A Young Man Came to Question His Heart

Li Cheng replied, "Practicing the blade!"

Zhou Hai was somewhat surprised. "He didn't use the Spirit Absorption Technique to cultivate?"

Li Cheng said, "I didn't sense any fluctuations of spiritual energy."

Zhou Hai pondered. "What blade technique?"

Li Cheng said, "An ordinary Mortal Blade Technique."

Zhou Hai was even more surprised.

The other elders also turned to look.

After mulling it over for a moment, Zhou Hai could only shake his head. "Perhaps he has his reasons. We can ask him after he officially joins the sect..."

Li Cheng agreed. "That's what I thought too."

Li Cheng had spent two days serving as a Trial Stele in the preparatory disciples' residence area of Golden Osmanthus Garden.

The other disciples either cultivated or wandered around. Only Ning Ri had kept practicing the blade.

At first, Li Cheng had thought Ning Ri was cultivating some remarkable technique. Only after taking a closer look did he discover that Ning Ri was practicing a mortal blade technique, completely unrelated to cultivation.

He did not understand the meaning behind this action, but he understood Ning Ri.

The disciples of the Heaven Defying Sect all had their own understanding of cultivation. What they did was incomprehensible to outsiders, yet only they themselves knew what they were doing.

Ning Ri had clearly begun adapting to his identity as a disciple of the Heaven Defying Sect.

The roll call at Kite Plaza soon ended.

After the gray-robed elder finished calling names, he had the first disciple line up and enter.

He was a richly dressed young man with a hint of aloofness on his face.

While accumulating skill points through blade practice these past two days, Ning Ri had not forgotten to eavesdrop on others' conversations and gather information.

After all, Li Cheng had said that the disciple trials differed every year, leaving Ning Ri uncertain whether the Heaven Defying Sect's disciple trial was a qualifying exam or a competitive exam.

A qualifying exam was like a driver's test: passing was enough.

A competitive exam was like the college entrance examination: rankings mattered.

He worried that the disciple trial might also force them to compete for rankings. If that was the case, he naturally needed to see what level his opponents were at first.

Ning Ri knew that this person was named Liang Chengdao. He came from an extraordinary background and was a prince of a mortal dynasty. He was quiet by nature and rather cold. Ning Ri had not been able to sense his cultivation either, so Ning Ri believed that either the other man was stronger than him, or he possessed some magical treasure.

After Liang Chengdao entered the endlessly rotating vortex of light, the second preparatory disciple stepped forward.

This was a burly young man dressed in coarse hemp clothes, named Gao Hong.

Gao Hong was seventeen this year.

He was one meter ninety-three, like a small mountain, with decent talent.

Ning Ri had arm-wrestled him once and lost miserably. Gao Hong was righteous, stronger than Ning Ri, a good person, and very warmhearted.

Only after asking around did Ning Ri learn that Gao Hong had come to the Heaven Defying Sect mainly because it was close to home, allowing him to commute.

As for the others, Ning Ri had only gained a superficial understanding of them. They had only just met, after all, and they had not displayed any heaven-defying traits.

After all, these past two days, he had been preoccupied with replenishing his skill points first.

Once Gao Hong entered, Ning Ri followed closely behind...

After everyone had entered the light tunnel, the disciples watching below began discussing among themselves.

"I wonder what this year's disciple trial will be about?"

"Last year's was pretty outrageous. I still can't forget it..."

"I think every year is outrageous. I really don't know how the higher-ups come up with those disciple trials..."

Though they called it outrageous, every one of them was excited—

Watching others suffer the same misfortune they had suffered was always a happy thing!

At that moment.

The gray-robed elder in the center of Kite Plaza said in a deep voice:

"Cautionary Talisman!"

An invisible force swept past, and a yellow [Cautionary Talisman] appeared in everyone's hands.

Seeing the warning from the yellow talisman, the disciples all fell silent.

If they still dared to speak, the supervising elder would directly stick a red [Silencing Talisman] onto their mouths later.

Next, everyone's gaze focused on Kite Plaza as the first water screen slowly condensed. The trial participant within was none other than Liang Chengdao.

At this very moment.

Liang Chengdao, the first to enter the disciple trial, found that after a blur before his eyes, he had arrived in a quiet chamber. There were two meditation cushions in the chamber.

Sitting on one of the cushions was a person—

[Xun Zang]!

Seeing Xun Zang appear, the disciples at Kite Plaza were greatly surprised. "It's actually Elder Xun from Joyful Union Courtyard?"

"Then this trial doesn't seem difficult..."

Within the water screen.

At this moment, Xun Zang was smiling at Liang Chengdao.

However, Liang Chengdao saw at a glance that this was Xun Zang's avatar.

Liang Chengdao bowed, his tone calm. "Greetings, Elder Xun!"

"Mm, there is no need for excessive courtesy."

Xun Zang made a gesture as though to help Liang Chengdao up, then said, "This disciple trial is very simple. May I ask, Young Friend Liang, what thing has accompanied you the longest from childhood until now?"

Liang Chengdao answered, "The jade pendant my mother gave me."

Xun Zang said, "If you were to have a Dao companion in the future, would you choose that jade pendant as your Dao companion?"

"No..." Liang Chengdao paused in silence before continuing, "Wasn't this question already asked before?"

When Xun Zang recruited disciples, the so-called "discussion of ideals" had been about Dao companions.

He had already answered it.

Xun Zang smiled slightly. "Repeated questioning can scour your true heart and bring you enlightenment. This is today's trial: Heart Questioning."

Liang Chengdao said, "Yes, this disciple understands. Please continue, Elder Xun."

Xun Zang said, "Good. Second question: if you would not choose the jade pendant as your Dao companion, what would you choose as your Dao companion?"

Liang Chengdao said, "Can't I simply not have a Dao companion?"

Xun Zang said, "Good, it seems you like yourself. Then are you willing to become Dao companions with yourself?"

Liang Chengdao said, "..."

As Liang Chengdao fell silent, Xun Zang suddenly said, "All right, the Heart Questioning is over. Your trial has failed."

Liang Chengdao said, "?"

Then an invisible force sent him out of the quiet chamber and back to Kite Plaza.

The gray-robed elder appeared before him once more and said, "All right, Young Friend Liang. Most regrettably, you have not passed the trial. Please descend the mountain."

Upon hearing this, Liang Chengdao frowned deeply. Then he gave a cold snort, muttered that it was utterly baffling, and turned to leave...

At the same time.

At Kite Plaza.

Watching Liang Chengdao in the water screen quickly descend the mountain and leave the Heaven Defying Sect, everyone let out an "Oh"—

So Elder Xun had only been a fake trial!

As Liang Chengdao descended the mountain, the second water screen appeared. It showed none other than the burly young man from earlier, Gao Hong.

Gao Hong's Heart Questioning answer was simple. He said he had a childhood betrothal, and Xun Zang said that meant he had failed.

Gao Hong immediately became anxious. "Elder Xun, you can't do this! Didn't you say two days ago that having a childhood betrothal wouldn't affect cultivation?! Are you telling me that once I enter the immortal sect, I should break off the engagement? What kind of person do you take me for?"

But Xun Zang ignored him and directly sent him out. Then, after "returning" to Kite Plaza, he could only bid the elders farewell helplessly and descend the mountain like Liang Chengdao...

Next.

The third water screen rose.

Within the quiet chamber.

A young man came to question his heart.