The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

He glanced at the disciples below the stage, his gaze lingering briefly on Jiang Chuan, Wang Han, and Jiang Wei. "Yun Wanggui, let's begin."

Yun Wanggui took a half step forward, and the Tianzhu Peak waist tag on his waist emitted a strong light: "The ceremony is divided into two steps: first, to test one's spiritual root, and second, to select the peak gate."

He raised his hand, and a three-foot-tall spirit-measuring stone appeared from the void, its surface shimmering with five-colored light.

"Place your hand on the stone and infuse it with your true energy."

Jiang Wei took a half step forward, his black robe sweeping across the stone bricks, and placed his palm on the spirit-measuring stone on his left.

"Om."

The surface of the spirit-testing stone suddenly burst with golden light, and fine golden patterns spread like flowing water, converging into Geng metal runes in his palm.

Lieyangzi slammed his fist on the table and exclaimed in delight: "Geng metal, a heavenly spiritual root! A superior talent unseen in a hundred years!"

Tao Hongjing nodded in agreement: "If this child cultivates the art of thunder, he will surely achieve great things."

As Jiang Wei stepped back, Wang Han had already stood in front of the spirit-testing stone in the middle.

He gripped the heavy black iron sword tightly, pressed his palm against the stone surface, and a blue light rose in response, mixed with faint earthy yellow patterns.

Although the dual spiritual roots of green wood and thick earth are not as pure as Geng metal, they have the advantage of a solid foundation.

Ming Yangzi's broken sword struck the stone table, creating several cracks: "Boy, the sword sheaths of Judgment Peak are just missing someone as dull as you!"

A low murmur arose in the square, while Jiang Chuan stood on the right side in front of the spirit-testing stone, his fingertips lightly stroking the bladeless sword sheath.

His spiritual root is special. Master Xie Xuan once said that the innate Dao embryo is hidden in the chaos and cannot be measured by ordinary spiritual stones.

Take a deep breath and place your palms on the stone surface.

The surface of the spirit-testing stone was initially dull and lackluster, with only fine gray mist swirling in the palm of the hand.

Compared to Jiang Wei's golden light and Wang Han's blue light, it appears particularly shabby.

The disciples below the stage whispered among themselves, and even Lieyangzi of Chiyang Peak couldn't help but feel puzzled:
"Could it be that the spirit-testing stone is broken?"

However, the next moment, the gray mist in the stone suddenly spread.

Visible ripples swept across the square, and everyone felt their minds clear and all distracting thoughts vanish.

On the high platform, apart from Tao Hongjing who remained seated, all the other peak masters stood up, and Ming Yangzi's broken sword fell to the ground.

"Innate Dao Fetus!"

Chunyangzi's voice trembled as he stared at the gray mist swirling around Jiang Chuan, within which the patterns of the Heavenly Dao could be faintly seen.

"According to the Chronicles of the Nine Provinces, when the Dao Embryo appeared in the world, all laws were naturally mastered. Such a divine body actually descended upon our Cloud Sea Immortal Sect!"

The square fell silent.

Jiang Wei gazed at the river and suddenly recalled how, when he confronted Zhao Weiyuan last night, his bladeless sword shattered the gilded short sword before it was even drawn.

It turned out that it wasn't simply sword intent, but rather the suppression of the Heavenly Dao inherent in the divine body.

Wang Han gripped his heavy sword tightly, his Adam's apple bobbing. He finally understood why Jiang Chuan could withstand his sword strikes from a level three Purple Mansion cultivator while only at the first level of the Purple Mansion realm.

"All three are of superior aptitude."

Chunyangzi calmed his tone and gestured for the three to step forward. “According to the rules, you can choose your own sect. If any of the six peak masters are interested, you can invite them here in court.”

Jiang Wei was the first to kneel down, holding the Taihua Sword horizontally in front of his chest: "This junior admires the Qi cultivation path of Tianzhu Peak and wishes to become a disciple of Peak Master Chunyangzi!"

Before he could finish speaking, Yun Wanggui stepped forward to help him up and said with a smile, "Junior Brother's Geng Metal spiritual root is perfectly suited to the 'Cloud Sea Qi Scripture.' I, your senior brother, will have to learn more about thunder techniques in the future."

Chunyangzi flicked out a jade token from his fingertip: "Follow your Senior Brother Yun closely, and don't let down this Gengjin Heavenly Spiritual Root."

His gaze shifted to Wang Han, only to see the latter already turned to face the Peak of Judgment, his heavy sword slamming against the stone bricks, sending sparks flying.

"This junior wishes to join the Sin-Slaying Peak and follow Peak Master Mingyang in cultivating the Sin-Slaying Sword Intent!"

Mingyangzi laughed loudly, and the broken sword suddenly flew up, hovering above Wang Han's head:
"Alright! Tomorrow we'll go to the Sword Tomb and use the back of the blade to split three hundred Sword Intent Stones!"

He turned to look at Jiang Chuan, a hint of anticipation in his eyes, "Young friend, are you going to choose my Judgment Peak?"

Jiang Chuan cupped his hands and looked at Tao Hongjing: "When I first entered the mountain gate, I received guidance from Senior Tao of Huayang Peak."

Today I dare to request to become a disciple of Zuowang Peak and follow Master Xie Xuan in cultivation.

On the high platform, Tao Hongjing finally stood up and looked towards Jiangchuan. A jade pendant engraved with the words "Qingyang" flew out from his sleeve.

The chaotic aura flowing across the cards echoed the gray mist surrounding Jiang Chuan.

"From now on, you will be the seventh disciple of Zuowang Peak, with the Daoist name Qingyang."

Tao Hongjing, barely able to contain his excitement, said, "Yang represents the initial sprouting of all things, which aligns with your innate Dao embryo."

On the high platform, the Crimson Sun Stone in Lieyangzi's hand exploded with a "bang": "Yang generation! Brother Tao, you actually used the sect's internal bestowal!"

The butterfly pattern on Yu Diezi's silhouette paused, and the silver threads on her plain white skirt were jolted and taut.

"The last person of the Yang generation was Ziyang Yunwanggui thirty years ago..."

Yun Wanggui stood in the queue at Tianzhu Peak, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the jade pendant at his waist, the two characters "Ziyang" on it echoing the "Qingyang" in Jiang Chuan's hand.

Mingyangzi burst into laughter, his broken sword leaving a dent on the stone table: "What a crazy old man!"
"Back then, Xie Xuan stole three jars of Drunken Sword Wine from me, and now he's given me a young disciple of the Yang generation."

"Peak Master!" Jiang Chuan suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with difficulty.

He recalled that when he first came up the mountain, Xie Xuan had said, "Zuowang Peak does not accept disciples on a formal basis; if you want to become a disciple, then become a disciple of me alone."
Looking at the expectation in Tao Hongjing's eyes, he swallowed hard and finally called out softly, "Master."

Tao Hongjing's fingertips trembled slightly, and the Huayang pattern on his cuffs suddenly lit up: "Good, good."

He turned to look at Chunyangzi, "Back then, Xie Xuan insisted on opening his own lineage and taking on disciples. Now that Qingyang has joined my Zuowang Peak, it can be considered as fulfilling the old saying 'Seven Peaks Shine Together'."

The initiation ceremony concluded with the ringing of the noon bells.

Fang Sheng's spirit-testing stone erupted with dazzling lightning, and Ming Yangzi laughed as he dragged him back to Duanzui Peak; Sun Qi followed Yu Diezi toward Mengdie Peak, and before leaving, she made a face at Jiang Chuan, the jade pendant on her braid making a crisp sound.

Jiang Wei waved his Taihua sword at him and followed Yun Wanggui toward Tianzhu Peak, lightning sparking tiny sparks on the stone steps.

"Follow me." Tao Hongjing turned around, and the breeze from his sleeves stirred up a few withered leaves on the ground, creating a small vortex of sword intent at Jiang Chuan's feet.

Jiang Chuan then noticed that the clouds drifting from the direction of Zuowang Peak carried a somewhat dull quality, unlike the sharp and aggressive spiritual energy of other peaks.

After passing through the white jade steps of Tianzhu Peak and winding around a crooked bamboo forest, the main hall of Zuowang Peak finally came into view.

It is called the main hall, but it is just three stone houses connected together, with most of the green tiles on the roof missing.
The wooden beams underneath were exposed, lying haphazardly. The stone lantern in front of the door was half-fallen, and the lamp oil had accumulated into dark brown stains on the ground.

"Don't dislike it."

Tao Hongjing pushed open the door and entered, the hinges making a grating creak. "Your senior brother Zhao Xin traveled the martial world five years ago."

Before leaving, he cut down three old bamboo stalks on the back mountain, saying they were for his second senior brother to build a training room.

As a result, that brat Lin Xiao built his bamboo hut under the eaves of my thatched hut.

The room was simply furnished. A half-empty jar of wine sat on a stone table, its mouth casually covered with a lotus leaf. Several sword manuals lay scattered around, their pages yellowed and edges frayed.

Jiang Chuan noticed twelve sheathless heavy swords leaning against the corner of the wall, their blades bearing the marks of time. Yet they showed no rust, and their sword intent was restrained, subtly resonating with his own bladeless sword.

"Master!"

A loud shout came from the back room, and Pei Guoguo rushed out carrying a jar of wine, a few bamboo leaves still stuck to her braids.

"A new junior brother has arrived? Let me see him."

She suddenly froze, staring at the "Qingyang" jade pendant in Jiang Chuan's hand.
"Wow! The Yang generation! Second Senior Brother lost! He said Master can only give him the 'Qing' generation at most!"

Tao Hongjing shook his head helplessly: "Go and call your second senior brother. Tell him the new disciple has arrived."

Pei Guoguo responded, then suddenly remembered something and pulled out an oil paper package from her bosom:
"Here you go, osmanthus candy. My senior brother left it from last year. It was hidden under the third stone in the Sword Tomb. I finally found it!"

Jiang Chuan had just taken it when Pei Guoguo skipped away, her skirt sweeping across the sword manual on the ground, creating a gust of wind.

Tao Hongjing pointed to the heavy swords in the corner: "These are the natal swords of the successive masters of Zuowang Peak."

Without a blade or sheath, yet each possesses its own sword intent. Your eldest brother Zhao Xin's 'Buzhou' sword and your second brother Lin Xiao's 'Taihuang' sword are both among them.

Before he could finish speaking, the courtyard gate was suddenly kicked open.

Lin Xiao burst in carrying a bamboo pole as thick as a bowl, dew still dripping from its leaves: "Master! Junior Brother's house is ready!"

He turned his head and saw Jiang Chuan. He threw the bamboo on the ground and stretched out his muddy hand. "I am Lin Xiao, the second senior brother."

I just built you a house in the bamboo forest, using century-old bamboo from the back mountain—it's very sturdy!

Jiang Chuan looked at the straw rope on his sleeve, the mud on his trouser legs, and then at the crooked bamboo hut behind him. The roof was covered with half-withered thatch.

The walls were woven from vines and bamboo leaves, and several bunches of wild fruits, picked from who-knows-where, hung at the entrance.

For a moment, I didn't know what to say.

"Don't be disgusted by it,"

Lin Xiao scratched his head. "Before he left, Senior Brother cut down the Purple Bamboo Forest. Now there are only wild bamboos on the back mountain."

However, the room is well-ventilated, and at night one can see the flowing sword intent of the Sword Tomb.

He suddenly lowered his voice, "Actually, Master's thatched hut is even more dilapidated. It was built by the eldest brother using leftover bamboo roots."

The roof was leaking, and Pei Guoguo fixed it all with butterfly glue..."

"cough."

Tao Hongjing coughed lightly, "You can stay with your second senior brother for a while to get familiar with the environment inside the peak, and then we can choose a sunny spot on the mountainside to build a house."

Sitting Peak doesn't have many rules. When you get tired of practicing swordsmanship, you can go to the back mountain to pick wild fruits; if you find it too noisy, you can go to the Sword Tomb for secluded cultivation.

"Master! Pei Guoguo has carved butterflies on the stones in the Sword Tomb again!" A boy's voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard.

Lin Xiao slapped his forehead: "I forgot to introduce him. Fourth Senior Brother Chen Ping is a sword fanatic. He doesn't like to talk except when he's practicing swordsmanship, but he's a nice guy."

Jiang Chuan followed Lin Xiao around the third bend, where the cobblestone path disappeared and was replaced by a soft layer of decaying leaves that rustled underfoot.

Ancient trees tower on both sides, with wild vines entwined around their branches. Occasionally, a squirrel carrying a pine cone darts by, its tail sweeping away a few withered leaves.

The sound of flowing water drifted from afar, mingling with the gentle rustling of the mountain breeze through the leaves, making it much quieter than the outer training ground.

"We didn't build stone steps on Zuowang Peak," Lin Xiao said, kicking aside the bamboo branches blocking his way, a patch of moss sticking to his trouser leg.
"The eldest brother said, 'Take the natural path and practice the natural sword.'"

He suddenly pointed to the right side of the mountain wall, where there was a natural stone cave with several strings of dried herbs hanging at the entrance.
"See that? It's where Fourth Junior Brother Chen Ping lives. He thinks the bamboo house is too noisy, so he insists on living under the waterfall."

Before the words were even finished, the roar of the waterfall ahead became clear.

Looking out from Jiang Chuan, a stream of water about ten feet wide cascaded down the mountainside, crashing into the pool below. Several boulders, split in two by the sword intent, lay scattered around the pool.

A muscular figure emerged from behind the waterfall, shirtless, his bronze skin gleaming in the sunlight.

He had a cloth casually wrapped around his waist and was carrying a sheathless heavy sword in his hand.

"Fourth Junior Brother, the new Junior Brother is here!" Lin Xiao raised his hand to greet him, his voice drowning out the sound of the flowing water.

Chen Ping nodded to Jiang Chuan, then thrust his heavy sword into the pool, splashing water: "Qingyang?"

"Yes, Fourth Senior Brother."

Jiang Chuan cupped his hands in greeting and noticed that Chen Ping's sword blade was covered with fine engravings, which were somewhat similar to the patterns on his bladeless scabbard.

Chen Ping suddenly smiled, picked up a fist-sized stone from the edge of the pool, clenched it in his palm, and the stone turned into dust: "Tomorrow at the Sword Tomb, let's spar."

Lin Xiao laughed heartily and comforted him, "Don't be scared by him. Fourth Junior Brother loves to use his sword intent to polish stones. Last year, he split the third sword intent stone in the Sword Tomb into eighteen pieces."

He bent down, scooped up some water from the pool to wash his face, and water droplets dripped down his chin: "There aren't that many rules at Zuowang Peak."

When we got tired of practicing swordsmanship, we would soak in the waterfall; when we got hungry, we would go to the back mountain to pick wild fruits.

However, that girl Pei Guoguo steals Master's spiritual wine, so remember to bury it deep when you hide it.

The three walked along the path beside the waterfall. Lin Xiao took out a blue jade pendant from his waist, on which were engraved the two characters "Zuowang" (坐忘, meaning "sitting in oblivion").
"This is a points card. Fifty points will be automatically issued at the beginning of each month. You can double the points by doing sect missions."

He pointed to the market that was faintly visible in the distance, "The weapon-refining pavilion of Chiyang Peak is located in the market of Tianzhu Peak."

If you want to equip the Bladeless Sword with a tassel, you'll have to exchange points for their Crimson Sun Silk. However, those people are very cunning; they always try to scam female disciples out of their points with Youth-Preserving Pills.

After turning past the waterfall, a breathtaking view suddenly opened up before me.

On a gentle slope, several bamboo houses are scattered about, with wild orchids planted in front of them.

The purple petals, glistening with water droplets, added a touch of wildness to the outer disciples' quarters.

Jiang Chuan was admiring the scene when he suddenly heard the sound of chasing ahead. Pei Guoguo was running wildly with a calligraphy brush in her hand, followed by a yellow dog whose neck fur was painted in various colors.

"Stop!" Pei Guoguo shouted as she ran, "I'll draw phoenix eyes on your eyes, I guarantee it'll please the female dog!"

The yellow dog let out a pitiful whimper, turned around and bumped into Jiang Chuan's arms, its tail brushing against the back of his hand.

Lin Xiao shook his head helplessly: "See this? This is our peak's 'divine beast.' Last year, it used the 'Buzhou Sword' left by our senior brother as a rolling pin to bake pancakes on the stone table in the Sword Tomb."

Passing by the orchid bushes, in the courtyard ahead, a figure is sitting at a stone table brewing tea.

From a distance, Jiang Chuan could see that the man was dressed in a light green robe with a narrow sword hanging at his waist.

Her hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, and there was a red lotus mark between her eyebrows. Her skin was so white that it was almost transparent.

He subconsciously thought it was his third senior brother, so he cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, third senior brother."

The courtyard suddenly fell silent.

Pei Guoguo's calligraphy brush fell to the ground with a "thud," Chen Ping's heavy sword blade scraped sparks on the stone slab, and even the sound of boiling tea could be clearly heard.

The figure in the light green dress looked up, and Jiang Chuan then realized that although the other person was slender, she was wearing a sword tassel.

Regardless of gender, all disciples of Zuowang Peak are accustomed to wrapping tassels around their sword hilts.

"What did you call me?" The man's voice was cold, tinged with a hint of gritted teeth. (End of Chapter)