Chapter 6: Senior Brother Dai, You Must Calm Down

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou squatted on the ground, scooping out holes with their daggers to bury the base of the ladder, then stomped the earth to pack it tight and solid.

Lu Yang delivered a kick to the ladder, but it remained completely motionless; instead, the impact left his right foot numb.

"Not bad, it's steady. I'll test it out first, and you can come up once I succeed."

"No problem," Meng Jingzhou replied, nodding.

Lu Yang rubbed his hands together and scaled the ladder with swift, practiced strides, but just as he reached the bend—level with the fiftieth step—his heart sank.

Lu Yang forced his gaze dead ahead, refusing to look down, crawling forward like a caterpillar.

On the steps below, the crowd stared up with dropped jaws as they watched Lu Yang creep closer to the fiftieth step.

What a sight they were beholding: a colossal ladder staked into the ground, bending at a sharp ninety-degree angle, its very end leading to the finish line—the fiftieth step.

It wasn't that the others hadn't noticed Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou constructing the ladder below, but they hadn't given it much thought.

They had exhausted themselves just to reach the fortieth step; had they gone down to see what the duo was up to, only to find it was a fool's errand, they wouldn't have had the strength to climb back up, and this trial would have ended in absolute failure.

Mangu had made the swiftest progress among them, already at the forty-ninth step, yet this fiftieth step loomed like a heavenly chasm, impossible to cross; he felt as though he bore the weight of a mountain upon his back, threatening to crush him.

Then, with wide eyes, he watched Lu Yang crawl past him and reach the fiftieth step.

Lu Yang had braved the danger and successfully passed the trial.

Meng Jingzhou followed close on his heels and also succeeded.

The first and second places had been decided.

……

Meanwhile, outside the Mountain of Mind-Testing, the disciples of the Daoist Sect were in utter chaos.

"Don't hold me back! I am absolutely teaching those two a lesson today, and I promise I won't beat them to death!" Dai Bufan's muscles bulged with fury, looking like a grizzly bear stripped of its honey.

His junior brothers and sisters rushed forward to restrain him:

"Senior Brother Dai, you mustn't!"

"Senior Brother Dai, you need to stay calm."

"If something happens to the examinees and word gets out, our Daoist Sect's reputation will be ruined!"

"Bullying the weak as a senior will ruin your name, Senior Brother Dai!"

"Senior Brother Dai, don't forget that the third trial tests the heart of seeking the Dao; you must not let anger sway you!"

Hearing those final words, Dai Bufan calmed down.

True enough, the third trial tested the heart of seeking the Dao; allowing oneself to be so easily angered would hinder future cultivation.

"……Wait, the third trial is testing them, not me!"

The Daoist Sect disciples fell back into chaos once more.

Seeing this, the River Spirit felt a great sense of solace and retreated into the water, no longer seeking trouble with the two boys.

……

Perhaps inspired by the successful and seamless cooperation of Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, the remaining examinees let out fierce cries and finally surged toward the fiftieth step.

Mangu was the first, followed by people Lu Yang did not recognize—all of whom had been ranked behind him, their latent talents a mystery to him—and finally a few possessors of dual spiritual roots whom Lu Yang had seen before.

The rest kept trying but remained incapable of taking a single step; they even thought of going down the mountain to use the ladder made by the duo to reach the fiftieth step, but unfortunately, descending also required enduring immense pressure, and their bodies could no longer move up or down by even a single step.

"The third trial is over. Those remaining on the mountain are disqualified," Yun Zhi announced coldy, instructing Dai Bufan to bring them down.

The Mountain of Mind-Testing's power to force people down to the capacity of ordinary mortals could not be removed, not even by Dai Bufan; to rescue people from the mountain, he had no choice but to brave its pressure and climb it step by step.

Dai Bufan shot Lu Yang a fierce glare before he began his ascent of the Mountain of Mind-Testing.

He maintained perfect composure, climbing all the way to the fiftieth step in one continuous motion.

The disciples who had just passed the third trial saw how effortlessly Dai Bufan moved, and thinking of how they had fought tooth and nail just to reach the fiftieth step, they felt a profound sense of disparity.

"There is nothing difficult to understand here. You are only fourteen or fifteen years old, and even if you have families backing you, granting you early exposure to cultivation, it remains a mere reflection of the moon in water, an illusion with no real substance; you cannot truly comprehend what the Dao is, or what an immortal is."

"To cultivate immortality is to cultivate the mind. Once you have achieved success in your cultivation, ascending the Mountain of Mind-Testing will no longer be a difficult task."

Only at the very end of her explanation did Yun Zhi seem to remember something, adding token congratulations: "Congratulations on becoming disciples of the Daoist Sect."

With a casual wave of Yun Zhi's slender hand, the bells upon her wrist chimed softly, causing a mist to rise and form clouds that lifted everyone into the air.

Stepping upon the clouds, Lu Yang watched the ground recede further and further away; he swallowed hard, his heart leaping into his throat.

Good heavens, cultivation really is thrilling.

Standing atop the cloud, Yun Zhi spoke to the junior brothers and sisters wrapping things up below: "You have worked hard today. Once everything is cleared, you may return to your respective duties."

The junior disciples chimed in unison, "Yes," and then, chanting a rhythmic heave-ho, they began to dismantle and carry away the ladder built by Lu Yang and his companion.

Leaving a ladder standing on the Mountain of Mind-Testing would look absurd, after all.

Aboard the cloud, Lu Yang did not dare open his eyes at first, but hearing the others talk with such excitement and marvel at the beautiful scenery, he could not suppress his curiosity; he opened his eyes, only to be utterly transfixed by the sight before him, staring blankly.

A towering peak sat at the center of the mountain range, its sheer cliffs rising thousands of feet straight into the clouds, precipitous on all sides like a divinely forged immortal sword, magnificent and majestic; eight mountains radiating wondrous auras surrounded the central peak, while the outermost perimeter featured undulating ridges that encircled these nine core mountains.

The peaks layered upon one another like a blooming lotus, a sight that captivated the soul!

A hazy mist enveloped the nine peaks, lending them an even deeper air of mystery.

Yun Zhi said calmly, "The core of the Daoist Sect consists of nine mountain peaks. The central peak is the residence of the Sect Master, named Tianmen Peak, while the other eight peaks belong to the eight elders. Each elder possesses unique expertise, and accordingly, the functions of these eight peaks vary."

"As for the mountains beyond these, some are sect trial grounds, some are extensions of the elders' peaks, some are cultivation grounds for Daoist Sect disciples, and some are perilous lands where insufficient cultivation means the end of your life and path... These cannot be explained in a few words; you may explore them gradually in the future."

"Cultivation depends on fate. Within the coming month, you may move freely within the Daoist Sect—visit the peaks, go to the Scripture Pavilion, or seek guidance from senior brothers and elders."

"A month from now, you must choose an elder to be your master. Of course, the prerequisite is that the elder agrees to take you as a disciple."

Mangu asked whatever came to mind: "Can we only choose elders? Is it possible to choose the Sect Master?"

"It is possible, though the Sect Master has never cared to instruct disciples; your chances of success are minuscule."

Despite Yun Zhi's words, many still desired to cultivate under the Sect Master.

The Daoist Sect was revered as one of the five great immortal sects of the Central Continent; its Sect Master held a transcendent status and possessed unquestionable power, with few rivals in the cultivation world. To study under such a supreme figure brought countless overt and hidden benefits!

"In a moment, someone will escort you to your respective caves."

"Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou—the two of you will stay behind."