The steep stone stairs tested one's stamina.
After a short while, Bai Shengyi noticed Luo Feihua and Xun Meng, who were beside her, falling behind. Xun Meng, in particular, had become the very last in the entire group.
"Shengyi, why did you come down?" Xun Meng wiped the sweat from her forehead, her voice filled with helplessness. "Don't worry about me, go on ahead. Who knows if there are more trials waiting behind us?"
Due to the nature of her cultivation techniques, Xun Meng had the weakest stamina among the fifty people, and she hadn't yet established her foundation, making her progress extremely arduous.
"Relax, don't resist with your spiritual energy for now. Follow the route I point out, and it will be less strenuous," Bai Shengyi instructed Xun Meng to ascend in a zigzag pattern and shared other tips for conserving energy.
Xun Meng manipulated her abacus, then looked at Bai Shengyi in astonishment.
This was truly the most efficient route for her!
How did Shengyi know?
Seeing that Xun Meng had found her rhythm and her breathing had stabilized, Bai Shengyi moved forward to speak with Luo Feihua again. After that, she paid them no further mind and continued her ascent, her head bowed.
Unbeknownst to her, a Shadow Mirror was placed beside the courtyard gate. In the main hall of the Divine Revelation Academy, a group of individuals were seated, observing this batch of new disciples.
"This young lady is truly remarkable," Wen Jiuyin said gently. "Based on the assessment, she has a talent for alchemy and possesses wood and fire spiritual roots, with what appears to be a high grade."
"Then she should come to our Alchemy Peak," Zheng Wu Xin, clad in simple Daoist robes, stated, glancing at the Vice Dean seated in the main seat.
Mo Shuxin let out a soft scoff. "What if the young lady prefers pill refinement? Our Pill Restraint Peak also warmly welcomes her."
"No way you're stealing her!"
Yun Ying sneered, "This brat’s character is flawed; she should be sent to the Outer Sect."
Not only had this wretched girl harmed her two disciples, but she had also caused Yun Ying to be reported by Senior Brother Wen, leading to punishment from the academy and a loss of face. Yun Ying was determined to make her life difficult!
"Junior Sister Yun, the young lady has no enmity with you. Rather, it is you, as a senior, who constantly targets her, slandering her arbitrarily. That is what truly constitutes flawed character."
Wen Jiuyin was known for cherishing his students, especially those with ability. He valued Bai Shengyi and was aware of Yun Ying's past actions, so upon hearing this, he immediately retorted.
Yun Ying, however, retorted indignantly, "Senior Brother Wen, what kind of charm potion did Bai Shengyi give you that you constantly speak so highly of her? She's just a student, nothing special. Is there a need to praise her like this?"
Zheng Wu Xin and Mo Shuxin frowned slightly, but before they could speak, a woman seated above Wen Jiuyin suddenly stifled a laugh.
Her eyebrows were like flowing ink, her pupils crimson, and her every glance was captivating. Her cherry lips parted slightly. "Hehehe, I am truly enlightened. The young lady managed to climb the stairs in half a quarter-hour, but you, Yun Ying? How many steps did you climb in a quarter-hour back then? I recall it was only a hundred steps!"
It turned out that in this short period, Bai Shengyi had already reached the academy gate first.
"Impossible!"
Yun Ying refused to admit it. The stone stairs had three thousand steps. Even Senior Brother Wen had taken nearly a quarter-hour to complete them. How could this wretched girl possess such ability!
"If you couldn't do it, you assume no one else can?" the woman jeered contemptuously. "Oh, I forgot, you *did* accomplish it, your brother carried you up."
This struck Yun Ying directly to her core!
Even though Yun Ying was now renowned as the most talented artifact refiner on the continent, her consistently poor performance in various tests during her academy entrance was a permanent scar on her heart!
Even now, some people still said Yun Ying was only good at artifact refining, and her cultivation was entirely due to being showered with elixirs!
"Qian Ying!" Yun Ying was so enraged that she slammed the table and stood up. "That's enough! I only pushed you back then, do you have to hold onto it this long?"
"Yes, I do. Who told you I don't hold grudges?"
Qian Ying rolled her eyes, completely disregarding Yun Ying. She glanced at the Shadow Mirror and said with sudden interest, "Oh, the young lady has noticed us."
In the mirror, the immortal sect loomed vast, enveloped in swirling mists.
Bai Shengyi stood quietly before the gate, her clear, smiling eyes seeming to pierce through time and space, looking directly at everyone, as if she had already seen through everything.
"What are you looking at?" Xi Men Hong Chun was the second to reach the destination.
"Nothing."
Bai Shengyi withdrew her gaze. The feeling of being watched had not disappeared, but she had already guessed what it was.
A quarter of an hour later, all fifty people had qualified. However, Chu Tian Le had nearly instigated a one-sided fight with Qing Bu Li, as Bai Mu Rong, having lost her strength midway, was carried up by Qing Bu Li.
"They're still like this even after being engaged. Don't blame Chu Tian Le; even I'm a bit upset. What did Sister Li see in him?" Feng Wu Ya muttered softly.
Bai Shengyi replied, "Don't be distracted, the second round of trials has begun."
Feng Wu Ya quickly focused his mind and kept close to the group.
From the rising sun in the morning until high noon, the group had climbed the long stairs, crossed the suspended iron cables, traversed two mountain peaks on foot, and deciphered several formations before finally reaching their destination – the main hall of the Divine Revelation Academy's central peak.
Compared to the courtyard gate, the main hall was even more luxurious and magnificent. At the entrance stood two resplendent ninth-tier spiritual flowers. The ground was paved with supreme-grade spirit stones, and the beams and pillars were made of eighth-tier celestial spirit purple sandalwood. Every breath was filled with spiritual essence and celestial energy.
Bai Shengyi was utterly mesmerized.
This was the foundation of the continent's foremost power!
Which royal family or clan could compare?
It was likely that some families would never even glimpse a ninth-tier spiritual plant or supreme-grade spirit stone in their entire lifetimes!
"Vice Dean, esteemed elders, your junior, Mu Xing, reporting with the 177th batch of disciples for the Divine Revelation Academy." Mu Xing led the group in paying respects to those at the head of the hall.
"Begin," a deep voice resonated in Bai Shengyi's ears. She turned her head slightly and saw Qin Si, wearing a mask and seated in the highest position, exuding an aura of suppressed anger.
It seemed he hadn't calmed down at all.
"Xi Men Hong Chun."
Mu Xing's call pulled Bai Shengyi's thoughts back. She watched as Xi Men Hong Chun stepped forward and placed his palm on a crystal-clear star compass as instructed by the nearby Daoist boy. Immediately, the compass emitted a dazzling purple light.
"Supreme Grade Lightning Spiritual Root!" A gasp of surprise erupted from the front, followed by a quiet murmur of discussion, clearly pleased with Xi Men Hong Chun's talent.
An elder exclaimed, "As expected of the heavenly prodigy of the Xi Men family this generation! Excellent! Excellent!"
Xi Men Hong Chun retreated neither humbly nor arrogantly. The others proceeded in order, but after more than twenty people, no supreme-grade spiritual roots appeared. At most, they were high-grade spiritual roots, like Xun Meng and Feng Wu Ya.
The elders at the front also grew bored and indifferent. This sentiment spread among the fifty people in the hall, causing unease among those whose spiritual roots had yet to be tested.
Everyone understood that better spiritual root aptitude meant a brighter future.
"Next, Bai Mu Rong."
Bai Mu Rong stepped forward gingerly, carefully placing her hand on the device.