Sword Sect Recruitment

Over half a month later, fewer than ten days remained before Qiwu Sword Sect began recruiting disciples. Foot traffic in Yunjin Market abruptly surged to unprecedented heights, practically reaching full capacity. Not a single cave dwelling was left available. Fortunately, Chen Zhuo had rented his three months in advance. Otherwise, he would likely have been forced to cram into the shantytown alongside the other travel-worn cultivators arriving from afar, or pay exorbitant daily rates for a room at an immortal inn. The entire market was bustling with noise and activity. Because of the crowd, many more street vendors had set up stalls, and even the brick-and-mortar shops were stocked with plenty of fresh goods. The Foundation Establishment cultivators stationed in Yunjin Market had patrolled the area twice, executing several cultivators who had attempted to cause trouble and ensuring that order remained steady inside the market. As for the shantytown outside, danger lurked in every corner. Yet so long as no one brazenly ambushed and slaughtered cultivators in broad daylight, the law-enforcement cultivators turned a deaf ear and a blind eye, pretending not to see a thing. After all, strictly speaking, the shantytown was not part of Yunjin Market itself—it merely lay outside its borders. "*Sigh.*" Emerging from seclusion, Chen Zhuo wore a dark, troubled expression. In the end, he could only pick up his e-cigarette, take a deep pull, and let out a long sigh. Still the fifth layer of Qi Refining. Even after Chen Zhuo's frantic spending spree of spirit coins to purchase a massive stockpile of injections over this period, he had only further increased the spiritual energy within his body. It had not enabled him to break through the bottleneck to the sixth layer of Qi Refining. Which made sense. If cultivating immortality truly meant advancing a minor realm every three months and a major realm every five years, wouldn't Foundation Establishment be as common as dogs, and Golden Core masters be wandering the streets? There were still ten days left. Though continuing to cultivate offered little hope of breaking through to the sixth layer, Chen Zhuo remained resolute and prepared to resume his training at once. Just as he was about to do so, his intuition stirred. His divine sense sounded a warning, prompting him to glance toward the stone door. No sooner had his gaze settled on it than a knock came from outside. Chen Zhuo frowned slightly. Although he could now sense someone behind the door, the stone doors in Yunjin Market were tied into formation arrays, preventing his divine sense from piercing through to see what lay on the other side. Naturally, anyone outside was equally unable to peer into the cave dwelling with divine sense. Still, that was no obstacle for Chen Zhuo. With a thought, the Dharma-Control Scout Drone quietly activated. Soon, Chen Zhuo saw the two siblings, Li Changqing and Li Yao. Surprise flickered across his face. *Why has he come?* Though puzzled, Chen Zhuo waved his hand and deactivated the cave dwelling's ward. Standing outside, Li Changqing clearly had not expected the heavy door to open so quickly. A look of astonishment flitted across his face, and he hurriedly pulled Li Yao half a step back before clasping his hands in a respectful salute. "Senior Chen, please forgive the presumptuous intrusion." Beside him, Li Yao also bowed gracefully. "Greetings, Senior!" Chen Zhuo looked the siblings up and down. They looked no different than before, only dressed a bit more formally. Li Changqing wore a slightly faded blue Daoist robe, while Li Yao was dressed in an outfit resembling that of a mortal lady from a wealthy family. "Come in," Chen Zhuo said with a slight nod. "We trouble Senior." Li Changqing quickly led his sister inside. The moment they entered, Li Changqing took out an old-looking storage bag and retrieved a cloth pouch from it. He placed it carefully onto the stone table. The pouch fell open slightly, revealing six translucent low-grade spirit stones within. "Senior Chen, these are the six spirit stones I owed you from before." Li Changqing said solemnly, "Thanks to your medicinal pills, this junior was able to step into the third layer of Qi Refining. I will never forget this kindness!" Chen Zhuo glanced at the spirit stones on the table and swept his sleeve, sweeping them into his own storage bag. He then said, "No matter. Since you are also a Qi Refining cultivator, there is no need for all these formalities. Calling me Daoist Friend will suffice." Pausing, Chen Zhuo added casually, "The Sword Sect's disciple recruitment is imminent. Did you come here on account of that?" "Senior has keen eyes. My visit today was indeed to return the spirit stones, but also on account of the Sword Sect recruitment." Li Changqing gave a self-deprecating smile. "Before the official recruitment begins, the Sword Sect tests the spiritual root aptitudes of the cultivators who have come to seek apprenticeship." Even though Chen Zhuo had said they could address each other as Daoist friends, Li Changqing was not devoid of tact and naturally would not take the liberty. "If a cultivator is young and possesses good spiritual roots, the Sword Sect will enroll them directly without any trial. And for someone like me whose cultivation is lacking, so long as my spiritual root aptitude is passable, there is still a chance to be admitted straight into the sect as an outer disciple. "I have drifted from place to place all these years and never had my spiritual root aptitude tested. Coming this time, I also wanted to take advantage of the Sword Sect recruitment to see what my roots are truly like." At this point, a wry look surfaced on Li Changqing's face. "If my luck holds and my roots are decent, perhaps I can ascend the heavens in a single step and enter the Sword Sect. But if my aptitude is mediocre, I will put an end to such hopes and honestly remain a rogue cultivator." Hearing this, Chen Zhuo felt a stir in his heart. That was indeed a reasonable approach. The Sword Sect's spiritual root inspection was truly an opportunity. If Li Changqing's spiritual root aptitude was genuinely good, direct entry was not impossible. After all, in recruiting disciples, the Sword Sect valued potential far more than current cultivation. Yet that probably had nothing to do with him. His spiritual root energy-sensing degree was twenty points, equivalent to an inferior spiritual root. According to the ancient cultivation world's classifications, that was merely a slightly superior four-element root. Li Changqing continued rambling on, "Yao'er turned eight this year, which is just the right age to begin cultivating. So I thought I would bring her along to test her spiritual root aptitude during this recruitment. If she can be taken directly into the sect, that would be wonderful. "Even if she can't, knowing her aptitude will make it easier to plan for her future path of cultivation." Chen Zhuo looked at Li Yao. Though the little girl seemed a bit nervous, there was a glimmer of anticipation in her eyes; she clearly longed for the path of cultivation as well. Chen Zhuo nodded slightly. Indeed, eight years old was the optimal age to begin refining qi. "Senior, I also came to tell you that the examination consists of three trials: the first is the Spirit-Sensing Pillar, the second is the Heart-Questioning Platform, and the third is the Sword-Treading Mountain." Li Changqing lowered his voice. "Even if there are variations, it is usually only the first stage that changes. The Heart-Questioning Platform for the second stage and the Sword-Treading Mountain for the third stage have not changed in a hundred years..." Chen Zhuo's interest was piqued. "Tell me in detail!" Soon, Li Changqing laid it all out. The Spirit-Sensing Pillar was simply cultivating together to assess the speed of your qi refinement. The Heart-Questioning Platform threw you into an illusion to test your resolve in seeking the Dao. Finally, the Sword-Treading Mountain took you into the Sword Sect's sword tomb to see if you had any natural talent for the sword. Passing any one of these three trials was enough to enter Qiwu Sword Sect as a chore disciple. Passing two made you an outer disciple. Passing all three made you an inner disciple! Yet across hundreds of years, those who had passed all three trials could be counted on one hand. "Thank you." Chen Zhuo cupped his fists in gratitude. "You honor me!" Li Changqing rose hurriedly, pulling Li Yao up with him. "Then this junior will not disturb Senior's cultivation further. Ten days from now, I hope we can meet at the Sword Sect!" Chen Zhuo nodded. ... Ten days later, the Sword Sect opened its mountain gates. Yunjin Market was bustling with deafening clamor. Streaks of light flashed across the sky as flying artifacts and celestial birds rose and descended. The spiritual pressure of Foundation Establishment seniors made the surrounding cultivators back away one after another. In the square at the center of the market, a dense crowd of cultivators had gathered. All were young men and women under thirty, eagerly rubbing their hands in anticipation. Chen Zhuo mingled inconspicuously among them, looking utterly ordinary. An elderly Foundation Establishment cultivator stood at the center of the square, gazing impassively at the surging sea of people around him. He raised his voice: "Today, our Qiwu Sword Sect opens its mountain gates to recruit disciples!" The old man possessed a powerful aura, his deep, resonant voice inspiring awe without anger: "Anyone who commits villainy or disrupts order will be executed on the spot! "Now, step forward in turn for the testing of spiritual root aptitude. Those who qualify will board the flying boat and prepare to head for the mountain gates for the trials. Those with pseudo-spiritual roots need not bother stepping forward to make fools of yourselves!"