White Cloud Sect

Cheng Buzheng saw that within the sect, there were seven enormous mountain peaks, surrounded by over a dozen smaller mountains and more than twenty canyons. This entire expanse of heaven and earth, spanning a thousand miles, was shrouded in a layer of white mist.

Between the peaks and canyons, streaks of spiritual light flashed by from time to time. Each mountain and canyon was densely packed with palaces, pavilions, and houses.

In the blink of an eye.

The White Jade Boat was already hovering above the plaza of White Cloud Peak. Uncle Ding said coldly, "After you go down, do not wander about for the time being. Wait for my instructions later!"

Having said that, Uncle Ding flicked his sleeve. The group of youths was enveloped by multicolored specks of light, which carried them as they flew downward and landed on the ground.

The eight senior brothers each utilized their own divine abilities to fly down to the ground, while Uncle Ding landed as lightly as a feather.

As the youths landed on the plaza, they saw seven powerful cultivators already waiting there. The formidable aura radiating from their bodies could not help but make them feel a sense of submission.

Seeing that everyone had landed on the plaza, Uncle Ding gestured with his hand. The massive White Jade Boat hovering in the sky rapidly shrank in the blink of an eye, flying toward him. By the time it reached his palm, it was only the size of a palm.

Uncle Ding flipped his hand, and the White Jade Boat vanished.

Then, Uncle Ding cupped his hands toward Sect Leader Fang and said, "Senior Brother Sect Leader, the recruitment of Immortal Seedlings is complete. There are one hundred and six people in total: two with Mutated Spiritual Roots—one Wind Spiritual Root and one Ice Spiritual Root—five with Double Spiritual Roots, twenty-seven with Three Spiritual Roots, and seventy-two with Four Spiritual Roots!"

Upon hearing this.

Sect Leader Fang and the various Hall Masters revealed expressions of satisfaction. Sect Leader Fang said quite gently, "Junior Brother Ding, you have worked hard on this trip. This task of recruiting disciples will be recorded as a great merit for you. Go and rest on the side for a moment; I will have to trouble you to make another trip later."

Sect Leader Fang stepped forward two paces and looked at the hundred-plus youths. His expression shifted, turning solemn as he said, "You are only one step away from joining the sect, but this step is the difference between the path to immortality and hell."

Sect Leader Fang pondered for a moment before speaking slowly, "If there is anyone here with ulterior motives, step forward now, and I will give you a chance to atone for your crimes."

Cheng Buzheng was quite curious that there was such a step before joining the sect. He couldn't help but scan the surrounding youths with his gaze, and at the same time, he understood the true meaning behind Uncle Ding's words: 'Wait until you have officially joined the sect before calling me that!'

"No one?

Very well. I hope that is the case. Once you enter the Heart-Questioning Array, the truth will be known!

After entering the Heart-Questioning Array, you will only be asked a few questions, so do not worry!"

As soon as his voice fell.

Sect Leader Fang reached out and brushed his hand across the small pouch at his waist. Eight pitch-black small flags and a miniature compass appeared in his hand.

With a flick of his right hand, he sent eight pitch-black flags flying into the air, where they expanded in the wind. In the blink of an eye, they grew to over a zhang in height, their surfaces radiating a bone-chilling, eerie light as they landed in eight different directions.

At this moment, the compass, which had already undergone a drastic transformation, hovered at the center of the eight large Black Flags.

As Sect Leader Fang continuously cast various Spell Techniques, the eerie light grew increasingly intense. With the final spell cast, the light reached its peak.

In an instant, the eight glowing Black Flags and the compass vanished, leaving behind a space shrouded in black light, roughly two zhang in diameter.

Seeing the formation take shape, Sect Leader Fang spoke:

"Line up. Begin!"

"Where are you from?"

"Shiku County!"

"Who told you to join the sect, and what is your purpose?"

"My parents told me to join, to become an immortal."

"Do you harbor any ill intentions toward the White Cloud Sect?"

"No."

"Next."

Seeing this, Cheng Buzheng let out a soft sigh of relief. He certainly did not want his secrets from his past life exposed.

Half an hour later, the person in front had already emerged from the formation. Cheng Buzheng did not hesitate and strode into the Heart-Questioning Array.

"Where are you from?"

Cheng Buzheng felt as if he had lost control of himself, blurting out involuntarily, "Ping'an County!"

This formation is truly formidable, he thought to himself. It actually forces people to speak their true origins against their will.

"Who told you to join the sect, and what is your purpose?"

"No one told me to join. I wanted to join on my own! To become an immortal."

"Do you harbor any ill intentions toward the White Cloud Sect?"

"No!"

An hour later.

Sect Leader Fang wore a look of satisfaction, his expression shifting from stern to gentle as he said:

"You are the fresh blood and the new hope of the White Cloud Sect!

To look after you and help you familiarize yourselves with the sect, you will be exempt from performing menial chores for one year."

Hearing this, the youths were quite pleased. Although they did not know what menial chores were, the name alone suggested they were nothing pleasant.

Sect Leader Fang spoke again.

"The Heart-Questioning Array is a sect secret. You must forget this array; no one is permitted to discuss it! If the sect discovers any leaks, do not blame the sect for being heartless—you will be dealt with according to sect rules. I also hope you all travel far on your immortal path.

Junior Brother Ding, please make another trip to settle the Immortal Seedlings."

"Understood!

Sect Leader, I will take them down now."

Uncle Ding stepped forward and cupped his hands.

With a wave of his large hand, the youths were enveloped in multicolored specks of light, which carried them off into the distance. However, seven youths were left behind on the plaza.

Cheng Buzheng turned his head to look, thinking to himself:

Those seven youths left on the plaza must be the ones with the best aptitude—two with Mutated Spiritual Roots and five with Double Spiritual Roots.

As expected, there is a hierarchy everywhere. Absolute fairness is laughable; at most, there is only relative fairness.

Time flowed like water, and two months passed in the blink of an eye.

White Cloud Sect, canyon basin.

A dense cluster of houses was arranged in an orderly fashion within a canyon. This canyon basin was exactly where the Outer Sect Disciples resided.

In this orderly arrangement of houses, youths who were familiar with each other or belonged to the same team gathered together, becoming neighbors.

Cheng Buzheng's house was located at the edge of this area. Only four surrounding houses were occupied, which were where his teammates lived.

Inside Cheng Buzheng's house, there was only simple furniture—so simple that it consisted only of a wooden bed and a wooden bucket filled with clear water.

At this moment, he was sitting cross-legged on the bed, his eyes slightly closed, his mind emptied, striving to sense the Spirit Energy in the air.

After a long while, with his mind completely emptied, he sensed multicolored specks of light in the air. The golden, red, and yellow specks were the most intense, almost equal in strength, while his perception of the other colored specks was extremely faint.

Through the Cultivation Encyclopedia issued by the sect, he learned that he possessed Three Spiritual Roots of Gold, Fire, and Earth, which corresponded exactly to the golden, red, and yellow specks in the air.

His spiritual root aptitude was neither good nor bad. It was not like those with Single or Double Spiritual Roots, who could guide Spirit Energy into their bodies in a day or half a month, nor was it like those with Four or Five Spiritual Roots, who required half a year or a year to step onto the immortal path.

PS: Setting out my bowl, politely asking for the three essentials (please add to your library, please recommend, please vote).