Chapter 57 – Brave Exploration of Forbidden Places

Jin Min returned and swiftly defeated several high-ranking inner sect disciples, successfully securing a position. This scene quickly spread among the disciples.

Even after breakfast, Hongzun personally met with Jin Min, curiously asking, "Where have you been lately to make such progress?"

In such a short time, her cultivation level broke through, her skills advanced, and her combat power soared. Even Hongzun couldn't help but be curious.

You should know, Jin Min's talent and constitution were not considered top-notch among the inner sect disciples.

To achieve such a rapid improvement was indeed shocking.

Of course, Hongzun was also concerned that Jin Min might have taken a wrong path. After all, in the world of cultivation, there are many unorthodox methods that can quickly boost one's cultivation level.

And without exception, these methods come with a great cost.

As the leader of the righteous path in the Eastern Continent, the Dao Yi Sect strictly forbids its disciples from practicing these unorthodox methods.

However, after personally questioning and examining her, Hongzun dismissed such thoughts, though his expression turned quite peculiar.

He didn't know what to say. Being hunted by a great demon and entering the Eight Forbidden Lands.

In such a short time, Jin Min had gone through so much. Although she spoke calmly, Hongzun knew the dangers involved.

A slight misstep could lead to death and the end of one's path.

It was precisely through such great dangers that Jin Min was able to improve so rapidly.

In the end, Hongzun could only sigh deeply, patting Jin Min on the shoulder, saying, "It's good that you returned safely."

After the meal, everyone gradually left, but the story of Jin Min quickly spread among the disciples.

Whether they were menial disciples, outer sect disciples, or inner sect disciples, they were all discussing Jin Min's story.

"Have you heard about Senior Sister Jin Min?"

"Of course, I even saw it with my own eyes. Senior Sister Jin Min's strength now is incomparable to before."

"Yes, in such a short time, Senior Sister Jin Min has become so strong. I heard from an inner sect senior brother that she wasn't even considered strong before."

"You think so? Let me tell you, Senior Sister Jin Min deserves her strength. Do you know where she went during her time away from the sect?"

"Where?"

"You don't know, do you? Let me tell you, Senior Sister Jin Min went to the Eight Forbidden Lands, was hunted by a great demon, and even faced hundreds of evil spirits alone."

"Really?"

"Of course it's true. My aunt's sister-in-law's mother-in-law's daughter's son is an inner sect disciple, and he told me."

The story of what happened to Jin Min during her time away from the sect was quickly uncovered by many disciples and became increasingly exaggerated.

"Have you heard? The reason Senior Sister Jin Min became so strong is because she went to the Eight Forbidden Lands."

"Do you know? Senior Sister Jin Min became strong because she secretly infiltrated the territory of the Black Tiger Demon King and stole the tiger clan's treasure, refining it to gain strength."

"Let me tell you, don't tell anyone else. The reason Senior Sister Jin Min is so strong is that she killed the Black Tiger Demon King and refined the king's core."

"Not only did Senior Sister Jin Min become stronger herself, but she also subdued the Black Tiger Demon King. Really, a senior brother saw her riding the Black Tiger Demon King back."

By lunchtime, when Ye Changqing heard these rumors about Jin Min, his eye twitched uncontrollably.

This was absurd to the extreme.

Entering the Eight Forbidden Lands was still normal, but then, listen to what these disciples were saying.

Infiltrating the Black Tiger Demon King's territory, killing the Black Tiger Demon King, and even more exaggerated, taming the Black Tiger Demon King as a mount.

What level of existence is a demon king? It's on par with Hongzun. Even Hongzun doesn't have the ability to tame a demon king as a mount. If Jin Min could do it, the Peak Master of Divine Sword Peak might as well be replaced.

And that's not all. After the meal, while the disciples were chatting, the senior brother who was defeated by Jin Min in the morning suddenly spoke up.

"Fellow senior brothers, I've decided. I want to go out and train like Junior Sister Jin Min."

"Are you crazy? Is that training? It's going to your death."

Upon hearing this, someone immediately retorted, but the senior brother disdainfully replied.

"That's why the Peak Master scolds you. With your attitude, you can't even catch up with warm food."

"Do you think our current cultivation practice is already very diligent?"

Faced with the senior brother's question, everyone fell silent, not knowing how to answer for a moment.

Diligent? Compared to disciples from other peaks, perhaps. But definitely not compared to Jin Min.

Seeing this, the senior brother's lips curled into a smile, and he stood up, speaking with great enthusiasm.

"In my view, our current cultivation practice is like child's play."

"You think you're working hard, but you don't realize that every time it's mealtime, whether you can get a spot is all up to luck, with no certainty at all, right?"

As soon as he said this, everyone fell even more silent, because it was indeed true.

Except for a few, like Xu Jie, Liu Shuang, and Lu Youyou, most other disciples couldn't be sure they could get a spot every time.

"Relying on luck for everything, don't you find it ridiculous?"

"Do you know what Junior Sister Jin Min told me when I met her this morning?"

"What?"

"She said, as cultivators, we must take our fate into our own hands, especially when it comes to eating. Whether I eat or not is up to me, but when I want to eat, I must be able to eat, not leave it to so-called luck."

"Rather than leaving everything to luck, it's better to endure temporarily, take a bold step, and exchange it for future freedom to eat. Experience great fear between life and death to improve oneself."

"Doing this might lead to death, and there might be a time when you can't taste Junior Brother Changqing's cooking, but if you can persevere, when you return, there will always be a place for you at every meal. Then it won't be a matter of whether you can eat, but whether you want to eat."

These words stirred everyone's emotions.

Indeed, most disciples now rely on luck to eat at mealtimes.

And how long can such luck last? No one knows. They want to take control of their eating rights.

After a moment of silence, a disciple immediately agreed.

"The senior brother is right. I've decided too, to go out and train, to brave the forbidden lands, for the freedom to eat."

Before long, more and more disciples responded, and soon, the courtyard by the kitchen erupted with loud shouts.

"Go out and train, brave the forbidden lands, for the freedom to eat."

"Go out and train, brave the forbidden lands, for the freedom to eat."

Watching the disciples with red eyes, their foreheads bulging with excitement, Ye Changqing was dumbfounded, unable to process it for a moment.

Wait, weren't they just eating well? How did it suddenly turn into a quest to brave the forbidden lands?