Testing Aptitude

"Immortal Master Grandpa, back in the mortal world, I heard everyone say that Seeking Immortality and Ascending to Greatness was the great path of this world. The legends of Qingyun Sect's immortal masters were even more widely spread. I wish to join Qingyun Sect and become a little disciple seeking the Dao."

Su Changqing looked solemnly at Dao Xuan Zhenren, nodded slightly, and spoke with sincerity.

"Good!"

Upon hearing this, Dao Xuan Zhenren felt pleased. Though still young, this child possessed a steady temperament. He had endured countless hardships and still survived, yet before these renowned Zhenren, he spoke calmly and logically, with every point clearly laid out. He already possessed the prerequisites for achieving the Great Dao.

Moreover, when faced with a lifetime of glory and wealth, he had chosen the path of seeking the Dao. This showed that Su Changqing already possessed the resolve to leave the mortal world behind and cast aside fame and profit.

If he also had good Bone Root Aptitude, he would make a fine disciple indeed.

Just then, a voice sounded from outside the hall.

"Sect Leader, the two children in the side hall have awakened as well. Should they be brought here?"

"Bring them together."

Dao Xuan Zhenren thought that he could not favor one over another. Since all three had awakened, he might as well test their aptitudes together and see how they compared.

Before long, a Daoist Follower brought Zhang Xiaofan and Lin Jingyu over. As soon as they entered the great hall and saw all these Zhenren and Peak Lords, they were immediately somewhat stunned.

Perhaps they had never encountered such a sight in the mortal world.

"Chang Qing, you're here too!"

Lin Jingyu and Zhang Xiaofan exclaimed in surprise when they saw Su Changqing. They had not expected that, apart from themselves and Uncle Wang Er, someone else from Caomiao Village had survived.

"When disaster struck, I was gathering medicine in the mountains. That was how I escaped catastrophe."

Su Changqing offered them an explanation.

Su Changqing knew these two well enough. One was the protagonist of the novel, while the other was the protagonist's childhood friend and brother. Although the original owner of this body was about their age, he had usually been busy gathering herbs to survive, so he had little contact with them and was not particularly familiar with them.

Once the two had calmed down, Dao Xuan Zhenren asked them the same question he had asked before.

Sure enough, their choice was the same as Su Changqing's. Both were willing to remain in Qingyun Sect and cultivate.

"Since all three of you are willing to remain in our sect and cultivate, we shall first test your Bone Root Aptitude. Then the Peak Lords of each peak will accept you as disciples."

With that, Dao Xuan Zhenren flicked his left hand. A small red pearl flew from his sleeve, drifting before the three in turn and rolling over each of their foreheads.

In an instant, multicolored light rose from their bodies. The brightness of the light represented the differences in their Bone Root Aptitude.

Among them, Lin Jingyu's light blazed brilliantly, instantly illuminating the entire hall, while Zhang Xiaofan's was somewhat weaker, though it still shone brightly.

In contrast, Su Changqing's light was as faint as a beam of light piercing through a wall. Within this enormous hall, it appeared utterly inconspicuous.

"This child possesses the temperament and spirit to attain the Great Dao, yet his Bone Root Aptitude is so poor. What a pity, what a pity!"

Dao Xuan Zhenren looked at Su Changqing and sighed softly.

The others shared the same thought. The result disappointed them somewhat. Su Changqing, from whom they had held the greatest expectations, actually possessed the poorest Bone Root Aptitude of the three, inferior even to that of some Outer Sect Disciples.

Su Changqing's conduct since entering the hall had already greatly pleased them.

But on the path of cultivation, aptitude was extremely important. It was said that those with Supreme Heavenly Talent could comprehend the Dao in a single day, surpassing a hundred years of cultivation. The people of Qingyun Sect understood this deeply.

Back when Qingyun Sect had fallen into decline, Patriarch Qingye, with his Astonishing Talent, had studied Tattered Ancient Scrolls of Predecessors and comprehended a path of Great Dao Cultivation far surpassing that of his forebears. He had directly turned the tide, raising Qingyun Sect from the brink of destruction to its pinnacle. By now, it had become the Leading Sect of the Righteous Path.

No matter how strong one's temperament, without Bone Root Aptitude, one would ultimately struggle to achieve the Great Dao.

Su Changqing looked at the faint light radiating from himself and felt somewhat disappointed. Still, he was not so distraught that he wallowed in despair.

Bone Root Aptitude was something the original owner had been born with. Since he had transmigrated into this body as it was, there was nothing he could do to change it.

But he had a system!

As long as he could enter Qingyun Sect, even if only as an Outer Sect Disciple, once the system officially descended, what would mere Bone Root Aptitude matter?

"I never expected this little Caomiao Village to produce such a Dao Child with Superior Spiritual Root Aptitude!"

Seeing Lin Jingyu's dazzling light, it was clear that he possessed Extraordinary Talent and exceptional Bone Root Aptitude. The sight immediately drew the attention of the Peak Lords from every branch of Qingyun Sect.

"Senior Brother."

Cang Song Zhenren was the first to rise. He cupped his hands toward Dao Xuan Zhenren, then looked at Lin Jingyu with eager anticipation. "This child's talent and temperament are both outstanding. He is a Dao Child chosen from ten thousand. Why not let him enter my branch? I will certainly teach him with utmost care. Helping him achieve the Great Dao may not be impossible!"

"As for the rest of you junior brothers and sisters, isn't Chang Qing still here? Perhaps his temperament can compensate for his insufficient aptitude. I will not compete with you for him."

The moment Cang Song finished speaking, Tian Buyi hurriedly rose and followed up with a smile. "Sect Leader Senior Brother, Senior Brother Cang Song, you both know that Great Bamboo Peak has always been short on disciples. Why not take pity on me and let me accept Lin Jingyu?"

"I will certainly restrain my temperament and teach him carefully. I may yet be able to raise him into a Child of Destiny."

At those words, Cang Song's face darkened.

He had not expected Tian Buyi, who had always been so lackadaisical about teaching disciples, to step forward and compete as well. With Tian Buyi's teaching ability, he feared a fine disciple would simply be wasted.

Shang Zhengliang, Peak Lord of Chaoyang Peak, saw that both had spoken and immediately stood as the third to speak. "Sect Leader Senior Brother, the moment I saw this child, I felt that we were fated. His appearance and bearing resemble mine in several ways. Perhaps he is even some distant orphan from my mortal family line. Why not let him enter my branch?"

"Junior Brother Shang, aren't you ashamed to say that? And every time you accept a disciple, you go on about fate. You already have three thousand fated connections under your branch."

Tian Yun Zhenren, Peak Lord of Luoxia Peak, could not resist teasing him. Then he looked eagerly at Lin Jingyu.

"Let him enter my branch instead and take me as his master."

Shang Zhengliang was just about to retort when Zeng Shuchang, Peak Lord of Fenghui Peak, stood up and said with a smile.

"Junior brothers, I was clearly the first to ask for him. Yet each and every one of you is fighting me for him. Isn't that rather lacking in respect for order?"

"Senior Brother Cang Song, the Way is not about Order. Naturally, accepting disciples should not depend on who comes first either."

"Senior Brother Tian, the Way may not recognize order, but it does recognize superiority. Do you not know the Cultivation Levels of the several disciples under your branch?"

"Junior Brother Shang, aren't those words going too far?"

For a time, this majestic great hall contained no sounds of reciting scriptures or chanting sutras. Instead, it became as noisy as a marketplace.

These renowned Zhenren and Peak Lords argued without end, one sentence after another. Their faces even flushed red, as though they were on the verge of drawing weapons and comparing Cultivation Levels to fight for the Right to Accept Disciples over Lin Jingyu.