Chapter 2 Heart of the Innocent
Translator: 549690339
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Boom!
A vast and oppressive force descended upon the main peak of Mount Shu, silencing the incessantly noisy crowd in front of the hall as well as the Mount Shu elders and disciples within.
The entire main peak of Mount Shu trembled slightly, as clouds churned and a purple aura swept in from three thousand miles away!
Some outsiders who had never witnessed such a sight were trembling in their souls.
A figure appeared out of thin air at the main seat of the grand hall of Mount Shu, with hair and beard flecked with gray, an aura of a sage about him, clothed in a Daoist robe adorned with the Taiji Yin-Yang symbols, and his profound eyes reminiscent of the vast starry sky.
The elder waved his sleeve, and the terrifying pressure that enveloped Mount Shuâs main peak was swallowed up like by a whale, vanishing in an instant.
âGreetings, Sect Leader!â
âGreetings, Sect Leader!â
Mount Shuâs many highly cultivated elders were all respectful and reverent, performing salutations to the elder seated in the main seat.
He was the twenty-seventh Sect Leader of Mount Shu, the Taiyuan True Person, the overtly strongest fighter of Mount Shu, who, three thousand years ago, had already reached the Dao Palace Realm!
âChangye, during my seclusion, has there been any disturbance in Xia State?â
âReporting to the Sect Leader, all is calm in Xia State. However, there seems to be some unrest in Huang State, which has had a slight impact on us⊠I will report the details to the Sect Leader afterward.â
âHmm. Changsheng, itâs been a hundred years since we last met; your cultivation has improved a great deal, but cultivators should be wary of isolated cultivation; it is a grave taboo. Itâs good that youâve managed to overcome your inner demons and emerge from seclusion.â
Taiyuan True Personâs piercing gaze swept over him, completely perceiving Lu Changshengâs level of cultivation.
However, even with Taiyuan True Personâs level of cultivation, he didnât know that his discipleâs soul had already been replaced by someone else.
After exchanging a few pleasantries with the elders, Taiyuan True Person slowly said, âSince all the elders, except those in seclusion, are present, letâs begin the Disciple Apprenticeship Ceremony.â
âYes.â
âBy the Sect Leaderâs command, the Disciple Apprenticeship Ceremony begins!â
Li Changyeâs voice, loud as thunder, echoed throughout the main peak of Mount Shu, and the myriad mortals waiting to have their talents tested were all solemn.
A cultivator with Great Accomplishment in the Dao Palace Realm is someone they would look up to for their entire lives.
A large mirror flew out from the grand hall, growing larger in the wind and floating above the square, emitting an astonishing spiritual energy.
âThis is Mount Shuâs low-grade Immortal Artifactâthe Gallbladder Mirror!â
âThis object can assess physique, comprehension, and qi destiny; itâs truly marvellous. The reason why each generation of Mount Shu is brimming with talent is due to the Gallbladder Mirrorâs merit.â
âMount Shuâs foundations are indeed unfathomably deep.â
Some old servants who had followed their young masters to Mount Shu, worldly and well-informed, cried out in amazement.
A low-grade Immortal Artifact is not something that mortals, let alone cultivators, could see even once in their lifetimes.
Mount Shuâs outer sect disciples maintained order, dividing the crowd into groups of ten, who went in turn to stand in front of the Gallbladder Mirror to test their qualifications.
Every one of them was nervous; becoming a disciple of Mount Shu, especially an inner sect disciple, would set them on the path of cultivation, changing their encounters in life, no longer remaining as mere mortals.
Among the crowd were the children of prestigious families, princes, princesses, and loose cultivators.
âCai Zhiyin, Root Bone mediocre, Comprehension poor, Qi Destiny poor, cultivation at the third layer of Foundation Establishment Realm, unqualified.â
âLin Chunping, Root Bone high-grade, Comprehension mediocre, Qi Destiny mediocre, cultivation at the fifth layer of Foundation Establishment Realm, qualified.â
âChen Ruyi, Root Bone low-grade, Comprehension high-grade, Qi Destiny high-grade, cultivation at sixth layer of Foundation Establishment Realm, qualified.â
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The Gallbladder Mirror displayed everyoneâs qualifications, and anyone with two low-grade aspects was deemed unworthy of the way of the immortals.
Those who were qualified could become the outer sect disciples of Mount Shu, whilst only those taken as disciples by the Sect Leader or elders could become inner sect disciples.
Lu Changsheng activated the search function of the Disciple Apprenticeship Simulator; his invisible divine sense covered the whole of Mount Shuâs main peak, revealing the qualifications of everyone except for the Sect Leader, Taiyuan True Person.
It was not only Root Bone, Comprehension, and Qi Destiny that Lu Changsheng could see, but also things that even the Gallbladder Mirror couldnât.
Looking towards his senior brother, Li Changye, a brilliant golden light burst from the Disciple Apprenticeship Simulator in his Sea of Consciousness, and Li Changyeâs information appeared in Lu Changshengâs mind.
[Li Changye]
[Talent: Eternal Wilderness Body, Fire Spirit Root, Cursed with Gambling]
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[Cultivation: Ninth Layer of Dao Palace Realm]
[Dao Bone: 500 years]
As expected of the most valued direct disciple of the Sect Leader of Mount Shu, Taiyuan Zhenren, with just 500 years of cultivation, he has reached the ninth layer of the Dao Palace Realm, only half a step away from the Void Refinement Realm.
âSenior Brother actually has a special physique, the Eternal Wilderness Body⊠But such a person who possesses such cultivation always loses in gambling; it seems his Qi Destiny is lackingâŠâ
Lu Changsheng secretly scrutinized his senior brother Li Changyeâs talents. Li Changye was extraordinarily gifted, but it was impossible for Lu Changsheng to accept him as a disciple.
Lu Changsheng shook his head, his Divine Sense scanning over the mortals below being tested, looking for a suitable candidate for discipleship.
The higher a discipleâs cultivation rises, the more generous the rewards from the Disciple Apprenticeship Simulator.
Training a disciple in the Nascent Soul Realm is far more valuable than training a hundred disciples in the Qi Transformation Realm. The higher the discipleâs talents, the faster the cultivation speed, which is why quality should not be sacrificed for quantity.
âBamboo Shuangshu, Root Bone of medium grade, Comprehension of lower grade, Qi Destiny of lower grade, no special physique. Not good, not good.â
âChu Feiyan, Root Bone of high grade, Comprehension of high grade, Qi Destiny of high grade, no special physique, definitely can become an outer sect disciple, even with Elders willing to take them as inner sect disciples.â
âLi Gang, damn, Heavenly Slaughter Lone Star?!â
Lu Changsheng saw a mortal named Li Gang whose talent was actually âHeavenly Slaughter Lone Star.â
The fate of the Heavenly Slaughter Lone Star doesnât affect the person themselves but is extremely harmful to those around them.
Having such a disciple might mean not living to see next year.
âXiao Xiangdao, Root Bone of supreme grade, Comprehension of supreme grade, Qi Destiny of high grade, cultivation in the third layer of the Qi Transformation Realm, possesses a special physique â the Spirit Sword Physique!â
The Mount Shu Elders who were selecting disciples suddenly burst into excitement.
The Gallbladder Mirror shook violently, displaying three golden ancient seal characters: âSpirit Sword Physique!â
Even Taiyuan Zhenren was moved by this.
A special physique indicates extremely high talent.
The eldest Senior Brother, Li Changye, was almost unmatched within the same realm thanks to the Eternal Wilderness Body.
âThis is the third Prince of Liang Kingdom, Xiao Xiangdao!â
âWho wouldâve thought that the royal family of Liang Kingdom would produce someone with the Spirit Sword Physique!â
âIndeed, Mount Shuâs fortune is waxing strong. With a disciple having the Spirit Sword Physique, in a thousand years, this person will surely become a pillar of Mount Shu!â
The crowd waiting for the talent test was in an uproar.
A special physique, one in a million.
âWithout a sword in hand but one in the heart, the comprehension of the Sword Dao by someone with the Spirit Sword Physique is as simple as eating and drinking water for a mortal.â
Li Changye, hands behind his back, looked towards Xiao Xiangdao with apparent appreciation for this youth.
Many Mount Shu Elders had eager eyes; they all wanted to take Xiao Xiangdao as a disciple, a rare gem that could be encountered only once in a millennium.
Yet, no one dared to openly accept Xiao Xiangdao as a disciple.
The reason was simple: with a rough jade, an unskilled craftsman dare not carve, lest it becomes a waste of heaven-sent talents.
Everyone turned their gazes unanimously towards Taiyuan Zhenren, for here, the only one capable of nurturing the Spirit Sword Physique seemed to be Taiyuan Zhenren himself.
âI have fortuitously attained some insight recently and must go into seclusion for some time. The affairs of Mount Shu will be handled by you, the Eldest Senior Brother, in my stead. As for this Xiao Xiangdao, Changye, you may accept him as your disciple.â
âMe?â
âThe Eldest Senior Brother is indeed the most suitable.â
âYes, yes.â
The many Mount Shu Elders were all convinced by the Eldest Senior Brother Li Changyeâs abilities, so they had no objections to Taiyuan Zhenrenâs decision.
Other than Taiyuan Zhenren and the reclusive old monsters on the back mountain, here, only the Eldest Senior Brother Li Changye was qualified to take the Spirit Sword Physique as a disciple.
While everyoneâs attention was drawn to the rare Spirit Sword Physique that appeared once in a thousand years, Lu Changshengâs Disciple Apprenticeship Simulator had found a plain and unremarkable youth in the crowd.
âTalent, Heart of the Innocent!!â