The sun gradually climbed to its peak, warming the Bluestone Plaza.

Chen Jinbao, who was quite plump and afraid of heat, was sweating non-stop even though the temperature was still bearable. He repeatedly wiped his face and neck with a handkerchief, which was already soaked through.

"Did we climb up here so quickly? Hasn't it been two hours yet?"

Bai Chen glanced up at the sun and replied, "It should be soon."

Suddenly, another bell rang out.

Dong—

A quick look at "pawread.com" will leave you more fulfilled.

This bell sounded completely different from the one they heard at Shunhe Square earlier. Back then, the sound was distant, deep yet long and lingering. But now, the bell rang from just behind the Spirit-Guiding Hall, so close it seemed to be right next to them. At this distance, the bell's sound was as solid as if it were cast from metal, so deep it felt like it carried the weight of ten thousand pounds. As the sound fell, it made people's eardrums buzz, and the blood in their chests seemed to churn.

The teenagers who had been whispering on the plaza instantly fell silent, their eyes filled with awe as they all turned to the Spirit-Guiding Hall. Then they were drawn by the commotion at the entrance of the mountain path, turning their heads to look behind them.

At the entrance of the mountain path, several sect disciples raised their hands simultaneously, and a pale blue spiritual light flashed. The winding stone steps were suddenly covered by a transparent light curtain. After a few short exclamations, the entire mountain path fell silent. Apparently, those who hadn't reached the Spirit-Guiding Hall plaza were all "pushed" off the mountain path.

Chen Jinbao patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good thing we came up quickly, or if we got sent back because we didn't make it, my dad would definitely whip my butt when I got home."

Bai Chen chuckled, about to reply, when a few figures emerged from the Spirit-Guiding Hall, causing him to close his mouth again.

A man and a woman led the way, followed by ten Hexu Sect disciples, walking slowly out of the hall. The two in front weren't wearing the standard green-blue gradient wide-sleeved robes of the Hexu Sect, but both wore the sect's elder badges.

The male elder on the left wore a plain cloud-patterned robe, with fine golden patterns embroidered on the cuffs and hem. His hair and beard were white but neatly groomed, with strands of silver hanging over his chest, and a gentle smile on his face.

The female elder on the right wore an ice-blue robe, with clusters of dark patterns embroidered on the corners, standing tall and sharp like a drawn blade. Her black hair was simply pinned up with a white jade hairpin, her face bare of makeup and expressionless. Her sharp gaze swept across the plaza, making it hard for anyone to meet her eyes.

The two stood side by side on the white jade steps in front of the hall.

The male elder spoke first with a cheerful smile.

"Young ones, I am Mo Henian, the Peak Lord of Xuan Ding Peak of the Hexu Sect, in charge of the sect's artifact refining."

He gestured to the female elder beside him and said with a smile:

"This is Elder Wen Ruoheng, the Peak Lord of Lingxiao Sword Peak, a distinguished sword cultivator of the sect. Today's disciple recruitment ceremony's spiritual root testing will be hosted by Elder Wen and myself."

The thousands of people on the plaza, as if rehearsed, greeted the two elders in unison as Mo Henian finished speaking.

"Greetings, Elders."

Bai Chen also bowed along with the crowd. When he looked up again, he saw Mo Henian smiling as he stroked his beard, while Wen Ruoheng remained expressionless, coldly observing the crowd on the plaza.

Once everyone was back in position, Mo Henian raised his hand and waved toward the center of the plaza. Ten streams of light flew out from the Spirit-Guiding Hall, landing precisely in front of the ten lines, transforming into ten palm-sized jade plaques that floated before the first person in each line.

Bai Chen craned his neck to look at the jade plaques through the gaps in the crowd. Unfortunately, they were a bit too far away, and all he could see was that the plaques were white, emitting a faint white glow, but nothing more.

"Please step forward in order, place your palm on the Spirit-Guiding Mirror, close your eyes, and concentrate. The quality of your spiritual root will reveal itself."

"Begin the test."

As Mo Henian finished speaking, the ten disciples who accompanied him and Wen Ruoheng stood in front of the lines and announced loudly:

"Step forward, guide the spirit!"

The teenagers on the plaza all unconsciously clenched their fists, their faces full of nervousness and anticipation.

Bai Chen's gaze fell on the boy at the front of the line. The boy wore a coarse cloth shirt that had been washed to a faded white, his hands clenched tightly with nerves. After taking a deep breath, he stepped forward when the Hexu Sect disciple called for them to guide the spirit, and placed his palm on the Spirit-Guiding Mirror in front of him.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on that jade plaque.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

The Spirit-Guiding Mirror remained eerily quiet, without a ripple.

"No spiritual root, next."

The Hexu Sect disciple guarding the Spirit-Guiding Mirror spoke in a flat tone, waving the boy back and signaling the next person to step forward.

The boy's face froze with disappointment, his shoulders slumping. He stared blankly at his palm, not moving.

The Hexu Sect disciple's brow furrowed slightly, his voice deepening.

"Those without spiritual roots must leave the mountain immediately, do not delay and affect others' tests."

This statement was like a thunderclap, jolting the boy awake. He retreated awkwardly, almost bumping into the person behind him, before lowering his head and squeezing through the crowd to leave the mountain path in dejection.

And this was not an isolated case. The same situation occurred at the other nine Spirit-Guiding Mirrors, with ten people tested and not a single one possessing a spiritual root.

A low murmur rose around them, quickly subsiding into silence. The excitement in the eyes of the teenagers in line gradually turned to fear, their nerves fraying.

Chen Jinbao wiped his sweat even more frequently, clearly just as nervous.

Bai Chen, however, remained calm. In Shunhe Square for a month, he had observed no fewer than three hundred people. Among those hundreds, there were barely any with even a passable green talent, and only one person had triple spiritual roots. Encountering someone like Chen Jinbao and Feng Ling'er with dual and single spiritual roots was truly a stroke of luck.

Only ten people had been tested so far, and none had spiritual roots, which was not surprising at all. Judging by the expressions of the two elders and the disciples in charge of testing, they were clearly used to this.

"No spiritual root, next."

"No spiritual root, move along."

"No spiritual root..."

The testing proceeded quickly. The ten lines of teenagers moved forward like ten rushing streams, each stepping into the footprints of the one before them. Lifting a hand, pressing a palm, and withdrawing it, the outcome was decided in the blink of an eye.

Occasionally, the Spirit-Guiding Mirror would suddenly light up with a faint glow. Sometimes it was a mix of blue, yellow, and red, or red, blue, and brown, weak but noticeable.

"Triple spiritual roots! Move to the east side hall and line up to wait!"

"Quadruple spiritual roots, east side hall, line up to wait."

"Triple spiritual roots..."

Bai Chen silently counted in his mind as he stood in line. Over two or three thousand people had completed the test before him, yet only about twenty had managed to make the Spirit-Guiding Mirror light up.