The Divide and the Discerning Eye

The lotus platform under his feet crushed away the last layer of clouds and mist, and the Hall of Clarity assembly square below, which could accommodate tens of thousands of people, suddenly unfolded in front of Lin Mo’s eyes like a scroll!

The vast ground paved with bluestone is now crowded with people.

However, this bustling sea of humanity was far from a unified whole; it had been abruptly cleaved into two strikingly distinct halves by a cold, glaring, invisible boundary.

In the central core area of the plaza, dozens of distinguished figures stood tall.

They possessed an extraordinary demeanor, clad in uniform, yet noticeably more opulent and refined, plain white daoist robes adorned with flowing cloud patterns; spiritual light subtly circulated around them, creating their own distinct realm.

Like cranes among chickens, they radiated an inherent sense of detachment and pride.

Liu Ruyan’s familiar figure was among this group, yet she seemed unaccustomed to standing before such a large crowd; her petite form trembled slightly, her hands pressed tightly against her thighs, clutching her long skirt, as she stood rigidly straight.

Behind them, like stars orbiting the moon yet distinctly separated, was a vast, dense, almost endless throng of people.

These were the newly inducted menial disciples and ordinary disciples, numbering tens, even hundreds of times more than those in the core area!

Most of them were clad in coarse cloth and hempen garments, their expressions ranging from nervous, to expectant, to bewildered, as they crowded into the peripheral area designated for them, forming a stark and astonishing contrast with the dozens of individuals in the center!

“Um… Senior…” Lin Mo asked the guard to his left, “May I ask for your esteemed name? This junior is Lin Wan’er.”

“There’s no need for such formality, Disciple Lin. You may simply call me by my name. My surname is Gong, and my given name is ‘Jing’. The one to your right is named ‘Gong Xuan’.”

“Oh, I see. Then, Senior Gong Jing, why are there… two groups of people? And so… distinctly separated?” Lin Mo asked Gong Jing to his left.

Slightly taken aback, she quickly recovered, bowing slightly as she explained in a respectful and clear voice, “To answer Disciple Lin, the dozens in the central area are all personal disciples personally selected by the various elders, and even the Sect Master, just like yourself. Their status is noble, their talent exceptional, naturally placing them in the core.”

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the vast crowd in the periphery. “As for those in the periphery, they are newly inducted disciples who passed the general selection this time, possessing decent spiritual roots but mixed bone structures, and thus unable to directly display their innate talent. The majority of them are menial disciples, with a small number possessing slightly better bone structures being ordinary disciples.”

This explanation immediately sparked a new question in Lin Mo, and he pressed further, “But why weren’t there so many people at the disciple-acceptance ceremony that day?”

The other guard, Gong Xuan, immediately jumped in to explain further, “Heh, Disciple Lin, this is something you wouldn’t know! Our Xuan Nv Sect’s way of recruiting disciples is incredibly wild, unlike those flashy and cheap sects outside!”

At her words, Lin Mo nearly spat in her face!

‘How could their speaking styles be… so different?’

Only then did Lin Mo, realizing it belatedly, notice that the frivolous-speaking guard and the one who had just explained things so methodically actually looked identical?!

Gong Jing, on the left, stood as tall and straight as a green pine; her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, shimmering with a calm, inky green luster.

Her face was as serene as water, her gaze sharp and focused, her lips pressed into a thin line, exuding an aura of seriousness, meticulousness, and gravitas.

It was this very person who had just clearly and methodically explained the sect’s rules.

Meanwhile, Gong Xuan, who stood to his right, blinking her eyes and wearing a ‘proud’ expression on her face, sported a fiery red short haircut, neatly trimmed.

Her smile was bright and unrestrained, carrying a natural playfulness and carefree spirit; her eyes sparkled with life, as if odd and whimsical ideas could spring forth at any moment, and her entire being exuded an uninhibited, even somewhat erratic and untamed vitality.

She gestured wildly with her hand, nearly spraying saliva. “The sect sends out a bunch of ‘scouts’… oh no, I mean deacon disciples, each with a super awesome ‘Profound Sky Treasure Mirror’! You just stick this thing into a crowd, and whoosh! Anyone with even a speck of spiritual root light, bright or dim, it’ll all be revealed!”

……?

Seeing Lin Mo’s face full of confusion, Gong Jing couldn’t sit still and quickly helped to explain in a low voice, “… The Profound Sky Treasure Mirror is a treasure that can be carried at will and used to test a person’s spiritual roots and bone structure. Before each disciple-acceptance ceremony, the Xuan Nv Sect dispatches disciples to various major cities to recruit new talents. I apologize, Disciple Lin… my younger sister… she’s a bit unconventional and loves to talk; she doesn’t usually find anyone to converse with during her work… so being able to speak with someone after such a long time… has made her a little over-excited. I hope Disciple Lin can forgive her.”

Lin Mo chuckled, “No, it’s quite alright, no worries.”

But Gong Xuan didn’t think her explanation was bad at all and continued, beaming, “And then? It’s simple and crude!”

The guard held up two fingers, a ‘you know what I mean’ expression on her face. “First class: those with good bone structures and bright spiritual roots get a direct ‘whoosh—’ from the Treasure Mirror, opening a teleportation gate and instantly air-dropping them right in front of the big shots in the main hall! Like you, personal disciple, a definite chosen one, immediately snatched up by the big shots to be their disciple, ascending to personal disciple status in a single step!”

Gong Jing explained, “Those with spiritual roots and bone structures are directly given a teleportation token to return to the Xuan Nv Sect, arriving directly at the disciple-acceptance ceremony you attended that day. At that ceremony, as long as one’s aptitude is outstanding, they are immediately accepted as a personal disciple.”

Gong Xuan pursed her lips, pointing to the dense crowd in the outer reaches of the plaza. “As for those… they have spiritual roots, but their bone structure looks a bit weak, or they didn’t ‘burst forth’ at the time? The Treasure Mirror recorded their names, and they follow the deacon senior sisters, huffing and puffing their way back to the sect themselves. See, that’s the crowd outside; they’re all menial or ordinary disciples now, waiting for the Hall of Clarity to open to carve out a future!”

Gong Xuan chuckled slyly, “But, you know, this Treasure Mirror isn’t omnipotent. It only cares if you ‘have’ spiritual roots, not if they’re ‘good or useful’! Is the bone structure fine? Is it a hidden divine physique? Is their character steadfast? It can’t see through all that! This job, in the end, still relies on the senior sisters holding the mirrors to ‘discern character’ themselves! It’s all about their discerning eye!”

Gong Jing continued to explain softly from the side, “The Profound Sky Treasure Mirror doesn’t differentiate between good and bad, so there’s an element of gambling involved.”

“Guess what?” Gong Xuan slapped her thigh. “This isn’t the sect being lazy! This is wisdom passed down by our ancestors! It’s specifically to make our disciples practice this ‘art of observing people’! When traversing the martial world, being blind is not an option! Whether one can sift gold from sand, or pluck a true dragon from a pile of waste, it all depends on this pair of eyes! This is a great opportunity, and also a great test!”

She leaned closer, lowering her voice, a hint of temptation in her tone. “Disciple Lin, imagine if a certain deacon got incredibly lucky, possessing a discerning eye that recognized a hidden pearl like you… or perhaps even a grand master feigning weakness? The rewards, tsk tsk… contribution points would be handed out endlessly! Pills would be like candy! They might even obtain core secret transmissions! A direct ascent to greatness!”

Suddenly, her expression changed, and she made a throat-slitting gesture. “But if they were blind and recruited a troublemaker, or a truly useless ‘waste’ with terrible bone structure… heh heh, then the fun would really begin! Having contribution points deducted would be the least of it! Being confined to the dark room for self-reflection would be considered merciful! Their future might even be ruined! So, this assignment of being an external recruiter is truly about seeking wealth in danger, and it all depends on individual destiny!”

‘Good heavens… how is recruiting a disciple like gambling with stones?’

‘So, if you’re unlucky, it’s over?’

‘How audacious was the person who recruited me then?’

‘Did they just casually send me to the Xuan Nv Sect like that?’

‘If I were discovered to be male, wouldn’t she also…’

‘Probably suffer terribly, just like me?’

“Thank you, Senior Xuan, for your explanation; I understand. Given this, does bone structure not determine a person’s future?”

Perhaps to prevent her sister Gong Xuan from launching into another lengthy explanation, Gong Jing immediately interjected, “A mixed bone structure does not necessarily mean the path to cultivation is severed. On the path of immortal cultivation, bone structure serves as the foundation, yet a tenacious Dao heart, diligent perseverance, fortunate encounters, and profound comprehension are equally vital steps on the ladder to ascension. The Hall of Clarity assessment is their opportunity to leap through the dragon’s gate. If one can distinguish themselves there, demonstrating extraordinary perseverance, comprehension, or unique talents, they still have a chance to be noticed by an elder and be exceptionally accepted into their tutelage, or to be promoted to a formal disciple through assessment! Throughout the sect’s history, powerful cultivators who started as menial disciples and ultimately achieved the Great Dao are not isolated cases.”

As she spoke, the lotus platform had already descended to the ground, and countless gazes immediately focused on him.

Suddenly, a myriad of whispers emanated from below.

“Wow… as expected of a personal disciple of the Sect Master… so grand, making everyone wait for her.”

“Shh! Do you have a death wish?!”

“Born beautiful as a flower, with excellent bone structure, it’s inevitable she’d be arrogant.”

……

For a moment, all sorts of whispers spread, all negative comments. Even the elders nearby seemed displeased, their gazes somewhat sharp.

‘I was clearly here at the first possible moment…’

Suddenly, Lin Mo understood… ‘Could this be a trap laid by Qing You?’

“Do not look around, Disciple Lin. Now that you have arrived, the Hall of Clarity may commence.”

A voice, like a heavenly chant, descended from the sky, its origin unknown.

An ice-crystal staircase ascended from the core of the Hall of Clarity plaza; with a flash of ethereal light, a figure already stood upon the high platform.

The newcomer stood tall and straight like a winter pine, clad in purple-frost Dharma robes, her face devoid of joy or sorrow, save for a pair of eyes as clear and cold as a ten-thousand-year-old deep pool. Her gaze swept over the bustling crowd below, carrying a penetrating scrutiny that pierced through flesh to the very soul.

The one presiding over the opening ceremony was Qing You.

She did not speak, yet her invisible pressure instantly rendered the plaza silent enough to hear a pin drop.

“The Hall of Clarity opens; the gates are sealed today.” Her cold voice was not loud, yet it seemed imbued with the power of law, clearly etched into the depths of every disciple’s divine soul. She offered no superfluous greetings, her words falling like icy droplets. “The three-month period entails: firstly, assessing compatibility with cultivation techniques and discerning aptitude; secondly, imparting the sect’s strict rules and laws, thereby forging the foundation of the Dao heart.”

As the last syllable fell, buzz—!

A violent tremor shook the ground!

Under the terrified gazes of countless disciples, an immense and unparalleled landmass violently tore itself from the earth’s foundation, roaring as it rose from the ground! It carried with it tons of earth and stone, like a primordial beast breaking free from its shackles, finally hovering beneath the sky, transforming into a colossal floating island that blotted out the sun!

Buzz—! Before anyone could recover, a colossal, translucent light barrier, vast enough to obscure the heavens, suddenly shot up from the outermost edge of the plaza! Dense, continuously flowing, abstruse ice-blue runes on its surface emitted a low hum, instantly engulfing and sealing the entire floating island, completely isolating it from the outside world!

Only a single, straight-as-a-blade stairway to heaven, carved from ten-thousand-year-old cold jade, exuded chilling frost, piercing through the clouds and coldly cutting through the massive light barrier that separated heaven and earth; its end lay at the breathtaking suspended island!

That cold and merciless declaration still rumbled and echoed amidst the biting wind.

Beneath the vast sky, only Qing You’s majestic voice resonated throughout this realm: “Training begins! All disciples—ascend the steps!”