The moment the sword was mentioned, the main hall instantly grew a bit quieter. In the end, it was Sect Master Xiang Yan who spoke first:
"Whether she can gain its recognition, who can say for sure?"
"Once her cultivation reaches the first realm, we will know."
"But regardless, to have a new disciple with a Profound Yin Physique join our sect is truly a blessing for our Dao Gate."
"Little Martial Uncle has ignored worldly affairs and roamed the world for so many years. He has finally done something useful."
When everyone heard him mention Little Martial Uncle, they all had expressions that were a mixture of amusement and exasperation.
Ninth Elder Nangong Yue spoke up at this time. "Since this Han Shuangjiang has a Profound Yin Physique, what about the Chu Huaixu who came up the mountain with her?"
As soon as she said this, everyone's eyes turned in unison to Li Chunsong, full of curiosity. For this child to be chosen by Little Martial Uncle alongside someone with a Profound Yin Physique, he definitely had to have something extraordinary about him.
Fifth Elder Zhao Shuqi began to urge him, "Sixth Martial Brother, stop keeping us in suspense. We're not buying it. hurry up and tell us!"
Standing in the center of the hall, Li Chunsong looked as if he wanted to speak but hesitated. In the end, he just sighed and waved his hand.
"Him? It's better not to mention him! Better not!"
Everyone exchanged glances, looking at each other in confusion.
First Elder Lu Pan's brow furrowed, making his forehead lines seem even deeper. His tone was displeased. "Old Sixth, if you're told to speak, then speak!"
Among all the martial brothers, apart from Little Martial Sister Chu Yinyin, everyone was afraid of First Martial Brother Lu Pan. Even the current Sect Master, Second Martial Brother Xiang Yan, was secretly afraid of him.
Li Chunsong immediately put on a placating smile and rubbed his hands together. "First Martial Brother, it's not that I'm unwilling to talk, it's just... there's really nothing to talk about!"
"In any case, from what I can see, he should be a [Pseudo Spirit Embryo]," the Sixth Elder said with a shrug.
"What do you mean, 'should be'?" Lu Pan was still frowning. Always serious and meticulous, he was very dissatisfied with this ambiguous answer.
"Because I don't know why Little Martial Uncle would send someone with a Pseudo Spirit Embryo up the mountain! And you all haven't seen this kid. Let me tell you, this kid is incredibly handsome, and tall too," Li Chunsong said, narrowing his eyes as if he were speaking of a matter of heaven-shaking importance.
"What!?" The assembled titans of the Dao Gate were genuinely shocked.
The reason was simple: they all knew their Little Martial Uncle too well.
Their Little Martial Uncle had many minor flaws. One of them was that he was prone to jealousy! He was short and plain-looking, yet considered himself a suave romantic. He disliked men who were too handsome, especially those who were both tall and handsome.
Why was Sect Master Xiang Yan so highly regarded by Little Martial Uncle back in the day? They had privately mulled it over. Second Martial Brother was as ugly as sin and bald to boot. Those were definitely bonus points.
Under these circumstances, for a Pseudo Spirit Embryo like Chu Huaixu to still be chosen by Little Martial Uncle, he absolutely had to have some earth-shattering quality!
Based on this point alone, their curiosity and attention towards Chu Huaixu faintly surpassed even that for Han Shuangjiang and her Profound Yin Physique!
Sect Master Xiang Yan asked with concern, "Have you arranged all the entry procedures? Have they chosen their aperture-opening stage techniques?"
Nangong Yue added from the side, "For a Profound Yin Physique... I remember the most compatible technique is the 'Ice-Pure Art,' right?"
Li Chunsong waved his hand, a bit helpless. "As if I wouldn't know to choose the 'Ice-Pure Art'? I've definitely handled such a small matter properly, you can all rest assured."
"But for this Chu Huaixu, I imagine none of you could recommend anything either, right?" he said with a raised eyebrow.
Hearing this, the others couldn't refute it. For a Pseudo Spirit Embryo, it was all the same no matter what they chose. Even if Little Martial Uncle himself were here, he would still be at a loss.
It's too hard, this question is too hard!
"Ahem, it's only the aperture-opening stage. It's of no great consequence. When he officially steps through the gates of cultivation and breaks through to the first realm, we can discuss it properly then and select a new cultivation technique for him," Xiang Yan said, making the final decision.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
Seeing that the stage was sufficiently set, Li Chunsong began to rub his hands together again in the center of the hall.
"I suspect they are both in their rooms cultivating right now."
"I see you are all in high spirits today. A little bet for fun. How about we wager on something?" He rubbed his hands even more vigorously.
As the Law Enforcement Elder, Lu Pan immediately snorted. "Sixth Elder, a country has its laws, and a sect has its rules. Our Dao Gate has never encouraged this kind of behavior. Sect Rule Seventeen: organizing a private gamble is a fine of one hundred silver taels, and all participants are fined fifty."
"Do not break the rules!"
Hearing this, Sixth Elder Li Chunsong immediately smiled. "I understand, I understand."
As he spoke, he took out a one-hundred-tael silver note from his storage token, walked over to Lu Pan, and presented it with both hands.
The Law Enforcement Elder stared at him with a serious expression, then scanned everyone else in the hall.
One after another, silver notes were taken out from storage tokens and, wrapped in spiritual energy, floated onto his table.
Now it was everyone else's turn to stare at him.
Lu Pan's expression remained solemn, unmoving as a mountain.
Finally, it was Ninth Elder Nangong Yue who gave him an out. "Oh, First Martial Brother, don't be such a killjoy. It's rare that everyone is in such high spirits today. Let's all participate."
The Law Enforcement Elder with the deep forehead lines put on a dark face, snorted again, and took out a silver note, slapping it on the table. "Slap—! Just this once!"
...
...
nside the Dao Gate's main hall, Li Chunsong began to propose, "Let's bet on how long it will take them to open their first aperture, shall we?"
Zhao Shuqi waved his hand. "What's there to bet on? Han Shuangjiang has a Profound Yin Physique. She only needs to circulate the 'Ice-Pure Art' through her body for one cycle to succeed."
"That's right. With her physique, it's like she was born with all nine apertures open. Right now, they're just clogged with some bodily impurities. Her apertures are practically a formality," Nangong Yue added.
"Of course it's no fun to bet on her." Li Chunsong started rubbing his hands again, his face even flushing slightly. "If we're going to bet, let's bet on the [Pseudo Spirit Embryo]!"
At these words, everyone looked at each other.
Hiss—! A Pseudo Spirit Embryo... now that was truly unpredictable.
"So how do you plan to bet?" Zhao Shuqi asked.
"A three-day limit?" Li Chunsong proposed.
"Alright, I bet he breaks through the first aperture within three days!" Xiang Yan was the first to speak.
"I also bet on within three days."
"Count me in."
"Within three days should be enough," even Lu Pan said.
Now Li Chunsong was in a panic. The bet I wanted to make was also within three days!
"Wait! He's a Pseudo Spirit Embryo! It would be good if he could break the first aperture within ten days, and even that would require body tempering. Why are you all betting on within three days?" He was getting flustered.
"Because he's the one Little Martial Uncle chose," Nangong Yue replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"Exactly, exactly!" Zhao Shuqi chimed in.
Seeing Li Chunsong's speechless expression, they asked with a smile, "You weren't thinking of betting on within three days too, were you?"
"What else?" Li Chunsong was truly at a loss for words.
At this moment, a lightbulb went on in the ugly, bald head of Xiang Yan, who suddenly asked, "Sixth Martial Brother, how long did it take you to break through your first aperture back then?"
Li Chunsong lifted his chin. "Although I don't have a top-tier Spirit Embryo like the Profound Yin Physique, I was also born with all nine apertures open. Naturally, I also only needed to circulate my energy for one cycle."
"Then why don't you have more faith in Chu Huaixu?" Xiang Yan said in his incredibly grating voice.
Hearing this, Li Chunsong's gambling-dog nature began to erupt.
A kid can't cry every day!
I refuse to believe it! I'm always seeking fortune in danger, is it really that hard to find!
"Little Martial Uncle, bless me!" he prayed silently.
The face of this man, known to players as the Charity God of Gamblers, grew even redder. "I bet he will open his first aperture after circulating his energy just once!"
Everyone else smiled and promptly bet against him.
As mentioned before, the aperture-opening stage was fully known as the aperture-opening and body-tempering stage. Why was it said that for a Pseudo Spirit Embryo, body tempering was the only way out, like with Xue Hu who was killed in one blow by Chu Huaixu? It was because even if someone with a Pseudo Spirit Embryo spent money to buy and consume an Aperture-Opening Pill, they still needed to constantly polish their body through external forces.
Those with a Spirit Embryo would have their embryo absorb the medicinal effects, spreading it to their entire body. They didn't need to temper their body; their body would grow stronger just by taking medicine. A Pseudo Spirit Embryo couldn't spread the effects of the Aperture-Opening Pill throughout their body, so they needed to rely on body tempering for external stimulation. This process was painful and torturous. Many people couldn't even persist with daily exercise, let alone the excruciating pain of body tempering.
What was more despairing was that many people with Pseudo Spirit Embryos spent a fortune to buy an Aperture-Opening Pill, consumed it, and persisted with daily body tempering, only to possibly unblock just two or three apertures in the end. After all that effort, they were only a bit stronger than ordinary people, with slightly better physical qualities. Only by entering the first realm could one be considered a true cultivator, worlds apart from mortals!
As an eighth-realm expert, Xiang Yan had already secretly scanned Medicine Mountain with his Spiritual Sense. He had discovered that all nine of Chu Huaixu's apertures were completely blocked, sealed tight. Circulating one's energy for one cycle took about the time of an incense stick. With them being blocked so tightly, how could he possibly break through?
The bet was now officially on.
The Great Cultivators in the main hall all spread out their Spiritual Sense to perceive Chu Huaixu's and Han Shuangjiang's current states.
"Oh, this little girl has already succeeded in opening her aperture!" Nangong Yue smiled. "It seems she couldn't wait to start cultivating."
On the other side, Chu Huaixu had just finished reading the small booklet and was unhurriedly spreading out the jade slip, preparing to cultivate the 'Sword Tempering Art'.
The main hall was silent. Everyone had their eyes closed, patiently perceiving with their Spiritual Sense.
But not long after, everyone's eyes snapped open in unison, their faces filled with incredulous expressions.
Because Chu Huaixu's first aperture had actually opened.
And it only took him three breaths.