"Top-grade spiritual root!"
Inside the grand hall of the Lingfu Sect, a group of teenagers, about fifteen or sixteen years old, gathered together. A deacon dressed in a red robe looked at a young man standing before him, clad in luxurious brocade, with a handsome face and noble bearing, full of admiration.
"As expected of the descendant of the Great Elder's bloodline. Young Master Yun's talent is extraordinary, making us all envious."
"Deacon, you flatter me. Yun Xiao does not dare to accept such praise," responded the brocade-robed youth. His demeanor was graceful, and he nodded slightly, replying naturally to the compliment.
A boy standing in the back observed this entire scene. Dressed in coarse linen, with a worn gourd hanging at his waist, his face was full of anticipation. As he looked at the brocade-robed youth, his eyes were filled with envy.
After enduring countless hardships, he finally reached the Lingfu Sect to participate in the selection process. Whether or not he could become a cultivator depended entirely on this moment. His entire being was tense with nervousness.
"Next, Chen An."
Upon hearing the red-robed deacon's call, Chen An, wearing his coarse clothing, immediately stepped forward. Following what he had observed earlier, he placed his hand on the stone slab in front of him, designed to test one's spiritual roots.
"Inferior spiritual root! Expel him from the sect!"
The deacon's face, once full of admiration, turned cold and indifferent. Without even glancing at Chen An again, he pronounced his fate on the spot.
"Immortal, I—"
"How dare you!" Chen An tried to plead for himself, but the deacon interrupted him sharply before he could finish. "Who gave you the right to speak here? If you overstep again, I'll have you executed on the spot!"
Chen An's fate was sealed. He was led away to join the group of those who had failed the selection, awaiting transport down the mountain from the Lingfu Sect.
Among the youths who participated in the selection, there were over a dozen in total. Soon, the majority of them had joined Chen An's side, preparing to be sent down the mountain. Just then, another deacon in a red robe, with a single eye, entered the hall.
"Elder Gu has informed the sect that these disciples will be sent to the outer sect to serve as laborers."
Chen An, whose heart had been filled with despair, immediately felt a spark of hope. In his eyes, as long as he could remain within the Lingfu Sect, even as a laborer, there would still be hope for him.
At this moment, many of the youths shared Chen An's thoughts. All of them, filled with anticipation, followed the one-eyed deacon to the outer sect.
Along the way, the deacon briefly explained the rules of the Lingfu Sect and led them to the outer sect's herb fields, where they would face their first test after joining the sect.
"In the swamp in front of you grows a type of medicinal herb root. I want you to enter the swamp, one by one, and bring me the root."
As the deacon spoke, a mysterious smile played at the corner of his lips, and he appeared quite pleased with himself. However, he failed to notice that Chen An's brows were furrowed in response.
His nostrils flared slightly. Chen An could smell a thick, foul odor in the air. Floating atop the swamp were brightly colored, wide-leafed flowers that looked deceptively beautiful.
The deacon hadn't finished explaining. The herb he wanted them to collect was called the **Bloodworm Root**, a key ingredient in refining first-grade healing pills.
Bloodworm Roots naturally grew in swamps, alongside a deadly creature known as the **Bloodworm**. These parasitic worms thrived on human blood, capable of burrowing into the body in an instant and draining the host of blood within moments.
For ordinary people, encountering bloodworms meant certain death. The deacon's intention in sending a group of ordinary youths to harvest bloodworm roots—what was he planning?
Chen An, an orphan, had been raised by a group of bandits. The lame old man who had taken care of him once served as a laborer in a sect before it was destroyed. The old man escaped with a book of medicinal herb notes and eventually joined the bandits to survive.
Later, the old man passed all his knowledge on to Chen An, which was how he was able to recognize the Bloodworm Root.
Chen An instantly realized that the Lingfu Sect might not be such a welcoming place after all!
"You, go fetch the herb from the swamp."
While Chen An hesitated, the one-eyed deacon suddenly pointed to a skinny boy beside him.
The boy had no idea of the danger that awaited him and, instead, eagerly leaped into the swamp. He reached into the murky water, searching around for a moment, before grabbing hold of the Bloodworm Root and pulling it up, raising it over his head triumphantly.
But in the next instant, the boy's expression changed. His face contorted in agony, and his skin flushed an unnatural red.
"Boom!"
In the span of a few breaths, the boy's body exploded into a cloud of blood mist. White bones fell into the swamp, and several bloated bloodworms, now the size of human heads, burst from his body and quickly vanished into the swamp once again.
At the same time, a wisp of smoke drifted from the boy's body and, unnoticed by all but Chen An slipped into the worn gourd at his waist.
Seeing the boy's horrific death, everyone else instinctively took several steps back, their faces filled with terror.
Chen An's gaze, however, was focused on the one-eyed deacon.
A cruel smile played on the deacon's lips as he observed the boy's death. It was clear that this had all been intentional, a twisted form of amusement. Chen An had also noticed that when the boy died, many white bones appeared in the swamp, suggesting that similar events had occurred before.
"You're next."
The deacon soon set his eyes on Chen An, noting that he seemed to be the calmest among the group.
Chen An didn't dare disobey. He knew that refusing to enter the swamp would result in certain death.
After a brief hesitation, he tightened his pant legs and tucked them into his shoes. His sleeves were too short to cover his arms, so he had no choice but to remain alert.
He scanned the perimeter of the swamp, quickly locating the Bloodworm Root. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the swamp and swiftly retrieved the root before leaping out in one fluid motion.
Though it seemed to take a while, the entire process only lasted a few breaths.
As Chen An stood before the deacon, holding the Bloodworm Root, the deacon's face showed a flash of surprise. But his expression quickly shifted to one of amusement, as if he was waiting for something to happen.
Chen An felt a sharp sting in his arm. He looked down to see a bloodworm clinging to the only exposed skin on his arm, ready to burrow into his flesh!
At that moment, even the slightest panic could mean his death.
Fortunately, Chen An had experienced enough hardship to remain calm in such dire situations.
Without hesitation, he drew a dagger from his waist and cut off a large chunk of flesh from his arm, removing the bloodworm before it could burrow in.
By the time he finished, his arm was drenched in blood, the wound exposing bone. The pain was excruciating, but he ignored it and respectfully presented the Bloodworm Root to the deacon with both hands.