At the center of the Cloud Mist Immortal Terrace, several massive spirit-testing steles had long been erected. The steles were ancient and unadorned, inscribed with profound runes that faintly rippled with spiritual radiance. At a signal from their respective elders, disciples from each sect dispersed to their assigned steles, preparing to guide and record the vast influx of immortal-seekers.
Gongsun Lin breathed a quiet sigh of relief, glad that the personal grievances had finally been smoothed over for the moment.
‘It really is thanks to that person...’
Glancing at Ming Xi smiling in the distance, then looking at the Senior Brother beside her who carried himself as though none of it concerned him, Gongsun Lin made a mental note of Ming Xi as someone to keep a close eye on.
Around the perimeter of the terrace, young men and women hailing from all corners of the world—outnumbering the disciples of the four great sects more than tenfold—craned their necks in eager anticipation. Their eyes were brimming with longing, nervous tension, and boundless yearning for the immortal path.
To them, this was their chance to leap through the dragon gate and rewrite their destinies.
“Silence!” Shang Shuqing’s voice boomed like a resonant bell, quelling the clamor across the grounds. “The first trial of the Ascendance Gathering: spirit root talent evaluation! When your name is called, step forward in turn, place your hand upon the spirit-testing stele, and channel your full focus into it!”
The testing commenced promptly.
One youthful face after another stepped forward with uneasy hearts, their palms coming into contact with the chilled stone.
Most of the time, the light emanating from the stele was rather faint and of a singular hue, signifying mediocre talent. The disciple responsible for recording would call out in a loud voice: “Li Ergou, impure spirit root, Ding Low.” “Wang Cuihua, water-earth-fire tri-spirit root, Bing Mid.”
Whenever this occurred, a wave of soft sighs would ripple through the crowd below. Those judged to possess poor aptitude turned pale, their spirits shattered, and some even burst into tears on the spot. The path to immortality was vast and arduous, and its very first step shut out the overwhelming majority.
Occasionally, the stele would erupt with a brighter flash of light, stirring a minor commotion.
“Zhang Tie, metal-earth dual spirit root, Yi Low! Not bad!” “Lin Xiaoyue, water-wood dual spirit root, Yi Low! Good!”
Such disciples instantly became the envy of the onlookers and drew the attention of representatives from various small and medium sects seated on the elevated platform. While they might not catch the eye of the four great sects, they were already considered precious unpolished jade to smaller factions.
Su Yi watched the spectacle with unbridled boredom. In his “eyes,” floating above the heads of these future characters were mostly tags like “N” or “R.” The occasional flicker of a “B” would prompt an inward quip: ‘Oho, a supporting character.’ This god-like perspective made it difficult for him to look upon every examinee with the focused, impartial gaze that Gongsun Lin maintained beside him.
Gongsun Lin, on the other hand, was exceedingly conscientious. She diligently recorded each test, offering a slight nod of encouragement whenever someone showed passable talent.
Her gentle demeanor stood in stark contrast to the overbearing impression the other three major sects gave off toward these mortal youths, putting many of the anxious hopefuls somewhat at ease.
‘Junior Sister ought to be gentle and sweet like this; turning to the dark side can take a hike.’ Observing Gongsun Lin, Su Yi felt even more determined to prevent her from straying onto the Demonic Path.
The evaluations continued in an orderly fashion.
Presently, it was the turn of a plainly dressed youth with an exceptionally resolute gaze. Taking a deep breath, he pressed his palm firmly against the stele, as if staking everything on this single wager.
In an instant, the spirit-testing stele jolted violently. It erupted with a dazzling crimson brilliance resembling a miniature sun, and even a faint wave of scorching heat billowed outward!
“Heavens! That’s so bright!” “A single spirit root? And a mutated fire spirit root at that?” “This talent... could it be Jia High?!”
Exclamations of shock broke out across the crowd. Even the elders of the various sects, who had been resting with closed eyes on the high platform, cast their gazes downward one after another.
The disciple responsible for recording froze for a moment before shouting excitedly, “Shi Yan! Single fire spirit root, purity... purity Jia High!”
Hearing the verdict, the tension on the young man named Shi Yan’s face finally dissolved into a smile of immense relief, his fists tightly clenched.
[Character: Shi Yan (Uninitiated)]
[Realm: Qi Condensation Ninth Layer]
[Grade: B]
[Potential: A]
[Identity: Branch disciple of a cultivation clan]
‘Oh? A-rank potential? Looks like a character who’ll enter the gacha pool in a later version update.’ Su Yi stroked his chin and took another look. Unfortunately, he had no recollection of him whatsoever; the youth was probably just banner filler.
Shi Yan’s stellar performance seemed to ignite a fuse, and several remarkable youths emerged in rapid succession.
A timid young girl touched the stele, causing illusory green flora to sway and shimmer around her, vibrant with life. It was an exceptionally pure wood Heavenly Spirit Root, her potential also rated as high as A. Shang Shuqing personally guided her aside with a genial smile, clearly showing how highly the Return to Origin Sect valued such a spirit root.
Another youth radiated a piercing chill, causing frost to condense over the spirit-testing stele—a rare ice spirit root. A flicker of interest passed through Murong Yue’s crimson pupils, but nothing more; Ancient Sword Mountain prized a sword heart far more than elemental affinity.
‘Wood, water, fire—damn, the starter trio?’ The corners of Su Yi’s mouth couldn't help but twitch upward.
“This year’s batch has quite a few promising seeds,” Gongsun Lin murmured softly to Su Yi, her tone tinged with relief and joy.
Su Yi nodded, yet his gaze involuntarily drifted toward the other three contingents in the distance.
Murong Yue stood with arms crossed before Ancient Sword Mountain’s spirit-testing stele. Her gaze was sharp as a blade, scanning each examinee, seemingly paying more attention to character and disposition than raw spirit roots.
Whenever someone had ordinary spirit roots but possessed a stubborn glare that met her eyes without flinching, she would raise an eyebrow in mild intrigue.
Shang Shuqing maintained an ever-present, spring-breeze smile, behaving with impeccable courtesy. Yet Su Yi could sense that beneath his seemingly gentle gaze, the appraisal and calculation never ceased. The Return to Origin Sect visibly admitted the largest number of disciples, covering all kinds of spirit roots.
Over at the Southern Domain’s Perching Phoenix Pavilion, however, the atmosphere was somewhat distinct. Led by Ming Xi, the cultivators carried an innate air of detachment.
They seemed to harbor a unique preference for certain attributes. They had merely cast a passing glance at the girl with the wood Heavenly Spirit Root, making no move to contest for her; instead, they lingered longer on a few disciples whose spirit roots carried a curious fiery resonance or unique spiritual perception.
‘It seems every sect truly has its own preferences,’ Su Yi thought. He had assumed things might diverge somewhat from the game’s storyline, but it appeared spirit root aptitudes had already predestined these disciples’ fates.
As the evaluations progressed, wave after wave of excitement surged, yet the top disciples of the four great sects all appeared to be waiting for something.
Murong Yue’s gaze would occasionally sweep toward the back of the crowd; the rhythm of Shang Shuqing’s fan slowed slightly; the playful smirk playing on Ming Xi’s lips deepened; even Gongsun Lin unconsciously straightened her posture.
Su Yi understood immediately: ‘Looks like the main event is coming.’
“It’s the young lady of the Tantai family. They say her talent is seen once in a millennium; in a moment, everyone will probably be fighting over her,” Gongsun Lin whispered beside Su Yi.
Su Yi nodded slightly. Of course he knew—she was the female lead, after all.
Sects were not the only powers with deep roots; certain clans boasted extraordinary heritage as well, and the Tantai family was naturally among them.
The Tantai family enjoyed considerable prestige in the cultivation world and generally refrained from joining sects, which explained why everyone was paying such close attention.
Protagonists were almost always cut from a different cloth, and Tantai Yunzhi was especially so; her life could only be described as a rollercoaster of twists and turns.
‘Still, her talent won’t be something everyone fights over.’
At least, not right now...
Rate on N.U.
