120: Chapter 120: Nine Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninety-Nine Steps, Everyone Rushing to Conquer the Challenge

Immediately after, Clan Leader Gu Tianhua walked out from within the mountain gate with several Elders!

Their cultivation levels were not as high as those seven, but they were dressed in the uniform attire of the Gu Family, standing before the mountain gate, their Aura equally extraordinary!

Furthermore, they wore the Elder insignia on their chests!

This indicated that the people before them were all Elders of the Gu Family!

"Those are the Elders of the Gu Family!"

"I heard they have very high status in the Gu Family and can even converse with the Great Emperor!"

"If we can curry favor with them, it will be easy to get by in the Gu Family later on, and perhaps our status will rise accordingly!"

"Definitely! Maybe they will even give us more resources to Cultivate, and after that, who would dare to bully us when we go out?"

Some people had already started calculating their own interests!

But more people were just watching quietly, their eyes filled with reverence and longing!

It is said that even the children of a Holy Land would not trade their lives for the life inside there!

Regardless of whether it is true or false, one must investigate to find out!

"Father, I must enter the Gu Family!"

"Once you enter the Gu Family, Cultivate properly. When there is a bite for you to eat, there will be a bowl for me to wash."

"Father, you got that backwards, right?"

"No, I didn't. Once you enter the Gu Family, Dad will wash the bowls for you!"

"Fine, then you can shine my shoes!"

"Hey, the brother who went to the restroom! Come back! They've started recruiting Disciples!"

"Coming, coming! Don't close the door! Don't leave me behind!"

The gazes of billions of Cultivators fell uniformly upon the Gu Family mountain gate!

Some were so nervous their palms were sweating, and others were trembling with excitement!

Jian Wuji stood in the Void Realm, looked around, and spoke, "The Gu Family is recruiting Disciples, and there is only one rule."

The billions of Cultivators pricked up their ears.

Jian Wuji said in a calm tone, "Sincere heart, righteous heart, for the Gu Family! Those who can do this may stay; those who cannot may leave now!"

No one left!

Among the billions of people, not a single person left!

Now that the opportunity to turn their lives around was right before them, how could they possibly leave?!

As Jian Wuji's voice fell, the billions of Cultivators erupted.

"Previously, those Emperor Clans and large Sects wanted to look at Aptitude, cultivation level, background, and status! This meant that we Loose Cultivators, without background or Aptitude, couldn't even touch their doors! Now the Gu Family is giving us a chance!"

"I have been Cultivating for four hundred years and have been stuck at the Peak of the King Realm for one hundred years! It's not that I don't work hard, but that the resources are insufficient! Those large Sects look down on me, saying my Aptitude is mediocre and that taking me in would be a waste of resources! Now the Gu Family doesn't look at Aptitude or cultivation level, only a sincere heart! From today on, this life of mine belongs to the Gu Family!"

"That's right! As long as the Gu Family gives me a meal, I will protect them with my life!"

"The Gu Family saved the entire continent and even gave us the chance to join; this debt of gratitude can never be repaid in this lifetime."

"I once knelt outside the mountain gates of those Emperor Clans in the Central Plains for three days and three nights, and they didn't even glance at me! Now the Gu Family is actively opening their gates to recruit Disciples; this is the difference!"

In the crowd, someone suddenly pointed towards the mountain gate!

"Look, isn't that the Sacred Master of the Qingyun Holy Land, Huo Dongyuan?"

Everyone looked over in unison!

Sacred Master Huo Dongyuan was wearing the attire of a Gu Family vassal faction, standing on the inside of the mountain gate, watching the outside with a smile!

"Damn! Why is that old thing there?"

"He surrendered to the Gu Family long ago and is now a vassal faction of the Gu Family! Look at the clothes he's wearing; the character 'Gu' is written on his chest."

"Damn it, that old thing got a good deal!"

"Don't be envious; we will be going in soon too! As long as we pass the assessment, we can also wear that uniform!"

Discussions rose and fell, but everyone's gaze could not leave that mountain gate!

Inside the mountain gate, the Spiritual Qi was like mist, Spiritual Liquid formed streams, and Immortal Veins wandered through the mountains!

Just standing outside, one could already feel that dense Spiritual Qi!

"As expected of an Emperor Family, this scale and this Aura are just different!"

"Look inside the mountain gate; the Spiritual Qi is almost condensing into substance! Just taking a breath outside makes me feel my Bottleneck loosening!!"

"Stop talking; the more you talk, the more anxious I get! When does the assessment start?!"

Just as they were speaking, in the back mountain.

Gu Xuan put down his teacup and waved his hand.

From the System warehouse, a treasure that had been sealed for a long time flew out—the Questioning Heart Mirror!

A giant crystal appeared in the air above the mountain gate, emitting a faint glow!

This was a treasure Gu Xuan had obtained from checking in during his early years, capable of reflecting the truest things deep within a person's heart!

Loyalty, betrayal, kindness, and malice had nowhere to hide before it!

Immediately after, he raised his hand again!

In an instant, a massive staircase appeared before everyone!

The staircase extended from the ground all the way into the mountain gate, layer upon layer, with no end in sight!

There were a total of 9,999 steps!

Every step of the staircase was condensed from spiritual power, shimmering with a faint light!

A solemn Aura permeated the air!

At the same time, it was telling everyone that these were no ordinary steps!

This was the road to the Gu Family, the road to a new life!

The billions of Cultivators looked at that staircase and held their breath.

At the same time, it drove all the Cultivators into a frenzy!

"Is this a staircase?"

"9,999 steps? Does this mean we have to climb up?"

"This doesn't seem to be an ordinary staircase; look, every step has spiritual light flowing through it. This must be the Gu Family's test!"

In front of the mountain gate, Clan Leader Gu Tianhua walked out, stood before the staircase, and his voice spread across the entire venue!

"This is the Questioning Heart Staircase, with a total of 9,999 steps! Every step will question your heart; the higher you climb, the more sincere your intent! The greater the chance of being accepted! At the top of the mountain is the Questioning Heart Mirror, and it will tell you the final result!"

As Clan Leader Gu Tianhua's voice fell, the billions of Cultivators instantly exploded into an uproar!

"Just this one trial? Climbing stairs? I have been Cultivating for three hundred years; what mountain haven't I climbed? I can reach the top of this damn staircase in the time it takes to burn a stick of incense!"

"Go, go, go, stop talking nonsense! First come, first served; if we're late, there won't be any spots left!"

Countless Cultivators who had long been prepared, the moment Clan Leader Gu Tianhua's words fell, rushed up in a flash!

"Charge, charge, charge, Hasagi!!"

"Let's do it, brothers! I'll be the first to reach the top!"

"It's actually climbing stairs; this time it's in the bag!"

Those people took strides of three or five steps at a time, moving as swiftly as if they were flying, with relaxed smiles on their faces!

"Is that it?"

"This is too simple!"

"The Gu Family's assessment is much simpler than those of the Emperor Clans!"

"Hehe! It doesn't matter! It's just climbing stairs! It cannot stop my, Tang Shan's, footsteps!"

Everyone rushed rapidly toward the staircase!

Entering it, scrambling to be first!