The Goose State, as the name implies, is a place with many geese and a very high happiness index. Snug in its remote corner, it possessed a quiet, enduring charm.
Situated on the western coast of the Mainland, its ambient Spiritual Power was exceedingly thin, leaving mortals with no hope of ever becoming cultivators. Not only the Goose State was like this; across half the Mainland, cultivators were nowhere to be found—the spiritual veins were broken, and spiritual herbs refused to grow.
Zhou Chuan was born in the Goose State with a photographic memory, devouring ten thousand books while still just a child.
By the age of sixteen, he became the youngest imperial scholar in history. The emperor summoned him personally and, seeing his extraordinary appearance and nimble wit, decided to bestow a marriage upon him, wedding him to the imperial fifth princess, who weighed one hundred and fifty catties. They would be married a year later.
How the others envied him! As both a top scholar and an imperial son-in-law, his future path to officialdom was bound to be smooth, prosperous, and richly luxurious.
Yet, as scholars well knew, the more one read, the more restless one became. That was simply the way of things. A future that could be seen through at a single glance was not what he wanted.
Life was short; what should one pursue? He needed to think it over.
And so he left home to wander the mountains and rivers, taking in every vista, waiting for the wind as the wind waited for you.
On a scorching summer day with the sun blazing like fire, he was resting in the shade along a mountain path when an immortal hopped right into his field of vision. The living immortal trod upon the air, swift as a swallow, and landed in an instant beside a waterfall off to the side.
With delicate hands and slender fingers, he gave a light wave, using his breath to sever the waterfall as a small stream of water obediently flowed into his little mouth. How dashingly carefree.
The living immortal was merely a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator. Showing off before mortals was not his intention; the truth was that after staying in such a barren place for too long, even an immortal would get thirsty.
Having cultivated spiritual eyes, he saw that Zhou Chuan possessed an inherent spiritual root, and so he offered a word of advice: if he wanted to cultivate immortality and attain longevity, he had only to head straight east and walk until he reached the end.
Longevity! Longevity!
A single sentence jolted him awake. When one did not know what to pursue, one should simply pursue longevity. With boundless lifespan and endless years, would he still have to worry about failing to figure things out?
You could call him irresponsible, or you could call him daring in his pursuits—he packed up and left without ever looking back. Look back? To pack up a hundred and fifty catties of fatty pork?
After ten years and enduring ninety-nine trials, he successfully walked all the way to the eastern coast—a veritable miracle that forged an unyielding resilience within him.
The east possessed spiritual veins, giving rise to one after another cultivation state and orthodox immortal sects. Cultivators who soared through the skies and plunged into the earth were everywhere. Magical treasures, spirit swords, pills, spirit arrays, and cultivation techniques—entirely new vocabulary filled his ears. The path of immortality lay right before his eyes.
How thrilling! As long as he joined a sect or a cultivation family and obtained cultivation resources, he could realize his dream, become an immortal, and gain a boundless lifespan.
"The immortal said I have a spiritual root; I must be able to cultivate. What kind of aptitude do I actually have?"
Aptitude was the topic he paid the closest attention to. Whether it was a cultivation family or an immortal sect, selecting disciples based on aptitude was the primary rule. Spending resources made sense—whoever had higher talent would have resources tilted toward them.
Zhou Chuan had just arrived at the eastern coast of the Mainland. He had yet to condense Qi and possessed no divine sense, making it impossible to discern his own aptitude, and he hesitated over which faction to join.
"I went through thousands of hardships just to reach this sacred ground of Spiritual Power; I absolutely cannot just coast along. Going to the best sect is naturally the best choice."
Strolling and looking around this day, he arrived in the Qi State and heard a piece of major news: the Water Talisman Sect was recruiting one hundred outer disciples, the largest number in its history.
The Water Talisman Sect was a third-tier immortal sect that had recently been promoted, belonging to the ranks of major sects. This year was its first time recruiting disciples, and moreover, it was expanding its intake.
"Such a great stroke of luck has fallen upon me! My chance has come!"
The sixth day of the sixth lunar month, the Grain in Ear solar term, was an auspicious day. Outside the gates of Maple Leaf Valley, thousands of people had gathered in a bustling throng, all of them arriving for the entrance trial.
"I heard the entrance trial is recruiting a hundred disciples this year. I wonder if the rumor is true?"
"With so many spots, we have a chance this time! First-tier sects only have around a hundred disciples total; the Water Talisman Sect is recruiting a hundred people in a single year, which is equivalent to swallowing up an entire first-tier sect."
"There's no comparison there. A major sect is a massive backing; they're the only ones who bully smaller sects, and no one dares to attack them. Even though the recruitment numbers are high this year, the number of applicants isn't small either!"
"Hmph! No matter how many people they want to recruit, ultimate strength is what speaks. This time, I'm definitely passing into the Water Talisman Sect and becoming a new generation of heaven's chosen."
A sea of people chattered away, making for a lively atmosphere.
Zhou Chuan stood near the back of a line, listening intently to the people chatting, his heart a mixture of excitement and nervousness. He had some inkling of what his own strength was like.
Suddenly, a plump, greasy palm patted him lightly on the shoulder.
"Fellow Daoist, what layer of Qi Condensation are you at now?" The speaker was a young, chubby fellow with a delightfully naive look.
"Are you asking me?" Zhou Chuan found it hard to believe; with his poverty-stricken appearance, he was someone anyone would disdain at first glance.
"Of course I'm asking you. I'm currently at the 2nd Layer of Qi Condensation. And you?"
Through his travels, Zhou Chuan already had a clear understanding of cultivation ranks. The lowest tier of a cultivator's base was the Qi Condensation stage. The Qi Condensation stage was divided into nine layers, with each layer further broken down into four phases: early stage, mid stage, late stage, and peak.
The strength of the 2nd Layer of Qi Condensation was nothing special. In cultivation families with resources, children started receiving resources to cultivate by the age of ten, so by the time they reached adulthood, having cultivated for eight or ten years and reaching Qi Condensation Levels 3 and 4 was completely normal.
Reaching the 2nd Layer of Qi Condensation at this age meant his talent was truly mediocre. Yet, to Zhou Chuan's ears, the fat youth's words sounded like blatant bragging, because he hadn't even condensed Qi yet, let alone reached the 1st Layer of Qi Condensation.
"My name is Chu Le. What's your name? Let's be friends!" Chu Le smiled broadly, maintaining an utterly harmless appearance.
"My name is Zhou Chuan. I haven't... condensed Qi yet." Seeing how easygoing the other was, Zhou Chuan answered truthfully.
"You haven't condensed Qi?!" The chubby youth froze, his smile instantly vanishing.
He had just released his divine sense and failed to detect any fluctuations of Spiritual Power on Zhou Chuan, mistaking him for an expert.
"That's right. I come from a very far place; my country doesn't even have a single cultivator."
"So you're not from a cultivation state. No wonder."
"Indeed."
Instantly losing interest in striking up a conversation with a novice, Chu Le shifted his gaze elsewhere. He didn't know what the entrance trial would test, but his father had repeatedly urged him that sticking with a group was never wrong, which was why he was going around trying to chat with people and find powerful teammates to latch onto.
"I have acquaintances over there. I'm heading over." Without sparing Zhou Chuan another glance, Chu Le walked away.
Zhou Chuan had originally wanted to consult him about the matter of condensing Qi, only to be given the cold shoulder. He had seen too many snobbish people and was used to it, so he didn't take it to heart.
"Quiet!"
A sentence that struck at people's hearts descended from the heavens, followed by a powerful momentum that enveloped all directions and surged outward. Zhou Chuan possessed a mortal body; caught in the gale, he struggled with all his might, yet still could not resist.
He tumbled ungracefully to the ground, letting out an "ouch" as he bruised his tailbone.
Ha! Onlookers watching him fall curled their lips and laughed.
"Without even a shred of Spiritual Power, he actually has the nerve to come take part in the entrance trial!"
"Wasn't he just here to see someone off? I thought he was some young master's servant."
"With zero strength, he still dares to participate in the trial. Just how fearless can someone be?"
"Hurry up and go home; this isn't a place for you!"
No one sympathized with Zhou Chuan, and even fewer were willing to give him a hand. Once the mockery died down, they paid him no more heed.
Zhou Chuan climbed back to his feet. He had heard harsh words too many times before; this was nothing new.
A middle-aged man in white robes stood suspended in mid-air, treading upon a blue halo of light. He was Liao Qingshan, an outer Elder of the Water Talisman Sect in charge of this entrance trial. He spoke slowly.
"Today is the day our Water Talisman Sect recruits outsiders. Surely you haven't come just to watch the commotion, but rather to pass the trial and join my sect."
"Without further ado, I will explain the contents of this entrance trial. Behind me is Maple Leaf Valley; this valley is merely the front courtyard of the immortal sect. Cross the front courtyard, wade across the river, and you will see a great mountain. That mountain is the gateway mountain of our Water Talisman Sect, and there is only a single entrance and exit.
"The trial is very simple: pass through layers of obstacles and climb to the peak of the mountain to be considered cleared, making you a formal outer disciple. Pay attention—there will be a certain amount of danger along the way. If you lack the ability to protect yourselves, I suggest returning early. The sect will not step in to save anyone; once you step into the trial, you are responsible for your own life and death.
"The first one hundred people to reach the finish line at the fastest speed will be the new disciples recruited this time. Very well, let us begin now. Open the gates for me!"
Liao Qingshan shouted, simultaneously executing an intricate hand incantation. In the blink of an eye, Maple Leaf Valley—which previously had no gate—revealed an illusory passageway glowing with dazzling light.
"Let's go!"
"Charge in!"
Hearing the rules clearly, everyone rushed into the teleportation passageway in a chaotic scramble, like a multitude of crucian carp crossing a river. Zhou Chuan lingered at the very back of the line, entering the teleportation passageway as the last person.
"I must succeed! I'd rather die here than return to the Goose State!" he muttered, steeling his resolve.
Whoosh! The scene shifted, and everyone's field of vision instantly widened as they arrived in a bright, spacious valley. The valley was filled with flowers, plants, strangely shaped trees, and brightly colored flying birds.
Stepping inside felt like walking into a marvelous painting, leaving both body and mind deeply refreshed.
"Wow! How beautiful!"
"This is just the outer sect's outer courtyard; it doesn't even count as a spiritual mountain treasure land."
"The Spiritual Power is immeasurably denser than back home."
"What an immortal mountain treasure land! I must pass into the top one hundred and stay here to cultivate."
"Look, everyone, the mountain is over there."
Puff! Just as they were admiring the scenery, thick mists erupted, enveloping the four directions and obscuring the sun. The great mountain was veiled in fog, and everyone instantly lost their sense of direction.
Having arrived late, Zhou Chuan had only managed a single glance at the mountain before the scenery was swallowed by the vapor.
"This is a fog array; everyone must make sure not to run around blindly."
"Hey, my magical treasure has malfunctioned!"
"So has my spirit talisman!"
The disciples participating in the trial varied widely in cultivation base, and quite a few used magical treasures and spirit talisman. For the sake of fairness in the competition, the Water Talisman Sect had naturally meddled behind the scenes, suppressing these treasures so they would fail to function and lose their utility.
The entrance trial tested aptitude, not family wealth.