The second day of the second lunar month, favorable for travel.

It was pouring down with a continuous patter, hitting the ground and sending up the fragrance of the soil, falling upon the surface of the lake and creating ripple after ripple, landing on the heads of passersby, eliciting their subdued curses and complaints.

"Who said today was favorable for travel? The rain starts the moment I step outside," complained Lu Yang, regretting not bringing a raincoat in advance.

This was his first time traveling far, and lacking experience, the rain caught him off guard. He was drenched, his shoes caked in mud, and with every step, he felt the earth's malice, as he had to pull his feet out of the mud pits.

The sound of clip-clop echoed from behind, drawing Lu Yang's attention.

Turning his head, Lu Yang saw a horse-drawn carriage approaching. The carriage had no coachman, and the old horse seemed to know the way, needing no one to steer it.

"What a marvelous horse," Lu Yang marveled. There were scales on the forehead of the old horse reminiscent of snake scales, clearly a mutated demon beast.

Though he did not understand its value, he knew the horse was precious.

At the very least, it was beyond his financial reach.

"Good sir, traversing in the rain, you truly have an elegant leisure. Why not come and sit inside the carriage?"

A cheerful male laughter emanated from the carriage, and Lu Yang accepted the offer, pulling his feet out of the mud and quickly getting on board.

"I'm in your debt. My name is Lu Yang," he said as he gingerly took a seat inside the carriage, fearing that the rain and mud on him would soil it.

"Meng Jingzhou." The owner of the carriage was as careless and optimistic as his voice, seemingly able to strike up a conversation with anyone.

"Brother Lu, are you also here to participate in the Seek Dao Sect selection?"

"Just trying my luck," he replied.

Meng Jingzhou laughed heartily: "Brother Lu, why not be honest? If you were simply trying your luck, you wouldn't walk in the rain to the Seek Dao Sect."

Lu Yang felt a bit ashamed: "Who wouldn't want to enter the Seek Dao Sect?"

The Seek Dao Sect, one of the Five Great Immortal Sects in the Central Continent, with countless cultivators of great power, extremely mighty, is recruiting disciples today. Who knows how many people are trying their luck?

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were two of them.

Lu Yang had found himself in the Central Continent after a journey, with his parents gone early; he survived on the little inheritance they left and the aid of neighbors.

In the dozens of years living in the small town, he heard the storytellers speak of Immortals knocking on heaven's door with their Flying Swords, of river demons turning over five hundred miles away causing floods, and of Immortal Disciples slicing demons with Flying Swords, removing demons to protect the Dao. He'd seen sloppy Taoists swindle and cheat, soar into the sky, publicly escape from prison, only to be caught by officials who rose into the sky just the same.

Then he knew, this was not the world he was familiar with, not any dynasty he knew; it was a world of Cultivation where tremendous power was amassed into individuals.

He aspired to seek the Dao of Immortality and learn the Immortal Methods of longevity.

The Seek Dao Sect was his first stop in this pursuit.

Choosing the Seek Dao Sect was for no other reason than the lack of other Sects in his vicinity—just the Seek Dao Sect alone.

Where the Seek Dao Sect was, other Sects would not foolishly choose to set up nearby.

During their conversation, Lu Yang learned that Meng Jingzhou came from an influential Cultivation family, possessing far more knowledge about Cultivation than Lu Yang did.

"The Seek Dao Sect's requirement for recruiting disciples is that they must be mortals under the age of sixteen. This is not just the Seek Dao Sect's policy, but most Sects have the same requirement."

"The path of Cultivation is fraught with obstacles: Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, Refining the Void, Unification, and Passing Tribulation. Each Realm is a watershed, obstructing countless people, with only one in ten, one in twenty, or even one in a hundred achieving the breakthrough."

"There are many factors that determine the success of Cultivation, such as luck, wisdom, Spirit Root... By the way, Brother Lu, do you know what your Spirit Root is?"

"The Seek Dao Sect is not demanding about Spirit Roots, but it does not accept those with too poor a Spirit Root."

Lu Yang frowned. He had only heard the term Spirit Root from a storyteller and was unaware of his own Spirit Root.

"I don't know. What about you, Brother Meng?"

Meng Jingzhou's expression turned very puzzled, and he shook his head: "I once tested my Spirit Root in my family, but the clan elders were worried and did not disclose the results to me, only saying that my talent was astonishingly peerless and entering one of the Five Immortal Sects was no problem. They told me I would find out when I eventually joined one of the Five Immortal Sects. I secretly asked my parents later, and they were even more worried than the elders and likewise did not reveal anything to me."

Lu Yang speculated: "It could be that your Spirit Root is too extraordinary and capable of bringing disaster to the Meng Family; only an enormous entity like the Seek Dao Sect could protect you."

"That's what I thought as well." Meng Jingzhou slapped Lu Yang's shoulder, looking like he had found a kindred spirit, growing increasingly convinced that Lu Yang was as talented as himself, a natural born seed of the Dao.

Lu Yang listened to the rain outside growing heavier and was thankful that Meng Jingzhou had let him on the carriage.

"Stop," Meng Jingzhou suddenly shouted, and the old horse took a few steps before slowly coming to a halt.

The carriage was a rare treasure, granting Meng Jingzhou the ability to see outside.

Meng Jingzhou spotted a woman walking in the rain outside, just like Lu Yang had been.

"This sister walking this way must also be headed to the Seek Dao Sect for the trials. With the rain pouring like this, why not rest your feet aboard?"

The woman was somewhat surprised by Meng Jingzhou's proposition, thought it over for a moment, and then agreed.

As the woman boarded the carriage, both Meng Jingzhou and Lu Yang were stunned.

Meng Jingzhou fancied himself as well-traveled, but he had never seen such a beautiful woman. As for Lu Yang, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen was the young widow selling tofu next door.