Volume 1, Chapter 23: Sect Recruitment (Part II)

Just as Gu Mingxi and Gu Mingyue were whispering to each other, they were interrupted by a sudden commotion. Looking over, they saw a candidate arguing with the official in charge of the Heavenly Derivative Sect’s testing process.

To call it an argument might be slightly inaccurate; it would be more accurate to say that the candidate was throwing a one-sided tantrum. As Gu Mingxi approached, she heard the boy shouting, "I am fifteen! How could it possibly register as sixteen? Your artifact must be malfunctioning! I am fifteen, I am eligible for the test, your artifact is wrong!"

Gu Mingxi and Gu Mingyue exchanged glances, both feeling bewildered. It was impossible for the artifact to be wrong, yet the candidate seemed absolutely certain of his age. Looking at him, he did not appear to be someone trying to deceive the examiners.

Just then, an elderly woman rushed forward, sobbing as she grabbed the boy’s arm. "My son, it is all my fault," she wept. "It was I who told you that you were fifteen. I misreported your birth date. Your birthday was yesterday; you are indeed sixteen. I thought that because it was only off by a single day, the artifact might not detect it. I wanted to find a loophole, but I never expected the artifact to be so precise. It is my fault, all my fault... please, blame me!"

Upon hearing his mother’s words, the boy stood frozen, as if struck by lightning. So, he really was sixteen. To miss the cut-off by a single day—just one day!

Seeing her son’s devastated expression, the woman knelt before the official, tears streaming down her face. "Immortal Master, my son’s age is off by only one day. Can you please make an exception and let him enter the sect? I beg you, please give my son a chance!"

The official looked down at the weeping woman, feeling quite awkward. He had never encountered such a situation before, and the sect had no precedent for it. None of the five great sects had such a tradition, and he dared not set one. Furthermore, the boy’s talent was mediocre—he possessed four spiritual roots, often called "false roots." With such talent, even reaching the Golden Core stage would be difficult; he was not worth the effort of petitioning the accompanying elders.

The official gently pulled the woman to her feet. "Ma’am, the sect has its regulations, and I cannot alter them at will. Besides, with your son’s aptitude, he would not receive much attention in a major sect. Perhaps seeking out a smaller sect would offer him better prospects?"

Seeing the woman was about to continue her desperate pleas, the official’s patience began to wane. Just as he was about to reprimand her, the boy pulled his mother away.

The boy bowed in shame to the official, apologized, and led his mother away. It was unclear whether he would seek out a smaller sect to continue his cultivation. Even joining a minor sect would be far better than becoming a rogue cultivator. Since he had four spiritual roots, he required significantly more spiritual energy to cultivate; a sect could provide resources, whereas a rogue cultivator had to fight for everything, risking their life at every turn.

While legendary figures had emerged from the ranks of rogue cultivators, these individuals were either exceptionally gifted, unwilling to join a sect, or—like the boy—had missed the age limit and were forced into the path. Otherwise, they were simply incredibly lucky to have survived such perilous lives.

In the world of cultivation, talent is one aspect, but destiny plays an even greater role. That is why terms like "Children of Heaven" exist. Those chosen by the destiny of Heaven do indeed find their paths easier to walk.

However, one should not be discouraged. Those who appear to be chosen by Heaven often bear specific burdens or missions. If they fail to fulfill the tasks assigned by the Heavenly Dao, they face certain death with no other path forward.

Destiny is an elusive concept, invisible to the eyes of ordinary people; only those who study the laws of fate can perceive the destiny of others. Moreover, destiny is not static.

Ultimately, compared to mortals, merely possessing spiritual roots is a stroke of luck; once you have them, you can cultivate. How far you go depends on yourself. A Qi-refining cultivator can live up to two hundred years; a Foundation Establishment cultivator, five hundred; a Golden Core cultivator, three thousand; a Nascent Soul cultivator, five thousand; a Spirit Severing cultivator, ten thousand; a Spirit Transformation cultivator, fifty thousand; a Void Refinement cultivator, one hundred thousand; a Tribulation Transcendence cultivator, three hundred thousand; and a Mahayana cultivator, five hundred thousand.

As for how long one lives after ascending, that remains unknown. Perhaps Gu Mingxi will find out once she ascends herself.

The small incident passed quickly, and the others continued to queue for the test. Soon, everyone had finished. The official announced, "Return to bid your families farewell. Gather here in one-quarter of an hour, and we shall set off for the Heavenly Derivative Sect!"

Gu Mingxi led the Gu family members to find the Seventh Elder, who offered no grand words, only simple instructions.

"There have been Gu family members who joined the Heavenly Derivative Sect before you," the Seventh Elder said. "They will come to find you once you have entered. If you encounter any trouble within the sect, contact them first. If they cannot resolve it, send word back to the family."

Everyone nodded. After bidding farewell to the Seventh Elder, they returned to the testing site.

Fifteen minutes later, the official took a headcount and noticed two candidates were missing. He did not wait for them; instead, he produced a massive flying ship and ordered everyone to board so they could depart immediately.

Gu Mingxi recalled that the two who had failed to show up were both four-root cultivators. They had likely taken the official's advice and chosen to join smaller sects.

In Gu Mingxi’s opinion, she would rather be the tail of a phoenix than the head of a chicken. While major sects were crowded with geniuses and a four-root disciple might not receive many resources, resources were not the most important thing. These sects offered excellent mentors and provided a safe sanctuary—were those not more important?

Besides, who was to say that the Heavenly Derivative Sect would provide fewer resources to a four-root disciple than a small sect would? That was likely a cognitive bias. Major sects were never short on funds; they would never withhold resources from their disciples. If Gu Mingxi had been born with four spiritual roots, she would have fought tooth and nail to enter a top-tier sect rather than choosing a minor one.

Everyone has their own choices to make. Such is timing; such is fate.