C9 No Soulspark

"Elder Sun, my younger brother is naive and inexperienced. Please show leniency and refrain from holding his actions against him."

Lin Yuan hadn't anticipated Lin Xing's rash behavior. He promptly bowed to Sun Qingshan and shot Lin Xing a stern glare, reprimanding, "Won't you apologize to Elder Sun this instant?"

Coming to his senses, Lin Xing realized his offense against Sun Qingshan and quickly bowed in apology, "Elder Sun, I'm truly sorry. It was not my intention to offend you. I ask for your forgiveness."

Sun Qingshan didn't even deign to lift his eyelids, as if he hadn't heard a word. As an elder of the Qingxuan Sect, he maintained his dignity and would not tolerate disrespect.

Lin Yuan's face soured. As a mere second-level Martial Dao outer disciple, why should Sun Qingshan grant him any favor?

"Senior Brother Li..." In his desperation, Lin Yuan turned to Li Muqing for assistance. Without Li Muqing's intervention, his brother would not be able to join the Qingxuan Sect for cultivation.

Li Muqing let out a sigh. Bound by obligation, he spoke up, "Elder Sun, it seems to me he didn't act with malice. Perhaps you could give him a chance?"

Sun Qingshan's eyelids flickered slightly, his mind clear on the matter. Clearly, Li Muqing had been persuaded to advocate on someone else's behalf.

Li Muqing pressed on, "Despite his crippled Soulspark, he's not incapable of cultivation. Moreover, his ascent of the Stairway to Heaven proves his resilience and determination."

"Elder Sun, even though a crippled Soulspark slows my cultivation, I promise to train diligently. Please grant me this opportunity," Lin Xing implored, his eyes brimming with earnestness.

"Enough," Sun Qingshan dismissed with a wave of his hand, allowing Lin Xing to pass the assessment. This was not due to Lin Xing's earnestness, but rather in consideration of Li Muqing.

Li Muqing had worked alongside him on the service examinations for years, and that deserved some recognition. After all, the allocation of a mere service disciple's spot was trivial to him.

"Thank you, Elder Sun!" Lin Xing expressed his profound gratitude, bowing deeply to Sun Qingshan before turning to Li Muqing, hands clasped in thanks, "I owe you a great debt, Senior Brother Li."

"Sign up! Name and age?" Li Muqing gestured dismissively, unwilling to accept Lin Xing's friendly overture. He had no intention of getting close to someone as presumptuous and arrogant as Lin Xing.

"Lin Xing, sixteen." After registering, Lin Xing approached Lin Yuan with a look of utter disappointment. Lin Yuan gazed at his younger brother with a mix of frustration and disapproval, shaking his head in dismay.

He was well aware that his association with Li Muqing would end after this assessment. Although he had hoped to forge a connection with Li Muqing, it now seemed out of the question.

Witnessing this, those who had successfully navigated the Sky Stairway bristled with indignation. Meanwhile, the service disciples were unfazed, having long grown accustomed to such scenes.

"No wonder this kid is so bold; he's got someone backing him. You need some serious clout to court disaster like that."

The service disciples murmured among themselves, reflecting on how their time in the Qing Xuan Sect had taught them that the world was devoid of absolute fairness, with everything tied to self-interest.

"Next!" Sun Qingshan declared impassively, unconcerned with the crowd's opinions. As a sect elder, he felt no obligation to justify his actions to anyone.

The third aspirant to cross the Heavenly Stairway, a scion of a wealthy family, stepped forward. After Sun Qingshan's assessment, he simply shook his head, "Your Soulspark is defective; you cannot pass the examination."

Stunned, the wealthy disciple hadn't anticipated his Soulspark would be defective. He glanced at Lin Xing and pleaded, "Elder Sun, he passed the examination. Please, allow me to pass as well!"

"Your Soulspark is defective; you cannot pass the examination," Sun Qingshan reiterated, his voice now tinged with a chill. Did they really think anyone could pass the examination?

"Why can he pass the examination with a defective Soulspark, and I can't?" the rich disciple demanded loudly. "This is favoritism and cheating. I won't stand for it."

"Bang!" Before he could say another word, a figure appeared before the wealthy disciple and sent him flying with a kick. He tumbled over ten meters before coming to a halt.

"Is Elder Sun's conduct something you can question?" Lin Yuan's voice was icy as he commanded, "Remove this man from the sect grounds; he is barred from participating in the Qing Xuan Sect's examinations ever again."

Subsequently, two attendants stepped forward and removed the wealthy family's disciple from the premises without a hint of sympathy.

He obviously lacked the means to risk his life, so why did he insist on doing so?

The incident served as a stark warning to the others ascending the Heavenly Stairway, who became as quiet as winter cicadas. No further complaints were heard as each person submitted to the Soulspark assessment.

Before long, it was the turn of the sixth individual to reach the top of the Heavenly Stairway – the sole child from a modest background who had managed to get ahead. The two individuals before him had not succeeded in the evaluation.

At that moment, the child from a humble origin was fraught with anxiety. His family had exhausted all their resources to purchase the elixir for the climb. The thought of failing the test was too dire to contemplate.

"I have to pass this test," he told himself, gripping his fists tightly as he approached Sun Qingshan. Sun Qingshan offered a calming presence, advising, "Don't be overly tense. Try to relax a bit."

The Soulspark test commenced, but the aura around Sun Qingshan's palm remained still. Shaking his head in pity, he declared, "No Soulspark, no chance of passing the test."

"No Soulspark!" The words hit the Humble Class disciple like a thunderbolt, causing him to collapse to his knees, his spirit seemingly extinguished.

Lacking a Soulspark meant there was no innate spiritual essence to cultivate, which was far worse than having a defective one. At least with a defective Soulspark, there was still the potential for cultivation and the possibility of evolving into a Mystic Soulspark.

The Lin family's two servants had faced the Sky Stairway the previous year, and without a Soulspark, they too had failed the test, sealing their fate as non-practitioners of the martial arts.

Witnessing the young man's despair, everyone felt a pang of compassion, yet the nature of the test was unyieldingly harsh. The journey of cultivation is one that goes against the natural order – a path fraught with difficulty.

"Why? Why must this happen to me?" The disheartened disciple looked to the heavens, his cry echoing his deep sense of injustice. Despite his family's sacrifices, he was unable to pass the test, doomed by fate.

"Escort him down the mountain," Sun Qingshan commanded, his voice tinged with an icy detachment. He couldn't compromise the Soulspark Test for the other candidates just because of one Humble Class disciple's plight.

Two servant disciples appeared, escorting the struggling disciple away.

The desperate disciple fought back, crying out, "Elder Sun, please, give me one more chance! I'm begging you, please!"

Sun Qingshan remained unmoved, as if deaf to the pleas. He couldn't bend the rules for the sake of pity; doing so would set a precedent he couldn't afford.

The Soulspark Test pressed on, and before long, only a handful of candidates remained. Out of the ninety-plus who were tested, a mere five succeeded—a pass rate of less than ten percent.

Subsequently, all but Wang Ye underwent the test, each failing to meet the mark. Wang Ye himself lay unconscious.

"With only five passing, it looks like this year's examination has come to a close."

"It's even more dismal than last year when eight managed to pass."

The servant disciples shook their heads in dismay, surprised by the scant number of successful candidates. As for the last one, Wang Ye, collapsing from merely ascending the ladder didn't bode well for his chances.