Sect Leader! Please strengthen our Dao Sect!

As dawn broke through the sky, the first ray of sunlight shone into Li Daniu's eyes.

"It's dawn!"

Li Daniu rubbed his eyes, clearly having just woken up. He shook He Wenzheng, who was also asleep and leaning on his shoulder, awake. He was surprised to find that Hua Ming's eyes were wide open and bloodshot, as if he hadn't slept all night.

"Brother Hua, you're not still awake, are you?"

"It's nothing."

Hua Ming closed his eyes, waited for more than ten seconds, and then opened them again, considering that he had rested.

The two people next to him slept soundly, but he remained vigilant all night, unable to fall asleep.

Last night was anything but peaceful; someone was pushed down a hillside and broke a bone.

Some people, unable to adapt to the concentration of spiritual energy here and knowing that going any further would be futile, harbored evil thoughts and revealed the ugliness of human nature.

Several people who were pushed off the cliff almost died from the fall if Shen Shanshui hadn't intervened secretly.

Hua Ming deserves much credit for enabling Li Daniu and He Wenzheng to sleep soundly until dawn.

However, Hua Ming said nothing about these things, remaining as taciturn as ever.

Let's go!

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For the rest of the journey, no more shameless individuals like Tang Yan blocked the way.

The closer they got to the summit, the higher the concentration of spiritual energy became. Everyone felt immense pressure, and their pace slowed down considerably.

Many people began to give up, not voluntarily, but because their bodies were so exhausted that they could no longer even crawl.

The team, which originally had nearly a thousand people, now has only sixty or seventy people left.

Those who reach this stage no longer need the qualification stone test. Testing a person's adaptability to spiritual energy is the most primitive testing method.

Moreover, compared to the simple and direct approach of using aptitude stones, this method also tests the perseverance required for cultivation.

Li Daniu and the other two supported each other, and he and He Wenzheng also began to sweat on their foreheads, feeling physically and mentally exhausted.

As for Hua Ming, he did not rest last night, and since he had experienced these symptoms earlier, he is now struggling to breathe.

We are currently about a third of the way from the summit, with another day to go.

The remaining people were no longer as excited as when they first came up the mountain; their hearts were filled with trepidation and torment.

"I'm quitting!"

"This is just playing with people!"

Emotional breakdowns often happen in an instant. Unlike those who have lost all hope and have completely given up, the remaining people are actually suffering even more.

With one-third of the journey remaining, the increasingly dense spiritual energy will continue to put a greater strain on their bodies.

This invisible pressure is simply unbearable.

"Brother, it would be such a waste to give up now!"

Seeing that the man had gone mad and was trying to run down the mountain, Li Daniu couldn't help but try to comfort him.

Do you think you can succeed?

"Stop dreaming! I'm barely holding on even after I've mastered Qi cultivation, how dare you trash reach the top?"

Everyone remained silent about this person's voluntary surrender, and only they themselves knew what they were thinking.

Is this person really not playing a trick on them?

Among these people were many who had been to other immortal sects. What immortal sect recruited disciples in this way?

Once one person gives up, another will follow. The first person's high-profile surrender quickly led to the second person's surrender.

This person also completed the process of drawing qi into the body, but unlike the previous person, he did not make a big fuss and simply went down the mountain quietly.

These people could easily have joined other immortal sects. It was only because the Heavenly Dao Sect was using the pretext of recruiting Foundation Establishment True Persons as disciples that they were led to join this little-known sect.

Having a way out makes giving up much easier compared to having no way out at all.

……

"I knew it. Your actions would inevitably lead to the loss of some promising young talents. It's a real pity to lose two of them now."

Liu Jiujiang looked at Shen Shanshui, trying to glean something from the other's expression, but found him to be completely calm.

Wu Lianshan, who was holding a knife to the side, curled his lip in disdain.

"One must forge ahead relentlessly in cultivation; to give up so easily over such a minor setback is utterly unfit for greatness!"

"Hey Lao Wu, do you really have to argue with me?" Liu Jiujiang raised his eyebrows, looking at Wu Lianshan with a half-smile.

The two have been friends for many years and know each other inside and out, but sometimes they can't stand Wu Lianshan's bad temper.

"This is also my job to select disciples, so why can't I express my opinion?"

"Who told you not to express your opinion? I was just expressing my regret..."

After some debate, Wu Lianshan, naturally unable to win an argument against Liu Jiujiang, a civil official, could only snort, his face flushed, "Tch!"

……

……

The third day of climbing the mountain.

The sun is setting in the west.

At the summit, before the main hall, the first person finally stepped forward.

The moment that person stepped onto the mountaintop, the breath he had been holding in vanished instantly, and he collapsed to the ground, lying on his back, gasping for air.

Of the fifty spots available, only eleven ultimately reached the top.

Li Daniu and the other two collapsed onto the ground, having also reached their limit.

The scenery at the mountaintop was indeed breathtaking. The boundless sea of ​​clouds, bathed in the glow of the setting sun, turned a vibrant red, a truly magnificent sight.

Congratulations everyone.

Shen Shanshui and his two companions appeared silently before everyone, their Taoist robes instantly isolating them from the dense spiritual energy around them.

The boys, who had been tormented to the point of near death, felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted off their shoulders, and they couldn't help but cry out in relief.

"Greetings, Master!"

"Greetings..."

As soon as someone realized what was happening, the others stood up and bowed to the three men.

After all their hardships, their joy was palpable. Of the fifty spots available, they now only had eleven combined. Didn't this mean their becoming disciples of the Master was a certainty?

But which of these three is a Foundation Establishment cultivator? It can't be all of them, right?

Why are there two people wearing official robes?

"Congratulations everyone, you have passed the first hurdle of the entrance examination."

"I am Shen Shanshui, the head of the Tianyi Sect."

These two are Magistrate Liu and Lieutenant Wu of Qingyang County, and also respected elders of our Tianyi Dao Sect.

Shen Shanshui looked at the young people in front of him with a warm smile. Those who were able to persevere and climb to the top of the mountain were all people with great willpower.

"Is there a second level?"

Before everyone could even wonder why the two officials of Qingyang County had become worshippers of the Tianyi Sect, they were startled by this "first trial".

Is it really necessary for a newly established registered sect to make accepting disciples so difficult?

"Don't panic, everyone. This second test is a written exam. Regardless of whether you pass or not, everyone who reaches the top will receive a Qi Refining Pill."

Upon hearing that they could obtain a Qi Refining Pill, the crowd, who had initially intended to complain, suddenly fell silent.

What Shen Shanshui could refine at any time was a priceless treasure that these young people would fight tooth and nail to obtain.

Most independent cultivators might never get to consume a Qi Refining Pill in their entire lives, so this trip is definitely a steal!

……