The second day of the second lunar month was deemed auspicious for travel.
A steady rain poured down, splashing up the fragrant scent of earth as it struck the ground, sending rippling circles across the lake's surface, and drawing low grumbles from passersby whose heads were soaked.
"Who said today was auspicious for travel? It started pouring the moment I stepped outside," Lu Yang muttered in complaint, regretting not bringing a coir raincoat.
This was his first time traveling far from home, and he lacked experience. The rain had caught him off guard, soaking him from head to toe. His shoes were caked in mud, and every step felt as if the earth held a personal grudge against him—he had to yank his foot out of a mud puddle with every stride.
A rhythmic clatter sounded from behind, catching Lu Yang's attention.
He turned and saw a horse-drawn carriage approaching. There was no driver on the box; the old horse seemed to know the way on its own, needing no one to steer it.
"What a wondrous steed," Lu Yang murmured in admiration. A few scales, resembling serpent scales, gleamed on the old horse's forehead. It was clearly some kind of rare spirit beast.
Though he did not know its exact worth, he could tell the old horse was valuable—far beyond what his meager funds could ever afford.
"My good brother, strolling in the rain shows truly refined taste, but why not come inside and have a seat?"
A man's hearty laughter drifted from within the carriage. Lu Yang accepted the kind offer, yanked his foot out of the mud, and hurriedly climbed aboard.
"Pardon the intrusion. My name is Lu Yang," he said, sitting down gingerly, afraid his rain-soaked clothes and muddy boots might soil the carriage.
"Meng Jingzhou." The carriage owner matched his voice—a carefree, boisterous young man with an optimistic, sunny demeanor who looked as though he could strike up a conversation with anyone. "Is Brother Lu also headed to the Dao Seeking Sect's disciple selection?"
"Just trying my luck, that's all."
Meng Jingzhou burst into laughter. "Brother Lu, why not be honest? If you were truly just trying your luck, you wouldn't be trudging through the pouring rain all the way to the Dao Seeking Sect."
Lu Yang felt a touch embarrassed. "Well, who wouldn't want to join the Dao Seeking Sect?"
The Dao Seeking Sect stood among the Five Great Immortal Sects of the Central Continent, boasting countless mighty cultivators and peerless prestige. Today, the sect was opening its doors to recruit disciples, and countless people were flocking to try their fortunes.
Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were merely two among that sea of aspirants.
Lu Yang had transmigrated to the Central Continent. His parents had died early, leaving him to survive on a meager inheritance and the charity of kind neighbors.
During his dozen or so years in that small town, he had listened to storytellers speak of immortals striking open the gates of heaven with their swords; of river demons churning five hundred li away, unleashing devastating floods; and of sect disciples riding flying swords to slay monsters and uphold the righteous path. He had even watched a scruffy Daoist pull swindles, leap into the sky to break out of jail in broad daylight, only to be dragged back by local magistrates who took to the air just as easily.
Back then, he had realized this was not the world he once knew, nor any historical dynasty from his memories. This was a cultivation world where overwhelming might resided in individual hands.
He wanted to seek immortality and learn the arts of eternal life.
The Dao Seeking Sect was his chosen first stop.
He had chosen it for no profound reason other than geography: there were no other sects near his hometown, only the Dao Seeking Sect. With the Dao Seeking Sect established there, no other sect was foolish enough to set up shop anywhere nearby.
As they conversed, Lu Yang learned that Meng Jingzhou came from an established cultivation clan and possessed far more knowledge about the path of cultivation than he did.
"The Dao Seeking Sect only recruits mortals under the age of sixteen. Actually, it's not just them; most sects follow the same rule," Meng Jingzhou explained.
"The path of cultivation is long and fraught with obstacles. Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Formation, Void Refining, Body Integration, and Tribulation Transcendence—every single realm is a dividing watershed that traps countless aspirants. Only one in ten advances, then one in twenty, or even one in a hundred."
"Many factors decide an immortal's achievements, like fortune, wit, spiritual roots... By the way, Brother Lu, do you know what kind of spiritual root you have? Although the Dao Seeking Sect doesn't demand exceptional spiritual roots, they won't take anyone whose aptitude is too poor either."
Lu Yang frowned. He had only heard the term 'spiritual root' from the town storyteller, and had no idea what kind he possessed.
"I don't know. What about you, Brother Meng?"
Meng Jingzhou's expression turned thoroughly puzzled, and he shook his head as well. "I was tested back in the clan, but the elders just wore grim faces and refused to tell me the result. They only said my talent was astonishingly divine and that joining any of the Five Great Immortal Sects would be no problem at all. They told me I would find out once I entered one of the five sects. When I pressed my parents in secret, they looked even more troubled than the elders and refused to say a word as well."
Lu Yang speculated, "Perhaps your spiritual root is so astonishing that it could bring disaster upon the Meng clan, so only a colossus like the Dao Seeking Sect has the power to shield you."
"That's exactly what I thought!" Meng Jingzhou clapped Lu Yang on the shoulder, looking as if he had just found a kindred spirit. The more he looked at Lu Yang, the more he felt this young man was just like himself—overflowing with talent and born for the Dao.
Listening to the rain outside grow heavier, Lu Yang felt thoroughly grateful that Meng Jingzhou had invited him into the carriage.
"Whoa, stop!" Meng Jingzhou suddenly called out. The old horse clopped forward a few paces and slowed to a gentle halt.
The carriage was an unusual treasure that allowed Meng Jingzhou to see everything happening outside.
Meng Jingzhou had spotted a young woman walking through the rain, just as Lu Yang had been doing moments before.
"Elder Sister, walking in this direction means you must be heading to the Dao Seeking Sect's trials as well. With the rain pouring like this, why not come aboard and rest your feet?"
The young woman seemed slightly surprised by the invitation. After a moment's thought, she agreed.
The moment she stepped inside, Meng Jingzhou and Lu Yang both froze.
Meng Jingzhou considered himself a man of the world, yet he had never laid eyes on a woman this beautiful. As for Lu Yang, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen was the young widow selling tofu next door. Of course, Lu Yang was an upright gentleman and had never harbored any improper thoughts toward her.
The young woman resembled a blooming lotus—strikingly alluring without a trace of vulgarity. Dressed in pristine white robes, she stood graceful and slender, with luminous eyes and pearly white teeth, exuding an aura that seemed completely detached from the mortal world.
Around her right wrist hung a bracelet of miniature golden bells.
"Yun Zhi gives her thanks to you both."
Her voice was like a clear mountain spring, soothing and gentle on the ears.
Lu Yang noticed an anomaly and whispered, "Brother Meng, why are her clothes bone-dry? Could she be a demon in disguise?"
Storytellers often recounted tales of demon spirits taking the form of beautiful women to bewitch vigorous young men like them. Lu Yang had just been drenched like a drowned rat, looking thoroughly disheveled, whereas Yun Zhi bore not a single drop of rain on her clothes, showing no sign of having walked through a downpour at all.
Meng Jingzhou thought nothing of it. "She probably carries a treasure that wards off rain. That's fairly common among prominent clans."
He wasn't worried about demons or evil spirits either. This was the territory of the Dao Seeking Sect; what demon would be so suicidal as to cause trouble here?
"Is Miss Yun Zhi here to take the Dao Seeking Sect's trials?"
"Indeed."
Meng Jingzhou offered eagerly, "It so happens that I have the details of the trials right here. I paid a handsome sum to buy them from a Dao Seeking Sect elder. Miss Yun Zhi, care to listen?"
Lu Yang stared at Meng Jingzhou in disbelief. *Why didn't you mention this to me earlier?*
Yun Zhi looked even more surprised than Lu Yang. "That is cheating. What if the Dao Seeking Sect finds out...?"
Meng Jingzhou waved a dismissive hand, brimming with confidence. "My carriage is a rare treasure. Even mighty cultivation experts and ancient recluses cannot penetrate it with their divine sense."
"I see. In that case, please enlighten us, Young Master Meng."
Hearing that, Lu Yang also pricked up his ears.
Meng Jingzhou cleared his throat. "The Dao Seeking Sect's entrance test consists of three trials in total. The first trial tests spiritual roots. That's a rigid assessment with no room for clever tricks or shortcuts. The second and third trials are where we can maneuver."
"The second trial tests moral character. A runaway carriage is hurtling toward five people lying on the road. A collision means certain death. Another person is lying on a nearby path. As a bystander, you have the power to steer the runaway carriage. Do you choose to do nothing and let the five people die, or redirect it to run down the lone person instead?"
Lu Yang replied without hesitation, "Run down the lone person."
Meng Jingzhou looked stunned. Ever since learning about the second trial, he had racked his brain without finding a satisfactory answer, yet Lu Yang had decided in an instant.
Doing nothing meant watching five people die before your eyes—justifiable on paper, perhaps, but impossible to reconcile with one's conscience. Steering the carriage toward the other person meant that poor soul was killed by your direct intervention.
Meng Jingzhou voiced his dilemma, to which Lu Yang explained, "Who has time to stand around pondering? By the time you figure out an answer, those five people would already be dead. My guess is that the Dao Seeking Sect isn't testing whether you choose to save five people or one person; they're testing whether you can make a prompt decision under pressure."
"I've heard storytellers say that in battles between cultivators, a hair's-breadth hesitation means life or death. What is the character trait being tested here? It's whether you're indecisive or resolute. Making a swift decision in the shortest possible time is what matters most."
Realization dawned upon Meng Jingzhou.
"The third trial tests honesty," Meng Jingzhou continued. "The Dao Seeking Sect possesses a mirror that discerns whether you speak truth or falsehood. If caught lying, you're eliminated on the spot."
Lu Yang pondered. "That one is simple enough. Without advance warning, someone might instinctively lie to cover their flaws, but knowing ahead of time, we just need to speak the truth."
Meng Jingzhou nodded; he shared the same thought.
The two discussed various unexpected scenarios and contingency plans for a while, eventually concluding that their strategy was airtight.
A faint smile appeared on Miss Yun Zhi's lips, as if amused by their brilliant schemes.
"Thank you, Young Hero Lu, for sharing."
"Huh, did the rain stop?" Lu Yang noticed that the patter of falling raindrops had ceased, and he poked his head out in curiosity.
The path they had just traversed was still being pelted by a ferocious downpour, yet where they stood now, the sun shone brightly and the air was filled with birdsong and blossoming flowers. It was as if a transcendent sword light had sliced the world into two halves of yin and yang that would never meet.
Lu Yang looked up and saw countless wondrous beasts and immortal treasures soaring toward a towering mountain peak that pierced the sky.
The majestic peak was bathed in a gentle golden glow from the sunlight. Dazzling, intricate patterns unfurled from behind the mountain, blanketing the sky and holding back the torrential rain.
That was the gateway peak of the Dao Seeking Sect, protected by a grand sect-guarding array that none could breach.
Out of respect for the Dao Seeking Sect, cultivation geniuses led by their clan elders descended at the foot of the mountain, waiting for the trials to begin.
The old horse was already a rare variant beast, yet it seemed rather plain compared to the magnificent creatures resting near the base of the mountain.
"Good grief, this is far more imposing than our Meng clan estate," Meng Jingzhou muttered, rubbing his hands together nervously. Yet beneath his apprehension, excitement surged at the thought that he would soon pass the trials and become an official member of the Dao Seeking Sect.
Lu Yang remained silent. He had often seen this mountain from his home, but at such great distance, it had never felt real. Only now, standing at its foot, did he truly grasp what a colossal entity it was.
He felt a knot of anxiety. They had prepared plans for the second and third trials, but he still didn't even know what his spiritual roots were. He might not even make it past the first hurdle.
Several dozen cultivators hovered motionless in mid-air before the mountain, exuding powerful fluctuations of spiritual energy. Lu Yang suspected that if they released their full auras, hardly anyone present would remain standing.
These cultivators stood in total silence, inadvertently casting a heavy sense of psychological pressure over the crowd.
Lu Yang overheard a clan elder explaining to a junior, "Judging by the pattern of their Daoist robes, those are core disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect, each apprenticed to one of the great elders. In the future, these will be your senior martial brothers."
"No need to be nervous. They aren't trying to intimidate you; it looks like they're simply waiting for the proctor of these trials. Once the proctor arrives, the trials will begin."
Lu Yang turned around, curious to see Miss Yun Zhi's reaction—was she excited or nervous?
Surely she couldn't remain entirely unbothered, could she?
"Miss Yun Zhi, are you—"
Before Lu Yang could finish, Miss Yun Zhi stepped forward lightly. Before each foot touched the ground, a pristine white lotus bloomed in thin air, gently cradling her delicate figure aloft.
The crowd gasped in shock. Clan elders broke out in cold sweat, hastily hushing their juniors.
A path of white lotuses paved the air across the gathered crowd. Miss Yun Zhi drifted straight into the midst of the Dao Seeking Sect's core disciples, who bowed deeply to her in solemn respect. Lightly raising a slender hand to acknowledge them, she turned to face the multitude below, a faint smile gracing her lips.
"Pardon the wait, everyone. I am the Eldest Senior Sister of the Dao Seeking Sect, and the proctor for this test."
"I hereby declare that the entrance trials have officially begun."
With that, Miss Yun Zhi cast a half-smiling glance toward the utterly dumbfounded Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.
She was indeed here to take part in the Dao Seeking Sect's trials—only she wasn't an examinee, but the examiner.