jungle. They would hold arena competitions, allowing those with superior strength to win the right to join their sects.
The Seven Great Sects each offered ten disciple slots and ten Foundation Establishment Pills as rewards for the final victors.
Of course, they imposed age restrictions—no one over forty could enter. Even if such individuals had exceptional aptitude, they simply didn't have much potential for development.
And so, the "Ascension Assembly" was born!
Those who triumphed in the arena were indeed mostly cultivators with the deepest magic power and exceptional aptitude, delighting the sects that obtained such quality disciples.
The resentment of other cultivators dissipated with each holding of this assembly, their attention now focused entirely on this once-in-a-decade opportunity to "leap over the dragon gate."
The Ascension Assembly continued to be held session after session, with seventy lucky individuals becoming disciples of the Seven Great Sects each time, driving other cultivators to even greater frenzy.
Eventually, almost every age-appropriate Qi Refining stage cultivator who considered themselves reasonably capable would risk life and limb to attempt the arena several times, hoping for a stroke of luck to transform from fish to dragon!
But the arena was not so easily conquered. After all, spell arts couldn't be controlled as precisely as these low-level cultivators might wish, and each session resulted in numerous injuries and deaths, sowing deep enmities among the competitors.
Heimu spoke for nearly two hours, captivating Wu Jiuzhi, who listened with great interest and gained considerable insight. Han Li, listening alongside, also benefited greatly, gaining a deeper understanding of the cultivation world.
"If I succeeded in the arena, couldn't I also become a disciple of one of the great sects?" Wu Jiuzhi said afterward, his face filled with longing.
"Dream on! With your level, if you entered the arena, you'd be lucky to escape with your life!" Hu Pinggu couldn't help but mock his daydreaming.
"Oh, why? Can't I make it? Isn't the eighth layer of cultivation enough to qualify for the arena?" Wu Jiuzhi didn't get angry this time; instead, he seriously asked Hu Pinggu for advice.
Hu Pinggu was somewhat surprised, but after a moment's hesitation, she said: "Young Wu, do you know what kind of people made up the seventy champions last year? How many cultivators at your level died or were injured in the arena?"
"I would appreciate Madam Hu's guidance!" Wu Jiuzhi said quite earnestly.
"That Ascension Assembly arena competition—I witnessed the entire process, and even now, the thought of it fills me with dread." Hu Pinggu's face paled as if recalling something terrifying.
Her husband, the bearded man, immediately placed his hand on her shoulder to comfort her. Hu Pinggu looked back at him tenderly, and her expression softened considerably.
"My husband and I have no intention of entering the arena. We're just going to watch. We plan to remain at the Qi Refining stage for the rest of our lives. But since you still have ambitions, I'll tell you some of the arena's harsh realities, so you don't die without understanding why," Hu Pinggu said calmly.