According to intelligence gathered by various factions, within the Nine Profound Sect lies a forbidden area known as the Meteorite Forbidden Ground, which appears to possess extraordinary effects in breaking through bottlenecks.
This is one of the reasons why the Nine Profound Sect, despite its less than a thousand-year lineage, boasts nine Golden Core Grand Cultivators!
However, regarding this forbidden area, not only are outsiders largely unaware, but even many within the Nine Profound Sect themselves know little of it. It is a core secret accessible only to the peak masters of each lineage.
"That elder who wishes to enter the forbidden area has been stuck at the peak of the Third Realm for decades. He likely intends to seize this opportunity for a final push," Zheng Wanrong mused.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan's eyes flickered. He was immensely tempted yet also harbored suspicion.
As a sect elder, why would such a critical matter be discussed openly with others?
Furthermore, how could a cultivator at the Third Realm not sense a disciple of the sect nearby?
Could it be that it was deliberately revealed, intending for Zheng Wanrong to pass it on to him?
With this thought, Ji Yuan inwardly chuckled bitterly, silently shaking his head. He suppressed this seemingly absurd notion deep within his heart for the moment.
"What are the requirements to enter the forbidden area?" he asked directly after a moment of thought.
This time, Zheng Wanrong did not reply. Instead, she glanced at Li Junxian beside her.
The latter coughed lightly and, in a very low voice, stated the conditions for entering the forbidden area, which he had inquired about the day before.
In actuality, there were only three conditions to meet for entry into the Meteorite Forbidden Ground.
The first was to possess cultivation at the late Third Realm, as one would otherwise be unable to withstand certain powers within the forbidden area.
The second was to have amassed a vast amount of merit. For a Third Realm elder, working diligently for twenty to thirty years should suffice to barely accumulate it.
The third condition was to obtain the sect's special permission, which could only be granted by making a significant contribution to the sect.
As soon as these words were uttered, Ji Yuan's brows furrowed. None of these three conditions were easy to fulfill.
Any one of them could take decades to achieve, fraught with countless dangers. The latter two conditions, in particular, carried the risk of immediate death.
It was important to note that the disciples of the Nine Profound Sect were all exceptionally gifted. In ordinary smaller sects, they would be groomed as inheritors.
Even so, out of hundreds of outer disciples and over a hundred inner disciples each generation, only a handful managed to meet these requirements.
"Among the previous generation of disciples, it is said that only three succeeded. One of them is the current Sect Master," Li Junxian stated with a serious expression.
The other two were a legend of the Nine Profound Sect and the Peak Master of Thunder Marsh Peak, both figures whose mere presence could shake several commanderies.
Based on Li Junxian's status, the information he could obtain indicated that over a dozen of the Nine Profound Sect's prodigies from the previous generation had attempted to fulfill these three conditions, but only the Sect Master and two others succeeded.
Among the other disciples who attempted, only four or five were incredibly fortunate. Despite encountering numerous dangers, they always managed to escape unharmed.
"As for the remaining disciples, they either died or were severely injured. Even those who narrowly escaped with their lives either lost their cultivation or were crippled," Li Junxian said, his expression turning grim.
In fact, the descriptions of these failed disciples in the information he had gathered were extremely detailed and horrifying. He had spent an entire night meticulously piecing together his current account, carefully omitting the crueler details to avoid completely crushing Ji Yuan's hope.
As for whether this might inadvertently lead Ji Yuan into danger, Li Junxian was not worried at all.
To even attempt these trials, one would need to at least meet the first condition, which was possessing cultivation at the late Third Realm.
This alone would take ordinary cultivators decades, even a century. Even exceptionally gifted individuals, with ample resources, would struggle to achieve it within twenty to thirty years.
This meant that by the time Ji Yuan's cultivation met the first condition, the thirty-year deadline might have already passed, thus negating the need to take such a risk.
Even if an unexpected event occurred and he met the first condition before the thirty-year mark, it would not be too late to reveal the full details then.
"What are your thoughts?" Zheng Wanrong asked, seeing his brows furrowed in deep contemplation.
Ji Yuan pondered for a moment and then revealed his intentions without reservation: "If the Meteorite Forbidden Ground can significantly increase the success rate of forming a Golden Core, then I must try my best, no matter what."
"If that's the case, I need to cultivate to the late Third Realm within twenty years and, during this time, accumulate enough or at least a significant portion of the required merit."
"Only then will I have enough time to attempt the final condition."
Although he did not know what kind of great contribution was required for the third condition, it was unlikely to be simple. It would undoubtedly be a mission with a near-certain death sentence.
Otherwise, so many of the Nine Profound Sect's prodigies would not have ended up dead or injured.
"To advance from the early stage of Spirit Infusion Realm to the late stage of Enlightenment Realm within twenty years is an almost impossible feat!" Zheng Wanrong frowned. "Even with your talent, coupled with the Nine Profound Sect's seven important locations and sufficient resources, I don't see a high chance of success."
Unless they had an additional ten years, she and Li Junxian believed there was only a slim possibility for him to achieve something that would shock the sect.
Ji Yuan smiled slightly upon hearing this, his expression nonchalant. "I'm already planning to gamble on forming a Golden Core within thirty years. What could be more impossible than that?"
Since it was already considered an almost impossible task, what difference did it make whether he did one or two such things?
Thinking this way, a sense of anticipation rose within him. He couldn't help but wonder how far he could go. Would he cultivate to the late Third Realm within thirty years, or would he go all the way and successfully condense a Golden Core in one fell swoop?
Merely contemplating it made his mind surge with excitement, and he seemed eager to begin.
"There's something I'm very curious about. Why do you insist on trying, knowing there's a great danger involved?" Zheng Wanrong asked earnestly. "You are not a disciple of the Nine Profound Sect. If you wished, you could have demanded countless heavenly treasures as compensation for your accumulated fortune, and then lived freely wherever you pleased."
"There's really no need to agree to the Sect Master's terms of forming a Golden Core within thirty years."
"A legacy peak, even a tenth of the Nine Profound Sect's annual allocation, and your status and position, etc."
"Given your personality, you would take what you can get and would never risk your life if you couldn't."
Although they had only known each other for a little over two months, their shared experiences of eating, living, and even facing death together had given them a thorough understanding of each other's character.
Based on the personality Ji Yuan had displayed, he should be someone who tried to avoid trouble and entanglements, never actively seeking danger.
In their past shared endeavors, he had only chosen to act when he had a certain degree of confidence. Unless faced with a life-or-death predicament, he would not easily put himself in harm's way.
"Because of a decision I made, my Master changed his mind after decades of steadfastness and dismissed his seven senior brothers from the temple."
Ji Yuan remained silent for a long time, then sighed softly.
The Xuan Tian Temple had a lineage of over three hundred years. Generation after generation had persevered, but by Zhang Zhiya's generation, he no longer wished to continue, leaving his descendants perpetually under the scrutiny of various factions.
After all, it was a lineage that had produced several celestial figures within two to three hundred years. Even if it had declined and its legacy was no longer prominent, several factions still watched from the shadows.
The moment an outstanding disciple appeared or someone obtained the legacy of the Xuan Tian Temple's ancestors, they would be forcibly taken into their own sects.
Zhang Zhiya did not want such a situation to recur, nor did he want future generations to be 'caged' in such a manner. Thus, he had intended to let the Xuan Tian Temple's lineage end with him.
However, due to Ji Yuan's appearance, he was ultimately forced to abandon this thought. He retrieved the iron tablet, containing the Xuan Tian lineage's destiny, which he had hidden his entire life, and gave it to his youngest disciple to seek opportunities and walk a further path on the Great Dao.
Furthermore, for the sake of his Dao path, Zhang Zhiya had dismissed the other disciples from the temple. These disciples were like half-sons to the old Daoist, orphans he had taken in from the outside and raised with all his heart.
Unless one were a parent, they could not fathom the torment the old Daoist must have endured at that moment.
"For me, even though my Master is already seventy-eight years old, he still left the place he had lived for decades and traveled thousands of miles to the Nine Profound Sect."
Ji Yuan drained his cup of wine, suddenly finding it not as unpalatable as before.
Beside him, Li Junxian and Zheng Wanrong fell silent. They had witnessed the entire affair and could empathize with his feelings.
They exchanged glances, raised their cups, and drank in silence. Suddenly, they understood why he was determined to try, even knowing the immense risks involved.
"My Master has done so much for me. I can't let him down, can I?"
After refilling his cup and before drinking it down, Ji Yuan murmured to himself.
He knew deep down that the old man, who never spoke much, still cared about the Daoist temple he had guarded for most of his life.
Since the Daoist temple in Qianyu City had been disbanded, he would build another one in the Nine Profound Sect. After all, as long as his Master and senior brothers were there, the Xuan Tian Temple would still exist.
What he needed to do now was to live up to his Master's sacrifices for him and, at all costs, secure what the Xuan Tian Temple deserved!
"Let's not talk about this anymore. The gathering seems about to start."
Ji Yuan let out a slight belch, his face flushing.
He set down his wine cup and looked around. While the three of them had been talking, more than a dozen other people had arrived, engaged in lively exchanges and toasting each other.
He also noticed that among the approximately thirty people present, they were roughly divided into three groups. One group, led by Zhao Yuansong, comprised nearly half the attendees.
The other two groups were led by a young female cultivator and two twin young men, respectively, each with seven or eight followers.