Less than a month after the end of the foundation-building trial, the head of the Tai Xu Sect, Xiong Yue, released a series of tasks for the Dragon's Den. These tasks and detailed information about the Dragon's Den are recorded on jade slips. Each Qi-refining stage cultivator who signs up for the Dragon's Den task can receive one such jade slip.

  Each participant in the Dragon's Descent Valley mission is a cultivator of the Qi Refining stage who has an extremely firm will, single-mindedly pursuing the Great Way, but has lost or failed to participate in the Foundation Establishment trial. Only such people are willing to risk their lives and venture into the valley to find some treasures needed by the elders of the Dan stage, and then use these treasures to exchange for the reward of the Foundation Establishment Pill from the sect.

  Zhao Di, who signed up for this trip to Dragon Descending Valley, naturally also received a jade slip with records of the tasks in Dragon Descending Valley. On it were briefly listed various tasks issued by the elder of Tai Xu Men.

  "Reward: One thousand-year-old Lingzhi or two six-hundred-year-old Lingzhi, with a Ji Dian Dan. Location: Steep cliffs near Wang Qing Slope. Danger level: Three."

  "A living Cloudwander Beast egg, reward: one Foundation Establishment Pill. Habitat: Inside the Multishadow Bamboo Forest. Danger level: First-class."

  "Fa Bao raw material five liang or more of Xi Mo Shi, reward Zhu Ji Dan one. Origin: Cai Xia Shan Da Shan Dong Zhong. Danger level: Secondary."

  "Reward: 1 Foundation Establishment Pill. Location: Phoenix Feather Mountain. Danger Level: 2. Requirements: One stalk of Phoenix Tail Grass over 800 years old or two stalks over 500 years old."

  "Fa Bao raw materials three liang or more high-quality Fa Jing Shi one block, reward Zhu Ji Dan one piece. Origin: Crystal Jade Peak. Danger level: Three levels."

  "Fa Bao raw materials five liang or more, one piece of Shuo Shi, reward Ji Di Dan one. Origin: Qi Xing Peak. Danger level: Secondary."

  "Fa Bao raw materials two liang above Jin Yan Shi one block, reward Zhu Ji Dan one. Origin: Lava Valley. Danger level: First-class."

  ……

  "Three pieces of intermediate ice attribute spirit stone, reward one foundation building pill. Origin: Bottom of Bihantang. Danger level: Secondary."

  "Hmm, this is great!" Zhao Di secretly smiled to himself.

  Unfortunately, after he carefully read through the detailed graphic information attached to this task, he couldn't laugh anymore.

  The ice-attribute spirit stones produced at the bottom of this icy pool are quite special. Due to being soaked in the icy, bone-chilling water for a long time, these spirit stones have also become extremely cold over the years, and are not like the usual transparent ice spirit stones. In this way, he cultivated several mid-grade ice spirit stones using his small cauldron, and the plan to mix true and fake pearls fell through.

  There are more than thirty such tasks, each with detailed graphic information about the task goals to avoid misunderstandings or failure to recognize the treasure. The possible locations of treasures in the Dragon Descending Valley, the potential dangers that may be encountered, and other relevant information are all recorded.

  These are all batches of monks who survived from the valley, sorted out according to memory, and are very useful materials for later generations who want to enter the valley to find treasure. It is precisely because of this that some extremely dangerous places in the valley are also briefly introduced in the jade slips, and it is likely that there are no survivors to describe the specific situation.

  In addition to these task information, the Jade Volume also contains brief texts and illustrations that introduce the origin of the entire Dragon Descending Valley and its internal terrain, monsters, and other basic situations.

  "Dragon Subduing Valley, also known as Dragon Plunging Valley, is located in the northern part of Liao State within the Golden Flame Country, covering an area of over ten thousand miles. It got its name because all the second-grade and above demonic beasts in the valley are various types of dragon-like creatures. In ancient times, there were records of this valley in some classics, with rumors that several powerful cultivators from ancient times had a fierce battle with a giant evil dragon here for months, only to disappear completely afterwards. The exact location of this valley has always been unknown. Over a thousand years ago, the seven major sects of Golden Flame Country accidentally discovered this valley and joined forces to try to open up an entrance into it. However, the entire Dragon Subduing Valley is protected by an unknown ancient seal, making it impossible for cultivators with slightly higher cultivation levels to enter the valley. Only every ten years, when the seal's power has a low point that lasts for a month, can Qi Refining stage cultivators barely enter the valley, while Foundation Building stage and above cultivators will be immediately transported out of the valley by the seal as soon as they enter, or even killed on the spot due to triggering unknown seals."

  "After the discovery of the Dragon's Den, each of the seven major sects sent some Qi-refining disciples to venture into it. Less than half of these disciples were able to come out alive. The lucky survivors found that the valley was filled with spiritual energy, with a density far surpassing even the top-grade spiritual veins of the seven major sects. In addition to nearly a hundred types of first-class demon beasts, there were also over a dozen rare dragon-like demon beasts within the valley. Moreover, due to the dense spiritual energy and the fact that the valley had been isolated from the outside world for an unknown number of years, it was home to a large quantity of extremely old and precious spiritual herbs and medicines, as well as some rare materials for crafting magical artifacts. As a result, every ten years, the seven major sects would send Qi-refining disciples into the valley, promising them heavy rewards, and have them search for treasures within."

  Apart from the ferocious beasts, poisonous gases and eerie restrictions in the valley, the most dangerous thing is still the infighting among the Qi-refining cultivators who enter the valley. Either by secretly ambushing or relying on their superior mastery of magical tools to brazenly kill and plunder, such incidents occur repeatedly during each trip to the Dragon Subduing Valley. This has resulted in less than a third of the cultivators who entered the valley being able to come out alive. Gradually, there were no longer any Qi-refining disciples willing to venture into the valley.

  The seven major sects had no choice but to use the Zhū Jī Dān, a spiritual elixir most crucial for Qi Refining stage disciples, as the bait for the adventure in Xiáng Lóng Gǔ.

  This way, those high-ranking Lianqi period cultivators who couldn't obtain the Zhugedan had no choice but to fight to the death for their own cultivation path. As a result, the competition among cultivators in each trip to Longwang Valley became increasingly fierce, and the mortality rate of cultivators also rose higher and higher. In recent years, the mortality rate has almost approached three-quarters.

  Many monks died, but those who survived and obtained some heavenly materials and treasures were exchanged by the sect for the foundation-building pill. There were more than a dozen of them each time. Among these lucky ones, there were even a few who finally succeeded in advancing to the next stage and became the envied foundation-building monks.

  It is precisely because of the existence of these few role models that, despite knowing that the journey to Dragon Descending Valley is extremely dangerous, dozens of Qi Refining stage disciples volunteer to participate every time.

  Looking at the situation from time to time, although there are dozens of reward tasks each time, only a dozen or so foundation pills can be completed and rewarded in the end.

  For any sect or immortal force, the most important thing is to protect the growth of core disciples, so that high-ranking cultivators can emerge continuously in the sect, which can maintain the prosperity and longevity of the sect. As for those Linggen qualified ordinary, comprehensive strength is also general refining period disciples, it is dispensable, existence like cannon fodder. Anyway, this kind of person is everywhere in the cultivation world, as long as slightly given some benefits and prospects, at any time can recruit a batch.

  Therefore, each sect strongly encourages the Qi-refining disciples within their gates to participate in this perilous treasure hunt. Not only can they bring back a certain amount of treasures for their sect, but those surviving disciples who have undergone such trials will also gain real combat experience, which is beneficial to enhancing their sect's strength. As for the cultivators who die as a result, naturally, they would not be the elite disciples who are worth worrying about wasting foundation-building pills on. The loss of these people is truly insignificant to the sect.

  To stimulate more Qi-refining disciples to join this death game, the management of the seven major sects also came up with all sorts of tricks. Some sects implemented a reward system, where every participant would receive a high-quality magic weapon; some sects announced that any cultivator who emerged alive from the valley, regardless of whether they found the target treasure or not, would be treated as an elite disciple and receive special training; other sects even had Nascent Soul stage elders make promises, where the most outstanding disciples in the expedition to the Dragon Subduing Valley could become their personal disciples. This caused many Foundation Building cultivators to feel envious, for becoming a disciple of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator was an opportunity that only a few dozen Foundation Building cultivators in a large sect like Taixu would have. Being able to receive guidance from a Nascent Soul stage elder would undoubtedly allow these cultivators to avoid many detours on their path to immortality.

  Taixu Gate, in order to encourage more outer sect disciples to participate in the Dragon Descending Valley mission, specially arranged the Foundation Establishment trial half a year before each Dragon Descending Valley trip. This way, cultivators who did not pass the Foundation Establishment trial would either have to wait another five years or choose to go adventuring instead. Taixu also had a rule that outer sect disciples could participate in the Foundation Establishment trial at most twice. In this case, cultivators who failed to obtain the Foundation Establishment Dan in two consecutive trials would only be left with the Dragon Descending Valley path.

  Zhao Di couldn't help but sigh in admiration at the "good intentions" of the Taixu Gate management.

  (Second update, another one before 9 pm tonight!)