Chapter 7 The Seventh Trial
The seventh trial, and the seventh reincarnation, has begun.
Mount Lu in the State of Qi is the highest peak within its borders, also known as a mountain insurmountable by mortals.
At the summit of the towering, majestic mountain, stands a grand and magnificent, colossal Immortal Palace.
This Immortal Palace is entirely built upon the sheer cliffs.
The builder's ambition was immense; the upper half of the mountain was hollowed out to construct this vast palace.
Furthermore, layers upon layers of houses, halls, and other imposing structures were carved around the mountainside.
Such a feat, akin to a miracle, could not possibly be achieved by ordinary mortals. It undoubtedly required the power of immortals to be constructed.
"Dong! Dong! Dong!"
A beam of white light suddenly struck the bronze bell at the grand palace's main gate, causing the bell to shake and chime.
The bell's clear and melodious sound echoed far and wide, heard by countless people, resonating through heaven and earth.
Hundreds of immortals, clad in white robes, emerged from palaces in various locations, preparing for the decennial grand recruitment.
Below the mountain, a dense throng of people formed a long queue. Most were ordinary mortals, all fervently wishing for their children to soar to unprecedented heights, to become disciples of the Yin Yang Immortal Palace, and to become immortals.
It must be known that the Yin Yang Immortal Palace only recruited disciples once every ten years, and each occasion was considered a grand event for the State of Qi.
"Silence! Everyone listen up, one by one, do not push, form a line, and it will be your turn soon."
At this moment, a middle-aged immortal in a white robe suddenly appeared, hovering in mid-air, and announced loudly.
Upon hearing this, the mortals, bringing their children, quietly formed queues, behaving themselves and not daring to speak further.
...
Just then, a young child in embroidered robes, about seven or eight years old, stepped out of a sedan chair with a smile on his face.
He was surrounded by a group of strong male guards for protection, and even had a steward-like figure attending to him.
This young child was Wu Tao, reincarnated for the eighth time in the illusionary cycle.
"Little Prince, we have arrived at the Yin Yang Heavenly Palace," said the eunuch, who acted like a steward, to the seven or eight-year-old child with utmost respect.
"Hmm."
The young child grunted. With an attitude of treating silver coins like dirt and money as nothing, he spent lavishly and directly cut to the front of the line.
Many people, after being stunned for a moment at this sight, unanimously turned their gazes to the white-robed immortal hovering in mid-air.
At that moment, they remembered the words spoken by the white-robed immortal earlier.
After a long wait, the white-robed immortal drifted down and casually uttered,
"This is an exception."
These four simple words, entering the ears of all the mortals below, elicited completely different reactions.
Most of the plainly dressed mortals immediately deflated. Facing the influential figures around them, their backs instinctively curved a bit more.
Even the last sliver of hope they held, that everyone here was equal, with no distinction between the powerful and the common, gradually vanished.
The very few influential individuals, however, were entirely different; their expressions also changed noticeably.
The way these influential people looked at the plainly dressed individuals around them was no longer the same as before. Instead, it was replaced with an expression of disgust and disdain.
It was as if they were not looking at living beings like themselves, but at lowly cattle or sheep, unworthy of their equal gaze.
Qi Heng, the young child who caused this significant shift, noticed the attitude of the immortal in mid-air and thoughtfully stroked his chin.
...
It turned out that this so-called Yin Yang Immortal Palace was not much different from the environment within the royal residence; it was a place where the strong were revered and the weak were enslaved.
Having grasped the immortal's attitude in mid-air, Qi Heng, who was only seven or eight years old, gradually quieted down. He lowered his head, blending in with the other children, showing no other distinctions.
...
Beside Qi Heng, Chen Xun, the youngest son of the Chen family patriarch, shook his head. He looked at the children behind them whose clothes were somewhat tattered and appeared somewhat speechless.
"There are quite a few 'mud legs'..."
Chen Xun, standing next to Qi Heng, observed his surroundings with a slight, disdainful smile and said with a sarcastic tone, "Do they really think they can pass the immortals' trials?"
Indeed, behind these children of officials and nobles, there were many children wearing worn-out clothes, some even ragged and ill-fitting.
Many children had a pale complexion, lacking energy, and their faces looked sallow.
From their appearance, it was evident they came from humble backgrounds.
From the moment humans began to divide themselves into ranks, a hierarchy of contempt emerged.
To the high and mighty immortals in the sky, all mortals were like ants.
The only difference was that some ants could be useful to them, while others could not.
But within the mortal world itself, numerous levels were also established.
Chen Xun, born into the prestigious Chen family, despite his young age, had already acquired certain bad habits.
Looking down on common people and treating them like servants was one of them.
Of course, this was not entirely unexpected.
Having grown up in a noble family, even the clothes worn by Chen Xun's household servants were better than those of these commoners.
With such a disparity, his behavior was not surprising.
Qi Heng, however, did not possess the same arrogant demeanor as him.
Life in the royal residence was not as smooth as imagined; there was constant scheming and infighting, and sometimes even he, a child, could get caught up in it.
However, looking at the children his age before him, Qi Heng felt that they were fortunate.
Because when it came to spiritual cultivation aptitude, there was no distinction of family background or status; everyone stood on the same starting line, and their hopes were equally slim.
...
"Children, do you all wish to become high and mighty immortals? Then work hard."
The middle-aged immortal in the white robe in the sky said calmly, "I won't waste time with unnecessary words here. Do you see these stairs?"
"If any of you can pass the nine Heavenly Steps, you will become a handyman disciple of my Yin Yang Immortal Palace!"
"Those who can pass eighteen Heavenly Steps will become an outer disciple of my Yin Yang Immortal Palace!"
"Those who can pass thirty-six Heavenly Steps will become an inner disciple of my Yin Yang Immortal Palace!"
"Those who can pass forty-nine Heavenly Steps will be directly taken as disciples by the elders of my Yin Yang Immortal Palace for focused training!"
"The more you pass, the higher your aptitude and talent will be. Only with the best aptitude can you go further on these Heavenly Steps!"
"Otherwise, passing them will be impossible."
"As long as you can ascend enough Heavenly Steps!"
"You will be treated as outstanding talents and receive focused training. Therefore, do not hold back later; ascend one step more if you can. This will greatly benefit your future."
...
The mortals eligible to ascend the Heavenly Steps were all children under ten years old. These children feared nothing and no one, unwilling to concede to anyone. If you want me to yield, then prove to me that you are stronger than I am.
All the children, regardless of their social standing, exchanged glances and felt a surge of excitement.
"Ascend the Heavenly Steps, become an immortal, enjoy longevity, and sword flight will no longer be a dream."
"Hahaha, if no one goes, I'll be the first!"
A strong, nine-year-old child's eyes rolled, his body flashed, and he laughed, darting in directly!
Seeing this, all the children first froze in unison, and then, unwilling to be left behind, they all rushed forward.
Ascend the Heavenly Steps!
Every child's heart ignited with fervor; each was eager to try, not wanting to be outdone.
Knowing that it made no difference whether he went early or late, Qi Heng was not particularly anxious. Following the flow of people, he ascended the Heavenly Steps.
"Boom!"
A sense of pressure descended from above. Qi Heng's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and he inwardly marveled.
If this first Heavenly Step is already so extraordinary, won't the subsequent ones be even more difficult?
"Boom!"
As Qi Heng stepped onto the second Heavenly Step, an even stronger pressure suddenly descended.
Qi Heng's body swayed imperceptibly, then quickly stabilized.
Fortunately, he was still managing with ease and could support himself. Qi Heng still had the energy to observe the children in front and behind him. He was neither the first nor the last to ascend the Heavenly Steps, but he appeared to be the most relaxed.
Beside him, the other children were still struggling.
As they ascended the first Heavenly Step, most of their bodies froze completely. At this moment, they looked like they had been petrified, turning into stone, which was very strange.
Many had beads of sweat forming on their faces, dense and continuous, looking exceptionally strained. At the same time, their breathing also grew heavier.
"Although it's a bit difficult, it's not *this* difficult. What's wrong with them?"
Qi Heng, looking around, felt perplexed by this scene and mused to himself at this moment.
...
"Is this the gap in aptitude? Damn it, why is my aptitude so poor?"
Beside him, watching Qi Heng, who appeared calm and unaffected, Chen Xun gritted his teeth inwardly, feeling the disparity at this moment.
Compared to others, he was doing relatively well. Although it was strenuous, it was still within his capacity.
However, compared to Qi Heng before him, the gap was enormous.
After observing for a while, Qi Heng began to move again.
Chen Xun and the others desperately took steps, trying to climb upwards.
But to their despair, no matter how hard they tried, they could not quickly advance past the Heavenly Steps before them.
These short nine Heavenly Steps seemed like an insurmountable chasm to them, utterly impossible to conquer.