Chapter 2: The Dao Is Not Solitary

Plop, someone failed to grab a spot and fell into the water, angry they splashed and cursed, yet could not escape being flicked away by the formation.

Wan Xiyue feared Jiang Yu would also rush to compete, so she immediately sent a mental message: "Jiang Yu, stay steady, don't act rashly, wait for the right moment."

"Understood." Jiang Yu immediately turned and left.

She said to the cultivator behind her who had lent her strength: "Fellow Daoist, the nine single-file lotus leaves ahead probably won't cause hallucinations.

When a spot opens, I'll send my sword to help you jump forward one leaf, then my senior sister will lend us both her strength so we can jump two leaves in a row.

Then she'll help you jump one leaf, after which you and I will take turns jumping two leaves each until all three of us reach the shore.

Let's team up to seize the time—what do you think?

By the lake stands a sign forbidding flying magical devices, and a Qi Refining cultivator relying solely on lightness technique can jump only about ten or so zhang—roughly the distance between two lotus leaves placed side by side.

To jump two leaves at once, one must have assistance.

"That's a good plan, Fellow Daoist—would you like to join us?" Wan Xiyue glanced left and right; more and more cultivators were gathering here, preparing to jump.

Yet on the single-file lotus leaves, several cultivators were scrambling for them, and another two or three fell into the water.

Her and Jiang Yu's cultivation levels aren't as high as theirs, so finding people to form a team for support is best.

"Can you two guarantee you won't cause trouble?" Lin Yuan hesitated a bit, after all, a single‑path route easily breeds disputes.

Jiang Yu immediately said: "I, Jiang Yu, swear on my Dao heart that this time I will fully assist my teammates to reach shore; otherwise I will forever lose the chance to be selected by a sect."

By the water mirror, the cultivators still watching the lake surface clicked their tongues in disapproval.

What a vicious oath.

And Wan Xiyue quickly followed: "I, Wan Xiyue, also swear……"

Lin Yuan hesitated no more, swore and acted on it; when the person ahead of Jiang Yu on the lotus leaf leapt away, he jumped onto her sword, giving Wan Xiyue a boost.

Jiang Yu shoved hard, and Lin Yuan landed first, another black‑clothed cultivator settling down.

Seeing that black‑clothed cultivator about to fall into the water, Lin Yuan turned his spiritual power into vines, propping up the person's feet to help him jump onto the lotus leaf further ahead.

Yet that person didn't utter a single word of thanks, whooshing as he hopped over several leaves to shore.

"Hahaha, Fellow Daoist, help me too!" the cultivators nearby who saw this laughed loudly.

Lin Yuan silently mocked himself; even though Jiang Yu was younger, she judged people accurately and promptly reminded: "Quick, catch my senior sister."

The two of them jointly sent Wan Xiyue forward, which also drew opposition from distant cultivators: "You're cheating."

The three of them had no time to pay attention to them; taking advantage of the moment when no one was near the single‑file lotus leaves, they quickly relay‑jumped forward and reached shore in just a few breaths.

Some cultivators behind saw this and also got the idea to form teams.

By the water mirror, someone praised: "This little girl has truly grasped the essence of training the mind on the great lake.

"The Dao is not solitary; many walking together reach far."

"What, you want to take her as a disciple? She seems not to have obtained the token from the first trial."

"If her spirit roots are all above eighty, making an exception to accept her as talent for my Profound Heaven Sect would not be out of the question."

"Tch, there aren't that many who reach above eighty; if there were, we'd all have to fight you for them."

The trial consists of three stages: first, defeat demon beasts and gather spirit herbs; second, cross the great lake to train the mind; third, test the spirit roots—simplest yet most deadly.

Spirit roots are heaven‑given; when sects select disciples, the quantity is secondary, mainly they look at root strength—the higher the value, the greater the affinity for spiritual power, the faster the absorption in cultivation, and the quicker the advancement.

A full score of one hundred makes a heavenly spirit body, extremely rare.

Below fifty is low grade, fifty‑one to eighty is medium grade.

Above eighty is high grade, which major sects scramble to obtain.

At the lakeside, Jiang Yu received the passage token from the lake‑guarding cultivator, and with her teammates she followed the prompts up the steps, exchanging messaging talismans.

Not long after, the three arrived at the spirit‑testing pillar on the mid‑mountain plateau and saw at a glance several cultivators who had passed the trial, scattered in the distance meditating.

Under the modest urging of Wan Xiyue and Lin Yuan, Jiang Yu stepped onto the pillar's platform.

Only a few hums were heard; the spirit‑testing pillar's light curtain descended four times, carving out an independent space that effectively blocked outsiders from peeking at her qualifications.

The entire spirit‑testing pillar's display showed results visible only to the four Foundation Establishment cultivators testing nearby and the myriad Golden Core cultivators before the trial's water mirror.

Only on the spirit‑testing pillar could be seen the black, red, and white spiritual lights representing water, fire, and metal continually rising.

Jiang Yu clearly saw that the water‑fire spirit root stopped at the eighty mark, while the metal spirit root was at fifty—unlike the spirit‑testing disk, which only displays spirit‑root attributes.

"What a pity, the average is seventy, counting only as a medium‑grade spirit root." The Golden Core cultivator who had long been interested in Jiang Yu by the water mirror sighed lightly and turned to watch elsewhere in the trial.

On this side, Jiang Yu received her aptitude jade slip, and a Foundation Establishment cultivator led her to the table, saying, "Young friend, your qualifications are not bad; please present the traffic‑pass token and spirit herb."

The Foundation Establishment cultivator saw she had handed over only one token and one stalk of spirit herb, checked it, then pressed the corner of the table.

Then several dozen medium‑sect jade tablets appeared, and he said, "Young friend, please choose a sect within ten breaths."

Jiang Yu looked and indeed there were no jade tablets of the Four Great Sects.

She had already reckoned in her heart; instantly she picked up the Grand Void Sect's tablet, and the others vanished in a flash.

Having made her choice without regret, she left through the light curtain of the opened gate and walked toward those cultivators in the distance.

Only upon approaching did she realize these people were scattered because the ground was marked with sect names.

Jiang Yu found the Grand Void Sect's circle; inside sat only one cultivator meditating at the edge—coincidentally the very person Lin Yuan had aided in leaping.

She decisively sat in the farthest corner, quietly awaiting good news from her friends, and did not notice this person's divine sense sweeping over her storage bag.

Not long after, Wan Xiyue walked over with eyes full of joy, but as soon as she made out the words on the ground she froze: "Jiang Yu, you……"

"Senior Sister Wan, I cannot enter Profound Heaven Sect together with you.

"After we both reach Foundation Establishment, let's arrange another time to train together." Jiang Yu knew that cultivators with dual fire‑wood spirit roots are always popular.

"I never expected Wan Xiyue to pull her aside and send a divine‑sense message: "Just now I took the Supreme Ultimate Sect's jade tablet.

Yuan Hu Zhenjun sent a mental message, saying he wants to take me as his disciple.

"Nascent Soul Pill Master—excellent! Come, come, leave a few more messaging talismans so it's easy for me to mooch pills." Jiang Yu was delighted for her friend; the highest cultivation level she had heard of so far only reached the Nascent Soul stage.

Wan Xiyue sighed: "The spirit veins in the southwest are scarce……"

"Older sister, the Grand Void Sect is excellent, located in the southwest with beautiful scenery, and it's also far from the Demonic Gate, with few high-level demonic beasts。"

Moreover, they do not discriminate based on disciples' spiritual roots; teaching is open to all.

"The most important thing is, they have no menial disciples; upon joining, one receives the stipend of an outer disciple, and placing in the top hundred before the three-year major exam allows entry into the inner sect." Jiang Yu had her reasons for choosing it.

Among the several mid-tier key sects, Falling Moon Sect values more the disciples they receive from their territory; the Hundred Forging Gate master focuses on weapon forging, Return to Origin Sect emphasizes sword techniques, and other sects have too few Nascent Soul and Golden Core cultivators.

"Only the Grand Void Sect embraces all and proactively recommends outstanding disciples to visit the Four Great Dao Gates for exchange and study."

"These are for you." Wan Xiyue cast a mist barrier that blocks spiritual perception, intending to leave all the medicinal pills in her storage bag for her.

Jiang Yu took only one bottle of Rejuvenation Pill and Flesh-Growing Ointment: "Older sister, I haven't really used the medicinal pills you gave me before the trial."

Saying this, she also divided the Golden Bell Talisman and Water Escape Talisman she had drawn and gave them to Wan Xiyue.

The two had spent four years together; upon parting, they had endless things to say, but the number of cultivators passing the trial kept increasing.

The trial also ended quickly; sect steward disciples came to take the new disciples aboard their respective houseboats to set sail.

When registering names on boarding, Jiang Yu drew a single room on the second floor from the steward, but was soon surrounded by someone saying: "Fellow cultivator, want to swap room numbers? Ten low-grade spirit stones."

Immediately someone bid: "Three mid-grade Qi Gathering Pills."