The Sword Gate Takes Disciples

More than half a month later, fewer than ten days remained before the Qiwu Sword Sect began taking disciples.

The crowds in Cloudford Market City surged, reaching an unprecedented level almost overnight. Every Cave Abode was occupied.

Fortunately, Chen Zhuo had rented his three months in advance. Otherwise, he would probably have been crammed into the Shantytown with other travel-worn cultivators from afar, or paying an exorbitant daily rate at an Immortal Inn.

The market bustled with voices. More people had set up stalls, and the shops had plenty of new wares too.

The Foundation Establishment Cultivator stationed in Cloudford Market City patrolled twice, killing several cultivators who caused trouble and ensuring order within the market.

Outside the market, the Shantytown was rife with danger. As long as no one openly attacked and killed a cultivator, the Law Enforcement Cultivators turned a deaf ear and pretended not to see.

After all, strictly speaking, the Shantytown was not part of Cloudford Market City. It merely stood outside it.

"Ah."

When Chen Zhuo emerged from seclusion, his face was dark, his expression shifting. At last, he picked up his Electronic Cigarette, took a hard drag, and let out a long sigh.

He was still at the fifth layer of Qi Refinement.

Even though Chen Zhuo had spent Spirit Coins like mad during this time, buying large quantities of Injection Fluid, he had only increased the spiritual energy in his body. He had not broken through the bottleneck to reach the Qi Refining Sixth Layer.

Then again, that made sense.

If immortal cultivation really meant a minor breakthrough every three months and a major one every five years...

Wouldn't Foundation Establishment be worth less than dogs, with Golden Core cultivators covering the ground?

Ten days remained. Though continued cultivation was unlikely to get him to the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, Chen Zhuo resolved to keep at it anyway.

Just as he was about to resume, he sensed something. His spiritual sense warned him, and he immediately looked toward the stone door.

As his gaze settled on it, someone knocked from outside.

Chen Zhuo frowned slightly.

He could now sense someone behind the door, but Cloudford Market City's stone doors were linked to its formations. His Divine Sense could not penetrate the stone to see who was there.

Of course, the person outside could not use Divine Sense to see into the Cave Abode either.

But that did not stop Chen Zhuo.

With a thought, he quietly activated the Mystic-Arts Reconnaissance Drone.

Soon, he saw the siblings Li Changqing and Li Yao.

Chen Zhuo was immediately surprised.

Why had he come?

Puzzled, Chen Zhuo waved a hand and released the Cave Abode's restriction.

Li Changqing clearly had not expected the Cave Abode's door to open so quickly. Surprise flashed across his face. He drew Li Yao half a step back, cupped his hands respectfully, and said, "Senior Chen, forgive us for disturbing you without warning."

Beside him, Li Yao also cupped her hands with easy poise. "Greetings, Senior!"

Chen Zhuo looked the siblings over.

They were much the same as before, except that they were dressed more formally. Li Changqing wore a somewhat faded blue Daoist robe, while Li Yao was dressed like a young lady from a wealthy mortal family.

"Come in."

Chen Zhuo nodded slightly.

"Sorry to trouble you, Senior."

Li Changqing hurriedly led his sister into the Cave Abode.

The moment he entered, Li Changqing took out six Spirit Stones and placed them on the table.

"Senior Chen, these are the six Spirit Stones I owed you."

Li Changqing said solemnly, "Thanks to your pills, I was able to reach the Qi Refining Third Layer. I will never forget this kindness!"

Chen Zhuo glanced at the Spirit Stones on the table and swept them into his Storage Bag with a flick of his sleeve. "It's nothing. You're a Qi Refinement cultivator too, so there's no need to keep calling me Senior. Fellow Daoist will do."

Then he said casually, "The Sword Gate's disciple recruitment is nearly here. I take it you came to tell me about that?"

"Your eyes miss nothing, Senior. Besides repaying the Spirit Stones, I did make inquiries about the Sword Gate's recruitment. Remembering your great kindness, I came to share what I learned."

Li Changqing said respectfully, "According to what I heard, before accepting disciples, the Sword Gate will first test the Spiritual Root aptitude of those seeking to join."

Chen Zhuo had said he could call him Fellow Daoist, but Li Changqing knew better than to actually do so.

"Cultivators with good Spiritual Root aptitude can be accepted directly as disciples without taking the trials."

"These past few years, I've drifted from place to place with no fixed home. Though I learned I had a Spiritual Root, I've never had my aptitude tested. So I came this time hoping to use the Sword Gate's recruitment as a chance to see what kind of Spiritual Root I have."

Li Changqing sighed. "If fortune favors me and my aptitude is decent, perhaps I can ascend to the heavens in a single step and become a Sword Gate disciple. If my aptitude is ordinary, I'll give up that dream and settle down as a Rogue Cultivator."

Chen Zhuo's interest stirred.

That was not a bad idea.

The Sword Gate's Spiritual Root test was indeed an opportunity.

If Li Changqing's aptitude was truly good, it was possible he would be accepted directly.

After all, when taking disciples, the Sword Gate valued potential even more than cultivation.

But that probably had little to do with Chen Zhuo.

His Spiritual Root's spiritual-energy sensitivity was twenty points, equivalent to a low-grade Spiritual Root. By the Ancient Immortal Realm's classifications, that made it a slightly better Four-Root Spiritual Root.

Li Changqing went on, "Yao'er turned eight this year, just old enough to begin cultivating. I also hoped to bring her along for the Spiritual Root test during the recruitment. If she could be accepted directly, that would be wonderful."

"Even if she can't join the sect, knowing her aptitude would help me plan her path of cultivation early."

Chen Zhuo nodded slightly.

That made sense. Eight was indeed the best age to begin Qi Refinement.

"Senior, back to the matter at hand. I asked about the trials. There are three stages: the first is the Spirit-Sensing Pillar, the second the Heart-Questioning Platform, and the third Sword-Treading Mountain."

Li Changqing lowered his voice. "Even when the trials change, it's usually only the first stage. The second stage, the Heart-Questioning Platform, and the third stage, Sword-Treading Mountain, have remained unchanged for a hundred years..."

Chen Zhuo's interest sharpened.

"Tell me more!"

Li Changqing soon explained everything in detail.

The names of the three stages sounded grand, but put simply...

In the first, everyone cultivated together so the examiners could see how quickly they refined qi.

In the second, they were thrown into an illusion to test their resolve in pursuing the Dao.

For the third and final stage, they were taken to the Sword Gate's Sword Tomb to see whether they had a talent for the sword.

Passing even one stage was enough to enter the Qiwu Sword Sect as a Servant Disciple.

Passing two made one an Outer Sect Disciple.

Passing all three made one an Inner Sect Disciple!

But in the past thousand years, only a few dozen people from Cloudford Market City had passed all three.

The sect did not accept many Rogue Cultivators, either.

"Thank you."

That had saved Chen Zhuo quite a bit of legwork, and he thanked Li Changqing at once.

"I wouldn't dare accept your thanks!"

Li Changqing hurriedly rose and pulled Li Yao up with him. "Then we won't disturb your cultivation any longer, Senior. I hope we can meet again at the Sword Gate in ten days!"

Chen Zhuo nodded.

Ten days later, the Sword Gate opened its mountain gates.

Cloudford Market City was alive with noise.

Streaks of light crossed the sky as Magical Artifacts and Immortal Birds rose and landed.

The central square was packed with young cultivators under thirty, all eager and full of longing.

Chen Zhuo mingled among them, looking rather unremarkable.

An elderly Foundation Establishment Cultivator stood in the center of the square. He surveyed the crowd without expression and called out, "Today, the Qiwu Sword Sect opens its gates to take disciples!"

The old man's presence was imposing, his voice deep and resonant. He commanded respect without showing anger. "Anyone who commits crimes or disrupts order will be executed on the spot!"

"Now, come forward in order to have your Spiritual Root aptitude tested. Those who qualify will board the Immortal Boat and proceed to the sect for the trials. Anyone with a False Spiritual Root need not come forward and make a fool of themselves!"