I Can Accumulate Proficiency, Starting from Alchemy

The surrounding space rapidly transformed, becoming brightly lit and stabilizing.

When Han Yi steadied his tumbling figure, the Shadow Bearing Sword sprang up before him, with four Wind Demon daggers appearing above his head, pointing to the sides.

However, the surroundings were silent and showed no abnormalities, but he didn’t dare to let his guard down.

Earlier, the black token had unexpectedly and voraciously absorbed his magical powers without warning, catching him off guard.

After staying alert for three breaths and seeing no more danger, he finally put away the Wind Demon daggers, but still held the Shadow Bearing Sword in his hand.

Once he gathered his senses, he realized that he was standing in front of a mansion.

When he looked at both sides and behind him, he realized that he was standing on a small square in front of the mansion. After carefully investigating, Han Yi discovered that the square was about four to five hundred square meters in size.

On the inside of the square, the mansion wasn’t too big-only about the same size as his courtyard. The square was built on the edge of a cliff. Beyond the square was a bottomless cliff, shrouded in fog. It looked even more treacherous compared to the Azure Dragon Cliff of Azure Dragon Peak.

Han Yi looked up, and through the sea of clouds, he could see the silhouettes of other Immortal Mountains in the mist, each also having a similar mansion atop.

“What exactly is this black token?”

“Why did it bring me here?”

Han Yi’s face remained serious, but the black token had disappeared, making it impossible to investigate further.

“Since it brought me here, what does it want me to do next?”

“Liu Heng was able to enter before and then leave, so I should also be able to.”

“However, his brief stay here seemed to last for many years. I absolutely need to be extra cautious.”

Han Yi didn’t lose hope. He quickly realized the key to this situation. His strength was even greater than Liu Heng’s. As long as he satisfied a certain condition, he should be able to reactivate the gate of light and return to Daofu City.

After scanning his surroundings again and discovering no exit, he had no choice but to approach the mansion.

The mansion wasn’t big, and its ancient bronze door was tightly closed.

Han Yi didn’t head for the door, but instead, he used the Shadow Bearing Sword to gently touch the walls on both sides of the mansion, sensing no abnormalities. Even when he increased the force, there was no change. Finally, he struck with all his might, but still, he wasn’t able to leave a single mark.

At the very least, the hardness of the mansion’s walls was something that the Shadow Bearing Sword couldn’t budge.

Han Yi released a point of Spirit Light, and the Spirit Void Finger hit the wall, making a loud sound, but still failed to leave a trace.

There was no way to bypass the front door and break into the surroundings of the mansion.

Han Yi went to the bronze door. Using the same method as before, he found no evidence of damage.

After thinking for a moment, he stepped forward, placing his hand on the bronze door and pushing it inward, but it remained motionless.

But the next moment, he was stunned.

A powerful voice echoed in his mind.

“Outsider, please pass the Immortal Mansion assessment.”

“The assessment is to defeat a yellow-turbaned cultivator.”

“Assessment attempts: Ten times.”

“If the assessment fails: Lifespan -40.”

“If the assessment is successful: Inherit the 10,009th Immortal Mansion.”

Han Yi was startled and retreated tens of meters with caution.

As he retreated, a hint of spirit light emerged on the bronze door. The light landed on the ground, turning into a burly cultivator clad in a yellow battle robe.

Han Yi retreated to the edge of the square, his alertness reaching its peak, and a magic tool in his hand, he was prepared for battle.

But to his surprise, the tall yellow-robed cultivator, who stood over two meters tall and was among the tallest cultivators Han Yi had ever seen, stood motionless like a puppet.

“Yellow-turbaned cultivator?”

“Is this a Heavenly Creation?”

Han Yi slowly approached, cautiously circling the motionless Yellow Turban Immortal. As he closed within ten meters, a glint of spirit light suddenly flashed across the vacant eyes of the Turban Immortal.

In the next moment, a surge of flame burst out from its hand, unleashing a fire-attribute magic similar to Spirit Void Finger but faster. In the blink of an eye, it was already in front of Han Yi.

Fortunately, Han Yi was prepared, a Fire Shield skill was already in place.

Bang!

The flame dissipates the fire shield, but its speed reduced by half, not extinguished, and was already rushing towards Han Yi.

With a swift motion, Han Yi brandished his Shadow Bearing Sword, extinguishing the flame instantly on the spot.

Despite the dissipation of the fire, Han Yi’s face remained serious.

“This strong?”

While maintaining his focus, he stepped back, more than ten meters away. The Yellow Turban Immortal who had instantly cast a fire-attribute magic spell, returned to its immobile state.

“Indeed, this is undoubtedly a Heavenly Creation,” Han Yi mused.

A Heavenly Creation is a certain aspect of the art of cultivation, using the stolen power of the heavens to create things of the world.

However, this skill is too difficult and risky, it goes against the natural order and could easily invite divine retribution. Consequently, few people practice it. In the current Cultivation World, there is no sect dedicated to specializing this, only a few sporadic methods circulated.

Han Yi was astounded to encounter such a Heavenly Creation.

In the next moment, the commanding voice resonated inside his mind once more.

“First trial failed; nine attempts remaining.”

Han Yi was startled.

“One of ten opportunities wasted.”

“This means, if I fight with this Yellow Turban Immortal and don’t defeat it, it is considered a failure, and attempts will be deducted.”

“Just now I stepped within approximately ten meters. This suggests that once I cross this distance, I will enter the exam area, which automatically triggers the exam.”

“No, there’s more to it. If attacked from a distance, it should count as well. This loophole would not be overlooked by the exam designer. I can’t risk wasting another attempt.”

“And if I can’t defeat the Yellow Turban Immortal within ten attempts, my exam is considered failed. The punishment for failure is a decrease of life-years by forty, which means four decades of my life will be deducted.”

Realizing this, Han Yi was chilled. He suddenly recalled his fight with Lui Heng on the Luo family’s spirit field.

Liu Heng’s face at that moment looked eerie, aged beyond human years, barely resembling the Liu Heng he had seen merely days before.

As he recalled that moment, it appeared that Liu Heng must have undergone the same exam, except he failed, had exhausted all ten attempts, and was consequently stripped of his life-years. That was why, after leaving the exam, he seemed so deranged, and Han Yi easily killed him with a single stroke of his sword.

Understanding this, Han Yi took a deep breath and retreated again and again till he reached the edge of the square close to the cliff. He decided not to challenge recklessly anymore. Every examination chance was extremely precious, and he could no longer afford to waste any.

Han Yi sat cross-legged, his back towards the cliff, looking at the ancient copper gate and the unyielding Turban Immortal. He closed his eyes for a full three days before he finally stood up again.

Feeling the abundant magic energy inside him, Han Yi’s eyes flickered with intensity, while his heart was calculating.

“I must win, even if it seems as if I’m betting my life on it. If I lose and lose forty years of my life, my cultivation path will surely come to an end.”

The reduction of lifespan, meant a lot more than just life.

At present, Han Yi was thirty-four years old. If he were to fail, he would become seventy-four. The vitality of a seventy-four-year-old body is completely different from that of a thirty-four-year-old. If a thirty-four-year-old body requires nine years to practice up to the ninth layer of Qi training, a seventy-four-year-old body might need twenty-nine years, thirty-nine years, or even longer.

On this point, he would not yield even an inch, even if it meant risking his life.

“I only have nine chances left. Every opportunity is priceless. I must seize them all, giving my all in each.”

“Only then will I reach my limit.”

“Alright, this time, I’ll go all-out.”

Making up his mind, Han Yi took a deep breath and moved forward. Before he reached the deadly ten-meter limit, his fingers conjured the Shadow Bearing Sword. It shimmered with a soft red glow and dashed towards the Yellow Turban Immortal..