Golden Spirit Sect Examination

The Stone Turtle's belly was dark red, its shell pale blue-green. The Bagua patterns were a deep ink-black, neat and symmetrical as though they had been precisely measured and set.

Even stranger, the entire stone was covered in tiny cracks, at first glance resembling the crackle patterns of Jun porcelain.

Ji An remembered that when he had found this unusual stone, he had thought it was a fired porcelain piece.

It had been late autumn then. The stone had lain quietly in a mountain stream, the Flowing Water icy cold, yet the Stone Turtle had felt warm and smooth to the touch.

Ji An suddenly sensed the Stone Turtle that existed within his consciousness appear at the spot between his brows, then follow the newly opened immortal meridians into his Qi Sea Acupoint. It was an exceedingly wondrous experience.

Yet as long as he calmed himself and sensed it, he could still feel the Stone Turtle's existence, and those lines of text appeared in his mind at the same time.

Letting out a breath, Ji An relaxed. He had truly feared that his golden finger would lose its effect after moving house.

As for the Stone Turtle that had sent his soul across into another world, Ji An did not care whether there was some conspiracy behind it, because he was not qualified to care.

What he needed to do now was use this peerless treasure to improve himself.

Only by becoming strong could he weather storms from all eight directions.

In his high spirits, Ji An began studying the Stone Turtle's functions.

After a while, he shook his head with a bitter smile.

His golden finger was still a no-brand, no-manual, no-warranty product. After researching it for half a day, he had only received a few hints.

Dao Rhythm and spiritual insight were names for special energies. These energies could be used to rapidly comprehend spells.

At present, he had no spells to rely on. Clearly, in the golden finger's system of judgment, a Meridian Cultivation Method did not count as a spell.

He could only wait until he had spiritual insight and spells in the future, then see just how much substance this golden finger truly had.

Ji An slowly closed his eyes. The naturally formed Bagua diagram on the turtle shell appeared before him, and he began recalling its meanings and symbolism.

In the study of the I Ching, the Later Heaven Bagua spoke of cyclical rotation, like flowing water in motion. It represented the mutual dependence and shared roots of yin and yang, and the mother-child generation of the Five Elements.

The eight trigrams—Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui—respectively represented eight phenomena: heaven, earth, thunder, wind, water, fire, mountain, and marsh.

But he was only a keyboard Dao scholar. He could not even recite the Dao De Jing in its entirety, much less had he studied the Later Heaven Bagua in depth.

At that moment, he deeply understood that one only regretted having read too little when knowledge was needed. But it was already of little use, so he could only rack his brains to recall the tiny scraps of knowledge he possessed.

The sky gradually brightened. A rising sun climbed from the east, its golden rays passing through the thin mist and shining upon the summit of Little Cang Mountain.

The sunlight slowly moved toward the mountainside, swiftly dispersing the mist and illuminating Ji An's tightly shut eyes.

He took half a step back and slowly opened his eyes.

After fresh rain in an empty mountain, the mountain breeze brushed gently past, carrying the fresh fragrance of grass and trees amid the rustling.

Raindrops lingering on the tips of leaves resembled pearls, refracting seven-colored halos beneath the sunlight. They glittered brilliantly, their glow reflected in his clear, bright eyes.

The next day, the sun had only just peeked over the horizon when the open space before the Dao Academy's main hall was already packed with people.

Today was the day the sect envoys would come to conduct the examination. Everyone qualified to take the test had arrived.

Ji An stood alone in a corner with a simple bundle on his back, quietly listening to the earnest instructions the cultivators who had come to observe gave their own juniors.

If he unfortunately failed the selection, the Clan Members of Zhang Yuanshan's group would surely invite him over to discuss his debts.

If he was fortunate enough to become a sect cultivator, he would return to the sect with the envoys, and there would still be room to delay matters.

But no matter what, he had to leave the Dao Academy.

Uneasy, Ji An's palms grew slightly damp.

The sect examination tested aptitude first and Dao Heart second. Though he possessed a golden finger, it offered no practical help in passing the sect examination.

Not knowing how long it would be before the sect envoys arrived, Ji An simply closed his eyes to rest his mind.

He sensed the Stone Turtle, and a line of text appeared in his mind.

Master: Ji An

Dao Rhythm: 0

Spiritual Insight: Kan Spirit 0.2, Kun Spirit 0.2, Xun Spirit 0.1

Spells: None

When he had awakened that morning, he had checked the Stone Turtle's changes as usual and discovered that the numbers had actually changed. He had been overjoyed beyond measure.

This showed that the Stone Turtle could absorb energy on its own, completely putting his mind at ease.

He had originally worried that he would need to consume spiritual items to increase spiritual insight and Dao Rhythm. He only had five Spirit Crystals left in his pocket—where would he find the capital to buy spiritual items?

Ji An began recalling the meanings of the various attributes in the Bagua. Kan belonged to water, Kun to earth, and Xun to wood. Did they each correspond to the Five Element attribute they represented?

That meant spiritual insight was everywhere. The sect's territory should therefore have denser spiritual insight.

The foundation of cultivation was absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Spiritual energy was everywhere, but its concentration varied.

The residences of sects and cultivation clans, as well as immortal cities and markets, were all built atop Spirit Veins and were places where spiritual energy was abundant.

These powers set up Mountain Protecting Arrays, binding the spiritual energy so that it no longer circulated through heaven and earth, causing the spiritual energy in other regions to grow increasingly barren.

Just as he was thinking, a commotion arose from the crowd.

"They're here! The Golden Spirit Sect's flying boat is here!"

Ji An opened his eyes and saw a black flying boat racing toward them in the distance.

He swept his gaze around and saw several academy heads emerge from the main hall. They straightened their robes and stood at the entrance.

Before long, the black flying boat, like a yacht soaring through the sky and a full hundred meters long, came to a stop above the main hall. Everyone immediately felt the world darken.

Two men and one woman, three cultivators in all, paced down through the empty air, their robes fluttering.

Ji An unconsciously swallowed. Flying through the air without relying on a magical artifact meant they were at least Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Only after reaching the complete Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation could one build the foundation of the Great Dao.

In the eyes of high-level cultivators, the Qi Condensation Stage did not count as truly stepping onto the path of immortality.

Several academy heads strode forward and bowed in unison.

"Greetings, Martial Uncles. All Dao disciples of Green Pine Dao Academy on Little Cang Mountain who meet the requirements are present, ninety-six in total."

The leading cultivator had a head full of white hair secured by an emerald jade hairpin. His long beard reached his chest, and he bore the air of an immortal sage.

He nodded slightly and said calmly, "No need for ceremony, Martial Nephews. Begin the examination at once."

Little Cang Mountain was their final stop. The sooner they finished, the sooner they could return to the sect and report completion of their task.

The spiritual energy outside was far too thin compared to that inside the sect's cave residences.

"As Martial Uncle commands."

The academy heads responded loudly. One remained outside to maintain order, while the others invited the Martial Uncles into the main hall.

Quite a few young men and women poked their heads out from the flying boat, pointing at the crowd below and whispering among themselves.

An academy head shouted, "Silence! Form ranks at once and enter the main hall in order to test your aptitudes."

The crowd quickly parted. The family members stepped back, while those taking the examination formed a single line and entered the main hall one after another.

Soon, it was Ji An's turn. He calmly stepped into the hall.

This world had no concept of spiritual roots. The human body possessed all Five Elements, and any Five Element cultivation method or spell could be cultivated, including mutated spells such as wind, lightning, and ice.

As long as one had opened immortal meridians, one possessed aptitude. The only difference was whether that aptitude was high or low.

The sect imposed age restrictions precisely because it wanted to select the best from among the best.

Based on one's ability to sense spiritual energy, aptitude was divided into five grades: low, mid-grade, high, earth-grade, and heaven-grade.

The stronger one's perception of spiritual energy, the more efficiently one could absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and refine it into spiritual power.

The aptitudes of those cultivation seeds whom Heaven chased after to spoon-feed were at least earth-grade to begin with.

"Place your hand on it and circulate your Meridian Cultivation Method."

The female Foundation Establishment Cultivator pointed at the foot-high white jade pillar on the table and spoke indifferently.

The aptitude-testing device was also called a Spirit Sensing Pillar. Ji An followed the instructions, placing his hand on the white jade pillar. He closed his eyes, concentrated, and began circulating the Flowing Water Meridian Opening Art.

Azure, red, yellow, white, and black Five-Colored Radiance flashed across the white jade pillar in turn.

The five colors reached different heights, though the differences were slight. Black was the highest among them.

"Alright. Go down."

Hearing this, Ji An stopped circulating his meridians, bowed, and withdrew.

This was merely routine recordkeeping. He had yet to hear of anyone being rejected by the sect because of aptitude. If there was such a case, their age must have exceeded the limit.

After everyone had tested their aptitude and waited for a while, the academy heads led them to a side hall.

An Illusory Heart Formation had already been arranged here to test cultivators' state of mind and will.

The three Foundation Establishment Cultivators sat to one side. The leading cultivator nodded.

"Begin."

An academy head lit an incense stick. Everyone entered the formation, sat cross-legged at intervals, and spread apart.

Hazy white spiritual radiance enveloped them, and one after another, they fell into illusions.

Ji An abruptly awoke and instinctively licked his lips.

The illusion had been extremely real. Its touch and smell were no different from reality, but for him, it had not been quite real enough.

Within the illusion, he had passed the Golden Spirit Sect's examination and successfully achieved Foundation Establishment through his own efforts.

Later, while descending the mountain to gain experience, he encountered a fox demon. As a human cultivator, it was only right and proper that he slay demons and eliminate evil, yet he fell into the fox demon's illusion.

The fox demon transformed into a beautiful young woman draped in white gauze, with a fiery figure and seductive charm born into her bones, trying to tempt him. He instinctively pulled out his phone to take a commemorative photo.

The moment the click sounded, he woke up at once.

"Not bad. The first to awaken from the Illusory Heart Formation—his will is excellent."

The female Foundation Establishment Cultivator was rather surprised. Those who woke so quickly were exceedingly rare.

An academy head muttered softly, "Ji An, seventeen years old, First Layer of Qi Condensation, Mid-Grade aptitude, first place in the Illusory Heart Formation. Examination passed."

Ji An slightly clenched his fist and walked out of the formation.

Seeing the people still trapped in the illusion—some excited, some terrified, some wearing lewd grins—his mouth twitched, and he turned his face away.

After one incense stick's time had passed, the white-haired cultivator rose to his feet.

"The examination is over. Hand me the roster of those who have awakened."

The academy head acknowledged the order, then said, "Martial Uncles have come from afar. The cultivators of the immortal city below admire the bearing of our superior sect and wish to seek guidance from you.

A modest banquet has been prepared in the side hall. Might the Martial Uncles have the time?"

The white-haired cultivator stroked his beard and smiled. "The younger generation has the heart to advance. There is no harm in offering them some guidance."

After the banquet ended, Ji An boarded the flying boat with his small bundle on his back.

He glanced behind him. Originally, nine had passed the examination, but now there were sixteen.

The bad news was that all three creditors had passed.

On the flying boat.

"Senior Brother Zhang, Senior Sister Zhao, Senior Brother Chu, now that we are fellow sect cultivators, if there is ever anything you need, just say the word."

Ji An patted his chest and continued boldly, "Junior Brother will not shrink from duty."

Creditors had to be placated.

Having the debt waived was impossible, but delaying it for more days was always good.

If, upon first awakening, he had been lost about the future, then now something called ambition had sprouted in the depths of his heart.

He had comprehended the divine intent of a Meridian Cultivation Method and opened his meridians on his own, and he had the golden finger to assist him. If he still remained mediocre with such a beginning, he might as well find a block of tofu and smash his head into it.

For him now, a debt of nine Spirit Stones was a great deal. But what if he became a Late Qi Condensation cultivator? Then it would not be much of a difficulty.

Zhao Mengyao covered her mouth and laughed softly.

"Junior Brother must keep his word. If we ever come begging before Junior Brother and Junior Brother refuses, would that not shame us?"

"How could that be? Senior Sister flatters me too much."

Chu He snorted coldly and said irritably, "After entering the sect, you will need even more Spirit Stones to support your cultivation. How about you repay my Spirit Stones now, Junior Brother?"

When they had seen Ji An enter the First Layer of Qi Condensation, the three of them had nearly had their jaws drop.

Their original plan had been to use the excuse of forcing him to repay the Spirit Stones in order to obtain the beast-taming secret art. But Senior Brother Zhang had decided to postpone it, saying that he wanted to see whether Ji An had truly undergone enlightenment.

If he had, then after cultivating spells, he would surely display extraordinary talent. At the very least, this should be true when cultivating Water Element Spells.

Zhao Mengyao had agreed with the decision as well. Two against one, so Chu He had no choice but to agree.

Ji An bowed deeply. "It is not that Junior Brother is petty. If I had Spirit Stones on me, or anything at all that could be used to repay the debt, I would certainly take it out and return it to Senior Brother and Senior Sister.

But my father..."

His words were earnest, his eyes reddening as tears glimmered within them.

This was not acting. It was a genuine outpouring of feeling.

The soul of the original owner and his own soul had already fused perfectly.

He was both a visitor from Blue Star and the present Ji An.

His father had gone deep into the mountains to gather herbs and had not returned for three months. He understood that his father was probably truly gone.

Zhang Yuanshan stepped forward and helped him up.

"We understand Junior Brother's difficulties, but our Spirit Stones were not blown in on the wind either.

How about this? Let us each take a step back. We will give you another half year, and then discuss repayment of the Spirit Stones. What do you say?"

He had already obtained the result he wanted. Was the beast-taming secret art not something that could be used to repay the debt?

He would delay for as long as he could. Ji An cupped his hands.

"Many thanks for Senior Brother and Senior Sister's generosity."

Zhang Yuanshan waved his hand. "Junior Brother, remember today's promise. We will discuss this matter again in half a year."

Zhao Mengyao spoke.

"How much does Junior Brother know about the sect?"

Ji An frowned slightly and gave a bitter smile.

"I only know that the sect has a Golden Core Old Ancestor in residence and excels in artifact refinement and beast taming. I know nothing else."

The most important reason he had been sent to the Golden Spirit Sect's Dao Academy was that it was closest to the immortal city where he had originally lived.

On the Western Mist Continent, immortal cities were separated by vast distances, with boundless mountain ranges between them.

For cultivators without the ability to fly, crossing the wilderness was little different from suicide. Low-level cultivators and mortals could only scrape out a living near immortal cities.

It was said that sects such as the Golden Spirit Sect had migrated here from other continents.

The strongest force here was not the human race, but the Demon Race in the mountains.

The human race and the Demon Race had never gotten along. The Demon Race ate humans, and cultivators in particular were considered a great tonic in their eyes.

Meanwhile, the human race spared no effort in slaughtering the Demon Race, skinning them and pulling out their tendons, using their flesh and blood to aid their own cultivation.

There were also fierce conflicts between foreign cultivators and local cultivators, with bloody battles breaking out from time to time.

So this was what it meant to know nothing at all.

Zhao Mengyao gave an almost imperceptible shake of her head and said softly:

"Once we enter the sect, we can only begin as outer disciples. If new disciples cannot advance to Qi Condensation Layer 4 within three years, they will be expelled from the sect. If they cannot advance to the Late Qi Condensation stage before turning thirty, they will likewise be driven out. Only by becoming a Foundation Establishment Cultivator can one gain the sect's recognition. If one cannot achieve Foundation Establishment before sixty, one will still be expelled. After joining the sect, we will be randomly assigned to different places. It would be best if we could enter the Beast Taming Hall or the Artifact Refining Hall."