Chapter 13: Immortal Sect Recruits Disciples
To Xu Ning's disappointment, Zhao Datou shook his head directly. "Far from it. You're just a novice in the martial arts world, the lowest level of martial artist."
"Besides, you've been practicing at home all this time. You've never fought anyone. You have absolutely no combat experience. You're even worse than a low-level martial artist."
"It's just that my old bones are failing me. Otherwise, I'd let you practice a bit."
Xu Ning couldn't help but be surprised. "Is martial arts that difficult to learn?"
Zhao Datou said, "What do you think? Becoming a master is so easy? Without spending time or effort, you can become one simply by doing it! That would make masters too cheap!"
After spring arrived, Xu Ning became busy again.
Through Zhao Datou's introduction, Xu Ning spent one tael of silver to lease a forest.
To facilitate his future cultivation plans, Xu Ning needed to upgrade his axe first.
Using a mid-grade mortal axe to chop down high-grade mortal trees was still too strenuous. He almost died just from chopping down one tree before.
Xu Ning spent another eight thousand coins to buy several hundred catties of pig iron, upgrading his iron pot, axe, hoe, and kitchen knife to high-grade mortal level.
Compared to their mid-grade mortal level, their sharpness had increased to four or five times.
When used to chop down ordinary trees, no effort was needed. A light stroke was all it took to easily cut them down.
Xu Ning immediately became quite fond of them.
However, the biggest change was in the iron pot. After being upgraded two times, it underwent a tremendous transformation.
First, its heat conductivity improved. What used to take about half an hour to boil a pot of water now only took ten minutes.
Moreover, after experimenting, Xu Ning found that whatever was cooked in the iron pot was incredibly delicious, even without salt, it had a unique flavor.
Xu Ning was afraid Zhao Datou would notice something amiss, so he only used the iron pot when cooking meat. Since the meat was already delicious, Zhao Datou wasn't too suspicious.
For the next period, Xu Ning began watering several trees in the center of the forest, aiming to cultivate them to high-grade mortal level or even top-grade mortal level.
Meanwhile, Xu Ning cleared a space in the forest to cultivate high-quality thatch.
Thatch has the advantage of quickly growing back after being cut.
Therefore, Xu Ning only needed to cultivate one batch to have a continuous harvest.
That day, Xu Ning was busy in the forest with Tie Dan when a magnificent voice suddenly echoed from the sky:
"This elder of the Flowing Cloud Sect, here to recruit disciples, has arrived in your esteemed land. All young men and women are invited to come and have their spiritual roots tested. Those who excel will be allowed to accompany me to the Immortal Sect for cultivation. Those who meet the standards but do not come will die."
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The voice wasn't loud, but it clearly reached Xu Ning's ears, causing his heart to skip a beat.
Oh no, what should he do? He absolutely couldn't go to that sect! It was too dangerous.
If he went, not to mention anything else, the internal strife within the sect alone could easily kill him. Even if he luckily escaped, there was still the inter-sect conflict, which also greatly increased his chances of dying.
Right, and those reclusive old monsters—if they tried to possess him, it would be a near-death experience.
No, he absolutely couldn't go.
However, he couldn't skip the test. The other party had made their intentions clear, and Xu Ning didn't think he could escape their methods.
"Old Tie, wait here for me. I'm going to take a look!"
Tie Dan was currently a mid-grade mortal, which was special compared to ordinary oxen. Xu Ning was afraid the other party would notice something amiss, so he decided to let it stay home.
Tie Dan obediently nodded. "Go ahead! But let me make this clear first. If you go to the Immortal Sect, remember to take me with you. I'll go wherever you go!"
Xu Ning said, "Of course!"
Then, Xu Ning went to the open space in the center of the village, where a crowd had already gathered.
Lin Lu had also come over and waved to Xu Ning when he arrived.
Xu Ning wasn't going over! He pretended not to see him.
Wasn't that obvious? If Lin Lu tested out with extraordinary talent, Xu Ning, standing next to her, would immediately become the target of everyone's criticism.
Better safe than sorry, Xu Ning had to nip any possibility in the bud.
Seeing that Xu Ning ignored her, Lin Lu stomped her feet in anger.
Soon, a middle-aged man with an air of otherworldly refinement, led by Zhao Datou, arrived before the group and took out a bronze mirror. "One by one, stand before my bronze mirror."
The group was already impatient, and someone immediately stepped forward to stand in front of the mirror.
However, the mirror remained unchanged.
The middle-aged man seemed used to this and said directly, "No cultivation aptitude, stand aside!"
The person's face immediately showed dejection, and he walked to the side in disappointment.
Then, the others stepped forward one after another.
Unfortunately, none of them could make the bronze mirror change.
Until a tall, thin young man walked over, the bronze mirror suddenly shone brightly, and a red light shot straight into the sky.
The middle-aged man was surprised, followed by ecstatic joy. "Superior fire spirit root. What is your name?"
"Reporting to the immortal, my name is Zhao Xiao." The young man quickly replied, but from his trembling voice, it could be heard that he was extremely excited.
"Would you be willing to follow me to the Flowing Cloud Sect for cultivation?" the middle-aged man asked again.
Zhao Xiao had no reason to refuse, or rather, he couldn't refuse, so he quickly nodded in agreement. "This humble one is willing!"
A look of joy flashed across the middle-aged man's face. "You stand behind me! The rest of you, come forward."
Zhao Xiao obediently stood behind the middle-aged man.
Afterwards, the others continued to step forward for testing.
However, the results were also far from ideal. Seven or eight people in a row came forward, but none of them had spiritual roots.
Until Lin Lu, the moment she stood in front of the bronze mirror, the bronze mirror instantly emitted an extremely pure emerald green light.
"A top-grade wood spiritual root!" Even the middle-aged man, who was used to seeing big scenes, couldn't help but show a look of surprise at this moment.
Afterwards, the middle-aged man asked Lin Lu her name as usual, and whether she was willing to go to the sect for cultivation, and then had her stand behind him.
Xu Ning, seeing this situation, breathed a sigh of relief. He was truly too farsighted, having dodged a great calamity.
Xu Ning could already imagine that if he became too familiar with Lin Lu, the cultivator would definitely warn him before leaving not to get too close to such a favored woman, because he was unworthy.
It wasn't entirely impossible that the cultivator would even kill Xu Ning with a single flick of his finger so that Lin Lu could focus on her cultivation in the future.
Lost in thought, everyone else had finished their tests, leaving only Xu Ning.
He had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward.
The moment the bronze mirror reflected Xu Ning, five colorful lights suddenly burst forth, swirling around the mirror.
A look of regret flashed across the middle-aged man's face. "Five Elements Mixed Spiritual Root. What's your name?"
Hearing this question, Xu Ning's heart skipped a beat. Was he about to be asked if he was willing to follow him to a sect for cultivation?