When Han Yue woke up, he felt intense pain all over his body, as if he had been crushed by a giant stone. He looked around and found himself in a stone chamber surrounded by ethereal spiritual energy. Ancient runes were carved on the stone walls, emitting a faint glow.
"Where is this?" Han Yue muttered as he struggled to sit up.
"This is the place for the Qingling Sect's Dao Trial," a familiar voice came. The silver-haired old man slowly entered the stone chamber, his gaze cold and sharp.
"Do you understand? Once you step onto the path of cultivation, life and death are in your own hands. Cultivating with a mortal body is even more perilous, with nine deaths and one life. If you are afraid, you can still withdraw now."
Han Yue slowly raised his head, gritting his teeth and saying, "I will not back down!"
The old man nodded with satisfaction, waving his hand. A faint blue light array suddenly appeared in the center of the stone chamber. Inside the array floated a lustrous jade bead, radiating a soft glow.
"This is the 'Spirit Washing Pearl.' Mortal body cultivators must pass through it to reshape their meridians and remove impurities before they can step into the realm of cultivation. But the process is extremely painful, and if you're not careful, your soul will scatter. Are you willing to endure this?"
Without hesitation, Han Yue knelt down and said, "Please, senior, grant me this opportunity!"
The silver-haired old man said no more and performed a hand seal. The Spirit Washing Pearl turned into a beam of light and shot into Han Yue's body. He felt his blood boil as if his meridians were being torn apart. A searing pain spread throughout his body, almost causing him to faint.
"Hold on!" the silver-haired old man shouted coldly. "This is only the first wave of spiritual power!"
Han Yue clenched his teeth, drenched in sweat. However, just as he could no longer bear the pain, the jade pendant given to him by the old hunter suddenly lit up, emitting a soft golden light that quickly spread throughout his body.
Han Yue immediately felt a cool sensation spreading inside him, alleviating the pain brought by the spiritual shock. Even more miraculously, his meridians began to reshape at a visible speed, becoming sturdier and wider!
The silver-haired old man looked on in surprise. "This jade pendant... it's an ancient spiritual artifact that can automatically protect its master?"
After a while, the light gradually faded. Han Yue slowly opened his eyes, feeling a strength he had never experienced before.
"Have I... succeeded?" Han Yue asked weakly.
The silver-haired old man nodded, showing a rare hint of approval. "Not only have you succeeded, but this jade pendant has laid a foundation far beyond ordinary people's. From today on, you are an outer disciple of the Qingling Sect. As for the secret of this jade pendant, you will have to explore it yourself."