Volume One, Chapter Four: Unable to Spit It Out
Who could blame him when his wife was so hopeless, utterly lost in despair!
The spirit root examinations continued.
“No spirit root, next.”
“No, next.”
They had tested five thousand people already, and still none.
“Next.”
“Next.”
...
A total of fifty-one people passed this round.
Exactly ten people per flying boat returned to the sect’s mountain gate to participate in the second round. Only after passing that would they gain formal entry qualifications.
Liu Yun Mountain Range.
The rosy light spread across the entire valley.
Ancient trees towered into the sky, mountain rocks stood tall, mist swirled around, green hills and clear waters created a peaceful paradise like a hidden utopia, yet it bore the dignified aura of an immortal realm, suffused with violet clouds and ethereal energy.
Nie Feifei and Nie Feiyan stood on a flying boat, admiring the beautiful scenery.
The surrounding murmurs were filled with admiration.
“We’re almost there,” said a young disciple of Liu Yun Sect, then took out a token and made a few motions in the air.
The view suddenly shifted.
The wild mountain scene seemed both present and ephemeral.
Then, like a rolling door lifting, the inner view was revealed.
A straight stairway led directly to a high platform and a spacious plaza.
Beside a giant blue tree stood a grand gate tower.
On it, three gilded characters were boldly inscribed:
[Liu Yun Sect]
After entering, five disciples of Liu Yun Sect set down their belongings and left.
To Nie Feifei and her companions’ surprise, the place was crowded with over a thousand people.
Their home city, Wucheng, had only fifty-one people pass through, so Liu Yun Sect’s territory was indeed vast.
The crowd clearly divided into two groups: mortals with spirit roots on one side, and practitioners already in the Qi Refining stage on the other.
From the lowest first layer of Qi Refining to the perfected tenth layer were all present.
Nie Feiyan glanced around.
She walked over to the practitioners’ group and approached someone, saying,
“Sister, what’s your name? You’re really beautiful.”
This person was at the second layer of Qi Refining, but from head to toe was clad in top-tier equipment!
A silk scarf tied around their head, a crimson robe adorned their body, cloud shoes graced their feet, and a sword in hand emitted a strong aura of spiritual energy—the appearance alone was extraordinary, exuding supreme style and status.
Though Nie Feiyan did not yet understand the details, she knew from the impressive aura that this person definitely had strength. Starting a conversation and making connections might prove helpful in the future.
“You flatter me. I am Zhou Yanan, from the Zhou family of Wanzhou,” the youth said shyly, sixteen years old, trying to appear mature and composed when praised by the little girl.
Nie Feiyan said, “Sister, you are dignified and elegant, your aura natural and kind, approachable and warm. I truly admire and look up to you!”
“Hahaha,” Zhou Yanan laughed heartily. Being praised like that felt good to him.
“Little sister, you have a sharp eye.”
Nie Feiyan was about to continue flattering him.
“Oh, oh, oh—you’re shameless! Your words make me cringe; I almost want to vomit,” Zhou Yanan teased.
“Want to vomit? Should I find you a man so you can’t even vomit when you want to?” he joked.
“You...you...how can you say that? Shameless,” she blushed in embarrassment and indignation.
The surrounding people were shocked. Goodness, this girl was really bold to say such things. No one knew where she had learned such words.
Only Nie Feiyan and her sister were young and didn’t understand what was being said.
Such words left no room for a comeback.
Wang Xifeng, nineteen years old, came from a cultivation family, possessing a rare water spirit root that appeared once in a century. She was the family’s treasure and their hope for the future.
Wearing a blue and white long skirt, tied with a golden silk belt patterned with colorful clouds, her hair adorned with a seven-star moonpin, and wielding a short sword that emitted ice flames—all were exquisite spirit artifacts.
Her features were delicate, standing 1.8 meters tall with a model’s figure, graceful and charming, unparalleled in aura, exuding an ethereal and transcendent presence.
Her appearance was undeniably impressive.
Pampered by her family, everyone indulged and flattered her. Even this disciple recruitment was initiated by Liu Yun Sect approaching them to be her master.
When Liu Yun Sect learned that the Wang family had a single spirit root, they immediately came to recruit a disciple, promising a subsidy of two hundred thousand spirit stones to the Wang family and an exclusive, spirit-rich cave abode.
Moreover, from then on, the Wang family would no longer be subordinate to Liu Yun Sect but treated as equals, with the sect leader personally accepting the disciple, and the future opportunity to inherit Liu Yun Sect.
It should be noted that inner disciples of Liu Yun Sect only received a monthly stipend of five spirit stones!
The Wang family patriarch agreed with a broad smile and allowed Wang Xifeng to apprentice on the spot.
However, Wang Xifeng was proud and ambitious. Since Liu Yun Sect had the tradition of recruiting disciples once every ten years, she insisted on following the rules.
She intended to rely on her true strength to be selected step by step as the sect leader’s personal disciple.
She did not want people to say she had gained entry through back doors.
In truth, she just wanted to show off in front of everyone at the disciple recruitment ceremony and make a name for herself.
Liu Yun Sect considered it and, knowing this was an inevitable outcome, agreed.
So, at this moment, seeing someone whose style and status even surpassed hers, especially with the flattering words beside her that made her feel sick, Wang Xifeng provocatively sneered,
“Heh, what my little sister does isn’t any of your business.”
Nie Feifei naturally stepped forward to defend her sister.
“Dong dong.”
“Everyone, quiet!”
After the sound, two people quickly flew out from the mountain gate.
The outer disciples who had been guarding called out loudly,
“These two are inner disciples, Senior Brother Liu and Senior Sister Luo, responsible for the second stage of the examination.”
The disciple surnamed Liu fussed with his clothes and flew in front of the crowd.
“Listen up, everyone. The second stage is the 99-step heavenly ladder ahead. You have half an hour, no use of magic allowed. Finish the ladder to pass. No extensions.”
“The first to arrive will receive an extra Qi Gathering Pill as a reward.”
Senior Sister Luo shouted crisply, “Begin!”
Suddenly, a sea of people surged forward like a stampede.
“Charge!”
“The Qi Gathering Pill is a treasure for Qi Refining practitioners, likely to boost cultivation by one layer.”
Wang Xifeng glanced at the Nie sisters and strode up the stairs with head held high, advancing steadily.
Everyone could reach the first step without difficulty.
The second step was noticeably different; an imposing pressure suddenly descended, making each step feel twice as exhausting as the last.
The gap quickly became clear.
Some still moved with ease; others couldn’t even step onto the second rung.
At the 30th step,
Nie Feiyan panted heavily.
“Didn’t expect climbing stairs to be so exhausting.”
She looked at her sister ahead, who also struggled.
Beside her, a man named Han Li pressed on determinedly.
He was already at the fourth layer of Qi Refining. Though magic was forbidden, his physique far surpassed that of ordinary mortals.
So this second test was fair but not perfectly just.
She called out, “Hey, brother, come here. Can I talk to you about something?”
Han Li eyed her warily; nearly betrayed by his master before, he was cautious of everyone, even a little girl.
“What’s the matter?”
“Carry me up, and I’ll give you five spirit stones. How about that?”
At the mention of five spirit stones, all eyes around him gleamed instantly.
These scattered Qi Refining practitioners and mortals preparing to apprentice all understood the value of spirit stones.