Today is a good day for travel, but not for cheatingOn the second day of the second lunar month, it is auspicious for travel.Rain poured down, splashing the aroma of earth when it hit the ground, creating ripples on the lake surface, and eliciting muttered curses from passersby as it landed on their heads."Who said today was a good day to travel? It's raining as soon as I step out," complained Lu Yang, regretting not bringing a raincoat.It was his first time traveling far, and he had little experience. The rain caught him off guard, soaking him to the bone. His shoes were caked in mud, and with every step, he felt the ground's hostility as he had to pull his feet out of the mud.The sound of clattering hooves approached from behind, catching Lu Yang's attention.He turned around and saw a carriage drawing near. There was no driver on the carriage, and the old horse seemed to know the way, needing no guidance."What a marvelous horse," praised Lu Yang. The old horse had a few scales on its forehead, resembling snake scales, clearly a breed of mystical beast.Though he didn't understand its value, he knew this old horse was precious.At the very least, it was beyond his financial means."This gentleman is taking a leisurely stroll in the rain; what fine tastes you have. Would you like to join me in the carriage?"A hearty laugh came from inside the carriage. Lu Yang accepted the man's kindness, pulled his feet out of the mud, and quickly boarded the carriage."Sorry to intrude. I'm Lu Yang," he said cautiously, afraid that his wet clothes and mud would dirty the carriage."Meng Jingzhou," replied the carriage owner, who, like his voice, was an easygoing young man, optimistic and cheerful, able to strike up a conversation with anyone."Is Brother Lu here to participate in the selection for the Asking Path Sect?""Just trying my luck," Lu Yang replied.Meng Jingzhou laughed heartily. "Brother Lu, there's no harm in being honest. If you were just trying your luck, you wouldn't be walking in the rain to get to the Asking Path Sect."Lu Yang felt a little ashamed. "Who doesn't want to join the Asking Path Sect?"The Asking Path Sect is one of the five major immortal sects on the Central Continent, with countless powerful cultivators. It is extremely prosperous. Today, the Asking Path Sect is recruiting disciples, and many people are eager to try their luck.Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou are among them.Lu Yang traveled to the Central Continent, where his parents died early. He survived on the little inheritance left by his parents and the help of his neighbors.During his teens in the small town, he heard storytellers talk about immortals using swords to knock on the gates of heaven, about a river monster causing flooding five hundred miles away, about immortal sect disciples flying on swords to slay demons and uphold justice, and about a shabby taoist priest who deceived people, flew into the air, escaped from prison in public, and was caught again by officials who also flew.At that time, he realized that this was not the world he knew, not any dynasty he was familiar with. This was a world of immortal cultivation where individuals possessed great power.He wanted to seek immortality and learn the art of eternal life.The Asking Path Sect was his first choice.There was no other reason for choosing the Asking Path Sect; simply, there were no other sects near his home, only the Asking Path Sect.Where the Asking Path Sect is located, other sects would not bother establishing their own nearby.During their conversation, Lu Yang learned that Meng Jingzhou came from a family of cultivators and had a much deeper understanding of the knowledge of immortality than Lu Yang."The requirement for joining the Asking Path Sect is to be a mortal under sixteen years old. This is not unique to the Asking Path Sect; most sects have similar requirements.""The path of immortality is long and arduous, with stages like Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Yuanying, Huashen, Lianxu, Heti, and Dujie. Each stage is a watershed, blocking countless people. It could be one in ten, one in twenty, or even one in a hundred who make it through.""There are many factors that determine one's achievement in immortality, such as luck, wisdom, and spiritual roots... By the way, Brother Lu, do you know what kind of spiritual root you have?""Although the Asking Path Sect doesn't have high requirements for spiritual roots, they don't accept very poor ones either."Lu Yang frowned. He only knew the term "spiritual root" from storytellers and had no idea what his was."I don't know. What about you, Brother Meng?"Meng Jingzhou looked puzzled and shook his head. "I once tested my spiritual root in my clan, but the elders looked worried and didn't tell me the result. They just said my talent was astonishing and that joining one of the five major immortal sects would not be a problem. They said I would know when I joined. When I secretly asked my parents, they were even more worried and didn't tell me either."Lu Yang speculated, "Perhaps your spiritual root is so extraordinary that it could bring disaster to the Meng family. Only a giant like the Asking Path Sect can protect you.""Just as I thought," Meng Jingzhou patted Lu Yang on the shoulder, feeling like he had found a kindred spirit. The more he looked at Lu Yang, the more he felt that this person was as talented as he was, a natural born cultivator.Lu Yang listened to the increasingly heavy rain outside and was grateful that Meng Jingzhou had invited him into the carriage."Stop," Meng Jingzhou suddenly shouted. The old horse took a few more steps and slowly came to a halt.The carriage was a treasure, allowing Meng Jingzhou to see outside.He saw a woman walking in the rain, just like Lu Yang had been."This lady is walking in this direction; she must also be heading to the Asking Path Sect for the test. The rain is so heavy; why not rest in the carriage?"The woman was surprised by Meng Jingzhou's offer but agreed after a moment's thought.As soon as the woman got on the carriage, Meng Jingzhou and Lu Yang were both stunned.Meng Jingzhou considered himself worldly-wise, but he had never seen such a beautiful woman. Lu Yang, on the other hand, had only ever seen the pretty widow who sold tofu next door.Of course, Lu Yang was a gentleman and had no impure thoughts about the widow.The woman was like a lotus, neither妖 nor vulgar, dressed in white, standing gracefully, with bright eyes and white teeth, giving a sense of otherworldliness.She wore a string of golden bells on her right wrist."Yunzhi thanks you both," she said, her voice as clear as a spring, pleasant to the ear.Lu Yang noticed something strange and whispered, "Brother Meng, how come she's dry? Could she be a demon?"In the stories told by the storytellers, demons often disguised themselves as beautiful women to lure young men like them.Lu Yang was drenched and looked extremely embarrassed, while Yunzhi showed no signs of being in the rain; she didn't look like she had walked through it at all.Meng Jingzhou didn't think much of it. "Maybe she has a treasure that can keep her dry. It's quite common in noble families."Meng Jingzhou wasn't worried that Yunzhi might be a demon or ghost. This was the territory of the Asking Path Sect. What demon would dare to cause trouble here?"Is Lady Yunzhi here to participate in the Asking Path Sect's test?""Indeed."Meng Jingzhou eagerly said, "I happen to know the content of the Asking Path Sect's test. I bought it from an elder of the Asking Path Sect for a high price. Would Lady Yunzhi like to hear it?"Lu Yang looked at Meng Jingzhou in surprise. "You didn't tell me about this?"Yunzhi was even more surprised than Lu Yang. "Isn't this cheating? If the Asking Path Sect finds out..."Meng Jingzhou waved his hand confidently. "This carriage is a treasure. Even those powerful cultivators or reclusive old monsters cannot use their divine sense to probe inside.""I see. Please tell me the content of the test, Lord Meng."Lu Yang also perked up his ears to listen.Meng Jingzhou cleared his throat. "The Asking Path Sect's test has three stages. The first stage tests your spiritual root, which is a rigid requirement with no shortcuts. The second and third stages have some room for maneuver.""The second stage tests your character. A carriage is out of control and heading towards five people lying on the road. If it hits them, they will surely die. There is another person lying not far away. As an outsider, you can control the direction of the out-of-control carriage. Do you choose to do nothing and let the five people be killed, or change the direction and kill the other person?"Lu Yang didn't hesitate. "Kill the
