Famous Far and Wide, Entering the Sect (Part Two)

Chapter 610: Famous Far and Wide, Entering the Sect (Part Two)

Han Li and the others naturally had no objections. The surnamed Yu youth immediately drove the giant alms bowl beneath them, heading straight for the distant “Heavenly Spring Peak.”

Along the way, they encountered several passing cultivators, most of whom were low-level Qi Condensation practitioners. As soon as they saw the youth, they respectfully offered their greetings, suggesting he held a fair reputation within the Luo Yun Sect.

The only Foundation Establishment cultivator they met was a sharp-eared, monkey-cheeked cultivator in yellow robes.

He happened to be flying down from Heavenly Spring Peak atop a flying trident. When he spotted surnamed Yu youth, he paused for a moment, then plastered a broad smile across his face and called out:

“Junior Brother Yu! Are these people the newly accepted disciples? Doesn’t look like there are many this time around!”

The man was exceedingly warm toward the youth, but he did not so much as glance at Han Li and the other rogue cultivators. His demeanor was thoroughly opportunistic.

“Ah, so it’s Senior Brother Yan! These people still have to undergo the Heart-Questioning Trial and be reported to the Sect Leader before they can be considered formal disciples of our sect. For now, they are merely candidates.” The spirited surnamed Yu youth frowned slightly when he saw the yellow-robed cultivator, but he answered calmly nonetheless.

“Is that so? But you know, Junior Brother, my workshop has been shorthanded in talisman-making disciples. Why don’t you just assign two of these men to me directly?” The yellow-robed cultivator’s eyes spun for a moment, then he spoke with a grin.

Only then did his gaze sweep over the people behind the youth.

Han Li’s expression remained composed, but inwardly, he felt somewhat uncomfortable.

The man’s gaze was repulsive—he was sizing them up as if they were mere goods, and judging by his tone, he genuinely intended to use them as labor.

The other rogue cultivators’ expressions flickered slightly at the remark. It seemed they had formed a similarly poor impression of this man.

“Senior Brother Yan, I’m afraid I can’t make that decision. As you should know, disciple assignments have always been handled by the Sect Leader. If you really are short on talisman-making disciples, you can submit an application to him. I still have urgent matters to attend to—Senior Brother Miao is waiting for us at the Pine-Greeting Pavilion—so I’ll take my leave.” The surnamed Yu youth, who seemed fairly familiar with the yellow-robed cultivator’s temperament, flatly rejected the excessive request. He quickly found an excuse, spurred his flying tool forward, and sped toward a pavilion at the foot of the mountain with Han Li and the others in tow.

The yellow-robed cultivator had intended to press the matter further, but at the words “Senior Brother Miao,” his face showed a flicker of hesitation. In that brief pause, the youth had already left.

Watching the group disappear into the distant pavilion, the yellow-robed cultivator’s expression remained unsettled.

He lowered his head in thought for a moment, then snorted coldly, transformed into a streak of yellow light, and flew toward another peak.

By this time, the youth had already led Han Li and the others into the first floor of the pavilion. Before them stood a stranger.

Han Li was secretly astonished.

Seated in a rosewood armchair, deeply engrossed in a bamboo scroll, was a gaunt-looking young man of thirty-four or thirty-five, yet his cultivation had already reached the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Although he had only just entered the late stage and appeared not entirely stable, this was still an exceptionally rare talent. At his current age, he stood a significant chance of forming a golden core and entering Core Formation. No wonder the unpleasant yellow-robed cultivator had dared not press any further upon hearing this man’s name.

The other rogue cultivators exchanged shocked glances at the gaunt young man’s formidable cultivation.

At that moment, the man set down his bamboo scroll, glanced at the surnamed Yu youth, and asked in a low voice:

“Junior Brother Yu, you had some trouble. It seems that Junior Brother Yan from Locking Mist Peak stopped you.”

“Since you already knew, Senior Brother, why ask again? But was that man bothering Senior Sister Pei Ling again?” The spirited youth’s face showed a trace of disgust.

“What do you mean by ‘that man’? No matter how excessive Junior Brother Yan may be, he is still our fellow disciple of the Luo Yun Sect. Your choice of words was inappropriate, Junior Brother Yu. You must be more careful in the future. If the Master hears of this, a punishment will be unavoidable.” The sickly-looking young man’s tone carried a hint of reproach, but his voice was faint, without any real heat.

Nevertheless, the surnamed Yu youth felt a chill run down his spine and quickly responded:

“Senior Brother’s lesson is well taken. I will be more mindful in the future.”

Only then did the gaunt young man’s face show a trace of a smile.

He nodded, shifted his gaze, and settled it on Han Li and the others, examining each one in turn.

He was extremely thorough, his inspection slow and deliberate, scrutinizing them from head to toe. He continued until most of them grew visibly uneasy.

Whether it was Han Li’s imagination or not, he noticed that when the young man’s gaze fell on the burly, bearded man, it seemed to pause momentarily, then flicker past him rather quickly.

Given his current cultivation, there was naturally no way Han Li would allow any flaws to be detected. Still, he silently filed this observation away in his mind.

After a brief while, Senior Brother Miao withdrew his gaze. Then, with a calm gesture, he reached for his waist. A handful of brilliant silver talismans appeared in his palm.

“There are only seven this time, which is not far off from what I anticipated. If there had been any more, I’m afraid I wouldn’t have had enough Heart-Questioning Talismans on hand. Junior Brother Yu, apply these talismans to these Fellow Daoists, and once the effect sets in, bring them to my cultivation chamber.” Senior Brother Miao’s voice was very calm. He placed the talismans in the youth’s hand, then stood up without looking back and headed for the second floor.

But as the gaunt young man slowly ascended the corner staircase, he suddenly stopped, bent over, and erupted into a violent coughing fit.

It sounded as though he was in considerable pain. After a moment, he straightened up and vanished from sight at the top of the stairs, leaving everyone below exchanging glances of uncertainty.

A flicker of surprise flashed through Han Li’s eyes, but it vanished just as quickly, and his expression returned to its usual composure.

The surnamed Yu youth’s face revealed a look of concern, but he sighed and turned back to address Han Li:

“What I hold in my hands are the legendary Heart-Questioning Talismans. I think I don’t need to elaborate on their function; you should all know what they do. If anyone here harbors ill intentions, or is trying to slip through by concealing a secret agenda, it would be best to step forward now. Otherwise, if something untoward is discovered later, do not blame the Luo Yun Sect for being harsh.”

Having said this, the youth’s eyes flickered coldly as he swept his gaze across the seven of them.

Though his tone was somewhat grim, naturally no one stepped forward at that moment.

Thus, the surnamed Yu youth gave a slight nod, his expression softening. With a wave of his hands, seven streaks of silver light shot out, one talisman sticking precisely to each person’s right shoulder.

The youth then calmly sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and paid no further attention to the seven.

The bearded man and the others exchanged helpless glances. Though each had their own thoughts, none dared tear off the Heart-Questioning Talisman. They could only stare at each other and wait.

Han Li tilted his head slightly, eyeing the silver talisman so close to his shoulder. A faint curve touched his lips, but he quickly resumed a nonchalant demeanor.

Not long after, the talisman on Han Li’s shoulder suddenly flared with a brilliant silver light, pulsing brightly and dimly in succession.

The meditating surnamed Yu youth seemed to sense something. His eyes snapped open, and he addressed Han Li with an utterly flat tone:

“You go on up alone. Senior Brother Miao is waiting for you there.”

Hearing this, Han Li glanced at the talisman on his shoulder, then without another word, turned and ascended the stairs. Moments later, he stood on the second floor of the pavilion.

The space here was completely empty, containing nothing but two meditation cushions.

The gaunt young man was already seated on one of them. When he saw Han Li ascend, a faint smile appeared on his face. He pointed at the cushion before him.

“Sit down. There’s no need to worry. This will be over quickly. The Heart-Questioning Technique is not some mind-control spell; it simply determines whether your answers are truthful or false.”

“Of course, this technique is not infallible—there is always the occasional error. But it is right nine times out of ten. I will ask you ten questions. If more than three of your answers are judged as false, you will not be accepted into our sect. Do you understand, Fellow Daoist?”

“This junior understands.” Han Li let out a quiet sigh, nodded, and sat down obediently on the cushion in front of the young man.

But inwardly, he sneered coldly.

If these Heart-Questioning Talismans could actually extract the true thoughts from his mind, that would truly be a wonder.

“Good. Let us begin. We’ll start with your origins…” Senior Brother Miao glanced at the silver talisman flickering on Han Li’s shoulder and began his inquiry.

...

Half a day later, the surnamed Yu youth led Han Li and the six others flying out of the pavilion, heading straight for the tallest peak in the area.

All seven of them, including Han Li, had been judged clear by the gaunt young man.

Thus, all they needed to do was present themselves before the Luo Yun Sect Leader for confirmation and to have their names registered, and they would be considered formal Luo Yun Sect disciples.