Cultivation Starts with Rejuvenation

Half a year later, the annual sect entrance trial commenced.

Compared to the previous life when Li Ji’an was brought to the trial by Yan Qingwan, this life saw even more young people participating.

This was because the upper sect had lowered the requirements for sect disciples in recent years, no longer requiring only those with Middle Grade spirit roots to participate like in the previous life.

Moreover, the first stage of the sect trial road had long been abolished.

Back then, it was said that this stage was to sift out those with destiny. In reality, it was just that the sect was not short of people and intentionally eliminated half of the trial takers in the first stage.

Now the sect entrance assessment comprised three stages. The first stage was aptitude, with the Middle Grade spirit root threshold canceled, allowing even those with Lower Grade spirit roots to proceed to the subsequent trials, with the final decision based on total scores for both inner and outer sect entry.

The second stage was heart nature, with scores that accounted for as much as spirit root talent.

The third stage was comprehension, which could be viewed as an assessment of talent across various skills, focusing heavily on the Hundred Arts of Cultivation, especially Alchemy Tools and Talisman Arrays.

On this day, nearly a thousand young boys and girls waited outside the sect and were led in by outer sect disciples in an orderly manner.

Simultaneously, Li Ji’an, accompanied by Xu Xiaochun and Guo Wanzhi, arrived early at the central plaza of the Dharma Transmission Hall.

”Brother Ping’an, I heard you have an Upper Grade superior spirit root, that’s so amazing.” Little Zhaoyan, nearly fourteen, had grown into an increasingly graceful young lady. Her spirit root had yet to fully develop, and today she came to cheer for Li Ji’an.

”Zhaoyan, you are naturally clever, your spirit root surely won’t be lacking. I’ll be waiting for you up ahead.” Li Ji’an responded with a smile.

”Yes, Brother Ping’an, I will fight alongside you in the future.” Little Zhaoyan nodded happily, her eyes smiling like crescent moons.

Besides Li Ji’an, there were also three sect’s direct disciples from the same year participating in the entrance assessment today, all classmates from Li Ji’an’s lectures over the past seven years.

”Brother Ping’an, once you become a true inheritor, don’t forget about us.”

”My spirit root is only Middle Grade, I’m not sure if I can enter the inner sect.”

The three of them always treated Li Ji’an politely because he had the support of Elder Changfeng and the Pill Cauldron Peak. Now, knowing his Upper Grade spirit root talent, they respected him even more.

Li Ji’an smiled slightly: ”Don’t be discouraged, you are all sect direct lineage, your fathers have bled and labored for the sect, the sect will not let you down, there is a bright future for everyone.”

Before long, the boys and girls outside arrived at the plaza.

Ninety-nine percent of the youths were drawn to the majestic atmosphere of the sect, constantly glancing around along the way.

Upon seeing Li Ji’an and others already waiting from afar, they instinctively lowered their heads, not daring to meet the gazes of these sect direct lineage members for fear of offending someone and losing the chance to join the upper sect.

However, a few youths, proud and high-spirited, with chivalrous air, were not afraid of Li Ji’an and the others, deliberately meeting their gazes, demonstrating an unyielding spirit.

Some youths believed that such unyielding spirit could earn them the praise of the sect’s high-ranking members.

Subsequently, Li Ji’an and the others joined the spirit testing queue, taking turns to test their spirit roots.

The continuous queue testing for three days and three nights was a sort of heart nature trial for these youths.

It wasn’t until the early dawn of the third day that the spirit testing finally concluded.

The results were not very optimistic, with a noticeable trend of declining overall spirit root quality, and an increasing proportion of Lower Grade spirit roots.

Those with Middle Grade spirit roots were just under half, and there were fewer than thirty with Upper Grade spirit roots.

The only consolation for the elders of the Dharma Transmission Hall was the emergence of an Immortal Seedling with an Earth Spirit Root this year.

Until this moment, many still had the image of that fire-like spirit charm raging like magma in their minds.

”Yao Rui!” Li Ji’an gazed at the tall girl with red hair standing in front of him, the image of the surging magma also appearing in his mind.

After the spirit testing, the queue was sorted according to the quality of spirit root talent, and Li Ji’an was originally in the first place until that magma appeared.

Yao Rui was tall and thin-faced, besides her eye-catching red hair, her ill-fitting, tattered magic robe also drew attention.

Meanwhile, Li Ji’an could sense the flow of energy and blood within her body, roughly at the Middle Stage of Tier One Body Refining.

”What are you looking at?” Suddenly, Yao Rui, who turned her head abruptly, interrupted Li Ji’an’s direct gaze.

”Sorry.” Li Ji’an replied with an apologetic smile.

”Hmph!” Yao Rui did not appreciate it, snorting coldly and turning her head again.

That night, all trial takers rested together in a large dormitory.

The next morning, the heart nature trial began.

All trial takers stepped onto the Heart Inquiry Platform.

In the previous life, Li Ji’an already had some realization at the Heart Inquiry Platform. Now, he clearly knew it was an illusion array capable of drawing out deep desires and memories.

If a certain obsession was particularly strong, it could quickly break through numerous illusion barriers.

One could also increase the chance of resisting the illusion by self-hypnosis in advance.

However, with Li Ji’an’s divine sense at the Early Period of Foundation Establishment now, he didn’t need to expend much effort.

It wasn’t that the sect array masters were lacking, but they simply couldn’t imagine an abnormal being with the divine sense of Foundation Establishment Stage among the entrance trial participants.

Soon, after passing through all the illusion barriers, Li Ji’an suddenly opened his eyes, still clear and spirited.

Becoming the undisputed first on the Heart Inquiry Platform.

However, to his surprise, the Fire Element Earth Spirit Root girl Yao Rui suddenly let out a loud roar not long after he opened his eyes, punching the air: ”Those who block me will die!”

She then opened her eyes, her eyes filled with crimson, astonishingly the second to awaken.

Before she could recover her senses, she looked around and was startled to find Li Ji’an already awake.

”When did you wake up?” Yao Rui asked, somewhat incredulous.

”Just now.” Li Ji’an nodded slightly.