After leaving Little River Town, Chen Xun traveled southward. Sometimes he ate in the open air and slept under the stars, other times he stayed at inns. Before he knew it, a month had passed.

With Chen Xun's leisurely pace, if there were a map of Northern Profound, it would show that he had only moved a negligible distance.

Currently, Chen Xun was in Northern Profound.

Northern Profound was just one region of the vast mortal world, a place so expansive that a mortal could never traverse it in a lifetime.

Besides Northern Profound, there were also the vast regions of Southern Heaven, Eastern Dry, and Western Sea.

To the north of Northern Profound lay the boundless Misty Snow Plains, rumored to be frequented by snow monsters, fraught with danger.

To the south of Southern Heaven was the Forbidden Land of the Hidden Dragon, renowned throughout the mortal world. It's said to house true dragons and many treasures. Every time it opens, countless cultivators flock there, but many end up perishing. Despite this, they keep coming.

To the east of Eastern Dry was the vast Forest of Demon Beasts, a paradise for demon beasts and a hell for cultivators.

Beyond the Western Sea, there were rumors of ancient barbarian tribes where ancient cultivation methods were passed down through generations. However, reaching these tribes required crossing the perilous Western Sea Region, where countless cultivators had perished over the years.

These famous regions were all marked on maps.

But many grand and perilous regions remained undiscovered.

"Celestial Clarity City."

As the sun set, Chen Xun looked up at the city before him, its walls towering fifteen meters high, and murmured to himself.

This was the first city Chen Xun had encountered in a month. Previously, he had passed through two small towns and many villages.

A city was different from a small town. At the city gates, people were constantly coming and going.

Chen Xun dusted off the travel grime from his clothes and, carrying his bag, merged into the crowd and entered the city.

The streets of Celestial Clarity City were clean and tidy, with people sweeping them from time to time.

As Chen Xun walked slowly down the street, he saw many guards with swords patrolling in an orderly manner, indicating excellent security.

Chen Xun bought two meat pies from a shop and continued walking while eating.

After a while, Chen Xun noticed a wall surrounded by a crowd. Curious, he walked over.

"Oh my, tomorrow is the day Dao Heaven Sect recruits disciples. I hope my child will make us proud! If he has spiritual roots, our Sun family will prosper!"

"Hahaha, Old Sun, don't get your hopes up too high or you'll be disappointed. Every three years, Dao Heaven Sect comes to recruit disciples, and they only take a few kids each time. If someone has spiritual roots, it's like smoke rising from their ancestral grave."

"Yes, our Celestial Clarity City is so big, with hundreds of thousands of people. There's no need to mention how many children are of the right age for the test. In the end, only a few have spiritual roots. Tsk tsk tsk."

"Yeah, it's so difficult. It might be better to have the kids study and take the Cultivation Aptitude Test. It's easier than becoming an immortal."

"I heard there's a Cultivation Aptitude Test in the city in a few days too?"

"..."

Listening to the conversations and looking at the notices on the wall, Chen Xun understood the situation.

It turned out the sect was recruiting disciples.

In a remote place like Little River Town, mortals rarely saw cultivators. But here in Celestial Clarity City, a sect was already recruiting disciples.

It was evident that a person's life was determined by many factors from birth, even the region they were born into was a subject of study.

Being born in a remote place likely meant a life of mediocrity.

But being born in a good place offered the chance to walk a different life path.

"Hey, young man, are you here for the test?"

At this moment, a woman nearby noticed Chen Xun and couldn't help but ask.

It wasn't surprising she asked, as Chen Xun was dressed like a scholar.

Chen Xun replied, "I'm just passing through."

"I see," the woman nodded. "Young man, Dao Heaven Sect is a famous sect in Northern Profound. They're recruiting disciples tomorrow. Aren't you going to give it a try?"

Chen Xun laughed, shrugged, and said, "Do I look like someone with spiritual roots? Besides, do I look that young to you, ma'am?"

The woman was embarrassed, "Not young, not young, quite grown."

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She had been too hasty.

The scholar before her looked like a young man in his twenties, well past the age limit for spiritual root testing.

The woman quickly added, "But you could still try. Those with spiritual roots are one in a million. If you have them, maybe Dao Heaven Sect will take you."

Chen Xun pursed his lips and walked away.

To Chen Xun, this woman seemed overly enthusiastic, and if she had ulterior motives, it wouldn't be good.

He was alone, with nothing to his name, so there was nothing to be plotted against. If there was anything, it would only be his handsome face.

With this thought, Chen Xun walked even faster.

Next, Chen Xun saw many places in the city surrounded by citizens, likely all looking at the sect's recruitment notice.

There were also a few different ones, likely notices for the Cultivation Aptitude Test.

Seeing that the sun had set, Chen Xun entered a restaurant and took a seat by the window, calling for the waiter to bring food and wine.

After eating, he planned to stay the night at this restaurant.

"Sir, your food and wine are here. Enjoy."

Soon, the waiter brought the food and wine, placed them before Chen Xun, bowed, and left.

Chen Xun poured himself some wine and began to eat the steaming dishes slowly.

By now, it was dusk, and the restaurant was bustling with guests, the first floor fully occupied. Many guests arriving one after another were being directed to the second floor by the waiters.

The guests were drinking and talking, mostly about the Dao Heaven Sect's recruitment the next day.

At this moment, Chen Xun noticed a refined young man enter. After a brief exchange with a waiter, he looked around helplessly. When he saw Chen Xun, his eyes lit up, and he walked over with a smile.

"Brother, the waiter told me the restaurant is full. I see you're alone here. Could you share half the table with me? I'd be grateful."

After speaking, the young man placed a silver coin in front of Chen Xun and clasped his hands in thanks.

Chen Xun nodded, took the silver coin, and moved his food and wine to one side, leaving half the table for the young man. "Feel free."

Zhao Ting was stunned.

He had expected the scholar before him to refuse the silver coin, but he accepted it? Really accepted it?

Goodness, where was the scholar's integrity?

Zhao Ting had chosen Chen Xun's table precisely because he appeared to be a scholar.

Unexpectedly, he had miscalculated.

Zhao Ting could only lament his loss and sat down dejectedly.

At this moment, he wished he could slap himself. Damn, he had overplayed his hand.

Then, Zhao Ting glanced at the sumptuous dishes on the table, swallowed, and awkwardly said, "Brother, how about I don't order and just share your meal?"

Zhao Ting wanted to recoup his loss, even if just a little.

Chen Xun glanced at him and said, "How about I return the silver coin to you?"

Zhao Ting stood up abruptly, delighted, "Really?"

Chen Xun: "No."

Zhao Ting: "..."