Asking the Dao Heart

As more and more cultivators could no longer endure and fell on the path to seeking the Dao.

The mountain path was no longer as relaxed and joyful as it was at the beginning, filled with loud discussions. Most people had solemn expressions, fearing they would follow in the footsteps of those who had fallen.

Only Burning Lamp Daoist, Guangchengzi, Golden Spirit Holy Mother, and others at the very front could still maintain a leisurely pace.

After all the Acquired Beings were eliminated, some cultivators with lower-tier Innate Roots also began to feel a subtle pressure.

Clearly, the previous screening was merely the first round.

Over the next half month, the majority of cultivators with lower-tier Innate Roots were successively eliminated.

Seeing the number of people beside him dwindle, Li Qingxu couldn't help but feel anxious.

His Five Elements Root was only at the mid-tier Innate Being level.

If the screening continued like this, he might not be able to join a Saint's sect.

Fortunately, after this period of climbing, he had already reached the mountainside of Kunlun Mountain.

Clouds and mist churned like a milky white ocean, half-concealing the mountainside and the path.

Bands of colorful neon lights spanned across like celestial bridges, appearing and disappearing within the sea of clouds. They emitted a brilliant yet not dazzling radiance, adding to the ethereal and mystical feeling of the Immortal Realm.

Initially, Li Qingxu paid little attention to these clouds and mist, considering them merely natural wonders of the spiritual landscape of Kunlun Mountain.

However, the moment he stepped into the mist, the surroundings suddenly fell silent. The few cultivators who had been not far from him instantly vanished.

Li Qingxu immediately became extremely alert, releasing his Spiritual Sense to cautiously probe his surroundings.

But his Spiritual Sense, upon entering the mist, was like a clay ox entering the sea, instantly swallowed by the seemingly ordinary sea of clouds.

"It seems there must be other trials set up by a Saint hidden within these clouds and mist."

Li Qingxu muttered to himself, his Divine Power surging within him, ready to activate the True Sun Fire at any moment to face sudden danger.

He cautiously advanced along the mist-shrouded mountain path, but encountered no unexpected events.

It was as if the white mist was naturally formed, not a trial set by a Saint.

Just as his taut nerves, strained for several days, began to relax slightly, an incredibly intense emotion surged into his mind like a tidal wave.

The faint unwillingness of his mediocre and ordinary past life; the deep fear of being in constant danger upon arriving in the Primordial World; the indignant powerlessness at witnessing the Human Race reduced to blood food; the heavy responsibility of carrying the hopes of the Taihao Tribe...

Various thoughts rushed in, colliding fiercely in his mind, attempting to destroy his will and shake his Dao Heart.

Li Qingxu knew this must be the second trial set by a Saint, targeting the Dao Heart.

However, under the impact of these thoughts, he did not lose his composure or feel lost.

Precisely because of his past life's mediocrity, he had resolved to achieve great things in this vibrant Primordial World, teeming with myriad races.

Precisely because he had witnessed the indignation of the Human Race being reduced to blood food, he had solidified his belief in becoming a true powerhouse and securing a place for the Human Race in this Primordial World.

"My Dao seeks transcendence, seeks freedom, seeks the infinite possibilities of the future."

"My Dao also seeks protection, seeks responsibility, seeks for my Human Race to stand tall in this Primordial World."

"All that has passed has become the foundation; the vast future, my heart is the guiding light."

"Fear, distracting thoughts, desires, responsibilities... all are scenery by the roadside of my Dao path. I can observe them, I can learn from them, but they cannot make me stop, nor can they disrupt my direction."

In this silent yet fierce internal battle, Li Qingxu's eyes did not become lost or unfocused. Instead, they grew brighter, clearer, and more resolute.

The surging tide of emotions acted as the finest whetstone, tempering his Dao Heart to be even purer, more steadfast, and indestructible.

When Li Qingxu understood his own aspirations and solidified his Dao Heart, the mist before him instantly vanished without a trace, and everything around him became clear again.

However, as far as his eyes could see on the mountain path, he was the only one remaining.

"It seems most cultivators with decent roots were eliminated in this test of the heart."

Li Qingxu murmured.

The reality was just as he had predicted.

The endless flames of war, the intertwined love and hate, the loneliness of seeking the Dao, the power struggles...

The myriad states of sentient beings, the desires of the human heart, appeared like fleeting shadows in this trial of the heart.

As long as a cultivator's conviction wavered even slightly, these thoughts would spread and grow like maggots on a bone, completely destroying their Dao Heart.

Those who could pass this trial could be said to be one in a hundred.

The summit of Kunlun Mountain.

Taiqing Laozi, Primordial Heavenly Venerate, and Tongtian Cult Master stood side by side. Every blade of grass and tree on Kunlun Mountain was as clear to them as the lines on their palms.

"Those who have reached this point and can still walk with ease possess superior roots, comprehension, and Dao Hearts. They are worthy of cultivation."

Primordial Heavenly Venerate's gaze slowly swept over the few figures at the very front – Guangchengzi, Jade Cauldron True Man, Antarctic Immortal Elder, and further away, Duobao, Golden Spirit, Wudang, Guiling, and others. A hint of satisfaction appeared on his face.

He valued lineage and order, preferring quality over quantity among his disciples. Seeing such talented individuals naturally brought him joy.

"Mm." Tongtian Cult Master nodded slightly in agreement.

He advocated for teaching all beings without distinction and wished to offer a sliver of hope for all sentient beings, but not without discerning their quality.

Those who can pass through these layers of natural selection and reach their current heights are all unpolished jades with excellent willpower and talent, precisely the ideal candidates to inherit his Heaven-Severing Dao and prosper the Great Teaching.

"That young fellow who took form from the clear wind and the two girls who transformed from clouds of mist are subtly connected in their vital energy, traveling together. How interesting."

Tongtian Cult Master noticed Zhao Gongming and Sanxiao, who were in the second tier.

"These four have pure roots, and what's even rarer is that their Dao Hearts are all stable. If given time and a bit of refinement, they might be capable of great things."

After Primordial Heavenly Venerate commented on Zhao Gongming and Sanxiao, his gaze was suddenly drawn to a slightly solitary figure further below.

"Huh?"

A trace of extremely subtle surprise flickered across Primordial Heavenly Venerate's originally calm and waveless eyes: "There's actually a Human Race member who has reached this point?"

Upon hearing this, Taiqing Laozi and Tongtian Cult Master also immediately focused their attention on Li Qingxu, who was steadily walking alone on the mountain path.

With the power of a Saint, all things reveal their true nature at a single glance.

Li Qingxu's Innate Five Elements Root and his mid-stage Earth Immortal cultivation were instantly taken in.

"This person must have encountered an opportunity. Not only has his root transformed, reaching the level of a mid-tier Innate Being, but his cultivation has also broken through to mid-stage Earth Immortal. He is indeed somewhat extraordinary."

Tongtian Cult Master commented, feeling somewhat surprised by Li Qingxu but not placing too much importance on him.

Meanwhile, Primordial Heavenly Venerate looked towards Taiqing Laozi beside him:

"Eldest Brother, since this person is from the Human Race and can stand out in this trial, his disposition and potential seem not bad."

"You established the Human Teaching and govern the destiny of the Human Race. This person might be fated with you. Will you take him as a disciple?"