Chapter 1: Today is a good day for travel, but not for cheat
should not be translated.* The output should retain the original HTML tags.Let me know if you'd like me to demonstrate with a sample!Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou are two of them.>Let me know if you have...On the second day of the second lunar month, it is auspicious to travel.
The rain was falling heavily, drumming on the ground and stirring up the earthy scent of wet soil. It splashed onto the surface of the lake, creating ripples that spread outwards. It fell upon passersby's heads, eliciting low grumbles of annoyance.
“Whoever said today was a good day to travel It started raining as soon as I stepped out.” Lu Yang complained, feeling a little regretful that he hadn't brought an umbrella beforehand.
This was his first time traveling far from home, and he had no experience. The rain came suddenly, soaking him through. His shoes were covered in mud, making every step feel like the ground was actively trying to trip him up - he needed to pull his feet out of the puddles.
The sound of tapping came from behind, catching Lu Yang's attention.
Lu Yang turned his head and saw a horse-drawn carriage approaching him. There was no driver on the carriage, and the old horse seemed to know the way, needing no one to guide it.
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"What a marvelous horse," Lu Yang exclaimed. The old horse's forehead had several scales, resembling serpent scales, clearly the mark of some kind of exotic demonic beast.
Though he didn't understand its value, he also knew the preciousness of this old horse.
At the very least, it's beyond his financial reach.
"Sir, walking in the rain like this is truly elegant. Why not take a seat in my carriage"
From within the carriage came a man's hearty laughter. Lu Yang accepted the man's kindness, pulled his foot from the mud puddle, and hurriedly got into the carriage.
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"Excuse me, I'm Lu Yang." Lu Yang carefully got into the carriage, afraid that the rainwater and mud on his body would stain it.
"Meng Jingzhou." The carriage owner, like his voice, was a carefree young man, cheerful and amiable, as if he could strike up a conversation with anyone.
"Lu, are you also here to participate in the Wenda Sect's selection"
It's just a matter of luck.
Meng Jingzhou burst into laughter. "Lu brother, why not be honest If you were truly just looking for some luck, you wouldn't have walked through the rain to come ask the Wen Dao Sect."
Lu Yang felt a little ashamed: "Who wouldn't want to enter the Wudao Sect"
Wenda Zong, ranked among the five great immortal sects of the Central Continent, has countless powerful cultivators. It is extremely prosperous. Today, Wenda Zong is recruiting disciples. I wonder how many people want to give it a try
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Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou are two of them.
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Lu Yang traveled to the Central Continent. His parents died young, and he only survived thanks to a small inheritance left by his parents and the help of his neighbors.
Over the past decade living in this small town, he had heard tales from the scholar about celestial swords striking heaven's gate, stories of river demons stirring up floods a hundred miles away, and accounts of immortal disciples wielding flying swords to vanquish demons and protect humanity. He had even witnessed slovenly Daoists swindling people, leaping into the sky to escape custody, only to be brought back down by officials who flew after them.
At that moment, he realized this was not the world he knew, nor any dynasty he had ever encountered. This was a world where immense power was concentrated in cultivators.
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He wanted to seek immortality, learning the art of longevity.
He chose Wen Daozong as his first stop.
The only reason he chose to join the Questioning Dao Sect was simply because there were no other sects around his home, only the Questioning Dao Sect.
The Wenda Sect is established here, so other sects wouldn't be foolish enough to open their own branches nearby.
During the conversation, Lu Yang learned that Meng Jingzhou came from a family of cultivators and had a much deeper understanding of cultivation knowledge than Lu Yang.
"The requirements for disciples of the Questioning Dao Sect are mortals under sixteen years old. This is true not only for the Questioning Dao Sect, but for most sects."
“The path of cultivation is long and arduous, with realms of Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Divine Transformation, Void Refining, Union, and Tribulation Crossing. Each realm is a watershed, stopping countless people in their tracks. Only one out of ten, twenty, or even a hundred will reach the next level.”
Many factors determine one's success in cultivating immortality, such as luck, intelligence, and spiritual root... By the way, Lu brother, do you know what your spiritual root is
"While Wenda Zong says it doesn't have high requirements for spiritual roots, it also doesn't want those that are too poor."
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Lu Yang frowned. He learned the word "linggen" from a storyteller, but he didn't know what his own linggen was.
"I don't know, what about you, Mengxiong"
Meng Jingzhou's face became very confused, and he shook his head as well: "I tested my spiritual roots in the clan, but the elder had a worried expression and didn't tell me the result. He just said that my talent was amazing and joining any of the five great immortal sects would be no problem. Wait until I join one of the five great immortal sects, and I will know then. I secretly asked my parents, and they were even more worried than the elder, and didn't tell me either."
Lu Yang speculated, "It's possible your spirit root is too extraordinary and shocking, easily bringing disaster to the Meng family. Only a behemoth like the Wudao Sect could protect you."
"Just as I guessed." Meng Jingzhou patted Lu Yang's shoulder, looking like he had found a kindred spirit. The more he looked at Lu Yang, the more he felt that this person was as talented as himself, a natural seed for cultivation.
Lu Yang listened to the increasingly loud rain outside and was grateful that Meng Jingzhou had let him into the car.
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“Stop.” Meng Jingzhou suddenly shouted. The old horse stomped a few steps and slowly came to a halt.
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A carriage is quite a treasure. Meng Jingzhou could see the outside from inside the carriage.
Meng Jingzhou saw a woman walking in the rain outside the carriage, just like Lu Yang had been earlier.
“This elder sister is walking in this direction. She must also be going to the Daozong to take the exam. With such heavy rain, why not rest on the carriage for a while”
The woman was a little surprised by Meng Jingzhou's proposal, but after thinking about it, she agreed.
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The moment the woman stepped into the car, Meng Jingzhou and Lu Yang were both stunned.
Meng Jingzhou claimed to have seen many worldly women, but he had never seen one as beautiful as this. As for Lu Yang, the most beautiful woman he had ever seen was the widowed tofu seller next door.
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Of course, Lu Yang is an honest and upright man, he has no improper thoughts towards the young widow.
The woman resembled a lotus flower, beautiful but not gaudy. Dressed in white, she stood tall and graceful, with bright eyes and pearly teeth, giving one the feeling of being worlds away.
The woman still had a string of golden bells on her right wrist.
“Yunzhi thanks the two of you.”
Her voice was like a clear spring, making people feel very comfortable when they listened to it.
Lu Yang noticed something strange and whispered, "Brother Meng, why is she dry Could she be a monster"
In storytelling, there are often tales of monsters disguising themselves as beautiful women to lure young and strong men.
Just now, Lu Yang looked like a drowned rat, utterly miserable. In contrast, Yun Zhi was completely dry, not looking like she had walked through the rain at all.
Meng Jingzhou didn't think much of it: "Maybe I have a magical treasure on me that can keep me dry. That's pretty common in the mortal world."
Meng Jingzhou wasn't worried that Yunzhi was a demon or monster. This was the territory of the Wudao Sect, which monster would dare to come to the Wudao Sect and cause trouble
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"Miss Yunzhi, are you here to participate in the Wen Dao Zong test"
"That's right."
Meng Jingzhou eagerly said, "I just happen to have the examination content of the Wenda Sect here. I bought it from an elder of the Wenda Sect at a high price. Would Yunzhi girl like to hear it"
Lu Yang looked at Meng Jingzhou in surprise, "How come you never told me"
Yunzhi was even more astonished than Lu Yang: "This is cheating. What if the sect finds out..."
Meng Jingzhou waved his hand, a confident look on his face: "My carriage is a treasure. Even those powerful cultivators and reclusive old monsters can't use their divine sense to detect this place."
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"I see. May I ask, Young Master Meng, what are the contents of the examination"
Upon hearing this, Lu Yang also pricked up his ears to listen.
Meng Jingzhou cleared his throat: "The Wudaozong test is divided into three stages. The first stage tests your spiritual roots, which is a hard requirement. There's no way to cheat or take shortcuts. The second and third stages are where you have room for maneuver."
"The second test examines character. A runaway carriage is heading straight for five people lying on the roadside. Hitting them will undoubtedly result in death. There's also another person lying some distance away. As outsiders, we can control the direction of the runaway carriage. Do we choose to ignore it and let it kill five people, or do we change its direction and kill the other person"
Lu Yang didn't hesitate: "Run over another person."
Meng Jingzhou was very surprised. Since he learned about the content of the second level, he had not thought of a solution. How could Lu Yang immediately make a decision
To choose to ignore it would mean watching five people be run over with your own eyes. Logically, it might make sense, but it would weigh heavily on my conscience.
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Choosing to change direction and run someone over means that person is just unlucky, they deserved to be killed, and you did it yourself.
Meng Jingzhou voiced his doubts, and Lu Yang explained: "There's no time for you to think. By the time you figure out the answer, those five people would be dead already. I guess what Zongmen is testing isn't whether you choose to save five people or one, but whether you can make a quick decision."
“I heard Master Shu say that in a duel between cultivators, a difference of even a hair's breadth can mean life or death. The second test examines your character: whether you are indecisive or decisive. The most important thing is to make a decision in the shortest amount of time.”
Meng Jingzhou suddenly understood.
The third stage tests honesty. There is a mirror given to each candidate by Master Question Dao, which can determine if their words are true or false. If someone is found to have lied, they will be kicked out of the examination immediately.
Lu Yang pondered, "This level is quite simple. Without prior warning, it would be easy to lie and cover oneself up. However, since we know beforehand, just tell the truth."
Meng Jingzhou nodded, he also thought so.
After discussing for a while, they came up with many possible accidents and countermeasures. After careful consideration, they felt everything was perfect.
Yunzhi girl revealed a hint of a smile, as if she felt that the two were saying a good idea.
"Thank you, Lu Shaoxia, for informing me."
"Hmm, has the rain stopped" Lu Yang noticed that there was no more pitter-patter of raindrops falling outside the car, and he couldn't help but curiously look out.
The place they had just passed through was still pouring with rain, while where they were, the sun shone brightly, birds sang, and flowers bloomed. It was as if a peerless sword qi had divided the world into two halves of yin and yang, never to intersect again.
Lu Yang looked up and saw countless exotic beasts and immortal artifacts rushing towards the towering mountain that pierced the heavens.
The majestic mountains were coated with a layer of pale gold by the sunlight. A magnificent pattern spread out from behind the mountains, covering the sky and blocking the heavy rain.
That was the mountain gate of the Question Dao Sect, on top of which stood a grand protective array, impenetrable to all.
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Out of respect for the Wudao Sect, the gifted cultivator landed at the foot of the mountain under the guidance of his elders, waiting for the Wudao Sect to begin the examination.
Though Old Horse was already a rare and unusual beast, it was still inferior to the divine beasts resting at the foot of the mountain.
"Mom, this is way more impressive than our Meng family estate," Meng Jingzhou said, rubbing his hands together nervously. Thinking about how he would soon pass the test and become a member of the Wenda Sect, excitement filled his heart more than anything else.
Lu Yang remained silent. When he was at home, he could see this mountain range, but the distance was too far then, and he didn't feel much. Standing at its foot, he realized just how colossal it truly was.
He was a bit nervous. He managed the second and third rounds, but he still didn't know what his spiritual root was, and it was possible that he couldn't even pass the first test.
Dozens of cultivators stood in the air, guarding before the mountain peak. They all emanated powerful aura fluctuations. Lu Yang suspected that if they fully unleashed their auras, there wouldn't be many people left who could even stand.
These cultivators remained silent, inexplicably putting psychological pressure on people.
Lu Yang heard from a family elder introducing the younger generation: "Judging by their robes, these are core disciples of the Wenda Sect. They all apprenticed under various elders. These people will be your fellow disciples in the future."
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"You don't need to be nervous, they aren't intentionally putting pressure on you. It seems like they are waiting for the person who will host this exam. Once the host arrives, the exam is going to begin."
Lu Yang turned his head to see Yun Zhi's reaction, whether she was excited or nervous.
Surely you can't just remain nonchalant, can you
"Yunzhi, you..."
Just as Lu Yang was about to speak, Yunzhi maiden lightly stepped forward. Before each step landed, a white lotus would rise, supporting her delicate frame.
There was an uproar among the crowd. The elder members of the family broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly silenced the younger generation.
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"Let me introduce myself, I'm Master Daozong's senior sister, and the host of this examination."
"I declare, the exam officially begins."
Having said that, Yunzhi still gave Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou a half-smile, half-frown glance.
She was indeed here to participate in the Wudao Sect examination, but she wasn't a candidate; she was an examiner.
Let me know if you have any other text you'd like me to translate!nt was amazing and joining any of the five great immortal sects would be no problem. Wait until I join one of the five great immortal sects, and I will know then. I secretly asked my parents, and they...