Below Illusion Immortal Sect Mountain, Cultivators gathered.
Illusion Immortal Sect stands above the Nine Heavens; outside the Sect, Immortal Peaks rise thousands of feet, shrouded in swirling clouds that never disperse.
At the mountain gate, four characters, “Inquire Dao at Illusion Immortal,” were carved onto a floating giant stone, their strokes powerful, subtly containing Sword Intent.
At the flat ground at the foot of the mountain, thousands of people had already gathered.
They stood on both sides of the mountain path; at a glance, they were densely packed, leaving almost no room to stand. Most were young people and children of various races, the majority no older than eleven or twelve.
The Dao of Cultivating Immortals dictates that the younger, the better; the Heart-Nature is easily molded, and the Spiritual Bone is newly formed, making it less likely to miss the fundamental.
Today was Illusion Immortal Sect’s triennial large-scale Outer Sect recruitment trial.
Of course, not everyone who set foot here was qualified.
Illusion Immortal Sect’s rules were extremely strict; without recommendation or registration, one could not enter the mountain by half a step.
Those standing at the very front of the mountain path were mostly sent by various small Sects, Loose Cultivators, and powerful clans, all possessing trial Jade Slips issued by the Sect to be allowed to remain before the mountain gate.
Among the crowd, the old Daoist, Liu Yuanzi, stood with his hands behind his back, his expression arrogant, with Dong Xiang and Lu Li beside him.
He looked at the sea of people, his lips curving slightly as he murmured:
“Hmph… If not for the extra reception quota, you, a fourth-Rank Yellow Bone, wouldn’t even have the qualification to enter the mountain for a look.”
Dong Xiang stood quietly beside him, while Lu Li lowered his head, silent, his expression normal, only secretly clenching the trial Jade Slip in his hand.
Just then—
Above the mountain gate, a golden light suddenly flared, and heavenly might vibrated, causing everyone to involuntarily look up.
They saw an old man with a long white beard and eyebrows, his Daoist robe fluttering, standing on a sword in mid-air. He surveyed the crowd and spoke loudly:
“Today’s trial will be presided over by me, Qi Guanzhi.”
His voice was not loud but resonated like thunder, echoing throughout the mountain path.
Behind Qi Guanzhi, four young figures appeared on swords, standing in four directions.
Their robes varied, their temperaments either cold, arrogant, steady, or unrestrained.
The old man slightly turned to the side and introduced them one by one:
“Broken Sword Peak, Hu Jingxing.”
He was a handsome young man with eyes like knives, carrying a broken sword on his back, his aura sharp. Dressed in a gray and white tight-fitting suit, he was clearly a practical combatant.
Hu Jingxing cupped his fists and nodded faintly.
“Emotion Severing Peak, Lin Jingyu.”
The woman had light eyebrows and clear eyes, her white robe like snow, and her aura was icy cold. She said nothing but had a cold and beautiful expression, with a faint chill emanating around her.
She remained silent, only giving the crowd a light glance.
“Six Paths Peak, Zhao Chongyun.”
The man was tall, with a cynical smile on his face, dressed in a black robe with silver-embroidered cuffs, but his eyes were extremely profound.
He grinned and said, “It’s finally time to pick people again. Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters, today I’m going to pick a few live treasures to take back.”
Lin Jingyu gave him a cold sidelong glance, responding with disdain.
“Guiyun Peak, He Xiuyuan.”
He had a slender figure, his black hair tied up, and a gentle expression. In his hand was a jade-boned folding fan, and wind spirits encircled his body, giving him a truly Immortal-like demeanor.
He Xiuyuan smiled as he cupped his fists:
“Everyone, the selection of talent should follow the natural order, not prioritize personal gain and violate our Illusion Immortal Sect’s clear regulations.”
Zhao Chongyun chuckled:
“You speak so righteously, but who doesn’t want to bring back good seedlings to receive rewards? Last time, your Guiyun Peak brought back six Mystic Bones in one go, and even your Peak Master personally bestowed Spiritual Artifacts upon you… How can we not compete?”
Hu Jingxing interjected faintly:
“Those from Guiyun are best at speaking of righteousness. You say you don’t compete, but in your heart, you’ve probably already arranged a roster.”
He Xiuyuan was not angered, and smiled gently:
“You say I scheme, but I only ask one question—if a Heavenly Bone appears, Senior Brother Hu, would you dare not compete?”
Hu Jingxing’s gaze sharpened, and he said coldly:
“If there truly is a Heavenly Bone, it should naturally be reported to the Sect and personally chosen by the Sect Master. How can it be something we Inner Sect Disciples can touch?”
Zhao Chongyun sighed:
“Unfortunately, Heavenly Bones are rarely seen in a hundred years. The last one, who knows if it was real or fake… But Senior Sister Lin, last time you snatched a female Earth Bone child, and I heard your Master dotes on her like a treasure. How fortunate.”
Lin Jingyu finally spoke, her tone cold:
“That child hasn’t uttered a word to this day; she’s very cold, and I like that.”
Upon hearing this, the three fell silent.
Qi Guanzhi lightly coughed:
“Alright, less bickering. Today’s trial will have the four peaks take turns selecting. If there are competing claims, the Disciple will make their own choice. No more internal strife.”
Everyone cupped their fists and responded in unison.
The young people at the foot of the mountain watched, their hearts pounding, none daring to make a sound.
Lu Li stood in the crowd, looking up at the four figures, his eyes subtly narrowing.
The vastness of Illusion Immortal Sect, the might of its mountain gate, and the disputes within the Sect—
He finally witnessed the grandeur of this “Righteous Path Heavenly Gate” with his own eyes.
But he knew that no matter how beautiful the mountain gate, there would always be human bones buried within it.
Illusion Immortal Sect Trial, First Stage: Bone Testing
Below the mountain gate, everyone held their breath.
Just after Qi Guanzhi announced the start of the trial, the Illusion Immortal Sect’s mountain gate opened wide, and a line of Disciples dressed in yellow Daoist robes filed out, their expressions solemn, their steps uniform.
The leading person, around twenty years old, had a stern face and held a bronze compass in his hand.
The compass was ancient, its edges carved with mysterious patterns, and a cyan-gold Spiritual Stone was embedded in its center, faintly glowing and pulsating like a heartbeat.
Someone whispered in surprise:
“That’s… a Bone Testing Compass!”
The Bone Testing Compass was a Spiritual Artifact exclusive to Illusion Immortal Sect, specially used to detect the Rank of a Cultivator’s Spiritual Bone: Mortal Bone, Yellow Bone, Mystic Bone, Earth Bone, Heavenly Bone—it could distinguish them instantly.
The leading yellow-robed Disciple stood at the front of the field, his voice like metal striking stone:
“Listen, everyone—today’s Illusion Immortal Sect mountain-opening trial is divided into two stages. The first stage is ‘Bone Testing’.”
“This compass in my hand is called the ‘Bone Testing Compass’. You only need to place your hand upon it, and your Spiritual Bone Aptitude will immediately appear. The Immortal Dao has no falsehood, and Aptitude has its Ranks—”
His gaze sharpened, and he said coldly:
“If there are any Mortal Bone individuals trying to sneak through, please withdraw yourselves. Do not wait for me to drive you out.”
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd erupted in an uproar.
Those in the crowd who were already feeling guilty immediately turned pale, some looking like death, others lowering their heads and retreating.
Amidst the commotion, many had already begun to retreat, some even throwing their trial Jade Slips directly into the grass and fleeing.
Others tried to maintain their composure but ultimately could not take that step.
“This Illusion Immortal Sect is indeed harsh. The first stage is bone testing, and Mortal Bones aren’t even given the chance to try…”
“This is too cruel… We traveled thousands of miles just to be told to retreat?”
The yellow-robed Disciple swept his cold gaze over them, a sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth:
“The Dao of Cultivating Immortals is about the heavens choosing the victors. If you cannot enter the mountain, then descend and leave. Illusion Immortal Sect does not accept Mortal Bones.”
Everyone became as silent as cicadas in winter.
At this moment, behind the yellow-robed Disciple, a white jade stone platform was slowly lifted by spiritual power, rising into the air.
The four sides of the stone platform were carved with the characters “Heaven, Earth, Xuan, Yellow,” each character corresponding to a spiritual light mark.
After each person’s bone was tested, the compass would glow, and the color displayed would correspond to their Rank, causing a different spiritual light mark to illuminate, awaiting subsequent assessment.
The yellow-robed Disciple raised the compass high and said in a deep voice:
“The Bone Testing Trial begins now—line up and step forward, one person at a time. If order is disrupted, qualifications will be revoked.”
Silence fell, broken only by the distant mountain wind rustling through the pine trees, making people anxious.
Lu Li stood in the crowd, looking at the Bone Testing Compass floating in the air.
As Liu Yuanzi had said, he was merely a fourth-Rank Yellow Bone, the lowest tier among spiritual bones. Although he could Cultivate, his Aptitude was extremely poor, almost akin to a Mortal Bone.
But at least, he had the minimum qualification to enter and participate in the subsequent trials. If he performed exceptionally well in the later trials, he could still become a Disciple of Illusion Immortal Sect.
The old Daoist was right; whether he passed depended entirely on himself and on luck. If he failed and couldn’t enter the Sect with Dong Xiang to be used by her, the old Daoist probably wouldn’t spare his life.
This trial today allowed no retreat.
He secretly glanced at Dong Xiang, seeing her calm expression, with even a hint of eagerness in her eyes—she was an Earth Bone, rarely seen in a hundred years, so she had confidence.
The Bone Testing Trial had already proceeded to the fiftieth person.
Below the mountain gate, on the stone platform, the Bone Testing Compass continuously flickered with faint light. Yellow, white, and gray lights rotated incessantly, but none truly elicited a gasp of surprise.
“Mortal Bone.”
“Mortal Bone.”
“Mortal Bone.”
A dozen people in a row stepped forward, all tested with dim spiritual light, no fluctuations at all—no Spiritual Bone.
The yellow-robed Disciple in charge of the testing already looked somewhat impatient, his voice growing increasingly cold and hard:
“Next.”
At this moment, a thin, simply dressed child tremblingly walked onto the stone platform. He was no older than ten, his face pale, and he walked with his head down to the compass, placing his hand on it as instructed.
“…Mortal Bone.”
Another low, cold judgment.
The child’s eyes immediately turned red, tears welling up, but he bravely held them back, only staring blankly at the compass that showed no reaction whatsoever.
Just as he was about to step down, a thin figure suddenly rushed out from the crowd!
It was an old man in tattered clothes, his hair streaked with white, his hands and feet covered in dirt and blood.
He abruptly knelt before the platform, clutching the child’s feet tightly with both hands, kowtowing and crying out:
“Immortal, spare his life! Immortal, have mercy! He’s still young, give him another chance! My grandson… he’s literate, he can endure hardship, please try again, try again—”
The yellow-robed Disciple frowned and said in a deep voice:
“Withdraw. This child has been judged a Mortal Bone; he will never be able to enter the Sect in his lifetime.”
But the old man became even more agitated, his cries hoarse. He suddenly pulled out a worn Storage Pouch from his bosom and offered it with trembling hands:
“My… my meager savings, I offer them all, just begging the Immortal Sect to make an exception and leave me a Dao seed, so we don’t leave nothing behind in this life…”
“Hurry and retreat.”
“Don’t delay the trial.”
“You are disturbing the Dao field.”
The nearby yellow-robed Disciples urged him repeatedly, but the old man remained persistent, his gaunt forehead repeatedly hitting the ground with heavy thuds. His forehead was already broken, blood mixed with dust, yet he still murmured, “Please, Immortal.”
The yellow-robed Disciple in front of the compass frowned, looking up at Qi Guanzhi in the air, his eyes showing a trace of hesitation.
Qi Guanzhi stood in mid-air with his hands behind his back, his gaze like frost, and let out a cold snort:
“Disturbing the trial, ruining our Sect’s decorum.”
He merely uttered this sentence and then paid no further attention.
The yellow-robed Disciple immediately understood. A flash of spiritual light in his hand, and his long sword sprang from its sheath!
Only a cold flash of Sword Qi was seen—
“Pfft!”
The old man’s head rolled to the ground, blood splattering the stone platform.
“Old fool, delaying my Immortal Sect’s Disciple recruitment, you brought death upon yourself, you cannot live.”
The voice was so cold it held no warmth, as if merely crushing an ant.
Everyone was stunned, a momentary silence.
The child who had been stopped seemed not to react until blood splattered on his shoes, then he suddenly shrieked.
“Grandpa—!!!”
He collapsed beside the corpse, crying heartbreakingly, hugging the headless body and wailing aloud, his voice tearing through the mountain wind, making hearts tremble.
But the next moment, two yellow-robed Disciples stepped forward, expressionless.
Each taking one hand, they lifted the child and the corpse separately, like handling rags, and silently carried them away from the stone platform, throwing them into the adjacent grassy forest.
The crying was quickly muffled by a sealing spell, returning to silence.
In front of the stone platform, there was a deathly silence.
None of the four peak representatives spoke; even the gentlest He Xiuyuan merely closed his eyes and lowered his gaze, saying nothing further.
In the crowd, many family members who had brought children turned pale, whispering to their descendants, and quietly retreated with the children who had not yet been tested.
In just a few breaths, a large area in front of the mountain gate became empty again.
Lu Li stood still, his gaze fixed on the blood-stained stone platform, his face expressionless.
Only his palms slowly tightened, his knuckles turning slightly white.
He whispered in his heart:
“…So-called Immortal Sect, cold and heartless.”
