132: Chapter 132 Five years have passed, the mountain gates are opened wide!

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Singing over wine, for how long does life last?

The wind blows bleakly; five years have vanished into nothing.

Cultivation knows no years; time flows like falling flowers and running water...

The thunderclouds atop Zixiao Peak have grown thicker than five years ago. The resonance of thunder roars, lightning flashes, and purple-gold lightning bolts roll and swim through the clouds like violent, angry dragons; the thunderous light persists day after day.

From time to time, lightning strikes down, drawn into the Lightning-Strike Stone Forest.

The Thunder Pool has grown wider, its water thick as mercury and deep purple like pulp, emitting a heart-palpitating aura of destruction...

Around the Thunder Pool, many lightning-attribute spiritual plants have grown, radiating the essence of life.

Within the Stone Forest, a group of lightning-attribute bear-monsters lie prone, breathing in and out the thunderous Qi.

Not only that.

Every peak of White Cloud Temple reveals a new atmosphere.

Compared to five years ago, the current state of White Cloud Temple can be described as earth-shaking.

The Dafeng Mountains and Qingfeng Mountains have completely merged. Their earth veins are connected, flowers and spiritual trees grow wildly, and various spiritual energies converge and blend; it can truly be called a precious land.

The eight-hundred-mile Mushou Mountain has become White Cloud Temple's largest resource treasury.

Yao Beasts, Spirit Medicines, and mineral veins are continuously converted into Spirit Stones, filling the Sect's treasury and making White Cloud Temple grow stronger and stronger!

Meanwhile, the Zhao Clan, relying on their management rights over Mushou Mountain, have rallied their strength, adding two new Foundation Establishment Cultivator in just five years.

They have gradually recovered some of their former glory.

The Sun Clan, on the other hand, is exerting its influence in the shadows.

The secret agents of the Blood Fiend Sect in Fenghe County are like maggots on a bone.

Five years have passed. The Fenghe Sect remains sealed and does not emerge. The Mortal cities and Loose Cultivator markets under its jurisdiction have been riddled with holes by White Cloud Temple's infiltration.

Even the immortal seedlings of the Fenghe Sect have been secretly enticed and sent to Baiyun Prefecture.

As one wanes, the other waxes. White Cloud Temple has ushered in a peak of prosperity unseen in a century.

...

In the Yunjian Mountain Range, before the gates of the Main Peak.

Today is White Cloud Temple's once-in-a-decade Grand Ceremony for Opening the Mountain and Accepting Disciples.

White jade steps are laid from the foot of the mountain all the way to the halfway point. Tens of thousands of Mortal youths and children have gathered here, a moving sea of heads with clamorous noise reaching the heavens.

There are also some young Loose Cultivators who want to use this opportunity to fight for a future.

Compared to previous years, the number of people this time has more than doubled.

About thirty percent are refugees and children of Loose Cultivators speaking with Fenghe County accents.

With the Fenghe Sect's gates sealed, their control over the Mortal world is not what it used to be. Coupled with White Cloud Temple's secret guidance, these seedlings eager to cultivate the Dao have poured into Baiyun Prefecture like a hundred rivers returning to the sea.

At the end of the steps is a wide white jade plaza.

In the center of the plaza stands a ten-foot-tall Spirit-Testing Stele.

A young man wearing a green cloud-patterned martial outfit stands by the stele with his hands behind his back. His figure is upright, his features handsome, and his aura as steady as an abyss. A sheathed longsword hangs at his waist...

Crouched at his feet is an Icefield Giant Bear as large as a calf.

The current Sun Chengzhu is now seventeen years old, and his cultivation has reached the ninth level of Qi Refining. Five years of time have washed away the childishness from his face.

Standing here, he is like a towering mountain.

The dozens of Sect Disciples nearby maintaining order all look upon him with awe.

“Eldest Senior Brother, the hour has arrived.”

A Disciple stepped forward and bowed respectfully. This address of "Eldest Senior Brother" was given willingly; in the entire younger generation of White Cloud Temple, no one could surpass him...

“Open the mountain gates and receive the Disciples.”

Sun Chengzhu's voice was gentle, yet it reached the ears of everyone on the plaza clearly.

The Mountain Gate Grand Array opened with a boom.

The clouds and mist dispersed, revealing a long staircase ascending to the heavens.

“Silence!”

Sun Chengzhu's gaze swept over the crowd below, and the noisy sea of people instantly became silent.

“Once you step upon these stairs, you sever your ties with the Mortal world. Those with weak will, retreat; those with ulterior motives, retreat; those who are weak and sickly, retreat.”

He waved his hand, and the eyes of several stone lion Puppets at the edge of the plaza lit up with red light, emitting a faint pressure that shrouded the long staircase.

“Ascend!”

Tens of thousands of children and youths began to climb.

Some had only taken a few steps before being deterred by the Puppet's pressure and collapsing to the ground; others gritted their teeth and persevered, only to faint from exhaustion halfway.

Cultivating immortality is, by nature, like thousands of troops crossing a single-log bridge.

Sun Chengzhu watched quietly. He had seen life and death, and his heart was as firm as a rock, but when he saw several children in rags with blood-blistered feet crawling up the stone steps with all their might...

A trace of imperceptible admiration flashed in his eyes.

One hour later.

Out of tens of thousands, fewer than two thousand remained to reach the white jade plaza.

“Begin the spirit-testing,” Sun Chengzhu ordered.

The Disciples guided the children to line up and place their hands on the Spirit-Testing Stele.

“No Spiritual Root, descend the mountain.”

“Five-Attribute Spiritual Root, Utility Disciple.”

“Four-Attribute Spiritual Root, Outer Sect Disciple.”

The monotonous announcements echoed across the plaza, vividly displaying the cruelty of the cultivation world at this moment...

Without a Spiritual Root, one didn't even have the qualification to stay as a Utility Disciple.

At this time, more than twenty children walked up to the stele. They were dressed uniformly and looked nervous; these were the children sent by the Sun Clan's Mortal branch.

Being able to walk to this point proved that their Heart-Nature was superior!

Sun Chengzhu's gaze shifted slightly. Coming from the Sun Clan, he naturally hoped the Family could produce more immortal seedlings.

Just then, a tiger-headed, sturdy-looking boy stepped forward and pressed his hand against the stele.

Three lights lit up on the stele: red, yellow, and green.

“Fire, Earth, Wood—Three-Attribute Spiritual Root! Enter the Inner Sect!” the Disciple in charge of the announcements shouted loudly.

Hearing this, the boy's eyes lit up. He jumped up in excitement and gave Sun Chengzhu a deep bow: “Greetings, Cousin Chengzu!”

Sun Chengzhu nodded slightly: “Go to the Inner Sect to register, and do not be negligent.”

Next, the children of the Sun Clan's Mortal branch stepped forward one by one for testing. In the end, seven had Spiritual Roots: two with Three-Attribute Spiritual Roots and five with Four-Attribute Spiritual Roots.

Their Aptitude was mediocre.

Sun Chengzhu was not surprised. The birth rate of Spiritual Roots was inherently extremely low. Among so many children of the right age, having two with Three-Attribute Spiritual Roots was already a blessing from the ancestors.

These seven would be the fresh blood for the Sun Clan's future.

Furthermore, they would be placed across the various peaks of White Cloud Temple.

The testing continued.

Suddenly, the Spirit-Testing Stele erupted with a burst of dazzling, intense light.

Two pillars of light shot into the sky, reflecting off each other. For a moment, the entire field fell into dead silence. Even the several Foundation Establishment Elders observing from the high platform stood up to look.

“Water and Fire Dual Spiritual Roots!”

“Water and Wood Dual Spiritual Roots!”

In front of the Spirit-Testing Stele stood a pair of fraternal twins.

The brother's palm was still pressed against the stele, his face full of bewilderment, while the sister clutched her brother's hem, looking timidly at her surroundings.

“Good seedlings!”

A green sword-light descended from the sky and landed on the plaza.

It was a Foundation Establishment Elder from the Yun Clan branch. Seeing two such good seedlings appear, he didn't care about his decorum and wanted to take them into his own lineage on the spot.

“These two little children, my Yunjian Peak wants them!”

Immediately after, another flash of fire landed as the Foundation Establishment Elder from the Zhao Clan arrived.

“Bullshit! With Water and Fire aiding each other, they are perfect seedlings for Artifact Refining. They should naturally enter my Artifact Refining Peak!”

Several Foundation Establishment Elders ignored their status and began to fight over them in public.

With Dual Spiritual Roots, as long as they didn't perish along the way, Foundation Establishment was a certainty. They would even have an extra ten percent chance when attempting to form a Golden Core.

The siblings shrank their necks, clearly never having seen such a scene and feeling somewhat fearful.

Sun Chengzhu frowned slightly and took a step forward, shielding the siblings.

“Elders, please conduct yourselves with dignity.”

His voice was not loud, but it carried an unquestionable authority.

“Nephew Chengzu, what is the meaning of this?” the Yun Clan Elder said with a displeased expression.

Sun Chengzhu cupped his hands: “According to Sect rules, when Dual Spiritual Root Disciples enter the Sect, it should be decided by the Temple Master or the Grand Elder personally.”

“Currently, the Temple Master is in the North Sea, and the Grand Elder is in seclusion. They should first be settled at the Main Peak, to be assigned after the Grand Elder emerges.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the Elders:

“If you all fight in public and disrupt the Sect's laws, letting outsiders see a joke and losing face, wouldn't that invite unnecessary criticism?”

He first cited the rules, then brought up Great Elder Yun Tianfan.

The Elders' expressions stiffened. Though unwilling, they could only drop the matter.

“You brat, you certainly know how to use the rules to pressure people.”

The Zhao Clan Elder snorted and left with a flick of his sleeves. Sun Chengzhu returned the gesture with cupped hands, resolving a factional friction with calm composure.

“The Spirit-Testing Assembly continues. Next!”

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