笔试

The other examinees felt a thrill at seizing an unexpected opportunity. After all, this particular examiner was notoriously the strictest; normally, at least half would be eliminated in this round. Yet only a few had been cut.

Having luckily passed through the teleportation array to the next trial, Yan, basking in the admiring gazes around him, swaggered with pride as he strode forward.

During the teleportation, he felt only a pulling sensation. When it subsided, he found himself in a dim space, with occasional chilly winds blowing through.

"Kid, you must have teleported plenty before, huh? You didn't even flinch when your senior sister altered the array like that!" Following the voice, Yan saw a petite woman sitting cross-legged on a high chair formed from a pile of bones—dragon bones.

"You... you are..." Yan's hand instinctively reached for his token, only to be shocked to find it was gone.

"Little junior brother, your senior sister just modified the array to draw your spirit in. Your physical body is still mid-teleportation! As for that treasure, don't even think about using it!" The woman slowly descended from the high chair, walked up to Yan, and examined him carefully.

"Not a bad face!" She pinched Yan's cheek and casually handed him a token. "Little junior brother, you've really pissed that woman off. Making her lose face in front of so many people means you'll probably be her second target once she exits seclusion! Finish your trials quickly and go into closed-door training. This cave abode is decent, at least enough for self-preservation."

"Thank you, Senior Sister. But who's the first..."

"That little bitch's first target will absolutely be me, your senior sister! When the time comes, I'll handle her roughly, so she won't be able to harm you later. If you can't win, just concede! Don't risk getting Dao injuries!" The woman yawned and waved her hand, hinting it was time for him to go.

"Senior Sister, why did you...?"

"I can't stand that woman. Seeing her humiliated pleases me!"

"May I ask for Senior Sister's esteemed name?"

"Jian~ Yi~ Ru!"

Yan's consciousness returned to his body. He found himself in a separate courtyard.

"What we cultivate is the 'Dao'. Though ethereal, it leaves traces to follow. Whether through 'Arts', 'Body', or 'Mind Force', one explores it via their own being, each finding their own path. Investigating the origin of the world is one facet. I presume each of you has pondered this. Please articulate your thoughts with ink and paper, to reveal your own heart."

A low table and a cushion appeared before each person. Everyone sat, took up a brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote from the heart.

Staring at the blank paper, Yan was utterly stumped. He realized he had never truly considered these matters. A faint stream of qi flowed down his arm into his jade slip, as if seeking guidance.

"Little one, the 'Dao' begins in the heart. It differs for everyone. Just think and write whatever comes to mind. It's not fixed. Whatever you're pondering now, write it down." Seeing he wouldn't get any useful hints and with the submission deadline approaching, Yan picked up his brush and wrote a few large characters: "A departed friend's last wish. Bringing honor to my ancestors." He submitted it with a flourish.

Finally, it should have been over. But the examiner, observing Yan and a few others' barely concealed amusement and the aura around them, thought otherwise.

Sure enough, when Yan and the others passed through the teleportation array looking relaxed, they were dumbfounded.

A desolate scene stretched before them.

They had been collectively transported to a vast desert without any warning. Here, their cultivation and magical tools were completely useless.

Yan had never seen a desert before. Seeing the open landscape with little cover, he thought it unlikely to harbor an ambush. Without waiting for others to dissuade him, he charged out.

Just as Yan launched himself forward like an idiot, the jade slip inside his robes suddenly vibrated violently. Coupled with the shouts from behind him, he finally stopped.

"What's wrong?" Yan returned and asked, puzzled. "It's so wide open here; traps would be hard to hide. Wouldn't it be best to just sprint across in one go?"

The dark-skinned man from the Western Region beside him shook his head, giving him a look reserved for fools, and explained, "This is a great desert. We've tested it—spells can't be used. To get through, you must rely on your physical body!"

Seeing Yan still wearing a careless expression, the man's voice grew notably deeper. "Kid, this is a desert, utterly barren! No water, no food. Every ounce of stamina and moisture you expend cannot be replenished. Charging in recklessly like that, do you have a death wish?"

Only then did Yan realize his rashness. Seeing he'd gotten through, the man added, "Didn't you say there were no ambushes or dangers here? Then look again!" He picked up a stone, infused it with a wisp of qi as a disguise, and hurled it into the distance. In the blink of an eye, it was sucked beneath the sand.

"There are quicksand pits here! Sandworms! Antlions! Sun-Scorching Spiders! Desert Scorpions! They feed on other creatures or the spiritual energy within them. They're extremely sensitive to vibrations and move incredibly fast in the sand. Don't think having an Immortal Seed token makes you invincible. Every single person here has foundational strength no less than yours!"

Yan hung his head. The man didn't press further, as during the second trial, Yan had helped them conserve considerable stamina. So, they all tended to give him a hand, intentionally or not.

"So what do we do now? We can't just wait here to die either!" Yan said, somewhat disheartened. Everyone else also turned their eyes to the man.

"Move at dawn and dusk. Make sure to find a shaded cave or dig a light-blocking pit yourself before high noon!"

He turned to face the nine people present. "Anyone with special skills or inheritances who's supremely confident in themselves—I won't stop you. Go on ahead. The Sub-Institute probably won't let us die here; worst case, our overall score will just be much lower! For those wanting to stick together, state your names and abilities!"

All nine were top talents of their respective races, most of them used to sparring with elders, so they understood their own limits well. No one was foolish enough to venture alone into this completely unfamiliar desert.

He cleared his throat. "I'll start. My name is Shaheluo. As you can see, I'm from the Western Region. I have a Heaven-grade Earth spiritual root."

"Dun. Metal." A burly man who had stayed silent the entire time spoke up first from the back.

"Mo Wenxi. My spiritual root and spellcraft aren't particularly outstanding. I'm skilled in the art of Karmic Divination, different from the foreign Su clan," said a woman in a blue cloak holding a spherical orb.

"Fan Cang. The wind spiritual root branch that controls gravity," a man wrapped in a cloak said after a moment's hesitation.

"This young master's name is Chi. Fire spiritual root!" declared a man dressed in ornate pale-red silk robes, his speech carrying a distinct Henan accent that clearly marked him as a descendant of the human Zhou Imperial family.

"This young lady is Lan Jinxi. Supreme-grade Water spiritual root," introduced a woman of breathtaking beauty standing beside Zhou Chi.

"I am Qian Dan. Earth-grade Metal spiritual root, not a branch variant," a man encased in a sheath of metal said slowly.

"Qian, if that suit isn't heat-insulating, I suggest you take it off and leave it here for now," Shaheluo advised kindly. "Spells are suppressed here. That getup might become a burden."

Qian Dan didn't reply, merely lowering his head in thought.

"Yun Feng. Wood." The woman beside Qian Dan ignored him, murmuring to herself, "There's no vegetation here at all... I fear there's no water either..."

Shaheluo nodded.

Finally, all gazes fell on Yan, waiting for him to announce his name.

"My name's Yan. From the mountains. My spiritual root... I only heard from the Immortal Elder brother that it's a Wind spiritual root. Not sure about the grade." Yan scratched his head awkwardly with an embarrassed smile.

Clearly, no one believed him. But who here wasn't holding something back? No one pressed the issue.

"Alright. Qian, Dun, the three of us will handle digging a tunnel if we can't find a cave dwelling. Master Chi, Fan Cang, Yan, you three are on security. Yun Feng, you're in charge of scouting the surroundings. As for you, Lan Jinxi, you're the most crucial one. Once we figure out how to restore our cultivation, you'll be an endless water source. If we're stuck here long-term, the team will be depending on you!"

The desert survival team was formed.