“Have you heard?”

A man spoke to another as they walked through the streets.

Near them, a hooded figure dressed in black walked with her head slightly lowered, with no intention of eavesdropping, yet inevitably catching their words.

“Are you talking about the death of the Mountain Lord?” The second man responded, but his tone was more affirmative than questioning. It was hard to imagine any other topic amid the recent turmoil.

The hooded figure froze for a moment upon hearing this. The beautiful face beneath the hood showed surprise at the news of the sudden death of the city’s greatest expert.

She had already noticed an unusual atmosphere, suspecting that something had happened earlier, but she hadn’t expected to hear such a drastic revelation.

Intrigued, she subtly adjusted her path and continued following the men, keeping a discreet distance.

“Well, it’s not exactly about that, but it’s related.” The first man shook his head before continuing:

“I heard that the cultivators who took the mountain belong to a Golden Core sect and are recruiting disciples. They say that anyone with high-level roots or better can join them, just by showing up at the plaza tomorrow morning. And the best part: it doesn’t matter how many elemental affinities the root has!” He added excitedly.

“That sounds too good to be true. A Golden Core sect recruiting rogue cultivators without caring about mixed roots? Are you sure this isn’t a trap?” His friend shook his head, skeptical.

And, unable to hold back a hint of mockery, he continued:

“And why are you so excited? Even if they accept mixed roots, ours are still of too low a quality.”

“Who knows? If they don’t find enough people, they might lower the requirements,” The other shrugged, trying to stay optimistic, which only made his friend sigh in resignation.

The hooded figure followed them for a while longer, but, having heard nothing else of relevance, she changed direction and entered a nearby alley.

Inside the dark and damp alley, she stepped into a rundown inn. She passed by the old, gloomy innkeeper and entered one of the rooms without saying a word.

As soon as she closed the door, she removed her hood, revealing long blue hair.

Sitting on the worn-out bed, she couldn’t help but reflect on the conversation she had overheard.

“This might be my only chance to get out of this city alive… Even if it’s a trap, I have no choice but to take the risk,” She murmured to herself, her blue eyes shining with a mix of hesitation and determination.

Then, she clenched her fists tightly, strengthening her resolve.

…

At dawn the next day…

Lie Zheng arrived at the plaza, which was already crowded with murmuring people.

As soon as he stepped onto the scene, a fierce and oppressive aura began emanating from his body, sweeping over the crowd like an invisible wave. In an instant, the chatter ceased, and a heavy silence took over the area.

People quickly identified the source of the pressure and, without hesitation, stepped aside, their gazes filled with fear and unease.

Dressed in nothing but plain mortal cloth, without displaying any spiritual artifacts, Lie Zheng still left no room for doubt. His overwhelming presence and the recent announcement of the City Lord’s death were more than enough proof that he was no fraud but a truly powerful man.

He walked calmly to the center of the plaza as if no one stood in his way. And, indeed, no one did. No one would dare to block him.

Everyone knew that even if the entire plaza joined forces against him, they would still be annihilated effortlessly.

The chasm between Foundation Establishment and Qi Refiners was simply insurmountable.

When he reached the center, he slowly raised his head and swept his gaze over the crowd.

“I won’t speak much. The examination begins now. Those who seek to change their fate, step forward,” His hoarse and fierce voice echoed through the plaza, amplified by spiritual energy so that all could hear.

After a brief pause, he added:

“I will personally conduct the examination. The only requirements are high-level or superior spiritual roots and good character. If you possess neither, do not waste my time, or there will be consequences.”

Elder Lie then fell silent, standing still in the center of the plaza.

Gulp!

Sounds of dry swallowing echoed through the crowd.

Those eager to test themselves hesitated, reconsidering their decision in the face of Lie Zheng’s intimidating presence.

The weight of his aura made it difficult to summon the courage to take the first step.

Minutes passed, and no one moved.

Until, finally, a figure broke the inertia and stepped forward with determination.

Hooded in black, she walked with restrained steps until she stood before Lie Zheng.

He remained indifferent and did not demand that she remove her hood. He simply extended his hand, waiting for the figure to place her wrist in his grasp.

And so she did.

From beneath the black cloak, a delicate wrist emerged and rested, hesitantly, upon Lie Zheng’s palm.

With a firm gesture, he injected spiritual energy into the young woman’s body, analyzing the thickness and robustness of her spiritual veins.

And, without a doubt, her qualifications met the sect’s requirements.

‘The system only stipulated good qualifications as the minimum requirement, which means mid-grade roots. The number of elemental affinities in a root doesn’t affect its quality, so mixed roots are not a problem. But since my sect will grow quickly, it makes no sense to accept only mediocre qualifications. Better to secure talents from the start and accept only high-quality roots and above,’ Aotian pondered.

What he didn’t expect was to find something far beyond expectations.

The young woman’s qualifications were exceptional.

She possessed a water-element spiritual root of perfect grade.

A talent that, under normal circumstances, would be fiercely contested by Golden Core sects.

‘Looks like my protagonist luck is still going strong!’ Aotian smiled inwardly.

Lie Zheng released the young woman’s wrist and declared casually:

“Your qualifications are sufficient. Now, I will ask a question. Answer honestly.”

The girl was surprised.

Not because of the question, but because of his lack of reaction to her talent.

Her late master had nearly jumped for joy upon seeing her qualifications, yet the man before her remained indifferent, as if it were nothing extraordinary.

And, beyond that, he continued the examination without leaving any loopholes or offering special treatment.

This, paradoxically, reassured her.

Because now, it seemed less like a trap and more like the genuine recruitment of a Golden Core sect.

“Understood, Elder. I will answer to the best of my ability,” Her soft voice sounded humble before the imposing man.

“Have you ever killed, forced, or exploited an innocent?”

The question was direct, almost casual, but the young woman froze, nearly choking in confusion.

Since she had begun cultivating, she had never heard anyone talk about innocence.

The cultivation world had always been divided solely between the strong and the weak, and the concept of innocence often seemed almost nonexistent.

Still surprised, but without hesitation, she answered sincerely:

“No. I have never done that.”

Lie Zheng nodded, satisfied, seeing that she had spoken the truth.

“Good. Welcome to the sect. Step aside and wait for the recruitment to finish.”

And without further delay, he shifted his gaze back to the crowd.

The young woman blinked, confused.

That was it?

The recruitment was much simpler than she had expected.

And, observing the faces around her, she realized the crowd shared the same surprise.

But at the same time, seeing someone accepted so easily stirred a ripple of excitement in the plaza, encouraging the hesitant ones.

Soon, people of all ages, from the elderly to the young—even children—began stepping forward.

‘Normally, talented children make journeys to Foundation Establishment sects, but the distances between cultivation cities are vast. Many end up without options and remain where they are. Because of this, there may still be many promising seedlings in this city that meet my requirements…’

Aotian analyzed, watching the new candidates approach.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep