Qin Haoxuan's face immediately turned red under the many watching eyes. No matter how mature he was for his age, he was still a hot-blooded young virgin with thin skin.
Likewise, after being exposed, Xu Yu lowered her head and walked off the testing platform, her face red all the way to her neck.
Before her identity had been exposed, it had been fine. But now that it was, when she remembered sleeping embraced with this strange man, Qin Haoxuan, for an entire night—and especially knowing quite a few people knew about it—how was she supposed to face anyone in the future?
The moment Xu Yu stepped down from the platform, many eager disciples surrounded her. The display frightened her so badly that she did not know what to do, and she cast a pleading look toward the only person she knew, Qin Haoxuan.
Still red-faced, Qin Haoxuan hurriedly squeezed through the crowd and shielded the heavily surrounded Xu Yu behind him. Looking at his tall, broad back, Xu Yu felt greatly reassured. Qin Haoxuan had always given her a sense of security no one else could offer, unrelated to aptitude or strength.
Xu Yu, hiding behind Qin Haoxuan, once again drew a great deal of hatred toward him. Those who wanted to approach Xu Yu hated Qin Haoxuan for no reason at all. Qin Haoxuan did not take the hostility and hatred in others' eyes to heart, because they were all motivation for him to become stronger.
At that moment, Li Jing also walked over and drove away the disciples surrounding Xu Yu. With a smiling expression, he cupped his hands and said, "Junior Sister Xu, yesterday I failed to recognize Mount Tai before me. I never expected that skinny little Brother Xu was actually such a delicate and lovely young lady. If I offended you in any way, please forgive me, Junior Sister."
"Congratulations, Junior Sister Xu. You no longer need to fear certain people bullying you, and at night you no longer need to worry about someone snatching away your blanket." Zhang Kuang's cold voice came from behind Li Jing. "But Junior Sister Xu, you would do well to draw a clear line between yourself and Qin Haoyu. You are a Supreme Purple Seed, while my fellow villager is merely a Colorless Weak Seed. The difference between you is heaven and earth. If you grow too close, others will think he is relying on a woman to prop himself up! He is a very prideful person."
Li Jing's expression immediately turned ugly. Zhang Kuang truly lived up to his name, daring to provoke him so bluntly and mock Qin Haoyu so impatiently. Yet beneath his arrogant nature was a cunning side as well. Seeing that Li Jing wanted to win Xu Yu over, he had immediately come running to stir up trouble.
At that moment, True Lord Huang Long, the sect master on the platform, announced, "This year's final test for new disciples has concluded. Regardless of whether your Immortal Seeds are strong or weak, I hope you will guard against arrogance and impatience and study diligently. Otherwise, even the finest aptitude will be squandered. You will now begin three months of introductory training. These three months will determine the fate of your entire lives!"
After saying this, several elders led the two hundred new disciples aboard a massive, fully enclosed Immortal Cloud Carriage, heading for a place called Spirit Field Valley.
Emperor Huang Peak, Sect Master Hall
All of Taichu Sect's upper echelon had gathered in one hall.
True Lord Huang Long gripped the armrest of his grand chair and said gravely, "Everyone, regarding today's matter of the Purple Seed, return to your respective halls and instruct them to seal off the news. If this information leaks from any hall beyond the mountain gates, and Taichu Sect is destroyed, none of us will have the face to meet the patriarchs of generations past."
Everyone nodded one after another. The previous atmosphere of competing for disciples was gone, and every face was solemn. They all knew just how significant a Purple Seed was. If those ancient great sects that had stood for ten thousand years learned of it... they would likely attack the mountain gates in the blink of an eye. Though the present Taichu Sect could make such a sect lose a few teeth, Taichu Sect itself would certainly be utterly destroyed! Those were terrifying existences that had survived tribulations spanning ten thousand years.
The Immortal Cloud Carriage rose into the air, breaking through the clouds halfway up the mountain.
"Because three Purple Immortal Seed disciples have emerged among you, the sect master has specially permitted you to view the full expanse of Emperor Huang Peak. Emperor Huang Peak secretly accords with the Heavenly Dao. Such an opportunity is rare, so study it carefully!"
After the elder announced this, the sealed windows of the Immortal Cloud Carriage slowly opened. Several elders formed hand seals and sent out streams of Spiritual Qi, opening the mountain-protecting grand formation guarding Emperor Huang Peak's main vein. The mist lingering in the air dispersed.
Even Prince Li Jing, who had seen much and held noble status, revealed an excited expression. The layout and scenery of Emperor Huang Peak contained the understandings of the Heavenly Dao accumulated by generations of patriarchs, secretly aligning with the grand principles and order of the Great Dao. Even a single glance could cleanse one's state of mind. This was a reward reserved for disciples who had made great contributions to the sect.
Thanks to the three Purple Seed disciples, the more than one hundred other disciples, who might otherwise never have had the chance to see Emperor Huang Peak's full appearance, also benefited. If they could comprehend even a tiny fragment of it, it would greatly aid their future cultivation. Even if they comprehended nothing, this experience would still be prime material for bragging.
The Immortal Cloud Carriage sped through the air, smooth and steady, while the full panorama of Emperor Huang Peak spread before their eyes. The various buildings rose and fell in harmonious order, and even the growth of each blade of grass and tree was so natural and perfectly placed that it made one feel refreshed and delighted. Many distracting worldly thoughts vanished without a trace, replaced by the lofty compassion of one who pitied heaven and mankind.
Amateurs watched the spectacle, while experts saw the way. Several elders focused their minds in contemplation, sitting cross-legged to comprehend the Great Dao. Even as elders, they rarely had an opportunity to take in the full panorama of Emperor Huang Peak. As for the new disciples, apart from a small number with exceptional comprehension, most were engrossed in the scenery as beautiful as an immortal realm. Even the sights of the mountainside pavilions were breathtaking to these newly arrived disciples, let alone Emperor Huang Peak, wreathed in immortal aura.
The azure sky was like a mirror, so clean that not a trace of cloud or sunset glow could be seen. A gentle breeze blew, and immortal cranes occasionally glided slowly past the Immortal Cloud Carriage. Compared to the excited new disciples shouting and calling out, the cranes remained unruffled, elegant, and composed.
It was as though Emperor Huang Peak's summit had been forcibly chopped off by a giant axe. At its peak lay a vast flat expanse, where the Taichu Treasure Hall, coveted by all in Xianglong Kingdom, stood tall. Covering over a thousand mu, it was immense, majestic, and incomparably imposing, with the sounds of bells and Daoist incantations ringing without cease.
Below the Taichu Treasure Hall, many buildings and courtyards, even more exquisite and grand than those on the mountainside, had been built along the mountain's contours. Layer upon layer, they appeared and disappeared amid towering trees. Those qualified to enter and leave this place were all senior masters and core disciples of Taichu Sect.
The Immortal Cloud Carriage moved swiftly. After circling Emperor Huang Peak once, it descended into a valley behind the peak.
Spirit Field Valley, as its name suggested, was a valley brimming with Spiritual Qi. Like fertile soil, generation after generation of new disciples learned the first steps of immortal cultivation here, planting their immortal roots and growing into seedlings of talent.
Qin Haoxuan's group was no exception. In a delicately constructed schoolhouse, under the eager gazes of two hundred new disciples, a middle-aged man dressed like a scholar appeared before them at an unhurried pace.
"I am your Enlightenment Immortal Master, Chu Cai, elder of Spirit Field Valley. Over the next three months, you will study spirit arts in Spirit Field Valley and plant your immortal roots. Those who successfully break their Seeds, sprout, and enter the Immortal Seedling Realm within these three months will receive focused cultivation from the sect. They may even enter the inner sect directly and become disciples under the heads of the four branches. Their annual family support payment will also rise from two hundred taels to four hundred taels. Those who fail to sprout within three months will be assigned work, beginning as Menial Disciples."
After Elder Chu got straight to the point, he distributed to each person a gray medicinal pill the size of a longan, containing dense spiritual energy.
"Right now, all of you are ordinary mortals of flesh and blood, incapable of sensing the pure spiritual energy between heaven and earth. If you proceed step by step, even disciples with excellent comprehension will need at least a month to sense the existence of spiritual energy. To speed up your progress in drawing spirit into the body, each of you may receive one Spirit Guiding Pill every day during these three months. It will allow you to instantly sense spiritual energy. As for how long it takes to draw the spiritual energy into your body, that depends on your own fortune. Remember, after consuming a Spirit Guiding Pill, its medicinal effect lasts only half an hour. If you fail, you can only take another tomorrow!"
"Drawing spirit into the body tests one's Dao heart and aptitude. Remember to remain calm and guard against arrogance and impatience, or you will not succeed! Remember this well!"
After explaining the method for drawing Qi into the body and repeatedly reminding them, Elder Chu finally lit a long stick of incense.
The incense both calmed the mind and counted the time, killing two birds with one stone.
At last, they were going to cultivate immortality. The two hundred wildly excited new disciples each chose a spot and sat down, calming their emotions before swallowing their Spirit Guiding Pills. Whether for the annual four hundred taels of support money or the chance to enter under the four branch heads, everyone held fast to the conviction that they must succeed, and the sooner the better.
The Spirit Guiding Pill melted the moment it entered his mouth, turning into saliva and flowing into his stomach. A short while later, Qin Haoxuan felt his body grow light. In the air that had previously seemed empty, pure spiritual energy now diffused everywhere, drifting invisibly and colorlessly through the air, soothing his mind and spirit.
Although this was the first time Qin Haoxuan's body had sensed spiritual energy, spiritual energy itself was not unfamiliar to him. When his soul had possessed Little Snake, he had sensed it countless times.
Even the most barren places contained spiritual energy between heaven and earth; it was merely thinner. Many spirit medicines and exotic herbs also emitted all kinds of spiritual energy. Little Snake had been able to find all manner of spirit medicines and exotic herbs precisely because of its exceptionally strong spiritual sensitivity and its minute perception of every kind of spiritual energy.
While Qin Haoxuan was still immersed in the wonderful feeling of his body sensing spiritual energy for the first time, some of the other new disciples had already begun trying to draw spiritual energy into their bodies.
Bang! A towering aura shot up from the northwest corner. Li Jing was the first to successfully draw spiritual energy into his body. Born into royalty, he had received systematic training from childhood and grown up eating spirit pills and soaking in spirit medicines. The vitality of his Immortal Seed was unquestionably the greatest among this group of new disciples. After swallowing the Spirit Guiding Pill, his aura rose, and in an instant he drew spiritual energy into his body, watering his Immortal Seed. The seed trembled slightly as a tiny root tendril emerged.
After drawing spiritual energy into his body, Li Jing's complexion turned rosy, and a trace of spiritual energy emerged around him. His eyes also became much livelier than before. Already handsome and distinguished, he now possessed the bearing of a jade tree standing in the wind. His entire person exuded an air of lofty superiority that made others want to approach him while also feeling inferior.
Li Jing had already left everyone else far behind. Over the next three months, he only needed to devote himself to drawing spiritual energy into his body, watering his Immortal Seed, and urging it to germinate as quickly as possible. His speed left Elder Chu, the Enlightenment Immortal Master, staring dumbfoundedly, his old face flushed bright red with excitement.
It was said that True Lord Huang Long, the current sect master, had needed the time it took to drink a cup of tea before successfully drawing spiritual energy into his body. As expected of someone born into royalty and possessing a Purple Immortal Seed, Li Jing had almost succeeded the instant the Spirit Guiding Pill entered his mouth, guiding spiritual energy into his body, breaking open his Immortal Seed, and crossing the first threshold on the path of immortal cultivation.
Elder Chu sighed inwardly. No wonder those supreme great sects fought until their heads were bloodied over a single Purple Seed disciple. With aptitude and comprehension this powerful, judging from the speed of drawing spirit into the body alone, his future achievements would be limitless!
Drawing Qi into the body was the first step of immortal cultivation. Breaking open the Immortal Seed and producing immortal roots was as easy as turning one's hand over for those with outstanding aptitude, yet it could trap many disciples with weak Seeds at this very step for a long time.
Shocked by Li Jing's display, the vast majority of new disciples opened their eyes, and quite a few clicked their tongues in admiration. Elder Chu counted carefully and found that fewer than ten remained unaffected, still sitting with their eyes closed in contemplation. Qin Haoxuan was among them.
His gaze lingered on Qin Haoxuan for a moment. A faint aura unlike the spiritual energy of heaven and earth seemed to emanate from the youth's body. It was extremely weak, yet exceptionally pure—at least far purer than the spiritual energy of Dayu Mountain.
Chu Cai, who had served as an Enlightenment Immortal Master all his life, was seeing for the first time someone who had not yet drawn spirit into his body but nevertheless emitted such mellow, pure spiritual energy. Unfortunately, the youth's aptitude appeared rather ordinary.
While Elder Chu was still troubled over Qin Haoxuan, a person beside Qin Haoxuan suddenly erupted with the distinctive aura of successfully drawing spirit into the body, completely drawing his attention away.
This time, it was Xu Yu who had succeeded in drawing spiritual energy into her body. Afterward, her complexion became rosy, and an outstanding feminine grace faintly emanated from her. Her bright eyes swept over Qin Haoxuan. Seeing that he remained seated with his eyes closed in quiet cultivation and showed no reaction, she ignored everyone else's envious and ingratiating gazes, closed her eyes, and began breathing in and out, absorbing spiritual energy to water her Immortal Seed in hopes of entering the Immortal Seedling Realm as soon as possible.
Even though it was happening right beside him, under the influence of others' such powerful fields and imposing auras, Qin Haoxuan showed no response at all. Judging by his expression and breathing, he neither grew anxious over others' success nor felt inferior because of it. Even Chu Cai silently praised this state of mind, as immovable as a mountain. It was just a pity that Qin Haoxuan's aptitude was somewhat lacking.
Before Elder Chu could lament further, Zhang Kuang not far away also erupted with the distinctive aura of having drawn spirit into his body, accompanied by a wild, arrogant vigor. As the saying went, Qi was born from the heart.
In less than thirty breaths, the three Purple Seed disciples had successively drawn spiritual energy into their bodies and broken open their Immortal Seeds.
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