Chapter 3

The next day, in the same room where the test was held, in front of Elder Qing, a golden compass the size of a tea tray was placed.

The several large doors of the room were already closed, and inside were four immortals and eleven young participants.

With everyone gathered, Elder Qing slowly spoke as if to himself, "This compass is called the Sky-Patching Disk. It opens the gate of the heavens, patches the sky's flaws, and bestows the opportunity for immortality. Those of you with spiritual roots may either receive the virtue of heaven or the spirit of earth. Today, by patching the sky, you may gain the opportunity for immortality..."

Elder Qing continued, "Within the Sky-Patching Disk, there are countless voids and myriad opportunities. You may enter to seek the treasures left by the ancients. Those who find immortal treasures may join our Greenwood Sect..."

After speaking, he raised his right hand, holding the Sky-Patching Disk in his palm, which began to spin. He then threw it, and the golden disk shimmered as it flew into the air. He formed a seal with his hand and chanted, shouting, "Release!"

The spinning Sky-Patching Disk emitted a beam of golden light that descended from above.

The golden light gathered below the disk, forming a golden archway.

Elder Qing opened his eyes and shouted, "Why haven't you entered yet? What are you waiting for?"

Sun Hao felt a surge of determination, stood up straight, and without a word, led the way into the light gate. Gu Yun and the girl with the braid followed closely behind, and the other young participants, realizing what was happening, all entered the light gate together.

Upon entering the light gate, Sun Hao felt a slight dizziness and a momentary loss of consciousness. When his vision cleared, he found himself standing on a green grassland.

The grassland was overgrown with lush green grass that reached up to his knees. In the distance, the outlines of mountains were faintly visible.

There was not a single person in sight, and the girl with the braid and Gu Yun, who had entered right after him, were nowhere to be seen.

Sun Hao stood still, carefully observing his surroundings and marveling, "The methods of the immortals are truly mysterious and unfathomable. A small disk can contain such a vast world."

Around Sun Hao, there was nothing but grass, no sound, and no sign of any living creature.

Sun Hao did not panic. While carefully observing the environment, he thought deeply and moved forward.

Inside the Sky-Patching Disk, everything seemed to be still, the silence was so profound that it made one's hair stand on end. Sun Hao's feet stepped on the green grass, and no matter how fast or slow he moved, there was no sound at all.

The silent grassland made Sun Hao feel a bit frustrated. Despite his great patience, the unchanging environment yielded nothing.

The environment inside the Sky-Patching Disk seemed to be eternal, with no sound of birds or insects, and the silence made him feel nauseous. Time seemed to have stopped, but the hunger in his stomach and the dryness of his lips told him that a long time had passed, and he still had nothing to show for it.

He wondered if anyone had gained the opportunity for immortality.

He was already tired, and his mind was a bit hazy.

The desolate and unreachable environment, the unattainable goal.

What kind of test was this?

Was it a test of perseverance?

While walking, Sun Hao thought that the only way to pass the test was to hold on and not give up. He believed that if he persevered, his efforts would not be in vain. He changed his goal and moved towards the green, hazy mountains in the distance.

After several hours of walking towards the mountains, the scenery remained unchanged, the grassland and the green mountains were still the same, and the distance felt the same.

He set a steady pace, adjusting his breathing to conserve his strength and energy, so he could walk further.

Perhaps, greater tests were yet to come.

In the room, the four young immortals of Greenwood Sect were meditating with their eyes closed, while the Sky-Patching Disk spun silently in the air.

Elder Qing was constantly monitoring the movements of the Sky-Patching Disk and the situation of the participants inside.

The illusions within the Sky-Patching Disk changed randomly, and the scenarios varied for each person, testing the wisdom, perseverance, character, luck, and insight of the new disciples.

A day had passed, and for the children, the first major challenge had arrived. The difficult environment and the inability to replenish their strength and energy were testing their endurance.

Under Elder Qing's watchful eye, most of the children were advancing from the first layer of the illusion to the second layer.

The first layer of the illusion was empty, but the second layer began to offer opportunities for immortality, so entering the second layer was the minimum requirement.

Inside the Sky-Patching Disk, the children's conditions began to show differences.

A disciple named Xiang Qing had already collapsed, his consciousness becoming hazy. At the moment he lost consciousness, the illusion automatically ejected him, and Elder Qing guided him out.

This child actually had good potential, with superior three-element spiritual roots.

The immortals shook their heads in regret, thinking it was a pity.

The child named Gu Yun was also not in good condition. Elder Qing knew that this child was at a disadvantage due to his five-element spiritual roots. The Sky-Patching Disk, which inherited from ancient times, always treated those with complete five-element spiritual roots with special care, making the test very strict.

Gu Yun was already on the verge of collapse, still shouting loudly, "Feilong Fort, Qu Yougen, I'll make you pay..."

Sun Hao's performance surprised Elder Qing.

Sun Hao's environment was a desolate green grassland, a comprehensive illusion that tested multiple aspects, not much different from the test for those with five-element spiritual roots. The silent and desolate environment could make one anxious and restless, testing one's character; the unchanging distance to the goal could make one discouraged, testing one's perseverance...

Elder Qing did not have high hopes for Sun Hao.

However, Sun Hao's performance made him look at him with new eyes. From the steady pace of Sun Hao's walk, he was conserving his strength; from his unwavering determination to move forward, he seemed to understand the purpose of the test.

Elder Qing evaluated Sun Hao: perseverance, character, and insight, all good.

The first to be eliminated was a young boy with three-element spiritual roots, a good seed with excellent spiritual roots, but unfortunately, he was eliminated.

Elder Qing originally thought Gu Yun would be the second to be eliminated, but after Gu Yun was exhausted, he showed his resilience. Even though he was lying on the ground, he still crawled forward, managing to persist.

However, Elder Qing believed it would be difficult for Gu Yun to reach the second layer.

At this point, Gu Yun was only supported by a single breath.

There were no miracles inside the Sky-Patching Disk.

The reason Gu Yun was not ejected was that he had not lost consciousness, and Elder Qing wanted to see how far the young man could crawl.

As the first major challenge approached, near the end of the day, five more children were exhausted and their wills were broken, and they were ejected.

Inside the Sky-Patching Disk, only five children remained.

Among the five, Gu Yun was about to be eliminated. The girl with the braid, Xia Qingyu, was also not in good condition, trapped in an illusion, seemingly facing danger, with a look of panic on her face.

Sun Hao was already exhausted, his consciousness a bit hazy.

However, he was relieved to see that his efforts were finally paying off. The green mountains in front of him were becoming clearer, and he could see the mountains. It would take at most another hour to reach the foot of the mountains.

With the goal in sight, Sun Hao thought of Gu Yun: "This test, I'm afraid Xiao Yun will find it hard to persist."

It was probably evening, Sun Hao silently judged. His body's habits told him it was time for his nightly cultivation, and the Fire Power technique showed signs of automatic operation.

Sun Hao had a sudden thought and remembered that the Clear Mind Technique passed down from his mother, when used with the Fire Power technique, could restore his spirit and alleviate fatigue. He wondered if it would work now.

The test for the opportunity for immortality had no time limit.

Sun Hao decided to act on his thoughts, sat cross-legged, and began to cultivate the Fire Power technique. At the same time, the Clear Mind Technique, a hundred-character text, began to be recited automatically with his heartbeat: "Cultivate qi, forget words, and guard..."

Elder Qing was slightly surprised: "This kid is actually cultivating inside the Sky-Patching Disk. Doesn't he know there's no spiritual energy inside? Oh, right, he cultivates secular internal techniques, which don't require spiritual energy!"

However, how could secular internal cultivation techniques resist the illusions and run smoothly under their interference?

Elder Qing found it a bit strange.

Sun Hao felt that today's cultivation was very difficult. The internal energy moved like a snail, and he could barely manage to activate the Fire Power technique, making one or two rounds according to the usual route.

After entering the cultivation state, it seemed his hearing had returned. Sun Hao could hear his heartbeat and faintly hear and feel the wind around him. In other words, his six senses were no longer limited to sight; the other senses had returned.

Sun Hao was overjoyed: "Good."

Just as he felt this joy, his perception of the surroundings disappeared.

Sun Hao calmed down and tried to feel the surroundings again, reciting the Clear Mind Technique... "Cultivate qi, forget words, and guard..."

There it was, he heard the sound of a bellows again!

No, this wasn't the sound of a bellows; it was the sound of heavy breathing.

There were also footsteps, chaotic and stumbling.

Sun Hao suddenly thought: Could this heavy breathing be Xiao Yun?

If it was Xiao Yun, how could he help him?

Sun Hao's heart raced, and his state of mind immediately became unbalanced, and the surroundings became silent again. He quickly began to recite the Clear Mind Technique, and his senses returned.

When he panicked, his senses disappeared; when he calmed down, they returned. Sun Hao's forehead was covered in sweat.

Elder Qing, who was constantly monitoring him, laughed inwardly: "Now you know, kid. You're actually cultivating inside the Sky-Patching Disk. You're in for a rough time."

Sun Hao tried hard to control his state of mind, sat cross-legged, and focused on the sounds, but the effect was not very good.

Right, use the Fire Power technique to sense?

Sun Hao's Fire Power technique had reached a certain level, and he was most sensitive to changes in temperature. People have body heat; could he sense it?

Thinking of this, Sun Hao carefully circulated the Fire Power technique and focused on the temperature around him.

With a "bang," it was as if a mirror around him had shattered. Sun Hao seemed to see, or rather, feel, different red circles floating around him.

On his left, about a meter away, there was a glowing circle, and the sound of the bellows he had heard earlier came from this direction.

On his right, also about a meter away, there was another circle...

Besides these two circles, within a meter and a half of him, there were four more red glows.

Sun Hao wondered: "What are these? They can't all be test