Who Let Him Cultivate Immortality

Chapter 1: Today is Suitable for Travel, But Not for Cheating

On the second day of the second lunar month, it’s suitable for traveling.

The moderate rain was pouring down noisily, bringing forth the fragrance of the soil as it hit the ground, causing ripples on the surface of the lake, and provoking quiet curses from the people it landed on.

“Who said it was a good day for traveling? It starts raining as soon as I step outside,” complained Lu Yang, regretting not bringing a raincoat in advance.

It was his first time traveling far from home, and he was inexperienced. The sudden rain soaked him, making his shoes muddy and every step felt like the ground was against him——he had to pull his feet out of the mud.

The sound of trotting hooves approached from behind, catching Lu Yang’s attention.

Turning his head, he saw a horse carriage approaching him. There was no coachman, and the old horse seemed to know the way, not needing anyone to steer it.

“What a mystical horse.” Lu Yang marveled. The horse had a few scales on its forehead, resembling snake scales, clearly some sort of rare demonic beast.

Although he didn’t understand its true value, he knew this old horse was precious.

At least, it was beyond his means to afford it.

“This brother slowly walking in the rain, it is truly elegant. Why not come and sit in the carriage?” a cheerful male voice came from the carriage. Lu Yang accepted the offer, pulling his feet out of the mud and hurriedly got in.

“Sorry to impose, my name is Lu Yang.” Lu Yang carefully sat inside, afraid of dirtying the carriage with the mud and rainwater on him.

“Meng Jingzhou,” the owner of the carriage introduced himself, just as easy-going and optimistic as his voice suggested, seemingly able to strike up a conversation with anyone.

“Brother Lu, are you also here to participate in the Dao Seeking Sect’s recruitment?”

“Just trying my luck.”

Meng Jingzhou laughed heartily, “Brother Lu, what harm is there in being honest? If you were just trying your luck, you wouldn’t have braved the rain to get to the Dao Seeking Sect.”

Lu Yang felt a bit embarrassed, “Who doesn’t want to enter the Dao Seeking Sect?”

The Dao Seeking Sect, one of the five great immortal sects in the Central Continent, was immensely powerful and housed innumerable cultivation experts. Today, the Dao Seeking Sect was looking for disciples and countless individuals were trying their luck at the recruitment.

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were among them.

Lu Yang had transmigrated to the Central Continent where his parents died early. He survived on the small inheritance they left and the help of his neighbors.

In the small town where he had lived for over a decade, he heard from a storyteller about immortals knocking on the gates of heaven with their swords, about river demons turning over five hundred miles away causing floods, about disciples of immortal sects flying with swords to slay demons and defending the path of righteousness. He had seen unkempt Daoists cheat and deceive, fly up into the air, publicly break out of prison, and then get captured again by the authorities who could also fly.

At that time, he realized this was not the world he was familiar with and not any era that he knew. This was a world of cultivation where individuals wielded great power.

He aspired to seek the path of immortality, to learn the arts of everlasting life.

The Dao Seeking Sect was his first choice.

There was no particular reason for choosing the Dao Seeking Sect, simply because there were no other sects around his home, only the Dao Seeking Sect.

Where the Dao Seeking Sect stood, other sects would not foolishly try to establish themselves nearby.

In their conversation, Lu Yang learned that Meng Jingzhou came from a family of cultivators, possessing far more knowledge about cultivation than Lu Yang did.

“The Dao Seeking Sect’s requirements for recruiting disciples are that they must be mortals under the age of sixteen. Not just the Dao Seeking Sect, most sects have this requirement.”

“The path of cultivation is long and full of obstacles. Qi training, foundation building, golden core, nascent soul, spirit transformation, void refinement, unity, tribulation crossing—each stage is a major hurdle, stopping countless people. One in ten, one in twenty, or even one in a hundred might succeed.”

“There are many factors determining success in cultivation, such as luck, wisdom, spiritual roots... By the way, Brother Lu, do you know what your spiritual root is?”

“The Dao Seeking Sect doesn’t have high requirements for spiritual roots, but they still won’t accept very poor ones.”

Lu Yang frowned; he only knew about spiritual roots from the storyteller and didn’t know his own.

“I don’t know, what about you, Brother Meng?”

Meng Jingzhou looked perplexed and shook his head, “I was tested for spiritual roots in my clan. The elders looked worried and didn’t tell me the result, just saying that my talent was extraordinary and entering one of the five great immortal sects wouldn’t be a problem. Later, I secretly asked my parents. They were even more worried than the elders and also didn’t tell me.”

Lu Yang speculated, “Maybe your spiritual root is so extraordinary that it might bring disaster to the Meng family. Only a huge sect like the Dao Seeking Sect could protect you.”

“I heard the storyteller say that the difference of a hair’s breadth can mean life or death in a fight between cultivators. The moral character tested in the second part isn’t about whether you’re indecisive or decisive, but about making the quickest decision. That’s the most important.”

Meng Jingzhou suddenly understood.

“The third part tests honesty. The Dao Seeking Sect has a mirror that can tell if you’re telling the truth or a lie. If you’re found to have told a lie, you’re directly kicked out of the test.”

Lu Yang pondered, “This part is simple. If you weren’t warned in advance, it’s easy to lie to cover up for yourself. But since we know in advance, just tell the truth.”

Meng Jingzhou nodded; he thought the same.

The two discussed for a while, coming up with many possible emergencies and countermeasures, and after deliberation, they felt confident.

Yun Zhi smiled slightly, seemingly finding their plans sound.

“Thank you for the information, Young Master Lu.”

“Uh, has the rain stopped?” Lu Yang noticed that the sound of raindrops hitting the ground had ceased outside and curiously peeked outside.

The area they had just passed was still under heavy rain, while their location was sunny and fragrant with the scent of flowers, as if an unparalleled sword energy had split the world into two halves, yin and yang, never intersecting.

Lu Yang looked up to see numerous rare beasts and immortal treasures rushing towards the towering mountain that pierced the sky.

The towering mountain was coated in a layer of pale gold by the sunlight, with magnificent patterns spreading out from behind the mountain, covering the sky and blocking the rain.

That was the gateway mountain of the Dao Seeking Sect, protected by a great formation, impervious to all.

Out of respect for the Dao Seeking Sect, cultivation geniuses, led by their family elders, landed at the foot of the mountain, waiting for the Dao Seeking Sect to start the test.

The old horse was already a rare demonic beast, but compared to the divine and extraordinary beasts resting at the foot of the mountain, it was still lacking.

“Mom, this is much more impressive than our Meng family’s estate,” Meng Jingzhou rubbed his hands, a bit nervous, but more excited about the thought of passing the test and becoming a member of the Dao Seeking Sect.

Lu Yang was silent. He could see the mountain from his home, but it didn’t feel like much from a distance. Standing at the foot of the mountain, he realized the enormity of the structure.

He was a bit nervous. He had solutions for the second and third parts, but he still didn’t know his spiritual root. He might not even pass the first part of the test.

Dozens of cultivators floated in the air, guarding in front of the mountain, all exuding powerful aura fluctuations. Lu Yang suspected that if they fully released their auras, few people present could stand.

These cultivators were silent, imposing a psychological pressure without a word.

Lu Yang heard a family elder introducing to a younger member, “Judging by their Daoist robe styles, these are core disciples of the Dao Seeking Sect, all disciples of various elders. In the future, these people will be your senior brothers and sisters.”

“Don’t be nervous. They’re not deliberately pressuring you. It seems they are waiting for the person hosting this test. Once the host arrives, the test will begin.”

Lu Yang turned his head, wanting to see Yun Zhi’s reaction. Was she excited or nervous?

She couldn’t still be indifferent, right?

“Miss Yun Zhi, you...”

Just as Lu Yang was about to say something, he saw Yun Zhi step lightly, and before each step landed, a white lotus would support her delicate body.

The crowd was astonished, and family elders broke into a cold sweat, quickly silencing their juniors.

A path of white lotuses spread out, crossing over everyone. Yun Zhi walked to the middle of the Dao Seeking Sect’s core disciples. The disciples bowed to her respectfully, and Yun Zhi gently raised her hand, then faced the crowd and smiled.

“Thank you for waiting. I am the senior sister of the Dao Seeking Sect and the host of this test.”

“I announce that the test officially begins.”

After speaking, Yun Zhi glanced at the stunned Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou with a smile that was not quite a smile.

She indeed came to participate in the Dao Seeking Sect’s test, but not as a candidate; she was the examiner.

(End of the chapter)