Upon hearing Daojun Qianshu’s words, Daojun Leshan and Daojun Mingshui both twitched their mouths in disbelief, their expressions speechless. After a long moment, Daojun Leshan finally spoke, “Your wild speculation is far too rash. If we follow your logic, wouldn’t Senior Qu, Elder Lu, and Daojun Miaoran all cease to be human?”

At this, Daojun Qianshu shot him a look that screamed, “You’ve found out,” his tone unflinching. “I’ve long suspected they aren’t human.”

“…” Daojun Leshan and Daojun Mingshui.

You actually dared to think that!

Daojun Mingshui immediately cautioned him, “Don’t you dare say that in front of Senior Qu, Elder Lu, or Daojun Miaoran.”

“It could get you killed!” Daojun Mingshui’s expression turned grave. Daojun Qianshu shot him a look that said, As if I’m stupid, and replied, “Of course I wouldn’t say it.”

Hearing this, Leshan and Mingshui both breathed a silent sigh of relief, thinking, At least you have some survival instinct.

Meanwhile, Liu Baijian remained utterly oblivious to being so ruthlessly betrayed by Daojun Qianshu. He was diligently and earnestly climbing the stone staircase!

He ascended with remarkable speed, leaving the others far behind and establishing a considerable distance.

“It seems Yuan Ziqiu’s top spot is slipping away this time,” Daojun Leshan remarked to Lords Mingshui and Qianshu beside him as they watched the scene unfold through the Spirit Mirror at the gates of the Wendao Sect.

Speaking of Yuan Ziqiu, he truly felt a pang of regret. Yuan Ziqiu had topped the Wendao Sect’s disciple selection exams for three consecutive years, only to be rejected each time due to his lack of spiritual roots. Many Zhenjian Lords within the sect were aware of this situation. After all, failing to admit the top examinee for three straight years had left these talent-cherishing lords feeling regretful and disappointed for quite some time.

Yet it was an inescapable reality—without spiritual roots, cultivation was impossible, and the Wendao Sect could not accept him.

This year, however, Yuan Ziqiu’s reign as top candidate might be challenged, the honor potentially falling to another.

Due to Liu Baijian’s outstanding performance in the first assessment stage, the three Daojuns presiding over the selection—Daojun Leshan, Mingshui, and Qianshu—took special note of him.

Though their recollection wasn’t solely due to this reason. Daojun Qianshu’s remark, “He’s so strikingly beautiful, he can’t possibly be human!” still rang in their ears, etched deeply into the memories of Daojun Leshan and Daojun Mingshui. It would likely take them quite some time to forget it.

“Ah—finally made it!”

Liu Baijian stepped onto the final stair and let out a sigh of relief. No more climbing ladders—what a joy!

He lifted his gaze forward, where a vast, flat white jade plaza stretched out before him. At the plaza’s forefront stood an open gate, above which hung a purple-barked sandalwood plaque inscribed with three characters: “Wendao Sect.”

The calligraphy was bold and vigorous, the strokes deep and penetrating, faintly conveying the spirited and artistic flair of the Wendao Sect’s founding patriarch.

Dare to ask the heavens: Where lies the Way?

Seek the Way by questioning the heavens.

Liu Baijian gazed at the suspended purple-barked rosewood plaque for a long moment before withdrawing his gaze. He swept his eyes across the empty, deserted white jade plaza. He realized he must be the first to arrive. This outcome surprised him not, nor did it bring him joy—only a sense of calm.

Nothing to be pleased about, just an ordinary occurrence—that was Liu Baijian’s assessment. Rather than being the first to reach the Wendao Sect’s gates, he’d have preferred to skip the ladder climb and sit down to rest.

With this thought, Liu Baijian turned his back on the vast Wendao Sect behind him. He lifted the hem of his robe and plopped down onto the stone steps.

Seated high upon the jade-white steps, he lifted his gaze to the horizon. Azure-green mountains cradled the golden-red sun, its dazzling radiance cascading down upon the mortal world. Between the clouds and mist, everything shimmered with brilliant gold.

It was the moment of sunrise. Liu Baijian felt fortunate to have witnessed this spectacle, able to sit so leisurely and admire the crimson sun against the green mountains. “What luck,” he murmured, a faint smile playing on his lips.

After the arduous climb to the summit, encountering such a beautiful scene at dawn felt like a reward.

The morning light was gentle and tender, softly caressing all living things with its lingering warmth. Dewdrops fell from leaf tips, washing away the dust of the night. A light breeze swept through the world, free and unfettered, carrying no trace of lingering attachment.

Liu Baijian sat upon the jade-white steps, elbows resting on his bent knees, palms cradling his cheeks as he admired the sunrise over the mountains. His expression was serene. Half his face bathed in sunlight, his skin as translucent and luminous as glass, flawless and beautiful.

“What is he doing?”

Behind the Wendao Sect’s mountain gate, Daojun Leshan, Mingshui, and Daojun Qianshu watched his actions and couldn’t help but speak up, their hearts filled with confusion.

“I can’t detect even a hint of joy or excitement on his face?” Daojun Leshan said incredulously. He had topped the first stage of the assessment, reaching the Wendao Sect’s mountain gate first. Was he truly not the least bit thrilled? Not a trace of delight?

And after finally climbing up to the mountain gate, instead of seizing the moment to do something else, he just plopped down? Could it be that he wasn’t the least bit curious about this renowned first sect of the Daoist world? Didn’t he want to know what lay beyond the Wendao Sect’s mountain gate, what it held?!

Too strange!

This youth—whether in his demeanor or his reactions—was utterly peculiar.

His composure was utterly unbecoming of a youth, his mental fortitude far surpassing his years—truly astonishing.

Daojun Leshan found this youth profoundly peculiar. Such an extraordinary oddity could only be either a genius or a madman.

The cultivation world has always been ruled by madmen and geniuses—no madness, no immortality.

Which would this youth be?

Daojun Leshan watched the youth seated upon the jade-white steps in the Spirit Mirror, quietly admiring the sunrise over the green mountains, and silently pondered.

Daojun Qianshu, who was also staring at the Spirit Mirror, suddenly blurted out, “I told you he wasn’t human!”

His gaze fixed on the youth within the Spirit Mirror—bathed in sunlight, radiant and peerlessly beautiful, dazzlingly exquisite—he declared with absolute certainty, “Look! How could anyone like this be human?”

Could a human truly be born like this?

To grow into such a form, he must be a demon!

Hearing this, Daojun Leshan’s mouth twitched involuntarily. “Here we go again!”

Daojun Mingshui, however, kept his gaze fixed on the youth in the Spirit Mirror. Uncharacteristically, he didn’t argue. Instead, he pondered for a moment before saying, “Perhaps… what you say isn’t entirely impossible.”

Liu Baijian sat on the steps before the mountain gate for quite some time, contentedly enjoying the company of the green mountains and the sunrise.

Until a figure emerged from below.

“Oh, it’s you!” Yuan Ziqiu, ascending the stone steps, looked up at Liu Baijian, who sat high on the steps, lost in thought, his expression dreamy. A hint of surprise flashed across Yuan Ziqiu’s face before quickly fading. He offered Liu Baijian a smile. “You’re the first one to climb up this year.” His thoughts interrupted, Liu Baijian snapped back to reality. He lowered his gaze slightly to meet Yuan Ziqu’s eyes and gave a brief “Mhm.”

Yuan Ziqiu paid no mind to Liu Baijian’s cool response. He smiled and took the final step upward, then walked over to sit beside Liu Baijian.

He sat beside Liu Baijian, hands braced on the steps beside him. Leaning back slightly, palms firmly planted on the ground to support his upper body, he mimicked Liu Baijian’s posture, lifting his head to gaze at the mountain range ahead and the sun perpetually high in the sky. The blinding sunlight made it hard to keep his eyes open, so he narrowed them slightly. A gentle breeze caressed his cheeks, gentle and lingering, yet utterly fleeting. The fine, comfortable sensation of the breeze caressing him softened his heart in an instant.

“So this is the view ahead,” Yuan Ziqiu remarked suddenly, gazing forward. “This is the first time I’ve ever sat here like this, looking out.”

“Every time before, I came and left in a hurry,” Yuan Ziqiu said. “I never thought to sit down.”

Liu Baijian sat beside him, his expression serene and unmoving. He remained silent, so quiet it made one wonder if he had even heard Yuan Ziqiu speak.

Yuan Ziqiu didn’t mind his lack of response. He continued: “The moment I first saw you at the mountain’s base, I knew you were extraordinary.”

He squinted at the distance ahead. “You’re not like me—you’re the complete opposite type. Even sitting in the same spot now, looking in the same direction, the scenery we see is different.”

Liu Baijian remained seated in silence, his expression unchanging, leaving it unclear whether he’d heard a word.

“But don’t misunderstand—I don’t dislike you at all.” Yuan Ziqiu turned his head, meeting Liu Baijian’s gaze with a warm smile. “I actually like you very much.”

“…” Liu Baijian.

“I really do like you,” Yuan Ziqiu insisted. “The moment I saw you, I was instantly captivated. I kept wondering how someone like you could exist in this world.”

“…”

This time, Liu Baijian didn’t remain silent. His brows furrowed slightly at the words, then he turned his head. His clear, dark eyes fixed on the smiling youth beside him, who declared his affection. After a moment’s pause, he asked, “What do you like about me?”

“…” Daojun Leshan.

“…” Daojun Mingshui.

“…” Daojun Qianshu.

Leshan, Mingshui, and Qianshu, who had accidentally witnessed this scene through the Spirit Mirror, all fell silent. Their gazes fixed on the mirror, where the boys were in the midst of their exam, yet showed no trace of seriousness—instead, they were playing a game of truth or dare confessions. Shock welled up within them. Were today’s youth this daring? This bold? Public confessions? Falling for someone at first sight!?

Had they, as elders, fallen behind and failed to keep up with the times?

Daojun Qianshu was the quickest to recover. While Daojun Leshan and Daojun Mingshui remained immersed in shock, Daojun Qianshu fixed his gaze on Liu Baijian in the Spirit Mirror. The youth pressed his exquisitely shaped lips together, his tone growing increasingly firm and resolute as he declared, “I told you he wasn’t human!”

Having dismissed Liu Baijian as inhuman from the start, he found more and more proof to support his theory—even Liu Baijian’s being “love at first sight” became compelling evidence of his otherworldly nature.

Upon hearing this, Daojun Leshan and Daojun Mingshui fell silent.

“Enough already!” Daojun Leshan finally snapped. “How long will you cling to this notion!?”

What part of him isn’t human!?

He clearly looks human!

You can’t just declare someone not human because they’re a bit more handsome, a bit stronger, a bit more eccentric, or a bit more likable! By your standards, half the cultivation world isn’t human—all those prodigiously talented old devils would be non-human!

Though the cultivators of the cultivation world certainly didn’t treat them as human either, cursing them as beasts, at least they still held human status.

On the steps before the mountain gate

Completely unaware that their scene—one of confession and counter-confession—had been witnessed by the Daojuns of the Wendao Sect, Liu Baijian and Yuan Ziqiu stood in silent confrontation.

Liu Baijian fixed his gaze on Yuan Ziqiu and said, “You’re strange.”

“Same here,” Yuan Ziqiu replied with a smile.

Liu Baijian considered him for a moment before stating, “I don’t like you.”

“Hmm, I know,” Yuan Ziqiu said without flinching, seemingly unaffected by the remark.

“But I don’t dislike you either,” Liu Baijian continued.

Yuan Ziqiu immediately laughed upon hearing this. He understood what Liu Baijian meant—neither liking nor disliking, just indifference toward an unimportant stranger?

“But I like you!” Yuan Ziqiu declared, looking at Liu Baijian before him with a delighted smile. “I like you very, very, very much.”

Shen Lanmao, who had just climbed up from below with tremendous effort, gasping for breath, heard Yuan Ziqiu’s words the moment he reached the top. He instinctively looked up and saw Yuan Ziqiu sitting beside his newly made friend, Liu Baijian, smiling warmly at him and saying, I’m not lying or tricking you. It’s true, I really like you.“

”…“

Upon hearing this, Liu Baijian instantly frowned, her gaze fixed on him, her eyes filled with questioning and scrutiny.

”!!!!!!” Shen Lanmao.

Shen Lanmao…

He exploded.

“Bastard!” Shen Lanmao, who moments ago had been a broken man struggling to take another step with his last ounce of strength, now seemed possessed by a divine force. He erupted with unprecedented power, charging forward in giant strides to Yuan Ziqiu’s face. His fist slammed into Yuan’s cheek. “How dare you lay a hand on my friend!”

“Yuan Ziqiu, you beast! You’re not human!” Shen Lanmao roared furiously at Yuan Ziqiu.

Before the Spirit Mirror.

“I think he hit the wrong person. The youth beside Yuan Ziqiu isn’t human at all.” Daojun Qianshu watched this horrifying, chaotic triangle and turned to the two Daojun beside him, Daojun Leshan and Daojun Mingshui, speaking in a sincere tone. “……” Daojun Leshan and Daojun Mingshui.

Please just shut up!

Fortunately, Daojun Qianshu only uttered that one sentence before turning back to watch the unfolding events in the Spirit Mirror with renewed excitement. This was far more entertaining than the disciple selection trials—thrilling, gripping!

It made one eagerly anticipate the next plot twist.

“How could you do this!” Shen Lanmao shouted at Yuan Ziqiu, his voice filled with grief and indignation.

“… ” Liu Baijian.

Honestly…

This truly startled him.

Liu Baijian, who was usually as unflappable as a mountain, now wore a visibly shocked expression. He had suddenly lunged forward and punched Yuan Ziqiu, his grief-stricken look making him resemble Shen Lanmao—as if he’d been cheated on. This truly startled him!

Where did you come from?

How could this happen at such a crucial moment?

And where did this heartbroken, betrayed-like fury come from?

Liu Baijian pondered with a heavy expression. Neither Shen Lanmao nor Yuan Ziqiu… he didn’t know them, did he? Today was their first meeting—they couldn’t be close!

These two must be toxic!