A journey through immortal realms begins with a phantom tale.

Time passed slowly, and the Shenmu Sect's assessment continued. On the Heavenly Ladder, some gritted their teeth and climbed, while others fainted and were moved back to the plaza by the elders' magic.

Those who were moved were filled with resentment, but they could only watch helplessly as others continued on their way, swallowing their bitter pill.

"Brother Cheng, Xiao Feng can't hold on much longer!" Lin Chen said softly, looking at the figure crawling on the ladder to heaven.

In her eyes, Xiao Feng had already reached his limit. He moved with both hands and feet, each step seemingly exhausting all his strength. Sweat streamed down his face, and his hands and knees were covered in blood. Blood and sweat dripped down, leaving marks on the steps. But he had only one thought in his mind: climb up, he had to climb up.

People would pass by him, glance at him, and then hurry up to climb. Occasionally, someone would say, "Give up," but he would pretend not to hear it.

"No!" he roared in his heart. This was his only hope. He could only move forward; he had no way back.

Another half hour passed, and Xiao Feng finally couldn't hold on any longer, his body went limp and he collapsed on the steps.

"What a pity." The Konoha Sect Master sighed softly, "His will was strong enough, but his physique was too poor, and in the end..." In his opinion, cultivation ultimately depends on talent. Without talent, no matter how strong one's will is, one cannot go far.

Although the Shenmu Sect is a major sect, it is impossible for them to invest their limited resources in a disciple with mediocre talent.

Lin Chen was about to get up when Luo Cheng gently placed his large hand on her shoulder: "Wait a little longer."

"Are we going to test him again?"

"I want to see his character. After the assessment, you can take him on as your disciple."

"Okay." Lin Chen smiled. She understood what Luo Cheng meant—true Dao heart is not only about perseverance in favorable circumstances, but also about resilience in adversity.

Half a day later, the last examinee finally finished climbing the Heavenly Ladder. The elder of the Divine Wood Sect announced loudly, "The second stage of the assessment is over! Next, we will proceed to the third stage—the assessment of character!"

The character assessment involved entering an illusionary array and undergoing trials within it. Lin Chen asked curiously, "Brother Cheng, what level of illusionary array is this?"

"It should be a celestial array left behind by an immortal who ascended to heaven from the Divine Wood Sect. It is connected to the tree veins of the Illusion Tree Star and has the effect of refining the mind." Luo Cheng saw through the mystery of the illusion array at a glance and secretly admired it.

Soon, those who passed the first two tests stepped into the illusion array.

In their eyes, the surrounding scenery changed instantly, changing at will, and manifesting the deepest obsessions in the hearts of the examinees. Some saw themselves ascend to immortality, some saw themselves become Daoist partners with their beloved, and some saw themselves become the leader of an immortal sect.

Of course, some people lose everything and become penniless; others experience great ups and downs.

"Hahaha! I've become a disciple of the Divine Tree Sect!" Someone laughed wildly in the illusion.

"I've become an immortal! Father, Mother, can you see this?" Someone cried, bowing to the void with tears streaming down their face.

"No...this is not what I wanted..." Some people were in great pain, on the verge of a mental breakdown.

Looking at the various reactions of the people in the illusion, Lin Chen suddenly said, "Brother Cheng, why don't we let Xiao Feng give it a try too?"

"No need," Luo Cheng shook his head. "The illusion array is ultimately fake. Look at Xiao Feng now; his situation is a real test."

Xiao Feng had already woken up and was sitting in a corner of the square. He could see the dejected expressions of the eliminated people, and he could also see the frenzy of the crowd in the illusion array. His eyes were dull and lifeless, as if all light had been lost. He didn't know where to go, and he couldn't see any hope.

"His spirit seems to have dissipated," Lin Chen sighed softly.

"If he can still maintain his Dao heart after the assessment, then you can accept him as your disciple; if his spirit is completely scattered, then let him be," Luo Cheng said.

Lin Chen nodded in agreement—she understood that if a person gives up on themselves, no amount of resources can help them. If she were to take him as a disciple now, she would only be giving him external support to build confidence, rather than nurturing his own original Dao heart.

As time went on, more and more people exited the illusion array. Even after leaving the illusion, many remained immersed in it, unable to come back to their senses for a long time. In the end, only a little over a hundred people passed the illusion array test.

The Grand Elder of the Divine Wood Sect flew high into the sky and announced loudly, "Congratulations to everyone for passing the test! Next, the sect elders will select disciples!"

Those who passed the test were overjoyed. They knew that from this moment on, they were disciples of the immortal sect and had the qualifications to cultivate immortality.

Lin Chen had been observing Xiao Feng. He saw him slowly clench his fist, and a faint light shone through the darkness in his eyes.

At this moment, a woman walked up to Xiao Feng and said in a tone that sounded somewhat condescending, "Xiao Feng, I'll give you some money. Get married and live a simple, ordinary life."

This woman is Xiao Feng's fiancée (the engagement has now been called off). She has now been accepted as a personal disciple by the elders of the Qingmu Sect. In her eyes, the two are no longer on the same level; one is an immortal, and the other is a mortal.

Xiao Feng's face trembled slightly, clearly trying his best to suppress his anger, but he remained silent.

Beside him, the boy who had mocked Xiao Feng on the Heavenly Ladder earlier also walked over, his tone becoming increasingly arrogant: "Xiao Feng, do you see? I'm already a disciple of the Divine Wood Sect."

"Get out of the way!" Xiao Feng's voice was calm.

The woman wanted to say more: "Xiao Feng, you have no talent for cultivation, just accept your fate..."

"I said, move aside!" Xiao Feng suddenly looked up, his eyes shining even brighter.

On the high platform, Lin Chen's eyes lit up, and he said to Luo Cheng, "Brother Cheng, there's still light in his eyes!"

Looking at Xiao Feng, Luo Cheng suddenly thought of his second disciple, Ning Zhe. Ning Zhe had also suffered many setbacks in the past, but he never gave up and continued to seek opportunities in Qilong City.

Xiao Feng's current state of mind is similar to Ning Zhe's back then—even if the Divine Wood Sect doesn't accept him, he will find a small sect, even if it's just doing odd jobs, to cultivate immortality.

Just as Xiao Feng turned to leave, Lin Chen stood up. With a light touch of her toes, she floated to Xiao Feng like a falling leaf, her voice gentle: "Xiao Feng, I want to take you as my disciple. Are you willing?"

"Huh?" Xiao Feng was completely stunned.

He recognized Lin Chen—she had been on the high platform just moments before, and even the Sect Master of the Divine Wood Sect had treated her with utmost respect; she was clearly a guest of extremely high status. How could such a person have noticed him? And how could she…be willing to take him as a disciple?

In his eyes, Lin Chen was like a fairy from the celestial realm descended to earth, surrounded by a faint halo.

Xiao Feng longed to become a disciple, but he suppressed his excitement and tried to keep his tone calm: "Senior, my lifelong dream is to join the immortal sect and become a cultivator, and I am naturally willing. But I must tell you that my talent for cultivation is very poor, and I am afraid I will disappoint your expectations."

Lin Chen secretly praised him: He was right about him. To remain calm and even consider the other person's feelings in the face of such an opportunity—this composure is far more valuable than talent.

A gentle smile appeared on her face: "On the path of cultivation, one's character is the most important. As for your talent, you don't need to worry about it; I have my own methods."

This time, Xiao Feng didn't hesitate any longer. He knelt down with a thud and respectfully kowtowed nine times to Lin Chen: "Disciple Xiao Feng greets Master!"

Xiao Feng's ex-fiancée and the Shenmu Sect disciple stood there dumbfounded until he finished kowtowing. Only then did the woman finally speak up, "Senior, he really doesn't have the talent for cultivation..."

"Hehe." Lin Chen smiled faintly, "It's none of outsiders' business whether I accept a disciple or not. Whether he has talent or not is up to me to decide."

The woman was speechless, both shocked and bewildered. She couldn't understand how Xiao Feng, with his mediocre talent and rejected even by the Divine Wood Sect, had caught the eye of this immortal.

Those around him who hadn't passed the test looked at Xiao Feng with envy, marveling at his good fortune in encountering such a divine opportunity.

"Disciple, come with me." Lin Chen said, leading Xiao Feng back to the high platform.

Once on stage, she introduced Xiao Feng: "This is my Daoist partner, Luo Cheng."

Xiao Feng quickly bowed and said, "Disciple Xiao Feng greets Immortal Luo!"

Luo Cheng nodded, took out a spirit sword from his storage space, and handed it over: "Take it."

"Thank you, Immortal Luo!" Xiao Feng accepted the sword with both hands, holding it tightly in his hands. He felt the sword was warm and smooth, with a faint flow of spiritual energy.

Lin Chen looked at Luo Cheng: "Brother Cheng, aren't you planning to take on a disciple?"

"No, thank you." Luo Cheng shook his head. He had observed all the examinees, and in terms of temperament, only Xiao Feng was passable; the others were somewhat lacking.

Meanwhile, after Xiao Feng's ex-fiancée entered the Green Wood Sect, she couldn't contain her curiosity and asked her master, "Master, who exactly is that senior who took Xiao Feng as his disciple?"

"Her Daoist partner is a true immortal."

"An immortal?!" The woman was completely dumbfounded. She never expected that Xiao Feng's luck would be so good that he could be chosen as a Daoist partner by an immortal.

In an instant, she felt extremely resentful: Why? Xiao Feng's aptitude is so poor, even the Divine Wood Sect wouldn't accept him, so why was he chosen by an immortal?

The master saw through her thoughts and said calmly, "Do you know about the great calamity of the Illusionary Tree Star hundreds of years ago?"

"I know," the woman nodded. That period of history was recorded on the planet Illusion Tree; she had read related texts.

The ancient texts say that hundreds of years ago, an immortal descended to the mortal realm and demanded a large amount of divine wood sap from the Illusion Tree Star, forcing the Divine Wood Sect to invite another immortal.

Later, the two Luo Tian Immortals fought a great battle in the outer heavens, severing many branches of the Illusion Tree Star and even leaving several scratches on the main trunk. It should be noted that even a Mahayana cultivator could not leave a mark on the main trunk of the Illusion Tree Star; only immortals from the upper realms could do it.

Meanwhile, the Shenmu Sect disciple who had previously mocked Xiao Feng was also inquiring about the origins of Xiao Feng's master. When he learned that Xiao Feng's grandmaster was actually an immortal, he was equally resentful, yet helpless.

At this moment, Luo Cheng had already brought Xiao Feng into the Origin Realm. He first used the Divine Wood Liquid to cleanse Xiao Feng's marrow and meridians, then used the Light Spirit Water to reshape his physique, and finally circulated the Divine Chess Power to help him establish his foundation.

After achieving Foundation Establishment, Xiao Feng's demeanor was completely transformed. His once frail body became upright, and his eyes were clear and bright. He bowed to Luo Cheng again, saying, "Thank you for your kindness, Immortal Luo!"

"You are Chenchen's disciple, no need for such formalities." Luo Cheng waved his hand. "But you must remember to cultivate diligently from now on, and not disgrace your master."

"This disciple will heed the teachings of the Immortal!"

Luo Cheng then asked, "Do you want to stay on Illusion Tree Star to cultivate, or go somewhere else to cultivate?"