Time passed.
Luo Wentian and the many elders continued watching this batch of outstanding seedlings. Aside from Gou Dan, there were others who performed quite well.
For instance, Lu Mang and Ouyang Yuxuan from earlier both showed dispositions that aligned well with the values of the Zhenwu Sect.
A solemn voice finally rang out again:
"Wake up!"
The remaining children on the Heart-Questioning Platform all jolted awake, snapping out of their introspective state.
This way, they wouldn't be harmed. After all, they were still young and mentally fragile—if they were forcibly awakened like the Qi Origin Realm experts earlier, it could have easily turned them into idiots.
At this moment—
The children all widened their eyes.
Only after personally experiencing that mysterious state did they realize it was far more incredible than what they saw from the outside.
After such an experience, they even felt their hearts had gained a touch more clarity.
Of course—
Some rejoiced, while others worried.
As soon as they woke up, those genuine answers they gave came flooding back to them. These kids weren't dumb—based on the previous evaluations from the Qi Origin Realm protectors, they already had a good sense of whether they passed the Heart-Questioning Platform test.
Gou Dan looked a bit confused and nervous. Though he felt no shame in his heart, he wasn't confident until the results were announced.
At the same time—
He quietly did a headcount and realized that a few children were missing.
This made his heart jolt. Though born into poverty, he wasn't stupid. He quickly pieced it together—there had been spies during the Qi Origin Realm exam, so it made sense that there would also be infiltrators among the disciples.
The children who noticed this were all tense, afraid they might get dragged down and fail the assessment.
Fortunately, Ye Qinghe's voice gave them a much-needed boost of confidence.
Ye Qinghe, the only female elder and a graceful beauty, easily won the children's favor.
She looked at the little ones on the Heart-Questioning Platform and smiled gently:
"Now I will announce the names of those who passed the assessment."
"Lu Mang!"
"Ouyang Yuxuan!"
...
"Li Cheng!"
...
"Gou Dan!"
One name after another was read aloud.
Each child whose name was called clenched their fists with excitement, unable to contain the joy in their hearts.
When Gou Dan's name was finally called, the tension he'd been holding onto completely dissolved. He almost burst into tears from relief. For a while, he thought he'd been eliminated.
Ye Qinghe secretly chuckled to herself. She had noticed that her senior brother seemed to have taken a liking to this boy named Gou Dan. That's why she saved his name for last—to test the kid's patience a bit.
The result? She was quite satisfied.
This round on the Heart-Questioning Platform eliminated about half again.
Most children didn't have deeply ingrained problems, so many could be corrected. Besides, the Ascending Heaven Steps earlier had already served as a form of screening.
In the end, around three hundred disciples remained.
Looking at these three hundred, everyone smiled. These were the cream of the crop. With the Zhenwu Sect's secret techniques and abundant resources, they all had the potential to reach the Qi Origin Realm—the only difference would be how hard they worked in the future.
Ye Qinghe raised her voice and said:
"All those whose names were called are now outer sect disciples of Zhenwu. Shortly, your senior brothers will guide you through the sect's layout."
"Disciples receive the order!"
The newly minted Zhenwu disciples all bowed respectfully.
Those who were eliminated, however, looked utterly devastated—some nearly broke into tears. A few of them had performed well during the Ascending Heaven Steps, making it even harder to accept. They felt indignant but didn't dare question the decision.
Ye Qinghe's expression turned a bit cold:
"Those who failed the test, leave the mountain. You may collect a token gift prepared by Zhenwu Sect."
She shook her head slightly in her heart.
These children were fundamentally crooked—either by nature or due to upbringing. In any case, they weren't inherently good-hearted.
While it's possible that some might have a great awakening in the future and transform, the Zhenwu Sect wasn't going to gamble on that.
It's incredibly hard to straighten a crooked seedling—far better to cultivate a straight one from the start. Saves time and effort.
After all, the Zhenwu Sect wasn't some holy institution devoted to saving the world.
"Thank you, Elder Ye!"
The voices of the eliminated children were subdued.
Most accepted their fate, but a few harbored secret resentment, thinking: "Thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west... One day, I'll make Zhenwu regret this!"
Luo Wentian probably sensed these thoughts too—but he didn't care.
The Zhenwu Sect's growth was going to surpass the world's expectations.
Just thinking about the martial arts, secret techniques, and pill recipes Ning Qi had given him—and the bizarre items Ning Qi occasionally pulled out—filled Luo Wentian with awe.
He watched as the three hundred exceptional seedlings were led away.
A smile unconsciously formed on his face.
These were Zhenwu's future—the quality far surpassed previous batches of disciples.
This recruitment drive could be considered a grand success. Though there were some hiccups, they were all within a manageable range.
It was foreseeable that once news of what happened on the mountain spread, Zhenwu Sect's reputation would soar even higher.
Unless special circumstances arose, Zhenwu wouldn't hold such a large-scale recruitment again anytime soon.
...
As the eliminated children and the Qi Origin Realm experts descended the mountain—
Everything that had occurred atop Zhenwu Mountain began spreading at lightning speed.
First to Zhenwu City, then to Qingzhou, and from there to several neighboring provinces.
Many people were amazed.
The foundation that Zhenwu Sect had showcased this time was truly remarkable.
The Ascending Heaven Steps, the mechanical puppets, the Heart-Questioning Platform—each one could stand as a sect-defining legacy, yet Zhenwu unveiled all three in one go.
But what shocked everyone the most—was the number of spies from major factions exposed during the recruitment.
The Demonic Sect!
Southern Alliance!
Wenjian Pavilion!
Wuxiang Sect!
...
Each of these factions carried weight—especially the Demonic Sect and the mysterious Southern Alliance. No one expected all of them to have tried planting spies in Zhenwu.
This stirred countless speculations across the land.
However, the way Zhenwu handled the situation greatly boosted its prestige.
Previously, Zhenwu's fame rested almost entirely on Daoist Longshan and the Heaven Sword Immortal. Martial circles widely agreed that while Zhenwu had top-tier combat power, its mid-tier strength was lacking.
But this time, Luo Wentian and the White Ape shattered that perception.
"That Sect Master Luo is no simple man. Looks like Zhenwu has some secret method that can rapidly boost his strength! It might even be one of the sect's supreme techniques!"
"And that White Ape—still quite young, yet already capable of punching through the Jade Elixir Realm and kicking away Core Formation experts. Absolutely ferocious! Might one day rival the Jiao Lord of Lake Baichuan or the Demon Ox King of Mount Yunmeng."
"Zhenwu's foundation is extraordinary!"
Voices of awe echoed everywhere.
When you're weak—like back when Daoist Longshan hadn't reached the Heaven-Man Realm—others coveted your legacy and came for night raids.
But now that they were strong, others only praised their deep foundation. No one dared have greedy thoughts.
That's the difference.
Strength invites admiration; weakness invites predators.
Still, not everyone was in awe. Some harbored malicious thoughts.
They believed that Zhenwu had drawn so many spies simply because they were too high-profile—and that the sect wouldn't enjoy their success for long.
Especially the Demonic Sect—an entity powerful enough to rival the Great Yan Dynasty itself. Not to mention the mysterious Southern Alliance, which had begun surfacing in recent years.
Some believed this matter was far from over.
These major powers wouldn't just sit still after being publicly exposed.
Back at Zhenwu Mountain—
The disciples were still buzzing with excitement, replaying that climactic battle in their minds.
Xiong Shi and Ye Qinghe's strength was expected. But Luo Wentian's performance? That stunned everyone—he had suddenly become so overwhelmingly powerful?
They couldn't help but ask Luo Wentian about it.
But he only pointed toward Mingwu Pavilion and smiled without answering.
The crowd exchanged glances, a bit hesitant.
It wasn't that they didn't believe their master—but they felt that if he had such means, he would've shown them long ago.
In their minds, another figure emerged.
Ning Qi!
Yes, Ning Qi.
Unlike before, Ning Qi was no longer hiding everything. With his growing strength and confidence, he began letting his fellow disciples catch glimpses of his abilities—not to show off, but just naturally.
They knew the Ascending Heaven Steps and other legacies had come from Ning Qi.
So... was it really that far-fetched to think he also helped boost Luo Wentian?
But then they wondered—if Ning Qi could create someone as powerful as Luo Wentian, how terrifying must Ning Qi himself be?
That thought seemed a bit too crazy. So they stopped thinking about it.
Still, many Zhenwu disciples remained curious about this mysterious Ninth Uncle-Master.
Their curiosity wasn't because of Luo Wentian—
It was because of the White Ape.
Six years of bitter training without recognition, and then—one battle made him famous.
If even the White Ape under Ning Qi's tutelage was this terrifying, then Ning Qi himself surely possessed an even deeper, more enigmatic power.
Especially since in recent years, Daoist Longshan and Luo Wentian had intentionally kept Ning Qi's age vague.
By now, many disciples honestly had no idea how old Ning Qi was.
They only knew that this Ninth Uncle-Master loved reading scriptures and training alone—only showing up when something major happened.
Among all the true disciples, he was the most mysterious one.
Some said—he might be a hidden master.
But a few senior disciples only chuckled softly.
They had a general idea of Ning Qi's age and didn't think he could be that powerful—
Still, they didn't ruin the illusion.
After all, it gave the newer disciples someone to look up to.
Zhenwu Mountain was growing livelier by the day.
With the addition of three hundred outstanding seedlings, the atmosphere was brimming with vitality.
For these newly admitted outer disciples—
Luo Wentian had long prepared a corresponding training plan. In the beginning, resources would be distributed based on their performance during the entrance examination. Later on, everything would be adjusted according to their results in the annual year-end tournament.
All of this was already being carried out in an orderly manner under the arrangements of Sun Chuanhai, the Martial Transmission Elder.
Sun Chuanhai was known for his reserved nature and fairness, which was why he had been appointed as Martial Transmission Elder.
...
Inside Mingwu Pavilion.
Coils of calming incense smoke wafted upward. Luo Wentian, Daoist Longshan, and Ning Qi sat in separate positions.
"Master, Xiao Jiu—Second Senior Brother has finished interrogating all the spies caught during the entrance assessment." Luo Wentian's eyes held a trace of anger. "The ones who made it onto the Heart-Questioning Platform matched what they revealed during their introspection, while among the eliminated, there were indeed some from the Demonic Sect and the Southern Alliance."
"They confessed a few things, but none of it was critical. The one noteworthy detail is—those two forces, the Demonic Sect and the Southern Alliance, have officially formed an alliance!"
Daoist Longshan and Ning Qi both narrowed their eyes.
Either one of those factions was a behemoth on its own—now they had joined forces.
Ning Qi said slowly:"Looks like they really are suspicious about the destruction of their Qingzhou base. I didn't expect the two sides to form an alliance instead of turning on each other."
He was confident that nothing he had done at the time could be traced back to Zhenwu Sect.
But reality had taken an unexpected turn.
Daoist Longshan nodded thoughtfully:"Still, their suspicions likely aren't that solid, perhaps not even primarily aimed at us. Otherwise, they wouldn't just send in spies to probe."
Given the power and overbearing nature of both factions, if they had confirmed Ning Qi's involvement in luring the disaster toward them, they absolutely would not have let it slide.
Ning Qi took a sip of tea and said calmly:"Maybe it's because we've been brushing up against the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance repeatedly. I'm not worried about these little tricks—they can come if they dare. What we need to guard against is a sudden, unexpected attack. Just don't give them any excuse to latch onto."
His gaze was dark and steady. Within him, the Origin Core spun rapidly, surging with immense power.
Give him a little more time—once he ascended to the Heaven-Man Realm, anyone who dared act out would learn why the flowers are so red.
Even now, he wasn't afraid.
If the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance truly crossed a line, Ning Qi wouldn't let it go easily.
He was thinking—
If only he could find the headquarters of the Demonic Sect and the Southern Alliance.
But that was no easy task. The Southern Alliance resided deep within the vast mountains, and the Demonic Sect had clashed with the Great Yan Dynasty for over a thousand years while still managing to survive. Clearly, they had more than one rabbit hole to hide in.
Luo Wentian said:"Xiao Jiu is right. I'll minimize disciple excursions during this period and remain highly vigilant."
He still held deep caution toward the Demonic Sect and the Southern Alliance. Compared to them, Zhenwu Sect was still in its youth.
Ning Qi nodded slightly.
Daoist Longshan asked:"What about other factions besides the Demonic Sect and the Southern Alliance?"
Luo Wentian continued:"In addition to those two, the rest of the spies were from the Wuxiang Sect and Wenjian Pavilion. There was also one from Luoshan Sect, a top-tier faction in Qingzhou. But just yesterday, Luoshan's sect master disbanded the sect and took his own life by hanging."
His tone was calm.
Planting spies into other sects could be seen as either a small or a massive matter.
Luoshan Sect might've gambled everything, hoping to penetrate Zhenwu's inner circle and maybe one day steal a Heaven-Man level technique.
But Zhenwu's wrath was not something a single top-tier sect could endure.
Suicide was the best choice the Luoshan Sect Master could've made.
So Luo Wentian had no plans to pursue it further.
The real problem lay with the other two sects.
"What should we do about Wuxiang Sect and Wenjian Pavilion?" He looked inquiringly.
Both factions were powerful. He couldn't act without careful thought.
The Wuxiang Sect was located in Daozhou. Once ranked ninth among the top Daoist sects, they had since been pushed off that list by Zhenwu's sudden rise. It made sense they would feel some resentment and want to infiltrate.
But that didn't excuse them.
Wenjian Pavilion was based in Chuzhou.
Ning Qi had some recollection of them. Back when he and Daoist Longshan discussed the Zhenwu Stance, Longshan had mentioned that across the world, the Great Yan and the Demonic Sect each had supreme stance techniques, while the Grand Awakening Temple and Wenjian Pavilion had techniques that were half a step below supreme.
At that time—
Daoist Longshan had looked up to Wenjian Pavilion.
Because they were indeed strong. Much stronger than Wuxiang Sect—on a completely different level. Wenjian Pavilion had several Heaven-Man sword cultivators, and their most powerful elder, the Heart-Sword Gu Changhe, ranked fourteenth on the Heaven-Man Ranking—a true powerhouse.
Ning Qi could already guess why Wenjian Pavilion sent in spies.
It was all for the Zhenwu Sword Stele.
After the Heaven Sword Immortal established the Sword Stele, Zhenwu Mountain had become another sacred land for sword cultivation. Naturally, Wenjian Pavilion coveted it.
If they could acquire its aid, they'd surely produce a surge of top-tier swordsmen.
In truth, more than one faction had secretly mocked Zhenwu Sect for sharing the Zhenwu Sword Stele with the world.
Anyone else with such a treasure would've hidden it as tightly as possible—who would be foolish enough to showcase it publicly?
Hearing Luo Wentian's question, Daoist Longshan frowned slightly.
One was a former top-tier Daoist sect, the other a renowned sword sanctuary.
Both were formidable.
But staying silent was not an option.
Otherwise, everyone would follow their example, and Zhenwu would be stuck endlessly rooting out spies.
Daoist Longshan looked at Ning Qi.
Ning Qi's eyes showed no emotion as he said calmly:"Of course we can't let it slide."
With that—
Luo Wentian and Daoist Longshan's eyes lit up, smiling.
This was true confidence!
If Ning Qi had said to let it go, they'd endure for now.
But with those words, it meant he wasn't afraid.
The Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance might be beyond reach—for now. But these two? Not a problem.
If they were sensible, fine. If not, this would be a perfect opportunity to establish dominance.
Daoist Longshan thought for a moment and said:"Wentian, write two letters in the name of Zhenwu's Sect Leader. Condemn them for sending spies—take the moral high ground. If they want to settle this, they'll have to pay dearly."
Luo Wentian's eyes gleamed as he nodded repeatedly:"Yes! That's the way. Wuxiang Sect used to be the ninth-ranking Daoist sect and has many Daoist scriptures. If we don't squeeze them for more, how can we cover Zhenwu's losses?"
"And Wenjian Pavilion—our three hundred seedlings just joined. If they don't cough up some swords and sword manuals, how will we manage?"
He grew more and more excited, already planning how to bleed the two factions dry.
Of course, they couldn't be destroyed just over this—but they definitely couldn't get off easy either. Only by making them hurt would it send the right message.
However—
He frowned again and said:"If we press Wuxiang Sect hard, I don't think they'll resist. They fear Xiao Jiu. But Wenjian Pavilion… they've got Heart-Sword Gu Changhe, ranked fourteenth on the Heaven-Man Ranking. He may not agree so easily."
Ning Qi only smiled faintly, saying nothing.
Seeing this, Luo Wentian gasped internally, feeling reassured.
If Ning Qi could be this calm facing someone ranked fourteenth on the Heaven-Man Ranking, what was there to fear?
Even his dread of the Demonic Sect and Southern Alliance eased a bit.
That very night—
Luo Wentian wrote two letters with great care. In them, he harshly condemned Wuxiang Sect and Wenjian Pavilion for their immoral acts and for coveting Zhenwu's legacy. He even subtly hinted that the Heaven Sword Immortal himself was displeased, adding dramatic flair to the setup.
Then he hinted at their "options."
To Wuxiang Sect: Zhenwu lacked deep foundations and was in dire need of Daoist scriptures—especially rare and unique ones.
To Wenjian Pavilion: Zhenwu's newly accepted three hundred seedlings were short on swords, hard to sustain. Also, the Heaven Sword Immortal was said to be interested in their sword manuals—two volumes would be a good start.
Of course, rare herbs and precious materials were welcome, too.
In short—no bleeding, no peace.
Afterward—
The letters were sent overnight to both factions.
Not only that, but Luo Wentian also had people secretly spread the news that Wuxiang Sect and Wenjian Pavilion had planted spies in Zhenwu, stirring up public sentiment.
Upon learning of the letters' content, Ning Qi couldn't help but smile knowingly. His senior brother could be quite devious when he wanted to be.
As for whether the two sects would comply—he wasn't worried.
It wasn't about whether they had a conscience—he just trusted his own strength.
They would agree eventually—the only question was how bumpy the road would be.
Ning Qi looked out at the blossoming peach trees outside the courtyard, then glanced down at the tender new leaves on the Enlightenment Tea Tree. His heart gradually settled.
Just a minor interlude.
He began circulating the complete Mind Tempering Method. A phantom image of the Heaven-Earth Millstone rose beside him, faint rumbling echoing around.
This was a Divine Mind Tempering Method he had created by imitating the Qi Tempering Method's Heaven-Earth Millstone—but the core was different.
The Qi Tempering Method relied primarily on the power of heaven and earth, while the Mind Tempering Method used that as a supplement—its foundation was the rebounding power of the Origin Core.
Because the "divine mind" was fragile and couldn't withstand the wildness of external force.
Now, Ning Qi had achieved early results. His divine mind was growing stronger, clearly reflected in his Heaven-Human Unity Technique. His strength was increasing steadily, not stagnating.
Time flowed quietly.
Seven days later—
It was actually Wuxiang Sect, far away in Daozhou, who responded first.
Their apology was quite sincere.
The events on Zhenwu Mountain had already reached their ears. They knew their spy had been caught red-handed—there was no room for excuses.
They felt bitter.
What they thought was a flawless operation had been completely underestimated.
But what was done was done—they could only try to make amends.
They'd already arranged some compensation.
Then Luo Wentian's "greetings" arrived right behind it.
Everyone at Wuxiang Sect read the letter and almost burst into curses, bleeding internally.
Too ruthless!
They wanted to clench their teeth and act tough—but didn't dare.
The power of the Heaven Sword Immortal was still fresh in everyone's memory, not to mention that in this matter, they were clearly in the wrong.
Now that the Zhenwu Sect ranked ninth among the Daoist sects of the world, those top-tier Daoist sects would only support Zhenwu, not them.
In fact, several of the top-tier sects had already begun applying pressure.
This left the Wuxiang Sect with no choice but to swallow their grievances—this time, they had truly lost both their soldiers and their bride.
After some discussion—
They sent back a polite letter of apology and prepared a list of reparations.
One thousand five hundred Daoist scriptures, a hundred rare manuscripts, various spirit herbs and precious materials, inner cores of exotic beasts, and martial arts manuals—each category included multiple items, and the quality was quite high.
When Luo Wentian saw it, his grin reached all the way to his ears.
They had just finished recruiting three hundred seedlings and sixteen protectors, and were in dire need of a large supply of resources. Now, everything had been replenished at once.
He exclaimed that the Wuxiang Sect were truly good people.
He even sighed multiple times, saying that if more spies had shown up during the entrance exam, it would've been even better.
This made Ning Qi shake his head and chuckle.
However—
Not all reparations went this smoothly.
For example, though the distant Wuxiang Sect in Daozhou had already replied with a clear stance—
The Wenjian Pavilion in nearby Chuzhou remained completely silent.