Su Qing and Yun Luoyan found a relatively quiet place and hid.
Yun Luoyan arrived in Xuanling Town two days earlier. It was from Yun Luoyan that Su Qing learned that although Xuanling Town looked peaceful, there were actually undercurrents running deep.
Yun Luoyan and Su Qing both received wooden tokens from the Xuanling Sect and were just waiting for the sect to open its gates so they could become outer disciples.
However, there are still many people in Xuanling Town who do not have the Xuanling Sect's tokens. These people are thinking of seizing the wooden tokens and then joining the Xuanling Sect.
Yun Luoyan was only eleven or twelve years old, and she came to Xuanling Town alone, which is why she was targeted.
Although she was agile and ruthless in combat, she couldn't withstand the sheer number of people and was eventually surrounded by the burly man's gang. Fortunately, Su Qing intervened and saved her from being tortured.
"I never imagined that Xuanling Town would be so dangerous," Su Qingxin thought.
In her previous life, Su Ruoshan was a designated inner disciple of the Xuanling Sect. A Foundation Establishment disciple from the Xuanling Sect flew over on a sword and took her directly to the Xuanling Sect. Naturally, Su Ruoshan would not mention the matter of Xuanling Town to the Su family, so Su Qing was unaware that Xuanling Town was also fraught with danger.
“The Xuanling Sect is one of the five major sects of the Boundless Continent. Countless cultivators want to join the sect. Ordinary cultivators with only three spiritual roots are simply not worth the attention of a major sect like the Xuanling Sect, so the competition is extremely fierce. Not to mention Xuanling Town, even after joining the Xuanling Sect, one would be surrounded by dangers and dare not relax in the slightest,” Yun Luoyan said.
Su Qing nodded.
Yun Luoyan was just over twelve years old. She had a cute, childlike face and big, watery eyes that looked like she could cry at any moment. She was a total adorable girl.
No wonder many people called Yun Luoyan the "Iron Girl" after she became famous in her previous life.
Su Qing and Yun Luoyan waited until dawn the next day, when Xuanling Town was already quite lively.
The Xuanling Sect opened its gates wide and began officially recruiting new disciples.
In the main square of Xuanling Town, two Core Formation stage elders of the Xuanling Sect were stationed, with more than a dozen Foundation Establishment stage disciples guarding the area. Those carrying Xuanling Sect tokens stepped forward one by one to verify their identities.
Yun Luoyan and Su Qing were in the back of the line. Su Qing, with her sharp eyes, noticed that the burly man who had led the men to rob Yun Luoyan's wooden plaque the night before was also among them. It seemed that even though he was injured last night, the burly man had not been idle and had eventually managed to steal the wooden plaque.
"Number 58, with three spiritual roots: Earth, Wood, and Metal."
"Number 89, with the three spiritual roots of metal, wood, and water."
...
Those queuing up were all people with three spiritual roots who had some tokens in their hands, and in the end, they could only become outer disciples of the Xuanling Sect.
As for those disciples with dual or single spiritual roots, most of them have already been brought into the sect and become inner disciples.
Yun Luoyan was number 123, and Su Qing was number 124.
After the two followed a Foundation Establishment stage disciple into the Xuanling Sect's mountain gate, they saw a long staircase that seemed to reach straight into the sky.
"This is the Heavenly Ladder of our Xuanling Sect. Only those who complete the Heavenly Ladder before noon are qualified to join our Xuanling Sect."
It seems this is the initial test.
As Su Qing stepped onto the steps, she felt her body sink. She hadn't expected that these steps were not ordinary. Stepping on them felt like carrying a 200-pound weight.
Yun Luoyan stepped on it, her brows furrowing.
"The Heavenly Ladder of the Xuanling Sect truly lives up to its reputation," Yun Luoyan said. "I've long heard that the Xuanling Sect's steps have 3,330 steps. The first 1,110 steps are for carrying heavy loads and honing physical strength. The middle 1,110 steps are filled with illusions and temper the mind. The last 1,110 steps are for the strong to survive and test their abilities."
Su Qing nodded and said, "That's interesting. Yun Luoyan, how about we have a competition?"
Yun Luoyan smiled and said, "Not a bad idea."
Although Su Qing had just begun to absorb Qi, she was reborn. Even though she was standing on the Heavenly Ladder and felt as if she were carrying a 200-pound weight, she still walked as fast as she could.
Although Yun Luoyan is younger than Su Qing, she started cultivating earlier and is now at the second level of Qi Refining. She is not afraid of the first level of the Heavenly Ladder.
So, the people on the ladder saw two girls walk past them lightly, as if the ladder had no effect on them at all.
"Hey, how come those two can walk so fast!" Someone was unconvinced and wanted to speed up as well, but as soon as they lifted their feet, it felt like they were carrying a hundred-pound weight, and they couldn't go any faster at all.
When Su Qing and Yun Luoyan reached the 500th step, they saw a burly man in front of them, shirtless and sweating profusely. He was clearly the same man who had led the group to rob Yun Luoyan's wooden plaque the night before.
He was in a bad state at the moment. He had been kicked in the face by Yun Luoyan and was still bruised and swollen. The explosive ball had exploded right under his foot, so his injuries were the most severe. Now, walking on the Heavenly Ladder, the wound on his leg had reopened, and blood was flowing out, leaving two blood streaks on the steps.
However, the big man gritted his teeth and continued walking upwards. Although his steps were unsteady, they were not slow.
“That’s quite a tough guy,” Su Qing said.
“He is a member of the Bai family,” Yun Luoyan said. “The Bai family received three wooden plaques from the Xuanling Sect this time. He is from a collateral branch of the Bai family, so naturally he is not among them.”
The Bai family, no wonder.
The Bai family is a cultivation family in Baishi City. The Bai family and the Su family intermarried in their grandfather's generation. Regardless of gender, the Bai family members are all physically strong and have a resilient character.
Su Qing and Yun Luoyan walked past the burly man. When the man saw the two girls lightly overtake him, his face turned red. He wanted to follow, but a pain in his leg slowed him down.
"Uncle, we'll be going now," Yun Luoyan said, making the burly man's face turn even more ashen.
"Shut up, I'm only fifteen! You can't call me uncle," the big man shouted.
Su Qing couldn't help but laugh. What a joke, he's only fifteen? Su Qing thought he looked twenty-five.
At this moment, in the Xuanling Sect, a Core Formation stage cultivator looked at the situation of the Heavenly Ladder in the crystal mirror, his gaze following Su Qing and Yun Luoyan. He watched as the two quickly completed the first stage of the Heavenly Ladder and nodded slightly.
"It seems there are two promising talents among the outer disciples of the Xuanling Sect this time. I just wonder if they will continue to have such a smooth journey."
"Master, the girl in front is from the Su family."
Bei Ming stood beside the cultivators. When he saw that one of them was Su Qing, he was slightly taken aback, and then a smile appeared on his lips.
"Oh, this is what the Su family sent?"
It turns out that this Core Formation stage cultivator was Elder Xiang, who was related to the Su family.
After Bei Ming returned to the Xuanling Sect, he told Elder Xiang about the Su family's situation, but Elder Xiang just waved his hand, not wanting to listen anymore.
Back then, he was only at the Foundation Establishment stage and became acquainted with the patriarch of the Su family. Now, the Su family elder has exhausted his lifespan and is no longer alive, while Elder Xiang has successfully formed his core and become an elder of the Xuanling Sect.
He had originally thought that if the Su family sent over a person with dual spiritual roots, it wouldn't be a bad idea for him to take care of them a little.
Unfortunately, the Su family only gave him a person with three spiritual roots. Three spiritual roots are nothing to the Xuanling Sect. So, giving the Su family an entry token is already considered repaying their favor. As for whether the person can pass the entry test and stay in the sect, he doesn't care anymore.
I never expected that the three spiritual roots sent by the Su family would actually have some skill.
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