Chapter 300: Mo Wenwen

Lin Xun got out of bed, stretched, yawned, and after washing up, he performed a set of calisthenics before opening his door and leaving the inn.

Two days had already passed since a beautiful girl had mysteriously appeared in his room.

Similarly, it had been two days since Lin Xun arrived in Dream City.

Over these two days, nothing else strange had happened.

Instead, Lin Xun had enjoyed soaking in the spirit spring for free for two days.

Although the spirit spring was completely useless to him,

he had to admit it was very comfortable, much like soaking in a hot spring.

It was just a pity that it wasn’t mixed bathing.

Leaving the inn today marked the beginning of the Rootless Secret Realm selection.

As a Loose Cultivator from out of town, Lin Xun was to participate in the selection in Dream City to compete for a spot to enter the Rootless Secret Realm.

Upon hearing that the Saintess of the Fuchen Holy Land was the general person in charge of this competition,

Lin Xun recalled the Taoist nun who had appeared in his room.

Of course, he only thought of it subconsciously and had no other intentions.

Besides, she might not even be that Saintess.

Like the other Loose Cultivators, Lin Xun was picked up from Dream City by Disciples of the Fuchen Holy Land and taken to the foot of a celestial mountain.

Mist swirled atop the celestial mountain, and Lin Xun could already sense many Cultivators sitting high above the clouds.

Lin Xun wasn’t particularly surprised by this.

Because this was not only a trial to compete for spots in the Rootless Secret Realm but also an “assessment.”

Admittedly, the Cultivators participating in the competition were either Loose Cultivators, Sect Elders and Enshrined Elders, or even Sect Masters of small Sects.

Most of them were over five hundred years old.

However, regardless of their background, these Cultivators were all in the Golden Core Realm.

As the saying goes, “Only when one becomes a Golden Core guest can they truly be called one of our kind.”

A Golden Core is not something that can be formed easily.

In this world of Cultivators, countless people are stuck at the Dragon Gate Realm, unable to form a Golden Core, ultimately finding it impossible to advance and living out their lives in regret.

Therefore, whether it be a Loose Cultivator or the Sect Master of a small Sect, if a Sect could recruit a suitable Golden Core Realm Cultivator to become a Deacon, it was definitely a guaranteed gain.

And when faced with such recruitment, the vast majority of Loose Cultivators would be interested.

For Loose Cultivators, life was simply too bitter.

Even if they were in the Golden Core Realm, they never knew when their lives might end.

With a Sect providing a safety net, they wouldn’t have to worry about resources all day and would have better room for advancement.

Although Loose Cultivators had poor backgrounds and would be excluded within a Sect—likely being guarded against by the Sect’s members for their entire lives—

it didn’t matter. What they wanted were resources, not the disdainful looks of others.

As for those Cultivators who already belonged to a Sect, most would not leave because they all had emotional ties to their own Sects.

Furthermore, they were influential figures within their own Sects; if they went to a large Sect, they would just be minor Deacons who had to watch others’ expressions.

They couldn’t accept that for a while.

However, some Golden Core Realm Cultivators from small Sects had already settled their affairs back home.

Coming to the Fuchen Continent, they had no intention of returning at all; instead, they wanted to use this trial as a stepping stone to join a certain Sect.

Normally, these matters were of no concern to Lin Xun and had nothing to do with him.

But here was the problem.

Wherever there are people, there are worldly ways and social politics.

There were tens of thousands of Golden Core Realm Cultivators participating in the trial.

Yet, there were only one thousand spots for the Rootless Secret Realm.

These one thousand spots were not allocated according to a ranking from first to one thousandth.

Because this trial wouldn’t rank them at all; instead, it would first screen out a group of people.

Then, from those screened out who were qualified to go to the Rootless Secret Realm, the judging panels from the large Sects of the Fuchen Continent would perform a “comprehensive consideration” before allocating the spots.

As for how they would “consider” them, it went without saying.

Unless you performed so excessively well that they had to hold their noses and give you a spot,

they would definitely allocate those spots to those who had joined their own Sects.

Lin Xun didn’t plan to be excessively outstanding, as that would be far too eye-catching.

So, Lin Xun planned to perform well and then agree to join a certain Sect.

In any case, as soon as he entered the Rootless Secret Realm and obtained the rootless fruit, he would immediately quit the Sect.

Once he had the rootless fruit, what could they possibly do to him?

“For this competition, my Heavenly Dao Sect intends to recruit forty Golden Core Realm Cultivators. I hope everyone will give me some Face.”

Above the clouds, an old man looked at the massive Magic Formation projection and said with a smile. The projection showed all the Cultivators participating in the trial.

There were a total of a thousand Elders, and they came from the various major Sects of the Fuchen Continent.

“Whoever Elder Huanglong wants is Elder Huanglong’s business. My Qinghua Sect only wants one hundred female Disciples who are pure of body.”

A woman said with a beaming smile.

“One hundred who are pure of body?”

An Elder from another Sect chuckled.

“Female Loose Cultivators are already rare, and how many of them can pass the test as Golden Core Realm Cultivators?

Furthermore, Loose Cultivators will spare no means for even a tiny bit of resources, using their bodies just to exchange for low-grade Magic Treasures. Such things are simply all too common.

Luohua, you still want to find a hundred? I’m afraid that might be a bit difficult.”

Elder Luohua narrowed her eyes with a smile: “That’s hard to say. Among those participating in the selection this time, they are as numerous as the sands of the sea; pearls are bound to exist.”

“Alright, let’s not talk about this for now. This isn’t some formal Disciple recruitment assembly; we are merely recruiting some Golden Core Realm experts to expand our Sect’s strength.

We and these Cultivators at the foot of the mountain are merely each taking what we need.

Do you all really want to recruit a future Sect leader for your Sects?”

An old woman thumped her cane, her tone carrying a hint of a reprimand.

And although they were all quite old and were Elder-level figures in their Sects, they only smiled apologetically in front of this old woman, and no one dared to contradict her.

“Wenwen.”

The old woman looked at a woman dressed in Taoist robes beside her.

At this moment, the woman was looking up at the sky, her black, silky long hair being brushed by the clear breeze and fluttering with the wind.

Hearing the call of the Elder beside her, the Fuchen Saintess Mo Wenwen bowed slightly: “Master.”

“You have just turned eighteen. This time, the Fuchen Holy Land has sent you to preside over this trial to establish your prestige before the world as one point.

Secondly, it is also to let you see more of the many facets of the human heart.

And when these Loose Cultivators step into the Heart Refining Mountain Range, it will be your ultimate Dao Observation Ground. You must not be distracted by other things.”

“Disciple understands,” Mo Wenwen nodded and said.

“Mm, very good. The time has come, so you shall be the one to announce the start.”

“Yes.”

The young woman rose and walked to the edge of the clouds.

At the foot of the Heart Refining Mountain Range, just as Lin Xun was idly yawning and others were chatting and inquiring about the situation, a spiritual voice like a clear spring languidly spread out from between heaven and earth:

“For this selection trial, there is only one requirement: those who reach the mountainside shall be considered qualified.

The selection begins.”