Southern Continent, Zheng Dynasty, Harmony Blossom Sect
Looking at Elder Ji, who was about to leave, Xi Shen quickly thanked him, "Thank you for everything, Elder Ji!" Yingshu smiled, and a small smile appeared on Elder Ji's face.
He coughed and looked rather pleased with himself. He turned around and in a strange voice said, "Before I come back, you better become the Inner Disciple, understood?"
'Inner Disciple? That's at least Foundation Establishment.' The high expectations that Elder Ji had for Xi Shen were encouraging.
Zhu Yingshu patted him on the back, his eyes filled with confidence, "Don't worry, Young Master. With your potential, it's only a matter of time before you achieve that."
Xi Shen clenched his fists, feeling a surge of determination. 'I have to become stronger, not just for myself but for my family and those who believe in me.' As Elder Ji was leaving, Xi Shen replied, "Yes!"
Zhen Ning turned toward me and said, "Young Master, we should enter. The token is probably the key, just inject it with spiritual energy." Nodding at Zhen Ning's advice, Xi Shen took a deep breath and held the token in my hand.
He focused his qi, feeling the familiar warmth of energy surge through his veins and into the token. As he did, it began to glow with a soft, pink light, resonating with the barrier before them.
At the same time, Xi Shen used the jade, deep into the Main Peak, a small lake rippled. Near the lake, a single weeping willow stood, and under it an old man meditated.
The man had white hair, a frail body, and a seemingly mortal presence. He wore Red robes, with a small Yin-Yang symbol. The old man opened his eyes and frowned, "What is this aura?"
The man stood up, spreading his Spiritual Sense, when he saw Xi Shen entering the sect grounds, his frown deepened, "This aura… there's no mistaking it…"
He pulled out a pink colored mirror, which gave out the same but weaker aura than the Mirror of Clearvoyance. He injected spiritual energy into it, and in response, it shone with strong pink light, spreading the fragrance of peach blossoms.
The man looked in bewilderment, somewhat tearfully said, "Master, he had finally come." Snapping out of his daze, he sat down, "Let's see if your ability is as grand as your destiny is."
Thinking for a bit, he sent out a voice transmission to the current Sect Master, 'Don't anger this lad in any way, he's the future of our sect.' With that, the old man continued his cultivation.
Back to Shen's situation, the barrier shimmered and parted like a curtain, revealing the path ahead into the Harmony Blossom Sect. As soon as it did, a disciple in charge came over, "State your name and purpose!"
He had light pink robes, with the same Yin-Yang symbol that the Elder Ji wore. He seemed tense, ready to take out a weapon anytime, but scared as he couldn't feel the auras of Zhu Yingshu and Zhen Ning.
Seeing them flying, he was scared, cursing his own fate, 'At least Foundation Establishment, why did I have to guard the barrier today. Damn you, Hao Zhen, I hope you get a mental demon.'
Zhu Yingshu bowed slightly, "Fellow Daoist, we came here to escort our Young Master, so he could join the great Harmony Blossom Sect."
Seeing a Foundation Establishment bowing to him, his pride skyrocketed, but then a thought struck him, "The acceptance of disciples ended three years ago, you'd need to wait another seven."
Zhu Yingshu nodded, "That would be the case, if not our Young Master possessing a recommendation jade from the esteemed Harmonic Sword, your Sect Master."
Seeing the token, the disciple was taken aback, as this meant the child had an extraordinary background. Thinking for a bit, he decided to push his problems onto someone else.
He took out communication jade and called an Elder over, as this was beyond him. As soon as the Elder heard someone with the recommendation jade had come, he hurried over.
The Elder wore blue robes, his black hair was tied in a ponytail, given that he looked in his 30s and 8th level of Foundation Establishment, it showed his talent.
Seeing them up close, he was a bit disappointed, as they're only 4th and 2nd levels of Foundation Establishment. But since they had a recommendation jade, he couldn't be rude.
He landed and, clasping his hands, introduced himself, "Greetings, Fellow Daoists, I'm Ma Zhi, an elder in charge of guarding the Eastern Post of our Sect. I presume you brought this child to join our sect using the recommendation jade?"
Zhu Yingshu nodded, "Yes, Fellow Daoist. This child is a member of a small Xi Clan." He said as he took out a plaque with the Xi (喜) symbol. Seeing the symbol, Ma Zhi just nodded, not impressed.
Looking intensely at Xi Shen, he tried to figure out how they got the jade, 'They aren't from any prominent family, not from the Cultivation Dynasty, maybe a hidden family?'
He immediately informed the Sect Master about the matter with communication jade, to which he got an instant reply, to let the boy in, and not offend him in any way, 'I knew it, they must be hidden family. Their concealing arts are quite good.'
He looked at them, now with fondness, "Sect Master said the boy can enter to take the examination, but Fellow Daoists need to stay behind, please understand."
Zhen Ning waved his hand, "Don't fret it, Fellow Daoist, our objective was to escort Young Master to the esteemed Harmony Blossom Sect. Now that it's complete, we'll naturally leave."
While they were talking and exchanging pleasantries, Zhu Yingshu sent a sound transmission to Xi Shen, 'Young Master, remember, don't open the box before you reach at least the later levels of Qi Refinement. When you do, just put a drop of your blood and infuse it with spiritual energy.'
Xi Shen just nodded slowly, as they had already talked about the box on the way. Xi Fengfeng told Xi Li, it contains her Sword Dao comprehension and a treasure.
Zhen Ning and Ma Zhi finished their talk, and Zhen Ning turned around while saying, "Youg Master, you have to do well, don't hold back. When we meet again, you'll be a great cultivator." He bowed, "May Heavenly Dao bless your journey."
Zhu Yingshu was emotional, looking at Xi Shen, he saw the image of a little girl who would pester him about cultivation. Then a young woman, who, despite being a frail-looking lady was as fierce as a dragon. He only bowed and didn't say anything.
Xi Shen also bowed to them, "Thank you for everything, tell father, his son will make him proud."After saying that, he followed Ma Zhi into the sect. Seeing how polite Ma Zhi was, the previous disciple was left dumbstruck.
They first had to pass through Lianhua City (莲花城), as Ma Zhi described, "This city is exclusive to our Sect, here Servants, Outher Disciples and mortals live. It has been in our jurisdiction since the founding of the Sect."
A bustling city came into view, streets swarmed by mortals and occasional cultivators. The peach trees planted by the road gave the scene a serene feel. Xi Shen looked at the distance and saw a giant mountain, that reached the sky.
Passing mortals, when they saw his blue robes, everyone made a way. On the outside, Ma Zhi looked indifferent, but inside he was proud, 'This is how you show respect to elders.'
Some mumbles of disciples could be heard, "Who is that kid? To be led by an elder himself, he must have a pretty strong background."
The other disciple chimed in, "But he's only 6th level of Qi Gathering, practically still a mortal." Many such comments were heard by Xi Shen, who was a bit embarrassed, as this was the first time he was the center of attention of so many people.
As they passed the streets, Xi Shen looked around curiously, 'There's talismans, herbs, artifacts… So much, our Xi Clan could never.' Seeing his astonished look, Ma Zhi was quite pleased.
When they got near the foot of the mountain, the mortals became less and less, but the number of cultivators had risen. And they all wore dark pink robes with Yin-Yang symbol, with some of them wearing light pink robes.
Some disciples paid their respects, most of them wearing light pink robes, while those in dark pink just glanced and occasionally nodded. But Ma Zhi didn't mind and led Xi Shen towards the cave at the foot of the mountain.
When he got near it, he clasped his hands and bowed, "Senior Brother Zhong, under orders of the Sect Master, this child is to take the entrance examination."
When he finished, from the cave exited an elderly man, who gave out a scholarly aura and a soothing presence. He had a head full of white hair, which was flowing freely in the wind. He was Elder Zhong, a 2nd level of Golden Core, and a person in charge of the first test.
Seeing Xi Shen, Elder Zhong's mind worked at 100%, and he quickly connected the dots. His aged voice mumbled, "For her son to be joining our sect, truly fate works in mysterious ways."
Xi Shen also clasped his hands and paid his respect, "Greetings, Elder Zhong. I'm Xi Shen, from Xi Clan."
Seeing his sincerity, Elder Zhong slightly nodded, "Junior Brother Ma, you can leave. I'll take it from here."
Ma Zhi nodded, turned around, and left. When they were alone, Elder Zhong finally said, "As you're her son, I'll tell you, the first two tests are just formality, as rarely does someone not pass them."
He turned around and gestured to Xi Shen to follow him into the cave, "They are meant to test your core beliefs, they were invented by our founder, while the third test is a tradition passed by his disciple, and our Second Sect Master."
He took out a small glowing orb, its light a mesmerizing mixture of red and purple, giving off a strange sensation. "This is the Orb of Reflection. It will pull you into a strong illusion, designed to test the depths of your character and resolve. In the illusion, you won't remember your current life. Only by demonstrating exceptional temperament will you be able to return, and by that I mean to become a cultivator."
Xi Shen immediately had one concern, "Elder, if I don't become a cultivator in time, what then?" Elder Zhong looked a bit weirded out.
Snapping out of his daze, he replied, "In seven days, if you don't wake up, I will wake you." He pointed the orb at Xi Shen, "Your subconscious will be at work here, your dao heart. All disciples stumble upon their cultivation method in the illusion, and are faced with a choice to cultivate or not to cultivate. As the path isn't for the faint of heart."
With the last sentence, Eldere Zhong injected the orb with the spiritual energy, and blinding red and purple light enveloped Xi Shen. He then unconsciously sat into the lotus position.
#In the illusion#
In some unknown forest, a single man, 178cm, stood with closed eyes. His hands, drenched in blood, held two dead rabbits. The man suddenly opened his eyes, and seeing the blood started trembling.
'What the hell?!' The man was none other than Xi Shen, 'Why is there blood all over the place? And why do I have my memories, shouldn't I have forgotten?'
However, no one answered his questions, and suddenly he could remember things that weren't there before. In the illusion, he was Zi Fenyuan, a teen without parents.
Xi Shen felt weird, as he went from a 12-year-old to a 17-year-old, the changes were noticeable, his hair, skin, and especially the height. As for spiritual changes he was weaker, his senses were just 1% of his previous state.
Feeling the heaviness of his body, he couldn't help but compare, 'Although Qi Gathering isn't really considered a cultivator, but the downgrade to a mortal, I feel weird.'
Zi Fenyuan's parents were killed by demonic beasts last year. All three of them lived deep in the forest, as his father was a rogue cultivator at the 4th level of Qi Gathering.
Now, he was hunting for food as he was a mortal and needed the sustenance of one, "Let's see if I still can view my status." He summoned the blue screen.
{Status}
[Name: Zi Fenyuan (子风源)]
[Age: 17/60]
[Inheritance: None]
[Cultivation: Mortal ]
[Physique: Whispering Gale Physique - Mortal (#Blocked)]
[Root: Two Element Root - Mortal Grade (Wind and Water)]
[Spells: None]
[Arts: None]
[Looks: Beautiful]
Looking at the status, he fell deep in thought, 'Looks like it won't be easy, especially now that I have Two Element Spirit Root, and Mortal Grade at that. It will be hard for me to enter Qi Gathering with these limitations.'
However, with the knowledge of the Dao of Longevity, he wasn't desperate, it would just take more time. Looking at the blood around him and the rabbits, he decided to first wash up and then try to cultivate.
Arriving back at Zi Fenyuan's house, he saw a small bamboo hut, which had a pot of land with weeds starting to grow. Two plum trees stood on each end of the house, they were planted when Zi Fenyuan was born by his mother.
Even though this was an illusion, because of its real likeness, he felt a pang of sadness. Shaking his head, he thought, 'Mortal life is so fragile in this dog-eat-dog world, which I can't get used to.'
Shaking off his sadness, he entered the house. However, upon seeing its untouched interior, his sorrow deepened. Slapping himself, he snapped out of it, "You're not Zi Fenyuan, this is an illusion."
Calming down, he put the rabbits on the table for later, and sat down in a lotus position, 'As I already know the cultivation technique, I don't need the illusion to give me one, let's do this.'
Closing his eyes, he tried to sense the spiritual energy around him, but to no avail. Spending the whole day in failure, his stomach began to growl, and a sigh escaped his mouth, "I guess this won't be easy. This also makes me appreciate my talent and the opportunity The Great had given me."
He reluctantly stood up and went to prepare a rabbit stew, as that was the only thing Zi Fenyuan knew how to cook, "Good thing Qi Gathering cultivators only need to eat once a month."
As he ate, he mulled over what he knew of breaking into the Qi Gathering, 'To start cultivating, you need to feel the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth, then absorb it into your body, thus breaking the mortal shekels.'
He became depressed a bit, 'However, usually an already established cultivator would help one feel the spiritual energy, as doing so alone would be very hard.'
Exhaling, he continued eating in silence, planning to try to cultivate afterwards, as every second counts. Finishing his meal, he again tried to sense spiritual energy, and after three hours he started to feel something, a tingling sensation in the back of his head.
Immediately, excitement overwhelmed him, "Yes!" But that broke his concentration, which disspelled the sensation, "No! Why is it so damn hard?!"
He began to complain, "No wonder not a lot of people reach higher levels, these damn protagonists. But I can't complain as I have really good talent in the real world."
After spending half an hour calming his thoughts, he again began to cultivate, 'Focus, focus, focus…' Was everything he could think about, as he didn't want to lose his focus.
An hour later, he got the same feeling; he was excited at heart, but quickly suppressed it. The feeling got stronger and stronger until, after half an hour, he started to feel lights of different colors, mainly white and blue.
He quickly willed them to enter his body, via mouth and nose, as cultivating with his skin is only possible to those in Qi Refinement and above. When he inhaled the spiritual energy, he felt like he had stepped in front of a huge door.
Seeing the door in his mind, he marveled at the size of it, "Wow, according to the Dao of Longevity's Qi Gathering manual, I need to use the gathered spiritual energy to push open this door."
He willed the spiritual energy he'd gathered, but what can one breath do to the colossal door? Yes, nothing, Xi Shen wasn't surprised, 'Well, that's supposed to happen.'
With excitement, he continued to cultivate, he cultivated the whole night. As the morning came, he was finally hungry, so he had to stop and eat. Feeling the spiritual energy circulating in his body, he was in a happy mood.
After eating the leftovers from yesterday, he sat down and continued to inhale the spiritual energy and circulate it throughout his body. Like that, six days passed, and on the night of the sixth day, Xi Shen tried again to push open the door but failed by a hair.
When he opened his eyes, they were filled with worry and frustration, 'Tomorrow, Elder Zhong is gonna wake me, which would mean I didn't pass the test.' Helplessness is all he could currently feel.
Exhaling, he tried to calm down, but that didn't help as the night turned into day. His cultivation had slowed down because of his state of mind. But when the seventh day came, nothing happened, and he didn't wake up in reality.
"Well, this is weird." But this also eased his mind, as he may have had more time. Thus he began to cultivate, and after three hours of cultivation he again tried to open the door.
He used all his strength, using the spiritual energy to push. Trembling, the door finally started to open. Shaking Xi Shen felt like he was being born again, he was feeling like his head was splitting open, in a good way.
When the door finally opened, it sucked in his consciousness, and closed. While he felt elevated by his breakthrough, the surroundings shattered like a mirror.