Senior Brother Dai, You Need to Calm Down!

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou squatted on the ground, digging a pit with the dagger. They buried the base of the ladder into the hole and stomped down repeatedly to tamp the earth firm. Lu Yang gave the ladder a solid kick. It didn't budge in the slightest; instead, the jolt left his right foot numb. "Not bad, very sturdy. I'll test it out first. If it works, you come up after me." "No problem," Meng Jingzhou agreed with a nod. Lu Yang rubbed his hands together and nimbly scurried up the ladder, taking several rungs at a time. But when he reached the bend—level with the fiftieth step—he cursed inwardly. Forcing himself to look straight ahead without glancing down, Lu Yang wriggled forward like a caterpillar. The crowd on the stone steps looked up, dumbfounded, as Lu Yang inched closer and closer to the fiftieth step. What in the world were they looking at? A colossal ladder was planted upright on the ground, bending at a ninety-degree angle, with its far end leading straight to the finish line—the fiftieth step. It wasn't that the others hadn't noticed Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou assembling the ladder down below, but none of them had thought much of it. They had strained with all their might just to reach the fortieth step. If they had climbed back down to ask what the two were doing, only to find they were merely acting crazy, they wouldn't have possessed the strength to climb back up to the fortieth step, and they truly would have failed this trial entirely. Man Gu was the farthest along of the bunch, having already made it to the forty-ninth step. Yet that fiftieth step loomed before him like a chasm, impossible to cross. He felt as though a mountain were resting upon his back, threatening to crush him into dust. And then, with his own eyes, he watched Lu Yang crawl right past him and step onto the fiftieth step. Without further incident, Lu Yang successfully cleared the trial. Meng Jingzhou followed close behind, passing the trial as well. First and second place had been decided. ... Meanwhile, outside Heart-Questioning Mountain, the Dao Seeking Sect disciples were in an uproar. "Don't hold me back! I'm going to teach those two punks a lesson today—I swear I won't beat them to death!" Dai Bufan's muscles bulged in fury, making him look like a bear that had been robbed of its honey. The junior brothers and sisters hastily rushed forward to restrain him: "Senior Brother Dai, you can't hit them!" "Senior Brother Dai, you need to calm down!" "If word gets out that a candidate got hurt, our Dao Seeking Sect's reputation will be dragged through the mud!" "Bullying juniors looks terrible for our reputation, Senior Brother Dai!" "Senior Brother Dai, don't forget the third trial tests the Dao-seeking heart! You must not lose your temper!" Hearing that last sentence, Dai Bufan calmed down. Right. The third trial tested the Dao-seeking heart. Being so prone to anger would be detrimental to his future cultivation. "...Wait, the third trial is testing *them*, not me!" The Dao Seeking Sect disciples dissolved into chaos once again. Seeing this, the river spirit felt a great deal better. His mind at ease, he sank back into the river, no longer bothering to seek trouble with the two. ... Perhaps inspired by the successful example of Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou's seamless cooperation, the candidates bellowed with renewed vigor and finally surged toward the fiftieth step. Man Gu was the first, followed by several people Lu Yang didn't recognize. They had been behind Lu Yang in line, and he didn't know what was special about their root bones. Last came several dual spiritual root holders whom Lu Yang had seen before. The remaining candidates tried repeatedly, but could not advance another inch. Some even wanted to go back down the mountain and use the ladder the two had built to crawl to the fiftieth step. Unfortunately, descending the mountain also imposed immense pressure, and their bodies were incapable of moving up or down even a single step. "The third trial is over. Those remaining on the mountain are disqualified," Yun Zhi announced coldly, directing Dai Bufan to bring the people down. Heart-Questioning Mountain's suppression—which stripped a cultivator's abilities down to those of an ordinary mortal—could not be undone, not even by Dai Bufan. If he wanted to haul people off the mountain, he had no choice but to face the mountain's pressure and climb up step by step. Dai Bufan shot Lu Yang a vicious glare before beginning his ascent up Heart-Questioning Mountain. With an air of effortless composure, he climbed straight to the fiftieth step in one go. Watching Dai Bufan climb so easily after struggling with their lives on the line just to reach the fiftieth step, the newly qualified disciples found it incomprehensible. "There is nothing strange about it. You are only fourteen or fifteen years old. Even if you have clans supporting you and were exposed to cultivation early on, it is like grasping at the moon in the water or flowers in a mirror—lacking tangible substance. You cannot truly comprehend what the Dao is, or what an immortal is. "Cultivating immortality is also cultivating the mind. Once your cultivation bears fruit, ascending Heart-Questioning Mountain will no longer be a difficult feat." At the end of her explanation, as if only just remembering, Yun Zhi added a perfunctory line: "Congratulations on becoming disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect." Yun Zhi flicked her pale hand, the bells on her wrist chiming clearly. Mist rose and condensed into clouds, lifting everyone up. Standing on the cloud, Lu Yang swallowed hard as he watched the ground recede further and further below, his heart leaping into his throat. *Holy mother, cultivating immortality really is thrilling.* Standing atop the clouds, Yun Zhi spoke to the junior brothers and sisters handling the cleanup below: "You have worked hard today. Once you finish tidying up, you may return to your duties." "Yes!" the junior disciples chorused. Then, chanting "One, two, three! One, two, three!", they began dismantling and hauling away the ladder Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had built. What kind of sight was a ladder lying across Heart-Questioning Mountain, anyway? Up on the cloud, Lu Yang hardly dared open his eyes. But hearing the others excitedly chatting and praising the magnificent scenery, he couldn't suppress his curiosity and peeked open his eyes. What met his gaze stunned him into a daze. A majestic mountain peak sat at the center of the mountain range, rising sheer and perpendicular for thousands of feet straight into the clouds. Its four vertical cliffs looked like a celestial sword tempered a hundred times over, exuding breathtaking grandeur. Eight mountain peaks radiating wondrous auras clustered around this central peak, while on the outermost rim, undulating ridges layered upon ridges encircled these nine core peaks. Layer upon layer of mountains spread out like a blooming lotus, enrapturing the soul! A hazy veil of mist enfolded the nine peaks, lending an extra air of mystery. Yun Zhi said calmly, "The Dao Seeking Sect has nine core peaks. The central peak is where the Sect Master resides, called Tianmen Peak. The other eight peaks belong to the eight elders. Each elder has their own specialties, and accordingly, each of the eight peaks serves a different purpose. "As for the other mountains, some are trial grounds for the sect, some are extensions of the elders' peaks, some are places for Dao Seeking Sect disciples to cultivate, and some are perilous danger zones where a lapse in cultivation means death and the end of one's Dao... These are not things that can be explained in just a few words. You may explore them gradually in the days to come. "Cultivating immortality hinges on affinity. Over the next month, you are free to roam the Dao Seeking Sect as you please. You may visit the peaks, go to the Scripture Pavilion, or seek guidance from senior brothers and elders. "One month from now, you will each select an elder to be your master. Of course, that is contingent upon the elder agreeing to take you as their disciple." Man Gu spoke whatever came to mind: "Can we only choose elders? Can we choose the Sect Master?" "You may, but the Sect Master has never been fond of teaching disciples. Your chances of success are very slim." Even with Yun Zhi saying this, there were still many who wished to cultivate under the Sect Master. The Dao Seeking Sect was prestigious as one of the Central Continent's Five Great Immortal Sects. Its Sect Master held an exalted status and unquestioned strength, possessing few rivals in the entire cultivation world. Becoming the disciple of such a supreme figure would bring countless benefits, both overt and hidden! "Someone will lead you to your respective cave dwellings shortly. "Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou—the two of you stay behind."