As Lin Feng hurried towards the city center, he encountered many cultivators coming from that direction. Most wore expressions of dejection and sighed repeatedly—clearly, they were individuals who had failed the Lingyue Sect's aptitude test and were returning home disappointed.
When he reached the edge of the central square, Lin Feng noticed the crowd had thinned considerably. The periphery was now largely empty, with only about a hundred people clustered near the center. Some seemed to be mere onlookers. Several tables were set up in the very middle, undoubtedly the Lingyue Sect's spiritual root testing stations.
"Thank goodness we made it! Uncle Xia, let's hurry!"
Seeing a few people still undergoing testing, Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief. He quickly led Xia Zhongshan and Xia Xin towards the tables.
"Yikes! It's that bad guy!!"
As they drew closer, Xia Xin suddenly gasped sharply. She lifted her hand, pointing fearfully and angrily at a figure ahead.
Lin Feng's brow furrowed slightly. He recognized the figure too—it was the young man in the fiery-patterned brocade robe who had bullied Xia Xin before Lin Feng intervened and taught him a lesson. He was also here to take the Lingyue Sect entrance test, and by the looks of it, he had already passed.
...
"It's him!!"
At that very moment, Xue Ziqi, who was standing among the successful candidates with a pleased expression, spotted Lin Feng approaching from afar. His pupils contracted sharply, and a trace of icy killing intent flashed in his eyes.
"Ziqi, don't act rashly. If you anger the Lingyue Sect elders, it will be disastrous."
Fortunately, Xue Dingshan beside him noticed the situation promptly. Frowning, he stepped closer to Xue Ziqi, placed a hand on his shoulder, and spoke in a low, urgent voice.
Xue Ziqi wasn't foolish enough to ignore the warning. He knew causing trouble here before officially joining the sect could get him expelled. He subconsciously raised a hand to touch his cheek. Though healed with true essence, it still seemed to ache faintly. While he managed to restrain himself outwardly, a lingering trace of resentment remained deep within his eyes.
...
Lin Feng signaled Xia Zhongshan and Xia Xin not to be afraid and brought them to a testing station. Addressing the Lingyue Sect disciple behind the table, he said, "Senior Brother, we're here for the test."
The young man glanced at them and nodded curtly. "Hmm. Spiritual root aptitude test first. Know the procedure?"
"Yes." Lin Feng nodded, then turned to Xia Xin beside him. "Xin'er, you go first. Place both hands on this crystal sphere and concentrate."
"O... okay..." Xia Xin was visibly nervous. Encouraged by Lin Feng's look, she summoned her courage, stepped up to the testing crystal, and pressed her hands onto it. She puckered her lips slightly, staring intently at the sphere—clearly making a serious effort to 'concentrate'.
For those already cultivating, simply channeling their qi or true essence into the crystal would reveal their spiritual roots. For mortals without cultivation, however, the process took longer.
After a moment, a faint red glow began to pulse beneath Xia Xin's hands on the crystal. It gradually intensified, growing brighter and stronger, until the sphere blazed like a fiercely burning ball of fire.
"Top-grade fire spiritual roots!!"
Lin Feng was utterly astonished. The sheer intensity of the fire-attribute reaction surpassed even the high-grade spiritual roots he'd witnessed during the Biquan Sect's recruitment. This meant... Xia Xin possessed top-grade fire spiritual roots!
"Top-grade fire spiritual roots! It's actually top-grade fire spiritual roots!!"
"Stronger than those high-grade ones we saw earlier! Yes, it's definitely top-grade aptitude!"
"A top-grade spiritual root has appeared, and it's fire attribute at that! Lingyue Sect must be overjoyed!"
"Who would have thought the best aptitude among this batch of initiates would belong to a little mortal girl? Truly unexpected..."
The spectacle immediately caused an uproar. Nearly everyone wore expressions of shock and intense envy.
Xia Xin herself was startled by the reaction. She instinctively pulled her hands away, causing the light in the crystal to rapidly fade. Flustered, she turned to Lin Feng, her voice trembling slightly, "Brother Lin Feng..."
Snapping out of his surprise, Lin Feng felt immense joy. He smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, it's good news. Your cultivation aptitude is exceptional. Joining the Lingyue Sect won't be a problem at all."
"Really? That's wonderful!!" Xia Xin's face instantly lit up with delight. She hugged Xia Zhongshan's arm excitedly. "Dad, did you hear? Brother Lin Feng said I can join the immortal sect! I can become an immortal master!!"
"Mhmm, good, good..." Xia Zhongshan was also overwhelmed with surprise and happiness, nodding repeatedly in his excitement.
"Top-grade fire spiritual roots?!"
A voice tinged with shock and excitement suddenly came from nearby. Lin Feng turned to see an old man with a white beard standing beside them, seemingly having appeared out of nowhere. The elder was gazing at Xia Xin with undisguised delight.
"Master!"
"Elder Zhou..."
The Lingyue Sect disciples nearby immediately bowed respectfully upon seeing the elder. This was evidently a Lingyue Sect Elder. Lin Feng couldn't discern his cultivation level, but surmised he was at least at the mid-stage Golden Core realm.
Zhou Xiantai ignored the saluting disciples. Smiling warmly, he addressed Xia Xin, "Little one, this old master can take you as a personal disciple. Are you willing?"
His words caused another wave of surprise among the onlookers. The gazes fixed on Xia Xin now held even deeper envy—being taken as a personal disciple by a Lingyue Sect Elder was an opportunity countless people dreamed of...
"Huh? M-me..." Xia Xin was frightened by the sudden proposal and instinctively looked towards Lin Feng again, unsure.
Lin Feng chuckled softly. "What are you waiting for? Hurry and address him as Master!"
"Oh..." Xia Xin nodded, then looked timidly at Zhou Xiantai and whispered, "Master..."
"Hehe... Good, good..." Zhou Xiantai waved off the informality good-naturedly. "We will hold the formal apprenticeship ceremony after returning to the sect. Come stand by me now; you'll return to the sect with me shortly."
His gaze then shifted to Lin Feng. "Are you together?"
Lin Feng replied respectfully, "Yes, Honored Elder."
Zhou Xiantai scrutinized Lin Feng for a moment before asking, "You also wish to join my Lingyue Sect?"
Lin Feng nodded firmly. "Yes."
Zhou Xiantai gave a noncommittal nod and gestured casually towards the testing crystal. "Then test your spiritual root aptitude."
"..." Lin Feng hesitated briefly before answering honestly, "To be truthful, Honored Elder, I was tested before. My aptitude is... low-grade fire spiritual roots."
"Pfft!! Low-grade fire spiritual roots? How dare someone with such trash aptitude show their face at the Lingyue Sect's entrance test? Shameless!"
Lin Feng's words had barely left his lips when a scornful voice rang out from nearby. Xue Ziqi, overhearing, immediately seized the chance to mock him with contempt.
His loud comment ensured most cultivators nearby heard. While they refrained from outright laughter, the looks they gave Lin Feng were distinctly peculiar, clearly thinking his ambitions were utterly delusional.
"Low-grade fire spiritual roots?" Zhou Xiantai also frowned slightly, his tone indifferent. "Such aptitude is insufficient for entry into my Lingyue Sect."
Lin Feng sighed inwardly. He'd expected this outcome. It seemed his plan to join the Lingyue Sect and learn pill refinement was about to collapse.
"Huh?! Brother Lin Feng can't join the immortal sect with me? Why not?" Xia Xin, only partially understanding, grew anxious. Her large eyes welled up as she looked imploringly at Zhou Xiantai. "M-Master... Please, can you let Brother Lin Feng join too? If... if Brother Lin Feng can't join... then... then I don't want to join the immortal sect either..."
"What?!"
Xia Xin's declaration stunned everyone nearby. Lin Feng couldn't help but laugh helplessly. "Xin'er, don't talk nonsense."
"Hehe, so the little one even knows how to 'threaten' her master..." Far from being angry, Zhou Xiantai looked at Xia Xin with even greater fondness. He chuckled. "Very well. Since this is your first request upon becoming my disciple, I shall grant it. I will make an exception and allow him to join the Lingyue Sect."
"..."
This time, the surrounding crowd was utterly dumbfounded. Everyone stared at Zhou Xiantai with expressions of pure disbelief—had he really just agreed to let someone with low-grade fire spiritual roots join the Lingyue Sect solely because of the little girl's plea?
It was clear Zhou Xiantai was a man who followed his whims. Likely overjoyed at acquiring a disciple with top-grade fire spiritual roots, his exceptionally good mood led him to grant Lin Feng this 'back door' entry.
Lin Feng himself hadn't anticipated such a dramatic turn of events. Reacting swiftly, afraid the elder might reconsider, he immediately bowed deeply. "Many thanks, Elder Zhou!!"
Seeing Zhou Xiantai genuinely agree to her request, Xia Xin's face blossomed into a radiant smile. She clumsily imitated Lin Feng's bow towards the elder and chirped, "Thank you, Master!!"
"Alright, settled then..." Zhou Xiantai nodded, then addressed a nearby Lingyue Sect disciple. "Di Xuan, pack up. Prepare to return to the sect."
And so, Lin Feng joined an alchemy-focused sect through the back door. Would he succeed in learning the art of pill refinement? Could he obtain the Snowy Yang Pill to resolve the crisis plaguing his cultivation? What new stories awaited him within the Lingyue Sect? A fresh chapter of his journey was about to unfold.