Han Li and the others naturally had no objections. Immediately, the young man surnamed Yu drove the giant alms bowl beneath their feet straight toward the so-called “Sky Spring Peak” in the distance.
Along the way, they encountered several passing cultivators, most of whom were low-level Qi Refining stage practitioners. Upon seeing the young man, they immediately bowed respectfully and greeted him, suggesting that the young man held considerable fame within the Falling Cloud Sect.
The only Foundation Establishment cultivator they encountered was a yellow-robed man with sharp ears and a thin, monkey-like face. He happened to be descending from Sky Spring Peak on a flying trident. When he spotted the young man surnamed Yu, he was momentarily taken aback but then broke into a wide grin and called out, “Junior Brother Yu, are these new disciples? It seems there aren’t many this time!”
The man was extremely enthusiastic toward the young man but didn’t even spare a glance at Han Li and the other rogue cultivators, displaying a thoroughly mercenary demeanor.
“So it’s Senior Brother Yan! These individuals still need to undergo the Heart-Questioning Technique test and be reported to the sect master before they can be considered formal disciples of our sect. For now, they are merely candidates,” the spirited young man surnamed Yu replied with a faint frown, though his tone remained indifferent.
“Is that so? But Junior Brother, you know I’m short on talisman-making disciples in my workshop. Why not assign two of them directly to me?” The yellow-robed man’s eyes flickered as he spoke with a grin.
Only then did his gaze sweep over the group behind the young man.
Han Li’s expression remained unchanged, but inwardly, he felt a twinge of discomfort. The man’s gaze was distasteful, treating them as mere objects, and his tone suggested he intended to use them as laborers.
The other rogue cultivators also showed slight changes in expression, clearly unimpressed by the man.
“Senior Brother Yan, this matter is beyond my authority. You know that disciple assignments are always handled by the sect master. If you truly lack talisman-making disciples, you should apply directly to him. I have urgent business—Senior Brother Miao is waiting for us at the Welcome Pine Residence. I won’t keep you any longer.” The young man surnamed Yu, well aware of the yellow-robed man’s temperament, flatly refused the unreasonable request and quickly excused himself. With a command to his magic tool, he led Han Li and the others swiftly toward a pavilion at the foot of the mountain.
The yellow-robed man opened his mouth as if to press further, but upon hearing the name “Senior Brother Miao,” his face flickered with hesitation. In that moment of hesitation, the young man slipped away.
Watching the group disappear into the distant pavilion, the yellow-robed man’s expression remained unsettled. After a moment of contemplation, he snorted coldly and transformed into a streak of yellow light, flying toward another peak.
By then, the young man had already led Han Li and the others into the pavilion’s first floor, where they encountered a stranger.
Seated on a sandalwood armchair, a gaunt young man was engrossed in reading a bamboo scroll. Han Li was inwardly astonished—this man appeared only thirty-four or thirty-five years old, yet his cultivation had already reached the late Foundation Establishment stage. Though he had just entered the late stage and hadn’t yet consolidated his foundation, he was undoubtedly a rare prodigy. At his age, he stood a great chance of forming a Golden Core and advancing to the Core Formation stage. No wonder the unpleasant yellow-robed man had backed off upon hearing his name.
The other rogue cultivators exchanged shocked glances upon sensing the gaunt young man’s formidable cultivation.
At that moment, the man set down his bamboo scroll and glanced at the young man surnamed Yu. “Junior Brother Yu, you’ve worked hard. Did Junior Brother Yan from Locked Mist Peak stop you earlier?”
“Since Senior Brother already knows, why ask? But was he pestering Senior Sister Pei Ling again?” The handsome young man asked with evident distaste.
“‘That man’? Regardless of Junior Brother Yan’s faults, he is still a fellow disciple of our Falling Cloud Sect. Your words are inappropriate, Junior Brother Yu. Be more careful in the future, or Master will surely punish you.” The sickly young man’s tone carried mild reproach, but his voice remained calm, devoid of any anger.
This, however, made the young man surnamed Yu inwardly tense. He quickly replied, “Senior Brother is right. I’ll be more mindful in the future.”
Only then did the gaunt young man’s lips curl into a faint smile. He nodded and turned his gaze to Han Li and the others, scrutinizing them one by one.
His inspection was meticulous, slow, and thorough, making most of them uneasy.
However, whether it was Han Li’s imagination or not, he noticed the man’s gaze pause almost imperceptibly on the bearded man before quickly skipping to the others.
With Han Li’s cultivation, there was no chance of revealing any flaws, but he quietly filed the observation away.
After a while, the gaunt Senior Brother Miao withdrew his gaze and casually reached to his waist, producing a stack of shimmering silver talismans.
“Only seven this time—not far from what I expected. Any more, and I wouldn’t have enough Heart-Questioning Talismans. Junior Brother Yu, affix these talismans to our guests. Once they take effect, bring them to my training chamber.” His voice was calm as he handed the talismans to the young man, then stood and ascended to the second floor without another word.
As the gaunt young man slowly climbed the corner stairs, he suddenly bent over in a violent coughing fit, his back to the group. The sound was agonizing, but he quickly straightened and disappeared from view at the stairway under their bewildered gazes.
Han Li’s eyes flickered with surprise, but it vanished instantly, his expression returning to normal.
The young man surnamed Yu sighed with concern before turning back to Han Li and the others. “These are the legendary Heart-Questioning Talismans. I need not explain their function—you should already know. If any of you harbor ulterior motives or seek to deceive, it’s best to withdraw now. Otherwise, if anything untoward is discovered later, don’t blame the Falling Cloud Sect for being unkind.”
His eyes glinted coldly as he swept his gaze over the seven. Though his tone was ominous, none stepped forward.
Satisfied, the young man nodded and flicked his hands, sending seven silver streaks flying—one talisman affixed to each person’s right shoulder. He then sat cross-legged, ignoring them as he closed his eyes to meditate.
The bearded man and the others exchanged glances. Though each had their own thoughts, none dared remove the talismans, leaving them to wait in awkward silence.
Han Li tilted his head slightly, glancing at the silver talisman on his shoulder. The corner of his mouth twitched, but he quickly resumed his neutral expression.
Before long, the talisman on Han Li’s shoulder suddenly flared with silver light, flickering intermittently.
The meditating young man opened his eyes and emotionlessly addressed Han Li, “You alone may go upstairs. Senior Brother Miao awaits you there.”
Han Li glanced at the talisman, then wordlessly strode upstairs. Moments later, he stood on the pavilion’s second floor.
The space was barren, containing only two meditation cushions. The gaunt young man sat on one, gesturing toward the other with a faint smile as Han Li approached.
“Sit. Don’t worry—this will be over quickly. The Heart-Questioning Technique is no soul-searching spell; it merely discerns whether your answers are truthful or lies.”
“While its judgments aren’t infallible, they are correct more often than not. I’ll ask you ten questions. If more than three are deemed false, you will not be accepted into the sect. Understood?”
“This junior understands,” Han Li replied with a sigh, nodding earnestly before sitting on the cushion.
Inwardly, however, he sneered. If the Heart-Questioning Technique could extract his true thoughts, it would be nothing short of miraculous!
“Good. Let’s begin with your origins…” Senior Brother Miao glanced at the flickering talisman on Han Li’s shoulder and commenced his interrogation.
…
Han Li and the other seven flew out of the pavilion, heading straight for the tallest peak in the area.
All seven, including Han Li, had been deemed free of suspicion by the gaunt young man.
Now, they only needed the approval of the Falling Cloud Sect’s leader and their names recorded to officially become disciples of the sect.
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