Calmly Perceiving the Dao's Original Heart

As True Lord Huang Long's gaze swept over them, the four felt a prickle of unease. Since the Sect Master had made the final decision, Gu Yunzi and the others didn't say much more. With hungry eyes flashing green light and faces plastered with smiles, they all threw flirtatious glances at Zhang Kuang.

"Zhang Kuang, come visit Gu Yun Hall more often. You and Zhang Yang can help each other and progress together!"

"What's so great about Gu Yun Hall? Come to Xiayun Hall more often, and we can discuss divination together!"

After they finished speaking, Su Baihua, who had been silent, suddenly said, "After the three months of introductory training, it will be the dead of winter, and the winter plum blossoms at Hundred Flowers Hall will be in bloom. Zhang Kuang, you can come to my Hundred Flowers Hall to warm wine and admire the flowers together."

The four hall masters of the inner hall were second only to the Sect Master and some veteran elders in the Taichu Sect. They were high and mighty, and ordinary disciples could never hope to associate with them. In their eagerness to recruit Zhang Kuang, they had abandoned all pretense of dignity. Especially Su Baihua, the hall master of Hundred Flowers Hall, which normally strictly forbade male disciples from entering, had personally invited him. This treatment left the male disciples below filled with resentment.

Countless disciples cast envious glances at Zhang Kuang. Zhang Yang, who had been so arrogant just moments ago, now scurried over, calling him "Boss" with sickening sweetness, completely devoid of his previous arrogance. He could clearly see the vast gulf between a Gray Seed and a Purple Seed from the elders' behavior.

"Brother Zhang Kuang, it is my honor to join the Taichu Sect with you!" Prince Li Jing immediately led a group of noble disciples over, surrounding Zhang Kuang with immense enthusiasm. Whether his eager expression was genuine or feigned was unclear.

"Brother Zhang Kuang's home is still in Datian Town on Xiaoyu Mountain, right? I have a newly built royal residence in the Capital City. If Brother Zhang Kuang doesn't mind, you can invite your parents to move in. My father, the Emperor, will surely treat them with the ceremony befitting a marquis, and they can enjoy their twilight years in wealth and honor."

Some of the arrogant noble disciples chimed in, and for a time, Zhang Kuang was lauded as the future pillar of the Xianglong Kingdom and the leader of the Taichu Sect's ascent to supreme greatness. However, given Zhang Kuang's Purple Seed potential, he certainly deserved such praise.

Many disciples from humble backgrounds sighed, lamenting why they weren't Purple Seeds, otherwise their parents could also enjoy the ceremony of a marquis and achieve great honor for their ancestors.

"Next, Li Jing!"

As True Person Luoye called his name, Li Jing walked onto the testing platform.

The Imperial Family selected one exceptionally gifted prince from each generation to cultivate at the Taichu Sect, bearing the mission of becoming the future guardian of the Li Dynasty and ensuring its eternal prosperity. Li Jing was the prince chosen for this generation.

Born into royalty, Li Jing had grown up consuming various spirit medicines, even bathing in medicinal broths. While he held great importance in secular power, he had little chance of inheriting the throne. In the end, he made up his mind and decided to see if his immortal path could be smoother.

In mortal kingdoms, a prince's status was extremely noble, but in the cultivation world, where strength was paramount, it meant little.

Li Jing had originally been extremely confident in his own aptitude, but after Zhang Kuang was revealed to be a Purple Seed, a strong sense of crisis immediately arose within him.

In the cultivation world, everything was based on strength. Even if he were a prince, without extraordinary strength and potential, he would be unable to establish himself, let alone rally his own forces.

After all, he was someone who had seen grand occasions. Despite his inner turmoil, Li Jing maintained a calm and composed demeanor as he stepped onto the testing platform.

The sun shone brightly, and a warm breeze blew gently. Before the Sect Master of the Taichu Sect and many highly respected seniors and experts, the Clear Mirror Immortal Eye once again burst forth with dazzling purple light, blinding many!

"Pur... Purple Seed!"

The elders in the viewing stands, the four hall masters, and the Sect Master True Lord Huang Long all widened their eyes, staring in disbelief at the dazzlingly purple Clear Mirror Immortal Eye.

In the viewing stands, "The Taichu Sect... is our Taichu Sect going to defy heaven?"

"Two consecutive Purple Seeds! This is unimaginable even for those supreme sects. With them, the future of the Taichu Sect will be so glorious!"

"Tsk tsk, Prince Li Jing is actually a Purple Seed. The Li Dynasty is destined for eternal prosperity."

With two consecutive Purple Seed disciples, even the steady True Lord Huang Long burst into laughter: "Ten years ago, the Sect Master of the Shangqing Sect in Daqing Kingdom, Longbrow Old Man, took in a Red Seed disciple and boasted that he would surpass our Taichu Sect within three hundred years. Today, our Taichu Sect has two consecutive Purple Seed disciples. Aren't we a thousand times stronger than his Shangqing Sect?"

Even the supreme sects only produced one Purple Seed disciple in thousands of years. Today, Emperor Huang Peak had produced two consecutive Purple Seeds. This would be unimaginable even for other supreme sects. True Lord Huang Long's current demeanor was not only not out of line but quite composed.

With Zhang Kuang and Li Jing, two Purple Seed disciples, the Taichu Sect was destined to rise, possibly even surpassing some supreme sects. It was conceivable that with Zhang Kuang and Li Jing, the Taichu Sect would become incredibly prosperous and powerful!

"Uncle-Master Huang Long, my Bi Zhu Hall has always had a good relationship with the Li Imperial Family. We send hundreds of various immortal pills every year. This child Li Jing must have grown up on the pills I refined. It's only natural for him to become my disciple, right?" Bi Zhuzi was the first to jump out, abandoning his usual serene image that had been completely ruined. Gu Yunzi had no integrity in taking a Gray Seed disciple, so why should he care about his image?

"Hmph, you should come to my Hundred Flowers Hall..."

As Su Baihua spoke, she was immediately and sarcastically interrupted by a resentful Xia Yunzi: "The primary taboo for cultivators is lust. If one's roots are not pure and emotions are not severed, how can one seek the supreme Dao? Hundred Flowers Hall is Yin-dominant and Yang-deficient. If Li Jing goes there, won't his masculine vitality be completely suppressed? It's better if he doesn't go."

"Xia Yunzi, you..."

Gu Yunzi, having already accepted Zhang Yang, knew he had no chance and fanned the flames with schadenfreude: "What Xia Yunzi says is not without reason. However, nothing is absolute. Not all women are vixen-like..."

Seeing that the atmosphere was becoming disharmonious, True Lord Huang Long interrupted Gu Yunzi, who was trying to smooth things over, and said, "Like Zhang Kuang, Li Jing will decide who his master will be after he reaches the Immortal Seedling Realm. You don't need to argue anymore."

With the Sect Master's final word, no one else raised any objections, and the testing continued.

The next thirty disciples tested were all Colorless Weak Seeds, but this did not affect True Lord Huang Long's good mood in the slightest. Even one Gray Seed was a gain, let alone two supreme Purple Seeds.

However, no one noticed that after Li Jing was also tested as a supreme Purple Seed, his gaze towards Zhang Kuang was no longer one of admiration and recruitment, but of hostility.

Both were supreme Purple Seeds, but there was only one position for Sect Master in the Taichu Sect. Whether it was Zhang Kuang or Li Jing, both harbored considerable ambition, and neither was a pushover. They were destined to be on opposing sides.

"Next, Qin Haoxuan!"

It was finally Qin Haoxuan's turn to test his Immortal Seed. After he had beaten Murong Chao the previous night, even Prince Li Jing had shown him deference and tried to recruit him with kind words. This led people to guess that Qin Haoxuan must be very strong, and they all speculated about what kind of Immortal Seed he would be.

Qin Haoxuan strode onto the testing platform. After bowing respectfully to True Person Luoye, he placed his hand into the cold Clear Mirror Immortal Eye.

As Qin Haoxuan walked onto the testing platform, a hint of surprise flashed in True Person Luoye's eyes. Qin Haoxuan was not only dignified and mature beyond his years, but unlike other disciples, he did not appear timid in front of him. Furthermore, a faint, almost imperceptible spiritual energy emanated from him, very weak but exceptionally pure.

Even Purple Seed disciples with excellent bone structure and extraordinary talent did not exhibit spiritual energy fluctuations. It was extremely rare for someone to emanate spiritual energy before their Immortal Seed sprouted. Such individuals often possessed extraordinary talent, causing True Person Luoye to have some anticipation for Qin Haoxuan's test results.

The Clear Mirror Immortal Eye seemed to possess a magical ability that probed directly into one's heart. As soon as Qin Haoxuan's hand touched it, it generated a sticky force that adhered to his hand.

True Person Luoye sent out a stream of Spiritual Qi. At this moment, the Clear Mirror Immortal Eye seemed to have penetrated Qin Haoxuan's body. After a faint tremor, it emitted a weak glow, but without any color.

A weak seed among the colorless Immortal Seeds, the worst kind of weak seed, on the verge of death!

From the stands, Li Jing and the others let out a sigh of disbelief. Murong Chao's gaze was cold; he was already planning his revenge. Murong Chao was also a Gray Immortal Seed, incomparable to Zhang Kuang and Li Jing. After reaching the Immortal Seedling Realm, he would undoubtedly be accepted into one of the Four Halls. Qin Haoxuan, a mere weak seed, was no match for him.

Zhang Kuang, surrounded by a large group of people, sneered and cursed him as trash. Qin Haoxuan's aptitude was indeed extremely poor. When his spiritual techniques reached great success, it would be his time of suffering! The sycophants surrounding Zhang Kuang guessed that the relationship between the two fellow townsmen was extremely poor. They flattered Zhang Yang while belittling Qin Haoxuan, and these low-level compliments made Zhang Kuang extremely comfortable, his confidence soaring. The pent-up frustration from being suppressed by Qin Haoxuan for sixteen years was instantly released.

When Qin Haoxuan tested as a weak seed, a flicker of doubt crossed Elder Luoye's eyes. How could someone like him, who possessed innate spiritual energy, have such poor aptitude? The Clear Mirror Immortal Eye would never be wrong, so he must have misjudged.

Having already tested two Purple Seeds, True Person Luoye did not dwell on Qin Haoxuan. He gave him a look of pity and encouraged him, "Don't be discouraged, work hard! There are infinite possibilities on the path of cultivation. Postnatal effort and opportunities can also compensate for innate deficiencies!"

"I will follow the Ancestral Patriarch's teachings." Qin Haoxuan bowed deeply. True Person Luoye held a very high seniority within the Taichu Sect and possessed a noble status, yet he didn't put on airs. He even offered encouragement, which earned him Qin Haoxuan's respect.

However, True Person Luoye's encouragement was mostly for show. Unless some fortuitous encounter occurred, a disciple with a weak seed would never catch up to one with a strong seed in terms of future achievements. But how could everyone possibly have such encounters?

Stepping off the testing platform, Qin Haoxuan saw the deep disappointment and pity in Xu Yu's large eyes amidst countless mocking gazes.

Being a colorless weak seed wasn't a huge deal in itself. It was just that Qin Haoxuan's powerful display last night had earned him even a Prince's deference, leading people to believe he was formidable. Little did they know he was a paper tiger, all show and no substance.

Xu Yu moved his lips, intending to comfort Qin Haoxuan. But Qin Haoxuan turned to comfort him instead, "It's just a weak seed, no big deal. Didn't Ancestor Luoye say there are infinite possibilities on the immortal path, and hard work can compensate for innate deficiencies?"

Xu Yu smiled shyly, his expression filled with pity and loneliness.

Seeing Xu Yu's reaction, Qin Haoxuan, despite his calm and composed outward appearance, felt his heart in turmoil.

Given his weak seed potential, not to mention Zhang Kuang, who held a grudge against him, and Li Jing and others whom he had offended last night, they would surely try to trip him up. He had to improve his strength as quickly as possible, or his future would be incredibly difficult.

However, Qin Haoxuan wasn't discouraged. He firmly believed that hard work could compensate for innate deficiencies. Moreover, he still had the little snake as a trump card. If only those with strong immortal seeds could achieve greatness, then why would the Taichu Sect keep disciples with weak seeds? They might as well just bring out the [Clear Mirror Immortal Eye] and recruit whoever had the strongest immortal seed.

Xu Yu was the last among the new disciples to step onto the testing platform. Apart from Qin Haoxuan, everyone else was scrambling to curry favor with the purple-seeded Zhang Kuang and Li Jing. No one cared about Xu Yu's results until the [Clear Mirror Immortal Eye] erupted with a magnificent purple immortal light.

Brilliant purple light once again spread across every corner of the testing platform. No one had expected that Xu Yu's slender frame contained a purple immortal seed. The disciple who had snatched Xu Yu's blanket last night immediately felt his legs go weak, collapsing onto the ground. Heavens, are you playing with me? Last night I actually snatched the blanket from a supreme purple-seeded disciple. How will I ever be able to stand tall in the future?

As for the Taichu Sect elders and masters watching from the stands, they were already numb with excitement. One purple-seeded disciple was enough to elevate a sect into a supreme great sect. Then what about two, or three? Was the Taichu Sect poised to unify the cultivation world? At the very least, in a hundred or so years, once the three purple-seeded disciples matured, they could speak with authority even to the Alliance Leader of a millennia-old great sect. When they fully grew... even the millennia-old great sects would have to submit and cede the position of Alliance Leader to Taichu! By then... wouldn't spiritual mountains and spiritual veins be readily available to Taichu?

"Pfft!" Su Baihua examined Xu Yu with a peculiar expression, then suddenly smiled and said to Gu Yunzi and the others, "You guys fight over Zhang Kuang and Li Jing. Having Xu Yu is enough for my Hundred Flowers Hall!"

"On what grounds!" Xia Yunzi retorted sarcastically, "Why is Xu Yu yours, Hundred Flowers Hall?"

"Don't you specialize in physiognomy? You couldn't even tell she's a woman! Isn't it natural for a female disciple of our Taichu Sect to join the Hundred Flowers Hall?" Xia Yunzi, who hadn't looked closely, turned bright red from the taunt, yet stubbornly argued.

As soon as Su Baihua pointed it out, others noticed Xu Yu's delicate features and exquisite facial structure. Although he had deliberately smeared some black ash on his face, it couldn't conceal her fair skin. He was disguised as a boy, thin and unremarkable, but the more one looked, the more she resembled a woman.

"Hmph, that's not necessarily true. Doesn't your Hundred Flowers Hall also want to recruit male disciples? Can't our Xia Yun Hall recruit female disciples?"

Su Baihua smiled with satisfaction, too lazy to bother with Xia Yunzi. It was highly probable that Xu Yu would join the Hundred Flowers Hall, and she'd let the remaining two fight amongst themselves.

Seeing Xia Yunzi still chattering, True Lord Huang Long sternly reprimanded, "We'll discuss these matters later. I need to go to Kirin Peak to report this to the Ancestral Patriarch, and he will make the final decision."

Upon hearing this, Su Baihua and the others were shocked and secretly lamented. The Ancestral Patriarch had been in seclusion on Kirin Peak for hundreds of years, ignoring worldly affairs. Why bother him with such "minor matters" as recruiting a few purple-seeded disciples?

What if the Ancestral Patriarch took a liking to them and accepted all three as his personal disciples? Then they would have no claim. However, they couldn't oppose the Sect Master's decision.

Upon learning that Xu Yu was a girl, the disciples who had been near Qin Haoxuan's sleeping spot last night immediately cast envious glances his way. Damn, why didn't I have the good fortune to sleep next to a purple-seeded female disciple for a night?

Soon, gossip about Qin Haoxuan and Xu Yu spread rapidly through hushed conversations, and more envious and jealous glances were cast towards Qin Haoxuan.

Zhang Kuang and Murong Chao also looked at Qin Haoxuan with complex expressions. If Xu Yu, remembering their past encounter, were to protect Qin Haoxuan in the future, it wouldn't be easy to make a move against him.

I've written this novel very calmly and comfortably. I hope everyone can read it with the same calm and comfort. If you like it, please cast a recommendation vote. Thank you, thank you.