Back in his room, Yu Jinmei activated the silencing formation and began to cultivate.
He had the advantage when it came to spells and techniques thanks to his second life's experience.
To build his foundation, he would rely on the technique and attempt to condense the spiritual energy into pathways.
It was a bit risky, but he was confident thanks to his experience.
After careful consideration, he chose the Bright Moon Sacred Art, a mysterious technique that no one else in the sect cultivated.
This would make it difficult to detect and recognize, even for the elders.
It was child's play to gather spiritual energy and build the meridian pathways, but he soon hit a wall.
His talent was too low for this Sacred Art.
He didn't have the necessary spiritual energy within his core, which halted his progress.
"Dammit! Do I have to change my foundational art and rebuild my pathways?"
He had been so used to enjoying abundant resources and a strong physique that he didn't even consider this as a possibility.
"I guess I have no choice. It's better to be able to enter with a weaker foundation than to miss this opportunity," he sighed.
With some effort, he was able to reshape his meridians and recreate his foundation, centering on a new technique.
This time, he was careful to pick a technique that would suit his current talent and physique.
'Seven Star Divine Secret Technique.'
It was a good supporting technique that encompassed many abilities and had good utility, but lacked power and speed.
It was a secret technique passed down within the main branch of the ancient Hua family.
With this technique, was able to complete the meridians and achieve the 6th of Spirit Awakening in one go.
Although it was not as high as the other top disciples, it was still a level higher than his previous life.
"I think, in just a few more days, I can reach the 7th stage."
However, there wasn't much time left before the trial. Focusing too much on reaching the next stage could potentially cause instability.
For the Seven Star Divine Secret, harmony and balance were crucial.
Instead, he decided to begin practicing the various spells he had learned but never used.
"The most basic spell… Water Mirror Spell."
In an instant, all of his spiritual energy was drained, and a small disc of water formed.
"Spells truly are inefficient," he sighed.
At his current level, spells were too cost-ineffective. Without a solid spiritual origin, the inner core was inefficient.
It was better to rely on physical martial arts instead.
"But, this can still serve as a trump card…"
…
Soon, it was time to register for the Holy Trial.
Hundreds of nervous disciples lined up, hoping for a miracle. Many were at the 4th stage of Spirit Awakening, paying the fee to register.
However, the 5th stage of Spirit Awakening was an unofficial prerequisite to register, as that was the level where one would have a strong enough spiritual energy to write on parchment.
Being at the peak of the 6th stage, Yu Jinmei was able to easily engrave his name onto the parchment.
He was careful to avoid Fu Jiaobao's sight and went back to his room.
Tomorrow was the day the spirit ships would come pick up the sect disciples, so he had to pack everything.
He didn't have many belongings, but that simply meant he had less to carry around.
"Hopefully, this is the last time I see this place."
The next morning, it was time to board the spirit airships.
Yu Jinmei carried his belongings in a small sack and put on a conical bamboo hat to hide his face.
The spirit airships were as imposing as ever, being hundreds of meters tall, descending from the sky like meteors.
One by one, the trial takers were called by their number. It was only after an hour that Yu Jinmei heard his.
"—Next, East Wing number 772."
"Here." Yu Jinmei presented the stamped yellow parchment.
A pale blue light flashed and he was instantly transported onto the deck by the ship's formation.
The airships could each hold around 10,000 or so people, so only 2-3 were needed in total for the trial.
But before he did anything, he wanted to go find his room first.
His room number corresponded to his register number, which meant he was in the 3rd section.
However, he stopped in his tracks when he saw who was walking opposite him.
Dull pink hair. Teal eyes. Bandages on the left hand to hide a scar.
He recognized her.
"Mei Liang…? She's here too?" he muttered. She was a villain as well, someone who fought against Qiu Xueli, the main female lead.
They fought over the position of Holy Maiden for a while, but she ultimately lost due to Ye Huo's intervention.
He had stayed away from her to not get caught in the crossfire, but he had somehow actually died before she did.
In the end, she also died in the wilderness, her fate left in the hands of a Blood Scorpion Snake.
She suddenly turned her head towards him.
"You know me?"
He was startled, not expecting her to hear him.
"Uh, I heard about you from… a— someone."
Mei Liang looked at him suspiciously.
"N-Never mind. I'll be leaving now." He hurriedly walked past her and entered his room.
Shutting the door behind him, he activated the silencing formation.
He laughed to himself, "That… was awkward."
Suddenly, he had a flash of inspiration: "Wouldn't she be a good ally?"
The enemy of an enemy was an ally, and they shared a common enemy—Ye Huo!
"Perhaps, in this life, I should get to know her?"