Chapter 1

"Zhou Shu!"

"Here!"

In the crowd, a young man stood up.

The youth was about fifteen or sixteen years old, with a face that still retained some childishness, but his features were distinct, and his eyes were as clear as stars.

The hundreds of people around him all looked at him, casting envious glances.

"This guy is already a wandering cultivator at such a young age."

"There are several of them. Those who are called out will definitely enter the immortal sect, I envy them."

"They are all wandering cultivators, possessing spiritual roots and having already learned immortal techniques, unlike us who still have to undergo various tests. It’s naturally much easier for them to enter the immortal sect."

These comments fell into the young man's ears, but his expression remained calm, without any hint of self-satisfaction, and his eyes revealed a maturity that did not match his age.

"Come up to the platform."

Today, the Wuwang Immortal Sect in Dongsheng Prefecture was opening its gates to recruit new disciples, attracting many people to sign up. Among them, most were ordinary people who knew nothing about cultivation, but there were also wandering cultivators who had already learned cultivation techniques. Compared to ordinary people, they had a much higher chance of entering the immortal sect.

On the platform stood an elderly man in ancient attire with a high hat, his gaze intensely focused on Zhou Shu. "Zhou Shu, a wandering cultivator, at the first level of the Qi Condensation realm?"

Zhou Shu bowed. "Senior, that’s correct."

The old man said coldly, "Have you learned any techniques?"

Zhou Shu nodded. "I have learned one, the Cloud Dispersing Technique."

"Do not hold back; use it to its full extent on me. This will determine your future prospects." The old man said casually.

Zhou Shu stood firm, his palm extended forward. With a clench and a release, a vague cloud rapidly formed in his palm.

"Senior, I apologize."

As soon as he spoke, the cloud in his palm was thrust forward, instantly causing a fierce wind to sweep away the clouds, and an invisible gale surged out.

The old man's clothes fluttered like a flag, and the trees behind him rustled, their trunks trembling, and leaves and branches falling.

Snap—

A loud crack, and a tree trunk over a foot thick, unable to withstand the pressure, broke in half.

"So powerful!"

"Is this what a cultivator is like? Much stronger than the previous ones!"

The crowd behind him let out waves of exclamations, their gazes toward Zhou Shu filled with envy, jealousy, and a touch of awe.

Just the wind force could break a tree, and this power was clearly much stronger than the previous tests. If they, ordinary people, were hit, they would likely be swept away dozens of feet, with broken bones and torn flesh.

There were also some who mocked.

"Does he not know that the tallest tree is the first to be felled by the wind? By displaying his strength without any restraint, he will invite jealousy and be targeted in the future, not even knowing how he will die. If I had such strength, I would never show off like this."

Hearing the comments from the crowd, Zhou Shu calmly retracted his hand, his face expressionless.

He had no intention of hiding his strength. Entering a major sect might require concealing one's abilities, but Wuwang Sect was a small immortal sect with limited resources. If he did not demonstrate his talent, even if he entered, he would only be an outer sect disciple, not receiving any attention, and there would be no difference from being a wandering cultivator.

To enter the sect, he had to strive for the status of an inner sect disciple or even a direct disciple to receive better cultivation.

He knew that the foundation of cultivation was the most important. The more resources he obtained at the beginning, the higher his future achievements would be.

Moreover, he had not revealed all his cards.

The old man gazed at Zhou Shu, a hint of surprise appearing on his face. He thought to himself, the Cloud Dispersing Technique is just a very ordinary low-level technique, but to achieve such an effect is almost equivalent to the third level of the Qi Condensation realm. However, upon closer inspection, Zhou Shu was indeed at the first level of the Qi Condensation realm. Clearly, Zhou Shu's talent was extremely outstanding, far surpassing ordinary people.

This time, Wuwang Sect would receive a genius.

Thinking of this, the old man's cold expression softened. "Zhou Shu, you have passed the first test. Go wait on the left side of the platform."

He took out a communication talisman.

Muttering twice, the talisman transformed into a yellow light and disappeared into the clouds.

Discovering a genius must be immediately reported to the person in charge, without delay.

Zhou Shu walked steadily to the left side of the platform, letting out a light sigh.

He was not from this world.

Three months ago, the original owner of this body was pursued by a martial arts gang into a forbidden area, where he died painfully.

And he, a master of calligraphy and painting, was struck and killed by a falling computer while passing by a high-rise building, but was reborn into the body of Zhou Shu, who had the same name.

In the forbidden area, there were both opportunities and trials. The opportunity made him a wandering cultivator, and the trials strengthened his resolve to cultivate. After avenging the original owner of the body, he came to Wuwang Sect to seek the Dao and cultivate, hoping to advance further.

Now that he had passed the test smoothly, he could finally settle down after three months of wandering.

In the sky, several large geese circled, and from a distance, a figure in a green robe, looking like a celestial being, could be seen walking through the air.

He seemed to be strolling leisurely, but each step covered a hundred feet. In just a few breaths, the scholar descended from the sky and slowly landed on the platform.

The old man immediately bowed. "Disciple Zhang Qi, greeting Sect Leader Liu."

Wuwang Sect had one hall and three peaks: Ruixu, Ningsword, and Tianyun. The newcomer, Liu Yuzhe, was the peak leader of Tianyun, a position of high respect.

Liu Yuzhe nodded lightly, looking around. Without any visible action, an invisible pressure spread out like ripples.

The crowd fell silent, bowing their heads, not daring to look directly.

His gaze finally settled on Zhou Shu, his eyes focused.

Zhang Qi whispered, "Sect Leader Liu, this is the disciple. At the first level of the Qi Condensation realm, but his spiritual energy is comparable to that of a third-level cultivator. His talent is undoubtedly exceptional."

"Oh? I must take a good look."

From a distance of about twenty feet, Liu Yuzhe waved his sleeve.

Zhou Shu immediately felt his body tighten, unable to move, as a soft and resilient force enveloped him. Several strands of cool energy entered his body through the meridians in his palms.

The method of using spiritual energy to detect, which can only be used by Pulse Condensation realm cultivators, allows the tester's talent to be seen clearly.

Zhou Shu was not anxious. His experience and insight from two lifetimes, combined with the body he now inhabited, meant that his talent could indeed be described as a genius, one in a thousand, and there was no deception.

Moreover, even such a deep detection could not uncover the secret he had brought with him from his previous life, his true trump card.

In a few breaths, the cool energy had circulated through his entire body and then withdrew.

Liu Yuzhe nodded slightly, a rare smile appearing on his face. "Indeed a genius, with few impurities in his spiritual roots. More importantly, his spiritual energy flows smoothly through his meridians, and there are already signs of tidal movement. Good, good!"

Saying the word "good" twice, a hint of red appeared on his fair face, showing his excitement.

Hearing his praise, the others were even more surprised, their mouths agape.

Especially the disciples who had already cultivated, they knew the difficulty of forming spiritual energy tides within the body. Without exceptional insight, it was impossible to achieve this at the Qi Condensation realm, and even Zhang Qi, at the Foundation Establishment realm, could only occasionally do so.

Spiritual energy tides are a rare state in cultivation, where the spiritual energy in the meridians and the sea of qi flows continuously, layer upon layer, allowing the same technique to exert one to two times more power than an ordinary cultivator.

Zhou Shu remained calm, his gaze fixed on Liu Yuzhe, his expression respectful.

Liu Yuzhe turned to Zhou Shu, and a pale golden talisman suddenly appeared in his hand. "Zhou Shu, the second test is of character, and I will personally conduct it."

Zhou Shu bowed. "Thank you, Senior, for your kindness."

Liu Yuzhe's expression was stern. "This is the Righteous Speech Talisman. If your intentions are not pure and you lie, the talisman will immediately explode, turning you to dust."

The golden talisman spun in the air and gently attached to Zhou Shu's head.

As the spiritual energy was activated, the mysterious talisman patterns emitted a golden light, soft but penetrating to the heart, like the light of the Buddha, which those with weak wills could not withstand.

Zhou Shu's will was as firm as a rock, unaffected, and he nodded. "Junior understands."

The surrounding disciples were amazed.

"Actually using a Righteous Speech Talisman! One is worth tens of thousands of spirit stones!"

"The Righteous Speech Talisman is a fourth-level talisman from the Buddhist sect, extremely valuable, and there are probably only a few in the entire Wuwang Sect."

"Sect Leader Liu truly values this young man. Once he passes, he will definitely be an inner sect disciple."

Liu Yuzhe slowly approached, his gaze directly meeting Zhou Shu's eyes. Zhou Shu met his gaze calmly, his eyes clear and unflinching.

"Zhou Shu, do you have a master? What cultivation technique have you learned?"

Zhou Shu immediately answered, "Junior is self-taught, without a master, and has practiced the One Heart Sutra."

"Have you joined any sect before? Are you sent by another sect to Wuwang Sect?"

...

Liu Yuzhe's questions became faster, but Zhou Shu remained calm and answered fluently.

After half an incense stick, the golden light gradually faded, and the valuable Righteous Speech Talisman turned into a piece of scrap paper, falling to the ground.

Liu Yuzhe gazed at Zhou Shu, clapping his hands and smiling. "The One Heart Sutra is just a very ordinary cultivation technique. To reach this level on your own shows exceptional insight, and your future prospects are truly limitless. Zhou Shu, are you willing to join Wuwang Sect and become a disciple of Tianyun Peak?"

Zhou Shu felt a surge of excitement and bowed. "Disciple is willing!"

Liu Yuzhe was equally excited and announced loudly, "Good! From today, Zhou Shu joins Wuwang Sect and enters Tianyun Peak as a direct disciple!"

"Congratulations to Sect Leader for gaining an excellent disciple!"

"Direct disciple, oh my God!"

The disciples all echoed in unison, their shock mixed with immense envy.

Zhou Shu stood with his hands hanging, gazing at the nearby mountain slopes, his eyes full of longing.