107: Recruiting disciples? Those who lack talent will not be accepted.

"There... there are too many people..."

Kaoshan Sect, in front of the mountain gate.

Limping Liu looked at the dark, dense crowd below the mountain that seemed to have no end. The wine gourd in his hand fell to the ground with a 'clatter,' and he didn't even notice the wine spilling everywhere.

Having lived for tens of thousands of years, this was the first time he had seen such an... outrageous scene.

Is this even recruiting Disciples?

This clearly looks like a Mortal kingdom holding a million-man army parade!

"Sect... Sect Master..."

Limping Liu ran back to the main hall, scrambling on all fours, his voice trembling.

"Did we... did we overdo it?"

"There have to be at least a few million people out there, right? If we take them all in, our... latrines won't be enough!"

Above the main hall.

Li Daoxuan sat on the Sect Master's throne, looking at the "grand occasion" of the sea of people through the water mirror, also feeling a massive headache.

He admitted it.

When he had first shouted the slogan, "Even if the Heavenly King himself comes, he won't be able to touch you," he was a bit caught up in the moment.

But... he hadn't expected that the bottom-tier Cultivators of the Central Plains would be so... enthusiastic.

"What's the panic?"

Li Daoxuan waved his hand, feigning composure, while frantically calling for the System in his mind.

"System, System! Emergency! Is there some kind of one-click screening function? Otherwise, with this many people, I'll be interviewing until the year of the monkey!"

【Ding! Host's requirement detected. [Disciple Screening System] has been activated.】

【Generating optimal screening plan based on the Host's core interests...】

【Plan generated.】

Li Daoxuan's eyes lit up.

Truly a thoughtful little assistant.

He cleared his throat and spoke indifferently to his Disciples below, who were equally dumbfounded:

"Having many people is a good thing; it shows that our Kaoshan Sect has won the hearts of the people."

"However, our Kaoshan Sect does not accept trash."

"Pass down my decree."

"Open the mountain and recruit Disciples!"

"The assessment will be divided into three trials."

...Half an hour later.

In front of the Kaoshan Sect's mountain gate, three massive light gates formed from spiritual energy were erected.

Xiao Chen, as the Eldest Senior Brother, was pushed forward to act as the host.

He stood before the first light gate, cleared his throat, gathered his Dantian Qi, and his voice echoed throughout the entire valley.

"By the Revered Master's decree! The Kaoshan Sect opens its mountain today to recruit Disciples!"

"All who wish to enter our Sect must pass three trials!"

"This is the first trial—"

"The Path of Inquiring the Heart!"

He pointed to the light gate shimmering with seven-colored light and said loudly:

"This path can see into a person's heart!"

"Anyone with a wicked heart, who has committed crimes, betrayed their Revered Master, or possesses a corrupt character... if you enter, your Divine Soul will surely be burned to ashes, and you will be beyond redemption!"

"Now, the assessment begins!"

As soon as he finished speaking.

The dark crowd below the mountain instantly fell into a commotion.

"Path of Inquiring the Heart? What kind of thing is that?"

"It sounds terrifying, Divine Soul burned to ashes?"

"What's there to fear! If you haven't done anything wrong, you don't need to fear a ghost knocking at your door! We Cultivators should have a clear conscience! I'll go first!"

A large man who looked righteous was the first to charge forward.

However.

Just as his front foot stepped into the light gate.

"Argh—!!!"

A shrill, distorted scream suddenly rang out.

The man's entire body burst into black flames, and in just three breaths, he turned into a wisp of blue smoke, dissipating between heaven and earth.

Not even a speck of dust remained.

Dead silence filled the field.

Everyone was stunned.

The crowd that had been eager to try just a moment ago was instantly doused with ice water, and they all retreated in fear.

"This... what happened? Wasn't Big Brother Wang a good person?"

"Good my foot! I heard that just last month, he wiped out an entire family just to snatch a Cultivation Technique!"

"My god... this Path of Inquiring the Heart is real!"

With the first "negative example" set.

The people behind him immediately became hesitant.

After all, in the world of cultivation, the strong prey on the weak. Who hasn't taken a few lives? Who doesn't have a few small schemes in their heart?

But there were always those who considered themselves "of high moral character" and refused to believe in such things.

"I don't believe it! I've done good all my life and never committed a foul deed!"

"Exactly! This must be an illusion! Don't be fooled, everyone!"

Another group of people rushed up.

The result... "Argh!"

"Help!"

"I... I only peeked at my Revered Master's wife while she was bathing, surely that's not a capital offense?!"

Screams rose and fell, one after another.

In the short time it took for an incense stick to burn, over a thousand scorched corpses lay before the light gate.

Now, no one dared to step forward anymore.

That million-man army below the mountain was forced to shrink by ninety-nine percent by this first trial alone!

The remaining tens of thousands, though their faces were pale, had at least made it through.

"Congratulations to everyone for passing the first trial."

Ye Fan walked out with a muffled voice, pointing to the second light gate shimmering with golden light.

"This is the second trial—"

"The Aura!"

"This bridge can measure your Luck!"

"Those with mediocre Luck, mundane fates, and who are destined to be unremarkable for a lifetime... if you enter, you will be teleported directly back to the foot of the mountain, having no affinity with our Sect!"

"What? We have to measure Luck too?"

"This is too unreasonable! Are kings and nobles born to their rank?!"

"Exactly! Luck is determined by heaven, why should we be deprived of the chance to cultivate because of it?!"

The crowd became agitated again.

However.

Before they could finish their protest.

"Noisy."

A cold snort came from the mountain peak.

An invisible pressure crashed down.

Everyone felt as if their necks were being tightly gripped by an invisible hand, and they instantly shut their mouths.

Li Daoxuan's voice drifted down eerily:

"My Kaoshan Sect only recruits 'protagonists.'"

"Without some Luck, you aren't even worthy of being a handyman for this seat."

"Those with objections can get lost."

Overbearing.

Unreasonable.

But no one dared to refute him.

The crowd could only brace themselves and line up, crossing the golden Aura one by one.

The result... most people, as soon as they stepped on it.

"Buzz—"

With a flash of light, the person vanished.

A second later, they appeared at the foot of the mountain, a hundred miles away.

"I... I was eliminated?"

"Why! I'm at least a Golden Core Immortal Master!"

"The Heavenly Dao is unfair!"

Wails and cries rang out in unison.

Half an hour later.

The tens of thousands were once again reduced by ninety-nine percent.

Finally, those who could pass the Aura and reach the third trial.

There were only... a mere hundred people left.

These hundred people were all individuals with profound Luck and extraordinary potential.

Though they might be unremarkable now, in the future, they all had the potential to become giants of their respective regions.

However.

When they saw the examiner for the third trial.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Before the third light gate.

That yellow mutt, Big Yellow, who had been sleeping on the ground earlier...

Was now standing on its hind legs, with its two front paws behind its back, pacing back and forth like an examiner.

Before it sat a table.

And on the table was a... crystal ball?

"Ahem."

Big Yellow cleared its throat and spoke in human tongue; its voice was childish, yet it carried an indisputable authority.

"Congratulations on reaching the final trial."

"This Emperor is the Mountain-Guarding Divine Beast of the Kaoshan Sect and the Chief Interviewer, Daoist title 'Heaven-Devouring Demon Emperor.'"

"This trial is very simple."

It pointed its paw at the crystal ball in front of it.

"Put your hands on it."

"This Emperor will personally test your... Bloodline and talent."

"Those with ordinary Bloodlines and mediocre talent..."

Big Yellow grinned, revealing two rows of sharp white dog teeth.

"Get lost."

Everyone: "..."

Looking at this dog that spoke human tongue and called itself a Demon Emperor, they felt their worldview being ground into the dirt once again.

A dog as an interviewer?

Just how unreliable is this Sect?

But since things had come to this, they could only brace themselves and proceed.

The result... "Next, unqualified, get lost."

"Next, too poor, get lost."

"Next... is your Bloodline that of a pig? Get lost!"

Big Yellow's tongue was even more poisonous than Li Daoxuan's.

In a short while, it had cursed away all of the remaining hundred or so people... The sun set behind the mountains.

The front of the Kaoshan Sect's mountain gate returned to its former silence.

Li Daoxuan sat at the entrance of the main hall, looking at the empty plaza, and sighed helplessly.

"Sigh."

"Not a single one who can hold their own."

"I thought I could pick up a few 'Protagonist Templates,' but they were all just bit players."

"It seems I'm going home empty-handed today."

He shook his head, preparing to announce they were closing up for the day and would try again tomorrow.

Just then.

"Buzz—"

The [Sect-Guarding Divine Beast Array] at the perimeter of the Sect suddenly flashed with light!

Immediately following that.

"Oh, crap!"

An extremely wretched exclamation rang out.

A fat man with a round figure wearing a tattered Daoist robe was ejected from the shadows like a ball by an invisible force. He traced a graceful parabola in the air before landing 'splat' face-first in the middle of the plaza.

He just about to scramble up.

When the phantoms of the four great Divine Beasts—Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise—instantly surrounded him, their terrifying pressure pinning him firmly to the spot.

The fat man looked up, revealing a shifty-eyed face covered in dirt.

He looked at the phantoms of the Divine Beasts around him radiating terrifying auras, then looked at the Youth in White Robes in the distance who was watching him with a playful expression.

With a "thump," he knelt down and began to cry with such sincerity it was moving.

"Misunderstanding! Fellow Daoist! It's all a misunderstanding!"

"This humble Daoist... this humble Daoist was just passing by and wanted to come in... to borrow a toilet!"