Lin Chen glanced at the countdown on his arm.
38 hours and 57 minutes.
He had rushed from Zhou Village to the foot of Changchun Mountain, walking mountain paths and encountering rain along the way.
The muddy mountain path had delayed his journey, taking more than five days.
There was still a day and a half before he returned to Blue Star.
Before transcending back to Blue Star, Lin Chen needed to learn more about the Cultivation Realm.
Joining an Immortal Sect was undoubtedly the best way.
"As long as I can catch the nation's attention, I can get more help..."
"By then, in this dangerous Cultivation World, I can also have a place."
Lin Chen wandered around the marketplace.
Relying on Changchun Sect's marketplace, Changchun Town had been established within a radius of ten miles.
Besides some cultivators, the town was home to rich merchants and families among mortals.
They settled in the town to seek Immortal Fate.
But how difficult it is to ascend to immortality?
The marketplace gathered thousands of young teens around thirteen or fourteen years old, from various towns within a thousand-mile radius.
These youths came to participate in the Immortal Seedling Examination of Changchun Sect.
Lin Chen went to the innermost part of the marketplace and soon arrived at a spacious square.
After registering his age and name with the examination personnel, Lin Chen walked to a long flight of stairs.
The staircase twisted and turned, leading straight to the top of Changchun Mountain, disappearing into the horizon.
This was the first gate of the Changchun Sect's Immortal Seedling Examination.
Thirty Thousand Steps of Ascension!
Changchun Mountain stands at a height of two thousand four hundred zhang, nearly eight thousand meters.
From the summit to the bottom, there is only one path, this long set of thirty thousand steps.
The requirement for the first gate of the Immortal Seedling Examination was to finish walking this path of more than thirty thousand steps to the summit within half a day.
While not difficult for a Qi Refining Cultivator or Martial Artist, those taking the Immortal Seedling Examination were under eighteen and had not yet practiced cultivation.
The young teens, fourteen or fifteen years old, though full of vigor, found it hard to finish these thirty thousand steps.
This was a test of the physical endurance and also a challenge to the perseverance and resilience of the Immortal Seedlings.
Lin Chen had rushed for four days and was already very tired.
But he dared not rest much as today was the last day of the Immortal Seedling Examination.
He must climb the thirty thousand plus steps to the summit before sunset, or he'd have to wait another three years...
After drinking an I-3 Type Stamina Potion, Lin Chen felt his strength quickly recovering.
Then he began ascending the steps!
Step by step, a hundred steps...
Starting the climb was not difficult, manageable for an ordinary person.
Many lively youths chatted and laughed, walking briskly, looking relaxed.
However, Lin Chen took steady steps, planting each foot firmly.
He understood that the initial ten to twenty thousand steps weren't a challenge for him; his Ninth-Level Martial Disciple physique made it quite easy.
But facing the final thousand steps, the mountain would be dreadfully cold.
With peaks of seven to eight thousand meters and the chill of deep winter, harsh winds swept the mountain, posing a threat even for him.
Thus, conserving energy at this moment was undoubtedly the best strategy.
The sun gradually shifted west, and unknowingly, nearly two two-hour periods had passed during the hike.
Lin Chen paused, catching his breath slightly, and drank half a stamina potion.
"I should have almost climbed twenty thousand steps...now I'm at mid-mountain, over five thousand meters above sea level..."
Lin Chen looked back down the mountain; at this point, the number of climbers had significantly decreased.
Most of the cheerful youths had exhausted their strength and were left behind, some even returning to descend the mountain.
"Though this world's people possess excellent physical endurance, few youths can climb over five thousand meters in one stretch..."
"To reach this height signifies exceptional physical ability, which suggests possessing a Spirit Root..."
Lin Chen thought silently.
The first gate of Thirty Thousand Steps of Ascension is as much about selecting for perseverance as it is about testing one's aptitude.
Those who reach the summit, besides having great perseverance, possess excellent physical qualities, often indicating a Spirit Root.
Only with a Spirit Root can one embark on the path of cultivation.
Of course, the way to test aptitude like this is not precise, more accurate Spirit Root testing follows the first gate.
"I hope my luck isn't too bad, at least I should have a cultivation aptitude..."
Lin Chen rested briefly and then resumed climbing the steps.
In this Cultivation World, half of the mortals have cultivation aptitude, meaning they possess a Spirit Root.
Among these qualified mortals, more than half exhibit an "Inferior Spirit Root," showing minimal sensitivity to Spiritual Energy, making cultivation difficult.
Above the Inferior Spirit Root is Mixed Spirit Roots.
Possessing three or more attributes among Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth Spirit Roots qualifies as Mixed Spirit Roots.
Mixed Spirit Roots are still difficult to cultivate but are much better than Inferior Spirit Roots.
Above Mixed Spirit Roots are Dual Spirit Roots.
Dual Spirit Roots are one in a thousand in terms of aptitude.
Above Dual Spirit Roots are True Spirit Root, Earth Spirit Root, and Celestial Spirit Root...
Lin Chen doesn't wish to be the rare True Spirit Root; he only hopes to have the aptitude of Mixed Spirit Roots.
With the support of the entire High Martial World behind him, he can still make a name for himself in the Cultivation World!
...
One two-hour period later.
The sun has gradually set in the west, leaving less than one two-hour period until the end of the examination.
At this moment, Lin Chen is still steadily advancing towards the mountain peak.
"Along this mountainous path, fewer and fewer youths have made it this far..."
Lin Chen roughly calculated that he should have climbed over twenty-eight thousand steps by now.
The altitude exceeds seven thousand meters.
From his position, he can already see the summit, only three to four thousand steps away.
Along the way, Lin Chen has surpassed many youths who started climbing earlier.
There are now only a few youths visible in the last few thousand steps.
"The final segment of the journey is undoubtedly a great test of endurance..."
"These thirty thousand steps of ascension will likely eliminate ninety-nine percent of the youths..."
Lin Chen took another half bottle of a stamina potion.
At an altitude over seven thousand meters, the air is extremely thin, making it impossible for ordinary people to stay for long, let alone engage in strenuous activity.
Additionally, the temperature, dozens of degrees below zero, makes people shiver from the cold.
Fortunately, Lin Chen is wearing an a-57 lightweight combat suit, whose excellent insulation keeps him from feeling too cold.
Lin Chen continues to take one step at a time towards the summit of Changchun Mountain.
Half a two-hour period later, only less than a thousand steps remain.
Of the thousands of youths participating in the examination today, only a few have made it this far.
Meanwhile, on the summit of Changchun Mountain, several elders of the Changchun Sect have taken notice of Lin Chen.
"This boy has been steady and consistent in his climb, showing an exceptional temperament..."
"His physical fitness is also superior; he must be a good immortal seedling with spirit roots."
An elder in Taoist robes stroked his beard, his eyes filled with appreciation.
"Indeed, this immortal seedling examination lasts seven days, with no less than forty thousand youths climbing the mountain."
"Yet, only around three hundred manage to reach the summit..."
"This youth is a good prospect. What is his name?"
As the Changchun Sect elder asked, several disciples handed over a list.
"Lin Chen..."
The elder frowned slightly and said with regret:
"Unfortunately, he is already seventeen years old, a bit too old... missing the best age for cultivation."
Upon hearing this, several elders on the mountain all showed expressions of regret.
Cultivators are different from martial artists.
Martial artists often can only start training after the age of sixteen because their bodies are still developing before that.
If they start training too early, it could affect their physical potential.
But in the cultivation realm, excellent immortal seedlings need to start cultivating at twelve or thirteen, or even as young as eight or nine.
After all, the road of cultivation is long; the earlier one starts and lays the foundation, the broader the future vistas become.
At this moment, an elder in a blue robe said:
"However, it's not necessarily the end... Seventeen is a bit old, but it still meets the sect's requirement of being under eighteen for the examination."
"If this youth's spirit root qualification is decent, it might not be too late..."
Upon hearing the elder's words, the other elders remained silent but were well aware in their hearts.
This blue-robed elder is Han Jihai, the Pill Peak Master of the Changchun Sect, whose cultivation has reached the pinnacle of the Foundation Establishment Stage.
Unfortunately, he failed to break through to the Core Formation Stage a few years ago and is a bit old, so he likely wants to take a closed-door disciple to inherit the position of Peak Master.
The Changchun Sect is divided into Five Peaks: Sword Peak, Array Peak, Artifact Peak, Talisman Peak, and Pill Peak.
Aside from Sword Peak, directly overseen by the Sect Leader, the Changchun Sect is famous for its array, thus Array Peak is the most prosperous.
In comparison, Pill Peak is the weakest of the Five Peaks.
In the entire Changchun Sect, there are only a few alchemists, all of whom are disciples of Han Jihai.
"Hehe, then let me congratulate Peak Master Han in advance for acquiring a fine disciple..."
The Array Peak Master said with a smile; he looked like a gentle and refined middle-aged man.
Compared to Lin Chen, he favors the few youths who have already reached the summit earlier.
...
Near the eight-thousand-meter altitude of Changchun Mountain.
Lin Chen is already somewhat out of breath; several two-hour periods of climbing have greatly exhausted his stamina.
The hypoxia caused by the high altitude made Lin Chen almost see stars.
But Lin Chen gritted his teeth and continued to climb upward.
"Huff, only the last hundred or so steps left..." Lin Chen challenged the limits of his physical strength and willpower.
One step, ten steps, a hundred steps...
Finally, when Lin Chen took the last step, he felt a change in front of him.
Below the summit of Changchun Mountain lies freezing snow, with no trees surviving...
But the summit of Changchun Mountain is full of spring vigor and vibrant life.
Even the air is exceptionally fresh; Lin Chen leaned against a big tree, greedily breathing in the oxygen.
"So this is an array... inside and outside the array, it's like a different world..."
Lin Chen thought to himself.
At this moment, Han Jihai, dressed in a blue robe with white hair and beard, walked up to him, nodded with a smile:
"Not bad, congratulations on passing the first stage of the immortal seedling examination."
"For now, rest for the night. We'll test your spirit root qualification tomorrow morning..."
PS: Another chapter will be available at six in the afternoon, and subsequently, the update schedule will be adjusted to one chapter each at eight in the morning and six in the afternoon for your convenience. Thank you for your support.