Dual cultivation makes you stronger, everyone else is a prodigy, and I'm the only one slacking

The scene returned to calm, and the group found new spots and slowly began to crawl forward.

At this point, the Heavenly Ladder had reached the last twenty floors. These twenty floors were completely different from the previous ones. Even lifting one's foot required a great deal of effort to take each step.

Yu Luoning looked up and counted the figures on the white jade steps.

Fewer than fifty people?

Of the more than two thousand people, fewer than fifty actually made it to the top.

Her gaze fell on a figure who was moving forward step by step, without stopping even as his back was bent and his legs trembled.

Yu Luoning didn't say anything, but suddenly felt that this idiot wasn't so idiotic after all.

~

Inside the main hall, Elder Danyang looked at the final approved list and nodded.

This year's class is better than he expected; among the fifty people, there are several with very solid foundations.

The expansion of enrollment is a done deal, so naturally we can't just recruit a mere fifty people.

Elder Danyang put down the roster and said, "The remaining two thousand-plus people will be accepted into the outer sect, just as we discussed before. Anyone whose contribution points exceed one hundred thousand will be given another chance to enter the inner sect. What do you all think?"

Everyone nodded in agreement.

This can be considered a compromise.

This is a last resort; a sect cannot survive by relying solely on a small number of elite disciples.

In order to prepare for the upcoming great struggle, they can no longer follow the elite route, but must cast a wide net and catch as many fish as possible.

Even if only one out of a thousand mediocre disciples can produce someone of decent ability, it can still increase the overall combat strength of the sect.

Unfortunately, the intentions of the elders were not understood by others.

After finishing the business, the conversation naturally turned to the people on the list.

An elder stroked his beard. "This young man named Shi Shangxu has excellent potential and a stable temperament. If his fate is not a major concern, Jianfeng is willing to take him in."

"Really? I think Jiang Yuxing from the Northern Sword Alliance is quite good; his strength is beyond doubt," another elder chimed in.

Elder Dan Dingfeng shook his head. "That's not necessarily true. He's too aggressive and arrogant. He might not be able to pass his own test in the Inquiry Bureau."

The elder of the Artifact Peak flipped through the roster and said, "Shi Qiao from the Wilderness is also a good prospect. He can withstand the pressure without relying on spiritual power, just with his physical body. He will surely achieve great success in body refinement in the future."

The other elders all looked at Shi Qiao's information and remained silent for a moment.

"I don't want someone who doesn't look very bright."

"I, Dan Ding Peak, don't want it either."

"If none of you want it, neither do I. Artifacts require qi cultivation and the study of formations; those with poor minds can't learn them."

"We need to refine medicine, but refining medicine requires skilled individuals; otherwise, who would dare to consume the medicine we produce?"

"If none of you want it, then I'll consider it too..."

Sect Leader Cheng Min sat at the head of the table, listening to this speech with a blank expression.

He slammed his hand on the table. "Enough! You're all old men and women, hundreds or even thousands of years old! How can you judge people by their appearance like this?"

The hall fell silent for a moment.

Elder Danyang coughed lightly, "Sect Master, you don't judge a book by its cover. You're right. He'll be your top disciple from the moment he enters the sect."

Cheng Min: "..."

Cheng Min changed the subject, saying, "Let's take a look at the Questioning Bureau first."

The elders of Beast Taming Peak turned a page of the list and their gazes fell on Shi Shangxu.

"At that time, Shang Xu had a relative who caught my attention."

"Relatives?"

"It's no simple feat to make a Mountain-Shaking Beast at the Purple Mansion Realm submit."

The elders exchanged glances but remained silent.

Cheng Min remained calm and composed.

Where is this relative? It's clearly that treasure-hunting rat.

Elder Danyang closed the list and said, "Let's end the meeting here. The Questioning of the Heart Bureau will begin tomorrow. Everyone, please be prepared."

On the other side, Shi Shangxu successfully reached the mountaintop, with a moment still to go before sunrise.

Yu Luoning walked over quickly, took his arm, and helped him to a step where he sat down against the white jade railing.

She sat quietly to the side, then took out some pills and water from her Qiankun bag and stuffed them into Shi Shangxu's hand.

Shi Shangxu took it, his smile weak. "I'm fine, just a bit depleted of spiritual energy, I need to rest for a while."

I know you're okay.

Yu Luoning also leaned against the railing, looked up at the sky, and said, "But I was still worried that you wouldn't be able to climb up."

Shi Shangxu turned his head to look at her.

Yu Luoning smiled. "Actually, I discovered a loophole."

"You'll only be affected by the pressure when you step on the steps. When I wiped your sweat, my hand reached out and wasn't affected at all. So as long as you don't step directly on them, you can move freely."

She paused, her tone hesitant, "I was thinking that if you couldn't hold on any longer, I would make you two stilts so you could climb up in a few steps and not end up in such a sorry state."

But after thinking about it, I decided against it.

Shi Shangxu lowered his head and chuckled softly, "I know."

Yu Luoning was slightly taken aback. "What do you know?"

"A loophole." He looked up at her, a gentle smile in his eyes. "I noticed it when I was going up the steps."

Yu Luoning paused for a moment, then said, "...Then why are you still climbing?"

"Um."

Why?

"Some roads, you have to walk them yourself."

Shi Shangxu smiled nonchalantly, stretched out his hand, clenched his fist, and looked at Yu Luoning with a bright smile, saying, "I know, I can do it."

Yu Luoning stared at him for a while, then looked away and snorted, "Idiot, if I had a shortcut, I would take the shortcut. I wouldn't have made myself look so pathetic."

"I won't stay."

"You're such a dork." Yu Luoning rested her chin on her hand and chuckled lightly, "Dumb, dumb, dorky, you idiot."

Shi Shangxu looked up at her, his lips twitched slightly, and he said helplessly, "Fine, whatever you say."

The two sat there leaning against the white jade railing.

Then, the sun came out.

Like them, there are many monks who sit on the mountaintop watching the sunrise.

No one spoke.

As dawn breaks and the first light of day unveils the veil of night, the east begins to lighten.

Sunlight streamed out from the horizon, gradually unfolding itself.

The bright red sunrise burst forth, its countless golden threads gilding the mountains with a golden edge.

Yu Luoning slightly raised her slender neck and looked up at the light.

The light fell on her face, turning her eyes a light amber color, and a few strands of her hair were blown away by the morning breeze, gently brushing against her fair cheeks.

She squinted her eyes slightly, her lips curving into a beautiful smile.

Shi Shangxu stopped watching the sunrise at some point.

He just stared at her like that.

He never thought that one could look at a person's profile for a very long time.

"What are you spacing out for?"

Yu Luoning turned her face, her clear eyes meeting the boy's gaze.

Shi Shangxu quickly lowered his eyes, his face slightly flushed, "N-nothing...it's nothing."

Yu Luoning glanced at him, but didn't ask any further questions. She turned her face back to look at the sunrise.

Shi Shangxu lowered his head, looked at his hands, and slowly touched his rapidly beating heart.

From his unseen perspective, Yu Luoning curled her lips into a smile.

Even beautiful women need to pay attention to the angle when watching the sunrise. For example, right now, her face is at a 45-degree angle, with her neck slightly raised.

Under the Tyndall effect of dawn, her profile was bathed in a golden glow, making her breathtakingly beautiful.

The atmosphere was perfectly captured.

Out of the corner of her eye, Yu Luoning knew that that gaze would occasionally sweep over her.

She didn't move, sitting upright with one hand lightly supporting herself on the steps behind her, her body relaxed and casual, without appearing deliberate.

In fact, to achieve this pose, all the strength of my body was concentrated in my palms, and I almost died of exhaustion.

At this moment, she freed one hand and tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear, revealing her pink earlobe.

Then, tilting her head slightly as if bathed in the warm sunlight, she exclaimed to Shi Shangxu, "Cousin, look at the sunrise, it's so beautiful!"

"It's so nice to have you with me to watch the sunrise. I just don't know if I'll ever have that chance again..."

Shi Shangxu's voice was deep, with a hint of barely perceptible hoarseness. He said, "If you like, I'll keep you company often."

Yu Luoning turned to look at him and smiled brightly: "Okay, then it's settled."

Not far away, Jiang Yuxing watched this scene and couldn't help but sneer.