Eternal Life: I Have the Favor System

Chu Lingguang looked at his information panel.

Favors: 1,798,861

Realm: Fourth Layer of Qi Refining

(Remaining Lifespan: 800 years)

He had spent a month or so sailing the sea and then trekked a long distance across the Great Qin Territory. After a total of about two months, Chu Lingguang’s cultivation had broken through, thanks to the Qi Condensation Technique.

Unfortunately, the seven hundred sixty-three responsive powers within his body had remained dormant for the entire two months. Chu Lingguang had tried various methods, attempting to use the Qi Condensation Technique and even his Telekinesis to awaken them, but he had not succeeded once.

He was beginning to suspect that his Cultivation Technique was incomplete.

The responsive powers represented the foundational strength of one’s realm.

Without them, even a high realm was just an empty title.

Although Chu Lingguang had reached the fourth layer of Qi Refining, he wouldn’t have any advantage in a fight against cultivators of the same level if he didn’t use his Telekinesis.

As he now felt the power of the Barrier emanating from within the Profound Celestial Sect, Chu Lingguang realized that his meager Spiritual Power, even if unleashed alongside his Telekinesis, couldn’t shake the Barrier in the slightest.

Let alone break in.

Besides, this was the Profound Celestial Sect; Chu Lingguang didn’t dare act recklessly.

He and Guo Wei could only wait to the side, listening to the scattered conversations of the Loose Cultivators who had long been gathered at the mountain gate, waiting to join the Profound Celestial Sect.

During their month-long journey within the Great Qin Territory, Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei had been gathering all sorts of information about the Profound Celestial Sect, especially concerning its recruitment of disciples.

Fortunately, although the Profound Celestial Sect was known for poaching disciples from other sects, it also had official channels to invite talented individuals to join, though the conditions were stringent.

Many were hard requirements.

For example, Spiritual Root and age.

Applicants could not be over one hundred years old.

Their Spiritual Root had to be at least Level Three.

A Level Three Spiritual Root referred to the power of one’s Spirit Root Attribute. The master and disciple duo learned that among ordinary cultivators, having a Level Three Spiritual Root made one a standout, a talent seen only one in a hundred.

To improve their Spirit Root Attribute, many people went to great lengths to absorb various kinds of power. For instance, they would travel to the distant Great Yuan to absorb the power of Vine Demons, or they would hunt Demon Beasts in the mountains, using Demon Beast Spiritual Power or even Demon Essence and Demon Pills to strengthen their Spirit Root Attribute.

Only after their Spirit Root Attribute reached Level Three would they travel thousands of miles to take the Profound Celestial Sect’s assessment.

But even if both their Spirit Root Level and age met the requirements, there were still various tests of their Mental Realm and combat strength. Failing even a single one meant they would have no fate with the Profound Celestial Sect in this lifetime.

It was said that anyone who could enter the Profound Celestial Sect was a genius in the cultivation world. They would be treated as priceless treasures, whether they joined the Cyan Cloud Sect, the Demon Sect, or even Yuanchu Mountain.

The more the master and disciple duo learned, the greater the pressure they felt. Even Chu Lingguang didn’t think he could pass.

Not unless he revealed his Telekinesis cultivation.

From what he had learned during this time, Chu Lingguang was fairly certain that Telekinesis was an extremely rare power in the cultivation world, one that not everyone could cultivate.

Furthermore, every sect possessed a Skill for cultivating Telekinesis. Nearly every sect, when accepting new disciples, would have them spend two or three months practicing this Telekinesis Skill.

If they succeeded in cultivating Telekinesis and it demonstrated a certain degree of offensive and kinetic power, they would be nurtured as core disciples.

Although the Profound Celestial Sect’s system was strict, being able to cultivate Telekinesis could serve as a bonus.

’So if my Spirit Root Attribute level doesn’t meet the standard, I might still get into the Profound Celestial Sect with the bonus points from my Telekinesis.’

However, since the master and disciple duo were taking the assessment together this time, Chu Lingguang hoped that Guo Wei could enter the Profound Celestial Sect with him. To that end, for the two days before arriving at the mountain gate, Chu Lingguang had been constantly asking for news about Yan Zhen.

If he could get in touch with Yan Zhen, then with his help, perhaps both he and Guo Wei could get into the Profound Celestial Sect.

Unfortunately, there was no word about Yan Zhen in Great Qin. It was as if no one knew that the Profound Celestial Sect had snatched a peerless talent with a Water, Fire, and Earth Tri-Element Spiritual Root from Yuanchu Mountain.

Or perhaps, everyone was so used to such things that they didn’t pay it any mind.

「Ten days later.」

A gentle ripple appeared in the Barrier at the Profound Celestial Sect’s mountain gate, like a door opening to the crowd. The spirits of the cultivators gathered at the gate all lifted.

"It’s finally opening," someone sighed with emotion.

The Profound Celestial Sect had no regular schedule for recruiting disciples. It was said they would wait until a certain number of people had gathered at the mountain gate, or until a powerful expert within the sect sensed the aura of a great talent at the entrance. Only then would they order a disciple to open the gate and let the Loose Cultivators in for the assessment.

Chu Lingguang and Guo Wei followed the crowd into the Profound Celestial Sect.

They arrived at a spacious Martial Arts Arena.

The Martial Arts Arena was surrounded by lush, forested mountains. Many cultivator-created grotto-heavens dotted the peaks, and numerous palaces and pavilions were built on cliffsides, looking magnificent and grand, exuding the air of a blessed land for immortal cultivators.

"Those who wish to enter the Profound Celestial Sect to cultivate must first pass two trials. The first is an age screening. If you are over one hundred years old, regardless of your cultivation, please leave on your own."

"The second is a Spirit Root Attribute screening. Those who do not have a Level Three Spiritual Root, please also leave on your own shortly."

A child from the Profound Celestial Sect addressed the crowd.

That’s right.

The one in charge was, unexpectedly, a child of about thirteen or fourteen.

His voice was young and tender, but his aura was incredibly formidable. When his clear eyes swept over the crowd, everyone felt an involuntary shiver.

Behind the child stood two young men, who were scrutinizing the crowd.

A golden light floated out from the pupils of both young men, sweeping over everyone. Seemingly finding nothing unusual, they both nodded to the thirteen-or-fourteen-year-old child.

"Next is the Spiritual Root screening," the child said.

It was obvious that the golden light from the two young men’s eyes had been used to determine if anyone present exceeded the age limit.

After all, this was the Profound Celestial Sect. No one dared to deceive them, especially not by lying about their age. Everyone passed the first round of inspection smoothly.

However, the upcoming Spirit Root Attribute Level test would not be so simple.

Following the child’s directions, the crowd came to stand before a large bell.

The bell was floating high above the Martial Arts Arena.

"You will take turns standing beneath the Spirit Bone Bell. If the bell chimes, your Spirit Root Attribute meets the standard, and you are qualified to take the Profound Celestial Sect’s assessment. If it does not, you are to leave the mountain immediately. No loitering is permitted," the child said.

Everyone couldn’t help but look up at the large, floating bell. It was a simple, ancient-looking black bell, covered in special patterns that resembled majestic mountains and rivers, or the changing of the four seasons.

The child called it the Spirit Bone Bell.

Chu Lingguang, Guo Wei, and the rest of the crowd stared at the Spirit Bone Bell. Some couldn’t resist releasing their Spiritual Power, wanting to probe the bell for any tricks.

Unfortunately, when their Spiritual Sense touched the Spirit Bone Bell, it was like a clay ox entering the sea, vanishing without a trace. It was as if a black vortex had appeared before their eyes. Those who had released their Spiritual Sense were all panic-stricken. They hastily severed the connection, broke out in a cold sweat, and retreated to the back with faces full of awe and fear.

Chu Lingguang did not act recklessly.

With his powerful Telekinesis rooted in his Sea of Consciousness, he could perceive the bell’s extraordinary nature with his naked eye. With his meager strength of the fourth layer of Qi Refining, how could he dare to have any designs on the Spirit Bone Bell right under the noses of the Profound Celestial Sect’s experts?

Next, under the Profound Celestial Sect’s arrangement, the crowd went up to the Spirit Bone Bell one by one, each person pausing beneath it for a short while.

However, more than ten people went in a row, and not a single one of them could make the Spirit Bone Bell chime. Their Spirit Root Attribute Levels were clearly not up to standard. This made everyone waiting in line behind them feel extremely nervous.

They all viewed the Profound Celestial Sect as a sacred land for cultivation, much like how True Martial Realm experts Within the Great Yuan Territory saw Yuanchu Mountain as a place they must visit in their lifetime. To finally get a chance at the assessment only to be eliminated by the Spirit Root Attribute Level test—it was a feeling that ordinary people could not bear.

Those who were eliminated were either utterly crestfallen or weeping uncontrollably.

Some even refused to leave, demanding to be tested again, only to be swatted off the mountain by a Profound Celestial Sect expert with a single palm strike. It seemed such incidents were common, and the sect’s experts were unfazed by them, showing no mercy when they needed to act.