The Golden Age of Earth and Wood

Lesser Liberation, Middle Liberation, Greater Liberation, True Liberation.

The naming style of these Azure Mysterious Realm Cultivation Method is truly infuriating.

Hu Mang thought to himself, "This is what I'm complaining about."

However, this also made Hu Mang realize that the cultivation styles here and at Heavenly Gate were indeed two different styles.

Heavenly Gate only considers various cultivation parameters: Divine Sense energy intensity, Spiritual Qi storage in the Lower Dantian, Spiritual Qi output from the limbs, peak output from the limbs, and Spiritual Qi absorption speed.

Once all the parameters meet the standards, then the level of achievement is reached.

However, here, the same Cultivation Method seems to have evolved into different forms depending on the school and the understanding of the practitioners.

How should I put it?

One pursues spiritual cultivation through science, the other seeks enlightenment through humanities?

Zhou Yimu did not take them flying away, but according to him, as long as the mountain path was opened up within the sect, one could travel a hundred miles in one step, and could walk on flat ground no matter whether it was a sharp peak, Demon Acupoint's den.

The feeling was wonderful. One step away you were in a pine forest at the foot of the mountain, and the next you had crossed a bottomless canyon. One step away you could hear the roar of a waterfall to your left, and the next the sound was far behind you. The treacherous mountain paths that would normally take half a day or even a whole day to traverse seemed to be folded up under your feet, and with each step you covered dozens of miles.

The last time Hu Mang had this feeling was when he was competing with that middle-aged Flying Sword Gang member in "Sword Qi Thunder Sound".

"Isn't it interesting? This is how the mountain's terrain changes."

Zhou Yimu's voice rang in Hu Mang's ears.

The terrain is something that civil engineering at Heavenly Gate University didn't teach.

Soon, Zhou Yimu led the three to Entering Rivers Mountain, one of the three mountains. This was a very strange mountain in Hu Mang's eyes, as if tens of thousands of miles of mountains and ravines had all appeared on the surface of a single mountain.

However, just as Hu Mang was about to take a closer look, rolling clouds of immortals once again obscured the mountain.

Hu Mang glanced at the Spiritual Qi detector in his hand, which showed a value of 80, corresponding to the celestial level of Spiritual Qi.

This level of Spiritual Qi was something Hu Mang had never seen before within the Heavenly Gate.

It might be inside those legendary large-scale cultivation projects.

However, the Hu Mang is not yet at the point where it can freely enter and exit these places.

Moreover, the artificial Spiritual Qi at Heavenly Gate seems to have only a pure concentration of Spiritual Qi, which is quite different from what's here.

"Everyone, our sect elders are in the Entering the River Hall. Please follow me."

Zhou Yimu led the way, and the three of them climbed the steps, each step feeling as if they were stepping on a different mountain range.

When I took my first step, the ground beneath my feet felt dry and scorching hot, as if I were stepping on sandstone that had been baked by the blazing sun all summer. Heat rose up through the soles of my shoes, and I could clearly feel the burning temperature on my soles.

The second step, lifting and then lowering, caused the intense heat to vanish instantly, replaced by a moist and soft sensation, as if stepping on humus soil that had just been soaked by spring rain.

The third step is that the ground beneath your feet becomes hard and cold, as if you are stepping on an iceberg covered by millennia-old snow and ice. The cold air spreads upwards from the soles of your feet, up your calves and all the way to your knees.

Almost every step required the Hu Mang to consume a large amount of its Spiritual Qi, as if it were crossing a mountain range in one step.

The fourth step, the fifth step, the sixth step... each step shifts to a different mountain atmosphere, from dry to moist, from scorching to icy, from soft to hard, from sharp to heavy, as if condensing the myriad landforms of the Liang Kingdom's mountains onto this stone staircase of only a hundred steps.

The different mountain sensations surged into the body through the soles of the feet, lingered briefly in the meridians, and were then dispersed and replaced by the new mountain sensations that emerged with the next step, like a long scroll of landscape painting that unfolds and rolls up rapidly under the feet.

Inside the Entering the River Hall, the True Person from the Three Mountains and Five Peaks Dharma Lineage were silently watching this scene.

It's not that those who are selected in advance don't need to participate in the assessment. It's just that they can indeed enter the mountain gate, but to what extent they go, whether they become True Disciple or an ordinary disciple, whether they are involved in alchemy or weapon crafting, and whether they can enter the Three Mountains lineage, all depends on their performance in the "Hundred Mountains Steps".

The three responded to this test in completely different ways.

The girl, who looked like a Fuwa doll, took only two steps, and her body emitted a dense blue light, which lifted her up and carried her across the "Hundred Mountains Steps" in a special way.

Is this Innate Spirit Body?

"The Wood Virtue True Body?"

"It doesn't seem like the Wood Virtue True Body, but rather the Fortune Virtue True Body of the Wood element. This doll must be protected well; to those mountain spirits and wood owls, this doll is almost as effective as a ten-thousand-year-old ginseng."

The old man sitting in the center looked at a female Primordial Spirit True Person on Wave-Locking Peak, "Junior Sister, I'm entrusting this child to you. Take good care of her, and you won't need the Treasure-Finding Rat anymore when you go treasure hunting in the mountains."

The others had no objections. After all, not all Daoist masters are willing to take care of children. As the old saying goes, when the master is in trouble, the disciple should do his work, not the other way around.

Soon everyone's attention turned to the "farmer woman." As soon as she stepped onto the steps, a dazzling divine light burst forth from her, which then dissipated instantly after a moment.

The midwife's divine gifts are not used for this.

Then the peasant woman looked around in confusion, obediently climbed the steps, seemingly sensing nothing.

The retinues of the forty-nine Orthodox God in this realm, whether from major primordial sects or orthodox lineages, are all willing to be taken under their wing. Not only can they forge a good relationship, but the retinues of Orthodox God often possess incredible Divine Ability. However, this "midwife's" abilities... what can she possibly do?

All the True Person fell silent.

Finally, the old man in the middle coughed and said, "Junior sister, you'll have to work hard. Taking care of one is the same as taking care of two. Your Pure Water Cliff is first-rate in alchemy, and you're also an expert in gardening. You can train her in those areas."

The True Person remained silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement.

"In my opinion, raising chickens and ducks is a better way for a peasant woman to utilize her skills than growing flowers and plants."

I don't know who made that comment.

"You can raise them together."

"Since both pre-selected spots have been given to Pure Water Cliff, then Pure Water Cliff doesn't need to choose the next one, right?"

"That's natural."

Many people focused their attention on the last one.

Compared to the first two "special talents," the last one seems much more normal, even somewhat abnormal because he is too normal.

As a contestant who almost became a "Innate Earth-Wood Holy Body", Hu Mang earth and wood Spirit Root were only considered good in the eyes of other major innate sects, but in the Mysterious Peak Sect, he was a first-class talent.

As he continued to ascend the steps, the acquired earth and wood energies intertwined beneath his feet, gradually evolving into the innate earth and wood energies.

The earthy scent is murky and heavy, carrying the dust and grime of the world and a rough, unrefined feel; the Wood Qi, on the other hand, appears chaotic and restless, like vines tossed about by the wind.

As the two energies interact, the turbidity of the earth energy visibly dissipates, while the Wood Qi begins to take root in the earth, resonating with the earth's veins.

Excluding demonic and monster lineages, the reason why Hu Mang was selected for the "Immortal Ladder Project" was precisely because of his expertise in civil engineering.

"Excellent, the combination of earth and wood Spirit Root is just right. This child is suitable to join my Li Flame Mountain."

"How could he have joined your Li Flame Mountain? Didn't you see how this boy's every move shook the mountain? His talent for combat must be exceptional. Join my Great White Peak."

"In my opinion, you two senior brothers shouldn't fight over it. The fact that it can evolve Innate Qi shows that the combination of earth and wood is excellent. It would be a real pity if it weren't used by our Yellow Court Mountain for practicing and refining techniques."

"You said the same thing to that junior with the Heavenly Spirit Root talent last time!" another elder protested.

"It's different, it's different!"

As it turns out, Zhou Yimu's claim of having no sectarian bias was all nonsense; everyone wants to recruit a few talented disciples into their own lineage.

Hu Mang's talent was just right, making him a perfect fit for their Mysterious Peak Sect.

"Alright, everyone, stop arguing, lest the younger generation laugh at us," the white-haired old man in the middle scolded.

"This child holds the Mysterious Peak Token. According to the rules passed down through our Three Mountains and Five Veins lineage, since he holds the Mysterious Peak Token, he can choose his own lineage. We'll let him choose for himself then."

These words immediately quelled the argument in the hall.

After passing the "Hundred Mountains Steps," Hu Mang's face turned pale, his steps faltered, and he almost sat down on his backside.

Fortunately, a peasant woman nearby helped him up. Seeing Hu Mang covered in sweat, she said in surprise, "Young man, you're too weak. You need to eat something nourishing. I'll make you some chicken soup later."

"Thank you, ma'am."

Hu Mang glanced at the path he had turned back on and found that the immortal clouds had already covered it.

Damn it, the laws of this realm are indeed not to be underestimated; they even forced out my Dragon-Suppressing Stake.

Fortunately, this has no connection with either the Buddhist or Demonic sects, otherwise it would probably have been exposed.

"Come in, all the division commanders are waiting," Zhou Yimu said, giving Hu Mang a subtle look.

To be able to complete the entire course isn't just due to physical weakness; it means one's body is remarkably strong.

Upon entering the main hall, one discovers eight Primordial Spirit, each possessing their own unique aura, seated within.

According to Zhou Yimu's statement, the reason why the Three Mountains lineage is a level higher than the Five Sacred Mountains lineage is because the Three Mountains lineage has produced scattered Loose Immortal Refining Spirit to Return to the Void Emptiness stage, while the Five Sacred Mountains lineage has only reached the peak of Refining Qi into Spirit.

However, Zhou Yimu also said that if there is no hope of progress in the Five Sacred Mountains lineage, one can switch to the Three Mountains lineage and cultivate the Dao of Refining Spirit to Return to the Void.

Those who have reached this level in the inheritance of the Five Sacred Mountains throughout history have basically all followed this path.

The old man in the center, who seemed to exist in the void, didn't waste any words. He first made arrangements for the girl named "Xu Nuoning" and the peasant woman named "Sui Gu," and then explained the whole story to Hu Mang.

"Your dual Spirit Root of earth and wood are well-developed. Not all people with earth and wood Spirit Root can return to their innate state from acquired to acquired. Moreover, based on the evolution of your Law Technique Divine Ability, you should have cultivated the skills of suppressing mountains and moving peaks before. Therefore, even without this Mysterious Peak Token, you can choose any of the Five Peaks Dharma Lineage. Even inner disciple of the Three Mountains Lineage is not out of the question."

Hu Mang took a deep breath, speechless with emotion.

Hey guys, did you see that? The future of our civil engineering is in another world!