An hour of rest passed in the blink of an eye.
The cultivators who had passed the first trial, "Asking the Heart," hurried to regulate their breathing and recover. The atmosphere in the square remained tense.
The temperament test alone had eliminated a third of them. The second trial, "Testing Roots and Affinity," would likely be even stricter.
When the time came, Yuqing Zhenren appeared once more. Behind him, a disciple carried an ancient stone mirror shrouded in chaotic currents.
"This is the Affinity Mirror. It can reveal the origins and aptitudes of all things, as well as the depth of their affinity with our Jade Purity Great Dao."
Yuqing Zhenren's voice was calm. "All those who passed, come forward in turn and place your hand upon the mirror."
Everyone held their breath as they watched the first cultivator step forward. He was an outstanding young man of the Human Race, at the peak of the Earth Immortal realm.
He pressed his hand against the stone mirror. The chaotic currents on its surface churned, gradually revealing the phantom of a verdant peak. Several ancient words appeared beside it:
"Human Race, Dual Earth-Wood Spiritual Root, Grade B-Middle Aptitude, Affinity: Shallow."
The young man's face turned pale, and he withdrew in dejection.
A Grade B-Middle Spiritual Root was not bad, but "Shallow Affinity" practically meant he had no fate with the Orthodox Jade Purity Sect.
Next, cultivators of every race stepped forward one after another.
The results reflected by the stone mirror came in all varieties: "Demon Race, Fire Wolf Bloodline, Grade B-Upper Aptitude, Affinity:
Weak"; "Spirit Race, Stone Spirit Heart Connection, Grade A-Lower Aptitude, Affinity: Fair"; "Human Race, Geng Metal Sword Bone, Grade A-Middle Aptitude, Affinity: Good"...
Aptitude was divided into four grades: A, B, C, and D, with upper, middle, and lower ranks within each. Affinity was classified as Shallow, Weak, Fair, Good, Profound, Heaven-Bestowed, and several others.
Most cultivators had no more than "Fair" affinity. Those who reached "Good" were already exceedingly rare and drew envious murmurs. As for "Profound," none had appeared yet.
Ming Chen and the other two stepped forward. All three received "Grade A-Lower Aptitude, Affinity: Good," drawing sidelong glances from the crowd. As expected of disciples from the Jade Clarity Retreat.
When it was Zhiwei's turn, she nervously pressed her little hand against the mirror. The mirror flashed, revealing the phantom of a jade rabbit worshipping the moon.
"Jade Rabbit Demon Race, Moon Essence Spirit Body, Grade B-Upper Aptitude, Affinity: Fair."
The little rabbit let out a breath of relief. It was not outstanding, but she had passed at least.
Finally, it was Li Su's turn.
His bamboo spirit true form had already drawn plenty of attention. Now, he had become the focus of the entire square.
Everyone wanted to see just what origins and affinity this bamboo, so highly regarded by Martial Grand-Uncle Qingxu and so unruffled during the temperament test, possessed.
Li Su extended a bamboo branch and touched the chaotic stone mirror.
In an instant, the stone mirror shook violently! The chaotic qi on its surface roiled madly, as though it could barely endure the information concerning his origins!
The first thing to appear was the phantom of an inky star bamboo stretching from heaven to earth. Stars flowed across its bamboo body, dark light hidden within. Its bearing was extraordinary!
Ancient words emerged beside it: "Mo Xing Soul Devouring Bamboo, High-Grade Postnatal Spiritual Root, Grade A-Upper Aptitude!"
"Grade A-Upper! It's actually Grade A-Upper Aptitude!" "A High-Grade Postnatal Spiritual Root! No wonder he's so formidable!" The entire crowd erupted!
Grade A-Upper Aptitude was already exceedingly rare, while a Postnatal Spiritual Root reaching high grade was rarer still!
Yet the anomaly had not ended!
Beside the bamboo phantom, more vague images surfaced one after another: a vast starry sky, a blurry yet incomparably resilient rune—the Bedrock Rune—
The phantom of a broken milky-white jade pendant—the Guardian Dao Rhythm... and even an extremely faint wisp of Jade Clarity Celestial Light coiling around it!
The stone mirror hummed without end, its light flickering as it struggled to calculate his affinity. At last, several slightly blurred yet soul-shaking ancient words surfaced with difficulty:
"Affinity: ...Profound... and... Unfathomable?!"
Profound! And unfathomably profound at that!
The square instantly fell deathly silent!
Grade A-Upper Aptitude! Profound affinity! And unfathomable besides?!
This meant that not only was his affinity with the Jade Purity Great Dao exceptionally deep, it was also entangled with certain heavenly secrets or variables that could not be deduced!
Even Yuqing Zhenren, standing upon the high platform, revealed obvious astonishment on his normally tranquil face. He studied Li Su, then the stone mirror, and murmured:
"What Junior Brother Qingxu said was indeed true... This child truly is a variable... Master's heavenly secret..."
Yun Yao and the other disciples were utterly dumbfounded. They knew well what it meant for the words "Unfathomable Affinity" to appear on the Affinity Mirror. It usually indicated some connection to the plans or heavenly secrets of their Sage Master!
Li Su himself was slightly stunned. He had not expected the Affinity Mirror to be so powerful that it had exposed seventy to eighty percent of his secrets. Fortunately, the system core had not been detected.
He withdrew his bamboo branch and stood quietly to one side.
The entire crowd's gaze focused on him, filled with shock, curiosity, envy, and even a trace of jealousy.
Yuqing Zhenren drew a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in his heart, and announced, "Mo Xing, passed. Next..."
The following tests seemed somewhat dull. Although a few cultivators with decent aptitude and affinity appeared, they were all eclipsed by the sensation Li Su had caused.
The second trial ended, eliminating nearly half the cultivators again. Fewer than a thousand people remained in the square.
Yuqing Zhenren swept his gaze over the remaining contestants and said calmly, "Those who have passed two trials in succession all possess merits worth noting.
However, the struggle for the Great Dao does not depend solely on affinity and aptitude. The third trial, 'Derive Myriad Phenomena,' will test your understanding and application of the principles of heaven and earth."
With another sweep of his sleeve, the scene before everyone changed. They found themselves in a boundless void, with a revolving river of stars beneath their feet and ever-changing earth, fire, wind, and water around them.
"This is the Myriad Phenomena Illusion. Within this realm, you must use your own Dao to derive an object, a scene, a method, or expound upon a Dao.
You have three days. I and my fellow disciples will judge your performances together. Begin!"
Derive myriad phenomena? Expound upon one's own Dao?
Everyone fell into thought. This was the most open-ended trial, but also the most difficult one. It directly reflected a cultivator's comprehension, accumulation, and understanding of their own path.
Some sat cross-legged, sword qi soaring into the heavens as they derived a river of sword Dao.
Some waved their hands, causing plants and trees to flourish as they derived a garden brimming with life. Others roared and revealed their true forms, displaying their bloodline divine abilities...
Ming Chen and the other two worked together to derive a miniature Jade Purity immortal formation, celestial light curling around it, balanced and harmonious.
Zhiwei cautiously guided the power of moonlight and derived a tranquil grassland beneath the moon, where jade rabbits frolicked. It was not grand, but it was fresh and natural.
Li Su stood in the void, his bamboo body quiet. He did not act immediately, but pondered. What should he display? His Soul Devouring divine ability? Star Evil Body Protection? Or formations?
Suddenly, something stirred within him. He recalled his journey: taking root amid a Corpse Mountain Blood Sea, devouring remnant souls amid suffocating evil qi, comprehending lingering thoughts on ancient battlefields, tempering himself beneath the stars, and seeking patterns within formations.
He had strengthened his resolve within the Guardian Dao Rhythm... His Dao had never been mere devouring or starlight alone. It was forged in this chaotic Primordial World.
Between destruction and slaughter, he drew nourishment, grew with resilience, guarded his own Dao, and continued until he touched the heights of the starry sky and the Great Dao!
He made his decision.
Li Su's bamboo body swayed slightly. He drew upon the power of the stars throughout the heavens—simulated by the illusion—along with earth, fire, wind, and water. He invoked the Dao Rhythm within that trace of the Bedrock Rune, the jade pendant's Guardian Dao Rhythm, and even fused his understanding of formations into it all!
In the void, a sapling broke through the earth. Around it lay a Corpse Mountain Blood Sea, with surging evil qi.
The sapling struggled to grow, continually drawing scant nourishment from death—Soul Devouring—while braving evil winds and resisting lightning strikes—resilience and bedrock.
The sapling gradually grew into a stalk of black bamboo. Starlight began to emerge across its body, drawing down stellar power to temper itself—the Dao of Stars. It began to root itself in the earth, sort through the earth veins, and lay down formations to fend off enemies—the Dao of Formations.
After enduring countless storms and devastation, even cracking along its bamboo body, it never fell. Instead, it grew ever tougher and extended its power of protection over a small surrounding area—the Dao of Guardianship.
In the end, the black bamboo towered into the sky. Its body seemed forged from black jade, glittering with starlight. It formed a formation of its own, rooted in the void. With every sway of its branches and leaves, it could both devour evil beings and draw stars to form arrays.
It also emanated an aura of unshakable resilience and the intent to protect a patch of pure land!
It was not the most powerful, yet it was reborn amid destruction, steadfast amid slaughter, blending many forces together to forge a path uniquely its own—the Heaven-Reaching Star Bamboo!
This derivation seemed simple, yet it contained Li Su's complete understanding and interpretation of his own Dao!
When the derivation was complete, the entire Myriad Phenomena Illusion seemed to fall silent for an instant.
Upon the high platform, Yuqing Zhenren and all the Jade Purity disciples responsible for judging stared fixedly at the star bamboo standing amid the destructive scene in the void. Every one of them showed a moved expression!
"What a fine 'seeking life in death, blending myriad methods to derive the Dao'!" Yuqing Zhenren could not help stroking his beard in praise. "This child's Dao heart, comprehension, and resilience are all among the finest!
More importantly, he has managed to preliminarily fuse the seemingly contradictory Daos of devouring, stars, formations, and guardianship into one. Though still immature, his direction is correct, and his potential is limitless!"
Yun Yao's beautiful eyes shone repeatedly. She understood more and more why Martial Uncle Qingxu valued this person so highly.
When the three days were over, the Myriad Phenomena Illusion vanished, and everyone returned to the square.
Yuqing Zhenren swept his gaze over the crowd before finally announcing in a clear voice, "The preliminary trials of the Ascension Conference end here. A total of one hundred and three people have passed all three trials.
All of you may receive the qualification to ascend the mountain and shall temporarily become nominal disciples of Jade Purity.
Gather here at dawn tomorrow. Ascend the mountain and enter the sect, then undergo the subsequent assessments and assignments!"
Those who passed cheered with joy, while those who failed were left despondent.
Excitement also surged within Li Su's heart. A nominal disciple was only the beginning! At last, he was going to set foot on Kunlun Mountain!
Just as everyone was about to disperse, a Daoist child hurried over and walked straight up to Li Su. With respect, he said, "Senior Brother Mo Xing, Patriarch Yuqing requests your presence."
Before you continue