"Ah?"

Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.

If they don't check for Spirit Roots first for Cultivation? Then what are they supposed to do?

"Our Sword Sect does not only look at Spirit Roots when accepting disciples," Su Yu coughed. "Though Spirit Roots are extremely important, the Immortal Path is elusive. Those without Spirit Roots can also cultivate."

Whether intentional or not, Wang Mu felt that Su Yu's words seemed to be aimed at him.

Hmm...

"Interesting," the brother and sister from the Feathered People laughed. "I've heard in Qianzhou that the Sword Sect has an unconventional approach to accepting disciples, and indeed it is as rumored. In this world, whether it's Body Cultivation, Magic Cultivation, or Sword Cultivation, if one does not possess a Spirit Root, how can they cultivate? And how can they become an Immortal?"

"The Sword Sect truly has courage, even daring to nurture those without Spirit Roots."

"I wonder what the first challenge is?"

Su Yu glanced at him and pointed ahead. "Just in front. The first challenge is called: Seeking Dao Rope."

"Come with me."

Everyone eagerly followed Su Yu.

Under their feet lay a solitary peak, surrounded by lush green bamboo forests and the Cloud Sea, with no other paths in sight.

It didn't take many steps for everyone to understand the nature of this challenge.

It was a series of chains.

Atop this solitary peak were peculiar chains, linking to more distant peaks.

"This is the Seeking Dao Rope," Su Yu said with a grave expression. "It is another of the Sword Sect's Guardian Mountain Treasures, stretching 108,000 zhang and divided into seven sections. Each section connects to a different peak, and this particular section is the Seeking Dao Rope."

"If you want to proceed to the next challenge, you need to cross this Seeking Dao Rope."

"Out of the first five batches, totaling more than five hundred people, only about thirty to fifty managed to cross, and all of them took more than two quarters of an hour."

A mere ten percent chance.

"This doesn't seem very difficult, does it?" someone wondered aloud.

"Then please," Su Yu replied with an enigmatic smile.

Wang Mu took a glance.

Using his Eye Power, he judged that the peak connected by the chain seemed quite distant. Converting it, it should be more than fifteen kilometers.

This distance was actually not that far. Moreover, the chain was very thick; walking on it was like an ant walking on a tree branch. Below the mist, even if it were an abyss ten thousand zhang deep, as long as one remained steady, it indeed wasn't difficult.

Especially since these people were all Loose Cultivators with a certain degree of strength, this distance was a matter of minutes for them. Never mind Loose Cultivators, even the villagers from around here wouldn't be too afraid. Climbing mountains was practically a basic skill for the villagers; what was this in comparison?

It seemed too simple.

"Let me try!"

A rugged-looking man with a scar on his face stepped forward. His body brimming with vigorous Essence Blood, he had a sturdy physique and carried a giant sword of some unknown material on his back. He clearly possessed great strength.

Wang Mu took another look. This man has a sharp aura, like Geng Metal Qi. Even from a slight distance, I can feel a sensation as if my skin is being cut by a knife... This man must possess a Gold Element Spirit Root, and the Cultivation Technique he practices also tends towards this.

Ever since cultivating the Hundred Refinement Body Technique to Eighty Layers, Wang Mu's perception had become extremely strong, allowing him to get a rough sense of these individuals.

And there was a hint of blood qi too.

The scar-faced man stepped onto the chain. However, the moment his front foot landed, before his other foot could even touch down, his body instantly froze, as if he had been immobilized. Then, his eyes turned bloodshot, and he struggled, tortoise-like, to place his other foot on the chain.

"AH!!!"

Suddenly, the scar-faced giant let out a deafening roar. A surge of blood qi erupted from his body, then immediately retracted. He desperately groveled on the chain, his eyeballs bulging as if they were going to pop out, his body swaying precariously as if he would fall at any moment.

The onlookers were so shocked they were speechless.

Seeing this, Su Yu merely flicked his sleeve, and a gentle breeze carried the scar-faced man back up.

"You are tainted with the Essence Blood of hundreds, and you have also cultivated a Secret Technique that burns Essence Blood. In your mind, you bear grudges." Su Yu's eyes flickered as he sighed softly. "If it were just that, it would be one thing. But you yourself cannot see through it, and you are constantly plagued by nightmares."

"On this Seeking Dao Rope, you can't even take a single step."

Su Yu flicked his palm, and a crystal-clear Elixir appeared. "This is the Seven Skill Heart Nourishing Pill. Take it, and you can temporarily suppress the malicious aura formed by your nightmares. You are not suitable for our Sword Sect. Whether in Sword Cultivation or cultivating other techniques, you will find it hard to make any progress on this path."

"There is a Sect in the Great Wilderness called the Dazang Buddha Sect. You might try joining them."

The scar-faced giant accepted the Seven Skill Heart Nourishing Pill, kowtowed repeatedly in thanks, and then walked out of the Mystic Water Sect.

Everyone was silent.

"The so-called Seeking Dao Rope," Su Yu turned to face the crowd, "is about questioning your heart, seeking the Dao. Everything you have experienced in the mortal realm will manifest here. Regardless of whether you have done good or evil, it will be undoubtedly revealed."

"Our Sword Sect does not ask about your past in the mortal realm. Regardless of what you experienced there, as long as you can question your heart and seek the Dao with a clear conscience, you can walk steadily across this Seeking Dao Rope."

"Otherwise, even if you join the Sect and cultivate our Sword Sect's mental method, sooner or later you will develop a Heart Demon and destroy your own foundation."

"Simply put, as long as your own heart is strong enough and you know what you desire, you can advance on this Seeking Dao Rope," Su Yu summarized.

The crowd grew hesitant.

"To become a Sword Immortal, one must be sufficiently pure," Su Yu said solemnly. "Walking on the Seeking Dao Rope, the further you go, the more it will conjure illusions of the things you fear most in the depths of your heart."

"The more afraid you are, the more violently the Seeking Dao Rope will shake, and sooner or later you will be thrown into the Cloud Sea. Although I will save you, it also means you have failed."

"Only by facing these illusions head-on, with unyielding resolve, can you reach the peak on the other side."

Listening to this, some remained silent, some gave up, and some wanted to give it a try.

Immortal Treasures were indeed mysterious.

The ten percent success rate was no joke.

Wang Mu felt that this challenge was enough to sift out the majority of Loose Cultivators who came seeking the Dao. The more experiences a Loose Cultivator had, the more difficult it would likely be to pass.

It would conjure illusions of the things one feared most... The younger one was, the purer their mind.

Hmm... what am I most afraid of? Wang Mu pondered. What a joke! What could I possibly be afraid of? He contemplated for a long time. I shouldn't have anything to fear!

Seeing the many hesitant people around him, Wang Mu stepped forward and said to Su Yu, "I'll give it a try."

Su Yu was startled, gave Wang Mu a glance, and nodded. "Are you ready?"

Wang Mu smiled.

Su Yu coughed and said, "Then go ahead. Don't rush. It doesn't matter if you're slow, as long as you make it across."

"And don't be afraid. The illusions are, after all, just that—illusions."

Su Yu instinctively added a few words of advice.

Fortunately, the others didn't sense anything amiss. After all, Su Yu had made an excellent impression on everyone; just moments ago, despite the scar-faced giant's condition, Su Yu had given him an Elixir and even recommended another Sect.

Wang Mu stepped onto the chain, and an invisible pressure hit him.

However, he felt... nothing?

It seems... I don't feel anything? Wang Mu was startled. Do I need to walk a bit longer for it to work?

He looked ahead and quickly walked on.

Before long, the scene before his eyes shifted. The Cloud Sea churned, and suddenly, the Fierce Beasts he had previously slain, now covered in blood, rushed toward him.

Is this it?

Wang Mu saw them and burst into laughter.

This kind of test is child's play for me, having completed Eighty Layers of the Hundred Refinement Body Technique!

He waved his hand dismissively and walked past them without batting an eye.

He continued forward.

Couldn't they at least conjure some Demonesses to feast the eyes on?

Wang Mu shook his head. What is this? My heart is as pure as a newborn's; could a few mere Fierce Beasts truly disturb it?

The words had barely left his mouth when several alluring women, dressed in revealing, gauzy silks, appeared in Wang Mu's line of sight, their attire exceedingly seductive.

Damn, they really came?

Wang Mu was astonished and began to look on with some nostalgia.

Interestingly, the movements of these women seemed to be related to his thoughts. If even the slightest thought arose in his mind, the women would act accordingly...

Wang Mu continued to watch nostalgically as he proceeded forward...

「Meanwhile, at another location.」

「At the Sword Sect's Main Peak Hall.」

"No wonder Elder Yan made a special note. This must be Wang Mu, right?"

"Over a year ago, that youngster Su Yu was bewitched by a Demoness, yet this mortal's mind is steadfast, thwarting the charms of the Demonesses from the Fengyue Sect. Tsk, tsk, tsk! Look, even though his mind entertains thoughts of women, he remains untouched by their enchantment!"

"This is the state of a clear and bright Taoist Heart! What a pity he has no Spirit Root. If he did, he would be absolutely devastating!"

A refined and amiable middle-aged man sat in the Sword Sect's Main Peak Hall, watching the scenes manifested by the Seeking Dao Rope's illusions, and chuckled.

Besides him, several others in the hall watched in silence.

"This lad is indeed interesting, but I don't believe there isn't something deep in his heart that he fears!"

A portly, white-haired elder chuckled. "Just you watch! There's bound to be something! No one has ever crossed the Seeking Dao Rope without revealing some embarrassing weakness!"

"He's moving quickly; he's about to finish," a beautiful woman remarked with a smile. "It seems this won't trouble him. Elder Yan truly has extraordinary foresight..."

At that moment, the image of Wang Mu on the light screen suddenly stopped.

The elder slapped the armrest of his chair. "See! He's stopped! The thing this lad fears has appeared... Quick, let's see what it is!"

The group focused their gaze intently.

The image revealed a woman of unparalleled imposing presence…

However, upon seeing the woman formed by the illusion, everyone in the grand hall fell silent.

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