Chapter 3 Golden Spirit Sect Assessment

The stone turtle has a dark red belly, a light blue back, and dark black stripes on its back, which are neat and symmetrical as if they have been precisely measured and calibrated.

What's even more peculiar is that the entire stone is covered with fine cracks, which at first glance resemble the crackle pattern of Jun porcelain.

Ji An recalled that when he found this strange stone, he thought it was a piece of porcelain.

It was late autumn, and the stone lay quietly in the mountain stream. The water was cold, but the stone turtle felt warm to the touch.

Ji An suddenly felt the stone tortoise that existed in his mind appear between his eyebrows, and then flowed along the newly opened immortal meridian to his Qi Sea acupoint. It was a very wonderful experience.

However, as long as he calmed his mind, he could still sense the presence of the stone turtle, and those few lines of text would also appear in his mind at the same time.

Letting out a breath, Ji An relaxed. He was genuinely worried that the cheat system would lose its effectiveness after being moved to a different location.

Ji An didn't care about any conspiracy behind the stone turtle that had transported him to another world, because he wasn't qualified to believe it.

What he needs to do now is to use this rare treasure to improve himself.

Only by becoming strong can one cope with all kinds of storms.

In high spirits, Ji An began to study the function of the stone turtle.

After a while, he shook his head with a wry smile.

The cheat code is still a no-name product; after studying it for a long time, I only got some hints.

Daoist rhythm and spiritual energy are names for special energies that can be used to quickly comprehend spells.

At this moment, he had no magic to rely on, and it was clear that the Meridian Circulation Technique was not considered a magic in the judgment system of the cheat.

We can only wait until we have some inspiration and magic to see how good this cheat is.

Ji An slowly closed his eyes, and the naturally formed Bagua pattern on the tortoise shell appeared before him. He began to recall its meaning and symbolism.

In the study of the I Ching, the Later Heaven Bagua (八卦) emphasizes cyclical patterns, like flowing water, representing the interdependence and mutual rooting of Yin and Yang, and the mutual generation of the Five Elements.

The eight trigrams, Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui, respectively represent eight kinds of phenomena: heaven, earth, thunder, wind, water, fire, mountain, and marsh.

But he was just a keyboard Taoist scholar; he couldn't even speak the Tao Te Ching coherently, let alone study the Later Heaven Bagua in depth.

At this moment, he deeply felt the truth of the saying "you only realize how little you know when you need it," but it was too late to change anything. He could only rack his brains to recall the little he knew.

As dawn broke, the sun rose from the east, its golden rays piercing through the thin mist and illuminating the summit of Mount Xiaocang.

The sunlight slowly moved towards the mountainside, quickly dispelling the fog and illuminating Ji An's tightly closed eyes.

He took half a step back and slowly opened his eyes.

After a fresh rain in the empty mountains, a gentle mountain breeze carries the fresh fragrance of grass and trees through the rustling sound.

The raindrops clinging to the tips of the leaves, like pearls, refracted a rainbow of colors in the sunlight, shimmering and reflecting in his clear eyes.

The next day, as soon as the sun rose, the open space in front of the main hall of the Taoist temple was already packed with people.

Today is the day the sect's envoy will come to assess the candidates, and all those qualified to participate in the test have arrived.

Ji An, carrying a simple bundle, stood alone in the corner, quietly listening to the earnest admonitions from the cultivators who had come to witness the ceremony to their own disciples.

If he is unfortunately not selected, he will inevitably be invited by Zhang Yuanshan's relatives to discuss the debt.

If he is fortunate enough to become a cultivator in the sect, he will have to return to the sect with the envoy; there is still room for delay.

But in any case, he had to leave the Taoist temple.

Feeling uneasy, Ji An's palms were slightly damp.

The sect's assessment tests two things: aptitude and Dao heart. Although he possessed a cheat ability, it didn't actually help him pass the sect's assessment.

Not knowing how long it would be before the sect's envoy arrived, Ji An simply closed his eyes to rest.

He sensed the stone turtle, and a line of words appeared in his mind.

[Master: Ji An]

[Taoist Rhyme: 0]

[Spiritual Insight: Kan Spirit 0.2, Kun Spirit 0.2, Xun Spirit 0.1]

[Spell: None]

When he woke up this morning, he routinely checked the changes in the stone turtle and was overjoyed to find that the data had changed.

This shows that the stone turtle can absorb energy on its own, which put his mind at ease.

He was worried that he would need to consume spiritual items to increase his spiritual energy and Daoist charm, but he only had five spirit crystals left in his pocket, so he didn't have the capital to buy spiritual items.

Ji An began to recall the meanings of the various attributes in the Eight Trigrams. Kan belongs to water, Kun belongs to earth, and Xun belongs to wood. Do they each correspond to the five elements they represent?

This shows that spiritual energy is everywhere, so the spiritual energy should be even more concentrated in the sect's area.

The foundation of cultivating immortality is absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Spiritual energy is everywhere, but it varies in thickness.

The residences of sects and immortal cultivation families, as well as immortal cities and markets, are all built on spiritual veins, making them places rich in spiritual energy.

These forces established protective mountain formations to confine spiritual energy, preventing it from circulating among heaven and earth, thus causing other areas to gradually become barren of spiritual energy.

Just as I was pondering this, a commotion arose from the crowd.

"Here it comes! The Golden Spirit Sect's flying boat is here!"

Ji An opened his eyes and saw a black flying boat speeding towards him from afar.

He glanced around and saw several abbots from the Taoist temple come out of the main hall, straighten their robes, and stand at the door.

Before long, a black flying boat, about a hundred meters long, hovered above the hall like a yacht in the air, and everyone suddenly felt the world go dark.

Three cultivators, two men and one woman, strolled down from the void, their robes fluttering in the wind.

Ji An unconsciously swallowed. To be able to fly without the aid of magical artifacts meant he was at least a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Only by perfecting the ninth level of Qi Refining can one lay the foundation for the Great Dao.

In Gao Xiu's eyes, the Qi Refining stage is not yet considered a true step onto the path of immortality.

Several mountain elders stepped forward and bowed in unison:

"Greetings to my senior masters. All the qualified disciples of Qingsong Taoist Temple on Xiaocang Mountain are here, a total of ninety-six people."

The leading cultivator had a full head of white hair, adorned with a jade hairpin, and a long beard that reached his chest, giving him an air of otherworldly elegance.

He nodded slightly and said calmly:

"My fellow disciples, please excuse the formalities and begin the assessment immediately."

Xiaocang Mountain was their last stop; it was better to finish sooner so they could return to their sect and report back sooner.

The concentration of spiritual energy in the outside world is much thinner than that inside the sect's cave dwelling.

"I will respectfully follow my master's instructions."

The abbots loudly agreed, leaving one person outside to maintain order while the others invited the senior monks into the main hall.

On the airship, many young men and women leaned out, pointing and whispering among themselves at the crowd below.

The abbot shouted, "Silence! All of you, line up immediately and enter the main hall in turn to have your qualifications tested!"

The crowd quickly parted, family members stepped back, and those taking the assessment lined up in a single file before entering the main hall one by one.

Soon it was Ji An's turn, and he calmly stepped into the main hall.

There is no such thing as spiritual root in this world. The human body has all five elements, and any five-element techniques and spells can be cultivated, including variant spells such as wind, thunder, and ice.

As long as one's immortal meridians are opened, they are all people with potential; the only difference is the level of their potential.

The sect has imposed age restrictions in order to select the best of the best.

Based on the level of sensitivity to spiritual energy, aptitude is divided into five levels: lower, middle, upper, earth-grade, and heaven-grade.

The stronger one's sensitivity to spiritual energy, the more efficient one is in absorbing and refining spiritual energy from heaven and earth.

Those immortal cultivation seeds that are fed by the heavens have at least the aptitude of Earth-grade.

"Place your hands on it and circulate the meridians."

The Foundation Establishment female cultivator pointed to the white jade pillar about a foot tall on the table and said calmly.

The aptitude test is also called the Spirit Sense Pillar. Ji An followed the instructions, placed his hand on the white jade pillar, closed his eyes, concentrated his mind, and then began to circulate the Cangshui Meridian Circulation Technique.

On the white jade pillar, five colors of light—blue, red, yellow, white, and black—flashed in succession.

The five colors vary in height, but the difference is not significant, with black being the tallest.

"Alright, you can go now."

Upon hearing this, Ji An stopped circulating his pulse, bowed respectfully, and withdrew.

This is just a routine record. I have not heard of anyone being rejected by a sect because of their qualifications. If someone is rejected, it must be because they are too old.

After everyone had their aptitude tested, they waited for a while before being led to a side hall by the headmaster.

A mental illusion array has been set up here to test the cultivators' mindset and will.

Three Foundation Establishment cultivators sat upright to one side, with the leading senior cultivator nodding.

"Let's begin."

The headmaster lit an incense stick, and everyone entered the magic circle, sitting cross-legged with space between them.

A hazy white light enveloped them, and everyone was drawn into an illusion.

Ji An suddenly woke up and subconsciously licked his lips.

The illusion was incredibly realistic, with touches and smells identical to reality, but to him, it felt somewhat unreal.

In the illusion, he passed the Golden Spirit Sect's test and, through his own efforts, successfully established his foundation.

Later, when he went down the mountain to train, he encountered a fox demon. As a human cultivator, he had no choice but to slay the demon, but he fell into the fox demon's illusion.

The fox demon transformed into a sexy young woman draped in a white veil, and he instinctively took out his phone to take a picture.

The "click" sound startled me awake.

"Not bad, the Illusionary Heart Array was the first to awaken, showing excellent willpower."

The Foundation Establishment female cultivator was quite surprised; it was rare to see someone wake up so quickly.

The headmaster murmured softly, "Ji An, seventeen years old, Qi Refining Level 1, mid-grade aptitude, first place in Illusionary Heart Array, passed the assessment."

Ji An clenched his fist slightly and stepped out of the magic circle.

He saw that the expressions of the people still in the illusion were either excited, fearful, or lewd, and he twitched his mouth and turned his face away.

After an incense stick had burned for a while, the white-haired cultivator stood up:

"After the assessment is over, give me the list of these clear-headed individuals."

The headmaster agreed, and then said:

"My senior masters have come from afar. The cultivators from the immortal city at the foot of the mountain admire the elegance of my sect and wish to learn from you."

A small feast has been prepared in the side hall. I wonder if my senior brothers are available?

The white-haired cultivator stroked his beard and smiled: "The younger generation has an ambition, so it's only right to give them some guidance."

After the banquet, Ji An carried a small bundle and boarded the flying boat.

He glanced back and saw that originally nine people had passed the test, but now there were sixteen.

The bad news is that all three creditors passed the assessment.

On the flying boat.

"Senior Brother Zhang, Senior Sister Zhao, Senior Brother Chu, we will all be fellow cultivators in the sect from now on. If there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask."

Ji An patted his chest and continued in a hearty manner:

"It is my duty as a junior brother."

As for the creditor, you should try to cheer them up.

Forgiving the debt is impossible, but delaying it for a while is always better.

If he was bewildered about the future when he first woke up, now, something called ambition is growing in his heart.

Having comprehended the Divine Intent of the Meridian Circulation Technique and opened his meridians on his own, with the help of a cheat system, if he were to remain mediocre after such a start, he might as well find a block of tofu and smash his head against it.

For him now, nine spirit stones are a huge debt, but if he were a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator, it wouldn't be such a big problem.

Zhao Mengyao covered her mouth and chuckled:

"Junior brother, you must keep your word. If you refuse to help us when we ask for your help, it will be a disgrace to us."

"How could that be? Senior sister, you flatter me."

Chu He snorted coldly and said irritably:

"Once I enter the sect, I will need even more spirit stones to support my cultivation. Now, I ask you, junior brother, to return the spirit stones to me. How about it?"

When they saw Ji An enter the first level of Qi Refining, the three of them were absolutely stunned.

The original plan to force the other party to return the spirit stones and obtain the beast taming secret technique was also postponed by Senior Brother Zhang, who wanted to see if the other party had really had an epiphany.

If one has an epiphany, they will inevitably display extremely high talent after practicing magic, at least in the case of practicing water-based magic.

Zhao Mengyao agreed to this decision, and with the score being two to one, he had no choice but to agree as well.

Ji An bowed deeply: "It is not that I am a petty person, but if I have any spirit stones or anything that can be used to pay off the debt, I will definitely give them to my senior brothers and sisters."

Alas, my father…

His words were earnest, his eyes red and glistening with tears.

This wasn't acting; it was a genuine expression of emotion.

His former self and his soul have become perfectly integrated.

He is both a visitor from Blue Star and Ji An in the present day.

He spent three months gathering herbs in the deep mountains and did not return home. He realized that his father was probably really gone.

Zhang Yuanshan stepped forward and helped him up:

“We understand our junior brother’s predicament, but our spirit stones didn’t just fall from the sky.”

How about this, we compromise. We'll give you another six months, and then we'll discuss the return of the spirit stones. What do you say?

Having achieved the desired result, the Beast Taming Secret Technique is simply something that can be used to pay off the debt!

He would drag it out as long as possible, and Ji An surrendered.

"Thank you for your understanding, senior brothers and sisters."

Zhang Yuanshan waved his hand: "Please remember the promise I made today, junior brother. We'll discuss this matter again in six months."

Zhao Mengyao spoke up:

"Junior brother, how much do you know about the sect?"

Ji An frowned slightly and said with a wry smile:

"I only know that the sect has a Golden Core Elder in charge, and is known for its expertise in weapon crafting and beast taming. I don't know anything else."

The most important reason he was sent to the Golden Spirit Sect's academy was that it was closest to the immortal city where he originally lived.

In Xilan Continent, the immortal cities are far apart, separated by vast mountains.

For cultivators without the ability to fly, attempting to traverse the mountains and fields is not much different from suicide. Lower-level cultivators and mortals can only make a living near the immortal city.

It is said that sects like the Golden Spirit Sect migrated from other continents.

The most powerful force here is not the human race, but the demon race in the mountains.

The relationship between humans and demons has never been harmonious. Demons eat people, especially cultivators, who are considered a great source of nourishment by demons.

Meanwhile, the human race spared no effort in annihilating the demon race, skinning and dismembering them, and using their flesh and blood to aid their own cultivation.

There are also fierce conflicts between cultivators from outside and local cultivators, and bloody battles often occur.

They know nothing about this.

Zhao Mengyao shook her head almost imperceptibly and said softly:

"To enter a sect, we can only start as outer disciples."

If a new disciple fails to advance to the fourth level of Qi Refining within three years, he/she will be expelled from the sect.

If one cannot advance to the late stage of Qi Refining before the age of thirty, one will also be expelled.

Only those who become Foundation Establishment cultivators will be recognized by the sect. Those who cannot establish Foundation Establishment before the age of sixty will also be expelled.

After joining the sect, we will be randomly assigned to various locations. It would be best if we could enter the Beast Taming Hall or the Weapon Refining Hall.

From now on, updates will be scheduled for 6 PM, which is when I should be off work and will be a good way to kill time on my way home.

(End of this chapter)