Everyone is Secretly in Love with Me

CH.4: Recruiting Disciples

With the formation of the chain, the surroundings of Chun Shen Mountain suddenly loomed, covered by an almighty spiritual power, indiscernible to the naked eye. Only if a genuine cultivator probed with their divine sense, would they be able to see Chun Shen Mountain.  

All the candidates present watched the chain in the air, and after half a minute, a youth in blue stepped forth and jumped up to the head of the chain, laughing loudly: “This time, I will be first place.” 

Then he proceeded, his silhouette gradually covered by drifting clouds until no longer seen. 

Lin Zhizhi took a glance, and recognized that this person was also another cultivation clan’s son, the Lan Clan’s Di son. He’s always been arrogant, but his qualifications weren’t as good as him and Su Yu, possessing the earth spiritual root, causing the Lan Clan plenty of worries. 

Following the Lan youth’s lead, many figures also passed through the chain, unwilling to fall behind. As the numbers increased, several blood-curdling shrieks flew in the air–sounds of people falling down to their deaths. 

Let the latecomers flinch. 

The solemn voice from before coldly snorted: “Entering my door and harboring evil intentions! Wretched!”

As time passed bit by bit, the people left on this side of Chun Shen Mountain gradually reduced. 

Su Yu lips twitched and said to Lin Zhizhi, “Shall we go too?”

Lin, Ice Chunk, Zhizhi faintly nodded, unspeaking, swept his sleeves and arrived in front of the chain, raising a foot and stepping up. 

At that instance, various people, including sect elders and spiritual masters, were all watching him. 

He was Lin Zhizhi, and his father hopes for him to become his namesake.1

Even in this Zhonglu, this land of immortals, it’s extremely rare to see a heavenly spirit root aptitude—-a heavenly spirit root!—-in the four remote continents, you won’t even be able to pick out  a single one within the whole land! When they’re able to find such a spirit root, sect elders would loudly sing thanks to the high heaven and sing thanks to the shining sun and sing thanks to the earth for allowing such an auspicious person to be born! Even among cultivators, it is scarce. 

Just with Lin Zhizhi’s qualifications, it would cause a sensation among his ancestors, appointing him as a young lord, from pallet medicine to spiritual tools, they’d all give him the green light to use. If no accidents happen, he’ll be the family’s prosperity for a thousand years, this sect exam was no more than a mere formality for him. 

—-From Lin Zhizhi, to Su Yu’s heavenly spirit root, to a few others’ once-in-a-millennium special physiques, it seems that an era of great talents will come soon. 

The black haired youth walked silently on the chain hanging high in the air, wind blowing through his clothes and hair, creating a whistling sound. Clearly it’s only a thin chain, yet he’s walking steadily. The sun, thousands of miles away and isolated in its almighty power, seemed to be close behind Lin Zhizhi, as if willing to bow down for him.

 Such a person, one wants to surrender, but wants even more to conquer. 

On this mountain peak, countless people watched him in envy and amazement. 

Behind Lin Zhizhi, Su Yu’s gaze was glued to his back.

Finally, just once, he was able to openly look at him like this. 

This person, this person whom he’s guarded for 16 years…… one day will be his. 

One day. 

If Lin Zhizhi was to turn his head and look, the emotions deep within Su Yu’s eyes would be enough to make him apprehensive.

It’s a pity that Lin Zhizhi doesn’t pay attention. His vision stayed forward the whole journey until reaching the chain’s end, stepping onto the other cliff. There was a mirror, and when Lin Zhizhi appeared, the mirror shined in gold. In the mirror, it astonishingly showed his bones and spirit root, both of which are the highest level of gold. 

His heavenly spirit root body was now certified by the four great sects. 

After the golden light, the mirror automatically disappeared, and the originally blocked winding forest trail appeared in front of Lin Zhizhi. His face remained unmoved, and he continued forward calmly. 

……

Somewhere, in a flying palace in the sky, elders and people of the four great sects, all who came to accept disciples, were gathering together and chatting—-scratch that, they were attentively observing everybody who came to the bone mirror. 

“This Lan Clan’s Di son, why does he look so satisfied towards the mirror? Staring at himself for two seconds? Could it be he’s deeply in love with himself?” Commented a handsome young man sitting in a seat covered in soft sea animal fur, propping his chin in his palm. 

A member of the Lan Clan glared at him angrily, but due to this person’s cultivation and background, did not open his mouth and retort. 

“This boy looks good, but unfortunately has three spiritual roots.” 

“Hahaha, this guy’s so funny. Seeing the mirror and actually guarding his body with spiritual energy.” The young man didn’t restrain himself and instead became even more wild. 

“He Wei, can’t you say fewer words?” A middle-aged man with a beard couldn’t take it anymore and opened his mouth. 

For this young man named He Wei, he’s a part of the Luo Xianjian Sect, leader of his generation. Since young he’s always showed off his abilities, causing a lot of trouble because of his temperament, the whole entire time towards his core formation. After forming his core, his temper didn’t calm down, but against all expectations, became even more unreasonable. The moment he sees someone he doesn’t like, he’d chase after the for half a day, ridiculing and taunting. He even once caused five people at the core formation stage to join hands and try to kill him for an entire month– fruitlessly. 

It was enough to testify for his strength. Later, his master came forward and personally mediated, finally making him exercise some restraint. 

“Old Ghost Demon Lu, could it be that you want to accept this boy as a disciple? Don’t worry, no one’s going to rob you.” He Wei picked up the wine jug on the table and shook it by his ear. Hearing it didn’t have much, he directly poured the jug into his mouth. 

“You–” the middle-aged man, known as Old Ghost Demon Lu, had barely uttered a word when he was interrupted by a smiling old man. 

“Alright, all of us came for the purpose of accepting disciples, let’s not bicker anymore.” 

This old man was also of great prestige, and old demon Lu forcefully swallowed his sentence back down. He Wei also put down his jug of wine, and no longer yawned, instead, he put the plate of fruit on the table into his mouth. 

It wasn’t until the appearance of a young rogue cultivator with a mutant thunder spirit root that the flying palace became lively again.

He Wei swallowed the fruit that had just been stuffed into his mouth, and said ambiguously, “Thunder spirit root is suitable for practicing the sword.” 

The smiling old man from before, who resolved the dispute, added on, “Thunder, upright and plainspoken, is also very suitable for practicing Haoran Qi. 

“My hands have calculated, fate relates this child to our sect.” Tianyin Sect’s Immortal Yuntian looked at the mirror in front of him, watching the uneasy rogue cultivator. 

Only the Old Ghost Demon’s ugly face gave a cold snort, not participating in the contest. After all, thunder spirit root will have a difficult time learning the ghost technique. 

He Wei said: “Thunder spirit root is very suitable for fighting with others! What practice Haoran Qi, aren’t you just interfering with other people’s children?” 

The old man shook his head: “No, no, thunder and lighting contain the true meaning of Haoran. If he entered Haoran Gate, he’d easily get twice the result with half the effort.”

Immortal Yuntian: “I’ve counted, this child and my Sect are related by fate.”

The remaining two people: “……”

When the figure of the young rogue cultivator left, and the next candidate appeared, the several people all stopped arguing. After seeing that the person’s bones were only merely three spirit roots, they returned to competition over the last candidate. 

Until the appearance of a new five spirit root body, these peoples’ topic of argument changed only once.

The emergence of Lin Zhizhi made these elders reach a new high tide (…).

In the split second of seeing that golden light, He Wei jumped up and slapped his hands on the table: “Lin Clan’s boy is truly a heavenly spirit root! He’s simply born for sword cultivation!” 

This time, Old Ghost Demon Lu finally found a chance to interrupt: “The previous few people belong to you—this boy, give him to Yinquan, and in not even two hundred years, he’ll be one of our generation!”

The old man finally did not laugh this time, speaking particularity seriously with passion, “Haoran Gate needs him, and he needs the Haoran Gate more.” 

Immortal Yuntian gazed at the delicate side profile of the young youth in the mirror. He closed his eyes slightly, then his eyes flashed: “I’ve pinched my fingers and calculated, this child and my Sect have a predestined affinity.” 

The other three: “…………”

“Lin Zhizhi, excellent name, from ‘to have innate knowledge,’” Lin Quan surely hopes for him to enter my Haoran Gate.” The old man took a different approach, starting from the origin of Lin Zhizhi’s name, and occupied the great righteousness of father and son. 

He Wei, who had never been committed to the convoluted and over-elaborate mumbo-jumbo of Confucianism, waved a hand: “I believe it’s not easy for Lin Zhizhi to grow up like this, if he went with you Haoran Gate people learning Haoran Qi like a Buddhist monk, wouldn’t it blind his face stoic?” 

“What Buddhist monk, it is just that you cannot prematurely break the Yuanyang 2 body before learning our techniques!” The old man refuted: “The day he reaches core formation, he can find any companion, and our elders can testify marriage for them.” 

Old Ghost Demon Lu butted in: “My Yinquan doesn’t have so many rules! However many people you want you can have them! He’s best suited for Yinquan!” 

These elders vigorously made great efforts to get excellent disciples for their sects, arguing and arguing till they almost had to be forcefully torn apart. 

The spiritual master from before came from the Lan Clan, and when he saw that other cultivation clans’ Di sons had such extraordinary talent, his mouth should’ve been in agreement with his own Sect’s elders, but his heart was filled with jealousy: this Su, Lin, these two families, how could they be so lucky?! All heavenly roots, they must be spoiled, look out during the first level illusion or you’ll be swept down!

Hearing the quarrel in the temple hall, the lord of the palace, who had been sitting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes: “Stop fighting. When all the trials are over, do not forget, the person ranking first has the option to choose themselves.” 

As soon as his words sounded, the people within the palace looked at each other in dismay, quieting down into tranquility. 

The arguments between the sects’ elders, none of the candidates taking part in the conference know of it yet. After experiencing the bone mirror, what awaits them is their heart’s journey.

Lin Zhizhi’s namesake – Lin Zhizhi’s zhizhi (知之)，is from the idiom 林父希望他生而知之。It means “to have innate knowledge.”1. 

Yuanyang – Yuanyang, or yuanyin (from Yang&Yin) are considered the most important Yang & Yin Qi inside the body. Traditional Chinese medicine believes they’re stored inside the kidneys. In this context, specifically Yuanyang, is the driving force behind the kidneys functions and the source of vitality in the human body.2. 

The author wasn’t kidding when they said the mc is a op golden-fingered overwhelming beauty