Joining the Sect (Part 2)

Chapter 609: Renowned Far and Wide. Joining the Sect (Part 2)

Witnessing the strange scene before them and hearing Senior Qiu’s words, the crowd of scattered cultivators on the platform were momentarily stunned. They quickly rose to their feet, putting on expressions of attentive reverence.

They all knew that whether they could enter a major cultivation sect like the Falling Cloud Sect depended entirely on the three individuals before them. Naturally, they did not dare leave a bad impression.

Seeing that these scattered cultivators were sensible and did not devolve into chaos, a look of satisfaction appeared on Senior Qiu’s face.

“I trust you all should already know this sect’s standards for accepting disciples. I will not belabor the point. Anyone with two or three spiritual roots, a special constitution, a foundation technique at the sixth layer or above, and an age below twenty, please step forward now,” Senior Qiu said slowly, his expression turning severe.

Hearing this, the crowd stirred briefly, but after a moment, only four young people stepped out: three men and one woman.

“You will go with Junior Disciple Liu. He is responsible for evaluating your cultivation aptitudes,” Senior Qiu said calmly after giving them a cold glance.

At that moment, the pale-faced youth beside him stepped forward. Without a word, he raised a hand. A beam of white light shot out from his sleeve, which, after a single spiral, transformed into a large brocade handkerchief. It floated gently a few feet above the ground.

“All of you, get on. I will take you elsewhere. After your aptitudes are tested, anyone unqualified will naturally be sent back,” the pale-faced youth said flatly. He flickered and was the first to step onto the brocade magic tool.

The four young men and women exchanged glances and, after a moment of hesitation, obediently stepped onto the brocade.

Only then did the white-robed youth form a hand seal. The white light flared brilliantly, and the brocade transformed into a clump of white radiance, flying off through the sky.

After seeing the pale-faced youth off, Senior Qiu turned his gaze to the remaining cultivators, including Han Li. His expression softened slightly, and he continued:

“Next, any fellow daoist whose foundation technique is at the tenth layer or above, regardless of their spiritual root aptitude or age, please step out. You will go with Junior Disciple Yu. As long as your origin and background present no major issues, you may join the sect. As for the remaining fellow daoists, if you wish to enter our sect, you must undergo a series of tests. Only those who pass will be accepted by the Falling Cloud Sect. Otherwise, I suggest you go back and cultivate diligently for a few more years, then try again after your cultivation has improved.”

The moment these words were spoken, an immediate stir ran through the previously quiet crowd. Aside from a few individuals, most of the scattered cultivators wore expressions of disappointment.

The selection criteria this time were clearly much stricter than the last. This was a great discouragement to those who had harbored a sliver of desperate hope.

Although there was still a mention of the possibility of taking a test, seemingly leaving the door not entirely shut, everyone knew these were merely perfunctory polite words.

After all, with so many people traveling far to get here, the Falling Cloud Sect naturally couldn’t turn them all away without giving any opportunity at all.

However, these tests would be extremely difficult and harsh for any cultivator below the tenth layer of a foundation technique. Those at the seventh or eighth layer had almost no hope, while scattered cultivators at the ninth layer might actually have a small chance.

In previous tests, there had indeed been cultivators at the ninth layer who passed, though their numbers were pitifully few.

These individuals who passed perhaps lacked in aptitude or technique, but they were certainly outstanding in perseverance and mental fortitude.

Thus, even though they might hold no great hope on the path of cultivation, they could still make achievements in other miscellaneous studies.

The Falling Cloud Sect was not opposed to accepting such people.

Under the gaze of the envious crowd, Han Li, along with six other cultivators, stepped forward.

After a brief glance over them, Senior Qiu nodded.

Seeing this, the spirited young man wasted no time. He released a flying magic tool of his own, and a massive round copper bowl appeared before Han Li and the others.

This time, without needing to be told, Han Li and the other cultivators obediently stepped onto the tool.

The copper bowl then transformed into a streak of yellow light, flying away from the area and heading deep into the Yunmeng Mountain range.

As for the remaining unqualified scattered cultivators—whether any would participate in the tests or ultimately enter the Falling Cloud Sect—Han Li had no way to witness it, nor did he care to.

At this moment, standing within the yellow light barrier of the copper bowl, he regarded the six people with him with some interest.

Four men and two women. Aside from a gentle-looking woman in her twenties, dressed in yellow, the rest all appeared to be over thirty years old.

Among them was a cultivator in a green robe who looked to be a full fifty or more years of age. Although he appeared to have the highest cultivation among the group, at the twelfth layer of Qi Condensation, Han Li gave a faint, pitying shake of his head.

For low-level cultivators without good aptitudes, if they wished to cultivate past the tenth layer without any fortuitous encounters, the time they spent on cultivation would far exceed that of ordinary people. This also meant that among this group, Han Li and the woman in yellow, both appearing to be in their twenties, were the two youngest.

Thinking back, with his own False Spiritual Roots, if it weren’t for the mysterious vial in his possession—an object whose origin he still could not fathom—he feared he would have reached the same age as that green-robed cultivator and still be unable to break through the fifth or sixth layer. Let alone entertaining the notion of entering a major cultivation sect.

Han Li briefly recalled the experiences of these past years, and for a rare moment, he was lost in thought.

He quickly snapped out of it and glanced at the others.

The remaining few seemed unremarkable, all wearing expressions of sheer excitement.

But when Han Li’s gaze lingered for a moment on a burly man with a full, thick beard, his eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly before returning to their normal state, as if nothing had happened.

It wasn’t that the burly man’s clothes or appearance were particularly strange. It was that, upon closer inspection, the man faintly exuded a kind of indescribable, gloomy coldness.

This cold aura was exceptionally well-concealed. Even with Han Li’s unfathomably deep spiritual sense, he had nearly missed it without a careful examination. This was definitely not the kind of spiritual energy fluctuation that came from cultivating a basic Five Elements foundation technique. It was clear evidence that the man had some other special cultivation method.

Yet, the burly man’s cultivation was indeed exactly at the tenth layer of Qi Condensation, showing no signs of falsehood. Han Li maintained his outward composure, but his mind began to turn over the implications.

Just as Han Li was making his own private conjectures, the copper bowl, driven by the young man named Yu, suddenly appeared before a vast, boundless sea of white mist.

At first glance, the sea of mist was a turbulent ocean of churning white vapor, incredibly dense. Strange sounds of howling wind and rumbling thunder could be heard from within, marking it as quite extraordinary.

Han Li’s heart stirred. He probed it with his spiritual sense, but it was blocked after penetrating barely ten zhang into the mist. He could not see through it.

A chill ran through Han Li. He knew this white mist was no ordinary restriction. It was most likely a formidable prohibition produced by the Falling Cloud Sect’s grand protective formation. Not daring to probe recklessly any further, he quickly withdrew his strand of divine sense.

The other scattered cultivators with Han Li wore expressions of awe as they looked at the boundless misty sea before them.

Though none of them had ever had any real contact with formations, the astonishing sight of such a formidable prohibition was enough to broaden their horizons.

Meanwhile, the young man named Yu changed the hand seal he was using, and the flying magic tool slowly came to a halt.

He casually reached into his storage pouch and pulled out a green formation flag.

In full view of Han Li and the others, the young man began to chant a mantra. The green formation flag in his hand started to emit a faint, azure radiance, which grew increasingly dazzling by the moment.

“Open!”

As soon as the young man finished his incantation, his eyes flew wide open. He pointed the formation flag at the white mist before him.

A thick beam of azure light, as wide as a bowl, shot out from the tip of the flag, piercing straight into the sea of fog.

A truly astonishing scene unfolded.

In all other areas, the mist continued to churn as before. But the small patch of mist before them suddenly became eerily calm. Then, a clear, resonant sound rang out, and the white vapor parted on either side. A passage about two or three zhang wide appeared before their eyes.

Seeing this, the young man named Yu did not dare hesitate. He activated the magic tool beneath his feet, immediately flying with the group into the passageway, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.

Not long after, the opened passage silently and automatically sealed itself shut. The sounds of wind and thunder began to echo once more.

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Han Li and his party finally emerged from the sea of mist, finding themselves in a paradise hidden from the world.

Before he could even get a clear look at his surroundings, a thick wave of spiritual qi washed over him. Han Li involuntarily took a deep breath, and only then, with a hint of joy, did he focus his gaze.

It was a vast expanse of land. Everywhere was lush and green, filled with the chirping of birds and the fragrance of flowers. Several colossal peaks, thousands of zhang high, appeared before them, some near, some far.

Around these peaks, countless buildings—large and small houses, halls, and pavilions—were scattered. Numerous cultivators, dressed in a variety of robes, were entering and exiting, flying back and forth, all appearing to be quite busy.

“Take a good look. This is our Falling Cloud Sect’s mountain gate, the ‘Six Marvellous Peaks.’ If you do end up formally joining our sect, this will be your new home. But for now, follow me to the Pine-Greeting Lodge on Heavenly Spring Peak. We will discuss your origins and backgrounds there, and then conduct a detailed test of your techniques and cultivation,” the young man said with a wry chuckle after taking in their expressions of surprise and excitement. He pointed a finger at the mountain peak nearest to them.

(End of Chapter)