Volume 1, Chapter 24: Ascending the Path of Heart-Questioning

A group of youngsters gathered at the foot of the Tianyan Sect's mountain gate. After the senior disciples responsible for recruitment brought them to the entrance, they were instructed to wait there for the arrival of the Elders to begin the next round of testing.

Looking up at the Tianyan Sect, partially obscured by mist, the expressions on the faces of these children varied—some were nervous, some worried, some eager to prove themselves, and others appeared calm and composed. Regardless of their demeanor, the one thing they all shared was a heart full of anticipation.

Before long, the Elder in charge of the testing arrived. He surveyed the youngsters, signaling for silence, and once the area was quiet, he began to announce the details of the test.

"The content of this assessment is to ascend the Tianyan Sect's 'Path of Inquiry.' You must reach at least the five-hundredth step by sunset; those who fail to do so will be eliminated."

The Elder observed the reactions of the children, noting that some were already flinching. He added, "Anyone who wishes to withdraw may do so immediately!"

Following these words, several did indeed step forward to leave. Most of those who withdrew were dressed in fine silks and satins, clearly pampered by their families. To them, a five-hundred-step ladder was far too strenuous, and they had other paths in life to follow.

Once the departing disciples had left, the Elder spoke again: "Cultivation is a process of survival of the fittest. If you lack the will to overcome even this small trial, how will you manage when you face greater hardships in the future?"

These words left those who had been wavering flushed with shame, while the others found their resolve hardened.

Satisfied with the determined gazes before him, the Elder announced, "The climb up the Path of Inquiry begins now!"

Soon, the first few took their steps, and Gu Mingxi led the members of the Gu family onto the path. The other children followed suit, beginning their ascent.

At this moment, inside the main hall of Star Peak at the Tianyan Sect, the various Peak Masters and Elders had gathered to watch the disciples on the Path of Inquiry through a water mirror.

(The Tianyan Sect consists of seven peaks plus a Law Enforcement Hall. Star Peak is the main peak, led by the Sect Leader, Qingmu, who is at the late stage of the Fusion Realm. The master of Carefree Peak is Venerable Yuchen, an early-stage Tribulation Realm cultivator, a ninth-rank array master, and an eighth-rank talisman master. The master of the Alchemy Peak is Yueheng, an early-stage Fusion Realm cultivator and eighth-rank alchemist. The master of the Talisman Peak is Yueqi, a mid-stage Fusion Realm cultivator and ninth-rank talisman master. The master of the Artifact Peak is Suyu, a mid-stage Fusion Realm cultivator and eighth-rank artifact refiner. The master of the Array Peak is Qiongyu, an early-stage Fusion Realm cultivator and eighth-rank array master. The master of the Sword Peak is Heming, a late-stage Fusion Realm cultivator. The head of the Law Enforcement Hall is Chenfeng, a mid-stage Fusion Realm cultivator.)

Gu Mingxi had previously heard from Gu Moyuan that the Path of Inquiry offered little pressure at the start, but it would increase the higher one climbed. Even though the beginning was easy, she did not let her guard down, fearing that the pressure might strike suddenly.

Though she remained cautious, it did not hinder her pace. Gu Mingxi moved steadily upward, surpassing those ahead of her until only two or three remained in her sights.

The moment she reached the three-hundredth step, she felt the pressure surge. However, it was still manageable for her. Sensing the shift, she realized it wasn't overly taxing, so she made a push, overtook the three people in front, and took the lead.

She knew the pressure would continue to escalate, so she seized the chance to get ahead. As for whether there was a benefit to being first, she wasn't sure, but she figured there might be.

When she reached the four-hundredth step, the pressure increased again, yet she could still bear it.

By the time she reached the five-hundredth step, she felt the pressure shift once more. Based on her experience, she concluded that the weight doubled at every hundredth step: one level of pressure at two hundred, two levels at three hundred, and four levels at four hundred.

There were nine hundred and ninety-nine steps in total. If she wanted to reach the summit, she would eventually have to withstand sixty-four times the initial pressure.

A person lives once; even if one doesn't fight for a steamed bun, one must fight for a breath of dignity. In the book she had read, Mo Yuqing had successfully reached the top, and Gu Mingxi did not want to lose to her.

Driven by this inner fire, Gu Mingxi continued to push forward. Suddenly, the environment around her shifted; she was back in her modern-day home. She stood there, bewildered—why was this illusion appearing? Her inner demons had already been faced, and her attachments had been resolved.

She remained motionless. Within a few breaths, she found herself back on the path. It seemed the illusion, unable to find any deep-seated attachments in her heart, had projected her modern life, but because she lacked true obsession, the illusion shattered in seconds.

Her speed in breaking through the illusion caught the attention of the Peak Masters and Elders watching via the water mirror.

Daoist Yueqi said with surprise, "This little girl—she broke out of the illusion the moment she entered. Is her heart truly that pure?"

Qingmu glanced at Yueqi and said calmly, "The girl you speak of is named Gu Mingxi. She is from the Gu family, the legitimate daughter of the family head."

Seeing Yueqi’s indifferent expression, Qingmu added, "She has studied talismans and arrays in the Gu family, and they say her talent is quite high."

This immediately piqued the interest of the masters of the Talisman and Array Peaks.

"Oh?"

"Then Qiongyu and I must take a good look. Perhaps we might gain a new disciple!" Yueqi snapped his fan open.

"Indeed, my Array Peak is in need of a gifted successor," Qiongyu remarked, staring at the mirror with feigned nonchalance.

Qingmu looked at Yuchen, who was lounging in his chair in silence, thinking: *What is the point of you two arguing? This girl has already been claimed by Yuchen, hasn't she? You care about nothing, so you deserve not to find a good disciple!*

Though Qingmu’s inner thoughts were lively, his face remained stern and serious. Yuchen had previously teased him for being hypocritical, though Yuchen secretly approved of Qingmu's deceptive nature when he was swindling others.

Yuchen thought to himself with a shrug: *As long as I’m not the one being swindled, it’s fine.* (Author: Don't tempt fate; you might be the next target!)

By the time Gu Mingxi reached the eight-hundredth step, the gravity forced her back to bend. If not for her desperate resistance, she would have collapsed to her knees.

She wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Eight hundred steps... soon, I will reach the summit. Keep going..."

In the Star Peak hall, Yueheng noticed the girl still pushing forward at eight hundred steps and raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "This little girl might actually make it to the top!"

Suyu, the master of the Artifact Peak, joined in: "I think she will reach the summit!"

Heming, the master of the Sword Peak, added, "If she succeeds, she will be the third person to reach the top of the Path of Inquiry in our Sect, besides Yuchen and Mo Yuqing. If she does, I might have to get involved as well."

These words incited immediate outrage.

Yueheng snapped, "You’ve already taken Mo Yuqing; you want another genius? Are you dreaming?"

Yueqi gritted his teeth, "This girl has talent in the Way of Talismans; she must be my disciple. Don't even think about it, Heming!"

Qiongyu said expressionlessly, "My Array Peak needs a successor. Isn't your Sword Peak's successor already chosen? Mo Yuqing is already at the peak of Foundation Establishment; focus on cultivating her instead of fighting for others!"

"..."

Facing the collective assault, Heming realized he had overstepped. He pressed his palms together in apology. "Fine, fine! I won't interfere in your squabbles. I’ll just watch from the sidelines, alright?"

"Hmph!"

"..."

With Heming dismissed, the others refocused their attention on Gu Mingxi, who was continuing her arduous climb.

Watching their attitude, Heming rolled his eyes silently, thinking: *You idiots have all been fooled by that fake-serious Qingmu. He mentioned her talent in talismans and arrays, but he never mentioned her spiritual roots. As far as I know, Gu Mingxi has mutant lightning spiritual roots—do you really think you have a chance?*