Brother Dai, you need to calm down!Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou squatted on the ground, digging a hole with a dagger, and burying the bottom of the ladder into it. They stamped on the ground to compact the soil.Lu Yang kicked the ladder, but it didn't budge; instead, his right foot went numb from the impact."Good, it's sturdy. I'll try it first. If I succeed, then you go up.""No problem," Meng Jingzhou nodded.Lu Yang rubbed his hands, took three steps as one, and nimbly climbed up the ladder. When he reached the bend in the ladder, which was at the same height as the 50th step, he muttered, "Oh no."Lu Yang forced himself to look ahead and not down, inching forward like a caterpillar.Everyone on the steps looked up and watched as Lu Yang stepped closer to the 50th step, stunned.What did they see? A giant ladder sticking out of the ground with a 90-degree bend, its end being the final destination—the 50th step.They had seen Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou making the ladder below, but they didn't think much of it.They had worked so hard to get to the 40th step; if they went down to see what those two were up to and found out they were just being foolish, they wouldn't have the strength to return to the 40th step, and they would have failed the test completely.Man Bu was the farthest among them, already at the 49th step, but the 50th step seemed like an insurmountable gap. He felt as if he were carrying a mountain on his back, crushing him.Then he watched as Lu Yang crawled past him and reached the 50th step.Lu Yang made it through without any major issues and successfully completed the test.Meng Jingzhou followed closely behind and also succeeded.The first and second places were born....Meanwhile, outside Wenxin Mountain, the disciples of the Way-Seeking Sect were in an uproar."Don't stop me. I'm going to teach those two a lesson today. I promise I won't kill them!" Dai Bufan was so angry that his muscles bulged, like a bear that had its honey stolen.The junior brothers and sisters quickly stepped forward to dissuade him:"Brother Dai, you can't hit them!""Brother Dai, you need to calm down.""If something happens to the test-takers, it will ruin our sect's reputation if it gets out!""It's not good for our reputation if we're seen as bullying the weaker, Brother Dai!""Brother Dai, don't forget, the third test is a test of one's determination to seek the Way. You mustn't get angry!"Dai Bufan calmed down when he heard the last sentence.Yes, the third test was a test of one's determination to seek the Way. Being so easily angered was not conducive to future cultivation."...Wait, the third test is for them, not for me!"The disciples of the Way-Seeking Sect were in an uproar again.Seeing this, the River Spirit felt much better and retreated into the river, no longer bothering the two of them....Perhaps it was the example of Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou's sincere cooperation and success that inspired the other test-takers. One after another, they let out a roar and finally made it to the 50th step.Man Bu was the first, followed by people Lu Yang didn't recognize. They were all the ones who had been behind Lu Yang, and Lu Yang didn't know what was special about their constitutions. Lastly, there were a few with dual spiritual roots, whom Lu Yang had seen before.The remaining people kept trying but couldn't take a single step forward. They wanted to go down the mountain and use the ladder made by Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou to climb to the 50th step, but unfortunately, going down also required immense effort, and their bodies could no longer move up or down a single step."The third test is over. Those who remain on the mountain have lost their qualification," Yun Zhi announced coldly and told Dai Bufan to bring them down.Wenxin Mountain's compulsion on people's abilities could not be removed by ordinary means, not even by Dai Bufan. If they wanted to retrieve someone from the mountain, they had to climb it step by step, enduring the mountain's pressure.Dai Bufan glared at Lu Yang before starting to climb Wenxin Mountain.He looked calm as he effortlessly climbed to the 50th step.The disciples who had just passed the third test saw how easy it was for Dai Bufan and couldn't understand why they had to struggle so hard to reach the 50th step."It's not hard to understand. You're only fourteen or fifteen years old. Even with your families supporting you and being exposed to cultivation early on, it's all like a moon in the water or a flower in a mirror. You don't have a real sense of it and can't truly understand what the Way is or what immortality is.""Cultivating immortality is also cultivating the mind. When you have achieved something in your cultivation, climbing Wenxin Mountain will no longer be a difficult task."At the end of her explanation, Yun Zhi added tokenly, "Congratulations on becoming disciples of the Way-Seeking Sect."Yun Zhi waved her hand, and the bells on her wrist jingled. Mist rose up and formed clouds that lifted everyone up.Standing on the cloud, Lu Yang didn't dare to open his eyes. But when he heard everyone else excitedly talking about something and praising the scenery, he couldn't resist his curiosity and opened his eyes. He was immediately stunned by the sight before him and stared in awe.A mountain stood in the center of the mountain range, towering a thousand feet high, reaching straight into the clouds. It was steep and vertical on all four sides, like a refined celestial sword, majestic and grand. Eight mountains with a mysterious aura surrounded the central mountain, and the outermost layer was a range of overlapping mountains encircling these nine central peaks.The mountains were layered like a blooming lotus, captivating the heart!A hazy mist shrouded the nine mountains, adding to their mystery.Yun Zhi said calmly, "The core of the Way-Seeking Sect consists of nine peaks. The central peak is where the sect leader resides and is named Tianmen Peak. The other eight peaks are under the names of the eight elders, each with their own specialties. Correspondingly, these eight peaks also serve different purposes.""Apart from these, some peaks are used for sect trials, some are extensions of the elders' peaks, some are for the cultivation of Way-Seeking Sect disciples, and some are dangerous places where one could perish if their cultivation is not high enough... It's not something that can be explained in a few words. You can gradually explore them in the future.""Cultivation emphasizes fate. In the coming month, you are free to move around the Way-Seeking Sect, visit the peaks, go to the Sutra Pavilion, and seek guidance from senior brothers and elders.""After a month, you will need to choose an elder to be your master, provided that the elder agrees to take you as a disciple."Man Bu asked whatever came to his mind: "Do we have to choose an elder? Can we choose the sect leader instead?""You can, but the sect leader has never liked teaching disciples. Your chances of success are very slim."Despite Yun Zhi's words, many still wanted to cultivate under the sect leader.As one of the five major immortal sects in the Central Continent, the Way-Seeking Sect's leader holds a superior position, and his strength is unquestionable. He rarely has rivals in the cultivation world. The benefits of being able to study under such a master, both obvious and hidden, are countless!"Someone will guide you to your respective cave abodes later.""Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, you two stay behind."
