Or maybe days.
He wasn’t sure anymore. His internal sense of time was about as accurate as his cultivation skills — which, for the record, were nonexistent.
The steamed buns he took from the village were long gone, tragically lost to a pack of overly aggressive squirrels.
He wiped a tear from his eye at the memory.
“Those buns… they never stood a chance.”
Just as he was considering climbing a tree and becoming a forest hermit, the sound of voices carried through the mist.
“…the sect recruitment should be starting soon, Senior Brother!”
“Be sure to watch for any promising talents. Last year, we accidentally let in a guy who tried to marry the sect’s Guardian Spirit.”
“Unforgivable.”
Li Qing’s ears perked up.
Sect recruitment.
Finally, a place to learn proper cultivation. Maybe even get some answers about this cursed system of his.
He picked up his pace, which meant he went from sluggishly shuffling through the undergrowth to… slightly faster shuffling.
Grand Azure Cloud Sect Recruitment Grounds
Li Qing arrived at a clearing where dozens of hopeful youths gathered.
Some looked confident, dressed in crisp martial robes and carrying swords longer than their legs. Others looked nervous, clutching crude weapons and worn talismans.
At the front stood a few outer sect disciples, all wearing matching blue robes with a cloud insignia.
One of them, a smug-looking youth with a fan, cleared his throat.
“Welcome, future cultivators! You stand before the Grand Azure Cloud Sect! Only those with exceptional talent shall be accepted!”
He gestured dramatically. “Please step forward one by one and place your hand on the Spirit Testing Stone!”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
A boulder with glowing runes sat in the center of the field, humming ominously.
The first youth, a tall boy with a sword on his back, stepped up.
The stone glowed faintly.
“Spirit Root Grade: Yellow.”
“Pass.”
The boy grinned and joined a line on the side.
One by one, the hopefuls stepped forward.
Some stones glowed brightly. Some barely flickered.
And then… it was Li Qing’s turn.
He gulped and approached the stone.
He hesitated.
“What if it explodes? What if it says ‘worst trash ever’? What if—”
Ding!
[Cultivation Points +500: Host’s hesitation interpreted as divine humility.]
Li Qing sighed and slapped his hand on the stone.
Nothing happened.
Not a flicker.
Not a glow.
Silence.
The smug outer disciple frowned. “Hm? Is this stone broken?”
He waved to a junior. “Go fetch a new Spirit Testing Stone!”
The junior disciple ran off.
The other recruits whispered amongst themselves.
“Who is that guy…?”
“His aura feels so deep… like the endless void.”
“I can’t sense a thing! That’s terrifying!”
“Maybe he’s… a hidden expert testing us!”
Li Qing, meanwhile, was panicking internally.
I’m gonna get kicked out before I even join!
The Misunderstanding Deepens
The junior disciple returned, dragging another Spirit Testing Stone.
“Try this one, senior!”
Li Qing placed his hand on the new stone.
Nothing.
The smug disciple’s face twitched.
“Try the backup stone!”
Another.
Nothing.
And another.
Still nothing.
By now, the gathered disciples were sweating buckets.
One girl whispered, “No mortal stone can measure this man’s cultivation…”
A boy trembled. “Could it be… a realm beyond comprehension?”
Even the smug senior disciple gulped.
W-wait… no reaction at all? That only happens with those who have surpassed mortal comprehension! Could this unwashed traveler be an ancient wandering immortal?!
The sect elder overseeing the recruitment — an old man with a long white beard and eyebrows like dead ferrets — stepped forward, stroking his beard.
“Hoh… intriguing.”
He fixed his gaze on Li Qing. “Young man, what is your name?”
“Li Qing…?” he managed weakly.
The elder nodded sagely. “A humble name for one with such immeasurable depth.”
“I… what?”
Ding!
[Cultivation Points +2000: Host’s confusion perceived as profound Dao insight.]
The elder clasped his hands behind his back. “We of the Grand Azure Cloud Sect would be honored to accept you as a core disciple.”
The entire clearing erupted.
“CORE DISCIPLE?!”
“That’s a rank given to direct disciples of elders!”
“He skipped outer sect and inner sect… straight to core!”
Li Qing blinked. “Wait, are you sure? I was hoping to just… you know, join the beginner’s class…”
The elder laughed heartily. “So humble!”
He turned to the other disciples. “Take this as a lesson, children. True experts are modest.”
Everyone bowed respectfully.
“Immortal Senior Li!”
Li Qing was sweating buckets. “I think you’ve got the wrong—”
Ding!
[Cultivation Points +3000: Host’s denial taken as heavenly modesty.]
Li Qing gave up.
“Fine. Sure. I’ll… be a core disciple.”
Ding!
[Cultivation Points +1000: Host joins sect. New feature unlocked at 20,000 points.]
He was at 19,800 points now.
Whatever was coming… he wasn’t ready.