White Cloud Sect

Cheng Buzheng saw that the sect had seven enormous peaks, with more than a dozen mountains and over twenty canyons around them. A thousand-li stretch of heaven and earth was enveloped in a layer of white mist.

Between the peaks and canyons, streaks of spiritual light flashed from time to time. The peaks and canyons were dotted densely with palaces, pavilions, and houses.

In the blink of an eye,

the White Jade Boat was already hovering above the square on White Cloud Peak. Uncle Ding said coolly,

"Once you're down there, don't wander off for now. Wait until I give the order!"

With that, Uncle Ding swept his sleeve. The youths were enveloped in multicolored specks of light, carried down through the air, and set gently on the ground.

The eight Martial Brothers each used their magical abilities to fly down, while Uncle Ding drifted to the ground as lightly as a feather.

The youths landed in the square and saw that seven powerful cultivators were already waiting there. The formidable auras radiating from them couldn't help but fill the youths with awe.

When everyone had landed in the square, Uncle Ding beckoned with his large hand. The enormous White Jade Boat hovering overhead rapidly shrank in the blink of an eye as it flew toward him, growing smaller and smaller until it was only palm-sized when it reached his hand.

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

Then Uncle Ding cupped his fists toward Sect Leader Fang and said,

"Martial Brother, I've finished recruiting the Immortal Seedlings. There are one hundred and six in total: two Mutated Spiritual Roots, one Wind Spiritual Root and one Ice Spiritual Root; five Double Spiritual Roots; twenty-seven Three Spiritual Roots; and seventy-two Four Spiritual Roots!"

At these words,

Sect Leader Fang and the Hall Masters looked pleased. Sect Leader Fang said warmly,

"Martial Brother Ding, you've worked hard on this trip. I'll give you great credit for completing the disciple-recruitment mission. Go rest over there for a while; I'll have to trouble you with another trip later."

Sect Leader Fang stepped forward and looked at the more than one hundred youths. His expression changed, turning solemn as he said,

"There's still one step between you and joining the sect. Yet that one step is the difference between the Immortal Path and hell."

Sect Leader Fang pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke,

"If anyone here has ulterior motives, step forward now. This Sect Master will give you a chance to make amends through good deeds."

Cheng Buzheng was rather curious, too. So there was another step before joining the sect. His gaze swept across the youths around him, and he also finally understood the true meaning behind Uncle Ding's words: "Wait until you've officially joined the sect before you call me that!"

"None?

Good. I hope that's the case. We'll know the truth once you enter the Heart-Questioning Array!

It'll only ask a few questions, so don't worry!"

As soon as he finished speaking,

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

He flicked his right hand upward. The eight pitch-black flags swelled in the wind, transforming in the blink of an eye into black flags over a zhang tall. Their surfaces radiated a chilling, soul-piercing glow as they took up positions in the eight directions.

The compass, which had already changed beyond recognition, now hovered at the center of the eight large black flags.

As Sect Leader Fang continuously formed Spell Techniques, the eerie light grew brighter and brighter. When he cast the final Spell Technique, the light reached its peak.

In the blink of an eye, the eight glowing black flags and the compass vanished. In their place appeared a space shrouded in black light, about two zhang across.

Seeing that the array had taken shape, Sect Leader Fang said,

"Line up. Let's begin!"

"Where are you from?"

"Shiku County!"

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

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

"Do you have any designs against the White Cloud Sect?"

"No."

"Next."

Seeing this,

Cheng Buzheng breathed a quiet sigh of relief. He didn't want to expose the secrets of his previous life.

Half an hour later, the youth ahead of him came out of the array. Cheng Buzheng didn't hesitate and strode into the Heart-Questioning Array.

"Where are you from?"

As if unable to control himself, Cheng Buzheng answered involuntarily, "Ping'an County!"

This array is incredible. It actually makes people reveal where they're really from against their will.

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

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

"Do you have any designs against the White Cloud Sect?"

"No!"

An hour later,

Sect Leader Fang looked satisfied. His expression softened as he said,

"You are the White Cloud Sect's fresh blood, its new hope!

To look after you and help you get familiar with the sect, you won't have to perform menial tasks for the next year."

At these words,

the youths were quite pleased. Though they didn't know what menial tasks were, the name alone made it clear they couldn't be anything good.

Then Sect Leader Fang spoke again.

"The Heart-Questioning Array is a sect secret. You must forget about it, and none of you may discuss it! If the sect finds out, don't blame us for showing no mercy. You'll be punished according to the sect rules! I also hope that you'll go far on the Immortal Path.

"Martial Brother Ding, sorry for the trouble. Please make another trip and arrange accommodations for the Immortal Seedlings."

"Yes!

"Martial Brother, I'll take them away now."

Uncle Ding stepped forward and cupped his fists.

Then he swept his hand, and the youths were enveloped in multicolored specks of light and carried off into the distance. But seven youths remained in the square.

Cheng Buzheng turned his head to look at them and thought,

"Those seven youths left in the square must be the ones with the best aptitudes: two Mutated Spiritual Roots and five Double Spiritual Roots.

"Sure enough, there are tiers everywhere. Absolute fairness is laughable. At most, there's only relative fairness."

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

The White Cloud Sect, the canyon basin.

A dense cluster of neatly arranged houses filled a canyon. This canyon basin was where the Outer Sect Disciples lived.

The youths who had gotten to know one another or formed teams gathered together in groups, becoming neighbors.

Cheng Buzheng's house stood at the edge of the cluster. Only four nearby houses were occupied, all by his teammates.

The furnishings in Cheng Buzheng's house were simple—so simple that it contained only a wooden bed and a wooden bucket filled with clean water.

At that moment, he was sitting cross-legged on the bed with his eyes closed, his mind emptied as he tried hard to sense the spiritual energy in the air.

After a long while, his mind was completely still. He sensed multicolored specks of light in the air. The golden, red, and yellow specks were the strongest, nearly equal in intensity, while he could barely sense the specks of other colors.

It was only through the Cultivation Encyclopedia issued by the sect that he learned he had Metal, Fire, and Earth Three Spiritual Roots, corresponding to the golden, red, and yellow specks in the air.

His Spiritual Root aptitude was neither good nor bad. He was neither like someone with Single Spiritual Root or Double Spiritual Roots, who could draw qi into their bodies in a day or half a month, nor like someone with Four Spiritual Roots or Five Spiritual Roots, who might need half a year or a whole year to set foot on the Immortal Path.