All those who were still persevering on the Heart Trial Road experienced a similar surge of resolve. Encouraged by the newfound hope, they used every ounce of their strength to break free from the nightmares they were facing.
In Tong Jialiang's dream, the tiny, flickering flame—barely surviving amidst the overwhelming darkness—was suddenly revived by a soft breeze, blowing from an unknown source.
The breeze came again and again, each gust lifting the small flame higher, making it burn brighter and stronger.
Gradually, the voice that had been ringing in his mind, like a tolling bell, slowly faded away. It grew softer and softer until it completely disappeared.
At that moment, Tong Jialiang heard a new voice within him. This voice, clear and firm, commanded:
"Stand up."
He slowly opened his eyes, realizing for the first time that he had been curled up on the ground, holding his head in despair.
The surrounding darkness began to recede with every repetition of the voice, peeling away layer by layer.
Tong Jialiang saw light.
He saw the blue sky above, and the radiant sun shining brilliantly overhead.
Somehow, he felt that something had changed within him.
Instinctively, he raised his hands, noticing a layer of black substance mixed with glowing halos seeping into his skin.
When the black substance finally disappeared beneath the surface of his skin, he sensed that he had become… different, although he couldn't quite explain how.
In his final moments of consciousness, Tong Jialiang looked up at the blazing sun.
How bright. How warm.
He wished that this light could remain in his life forever, never again to be plunged into endless darkness.
Then, he lost consciousness.
When Tong Jialiang regained awareness, he found himself surrounded by a dense white mist.
Around him, many others were just waking up, their expressions dazed as they tried to comprehend the situation.
After a while, they began to recall that they had entered the Lingxian Sect's Heart Trial Road and remembered the trials they had faced within it.
It took some time before people could shake off the mixed emotions brought on by their dream experiences.
As they observed their surroundings, they all wondered the same thing: had they passed or failed?
In the crowd, as if hearing everyone's unspoken question, a scholar-like young man softly spoke:
"Um... from what I heard before, if you fail the Heart Trial, you'll be sent back down to the mountain immediately..."
Another person, Wen Yuejun, chimed in:
"That's right, if you don't pass, you'll be transported out."
Upon hearing this, someone excitedly said:
"Well, we're not at the foot of the mountain right now, are we? Does that mean we've all passed?"
The crowd quickly looked around, realizing they were indeed not at the base of the mountain. The white mist surrounded about a hundred or so people.
Considering the vast number of people who had come to take the test, this group of a hundred seemed quite small.
A petite young girl nervously squeezed the pouch at her waist and bravely spoke up:
"In the Heart Trial, I knocked down that scoundrel! I must have passed!"
Hearing her declaration, everyone began to recall their own dreams and slowly gained confidence.
They had conquered their nightmares!
"Yes! We must have passed!"
"Absolutely, we did it!"
As they spoke, they noticed the white mist rapidly retreating, revealing their surroundings.
A grand and ancient peach tree stood before them, its beauty almost otherworldly.
Perched casually on a slender peach branch was a young man dressed in a white robe. His waist was adorned with a belt, from which hung jade ornaments. His handsome face showed a carefree expression as he rested his chin on one hand, the other arm draped lazily over his knee.
With a gentle smile, he looked down at them and spoke:
"To all present, do you wish to join the Lingxian Sect, become a part of this great sect, and pursue the path of cultivation?"
His voice was clear and soothing, carrying the faint magnetism of a youth who had just entered adulthood.
Among the crowd, He San, who had dreamed countless times over the past three years of hearing this very voice, lifted her head in joy.
It was Immortal Lin!
In her eyes, the young man atop the peach tree seemed to be glowing!
"I'm willing!" she blurted out in excitement before anyone else could react.
The rest of the crowd quickly followed suit, hastily agreeing, their voices filled with enthusiasm.
Having just emerged from seclusion, Lin Xiao hadn't even had time to change out of his robes. He had only discarded the outer garment he'd worn for over a year. But as he observed the ever-increasing number of new disciples on the sect's roster through the system, he felt immensely satisfied.
A system notification chimed in his mind: [Mission Completed: 100 Disciples Recruited], followed by the successful delivery of the mission rewards.
Lin Xiao was in an excellent mood.
To have such good fortune right after exiting seclusion—it was a promising sign!
Meanwhile, down at the mountain, Qin Jianghe and Sun Yigao, who were still monitoring the situation and checking the participants' physical conditions, noticed that everyone had suddenly vanished from the Heart Trial Road.
At the same time, the black mist that had enveloped the participants earlier had already dissipated entirely under the waves of vital essence washing over the area.
Stunned for a moment, Sun Yigao quickly said:
"Don't worry. It's likely that the sect master has emerged from seclusion."
With that, he was the first to head back up the mountain.
Liu Yunan, after giving a brief announcement to the crowd that the Lingxian Sect's recruitment was officially over, also followed everyone else back to the sect.
Once they were gone, the village chief of Xiushui Village stepped in to manage the aftermath and help disperse the crowd.
Back at the Lingxian Sect.
The group of newly accepted disciples had been swiftly transported by Lin Xiao to the newly built sect square, which Liu Yunan and the others had recently constructed.
Though Lin Xiao had been in seclusion, the system had kept him updated on every new development.
While he wasn't aware of all the specifics, he had a general understanding of what had transpired during his time away.
Especially the new locations and buildings that had been added to the sect—how could the system resist rewarding him for such improvements?
Glancing at the sect roster, Lin Xiao saw that out of all the participants, 132 had passed the test.
It wasn't a particularly large number.
Considering the Lingxian Sect's current reputation in the Pusi Kingdom, he had expected more.
However, recalling the recent system notification about the interference with the Heart Trial Road, he realized the sudden difficulty spike had likely affected the number of successful candidates.
Still, he wasn't too disappointed.
In fact, Lin Xiao mused that the ordeal might have been a blessing in disguise.
The disciples who had managed to endure the heightened difficulty would undoubtedly have stronger mental fortitude than average cultivators.