"Line up for the test." The middle-aged man in a blue robe wasted no words. He placed a jade stone, inscribed with intricate array patterns, onto a prepared table.
This jade stone could detect the presence of spiritual energy within a person. As long as one had successfully guided spiritual energy into their body, the stone would sense it. This was the standard for officially becoming a servant disciple of the Qinglu Sect.
At his command, the crowd quickly ford a line. The first person stepped forward and pressed their hand onto the jade stone. Imdiately, a faint glow emanated from it.
"Qualified!"
The middle-aged man nodded and handed over a pouch—this was the starter kit for those who passed, officially marking them as servant disciples of the Qinglu Sect.
One by one, the people stepped forward to take the test. The intensity of the jade stone's glow varied depending on the amount of spiritual energy within each individual. Those who had started cultivating earlier naturally had more accumulated energy than those who had begun later.
Whenever soone caused the stone to shine brightly, envious glances followed.
The test was simple—just placing a hand on the stone—so even with hundreds of candidates, the process moved quickly. Soon, it was Gu Mo's turn.
Upon seeing him, the middle-aged man's expression darkened slightly. Gu Mo was likely the only failure in his current assignnt. His task was to guide these servant disciples in their cultivation, as part of a sect mission. The mission's completion rate directly affected the rewards he would receive.
"Hm?"
But just as he was beginning to feel uneasy, the middle-aged man saw the jade stone emit a faint glow under Gu Mo's touch. His heart lifted slightly.
"Not bad!"
For once, he offered praise. Achieving spiritual energy integration at the last mont was a pleasant surprise. It ant he could complete his mission without issue.
Seeing the jade stone light up, Gu Mo let out a deep sigh of relief. He had used Sun Essence to guide spiritual energy into his body—a thod different from the norm. He had been worried that his unique approach might cause complications during the test.
Now, it seed everything was fine. Sun Essence was essentially a higher-tier form of spiritual energy. Since it was still spiritual energy, the jade stone could detect it. However, this particular stone, ant for servant disciples, did not have the capability to assess the quality of one's spiritual energy.
"From today onward, you are officially servant disciples of the Qinglu Sect. Over the next year, your primary goal is to cultivate diligently and reach the Qi Refining stage as soon as possible. During this ti, senior disciples from various peaks will co to select new recruits. You may choose to join them based on your preferences," the middle-aged man announced, now in a good mood.
"However, if you fail to make a choice within a year, the sect will assign you to a peak by force. So choose wisely—so of the more popular peaks won't have room for latecors."
With that, the middle-aged man departed swiftly.
As soon as he left, the once-silent plaza erupted with chatter. Small groups gathered to discuss which peak they wanted to join, while others excitedly examined the pouches they had received from the sect.
Gu Mo belonged to the latter group. The mont he had obtained the Solar Flower, he had already decided—he would beco a spirit farr, managing the sect's spiritual fields while secretly cultivating Solar Flowers.
Thus, he was most interested in the contents of the pouch. Opening it, he found a variety of items: a servant disciple identification token, a gray servant disciple robe, a Qi Refining cultivation manual, a bottle of Fasting Pills, three Qi Condensation Pills, and three spirit stones.
The identification token was not only proof of identity but also allowed disciples to accept sect missions and track their contributions. Though plain-looking, the servant disciple robe was actually a magical garnt. While it lacked any ranking as an enchanted item, it still provided resistance to extre temperatures.
If taken to the mortal world, it would surely be seen as a treasure of the immortals.
The cultivation manual, Qi Gathering Technique, was unremarkable in every aspect. Its only advantage was a relatively fast cultivation speed compared to other techniques of the sa grade. It was designed for servant disciples who needed to gain cultivation quickly to contribute labor to the sect.
The remaining pills and spirit stones were resources for cultivation. To ensure that disciples focused solely on training, the sect provided a bottle of Fasting Pills. With these, one could go without food for days while in seclusion. The Qi Condensation Pills helped accelerate cultivation. Even those with poor spiritual roots would have a good chance of reaching the Qi Refining stage within a year.
After reviewing his resources, Gu Mo couldn't help but marvel at the benefits of joining a major sect. And this was just for servant disciples—he couldn't even imagine the resources available to outer and inner disciples.
Of course, the sect's investnt in them wasn't out of generosity. Eventually, they would all have to repay the sect's investnt many tis over.
"Gu Mo!"
Just as he was about to leave, he heard soone call his na. Turning around, he was puzzled—he didn't recall knowing anyone here.
"Who are you?"
Gu Mo looked at the four people approaching him. The leader was a young man dressed in luxurious robes, suggesting a wealthy background—at least by mortal standards.
However, in a cultivation sect, spiritual roots and cultivation talent determined one's status. Even a noble from the mortal world would still be a re servant disciple if they lacked talent.
"I am Yao Shifeng."
The young man in fine robes cupped his hands in greeting.
Upon hearing the na, Gu Mo quickly recalled that Yao Shifeng had been one of those who caused the jade stone to shine brilliantly. He was undoubtedly among the most talented of the new servant disciples.
But why was he approaching Gu Mo?
"I heard you're from the Great Xia Dynasty as well. We all co from Great Xia," Yao Shifeng explained after exchanging pleasantries.
"The path of cultivation is long and fraught with dangers. Having a few trustworthy companions can make all the difference in tis of need. We're all from the sa kingdom—it's only natural that we stick together and help each other progress."
After speaking, Yao Shifeng smiled and waited for Gu Mo's response.
Gu Mo considered the proposal briefly before agreeing. Though he had transmigrated and wasn't truly from Great Xia, he agreed with Yao Shifeng's logic.
Cultivation was full of hardships, and everyone encountered difficulties along the way. Having allies could an the difference between survival and failure.
This was especially true within a structured sect. Among rogue cultivators, forming reliable friendships was nearly impossible—one misstep could lead to betrayal and death.
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