"Hey, no need to be so polite with me!"

Chen Jinbao directly shoved the Pill into Bai Chen's hand, tossed one into his own mouth, and waved his hand nonchalantly.

"This stuff is something my old man prepared specifically for climbing the mountain steps, only useful for today.

"After today, whether I get into the Hexu Sect or not, I won't be climbing these deadly steps again.

"Keeping it would be a waste, so you might as well take it. I've got a few more in here."

As he spoke, Chen Jinbao shook the porcelain bottle in his hand.

Bai Chen indeed heard the clinking sounds inside, indicating there were quite a few left.

"Thanks."

Seeing Chen Jinbao had already swallowed the Pill, Bai Chen didn't refuse further and tossed the Pill into his mouth.

He was indeed curious about what the Pills in this world were like.

The Pill melted instantly in his mouth, lacking the bitter medicinal taste he had imagined, but it also didn't have any other peculiar flavor.

Moments after swallowing, a faint warm current slowly spread from his dantian, leisurely flowing through his limbs and bones.

Bai Chen carefully felt it.

His calves, which had tightened from the climb, seemed to relax just a bit.

But it was only a bit; there were no other sensations.

Bai Chen moved his wrists and ankles, took a deep breath, and felt the same.

He couldn't tell if this feeling was due to the Pill taking effect or if he had simply recovered a bit from resting on the stone steps for so long.

"How is it? Do you feel full of energy now?"

Chen Jinbao leaned over, his face full of anticipation.

Bai Chen looked at him, hesitated for a long time, and finally nodded, "Yeah, it's a bit easier..."

It would be too ungrateful to criticize the Pill after accepting it from someone.

Better to just go along with it.

Chen Jinbao, receiving the affirmative response, immediately beamed and slapped his thigh.

"I told you my old man's Pills are potent, huh!"

Bai Chen nodded slightly, thinking it wasn't the Pill's potency but rather Chen Jinbao's psychological comfort that was strong.

After resting on the steps for a while, Chen Jinbao watched as others overtook them and stood up, supporting himself with his hands on his knees.

"Let's go, Brother Bai."

Seeing his legs still trembling, Bai Chen advised, "Let's rest a bit longer, no rush."

But Chen Jinbao shook his head.

"We can't rest any longer.

"Brother Bai, you might not know, but the Hexu Sect only allows mortals to climb the steps for two hours. If we don't reach the Spirit-Guiding Hall within that time, we lose the chance to be tested."

Find the original at bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

"So we can't delay too long, or we'll have to come back next year. I don't want to climb these steps again."

He pulled Bai Chen's arm and started climbing, muttering between breaths.

"The Pill my old man gave only helps with stamina, not the legs. They're shaking too much."

Bai Chen raised an eyebrow and glanced at the mountain path ahead.

No wonder people rushed over like mad when they heard the bell from Shunhe Square.

The selection process begins right at the Mountain Gate.

He had already spent his money to investigate others' attributes, so he couldn't afford to wait another year.

He had to enter the Hexu Sect today.

Bai Chen gritted his teeth and, in turn, supported Chen Jinbao's round arm.

The two of them helped each other, inching their way upward.

To reach the summit within two hours, they dared not stop to rest again.

As Bai Chen had guessed, the pressure increased the further they climbed.

Near the summit, their legs felt glued to the stone steps, making each step difficult.

After an unknown amount of time, just as they were about to collapse from exhaustion, they finally reached the plaza at the Spirit-Guiding Hall.

Bai Chen had prepared himself to fall flat on his face from exhaustion, but as soon as his foot touched the ground, a refreshing Spiritual Qi surged up from his soles.

Instantly, an indescribable comfort spread throughout his body.

The fatigue, soreness, frustration, and despair from nearly four hours of climbing vanished in an instant.

It was like taking a hot bath, leaving him so refreshed that he couldn't help but take a deep breath.

A crisp, indescribable fragrance filled his lungs, invigorating him once more.

Bai Chen marveled, clenching his fist.

As expected of an immortal sect, such methods were beyond the reach of ordinary forces.

Chen Jinbao hummed contentedly as he stepped onto the plaza.

"Ah! So comfortable!"

He had been exhausted like a dead pig, but now he felt alive again!

At the end of the mountain steps, a Hexu Sect disciple loudly reminded those who had just stepped onto the plaza:

"After a brief rest, proceed to the plaza in front of the Spirit-Guiding Hall and line up in ten orderly rows."

"Do not crowd or make noise, and do not cut in line. Violators will lose their chance to be tested for Spiritual Roots."

Those who had already rested quickly moved toward the plaza.

"Let's go, Brother Bai, let's get in line."

Chen Jinbao pulled Bai Chen into a queue.

Bai Chen took the opportunity to look around.

It was a vast Bluestone Plaza.

The ground was paved with large slabs of bluestone, etched with patterns resembling spiritual runes.

Sunlight fell, and the runes emitted a faint glow.

At the end of the plaza stood the Spirit-Guiding Hall of the Hexu Sect.

The hall seemed not to be made of ordinary bricks and stones.

The columns were wrapped in gilding, carved with cloud patterns and mythical beasts.

Above the hall's entrance, a black jade plaque hung in the center, inscribed with the gilded characters "Spirit-Guiding Hall," the strokes bold and vigorous, seemingly surrounded by Spiritual Qi.

The hall doors were wide open, but the interior was deep and mysterious, its contents unclear.

Yet the profound, awe-inspiring feeling was intense, causing Bai Chen to instinctively avert his gaze back to the crowd.

Already, thousands of young men and women had stepped onto the plaza to be tested for Spiritual Roots.

Under the orderly guidance of sect disciples, they formed ten neat rows in front of the Spirit-Guiding Hall.

As more people stepped onto the spacious Bluestone Plaza, they followed the serpentine path of the spiritual runes, lining up in an orderly fashion.

The ten rows were perfectly aligned, with no sign of crowding or chaos.

Bai Chen and Chen Jinbao joined the queue.

Bai Chen looked again at the Spirit-Guiding Hall, clicking his tongue in awe.

This was just the outermost hall of the Hexu Sect; there must be even more astonishing buildings beyond.

In a world without advanced technology, constructing such a grand complex atop a mountain was something only immortal sects or those who disregarded human life, like emperors, could achieve.

Chen Jinbao's eyes widened, and he couldn't help but whisper to Bai Chen in awe.

"I always heard my dad say how grand the Hexu Sect was, and he regretted not being able to join it for cultivation.

"Now I understand why he couldn't let it go. If I can't enter the sect today, I'll probably feel the same regret as my dad."

"Indeed," Bai Chen nodded slightly, clenching his fist as he looked at the Spirit-Guiding Hall before him.

The opportunity to seek immortality and enlightenment was right in front of him.

If he couldn't cross this threshold, he feared he would never be content in this lifetime.