Chapter 34: Tian Li Shocked the Patriarch!
The passage appears to be well-written overall. However, I have made a few minor corrections and adjustments for clarity:
The three cultivators looked at me with perplexed faces. It was as if it were the first time someone had the guts to stand against them, sending curses back instead of merely receiving them without muttering a word.
Their faces turned red, and their eyes bore into me like a hungry dog seeing a piece of beef. "What did you say? What did you call me?" they exclaimed.
That was the typical sentence meant to provoke me into cursing them again. Were they deaf or something? Nonetheless, I was in a zen state, preparing myself for the upcoming test, but the urge to punch them in the face persisted. I was about to act on it when Ma Chen appeared out of nowhere.
"Tian Li," he said, looking at me without even glancing at the three cultivators, "The test for the Elder position is about to begin. Are you ready?"
It was only then that Ma Chen realized something was happening, and he asked, "Am I interrupting something here?"
The three cultivators were completely frozen. They couldn't fully comprehend the words they had just heard. All the other cultivators who were watching the scene unfold had the same thought.
"Excuse me, Elder Ma Chen," the leader of the trio said, "What did you mean by the Elder test? I think you may have mistaken him for someone else."
The minds of those three cultivators, as well as everyone else in the vicinity, couldn't comprehend the fact that a young cultivator like me was in the Foundation Establishment realm.
Could Elder Ma Chen be lying about it? That thought surely crossed their minds. Despite not having a clear answer, they all knew a respectable Elder like Ma Chen wouldn't lie about something important like that.
"Oh," I said, smiling, "Time flies, I guess."
Elder Ma Chen and I left the courtyard, leaving all the disciples there with shocked faces. The list of those who cursed me was growing, and I couldn't wait to become their worst nightmare!
Anyway, we headed toward the mountain peak where the Foundation Establishment cultivators lived. It was a restricted area for Qi Condensation cultivators, but apparently, the sect's Patriarch made an exception, allowing these cultivators to witness the event.
They had built an arena there with a peculiar crystal in the middle. It floated, devoid of visible Qi.
I couldn't help but ask Ma Chen, "What's that?"
"It's a special crystal that allows us to somewhat gauge a person's natural talent. Yours is probably incredible for you to be in the Foundation realm at such a young age. However, the Patriarch wants to see it for himself," Ma Chen explained. Then, he leaned closer to my ear and whispered, "I heard that the Head Elder is either dying or planning to leave the sect, so they are seeking talented individuals who can eventually reach the Golden Core realm!"
That was an important piece of information. Could something greater be happening behind the scenes? The only way for me to find out was to pass the test!
When we arrived at the arena, only the other Foundation Establishment cultivators were present. Those from the Qi Condensation realm would only observe the subsequent parts of the test. At least, that's what Ma Chen had told me.
"So, you're the pretty young boy who's a genius?"
A woman with a voluptuous figure said that to me the moment I arrived. She wasn't the only one; all the others taking the same test were looking at me with curious gazes, some with clear hostility.
"You're thinking too highly of me," I replied, awkwardly smiling as I sensed the woman getting too close.
I took a few steps back. She was a stranger, and I wouldn't fall for any traps.
Realizing that I wasn't there for small talk, she retreated and returned to the bench she had been sitting on before approaching me.
Then, all the Elders fell silent. A tremendous power descended from the sky, and an old man wearing a long blue robe flew toward the arena. Despite his advanced age, his face had barely a wrinkle, and his long gray hair and beard added to his imposing appearance.
When my gaze locked onto that man, I couldn't believe it! It was Sun Liang, the person who had invited me to take the test!
His eyes scanned the Foundation cultivators, and they all bowed their heads.
Ma Chen stood beside me and whispered, "He's the Patriarch, Sun Liang. A Golden Core cultivator! Isn't he incredible?"
As Sun Liang's gaze fell upon me, he was shocked! I watched him blink repeatedly, as if he were seeing a hallucination and trying to snap out of it.
Ignoring the Elders and the other Foundation Establishment cultivators, he flew directly toward me!
Sun Liang touched my arms, my face, and finally said, "Tian Li, are you truly here?"
I didn't know what to say.
"Yes? Why wouldn't I be? I told you I would come for the Elder position you mentioned."
Sun Liang burst into laughter. "Elder position? You were in the third layer three years ago! How did you progress so rapidly?"
The others who overheard our conversation exclaimed in disbelief, "Impossible!"
They had never witnessed someone go from the third layer of Qi Condensation to the Foundation realm in just three years. It was like a genius among geniuses, at least in the province we lived in.
"Luck?" I replied uncertainly.
"Luck? Boy, there's no luck in this world that would enable such rapid cultivation," Sun Liang declared. He then flew back toward the crystal in the arena and said, "I will make a few changes. Firstly, Tian Li, the young man I just spoke to, is our sect's new Elder! There's no need for him to undergo a test."
He looked at me and winked. What a cool old man.
"But don't worry, I will still select two more Elders, just as we would initially. So be prepared, and let Tian Li's presence not hinder your test!"
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