Chapter 15: Verdant Sky Sect
Despite the group’s fears, the remainder of their journey passed by without trouble. The path to the Verdant Sky Sect wound through rolling hills and dense forests, the air crisp and tinged with the scent of pine. The ever-growing silhouette of the sect’s mountain home loomed ahead, its peak shrouded in mist.
Within a fortnight, they reached the foot of Verdant Peak. Wei Lin and Chen Rui were unusually quiet as they resumed the last leg of their journey, each lost in their own thoughts. As they climbed, the air grew cooler, the forest giving way to rocky trails and sparse vegetation. By midday, the first sign of the sect’s presence appeared: a towering stone archway carved with intricate runes, marking the boundary of its territory.
Wei Lin paused, staring up at the archway with a mix of awe and apprehension. "This is it?"
Chen Rui nodded, his expression unreadable. "We’re here."
Mei Yan glanced at Wei Lin. "Beyond this point, the trials will begin. Are you ready?"
Wei Lin swallowed hard, his grip tightening on the straps of his pack. "I am.”
They passed under the archway, and the world seemed to shift. The air felt heavier, charged with spiritual energy. The path wound upward toward a sprawling complex nestled against the mountainside. Towering pagodas reached toward the sky, their roofs gilded with tiles that glinted like fire in the sunlight. Stone courtyards stretched in every direction, each lined with meticulously maintained gardens and flowing streams. Waterfalls cascaded down the cliffs, their sound mingling with the hum of spiritual energy that seemed to emanate from every corner.
Wei Lin’s breath caught in his throat. Chen Rui had mentioned the Verdant Sky Sect’s size and reputation before, but nothing could have prepared him for this. The scene before him was a world apart from the humble fields of Tianmu Village. Every stone, every blade of grass seemed alive with purpose.
Disciples in flowing green and white robes moved through the grounds with practiced precision, their every step measured and deliberate. Groups of them gathered in the courtyards, their voices murmuring as they discussed techniques or meditated in silence. The sheer power radiating from some of them made Wei Lin’s knees feel weak.
Chen Rui placed a reassuring hand on Wei Lin’s shoulder. "Don’t let it overwhelm you. They may look impressive, but everyone started somewhere."
Wei Lin nodded, though his heart still raced. As they approached the outer courtyard, the hum of activity grew louder. Hundreds of candidates had already gathered, their faces a mixture of excitement and trepidation. Registration tables lined one side of the courtyard, where sect disciples recorded names and directed candidates to the testing area.
Mei Yan spoke briefly with Shen Mu before taking her leave of the Jade Leaf escort and joining Wei Lin and Chen Rui.
A figure approached them, his robes bearing the insignia of the Verdant Sky Sect. His gaze swept over them with measured scrutiny. "You’ve come to register for the trials?"
Chen Rui stepped forward. "We have."
The disciple nodded, his expression impassive. "Registration is in the outer courtyard. Those who pass the first test will be offered a place among the sect’s outer disciples. The Inner Courtyard’s recruitment trials will begin in seven days.”
As the disciple turned and walked away, Wei Lin felt a surge of nerves. But he also felt something else—an unshakable resolve, born from the hardships he had already endured.
The Verdant Sky Sect awaited.
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The outer courtyard of the Verdant Sky Sect was a hive of activity. Disciples in the sect’s flowing robes moved among the crowd, their expressions calm but commanding as they directed candidates toward the registration tables.
Wei Lin clutched the strap of his pack tightly, his eyes wide as he took in the grandeur of the sect. Beside him, Chen Rui scanned the crowd with a practiced gaze, his hand resting casually on the hilt of his sword. Mei Yan walked slightly ahead, her posture graceful and composed, though her expression was unreadable.
"This is more crowded than I expected," Wei Lin murmured.
"It’s always like this," Chen Rui replied. “Few will make it past registration. Most are just tourists, here to catch a glimpse of the sect and try their luck. They haven’t even awakened their qi yet.”
Mei Yan glanced back at them. “Focus. Registration is only the first step—the true test is the upcoming recruitment trials.”
They joined the line that snaked toward a series of wooden tables where sect disciples recorded names. At the end of the line, a spiritual artifact—a crystalline orb resting on a carved pedestal—glimmered softly. Each candidate was instructed to place their hand on the orb, which would emit a glow; the strength of the glow indicated the strength of their qi aura, while the color indicated their elemental affinity.
Wei Lin couldn’t help but feel a pang of anxiety as he watched the process. Even successful candidates usually triggered only faint glows, though a few elicited brighter reactions, drawing murmurs from the crowd. A tall boy with a haughty air stepped forward, placing his hand on the orb. It flared, emitting a bright golden light.
"Liu Yan, fifteen years old,” the boy announced, his voice loud and confident. “Late Qi Gathering stage.”
Excited whispers broke out from the crowd as Liu Yan stepped away. His gaze swept over the line, pausing briefly on Wei Lin. A patronizing smile touched his lips.
“Seems even the local villagers want to join the sect these days," Liu Yan murmured, just loud enough for those nearby to hear. A ripple of laughter followed, and Wei Lin felt his face heat up.
Chen Rui’s expression darkened, but Mei Yan placed a hand on his arm. "Let it go," she said softly.
As the line moved forward, Wei Lin caught glimpses of other candidates. A pretty girl with a calm, resolute expression introduced herself as Xiao Ru. Her aura was steady, and the orb glowed with a soft but vibrant blue light when she touched it. Further ahead, a young man in worn robes—Yuan Heng—triggered only a faint dark-brown glow, though he seemed unfazed by the whispers that followed.
“Mei Yan, seventeen years old.” As expected, she triggered a vibrant glow of red and green that drew surprised murmurs from the crowd.
Even the disciple at the table nodded in approval. “Strong fire and wood affinities. You have potential for alchemy. Elder Zhao will summon you later for an interview.”
Wei Lin gazed intently at the glowing orb. At first, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but he was almost certain that the red and green colors triggered by Mei Yan were slightly different from the red and green triggered by other candidates.
“Good, you noticed it.”
The Talisman’s voice stirred. “She’s skilled at concealing her aura, enough to get her past this initial test without attracting too much notice. But she also possesses a strong metal affinity that she’s actively suppressing. Triple affinities… she’s a generational talent.”
Wei Lin has been subject to the Talisman’s condescension often enough to know that it doesn’t offer unsolicited praise easily. He looked at Mei Yan with newfound respect.
“Chen Rui, eighteen years old.” The orb glowed a brilliant blue the moment he touched it, though it was of a substantially lighter hue than the dark blues triggered by other water-aligned candidates. After a moment, the color within the orb shifted again; this time, swirls of gold were present within the sky blue.
There were murmurs of confusion before an older looking disciple stepped forward. The disciple at the table stood up quickly and bowed. “Martial Uncle Lu Feng.”
Lu Feng stroked his beard thoughtfully for a moment before addressing Chen Rui. “Young man, do you by any chance practice ice-based weapon techniques?”
Chen Rui cupped his hands and bowed slightly. “That is indeed the case, senior.”
Lu Feng chuckled softy. “That should explain it… you possess a water affinity that you independently developed into an ice specialization. Furthermore, you have a secondary metal affinity. This is impressive, and quite rare.” He turned to the disciple. “Register him for the recruitment trials. I’ll be following his progress closely.”
“Impressive? More likely sheer stupidity,” the Talisman scoffed. “It’s like your young friend is playing cards with a good hand, but it’s laid out on the table for all to see. If I were you, I’d talk some sense into him as soon as possible before he gets dragged into the quagmire that is sect politics—though I suspect it might already be too late.”
The momentary excitement concluded, the disciple turned his attention to Wei Lin. “Next!”
Wei Lin reached out, his fingers trembling slightly.
As if sensing his trepidation, the Talisman’s advice was swift and stern. “Do not forget what I taught you. Diffuse your aura. Spread it to the surrounding plants and grass, like a morning mist.”
Wei Lin took a breath and closed his eyes before placing his hand on the orb. He felt a slight tingle as his core warmed slightly, and the qi in his meridians begin to circulate. Remembering the Talisman’s instructions, he calmed the flows in his veins and diffused the energy outwards, to rest gently on the grass and on the herbs in his pack.”
After a long moment, he heard the disciple’s voice. “You’re done, you’ve passed. Next!”
Wei Lin opened his eyes and blinked. That’s it?
Unlike Wei Lin, who couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed with his uneventful test, the Talisman seemed quite pleased, pulsing warmly against his skin. “Yes, that’s it. And that’s exactly what you want. Well done, boy.”
As Wei Lin rejoined the others, Chen Rui clapped a hand on his shoulder. “Not bad, kid. You passed!”
Wei Lin managed a small smile, and they settled down to wait for the testing to conclude. As Chen Rui had predicted earlier, most candidates failed to trigger any glows—out of hundreds, only about three dozen passed the registration process.
Before long, the last candidates had registered and the crowd began to disperse. Those who had passed were directed to a large hall at the edge of the outer courtyard.
As Wei Lin followed the others, he glanced back one last time at the sect’s towering archway entrance in the distance. It reminded him that he had stepped into a new chapter in his journey.
And the real challenges were just beginning.
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Below is a translation of the chapter into Chinese (via ChatGPT).
以下是通过ChatGPT将本章翻译成中文。
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封天遗志
第十五章：翠天宗
尽管众人心怀忧虑，余下的旅程却平静无波。通往翠天宗的道路蜿蜒穿行于起伏的丘岭与幽深的林海之中，空气清冽，弥漫着淡淡的松香。前方，巍峨的翠天峰轮廓愈发清晰，峰顶却隐匿于云雾之中，宛若仙境。
历经半月，众人终于抵达山脚。魏林与辰锐皆少言寡语，各自沉浸于思绪之中。沿途山势渐陡，林木稀疏，裸露的岩石嶙峋嶙峋，透着苍茫的岁月痕迹。直至正午，一座巍然矗立的石拱映入眼帘，古老的符文刻满其上，流转着微不可察的灵韵，昭示着宗门疆界的存在。
魏林停下脚步，仰望着这座承载着未知的门槛，心中惊叹与忐忑交织：“这就是翠天宗？”
辰锐微微颔首，神色深沉：“我们到了。”
梅妍瞥了他一眼，声音平静：“踏入此门，试炼即将开始，你准备好了吗？”
魏林紧了紧肩上的包袱，深吸一口气，郑重点头：“准备好了。”
众人步入拱门，顷刻间，天地仿佛随之改变。空气骤然变得凝重，弥漫着浓郁的灵力波动，令人不由自主屏息静气。山道蜿蜒而上，通往依山而建的庞大宗门建筑群。
高耸入云的楼阁错落排布，金瓦飞檐在日光下熠熠生辉。石砌广场向四方延展，园林精致雅致，流水潺潺，与巍峨山势交相辉映。瀑布自峭壁倾泻而下，水雾氤氲，与天地灵韵相融，宗门大气恢弘，宛若仙境。
魏林怔怔望着这一切，心跳不由加快。辰锐曾向他描述过翠天宗的盛名，然亲眼所见，方知此地何等非凡。与这等仙家圣地相比，天幕村的田园阡陌竟似远古尘埃，每一块石板、每一缕清风，皆透着难以言喻的灵动与沉淀。
身着青白道袍的弟子在宗门间穿行，步履沉稳，气息内敛。一些人聚集于广场之上，或低声交流，或闭目冥思。即便是修为较弱的弟子，也远胜魏林所见之人，其流露出的磅礴灵力令他生出渺小之感。
辰锐伸手搭上魏林的肩膀，语气淡然：“别被吓住了，他们也不过是凡人，只是比你早了一步而已。”
魏林点头，却仍难掩心中震撼。
随着几人步入外门广场，人群愈发密集，试炼报名处设于广场一侧，已有上百名考核者汇聚于此，他们神色各异，或兴奋，或紧张。宗门弟子身负记录玉简，在众人之间穿梭，将报名者引向各自的试炼区域。
梅妍与沈牧交谈数句，随即告别玉叶宗护送队伍，回到魏林与辰锐身旁。
这时，一名身着翠天宗服饰的弟子朝他们走来，目光淡漠，扫视众人一眼：“你们是来报名试炼的？”
辰锐上前一步，沉声道：“正是。”
弟子微微颔首，不疾不徐地道：“登记处在外门广场，首轮试炼通过者，可获外门弟子资格。至于内门考核，七日后正式开启。”
言罢，他不再多言，转身离去，显然对这群新晋考生并无兴趣。
魏林望着他的背影，心中不安的情绪翻涌而起。可与此同时，另一种情绪亦在体内酝酿——不同于惶恐，亦非仅仅畏惧，而是一种历经生死之后，愈发坚定的觉悟。
翠天宗的大门已然敞开。
试炼，即将开始。
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第十五章：入门考核
翠天宗外门广场，人潮如织。身披宗门青白道袍的弟子穿梭其中，神色沉稳，步履从容，他们井然有序地引导着候选者前往登记处。
魏林紧握肩带，目光在这恢弘的宗门景象间游移，眼底满是震撼与敬畏。而辰锐则神情冷静，目光扫过四周的人群，手却习惯性地搭在剑柄之上，隐隐透出戒备之意。梅妍走在前方，身姿优雅，神色平静，然眸中情绪晦暗不明。
“比我想象的要热闹。”魏林低声道。
“每年如此。”辰锐淡然道，“真正能通过登记考核的寥寥无几。大多数不过是抱着侥幸心理的游人罢了，其中许多人甚至未曾觉醒气感。”
梅妍微微侧眸，提醒道：“专心些，登记只是第一步，真正的考验在后面。”
三人依次排入人流之中，队伍蜿蜒向前，尽头处立着几张木案，数名弟子正执笔登记姓名。最引人瞩目的，是案桌前那枚晶莹剔透的灵测珠，静静地悬浮在雕刻着古老符文的石座之上，散发出淡淡的灵光。
每一名候选者都需将手掌按在灵测珠上，测定气息强弱与灵根属性。灵测珠亮度越强，代表气机越深厚，而颜色则代表所具备的灵根属性。
魏林望着前方的测试，心中不免生出几分紧张。大多数通过者的光芒皆极为微弱，唯有少数人能引发较为明亮的灵辉。此时，一名身形高挑、神色傲然的少年走上前，单手按在灵测珠上。刹那间，璀璨的金光骤然绽放，宛若烈阳腾跃，引得四周哗然。
“柳炎，十五岁，凝气后期。”少年语调平稳，言语间透着毫不掩饰的自信。
众人窃窃私语，惊叹不已。柳炎目光扫过人群，片刻后停在魏林身上，唇角微微扬起，露出一抹轻蔑的笑意。
“连村里的泥腿子也想拜入翠天宗？”柳炎语气轻淡，言辞却恰好能让周围人听清。人群中传来几声哄笑，魏林顿觉脸颊微微发烫。
辰锐目光一沉，正欲发作，却被梅妍轻轻按住手臂，她低声道：“不必理会。”
队伍缓缓推进，魏林看着其他测试者。一名神色沉静的少女走上前，轻声报上姓名：“萧如，十六岁。”她的灵测珠光芒虽不耀眼，却稳定而纯粹，透出柔和的蓝色光辉。稍后，一名衣着朴素的少年袁衡上前，灵测珠仅泛起淡淡的土黄色微光，然而，他对此却毫不在意，神情自若。
“梅妍，十七岁。”
梅妍的测试引来不少注目。她的灵测珠光芒明亮，红绿交映，火木双灵根显现，引得登记弟子暗自点头：“火木双灵根，适合修习炼丹之道。赵长老稍后可能会召见你。”
魏林凝视着灵测珠，忽然发现一丝异常。表面看来，梅妍触发的红绿色光辉与他人无异，但若仔细观察，便能察觉其中微妙的差别。
“你终于察觉到了。”
天命符的声音带着一丝意味深长的欣赏：“她对自身气息的掩藏极为精妙，足以骗过寻常检测，但她尚有一丝金灵根未曾展露。三灵根……这是百年难遇的天赋。”
魏林微微一怔。他很清楚，这枚符篆一向刻薄，鲜少给予他人赞誉，梅妍能让它如此评价，足见其天赋之高。
“辰锐，十八岁。”
辰锐的手掌按上灵测珠，瞬息间，灵辉亮起，先是明亮的蓝光，随后竟隐隐透出一抹金色漩涡。
人群一片低语，许多候选者露出疑惑之色。就在此时，一名年长弟子踏前一步，桌前弟子立刻起身，恭敬行礼：“陆风师叔。”
陆风微捋长须，沉吟片刻，问道：“少年，你可曾修习冰系剑法？”
辰锐躬身施礼，答道：“晚辈确实修炼过冰属性剑技。”
陆风微微一笑：“难怪……你的水灵根已自行演化出冰属性异变，且兼具金灵根，实属罕见。”他转头对登记弟子道：“记下，列入内门试炼名单，我会关注他的表现。”
“罕见？”天命符不屑地嗤笑，“愚蠢才对。这小子明明有一手好牌，偏要摊开给所有人看。若我是你，最好尽快提醒他，别被宗门的派系斗争拖入深渊……不过，我看他恐怕已经避不开了。”
随着测试推进，登记弟子终于看向魏林：“下一位！”
魏林深吸一口气，缓缓伸手。指尖微微颤抖，心底的不安尚未平息。
“记住我教你的。”天命符的声音沉稳而严厉：“散去气息，让它融入周围的草木，如晨雾弥漫，不着痕迹。”
魏林闭上双眼，调息凝神，按掌于灵测珠上。他感觉到一股微弱的灵力波动，自丹田缓缓游走。未曾按照本能催动，而是顺势将气机散入四周，轻柔地融入草叶与包裹中的药材之中。
片刻后，登记弟子点头：“通过，下一位！”
魏林愣了愣，有些不敢置信地睁开双眼。就这样？
然而，天命符却满意地轻轻震颤，似有笑意：“对，就这样。你做得很好。”
魏林回到队伍中，辰锐拍了拍他的肩膀：“不错，顺利通过了。”
魏林微微一笑，紧绷的神经终于稍稍放松。
正如辰锐所言，千余名候选者中，最终通过考核的不过寥寥三十余人。待最后几名测试者登记完毕，广场上的喧嚣渐渐平息。
登记弟子领着合格者前往外门大殿，魏林随人流步入其中。途经翠天宗巍峨的山门，他回首望向那座通往凡人与修士界限的大门，心知自己的旅途，才刚刚开始。
