Since this was indeed Yunlan Sect, Ji Wushuang shamelessly decided to take part in the remaining trials—Wenxin Path.
The rules were simple: whoever could reach the top of the mountain within a day would enter the inner sect, while those who couldn't would be classified as outer sect disciples or laborers, depending on their progress.
Ji Wushuang strapped her "masters" on her back and began her easy climb on Wenxin Path. With each step she took, it felt as though a giant stone was pressing down on her shoulder. This was the power of Wenxin Path—it tested the disciple's heart, and even as they reached the end, the gravity would double, while also forcing them to confront all kinds of mental trials. Determination, composure, and sharpness—all were essential. But Ji Wushuang was just here to send her second master back to the sect, so she didn't have time for these child's games. She merely glanced back and blew lightly, and the weight of the stone vanished. She proceeded casually, step by step, climbing higher. Little did she know that her actions not only frightened the elite trial-goers along the path, but also left the leaders of the various sects speechless in shock. Why was this frail and ragged little person so unaffected by the Wenxin Path?
On the Lingxiao Platform, the sect masters and elders of the Five Great Sects were present. Their calm composure had disappeared, and now their eyes were filled with astonishment as they stared at the little figure on the Wenxin Path. Good heavens! They had walked this path themselves, and it had been difficult for them, yet this little girl was breezing through it. Could it be that she was the legendary... a child of destiny?
"Congratulations, Sect Master Lian." A sour voice interrupted the silence—it was Xiao Chen, the Sect Master of Fengxuan Sect. Everyone knew that Xiao Chen and Lian Xing, the Sect Master of Yunlan Sect, were bitter rivals. They had come from the same cultivation city and shared a long history of conflict. Now, Lian Xing had unexpectedly found such an extraordinary talent, which made Xiao Chen envious enough to turn green with jealousy. The other sect masters and elders didn't say anything, but they all exchanged glances with expressions full of disdain. Why had such a genius ended up in Yunlan Sect? Why hadn't any of their spies discovered her earlier?
Lian Xing, upon regaining his composure, forced a smile and said, "Ah, please, everyone calm down. It's just a little girl. What if her spiritual roots are mediocre? We'll have to wait and see."
Everyone: "…"This old fox! You make it sound so nice, but will you let her go to another sect?
On the Wenxin Path, Ji Wushuang continued to pass one trial after another, reaching the top in just two hours. As she reached the peak, the light suddenly dimmed, the clouds parted, and she saw the magnificent golden hall of Lingxiao—Tengxiao Hall. To seek the great Dao, to ascend to the heavens—what a fitting name for this hall.
"Congratulations, junior sister." The gentle woman smiled warmly at her. "You are the first to pass the Wenxin Path. The Sect Master, the peak masters, and the elders are all waiting for you in the hall. Please, come inside."
Ji Wushuang nodded her thanks, her short legs carrying her up the steps to the hall. Lian Xing cleared his throat, trying to maintain his composure as the sect master. "Name yourself, disciple."
Ji Wushuang bowed slightly. "I am Ji Wushuang."
Lian Xing assumed this was a new disciple who didn't understand etiquette and didn't mind too much. "Now, the spirit stone test."
The first step for any sect to recruit disciples was the spirit stone test, but at this point, they only measured whether someone had spiritual roots. Only after passing two major hurdles and reaching Tengxiao Hall would they be qualified to measure the purity of their spiritual roots. Normally, those who made it this far would have spiritual roots with purity of 50% to 70%. If a disciple's purity reached 80% or more, there was a high chance they would be taken in as a direct disciple of a high-ranking cultivator.
Ji Wushuang walked up to the spirit stone and placed her hand on it. The stone immediately glowed brilliantly—fiery red and lush green! It was a perfect heaven-grade spiritual root! And a dual-attribute one—Fire and Wood! Though dual spiritual roots weren't as fast in cultivation as single spiritual roots, this was still an extraordinary talent. With the right resources, Ji Wushuang could become two geniuses in one.
Xiao Chen could no longer hold back and smiled widely. "Girl, I am Xiao Chen, Sect Master of Fengxuan Sect. If you are willing to join our sect, I guarantee you a smooth path to immortality. My entire sect will be at your service!"
The other sect masters quickly joined the battle to recruit her."Girl, join my Yushen Sect. We specialize in alchemy, and your spiritual roots are perfect for becoming an alchemist.""No, no! Come to my Leiji Sect. With your talent and comprehension, you'll be perfect for formation techniques.""Girl, come to our Jieting Sect. In this world, no one is stronger than sword cultivators!"
Ji Wushuang blinked, her clear eyes unperturbed, and was about to speak when Lian Xing suddenly sneered coldly, "Don't waste your time. She is my disciple—my personal disciple."
At this, all the sect masters stopped thinking about recruiting her.Wow! Lian Xing must have made a significant investment in this disciple. It was well-known that Lian Xing had sworn a vow to only accept five disciples in his lifetime, and this would be the last. Ji Wushuang had excellent spiritual roots, comprehension, and intellect, but she had dual spiritual roots. If they wanted to take a direct disciple, they would choose someone with single spiritual roots. A dual-root disciple wasn't worthy of being called "direct disciple"!
While everyone was still pondering, the light from the spirit stone suddenly stopped. It was as if a shooting star had fallen—fast and intense. This unexpected change stunned everyone.
"Look! What's going on?" The sect masters gasped. Why did the spirit stone go out? Could the test have malfunctioned? As they were still perplexed, the spirit stone suddenly began "flickering," flashing wildly as if intoxicated. The flashes were so bright and erratic that they nearly blinded everyone.
Everyone: ???Had the spirit stone broken?
Lian Xing furrowed his brows, quickly moving to Ji Wushuang's side. He pressed his hand to her pulse, only to realize that her spiritual root was indeed heaven-grade, but she didn't seem to have a spiritual bone. Lian Xing wasn't sure because there was no spiritual bone in her body, but her spiritual energy was abundant, which was very strange. He secretly transmitted a message to Ji Wushuang: [Child, what's going on with your spiritual bone?]
Ji Wushuang could have responded in many ways to keep Lian Xing from discovering her issue, but she simply replied calmly, [It was taken.]
Lian Xing's eyes widened, staring at her. The spiritual bone was taken? In other words, this immense talent was essentially useless?This brilliant little girl could never cultivate and would always remain a helpless waste!