Inside the main hall of the Heavenly Origin Sect, several figures were rushing out in a flurry.
Huang Siqi raised his hand, sweeping the sleeve of his white Daoist robe to block several red-eyed elders inside the hall doors.
His voice was not loud, but it carried the authority of the Sect Master: “Everyone, please calm down. It won't be too late to recruit disciples after they pass the Heaven-Inquiring Ladder.”
“Fight for him? Of course we have to fight!” Nan Mingzi stamped his feet in anxiety, spit flying everywhere. “That's a supreme-grade fire spiritual root! If a disciple with a fire spiritual root doesn't cultivate at my Chiyang Peak, wouldn't going to other peaks be a complete waste of his talent? To put it bluntly, why are the rest of you even joining the commotion?!”
The remaining elders instantly boiled over, their voices overlapping as they argued, making the hall buzz like a chaotic market.
“Look at what you're saying, as if Chiyang Peak is the only place with fire in the entire Heavenly Origin Sect,” Elder Bai said unhurriedly. “The alchemy room of my Yuheng Peak has a fire vein burning year-round. Why can't I take him in?”
“Who says a fire spiritual root must go to Chiyang Peak?” Elder Liu chimed in, stroking his beard. “Several of my disciples cultivate both fire and wood. Coming to my Qingmu Peak is the right path.”
“What are you all arguing about!” Elder Zhao slammed the table and stood up. “Which peak a supreme-grade spiritual root wants to join is their own choice. What's the point of you all arguing to high heaven here!”
“Didn't you also raise your hand several times just now?”
“Raising my hand is one thing, but I didn't slam the table.”
“That's only because your table is too far away.”
“...What do you mean by that? Am I close?” Elder Zhao turned and glared at him.
Huang Siqi got a headache from the noise and rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Alright, alright. We will discuss this after the Heaven-Inquiring Ladder trial is complete.”
Though he appeared calm and steady on the surface, he had already begun calculating in his heart: A supreme-grade fire spiritual root... It was about time for him, the Sect Master, to take another personal disciple.
At the foot of the mountain, Xue Mingzhao gritted her teeth and lowered her voice to a whisper. “Senior Brother, I was winking at you earlier. What on earth did you think you understood?”
Su Ye scratched his head and said guiltily, “Junior Sister, didn't you say that Wu Yong has a backer, so I should perform a bit better to avoid being bullied once we get in? Look, now that my supreme-grade spiritual root has been revealed, who would dare to cause trouble for us in the future!”
Xue Mingzhao: “...”
Wu Yong probably wouldn't be able to cause trouble for them anymore, but their other troubles were going to be massive!
She took a deep breath. Forget it!
Since things had already come to this, she would enter the Heavenly Origin Sect first!
The remaining disciples were tested one by one, and it was finally Wu Yong's turn.
He first glared fiercely at Xue Mingzhao and Su Ye, then approached Deacon Wang, raising his hand familiarly in greeting. “Senior Brother Wang, sorry to trouble you.”
He thought he would receive special treatment relying on Elder Wu's reputation.
However, Deacon Wang merely pointed at the testing stone indifferently. “Place your hand on it.”
The smile on Wu Yong's face stiffened for a moment. He turned around to glare viciously at Xue Mingzhao and Su Ye. It must be these two country bumpkins who, relying on their good talent, had spoken ill of him in front of Deacon Wang! Otherwise, why would Senior Brother Wang treat him like this!
Once they entered the sect, he would definitely not let them off. He would make them kneel and apologize to him!
“Wu Yong, mid-grade water spiritual root,” Deacon Wang said without even raising his head. “Go wait in the back.”
Wu Yong was so angry his cheeks puffed up. He stomped over to stand not far from the two, staring at them intensely like a toad that had achieved sentience.
Xue Mingzhao was speechless.
Did this Wu Yong have no folds in his brain? Why was he so intent on biting them?
Once the last disciple finished testing their spiritual root, Deacon Wang put away the register and raised his hand to address all the newcomers. “Fellow Daoists, the spiritual root testing has concluded. Follow me to the Heaven-Inquiring Ladder!”
A crowd of cultivators followed behind him, walking up the mountain path.
Before long, everyone stopped in front of a long ladder that seemed to have no end.
Layers of white jade steps stretched straight along the mountain ridge, piercing into the clouds, completely out of sight.
The edges of the stone steps were carved with ancient runes that flowed faintly, and the heavy restriction made everyone's chest feel tight.
Many disciples gasped on the spot, whispering among themselves.
“My god, this is way too high! Won't we die of exhaustion before reaching the top?”
“My legs are shaking just looking at it. Can anyone actually climb this?”
Deacon Wang turned around, standing with his hands behind his back, and loudly explained the rules: “The Heaven-Inquiring Ladder is nine thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine steps long. Spiritual energy is completely forbidden throughout. You can only climb using your physical body and Dao Heart. Anyone who tries to use underhanded tricks will be directly repelled down the mountain by the formation and deemed to have failed the trial.”
He paused, then continued, “Those who climb fewer than one thousand steps will not be admitted. Those who reach over three thousand steps can enter the outer sect. Those who reach over six thousand steps can enter the inner sect.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Su Ye raised his hand with a swish. “What about reaching the top? What's the reward for reaching the top?”
Deacon Wang glanced at him, his tone unconsciously softening—this was a prime talent that several elders were paying close attention to.
“Those who reach the top can be directly selected as personal disciples and enjoy triple the cultivation resources. They will also receive the privilege of entering the sect treasury once to choose any single treasure.”
Xue Mingzhao's ears instantly perked up.
There was actually such a good deal?
The sect treasury of the Heavenly Origin Sect!
How many treasures must be inside!
Isn't this much better than Wanjian Mountain?
Su Ye was rubbing his hands in anticipation, his eyes shining. The sect treasury—he and his junior sister were absolutely going to get it!
Deacon Wang looked toward the top of the ladder, dazed for a moment. “Actually, there is one more reward, but no one has ever seen it to this day.”
The surrounding disciples immediately grew curious and crowded around to listen.
“It is said that those who reach the top have a chance of summoning a divine beast to appear and bestow a blessing, along with a grand gift of opportunity.” Deacon Wang withdrew his gaze. “However, in ten thousand years, almost no one has seen it. Its authenticity is hard to verify, so just take it as a rumor.”
The crowd of disciples instantly broke into chatter, excited as if they had been injected with chicken blood.
Xue Mingzhao curled her lip.
If no one had seen it in ten thousand years, it was probably made up to trick the newcomers.
She looked up at the endless ladder, leaned close to Su Ye's ear, and lowered her voice. “Senior Brother, you made such a huge scene during the spiritual root test just now. There must be a bunch of elders on the mountain watching you. Be careful later, and absolutely do not talk nonsense, lest you expose us.”
Su Ye quickly covered his mouth and nodded vigorously, his gaze incredibly resolute. “Junior Sister, don't worry! My lips are sealed! I guarantee I won't say a single word more!”
Xue Mingzhao: “...” Why did she find that so hard to believe?
Xue Mingzhao was right. On the terrace of the main hall in the clouds, Huang Siqi and the group of elders stood quietly in front of the Floating Light Array Disk.
Everyone's eyes were locked onto the entrance of the ladder, and their gazes in particular never left Su Ye for a moment, as if they were staring at a rare treasure.
The elders all had their own designs, waiting for the test to end so they could rush down and snatch him at the first opportunity.
Just then, two figures flew in from the distance at extreme speed, landing in front of everyone in the blink of an eye.
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