Who taught him to practice swordsmanship like this?

Feng Linzi led the three children for only an hour before it got dark.

With no village or shop in sight, they had no choice but to sleep outdoors.

The group spent a difficult night in the wilderness in a hurry, and set off again early the next morning.

However, around noon, after they rounded a mountain pass, the view suddenly opened up.

A mountain stream divides the lush forest into two sides.

Upstream from the mountain stream, a majestic Taoist palace spans both sides!

The mountain stream clearly flowed out from the stone path below the Taoist palace.

"Have we arrived?"

Su Baichen was a little dumbfounded. Had they arrived so quickly?

He glanced quickly at the maple forest, feeling that the reason they set off yesterday afternoon was simply to make them suffer by spending the night outside.

Feng Linzi grabbed Su Baichen's head and said, "Don't think nonsense. You've only passed my selection. After entering the sect, you still need to pass the selection of the elders to become formal disciples."

Su Baichen asked, "What if I don't pass the selection?"

The other two also showed concern.

Feng Linzi said seriously, "If you don't pass, then I'll have to take you back myself."

"But that's a very embarrassing thing, isn't it?"

Su Baichen fell silent for a moment; he was also a little nervous.

Feng Linzi looked at them and said, "Now, your task is to find the path to Changchun Palace in this forest. Changchun Palace is right there, so... do your best."

Su Baichen glanced at Changchun Palace, which didn't seem that far away, and knew in his heart that things were definitely not that simple.

When Feng Linzi announced that they were free to move around, Wang Xingyuan immediately rushed out.

He seemed very impatient and eager to show off, so he tried to climb up the mountain stream directly.

However, his expression changed drastically after only two steps.

Because this seemingly shortest path was indeed not simple, he felt immense pressure pressing down on him, and every step forward required a great deal of effort.

Su Baichen noticed that he started sweating and panting after walking for a while, and knew that this road was not easy.

He thought for a moment, looked at the forest beside him, and asked Lin Zhaodi, "Sister Lin, would you like to walk together?"

Lin Zhaodi nodded immediately. Lacking her own opinions, she followed Su Baichen into the forest...

There was also a path in the forest, a narrow trail that wound its way up the mountain.

"baby!"

Suddenly, Su Baichen heard his mother's voice calling out in this life.

Those were memories from before he was six years old. Even after so long, hearing them again still sent a shiver down his spine and stirred something within him.

He looked around in astonishment and suddenly saw another fork in the road. The road led into the forest, and on the fork, his mother, whom he remembered, appeared before him in a younger form, waving to him.

Looking deeper into the side road, you can vaguely see the outlines of village houses... It looks like Sujia Village.

Su Baichen was slightly taken aback, feeling as if what he saw before him was an illusion, offering him no sense of reality whatsoever.

He shook his head, knowing that this was bound to be another test.

So after a brief pause, they continued on their way.

After that, every so often he would encounter a phantom that tried to lead him to a side road.

Lin Zhaodi, who was originally walking with him, had long since disappeared; he could no longer see her in the blink of an eye.

He could only keep moving forward, without developing any sense of helping others as a result.

……

From a high platform facing the mountain stream, Changchun Palace offers a panoramic view of most of the forest and plains.

Feng Linzi stood there silently watching the three children he had brought.

"Senior Brother Fenglinzi, you're the latest one here this time. Why did you bring three children?"

Suddenly, someone behind him spoke up and asked him a question.

"Our entrance test at Changchun Palace isn't that difficult, is it? As long as you don't give up, that's fine."

"Anyway, you have to go through outer sect training first, and only those who pass the outer sect's assessment can become formal disciples."

Without turning his head, Feng Linzi said, "Better to have none than to have bad ones. If one's Dao heart is not firm, even if one enters the outer sect, it will be a waste of time... Rather than wasting time and misleading others and ourselves by leading a group of people to the outer sect, it is better to carefully select those who are truly capable of becoming talents."

The man asked curiously, "Oh? Could you tell me, senior brother, what qualities do you consider outstanding in these three children?"

Feng Linzi first pointed to Wang Xingyuan, who was struggling to climb the mountain stream, and said: "This boy has enjoyed wealth and honor in the mortal world. On the surface, he chose to come here because he was dissatisfied with his status, but in reality, he is unwilling to be bound by the rules and wants to break the constraints and break the rules with his own strength."

"If this kind of spirit were put into cultivation, it would surely lead to vigorous and diligent progress."

The man asked, "Aren't you afraid he'll become extreme?"

Feng Linzi scoffed: "What do you mean by 'extreme'? If we treat him fairly, make him feel it's fair, and let him clearly understand where he falls short... he'll only struggle with himself. After all, he was originally groomed to be the heir of the Wang family, and now he's just quietly withdrawn without competing with his direct brothers for anything."

"How bad can someone like that be?"

The man sighed in admiration, "Senior brother's analysis makes sense. Such a personality is indeed suitable for cultivation to some extent. What about the other two? Could that little girl who was immediately captivated by the illusion also have something special about her?"

Feng Linzi nodded: "Lin Zhaodi may seem a bit dull, but she is actually a girl with a strong sense of self-sacrifice and dedication. Her family was poor because there wasn't enough food to feed all the children at the time."

"Back at Xuanmiao Temple, her parents were already preparing to take her home after my persuasive words, but she insisted on staying... Her choice to stay may not have been driven by much expectation for Changchun Palace, but rather by the hope that her family could live a better life."

As soon as she finished speaking, Lin Zhaodi rushed out of that warm and cozy dream world, tears streaming down her face.

She didn't realize it was an illusion, but just as Feng Linzi said, she broke free from the illusion's shackles with her spirit of self-sacrifice and dedication.

Before the man could ask any more questions, Feng Linzi pointed to Su Baichen, who was walking steadily forward on the forest path, and said with emotion, "As for Su Baichen... he should have been here."

That person also agreed: "Such a young age, yet the steadfastness of his Daoist heart is beyond comprehension."

"Senior brother, aren't you going down to meet our junior brother? He'll be here soon."

Feng Linzi replied, "That's exactly right."

As they spoke, the two Taoist priests descended into the air and slowly walked up the steps on one side of Changchun Palace.

As they landed, they saw Su Baichen walking out of the forest path with unwavering determination, step by step.

"Taoist Master..."

"Don't call me Taoist Master, I am 'Chang Gu', you can call me Senior Brother Chang Gu."

Hasegawa looked much younger than Maple Forest, and had a carefree air about him.

Feng Linzi smiled gently: "You can call me senior brother now, junior brother."

Su Baichen was taken aback, then frowned and said in a rather uncertain tone, "This doesn't seem like an illusion?"