Middle Earth, Xianzhou.
Xiaoyao Sect.
Every sixty years, the Xiaoyao Sect holds a grand recruitment ceremony to recruit a batch of disciples from the mortal world.
Although it is open to the mortal world, the number of slots is extremely limited only 500 outer disciples and 100 inner disciples are accepted.
As for personal disciples? That depends on whether the elders are willing to take them.
Today, as the ceremony begins, the elders of the Xiaoyao Sect gather together to observe the young boys and girls continuously overcoming challenges in the Mirror Pool.
Eight elders discuss enthusiastically, each pointing out who has outstanding talent and who will surely be the most remarkable disciple of this recruitment.
The kind-faced Second Elder said:
“The top ten disciples this year have much better potential compared to previous years.”
The Third Elder smiled brightly: “Indeed! As long as they don’t die prematurely, their future achievements will at least be at the Nascent Soul level!”
Xiaoyao Sect Master, Ye Ming, looked around and noticed an empty seat.
His expression showed helplessness as he muttered:
“Junior Brother, Junior Brother, do you really not want to be an elder?”
He sighed: “Well, well, since you’re unwilling, I won’t force you.”
“But if you don’t take in disciples soon, your Lonely Peak might lose its status as a spiritual mountain.”
Ye Ming suddenly smiled, a glimmer of scheming light flashing in his eyes, as if he were plotting something.
“Senior Brother has no choice but to help you.”
A white-robed man, hiding in his secluded paradise, suddenly felt a chill down his spine.
He sneezed instinctively, then paused in confusion, muttering to himself:
“How strange, even a Sovereign cultivator can catch a cold?”
Under a peach blossom tree, a man dressed in white sat cross-legged, drinking alone in leisure.
Bai Muchun came from a prestigious family on Blue Star.
Dissatisfied with his family controlling his life, he ran away, only to meet with an accident.
A runaway truck crushed him into a pulp, ending his life.
Perhaps fortune favored him he transmigrated into the cultivation world… and muddled along to his current position.
His strength was decent, and he had never lost a fight.
“Cicadas chirp, spring remains silent, but summer is deafeningly loud.”
Bai Muchun drank leisurely, speaking to the peach blossoms:
“The teacher plants the tree, the student tends to it day and night, fearing that the teacher may never return.”
He spoke to himself, his tone filled with melancholy.
He was all alone, like a withered branch, rooted in barren soil, bending under the cold night wind.
No one to talk to.
Nothing to say.
This was his predicament.
Cultivating the Dao, in the end, was no different from a fleeting dream.
Bai Muchun’s spiritual mountain Qingming Peak.
It was one of the most spiritually rich mountains in the Xiaoyao Sect, an excellent place for cultivation.
However, due to its sparse population and strong Daoist presence, its vitality had nearly withered, making it difficult for living beings to thrive.
“Junior Brother, Senior Brother needs your help with this year’s recruitment ceremony…”
A voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Bai Muchun refused without a second thought: “No way, no way.
It’s a thankless task.”
“Don’t be so quick to refuse.
The reward is quite generous.”
Bai Muchun immediately declined.
At this point, his philosophy was simple slack off!
He wanted nothing to do with anything and just wanted to live as a salted fish forever.
Ye Ming had no choice but to pull rank:
“Junior Brother, I need you to oversee the final stage to prevent any casualties.”
“Can’t someone else do it?”
“They’re not as good as you.”
“Then why don’t you do it?”
“I have important matters to attend to.”
“Fine, fine, one jar of hundred-year-old Osmanthus wine!”
Bai Muchun rose to his feet, soared into the sky on his sword, and disappeared.
Ye Ming looked at the green-robed girl in the Mirror Pool, narrowed his eyes, and smirked mischievously:
“The reward is indeed generous.
A swordsmanship prodigy is in high demand… But as your Senior Brother, I’ll have to reluctantly give her to you.
Who told you to be my dear Junior Brother?”
Demonic Beast Ravine.
As far as the eye could see, lush greenery stretched endlessly.
A transparent mist drifted through the forest, and occasional beastly roars echoed.
Dusk had arrived.
Looking up, the sky was covered in a dark curtain.
A group of people moved swiftly and silently through the tranquil woods.
Their footsteps were light, barely disturbing the branches beneath them.
“This test is about collecting rare treasures Of course, you won’t just stumble upon them by luck.
You’ll have to actively search, and only the strongest will claim them.”
A middle-aged man, flying on his sword, transmitted his voice from above.
“Whoever obtains a treasure and successfully submits it will be granted an inner disciple spot and they get to keep the treasure as well.”
“Additionally, if you wish to advance beyond an inner disciple, you may personally request to be taken as a disciple by one of the elders at the Dao Inquiry Platform.”
“Fang Sheng, are you sure we can lure the Purple Moon Wolf away?”
A girl in a goose-yellow dress asked.
The refined young man smiled confidently:
“My lady, even if you don’t believe me, you must at least believe in Miss Nan, right?”
The green-robed girl remained silent, simply glancing at the questioner.
Her gaze seemed to say, “With me here, that’s enough.”
The girl in yellow slowly lowered her head.
That brief eye contact made her feel as if she were facing the sharp edge of a sword, its tip pressing right against her nose.
Her heart trembled.
Fang Sheng waved his sleeve and summoned an exquisite folding fan.
“Li Mao, you’ll be in charge of drawing the beast out. Meanwhile, Miss Nan will restrain the Purple Moon Wolf it only needs to be held for half a stick of incense’s time.”
The thin young man nodded.
Electric sparks crackled around his feet.
In an instant, he dashed forward like a streak of lightning.
The green-robed girl drew a black iron sword from her back an ordinary, unremarkable weapon.
She gripped it in her right hand, stepping forward, always ready for battle.
“We’ve arrived.”
Fang Sheng flicked his fan, his gaze locking onto a purple crystal cave not far away.
“This cave contains the most potent Purple Spirit Crystals.
According to my elders, using them can instantly boost one’s cultivation by two minor realms, with minimal side effects!”
He paused for a moment before continuing:
“If we succeed in this operation, we’ll split the treasure equally! What do you all think?”
The green-robed girl ignored him completely.
She grabbed the thin young man and rushed straight into the cave.
The girl in yellow stomped her foot angrily:
“Did your parents never teach you basic respect?”
Fang Sheng didn’t mind.
He simply smiled and waited.
Moments later, a piercing wolf howl echoed from the cave.
Two figures dashed out at lightning speed.
A massive wolf, over ten meters long, covered in violet fur with purple crystal spikes along its spine, chased closely behind them.
Seeing their plan succeed, Fang Sheng and the girl in yellow swiftly rushed into the cave.
Their steps were light and well-coordinated, showing clear mastery of specialized movement techniques.
Rankings:
Cultivation Realms: Body Tempering → Qi Refining → Foundation Establishment → Core Condensation → Golden Core → Nascent Soul → Ocean Vastness → Boundless → Returning to Simplicity → Sovereign → Half-Saint…
(Each realm has early, mid, late, and peak stages.)
Weapon & Technique Grades: Yellow → Profound → Earth → Heaven → Saint
(Each grade has low, mid, and high tiers.)
Friendly Reminder: Don’t think too hard while reading this book. We’re here for excitement and sweetness, right?