30: Tianjitai

Gu Changan looked around; the area was packed with a dense crowd of New Disciples, all in their twenties or thirties.

The vast majority were under twenty years old; this was likely the first Wenxing Grand Ceremony of their lives!

As for those who had entered as Utility Disciples through special channels or those with specialized skills...

They had already been separated early on and sent to the Utility Peak of the Tianji Pavilion!

Gu Changan composed his emotions and observed the Tianji Platform not far away.

Among the New Disciples, there was no shortage of audacious individuals thinking that in this moment of intense public attention, they should take the lead!

Otherwise, wouldn't they be wasting this chance to stand out from the crowd?

Four or five New Disciples dressed in various magnificent clothes flew out from the crowd.

The few of them stepped onto the first step with their heads held high.

As a result, all of them froze in place, unable to move.

This terrified the people behind them; were they all being stumped before even starting to climb the first step?

The people behind stopped to observe. After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the few ahead recovered their mobility and began to step toward the second and third steps!

Without any resistance, they quickly reached the tenth step.

Various New Disciples behind them refused to be outdone. Among them, the most eye-catching was a pair of siblings whose clothes were washed until they were turning white.

The older brother was about seventeen, seven feet tall, with a broad frame but looked like he had no meat on his bones!

His wrists were bony, his skin pale to the point of being nearly transparent, and his oversized clothes hung loosely on his body!

The younger sister was fifteen, reaching only her brother's shoulder. Her figure was equally thin and weak; she huddled beside her brother's arm like a frightened quail.

This pair drew frequent side-glances from everyone.

However, the remaining Disciples were not to be outdone either and began to swarm upward.

They were all afraid that if they were late, they would be buried among this group of exceptionally talented New Disciples.

Gu Changan, however, did not move yet.

He didn't want to be the bird that sticks its head out; it was more practical to be steady.

As one New Disciple after another crossed the tenth step...

Only then did everyone realize that steps one through ten were likely a test to see if anyone harbored ill intentions toward the Tianji Pavilion.

It was probably a Heart-Questioning Level.

However, a few people actually failed at the fourth level.

For some reason, after stepping onto the first level, several Disciples began to break out in a continuous cold sweat.

By the look of it, they must have fallen into a terrifying illusion.

Then, their entire outfits were slowly soaked with sweat, which eventually dripped onto the steps.

Finally, a blue flame erupted from within their bodies and began to burn them continuously.

As it turned out, these people didn't notice at all; the expressions on their faces continued to shift between dread and fear.

In the end, they were burned into a pile of white ash that scattered with the wind, leaving only their clothing strewn across the steps.

Then, a Tianji Pavilion Disciple was seen waving a hand, and those clothes were cleared off the Tianji Platform.

The Tianji Pavilion Disciple sneered, "Every year there are these death-seeking fools who come to test the rules of the Tianji Pavilion!"

"They were clearly told that if they harbor ill will toward the Tianji Pavilion, this Tianji Platform can detect it!"

"Yet these factions with ulterior motives still send a continuous stream of these suicidal spies!"

Gu Changan looked at the few Tianji Pavilion Cultivators who were speaking.

Facing these New Disciples below the steps, their nostrils were practically pointed toward the sky.

Gu Changan felt some emotion; if he had the backing of the Tianji Pavilion, he would also feel superior to these New Disciples.

Gu Changan felt it was about time; the highest-climbing group among them had already reached over a hundred steps.

If he didn't act now, it really would be a waste of time.

As soon as Gu Changan stood on the first step, the scene before him suddenly changed.

Gu Changan felt as if he were standing in a great hall, surrounded on all sides by high-level Cultivators.

A terrifying spiritual pressure bound him directly to the spot, making him unable to move.

Then, a voice rang out from above: "Why join the Tianji Pavilion?"

"Do you have any ulterior motives?"

Gu Changan felt his thoughts could not turn; his body was like it was out of control as it began to answer the questions.

"To become stronger, for the resources of the Tianji Pavilion, and to use the Tianji Pavilion as my backing!"

Clearly, Gu Changan's answer received the Formation's satisfied approval!

He felt a lightness throughout his body and emerged from the first level's illusion.

Gu Changan felt a bit of lingering fear; if this Formation had asked about private Opportunities or secrets, he probably would have answered those too!

Fortunately, the Formation only asked if he was a threat to the Tianji Pavilion!

Then came the second and third levels, which were all much the same; he reached the tenth step very easily.

In fact, the moment Gu Changan stepped onto the first step...

A few Disciples maintaining order for the Tianji Pavilion all had a flash of pleasant surprise in their eyes.

One of the Disciples called out, "Senior Brother! It's that person!"

"It's the person the Saint is looking for!"

"We're going to strike it rich!"

The leading Disciple, addressed as Senior Brother, then pulled a painting out of his Storage Pouch.

If Gu Changan were here, he would be able to see that the person in the painting was exactly him.

It was exactly how he looked when he and Luo Li were riding the Flying Sword; it not only had his height and back view but also his detailed facial contours.

The leading Disciple compared them one by one, his face full of joy: "Pass the word down, find the people below, and give him some 'good' care!"

The few people behind him all replied, "Yes!" and then scattered in all directions!

Gu Changan didn't know yet that because of that White-robed Fairy, he had established such a major enemy before even entering the Tianji Pavilion.

Naturally, Luo Li in the distance also spotted Gu Changan as he ascended the Tianji Platform.

Her hanging heart finally settled; since he had entered the Tianji Platform, whatever happened next was no longer her concern.

The task Old Ancestor Xuan Yin gave her was finally completed!

Even if Gu Changan didn't join the Tianji Pavilion in the end, it wouldn't be her business.

Later, she would find a time after Gu Changan finished the trial to give him those few copied Cultivation Techniques!

Gu Changan could never have imagined he would be so conspicuous; he still thought he was hiding in the shadows, playing the role of a happy schemer!

On Gu Changan's side, as he stepped onto the eleventh step, the scene before his eyes changed accordingly.

It was no longer the previous illusions, but various kinds of trials.

Some were tempering the Physical Body, some were tempering the speed of Spiritual Qi circulation, and some were honing movement techniques.

Some involved practicing a few lines of a mantra to observe one's individual Comprehension Ability.

Gu Changan passed with some difficulty; after all, his Five Spirit Roots were a limitation here, whether it was the speed of absorbing Spiritual Qi or the comprehension of Cultivation Techniques.

However, he wasn't at the very bottom; he was roughly at the lower-middle level!

At this point, the various distances between the New Disciples began to widen.

The New Disciples who had taken the lead at the beginning were quickly left behind.

Most of the New Disciples who came from behind were unfamiliar faces, and among them, the most eye-catching was still that thin and weak pair of siblings.

They had actually reached the first echelon, arriving at around the 250th step.