“Immortal envoy, we do not wish to cause trouble. However, if our entry qualifications are to be revoked, there should at least be a reason, both emotionally and logically.” After a moment, a youth of about seventeen or eighteen finally stepped forward and spoke.

“That’s right, we just want to know the cause and effect.” The remaining youths also chimed in one after another. Although they were intimidated by the other party’s mysterious immortal arts, being sent down the mountain without a word left them feeling extremely unwilling.

“Fine!” The white-robed immortal envoy nodded, a trace of cold mockery appearing at the corner of his mouth. “Normally, the affairs of my Luoxue Sect require no explanation to ants like you, but I’m in a good mood today, so telling you the reason is no big deal.”

Though his words were harsh, at this moment, no one minded. Everyone instinctively pricked up their ears.

And so, through his explanation, everyone finally understood what kind of upheaval had occurred within Luoxue Sect.

It all started with spiritual roots.

As everyone knows, being born with spiritual roots is extremely rare—there may not be even one in a million people. The vast majority who embark on the path of cultivation first study the “Seeking Immortality Manual,” and only after their internal energy is strong do they undergo the spiritual awakening ceremony to obtain spiritual roots.

The awakening ceremony requires a master to preside over it, which is no problem for the talent-rich Luoxue Sect. However, to successfully awaken spiritual roots, one also needs the assistance of elixirs, and the Awakening Pill is extremely rare. This is why the major cultivation sects of the Wu Kingdom only open their gates every few years, sending immortal envoys to tour various places and select outstanding youths to take in as disciples.

But this year, something went wrong. During the refining of the Awakening Pills, the heat was not properly controlled, and the success rate was half of what it was in previous years.

For this disciple recruitment, it was originally calculated that there would be fifty Awakening Pills, but when the time came, there were only thirty.

With not enough Awakening Pills, naturally, the number of disciples to be accepted had to be reduced.

“So that’s how it is.”

Only after hearing this did everyone understand the twists and turns, but their faces still showed confusion. “If there aren’t enough Awakening Pills, just refine more. Why cancel our qualifications?”

Chapter 6: Heaven Rewards Diligence

“Fools!”

The white-robed immortal envoy sneered, his face full of ridicule. “You don’t know the cost of firewood and rice until you run a household. ‘Just refine more’—what a grand statement!”

“Why not? With the abilities of an immortal sect, how could such a small matter not be handled? It’s just a few elixirs, after all.” Many of the youths looked unconvinced, clearly thinking the envoy was making excuses.

“Ordinary spiritual medicines are not lacking in my Luoxue Sect, but the Awakening Pill is different.” The white-robed immortal envoy frowned, looking at them as if they were hopelessly naïve. “I’ve already said, the Awakening Pill is rare. To refine it requires more than a dozen kinds of rare flowers and herbs. The auxiliary ingredients are one thing, but the two main ingredients are born of heaven and earth, formed from the very essence of spiritual energy. How could they be so easily obtained? To refine more in a short time is simply out of the question.”

“But that’s fine, we can wait.”

“Yes, even if it takes a few years, we’ll wait for the new Awakening Pills to be ready.”

“Right! We worked so hard to master the ‘Seeking Immortality Manual,’ and the sect has already recognized us. Why should our qualifications be revoked for no reason? Even if there are difficulties, we can just wait.”

...

Everyone spoke at once. In short, no one was willing to give up this hard-won opportunity to cultivate immortality.

“Wishful thinking!”

A trace of pity flashed in the white-robed immortal envoy’s eyes. “Do you think the awakening ceremony is child’s play? To tell you the truth, there is a prerequisite for this ceremony: you must be under eighteen years old.”

“What happens if you’re over eighteen?”

Some looked puzzled.

“If you’re over eighteen, the chances of awakening excellent spiritual roots drop dramatically. No immortal sect would take such a risk. So if you miss it, you miss it. It’s fate, and there’s nothing to be done. If you know what’s good for you, you’d best go down the mountain as soon as possible.”

Everyone looked at each other, their faces extremely ugly. There were twenty fewer Awakening Pills than planned, and there were seventeen or eighteen people present. Clearly, the disciples born of commoners had their qualifications revoked, while the sons and daughters of cultivation families were hardly affected.

Favoring some over others—though they were frustrated, they also felt powerless. After all, the cultivation families were founded by the sect’s own disciples and had always served as the sect’s vassals. Their fortunes were tied together, so there has always been a rule in the cultivation world: when recruiting disciples, those from cultivation families have priority.

“I refuse to accept this! If there aren’t enough Awakening Pills and our qualifications are revoked, I have nothing to say—such is the rule of the cultivation world. But why him? He’s just a commoner, and a dirt-poor one at that. Why wasn’t his qualification revoked?” A chubby youth in fine silk spoke up, his face full of indignation.

“That’s right, he’s a commoner too—why?”

...

The others also erupted, as if they had found an outlet for their frustration, all talking at once. In an instant, Ian Quinn became the target of everyone’s anger.