Heart of Seeking Dao, First Disciple Appears

The rustling of the Purple Bamboo Forest was like nature's whisper, cleansing the minds of those who had passed the Dao Seeking Stele's trial.

Xuanjizi and several other beings who had successfully drawn forth the clear radiance.

An Ancient Vine Spirit wreathed in a faint, pure aura of grass and wood; an Antlered Maiden with gentle eyes and soft down atop her head.

And a Cloud Spirit with a feeble aura, as though condensed from mountain mist.

They exchanged glances, each seeing determination and a trace of barely perceptible nervousness in the others' eyes.

They followed the bluestone path through the tranquil Purple Bamboo Forest, and the view before them suddenly opened up.

A white jade staircase with no end in sight stretched up along the mountainside like a winding giant dragon, piercing deep into the clouds.

Every step was smooth as a mirror, emitting a faint white glow. An intangible pressure could vaguely be felt emanating from it—the higher one climbed, the heavier that pressure became.

This was the second trial—the Willpower Forging Steps.

"A test of one's resolve..." Xuanjizi drew a deep breath. He could sense that this pressure did not act upon the flesh, but directly upon the mind and the core of one's will.

He recalled his hundreds of millions of years of cultivation: how many times he had faced bottlenecks, how many times he had encountered powerful foes, how many times he had wandered amid loneliness and despair—yet he had never abandoned that faint hope for the Great Dao.

His Heart of Seeking Dao had long been tempered by time and hardship into hardy grass in the wind—seemingly frail, yet truly resilient.

"Let's go." He spoke softly to the companions beside him and stepped onto the first stair.

A faint resistance met him, as though a breeze were trying to push him back. Xuanjizi's steps remained steady as he continued upward.

Ten steps, twenty steps, fifty steps...

As they ascended, the intangible pressure gradually intensified.

At first, it was like a breeze brushing one's face; then, like a stream washing over one's body; later, it felt as though invisible mountains were pressing down upon their shoulders.

Countless whispers also seemed to sound beside their ears, tempting them to give up, telling them that the road ahead was difficult and that they would be better off returning.

The Ancient Vine Spirit's body trembled slightly. Gentle by nature and averse to conflict, it found this pressure directed straight at its will somewhat difficult to bear.

Yet it clenched its teeth and recalled the hardships of growing from an ignorant ancient vine, enduring countless storms, thunder, and fire, and absorbing the essence of sun and moon.

Only then had it awakened its intelligence. Its yearning for "life" and pursuit of the "Dao" supported it as it continued onward.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on the Antlered Maiden's brow. Kind-hearted and timid by nature, she now felt as though she stood beneath the gaze of countless savage eyes, instinctively making her want to retreat.

But she thought of her race's humble existence in the Primordial Era, where the strong devoured the weak, and of the light of hope that had ignited in her heart upon hearing "Education for All"—the hope that perhaps she could change her fate.

She clenched her fists tightly. Her gaze turned stubborn as she climbed upward, one step at a time.

The Cloud Spirit's form was the most unsteady, as though it might disperse at any moment. The pressure on its will was especially deadly to it, for its very nature was one of ever-changing gathering and scattering.

Yet it struggled to hold its form together, recalling how it had gradually condensed spiritual awareness from a wisp of unconscious cloud-glow between heaven and earth.

It yearned for skies higher and farther away, yearned to break free from the fate of drifting with the wind.

Its longing for "freedom" and "transcendence" became the perseverance that sustained it now.

Xuanjizi walked at the front. Though his steps were slow, they were exceptionally steady.

His Golden Immortal-level Primordial Spirit cultivation, coupled with an obsession with seeking the Dao that had not faded over hundreds of millions of years, made the core of his will far more solid than those of his companions.

Though the pressure around him was immense and the mind-bewitching whispers were chaotic, they could never shake that undying spark deep in his heart—his yearning for the true Great Dao!

One hundred steps, two hundred steps, three hundred steps...

The pressure grew increasingly terrifying, as though the entire sky were crushing down upon them. The Ancient Vine Spirit's leaves began to dim, and the Antlered Maiden's legs felt as though they had been filled with lead.

The Cloud Spirit's form had faded until it was nearly transparent, as though it would collapse at the next instant.

They moved slower and slower. Every step seemed to exhaust all their strength, sustained entirely by an unyielding will.

Xuanjizi, too, felt his limits approaching. Veins bulged faintly on his forehead, his breathing grew ragged, and waves of piercing pain came from his Primordial Spirit.

Yet he still did not stop. His gaze remained fixed upon the staircase's end, hidden high in the clouds, where there seemed to lie the answer he had sought for hundreds of millions of years.

"The Dao... is ahead!" he roared, almost dragging his body as he stepped onto another stair.

At last, after crossing the nine hundred and ninety-ninth step and just as his strength was about to fail, the clouds ahead parted, revealing the summit of the Willpower Forging Steps—a small white jade platform.

The platform was utterly empty, save for a hazy Rune of the character "Heart," formed from light and shadow, slowly revolving and radiating a power that soothed the heart.

Xuanjizi used the last of his strength to step onto the platform. In an instant, the mountain-and-sea-like pressure surrounding him vanished without a trace, replaced by an indescribable sense of ease and clarity.

It was as though his will, having undergone this tempering, had become purer and more resilient.

He collapsed onto the platform, gasping for breath, yet a relieved smile appeared on his face.

He had succeeded!

Close behind him, the Ancient Vine Spirit practically crawled up, the Antlered Maiden staggered and threw herself onto the platform, and at the final moment, the Cloud Spirit abruptly condensed itself, finally stabilizing its form as it floated up.

The four seekers of the Dao had all passed the second trial through the resilience of their own wills!

They smiled at one another. The joy of surviving a calamity and their respect for one another flowed silently between them.

After resting for a moment and settling their minds, they discovered a clear pool behind the platform, only about a zhang wide.

The pool water was crystal clear to the bottom, yet its source was nowhere to be seen. It seemed to contain boundless depths, its surface smooth as a mirror.

It reflected the sky and their figures. This was the third trial—the "Heart Cleansing Pool."

"Wash away worldly thoughts and behold one's true nature..." Xuanjizi murmured. He knew this was the final trial, and perhaps the most crucial one.

He walked to the pool's edge, focusing his spirit as he gazed into the water.

At first, the water reflected only his somewhat bedraggled figure.

But gradually, the reflection began to change.

It no longer showed his outward appearance, but the landscape within his heart—his confusion and joy when he first took form, his impatience and unwillingness when his cultivation was obstructed.

The fear and despair of being hunted, and the flame of hope that had flared to life the instant he heard "Education for All"...

Countless thoughts, emotions, and memories flowed through the pool like images on a revolving lantern.

The water rippled faintly, as though washing away those stray thoughts. Xuanjizi held his breath, his mind sinking completely into it.

He saw that deep beneath those tangled, chaotic thoughts, there had always been a speck of light that had never gone out.

It was his purest yearning for the Dao, his undying desire to transcend his own limits and witness a broader world!

It had nothing to do with hatred, nothing to do with gain—only that original, most essential heart of seeking!

The instant that "true nature" was reflected and brought into relief by the pool water, the entire Heart Cleansing Pool seemed to flash.

The reflection in the water became incomparably clear and pure, leaving only that Heart of Seeking Dao, glimmering with a faint yet steadfast light!

Almost at the same time, the Ancient Vine Spirit saw within the pool its benevolent nature—guarding the forests and nourishing all living things.

The Antlered Maiden saw her desire to protect her kin and her longing for peace.

The Cloud Spirit, meanwhile, saw the true meaning of freedom that it yearned for—unfettered and boundless in exploration.

All of them had beheld their own true nature within the Heart Cleansing Pool!

At the very moment Xuanjizi realized his own true nature, he felt the Golden Immortal bottleneck within him, which had been stagnant for so long, show the first hint of loosening!

It was not an increase in magical power, but an elevation of his state of mind that had advanced his attainment in the Dao!

A gentle stream of light flew forth from the depths of the academy and enveloped Xuanjizi.

A calm voice resounded within his mind. "Your nature is resilient, and your resolve is commendable. You have understood your own path of seeking.

You may become the founding First Disciple of Myriad Dao Academy. I grant you the status of an Outer Court Disciple. Enter the Diligent Study Hall and await further instruction."

First Disciple! The founding First Disciple of Myriad Dao Academy!

Xuanjizi's body trembled. He raised his head in disbelief and looked toward the depths of the academy, so overwhelmed with excitement that he could scarcely contain himself. He hurriedly bowed. "Xuanjizi thanks the Sage for this grace!"

The flowing light wrapped around him, and he vanished from the spot in an instant.

The Ancient Vine Spirit, the Antlered Maiden, and the Cloud Spirit likewise received recognition. Each was led away, becoming Registered Disciples of the academy's Outer Court.

The heart that sought the Dao had finally received its answer. Under Sage Wanhua, the First Disciple Xuanjizi was born!

This marked the moment when Myriad Dao Academy truly welcomed its first inheritors.

And Xuanjizi's experience would surely inspire even more beings with pure hearts set upon the Dao to come to this land of Wenhua and seek their own opportunities.