The Immortal Ascension Episode 9 Recap
> The Immortal Ascension Recap
Following his previous endeavor to acquire cultivation knowledge, Han Li sought out pill recipes at Lushan Hall. The steward, Elder Xu, noted that manually copying recipes was time-consuming and costly, as the hall charged by the hour. He offered to magically duplicate them for ten spirit gems per copy. Finding the initial recipes unsatisfactory, Han Li expressed his disappointment.
Elder Xu explained that superior recipes came at a higher price and were useless without a proper alchemy furnace, subtly suggesting Han Li purchase one from him. Han Li agreed to buy a 180-gem furnace, and in return, Xu gifted him a collection of recipes. Han Li was thrilled to discover the formula for the Foundation Establishment Pill, realizing he could now refine it himself.
In his secret garden, he used his small green vial to cultivate herbs but still lacked the key ingredients for the Foundation Establishment Pill: Jade Marrow Mushroom, Violet Monkey Blossom, and Celestial Essence Fruit. He successfully tested his new furnace, refining an Oblivion Pill and a Yellow Dragon Pill of improved purity. Later, Han Li overheard Xiang Zhili discussing the imminent opening of the Bloody Trial Ground.
Xiang explained that the trial was crucial for the Seven Sects' future, as it was the only source for the rare herbs needed to refine Foundation Establishment Pills. However, he also warned of the extreme danger, with a survival rate below fifty percent. Curious, Han Li learned from another disciple that the speaker was Xiang Zhili, the oldest Qi Refining cultivator in the valley, who had survived the trial multiple times but had yet to achieve Foundation Establishment.
Shortly after, the elders of the Seven Sects, including Nangong Wan and Fu Yunzi, gathered for a summit. As the Solunar Purification Pearl was to be transferred to the Moonshadow Sect, Nangong Wan interrupted. She presented two Foundation Establishment Pills from different eras, arguing that the trial ground's spiritual energy was diminishing, reducing the quality of herbs. She proposed sealing the trial ground for sixty years after the current opening, a significant increase from the usual five.
Other sect leaders vehemently disagreed, stating that a sixty-year interval would cripple their disciple development, as they lacked the Moonshadow Sect's large pill reserves. To prove her point, Nangong Wan had Hongfu activate the Solunar Purification Pearl. The pearl's light was visibly dimmer than in the past, confirming that the frequent openings had indeed depleted the area's spiritual energy. Hongfu and other elders supported Nangong Wan's proposal, acknowledging that the spiritual herbs were a finite resource being dangerously over-harvested.
Upon hearing this news, Han Li knew he could not wait sixty years and had to enter the trial this time. Han Yunzhi also revealed her intention to go, hoping to find the Solarflame Blossom to save her critically ill brother. Grandmaster Li Huayuan summoned his disciples, announcing only two of fifteen spots for the trial remained. After an older cultivator claimed one, Han Li secured the last spot.
Li Huayuan questioned Han Li's decision due to his low cultivation level, but Han Li asserted that his poor aptitude was precisely why he could not afford to wait sixty years. Impressed, Li Huayuan accepted him, telling the others they might get a chance if any of the chosen fifteen were eliminated in training. During training, Li Huayuan explained that disciples in the trial fell into three categories: the weak, the moderately skilled, and the truly powerful.
Counterintuitively, he stated that the weakest often had the highest survival rate because they knew their limits, whereas the strongest were prone to overconfidence and ruin. Separately, Nangong Wan entrusted the Solunar Purification Pearl to Yan Ruyan, instructing her to lead the team. She warned that the pearl's activation on the fourth day would signal a period of intense danger, as desperate disciples would resort to killing for treasures.
To prepare, Han Li adopted the alias "Li Feiyu" and visited the Treasure House. He exchanged thousand-year-old spirit herbs for a formidable arsenal, including the nine-bladed Mother-Child Blades, the defensive Mystic Iron Flying Shield, a powerful Thunder Ball, and a rare Golden Brick Talisman. While testing his new blades, he stumbled upon Lu Mingyuan confronting Chen Qiaoqian. Qiaoqian accused Lu Mingyuan of breaking their engagement after she had already given him her Foundation Establishment Pill.
Lu Mingyuan, seeking to win the favor of Dong Xuan'er to become Grandmaster Hongfu's disciple, trapped Qiaoqian with a Wind Bind spell. He confessed his intention to keep her pill and kill her to prevent her or her family from seeking revenge, leading Qiaoqian to condemn him as a traitor to the sect.
