Watching Qin Yuer's departing figure, Su Lin cannot understand why she smiled at him. However, before he can dwell on it any longer, an old man with long white hair and a flowing white beard steps forward. Though his body is slim, he carries an imposing aura as he stands before the crowd, his sharp eyes slowly sweeping across every participant.
"You all should know that you are now standing within the grounds of the Heaven's Dao Sect. The selection tests will begin tomorrow morning.
Until then, all boys and girls are to separate into their respective groups and follow those two disciples. They are students of our sect and will be responsible for taking care of you during your stay.
If you need anything before the tests begin tomorrow, you may ask them for assistance." As soon as the elder finishes speaking, two figures step forward—a young man and a young woman.
Following the elder's instructions, they separate the crowd into two groups, leading the boys and girls to their respective resting places.
"Brother Li, what do you think about that girl? I wonder who she is." In his excitement, Chen Hao asks Su Lin for his thoughts. However, Su Lin merely ignores him.
Seeing Su Lin's indifferent reaction, Chen Hao shrugs and begins chatting with the person beside him instead.
Meanwhile, Su Lin's mind is occupied by an entirely different matter.
'Heaven's Dao Sect...
Something about this place feels strange. From the moment I arrived until now, I've sensed a faint chill in the atmosphere. At times I can feel it clearly, while at other times it disappears completely.
And the people here... they're strange as well. It's as if none of them have any emotions.
Forget it. There's no point dwelling on it now. Su Lin, focus on tomorrow's selection test.'
When Su Lin arrives at his destination, he sees a large wooden building. As he steps inside, he finds a spacious hall that is still mostly empty. He and Chen Hao take seats in one corner.
Gradually, more people enter the hall. Before long, it is nearly filled with around two hundred young participants.
Judging by their clothing and demeanor, most of them appear to come from ordinary or small families. Seeing this, Su Lin begins to understand the sect's arrangements. They had not merely separated the boys from the girls—they had also divided the participants according to their family backgrounds.
The scene reminds him of the imperial examination. At the time, he had thought the seating arrangements were nothing out of the ordinary. However, after giving it more thought, he gradually comes to understand the true purpose behind the examination hall's actions.
Sometime later, food is brought to them. Their meal consists of a few sweet potatoes and a bowl of soup. After finishing his meal, Su Lin lies down where he is and soon falls asleep.
The next morning, as Su Lin lies asleep on the ground, he suddenly feels someone shaking his arm, trying to wake him.
Slowly he opening his eyes, and sees a familiar figure standing before him. It is Chen Hao.
Realizing that morning has arrived, Su Lin sits up and quietly straightens his wrinkled clothes before tidying his messy hair.
"Brother Li, hurry and get yourself ready. The instructor told us to prepare for the selection test. They'll be here in about an hour."
"Alright, Brother Chen." After speaking with Chen Hao, Su Lin goes outside to wash himself.
Along the way, he hears excited laughter and lively conversations, while others wear anxious expressions as they await the selection test. Despite the mixed emotions surrounding him, Su Lin never loses his determination to climb higher.
After preparing himself, Su Lin sits on a nearby rock, quietly contemplating his future. He wonders whether he will pass the selection test or not.
Some time later, as he is immersed in his thoughts, a commotion in the distance catches his attention. He rises to his feet and walks toward the source of the noise. As he approaches, he sees a well-built young man shouting at the other candidates.
"Listen, all of you! If anyone dares to act smart or tries to get ahead of me, I, Sun Ji, will make sure you regret it." Observing their reactions, Su Lin immediately understands Sun Ji's intent. He is attempting to suppress the others even before the selection begins.
In the jungle, the strong survive while the weak are eliminated, it is the law of the fittest.
"Everyone, the selection process will now begin. Please follow me." As each individual remains absorbed in their own thoughts, a deep, commanding voice echoes through their ears. Startled, they instinctively glance around, only to find that no one is present.
"Where are you all looking? I'm up here." Hearing the voice once again, everyone instinctively looks up toward the sky. There, they see one of the instructors standing atop a flying sword, hovering high above them.
Shortly afterward, once everyone has gathered outside, they follow the instructor as he leads them toward the examination grounds on his flying sword.
Along the way, Su Lin glances at the faces of the people around him, including Chen Hao. Nearly everyone wears a nervous expression as they await the selection test. However, Su Lin refuses to let anxiety take hold of him. He knows that if he cannot overcome something as simple as fear, then he has no right to walk the path of vengeance.
When they reach their destination, they find themselves back at the very place where the flying ships had first landed. After looking around, everyone quickly realizes where they are. Not long afterward, the girls arrive as well, gathering at the same location.
Everyone is filled with confusion, wondering what is happening and what is about to take place. While everyone is still filled with confusion, five elderly figures descend from the sky and land before the crowd.
Unlike the instructors they had seen before, none of them ride flying swords. Instead, they simply float through the air as if walking on solid ground, leaving everyone staring at them in stunned silence.
Upon witnessing this scene, a thought suddenly flashes through Su Lin's mind. They're just like Feng Yin and Uncle Hong... Are they at the same level as Uncle hong and feng yin?
"This old man is Elder Sima Tai. The elders standing beside me are my fellow brothers. Together, we shall oversee your entrance examination into the Heaven's Dao Sect.
If any of you have questions regarding the sect, you may ask them now." Among the five elders, the one standing in the center stepped forward and introduced himself along with his fellow elders.
He wore a crimson robe adorned with white patterns, a style shared by the other four elders. His long white hair, which nearly reached the ground, gave him a mysterious and dignified aura.
After everyone finishes asking their questions about the Heaven's Dao Sect, Elder Sima Tai slowly sweeps his gaze across the crowd.
Seeing that no one has anything more to ask, he nods slightly and speaks in a gentle yet authoritative voice.
"Now, this old man shall explain the details of the selection test...."
"This selection consists of three rounds, as most of you already know.
The first round will test your willpower. The second round will examine your constitution. The final round will determine your cultivation talent." After Elder Sima Tai finished speaking, his gaze slowly swept across the crowd.
A moment later, he spoke once more. This time, however, it was different. Although he stood far away, his voice echoed as though he were standing right beside each person's ear, causing many of the candidates to look around in astonishment.
"So, let us begin with the first test.
There are four hundred and seventy-two candidates present today. Your first task is simple. Climb the stone staircase before you and reach the summit. However, remember this well—we will only pass those who reach the top within six hours.
Your time begins now. Go."
When Su Lin hears the elder's instructions, he is momentarily stunned. Why do they want us to climb a flight of stairs? As countless thoughts race through his mind, a voice suddenly breaks his train of thought, pulling him back to reality.
"Brother Li, what are you hesitating for? Let's go!" It was Chen Hao. After speaking to Su Lin, he did not wait for a response and immediately turned, sprinting toward the stone staircase.
Snapping out of his daze, Su Lin realized what had happened. Gritting his teeth, he followed, running toward the stairs.
After all the candidates had rushed toward the stone staircase, the five elders rose into the air and flew toward the mountain's peak. As the five elders flew high above the mountain, one of them looked down at the candidates below with a faint smile.
Turning to the other four elders in their crimson robes, he said,
"It's just like the previous years. They all think it's going to be easy."
As the first few candidates stepped onto the stone staircase, a tremendous pressure suddenly descended upon them, as though each of them were carrying heavy buckets of water on their shoulders.
Witnessing this, Su Lin finally understood the purpose of the test.
However, the moment he stepped onto the first stair, an overwhelming pressure crashed down upon him. It felt as though his entire body was about to collapse under its weight.
"What is this pressure?!"