Chapter 6

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou squatted on the ground, using a dagger to dig a hole, burying the bottom of the ladder in it, and stomping the ground to compact the soil.

Lu Yang kicked the ladder, but it didn't budge, and instead, his right foot went numb from the impact.

"Not bad, it's very sturdy. I'll go first and try it out. If I succeed, you can follow."

"No problem," Meng Jingzhou nodded.

Lu Yang rubbed his hands, took two steps in one, and nimbly climbed the ladder. When he reached the corner of the ladder, which was at the same height as the fiftieth step, he inwardly cursed his luck.

Lu Yang forced himself to look forward, not down, and moved forward like a caterpillar.

The crowd on the steps looked up as Lu Yang approached the fiftieth step, their eyes wide with amazement.

What they saw was a huge ladder standing on the ground, bent at a ninety-degree angle, with its end at the fiftieth step, the final destination.

The crowd had seen Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou building the ladder below but hadn't given it much thought.

They had barely made it to the fortieth step and didn't want to waste energy worrying about what the two were doing. If it turned out they were just fooling around, they wouldn't have the strength to climb back up to the fortieth step, and they would fail the test.

Manggu was the fastest among the crowd, already at the forty-ninth step, but the fiftieth step seemed like an insurmountable barrier, as if a mountain was pressing down on him.

Then he watched helplessly as Lu Yang climbed past him and reached the fiftieth step.

Lu Yang made it through the test without any major issues.

Meng Jingzhou followed closely behind and also succeeded.

The first and second places were decided.

...

Meanwhile, outside Wuxin Mountain, the disciples of Wenda Sect were in chaos.

"Don't stop me, I'm going to teach those two a lesson today. I promise I won't kill them!" Dai Bufan's muscles bulged, like a bear whose honey had been stolen.

His junior brothers and sisters quickly tried to dissuade him:

"Brother Dai, you can't fight them!"

"Brother Dai, you need to stay calm."

"If something happens to the test participants, it will ruin Wenda Sect's reputation!"

"Using your strength to bully the weak, Brother Dai, it won't look good!"

"Brother Dai, don't forget, the third test is about the heart of seeking the Dao. You mustn't get angry!"

Dai Bufan calmed down when he heard the last sentence.

That's right, the third test is about the heart of seeking the Dao. Getting angry so easily is not good for future cultivation.

"... But the third test is for them, not for me!"

The disciples of Wenda Sect were in chaos again.

Heling felt much more balanced when he saw this, retreated into the river, and stopped causing trouble for the two.

...

Perhaps inspired by the successful cooperation of Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, the other disciples participating in the test were all shouting and finally made it to the fiftieth step.

Manggu was the first, followed by people Lu Yang didn't know, who were all behind him. Lu Yang didn't know what special qualities they had, but they were all dual-attribute cultivators he had seen before.

The rest kept trying but couldn't take a single step. They wanted to go down the mountain and use the ladder made by Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou to climb to the fiftieth step, but going down the mountain also required immense pressure, and their bodies couldn't handle moving up or down another step.

"The third test is over. Those who remain on the mountain have lost their qualifications." Yunzhi announced coldly and had Dai Bufan bring them down.

Wuxin Mountain's ability to forcibly pull people to a level that ordinary people couldn't remove was even beyond Dai Bufan. To rescue people from the mountain, he had to climb step by step under the pressure of Wuxin Mountain.

Dai Bufan glared at Lu Yang and then climbed Wuxin Mountain.

He climbed to the fiftieth step with a calm expression.

The disciples who had just passed the third test saw how easily Dai Bufan did it and felt a huge gap compared to their own struggles to reach the fiftieth step.

"There's nothing hard to understand. You're only fourteen or fifteen years old. Even with family support and early exposure to cultivation, it's like a reflection in water or a flower in a mirror. You don't have a real sense of what the Dao or immortality truly means."

"Cultivation is also about cultivating the heart. When you achieve success in your cultivation, climbing Wuxin Mountain won't be difficult."

At the end of her explanation, Yunzhi seemed to remember something and added, "Congratulations on becoming disciples of Wenda Sect."

Yunzhi waved her hand, and the bells on her wrist jingled. Mist rose, forming clouds that lifted everyone.

Lu Yang stood on the cloud, watching as the ground grew farther away. He swallowed hard, his heart in his throat.

Damn, cultivation is really exciting.

Yunzhi stood on the cloud and said to her junior brothers and sisters below, "Thank you for your hard work today. After cleaning up, you can continue with your own tasks."

The junior brothers and sisters all said, "Yes," and then started chanting, "One, two, three, one, two, three," as they dismantled and moved the ladder made by Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou.

What was a ladder doing on Wuxin Mountain?

On the cloud, Lu Yang didn't dare to open his eyes, but he heard others excitedly talking about the beautiful scenery. Curiosity got the better of him, and he opened his eyes, only to be stunned by the sight before him.

A mountain stood in the center of a cluster of mountains, towering into the clouds, with steep, vertical cliffs on all sides, like a hundred-refined immortal sword, majestic and grand. Eight other mountains with mysterious auras surrounded the central mountain, and beyond them were undulating mountain ranges, encircling the core nine mountains.

The mountains layered upon each other like a blooming lotus, captivating the heart and soul!

Misty fog enveloped the nine mountains, adding a touch of mystery.

Yunzhi said calmly, "Wenda Sect has nine core mountains. The central mountain is where the Sect Master resides, called Tianmen Peak. The other eight mountains belong to the eight elders, each with their own specialties, and thus, the eight mountains have different functions."

"Other mountains are used for sect trials, extensions of the elders' mountains, cultivation grounds for Wenda Sect disciples, and some are dangerous places where insufficient cultivation can lead to death. It's not something that can be explained in a few words; you can explore them gradually in the future."

"Cultivation is about destiny. In the next month, you can freely move around Wenda Sect, visit the mountains, go to the scripture hall, and seek guidance from senior brothers and elders."

"After a month, you will choose an elder as your master, provided the elder agrees to take you as a disciple."

Manggu asked, "Can we only choose an elder? What about the Sect Master?"

"It's possible, but the Sect Master doesn't like teaching disciples, so your chances of success are low."

Despite Yunzhi's words, many still wanted to cultivate under the Sect Master.

Wenda Sect, one of the five major sects of the Central Continent, has a Sect Master with a transcendent status and unparalleled strength, with few rivals in the cultivation world. Being a disciple of such a high-level cultivator has countless visible and hidden benefits!

"Someone will take you to your respective caves shortly."

"Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou, you two stay behind."