After passing the illusion fog layer that tests insight and the puzzle-solving layer that tests wisdom, they arrived at the third level of the prison pass.
The first two layers did not rely much on cultivation, testing basic talent instead.
However, the third level tests cultivation.
The third level is a large array, composed of an array core and four array flags, with internal life and death doors.
Entering the death door leads to direct elimination.
Disciples who enter must gather insight, decision-making ability, and hard strength in multiple aspects.
Disciples with low cultivation can spend more time investigating the operational rules of the four array flags one by one to determine the location of the life door.
Disciples with high cultivation can bypass the array flags, directly search for the array core, and find the life door based on it.
In any case, this is a test of comprehensive qualities.
Luo Qingyao arrived at the third level, looking at the vast array ahead.
Her face was calm, with teardrops vaguely at the corners of her eyes. After standing still with closed eyes for a moment, she walked into the array.
A quarter-hour later, she found the location of the life door through the array core. Without thinking or hesitating, she stepped past the life door.
The Immortal Performance Hall,
An elder sighed,
"Is this her true strength? Indeed, she is a guest from Changsheng Continent."
"In hindsight, it seems that her playful mood was the reason for her delay."
At this point, the Immortal Performance Peak Master, Lin Xing, returned to the hall, looking somewhat pale from over-exertion,
Mei Jinqiu asked,
"Junior Brother, how did it go?"
Lin Xing shook his head,
"I searched many places, nearly exhausting my divine sense, yet I couldn't find Fan Wubing."
Beside the Master of Fate Peak, Qi Ming, Wei Changkong clenched his fists and gritted his teeth,
"Damn it!"
Qi Ming glanced at him,
"Changkong, conduct yourself appropriately."
Wei Changkong turned away, took a deep breath, and fell silent.
Mei Jinqiu glanced at Fu Manman standing nearby. The latter stood motionless, graceful and serene, with an unreadable expression.
After a period of silence, Zhang Jingwei, the Elder of Fulu Peak, spoke,
"Among the many disciples of the Eternal Immortal Sect, there is no shortage of prodigies. A mere Fan Wubing is not worth such concern."
"But Fu Ming..."
"Hehe, Elder Xu, are you essentially afraid of Fu Ming causing trouble?" Zhang Jingwei looked at everyone, "How many here are afraid of her? Speak up if you are."
Naturally, no one wished to respond to this.
Lin Xing spoke in a deep voice,
"It was my oversight not to set up a railing on the bridge. I thought the disciples whose cultivation was sealed would solve puzzles honestly after seeing the miasma outside the bridge, but I didn't expect Fan Wubing to take another path."
Mei Jinqiu shook her head,
"No one forced him to do so. On the path of cultivation, there are countless cultivators who perished halfway. Except for those who suffered unforeseen disasters, they all made their choices. So, when Fu Ming comes back, we'll tell her the truth, and whatever she does is her own business."
"Knowing her personality, she is likely to cause trouble." Zhang Jingwei said.
Mei Jinqiu cast him a glance,
"No one dares to cause a ruckus in the Eternal Immortal Sect."
"Yes."
...
Fan Wubing held the hilt of the flying sword and said seriously,
"You're a flying sword, right?"
The tip of the flying sword nodded.
"You used to be the kind that could split the heavens in one strike, right?"
The tip of the flying sword tilted, expressing confusion.
"Damn it, can't you understand, or are you playing dumb?"
The flying sword began to spin in circles.
Fan Wubing examined it for a moment, seeing that it indeed seemed clueless. Could it not actually be the sword that appeared in his mind before that could split the heavens? Or had it lost its memory!
"Then you should at least be able to slice meat and cut veggies, right."
The flying sword nodded.
Fan Wubing grinned,
"In that case, help me carve out this chunk of elbow bone. And remember, trim off the fascia too."
The flying sword looked at the large piece of elbow on the cutting board and fell into contemplation.
You want me to do this?
Its sword tip straightened, refusing to do it.
Fan Wubing instantly became furious,
"Then why am I keeping you? Are you just mooching? If you can't even carve a piece of meat, what's your use! Believe it or not, I'll throw you back into the junk heap, let you rot here for tens of thousands of years. Then you'll be reminiscing about the good old days while cursing your worthless self back then!"
The flying sword quickly complied, obediently helping Fan Wubing carve the bone and slice the meat.
It was evident that at first, it was clumsy, but gradually it became proficient.
Once it finished, Fan Wubing rewarded it with some blood essence.
After being well fed and watered, they continued working.
As they worked, later on, when Fan Wubing didn't even speak, merely pointing a finger, it knew what to do.
It's undeniable, even a flying sword can exert subjective initiative.
Not only did it learn to carve bones and slice meat, but it even learned to skillfully fork a piece of meat and bring it to Fan Wubing's mouth.
There was no choice, it needed to eat too.
After a satisfying meal, replenished and energized, Fan Wubing began contemplating how to leave here.
He looked around... The structure here was extremely complex, with intricate layers of peach tree branches and veins, even more complex than the network of blood vessels in a human body. He initially planned to retrace his steps and crawl back through the passageway he came from, but upon seeing it again, he found that the passage had already closed.
The flying sword nudged Fan Wubing, then flew off in a certain direction.
Fan Wubing raised an eyebrow and asked,
"Do you know how to get out?"
The tip of the flying sword tapped lightly.
"Then why don't you just leave on your own?"
Alas!
I don't know if it was an illusion, but it seemed to sigh.
Fan Wubing asked,
"Are you stuck here, unable to leave on your own?"
The flying sword nodded its tip again.
Fan Wubing asked again,
"Earlier, I got hit by a sword intent attack, was that you?"
The flying sword nodded.
"Damn! You clearly unleashed such strong sword intent, how come you couldn't even chop through a stone?"
The sword's body twisted in a strange manner.
Fan Wubing paused, somehow understanding its meaning,
"That sword intent attack, was it your last bit of strength?"
The flying sword nodded.
"So it was just a bluff... You actually managed to fool me. But, why didn't you let me in back then?"
The flying sword twisted into a different pose, rather coquettishly.
Fan Wubing understood,
"Oh, you just woke up, and in a fit of grogginess, you subconsciously used up the last of your strength."
The flying sword excitedly nodded its tip, as if saying, finally, someone understands me.
Fan Wubing, hands behind his back, said nonchalantly,
"So, I did pick up a piece of useless scrap metal after all."
The flying sword feared Fan Wubing would throw it away, and it quickly explained, twisting its body, almost tying itself in knots.
"You'll grow?"
The flying sword nodded.
"But I can't manipulate celestial energy, so how do I operate you?"
The flying sword wiggled slightly, like a shy young girl.
Fan Wubing, catching its meaning, was taken aback,
"You can function without cultivation? Then with what?"
The flying sword trembled tremulously.
Fan Wubing's mouth slightly gaped,
"Blood? You mean, after establishing a bond with you, every use would directly consume my essence blood?"
The flying sword nodded cautiously.
Fan Wubing's mouth twitched, and he remembered the giant bloody figure he saw in his mind earlier, and asked,
"Your previous master, could it be, was drained to death by you?"
The flying sword hurriedly explained, but by the end of it, its body drooped, dispirited.
"Seems like I wasn't wrong. Looking at it this way, you're a genuine demon dao weapon." Fan Wubing said, suddenly breaking into a broad smile, "But, that's fine, I'm lacking in everything but not in blood."
The flying sword soared with hope.
Fan Wubing coughed,
"So, next we establish our bond, right."
The flying sword nodded.
"Alright."
A prompt popped up,
[A young unknown flying sword is trying to establish a servant-master relationship with you, do you agree?]
"Ye... Wait a moment!"
What kind of relationship?
Fan Wubing raised an eyebrow, glaring at the flying sword.
The flying sword spun in a circle, oops, made a mistake, let's try again.
[A young unknown flying sword is trying to establish a master-servant relationship with you, do you agree?]
"Agree."
Immediately, a panel popped up,
[A young unknown flying sword, unnamed]
[Gender: Female]
[Too weak, abilities locked]
[Growth stage: 23/100]
Wait a minute!
Fan Wubing stared at the flying sword,
"How can a mere flying sword have a gender!"
The flying sword shyly circled around him.
Fan Wubing's mouth twitched, never having heard of a flying sword having genders,
"Let's give you a name first, temporarily... Peach Blossom? After all, I met you in this Peach Branch Small Profound Realm."
[A young flying sword, Peach Blossom]
Peach Blossom leapt into the air, then plunged into the center of Fan Wubing's forehead and into his Purple Mansion.
Fan Wubing touched his forehead,
"I guess it's a blessing in disguise..."
Peach Blossom, let's go!