The Golden Light Sect towered above many magnificent peaks.
Outside the mountain gate, countless displaced people slowly moved along the winding stone steps like ants crawling over a strip of greenstone.
Su Hao followed the flow of people, his expression numb. He had no interest in the Golden Light Sect's splendid mountain scenery. No matter how beautiful the view was, he would rather have holed up in the cramped rented apartment from his previous life.
"Hahaha, so this is a sacred immortal sect! What an immortal's grandeur!
Old Su, we've struck it rich this time.
Immortals can move mountains and fill seas, and destroy a kingdom with one finger. Let alone joining an immortal sect—even becoming servants here would make those imperial relatives green with envy!
As expected, surviving a great disaster brings great fortune!"
Beside Su Hao, his sworn brother Zhang Yunfei was as excited as if he had been injected with chicken blood. He had already emphasized this so-called immortal opportunity more than once.
The Qin Kingdom was mired in internal strife, leaving countless commoners homeless.
Of the more than one hundred thousand refugees, fewer than one in ten successfully reached the Golden Light Sect.
Su Hao's original body and Zhang Yunfei had been sworn brothers for more than a decade. It was thanks to Zhang Yunfei's care that he had survived this exodus.
A trace of yearning appeared in Su Hao's eyes as he looked at the Golden Light Sect disciples and the several flying-ship-shaped magical artifacts hovering in midair. If he could become one of them, it truly would be a great opportunity.
His gloomy mood improved considerably, although... the Golden Light Sect's disciples were all dressed in black robes, each one gloomy and sinister. However he looked at them, they didn't seem like good people.
After hearing Zhang Yunfei's words, some nearby refugees were stirred to the depths of their souls and had already fallen into fantasies of becoming immortal-sect disciples.
"Old Su, I'll cover you from now on." Zhang Yunfei lowered his voice and spoke with complete confidence. "I can definitely become an official disciple, not a servant!"
Su Hao stared strangely at Zhang Yunfei as he watched a translucent panel gradually float into view.
Name: Zhang Yunfei Realm: None Talent: Fire Elemental Sword Physique (Blue): Intermediate Sword Dao Talent, with decent comprehension and cultivation efficiency for Fire Element Cultivation Methods.
"Mm, I believe you. With your skills and foundation, Brother Zhang, you do indeed have far more of a chance than ordinary people like us."
Su Hao nodded hesitantly.
As long as he focused his mind, he could see the so-called panels displaying his targets' information, including his own.
This ability to see other people's basic information had suddenly awakened one day ten days ago.
Name: Su Hao Realm: None Talent: None
Among the many refugees Su Hao had come into close contact with, Zhang Yunfei was the only one with a talent—and it was even a blue talent!
Most of those Golden Light Sect disciples only had white talents!
Zhang Yunfei was definitely going to join the Golden Light Sect!
Su Hao, on the other hand, was more worried about his own future. Clinging tightly to Zhang Yunfei's coattails was the wisest choice.
Zhang Yunfei spoke with animated brows, "No, no, no. Skills and physique aren't important at all. If you want to cultivate immortality, talent and physique are what matter!
"I once happened to meet an old immortal. He tested my aptitude and said I possessed the Fire Elemental Sword Physique and was born to be a Sword Cultivator!
"Once he finished handling his affairs, he was going to take me to his sect and make me his personal disciple.
"Who would've thought I'd encounter war before I could find him?
"Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it. The Golden Light Sect shouldn't be bad either! Once they discover my talent, they'll naturally treat me like a treasure!"
The more Zhang Yunfei spoke, the more excited he became. He could already see himself astonishing a crowd of cultivators with one brilliant feat!
He then patted Su Hao on the shoulder. "I'll cover you from now on!"
"Thank you, Brother Zhang." Su Hao forced a smile.
Thousands upon thousands of refugees gathered in the square halfway up the mountain, noisy and chaotic.
The Golden Light Sect disciples were cold and gloomy, until an Old Man in Red Robes appeared.
The old man held an object resembling a Kongming Lantern in his hands. The moment he appeared, countless disciples bowed in reverence.
The square instantly fell deathly silent. An inexplicable fear lingered in everyone's hearts, and they lowered their heads without even realizing it.
Su Hao was no exception. He instinctively avoided the old man's sinister gaze as it swept across the square and lowered his head.
Only Zhang Yunfei stood proudly, his eyes shining.
"Huh?"
The Old Man in Red Robes looked at Zhang Yunfei thoughtfully. Only after a while did a wicked smile curl across his lips.
He flicked his finger, and a drop of blood essence shot from his fingertip and landed on the object. "Blood Lantern Soul Illumination, let the spiritual light reveal itself... Life Controlling Lantern, arise!"
The blood essence spread like ink, dyeing the Kongming Lantern red.
It emitted a bloody glow and slowly rose, drifting eerily above the square.
The crimson light gradually covered the crowd.
Everyone it illuminated felt ice-cold from head to toe, filled with trepidation.
Of the more than ten thousand people, only four manifested strange phenomena, with unusual light appearing around them.
Zhang Yunfei was the most striking of all. Flames surged from his body like a roaring inferno, and the fire faintly took the shape of a sword.
"Tsk, tsk. No wonder he's so arrogant. So he possesses the Fire Elemental Sword Physique!"
"Excellent, truly excellent! Wonderful!"
"..."
The light faded, and the magical artifact returned to the old man's hands.
Holding the lantern, he drifted over to Zhang Yunfei. His gaze burned so fiercely that Zhang Yunfei's scalp crawled. The old man reached out and touched him all over. "A pillar of the sect, a pillar of the sect! A talent rarely seen in a decade!"
More than a hundred black-robed disciples were overjoyed. Some of them crowded around, their behavior almost frenzied.
Zhang Yunfei's proud confidence melted away in the strange atmosphere. Fear and unease gradually surfaced in his heart. He hurriedly clasped his hands and bowed. "I... I... Immortal Master, I'm willing to join the Golden Light Sect and become one of its members. I'll serve at your beck and call, even if it costs me my life!"
"Hahahaha, good, good!
"There's already an opportunity for you to serve before us!
"Let your light and heat shine for my Golden Light Sacred Sect. Become a pillar and foundation of the Sacred Sect's Myriad Souls Pagoda, exist alongside my Sacred Sect for all eternity, and bring glory throughout the ages!"
The Old Man in Red Robes pressed down on Zhang Yunfei's shoulder. His smile was radiant, but his voice grew increasingly chilling.
Zhang Yunfei had just raised his hands to bow and respond humbly when his expression suddenly changed. He let out a shrill scream, his entire face twisting grotesquely.
The old man's hand seemed to possess a terrifying suction force. In an instant, Zhang Yunfei's body locked up, his flesh shrank, his veins bulged, and his eyes protruded and burst. Blood flowed from all seven orifices.
"Ah!"
His scream echoed across the entire square.
From the translucent mist scattering from Zhang Yunfei, his pained and twisted face emerged. Along with his blood, it was sucked into the magical artifact.
Within a few breaths, Zhang Yunfei changed from a living person into a rigid, ashen corpse. His body was shriveled and desiccated, while the magical artifact shone brilliantly.
With laughter and idle conversation, that old man had killed Zhang Yunfei.
The tragedy unfolding at such close range left Su Hao completely dumbfounded. He collapsed onto the ground, staring at the corpse. His sworn brother, who had been so full of life moments ago, had become a dried corpse in the blink of an eye!
Zhang Yunfei's talent had clearly been better than those disciples'. How had he died just like that?
"I'll personally make the trip and send him to the Myriad Souls Pagoda... Junior Brother Lin, I'll leave the remaining affairs to you. Take good care of the three with some cultivation aptitude for now. We'll discuss them again in a few days."
Su Hao watched helplessly as the Old Man in Red Robes carried Zhang Yunfei's corpse away, panic surging through him.
Where Zhang Yunfei had stood, a faint flame now remained. It seemed no one noticed as it suddenly shot into Su Hao's body.
"Talent Power 'Fire Elemental Sword Physique' detected. Absorb it?"
Su Hao was jolted awake by a cold, emotionless voice in his mind and noticed the Talent Power Zhang Yunfei had left behind.
Should I absorb it?
Zhang Yunfei had only just died tragically in front of him.
The moment Su Hao thought of possibly following in Zhang Yunfei's footsteps, he did not dare absorb it at all.
"Ten breaths have passed. Automatically absorbing Talent Power 'Fire Elemental Sword Physique.'"
Name: Su Hao Realm: None Talent: Fire Elemental Sword Physique (Blue): Intermediate Sword Dao Talent, with decent comprehension and cultivation efficiency for Fire-type sword techniques and cultivation methods.
"It's over..."
Su Hao's face went deathly pale. His whole body trembled uncontrollably, and his legs weakened so badly he nearly fell.
Zhang Yunfei had died so horribly precisely because of the Fire Elemental Sword Physique!
No one paid any attention to Su Hao's abnormal state.
At that moment, fear spread across the square, and screams of madness rang out everywhere.
Some people tried to flee. What kind of immortal sect was this? They treated people like pigs and dogs, killing them whenever they pleased. Staying behind was certainly a dead end!
Without exception, everyone who tried to escape was killed.
"The three with cultivation aptitude will be provisional disciple candidates. Take good care of them.
"Those with abundant vital essence and yang energy will be sent to Joy Peak.
"Those with abundant physical strength and blood energy will be sent to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall.
"Those who fail to meet the requirements for both vital essence and physical strength will be sent to Death Peak!"
The steward in charge assigned them with an expressionless face.
A black paper crane wreathed in black mist drifted down three zhang away.
A Daoist with graying temples stepped down from the paper-crane artifact and politely bowed to the steward. "Junior Brother Zhang, I need thirty people as medicine slaves."
"Oh? Of course, Senior Brother Lin. Shall I pick them out for you?" The steward ingratiatingly stepped forward.
"No need. Just choose thirty people from this area."
The Daoist pointed to the left. Su Hao was among those within the indicated area.
"A medicine slave should be a servant who helps tend the medicinal fields and grow medicinal herbs, right?"
Su Hao somehow became one of the thirty.
Compared to being sent to some Death Peak, being a medicine slave seemed pretty good. If he could choose, going to the Miscellaneous Affairs Hall would work too. Or perhaps Joy Peak?
As for avenging Zhang Yunfei... he truly lacked the ability!
"Brother Zhang, if I can survive, I'll avenge you once I have the ability someday! But for now, I'll have to let it go..."
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