Lu Chongyun rarely lost focus in public. The peak masters and elders looked at each other, wondering what had happened to him.
“Sect leader?”
Only then did Lu Chongyun come to his senses and looked at the person who spoke.
“Is East Ninth Peak not accepting disciples this time?” The First Elder asked.
Accept disciples? What disciples? Lu Chongyun thought to himself. Not to mention Senior Brother never accepted them before, but now that he already has a daughter, would he accept disciples again?
Ever since Lu Chongyun found out that his senior brother had a daughter, he would often go to Snow Peak Mountain, trying to extract more information. He would even have stayed there directly if not for Yao Jiuxiao’s clear dislike. However, after making too many visits and failing to inquire about his martial niece’s whereabouts, now he was even refused entry to the peak.
Lu Chongyun was furious at first, but after failing to enter the barrier several times, he calmed down.
However…
Thinking of the face that was identical to the one in his memory, Lu Chongyun hesitated for a while. Soon afterward, a paper crane formed at his fingertips. Shimmered with fluorescent light, it seemed to come alive as it fluttered its wings elegantly and flew away.
On the summit of Snow Peak Mountain, Yao Jiuxiao was meditating, as usual. With his eyes closed and a serene expression, he sat amidst the icy snow, just like a divine being untainted by worldly affairs. A fluorescent white crane, undeterred by the wind and snow, flew into the barrier. It stopped in front of Yao Jiuxiao and flapped its wings in place.
Yao Jiuxiao slowly opened his eyes and looked at the message-bearer paper crane. After a moment, he extended his hand and tapped the crane, which transformed into a piece of paper and fell into his palm. After reading the message, the paper gradually disappeared. He sat in silence for a while before his figure vanished from the spot. The next moment, he appeared at his exclusive seat in the Grand Hall.
When Yao Jiuxiao appeared, the other peak masters and elders were greatly surprised, and even Lu Chongyun’s face also showed ripples of emotion, as he didn’t expect Yao Jiuxiao to actually come out.
“Your Venerable, there are many talented individuals this time. Please see if there’s anyone suitable to bring back to East Ninth Peak.” Peak Master Miao respectfully said with a smile.
Yao Jiuxiao didn’t express his opinion; his gaze also fell on the projection, where a young woman in white had just passed the Stairway To Heaven and was now standing in the square. Seeing this, Lu Chongyun smiled, “She also has a water spiritual root.”
The elders and peak masters couldn’t help but pay more attention to the girl who caught the special attention of the sect leader and His Venerable. If it was about aptitude, there was even a mutated wood spiritual root among them, not to mention the few other single-attribute candidates. What made this girl so special?
And ‘also’? Who were they talking about?
Many people had doubts in their hearts. Among everyone present, only two other elders besides Lu Chongyun and Yao Jiuxiao were above a thousand years old. But they were still children back then and had vague memories about the events that happened a thousand years ago.
It was obvious that Lu Chongyun and Yao Jiuxiao had no intention of providing answers. The image in the projection changed, and the adorable little dumpling in red appeared again. The elders and peak masters, who were initially only interested in the girl because she was cute and cared for by the Medicine Sect, suddenly sat up straight.
“Just five spiritual roots?” On the long, endless staircases, those who passed the test had already produced results, and only a solitary little figure was left climbing up. This Stairway To Heaven tested not only one’s perseverance but also innate potential – each step weighed more than the previous one. Even the most talented individuals could only climb five hundred steps at most. The highest record in the history of the Guiyuan Sect was Yao Jiuxiao’s one thousand nine hundred steps. However, Luo Yaoyao not only broke that record but also seemed capable of continuing further up. Several peak masters stood up in shock. Could this little girl have the potential to reach the Great Ascension stage? But why did she only possess five spiritual roots?
Hall Master Mo revealed a smile, paying more attention to his designated disciple. Perhaps, he had struck gold today.
As for Peak Master Miao, she glanced at Hall Master Mo’s scruffy beard and his hard-to-approach look and smiled inside. Once the little girl arrived in the Grand Hall, she would show her most friendly side and coax this little cutie to choose her.
Others were also eager and couldn’t help but want to snatch this miraculous little girl and bring her under them.
The crowd in the hall was shocked by the little girl and did not notice that above the honor seat, Yao Jiuxiao’s perpetual icy gaze melted like spring, showing a hint of a smile.
…
This seemingly endless Stairway To Heaven was just the first test in the entry trial. Lu Yaoyao didn’t know how long she had been walking. The sky darkened and then brightened again. It felt like she had been walking for a long time, her body filled with exhaustion, and each step felt as heavy as lead. Lu Yaoyao, who had always breezed through her cultivation and even passed the thunder tribulation with ease, was experiencing the hardships of the path to cultivation for the first time. Her little face turned rosy, and sweat beads formed on her tender and smooth skin.
She felt so tired, and every lift of her short legs was a struggle. A voice seemed to whisper in her ear, urging her to give up, telling her she couldn’t reach the end, that it was still far away, and all she had to do was stop… If she didn’t have such a good constitution, she probably wouldn’t be able to persist. Lu Yaoyao thought to herself, this must be the correct way to cultivate immortality! The previous easy tribulations and the rapid growth of her cultivation actually made her feel a sense of unreality.
Lu Yaoyao knew she had been walking for a long time. At first, she counted the steps as she walked, but later on, she gave up counting. The numbers had long lost their meaning. The path ahead was still endless, and she didn’t even have the strength to raise her head.
Lu Yaoyao quickly figured out that this first trial involved an illusion. She didn’t know how to pass; surely it couldn’t be just walking continuously, no? The longer the time dragged on, the heavier her footsteps became. It wasn’t just the sensation of carrying a heavy load; with each step, her feet grew heavier, and there were faint, tempting voices in her ears, urging her to give up.
But giving up was not an option. Lu Yaoyao focused her mind, blocking out all the sounds, and only had the path beneath her feet in her eyes. She walked with single-minded determination until she could no longer lift her feet, burdened as if they weighed millions of kilograms. Lu Yaoyao stood on the step, staring fixedly at the previous one, unable to step onto it for a long time.
She felt wronged. Was she going to be eliminated?
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now, go take your daughter.
Finally!!! I was beginning to think that Lu Yaoyao wouldn’t meet her father for a long time to come, but he knows she’s there! I think Yao Jiuxiao will let her continue with her test and then come to select her as his sole disciple at the end. I can just imagine the scene of her calling out “Father” when she sees him and the others’ subsequent reactions, lol.
Thanks for the chapter! 😀