If Xuantian Sect were likened to a major corporation, then its direct disciples would be the high-ranking executives, sustained by the labor of the low-level workers beneath them. Of course, if the sect were ever in danger, those with the highest cultivation would be the first to stand on the front lines.

Qin Shu stood silently among the crowd. Her group alone had at least seventy or eighty people. By the end of the selection, there would likely be around two hundred.

Next came the second-round test. Only by passing the "Heart Examination Path" would they truly enter Xuantian Sect.

The children who came to participate were innocent-minded, and generally, few had any issues passing this heart-test.

As Qin Shu stepped onto the Heart Examination Path, she wondered if she'd encounter inner demons, and if so, what hers would be.

Little did she imagine that the heart demon which would plague her would be like this.

At that moment, she found herself sitting at a school desk, facing a practice math test with the title: "Find the General Formula and Sum of the First N Terms."

Qin Shu: "..."

The resurrection of high school math in a world of cultivation... was attacking her.

Arithmetic sequences had been her nightmare. While she'd easily mastered functions and geometry, this one topic had taken her over a thousand practice problems to finally conquer.

It had been two months since she'd taken her college entrance exams, and though she may have started to forget some concepts, the formulas for general terms and sums had been imprinted into her DNA.

Heart demon? Hah, mere child's play.

She scribbled furiously, finishing over a hundred math problems before her inner demon finally released her.

As the illusion faded, she found herself once more facing a long stone stairway stretching up into the clouds. By now, at least a hundred people were already ahead of her, and only a few, like her, had faced inner demon illusions the moment they'd stepped on the path.

Realizing she had wasted too much time on math problems, Qin Shu scrambled to climb the stairs, moving at a rapid crawl—practical, though not graceful.

Soon, she passed about a dozen people. Some looked at her unrefined style with disdain, but others took note and followed suit. A couple of people decided it didn't matter how it looked, so long as it worked.

Though Qin Shu was giving it her all, halfway up she was already exhausted, sprawled out like a salted fish being grilled by the blazing sun, flipping over occasionally as her rear burned from the heat of the stones.

Xuantian Sect had a rule: if the sun set before a disciple reached the top, it meant they lacked a firm will, and were therefore not qualified for entry, no matter how talented.

Thinking fast, Qin Shu divided the remaining distance and time into four segments, planning to tackle each one before taking a ten-minute break to recover.

After a short nap, she continued her crawl, conquering another fourth of the stairs, then stopped again to rest.

Finally, she dragged herself onto the last step right as the sun was setting.

A ray of light washed over her, dispelling all her fatigue and refreshing her completely.

Feeling the energy flow back into her limbs, Qin Shu stood up and respectfully saluted the nearby Xuantian Sect disciple. "Thank you, Senior Brother."

A nearby elder noticed her and called one of his disciples over. "That girl there... what are her qualifications? She seems quite determined, and her pacing was very efficient."

"Reporting to Elder: her name is Qin Shu, she's from Fanyin City, age ten, with triple elemental roots—Fire, Wood, and Earth."

The elder's interest faded at the mention of her triple-root constitution. "What a pity."

Eventually, the sun set. With the sky darkening, the bells of Xuantian Sect rang throughout the mountain.

Qin Shu observed the successful candidates around her—seventy or eighty in total. Next, some would become the inner disciples under the direct tutelage of elders, while others, like her, would join the outer sect. Regardless of their paths, they were now considered disciples of Xuantian Sect.

Congratulations to Xuantian Sect for gaining seventy or eighty fresh new laborers!

"Those who pass through Xuantian Sect's Heart Examination Path are resilient individuals. Today, as you enter our sect, know that this is merely your first step on the path of cultivation. In three days, you may each choose a mountain to begin your training..."

Qin Shu crossed her arms, looking at the other starry-eyed kids around her, feeling out of place with her pragmatic thoughts.

She already had her choice in mind—Dan (Alchemy) Sect would be her best option.

In the original novel, the character she embodied had joined the Dan Sect and met a senior brother with deep loyalty toward her half-sister, Qin Mian.

However, avoiding her future troubles wasn't reason enough to choose a path unsuited to her talents.

With her Fire, Wood, and Earth roots, where else would she go but the Dan Sect?

While others were still considering, Qin Shu had already picked up her bag and made her way to the Dan Sect registration area.

There wasn't another soul in sight at the Dan Sect's booth, which allowed her to claim first place.

The disciple handling registration was just stifling a yawn when she arrived, and when he opened his eyes, he seemed surprised to see someone so soon.

"Oh? Here already?" he asked casually.

Qin Shu grinned, her eyes glinting with sly amusement. "Hello, Senior Brother! I came early hoping to pick a good place to stay."

He raised an eyebrow and, out of habit, asked, "What's your name, age, and root values?"

"Qin Shu, age ten. Triple root: Fire, Wood, Earth. Values are seventy-one, fifty-six, and forty-eight."

Without looking up, he jotted down her details. "Why did you choose the Dan Sect?"

She answered sincerely, "I heard alchemists make good money."

His mouth twitched slightly, a speck of ink marring his notes as he paused, then casually waved a hand over the mark to make it disappear. He looked up, giving her a subtle, assessing glance with strikingly clear eyes.

Sword-like brows and star-like eyes—just a casual look could tug at one's heartstrings.

For a brief moment, Qin Shu's mind drifted, marveling at how this senior brother would easily be a celebrity back in the modern world.

Her quick recovery surprised him as well. Women, no matter the age, were often swayed by good looks, which was exactly why his master had tasked him with greeting new recruits.

In his opinion, such measures were unnecessary—Dan Sect always had enough disciples, even though they couldn't outcompete Sword Sect. So why bother?

But Qin Shu's clear gaze seemed to intrigue him, and he acknowledged her honesty with a nod. "Straightforward, aren't you?"

He tossed her a storage pouch. "This is for new disciples. Go ahead in. You can choose any unclaimed house at the foot of the mountain; being early has its perks."

Occupied homes already had wards active, rendering them invisible to new disciples with no cultivation base.

Qin Shu accepted the pouch, bowed, and asked, "Thank you, Senior Brother. May I ask your name?"

"Wen Chi."

Qin Shu hesitated; Wen Chi was Dan Sect's second senior brother, a handsome, powerful man who showed little regard for others.

Just as they were speaking, more disciples arrived.

Realizing others might soon compete for housing, Qin Shu hastily made her exit.