When you are treated as a treasure, even your patina is considered the accumulation of years.
At this moment, the many elders of Wendao Sword Sect viewed Xu Xian in exactly that light.
He had merely taken a step ahead of the crowd, yet what they saw was a youth standing alone before the world, sword in hand, questioning the heavens.
Following the Sect Leader's words, they chimed in with agreement, their eyes filled with unreserved admiration.
They called him a remarkable talent, spoke of his extraordinary constitution, and noted that his brilliance was already beginning to show...
Li Qingshan struggled to suppress the upward curve of his lips, yet he still maintained a solemn tone as he spoke.
"The path of cultivation never lacks for geniuses with superior talent. But in the end, how many truly attain the Dao and become immortals? Besides talent, having a firm, simple heart is also extremely important. If he cannot pass the Heart Inquiry formation, he will ultimately be a mere flash in the pan—brilliant for a single night at most. If that is the case, I still won't take him as my disciple."
A round of quiet jeers and mental grumbling rose from the surrounding elders.
Everyone in Wendao Sword Sect knew that this talented sword immortal, Li Qingshan, had three loves: wine, swords, and showing off.
The Sect Leader paced gracefully before taking her seat at the head. Gazing at the Heart Inquiry Pool, she said leisurely, "Hehe, Little Shan is right. Our Wendao Sword Sect is a righteous sect. We have always taken it as our duty to save the world and protect all living beings."
"Back then, the founder did not hesitate to venture deep into the North Sea to bring back the Heart Inquiry Bamboo and Heart Inquiry Water to set up this Heart Inquiry formation."
"Within the formation, the Three Inquiries of Nature were established. Whenever someone enters the array, they forget their identity, the test, and everything else, thus revealing their truest self. This allows us to weed out those with impure hearts and keep those with virtuous characters."
"What we fear most is that a disciple of Wendao Sword Sect might one day betray their original intention and bring chaos to the world..."
"Daoism and Confucianism have argued for tens of thousands of years: is human nature inherently good or inherently evil? They still haven't reached a conclusion."
"People are inherently different from birth. How can we generalize or use a single rule for everyone?"
The crowd echoed her sentiments.
"The Sect Leader is correct."
"I hope more children will pass this time."
Ye Xianyu said with a beaming smile, "Let us wait and see."
Li Qingshan sat upright, looking perfectly confident in the outcome.
He had immense faith in Xu Xian. Although the boy was somewhat resistant to cultivation, once he entered the illusion formation, he wouldn't have a choice.
He would forget those resistances.
Just as the Sect Leader said, he would act according to his true heart.
Li Qingshan had investigated Xu Xian's background. The village where the boy lived was deep in the vast mountains, where the people were simple and kind, living an isolated life of mutual aid.
In the village, Xu Xian had an excellent reputation. He was kind-hearted, helpful, and was even being groomed by the villagers to be the future village chief.
This was evidence enough.
The Three Inquiries of the Heart should not be a problem.
In front of the Heart Inquiry Forest.
Seeing Xu Xian lead the way into the bamboo grove, the others no longer hesitated. They all set off, stepping into the bamboo forest, and before long, every one of them had entered.
The old man waved his sleeve once more, and the walls of the formation sealed shut. He said cheerfully, "Nine hundred and sixty-three people. I wonder if even a hundred will walk out..."
The bamboo forest was empty and quiet, cold and silent. The forest was so deep and the bamboo so tall that the sun was hidden.
Looking up, one could only see slivers of light through the gaps, casting a chilling glow. It was very cold.
Xu Xian instinctively shivered. He rubbed his arms with both hands and stammered, "Hiss! This ghostly place is freezing."
The crowd moved in small groups, looking around curiously.
Suddenly, a wind rose.
Fog blew in.
It grew thicker and denser, like smoke or crashing waves, surging like water. In an instant, the entire bamboo forest was shrouded...
"What's goingation?"
"Where did this fog come from?"
"It's so cold."
"Don't be afraid!"
"I can't see anything..."
"Wah—where are you guys? This is too scary. I want to go home, I want to leave..."
A vast sea of fog swallowed everyone. Visibility was less than half a foot. The surroundings were a cacophony of shouting, calling, and crying.
The oldest among them were only fifteen, and the youngest were merely ten. At such a young age and with immature minds, how could they have seen such a scene? Naturally, a group of them was scared to tears.
The noise made Xu Xian's head ache.
He wanted to struggle.
But he couldn't move. His body felt weak, his legs were soft, and his eyelids felt as heavy as lead, as if his very essence had been drained...
"This fog... is toxic!"
In his daze, he fell backward with a thud.
His eyes flickered open and closed.
His vision was blurry. The sound of crying and wailing drifted away until his eyes closed completely. By his ear, all was silent...
By the Heart Inquiry Pool, the fairy brushed back a strand of hair and parted her thin lips.
"It has begun."
Everyone focused their gaze. Ripples appeared on the pool's surface, showing a scene of thick fog. As the water gently swayed, it transformed into hundreds of dreamlike images appearing before them...
...
Caw! Caw! Caw!
Winter crows circled over a desolate village, letting out eerie cries.
"Where am I?" Zhang Yang wondered aloud as he looked around, having forgotten everything that had just happened.
"Help!"
"Someone help me!"
Hearing the cries for help, he instinctively ran toward the sound. He entered a small courtyard and saw a dry well; the cries were coming from within.
He leaned over the well opening and looked down. Inside the well was a woman, looking pitiful and moving, splashing in the water.
"Child, save me."
Zhang Yang said, "Wait here, I'll go find someone."
"Don't go! There's no one else here, just me."
"Then I'll find a rope to pull you up."
"My foot is stuck on something. I can't reach it. Can you come down and help me free it?"
Zhang Yang looked at the dark, bottomless well and hesitated.
"I beg of you."
After a moment of internal struggle, Zhang Yang bit his teeth and made a decision.
"Alright."
With that, he climbed down into the well.
The same scene was playing out in Lin Qianqian's illusion.
She only took one look into the well before leaving the courtyard and running out of the desolate village...
Hundreds of illusions were playing out simultaneously.
Some saved the person.
Some did not.
By comparison, those who chose to save were few, while those who didn't were many.
An unfamiliar environment, a stranger, and unknown dangers. Not saving the person was a natural choice.
By the Heart Inquiry Pool, the elders were critiquing the scenes.
"This little fatty isn't bad. He has a kind heart. His aptitude is a bit poor, but he's not unteachable."
"The girl from the Lin family is also quite good. Though she didn't save the person, she was very decisive and didn't hesitate like most people."
Ye Xianyu sat in her high position, motionless, with a constant smile in her eyes.
The First Inquiry of the Heart tested a single premise.
If someone falls into a well and saving them might result in your own death, do you save them or not?
Saving or not saving were both acceptable answers.
The one who saves is kind.
The one who does not is wise.
The ancestors had long ago provided the answer: A gentleman avoids unnecessary risk, but a sage takes the lead in benevolence.
They were all just children; saving or not saving were both within reason.
One could only say that Zhang Yang could become a sage who benefits the world, while Lin Qianqian could be a gentleman who avoids danger to protect herself. That was all.
Therefore, no one would be eliminated because of this inquiry.
However, it was true that those who chose to save would gain extra points with the elders.
After all, who wouldn't hope for their future disciple to become a great sage?
But... she was rather looking forward to seeing whether Xu Xian, with his sword spirit root, would save the person or not.
She caught a glimpse of Li Qingshan out of the corner of her eye, who looked full of confidence.
"Eh... why hasn't the child with the sword spirit root appeared yet?"
"True, others have already finished. Why hasn't he come out?"
"Wait a little longer. That child looks sturdy and has a sword spirit root, so his foundation is good. He likely didn't faint as quickly."
"That makes sense."
"Look... it's Xu Xian's illusion."
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