Once all five of the goblins were dead, I looted up the spirit stones and I continued making my way through the next tunnel which was filled with even more of the glowing Luminous Spirit Moss allowing me to see even better. With the Luminous Spirit Moss I had already taken allowing me to see as though there were floodlights in the tunnel.
And the next tunnel was a good bit longer making me walk a good way until I hit the next room.
Once I hit the next room, I realized this was the end of this Trial Dungeon as sitting in a meditative position was a much larger goblin with a large wooden club laying across its waist.
Lying behind the goblin boss were two wooden chests that obviously contained the dungeon loot making me hum in thought, after some thought I checked the sides while being careful not to be seen.
My caution was proven unnecessary as the room didn't have any more of the goblins so I just took a breath as I knew with my weak cultivation that my Rapid Wood Growth spell wouldn't work to do anything more than making it unbalanced...
No, I needed a stronger trick up my sleeves. So I cast the spell but instead of making thick vines that would capture the goblin's legs and ankles to bring him down.
I concentrated the wood energy to make hard spikes that with my spell would shoot up from the ground to stab into his feet, ankles and back of his leg.
Finally, I took a deep breath as I held the heavier sword at the ready and I muttered out. "Alright, do or die... Fucking literally in fact."
The oversized goblin-like monster hearing my word's looked over at me with glowing yellow eyes that gleamed off the blue light that the rooms were filled from the glowing Luminous Spirit Moss.
And to start things off I swept the sword before me in a movement that told the goblin to come at me and I could see that although this goblin was probably more intelligent then the other goblins I had faced previously... It was still a stupid creature whose enhanced intelligence only spanned to it using a wooden stick rather than it's bared hands for a weapon.
'Actually... Is the wooden club supposed to be some kind of unspoken message about how a sword in an unskilled user's hands is no less effective then a club?' I wondered before my thoughts were shut down as the goblin stepped forward powerfully as it brought the large wooden club upwards.
Clearly aimed to bring to the club down into my head or shoulders in a brutal blow that lacked all forms of skill and only used brute force.
In turn, I stepped back making the goblin grin as it stomped forward to launch itself towards my retreating form.
But... It stomped directly in the exit of the room, where I had planted the enhanced wood spikes that instantly shot upward at my mental order. With the goblin howling as its advancing foot got spear through in several placed by finger-thick spikes.
Then in the moment it was distracted by a dozen spikes shooting into its foot and leg, I used the moment to collect a large palm full of flames from my Fire Spirit Root and a loud boom rang out as I slapped the goblin in the face with the flames blinding it as I smashed all the flames directly across the bridge of it's nose.
My sword cut through the air before it bit into flesh as the blinded goblin boss couldn't react to my sword carving into the upper half of its ribs before the sword got lodged in said ribs and bones.
And then I ripped the sword out by kicking the stunned creature in the chest as its feet were being torn apart by the Rapid Wood Growth spell that I had used previously.
The monster gave sharp scream at me that made me freeze for but a moment and in that moment it tried to lung at my with it being unable to properly stand at all on it's feet.
But I just smashed the pommel of my sword into it's skull making a loud cracking noise as I cracked his skull and pushed it away while in my free hand, I summoned up more internal flames that I then slapped into the monster's face to blind it as I began rapidly stabbing the monster with the sword held backward in my hand.
After... A couple of dozen violent stabbings from my sword, I exhaled heavily as the 'elite' goblin monster broke apart into mist like the rest did and I picked up the fingernail-sized tiny spirit stone. "Well that's a bit better," I muttered.
I took a deep breath and then I made my way into the next major room and I realized where the elite goblin was previously standing was a large wooden chest and behind it was a door with swirling light filling it.
Which that doorway was obviously the end of this dungeon so I walked over and after a moment of thought.
I promptly just fucking stabbed the chest with my sword making a loud cracking noise as the metal blade went through the wood.
Seeing no reaction to the chest being stabbed, and thus it clearly not being a mimic, I took a deep breath and then held up my shirt to my mouth and nose to block my breathing as I used my sword to flip the chest open and when the lid fell to the other side I hoped back in case there was an explosive or dart trap.
'This dungeon clearly although wanting to kill it's invader, is meant to harvest souls for the world itself... I can't decide if the 'world will' have there will be mimics and trapped chests. Or wouldn't trap them at all so people would spend more time in dungeons.' I thought.
But seeing no trap from the chest, I looked into the contents with my lips twitching as there was a bundle of that special moss that filled the corridors, a pair of gloves that looked like they were made out of some kind of leather, probably skin from those goblins.
And lastly a small pile of fifteen spirit stones the size of the boss goblin's own spirit stone.
"Are these gloves... Enchanted or something?" I wondered as I picked them up and shrugged before putting them away into my spatial storage before heading on through the door.
Coming out of the swirling vortex of light was not existing at all honestly, it felt like I just walked through a door that had a dozen fog machines pointed at it with a bunch of lights, but the fog remained behind me and I soon saw that same senior disciple from before.
"Xia Defeng." I greeted him with a small bow of my head earning a nod from him as he took in my form before looking at a jade tablet that glowed with ornate lettering I couldn't read from my angle.
"You did fairly well young man, took longer then usual. But you were smart enough to use the Luminous Spirit Moss to enhance your vision as well as being patient enough to collect it for personal use." He spoke as he seemingly read a report on my actions.
I stood there calmly as he continued. "You used the terrain to your advantage as well. As well as using weak spells that seem to follow an alchemist's system, to aid you in taking down a larger number of enemies. But you have no real training with a saber... Let alone a sword."
Silence was my answer with Xia Defend humming and saying calmly. "Your mentality is good for someone recruited by an elder. Due to having shown potential, you will be moved directly to the Outer Disciples Branch of the Sect. However, there remains one point left."
He took a breath and spoke more seriously. "Normally a new disciple spends some time even if they are rather talented within the workers/servant's branch. So they at get some time to acclimate themselves to the sect and learn which mountain you wish to join."
"But due to Elder Cai Xuan's orders... You will be moved directly to the Outer Disciple branch of a mountain of your choice."
I slowly nodded in understanding as I realized that Elder Cai Xuan was almost certainly Zhu Yuan's master that she mentioned though not by name. So I then asked the next question as I passed Xie Defang a couple of spirit stones as 'appreciation'
With his lips turning up in amusement at the spirit stones being offered to him as I spoke.
"Senior Brother, can you please explain the five mountains and their merits? I am ignorant of this great sect's information with having been... Forcibly recruited."
He exhaled and then with a deep voice filled with pride he spoke. "The five elements sword sect follows the principal five elements, Jake. Being that of Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water."
"The Wood Mountain and Sect branch is focused on nourishing your swordsmanship and cultivation in patience and serenity. They and the fire branch have the largest collection of alchemists with many of the Wood branch members taking up farming herbs and treasures as it helps their cultivation style as the branch has a lower Nascent Soul tier cultivation manual that involves growing their own Sword from a tree."
"Next is the Fire branch of the Sect, they specialize mostly in alchemy and forging as side occupations, but they along with the Metal branch are the most focused on combat due to their peak Nascent Soul grade cultivation manual that's open to them that's Yang style and allows them to grow more easily via fighting demon beasts and eating their flesh."
"The Earth branch is... Well they are focused on formations, smithing, and being a bit of a pain in the ass." Xia said making me raise an eyebrow at him before he took a deep breath and continued.
"They have the highest grade shared cultivation manual at low Saint-tier but the manual slows their emotions. At the early levels, it makes you envision a mountain all day, all the time, and until that mountain is burned into your mind permanently the disciples can't really focus on literally anything much besides that or directly in combat if needed."
"Sounds like a big drawback. But an almost guaranteed path to Saint tier can't be looked down on." I muttered with a wry smile with the man nodding firmly as Saint-tier was literally just below the immortals.
"In any case... The Metal Branch is one you will not be joining." Xie Defeng spoke making me raise an before he continued.
"The Metal Branch of the sect is filled with true talents of the path of the Sword, people who take a sword and live their life to cut down demons, evils, and sever the karma of the world. You do not have a sword in your eyes Jake Bariss, I can tell you that right now." He finished with myself shrugging as it was a fair point frankly.
The man took a deep breath and then continued. "The water branch of the Sect is mostly consisted of healers and ice/yin cultivators. And is a branch solely for women unless they are invited to that mountain for having talents the elder's manage to... Squirrel over to them from another mountain or they marry a disciple belonging to the Water Mountain branch."
I interjected and asked quickly. "Don't the other branches get angry at the water branch for stealing disciples or talents away?"
Xie Defang coughed with him looking a bit awkward before he muttered quietly. "The elder's certainly cannot be complaining when they typically at least have one wife from the Water branch... Really hard to shout at them as an elder when you married four members of the branch and brought them to your own mountain."
There was a bit of silence as I digested that information which... Fair enough I remember Zhu Yuan telling me how the disciples that used their strong Yin manual did actually need a husband, or at least needed to steal the Yang energy from other's when they cultivated.
After a moment of thought, I spoke clearly and firmly. "Then with Water, and Metal out of my reach. Then I would like to join the Wood Sect Branch, that would be the best for me as I do plan to take up alchemy once I fill up a couple more meridians."
Xia Defeng nodded and pushed several symbols on the glowing plaque he had that probably acted like a tablet or something before he said with a small smile.
"Good, then give me but a moment to send a message to a disciple of the Wood branch to come get you. In the meantime, there is a Wood branch outer sect robe in that room. Go get changed and you can keep the sword."
He then put away the tablet and got up so I took that as a sign for me to get moving so I did so. Getting into the other room I quickly put on the brown robe that had bright green trim running across the seams in the comfortable robe and I kept my sword in my storage space.
Coming out of the dressing room, I blinked as a new person was there and I was greeted by a small smile as the young woman with green hair and brown eyes, and probably in her early twenties spoke kindly.
"Hello Jake Bariss, My name is Yanyo Hanying. I am your senior sister within the Wood branch of the Five Elements Sword Sect."
I meanwhile was staring at her halo and saw that it was similar to that talent back at the library who had that meridian cleaning book. A higher-tier blue Halo Ring.
'Whelp let's see what she gets.' I thought as I looked into her future chance to gain fortune and prosper.