Sect

Leaning against the wall, Luo Wei looked up, a hint of reminiscence on his face. He spoke slowly, "Sect assessments... Sun Lei, you must have heard of the Sects when you were in school, right?"

In response to Luo Wei's question, Sun Lei nodded. While forcefully cutting at the Flame Marsh Lizard's claw, he said, "Captain, even though I'm not good at studying, I know about things like this!"

"Sects are four organizational bodies established for the special profession in our Dragon Country – the Qi Cultivators!"

"I recall that the Spirit Sword Sect, Heavenly Soul Valley, Ten Thousand Treasures Hall, and Miscellaneous Sect, correspond to the four basic professional types: melee, ranged, support, and life skills, respectively."

"Am I correct?"

Luo Wei nodded and said to the smug Sun Lei, "You're correct, but that's just the basic information about the Sects."

"Hmph...!"

Sun Lei forcefully ripped off a Flame Marsh Lizard's claw, panting heavily. He said, "Captain, our school is just the most ordinary school in the city. What detailed information could we possibly know? If I knew, I wouldn't be asking you."

"Hahaha... Sects are truly great places!"

Huo Lian was amused by Sun Lei's words. She covered her stomach, bent over, and continued laughing, "Whether it's resources, martial skills, social status, or social security, joining a Sect is a hundred times better than anywhere else!"

"It's that good?! Isn't that even better than the City Guard? How come I've never heard anyone else mention it?"

Sun Lei stopped what he was doing and looked at Huo Lian in confusion.

Huo Lian spread her hands and shook her head, saying, "Because it's useless even if you know. Sects operate on a recommendation system. Without a recommendation, you can never join a Sect."

"And only geniuses with extraordinary talent can qualify for the assessment."

Luo Wei lowered his head and looked at Sun Lei, his tone calm, "Don't be envious. Don't think that joining a Sect is entirely a good thing. With benefits, there naturally come costs!"

"What kind of cost is that?"

Sun Lei asked curiously, wiping the Magic Core in his hand.

Hearing this, Luo Wei couldn't help but show a hint of envy and admiration. He said, "They are the main force guarding Dragon Country, and like our City Guard, they are under official jurisdiction."

"However, the duty of Qi Cultivators is not to guard cities, but to resist the monsters that continuously emerge from the border Realm Gates."

"This is a duty that Qi Cultivators must fulfill. The relatively stable era we have now is all thanks to their battles."

"However, I heard that less than one-tenth of the Qi Cultivators who go to the border survive each year. I don't know what the future will hold..."

As Luo Wei spoke, a hint of emotion appeared on his face. He recalled that when he was young, he also had the opportunity to join a Sect.

Unfortunately, that Sect assessment made him realize what true genius was, and he left in disappointment.

Upon hearing Luo Wei's words, Sun Lei's eyes widened, and he gasped, baring his teeth.

"So becoming a Qi Cultivator is that dangerous? Then why would anyone still want to join? But I also want to go to the border Realm Gates to see..."

Hearing Sun Lei's words, Luo Wei couldn't help but shake his head. He burst into laughter.

"Hahaha... Kid, as long as there's a sliver of a chance to become stronger, those self-proclaimed geniuses will flock to it and fight for it!"

"The scenery that only the strong can see is more attractive than anything else!"

"How can mere death stop these people from moving forward?"

Sun Lei immediately stood up upon hearing this, ran to Luo Wei's side, and looked at him expectantly. He pointed at himself and asked, "Then Captain, do you think I have a chance?"

To his surprise, Luo Wei didn't even look at Sun Lei and immediately dismissed his fantasy.

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Sun Lei immediately felt unconvinced. He put his hands on his hips and shouted indignantly, "You haven't even tried, Captain! How do you know I can't do it!"

However, Luo Wei just shook his head and sighed, once again negating Sun Lei's words.

"You can at best be considered an ordinary genius, far from meeting the qualification standards."

Luo Wei recalled the scene deeply etched in his memory and said to Sun Lei, who still looked unconvinced, "Sects recruit Awakened Ones aged 10-18 who are Bronze Rank Level Ten. There are a total of [missing number] recommended slots nationwide!"

"However, out of these ten thousand geniuses, fewer than a thousand are accepted."

"Have you ever seen a Bronze Rank Warrior who could cut a trial stone, as hard as Orichalcum and as tall as a person, in half with a single sword strike, even shaving off half of the mountain behind it?"

"Have you ever seen a Mage who, at just Bronze Rank, could wield flames with a temperature of over ten thousand degrees and instantly melt hundreds of meters of iron mountain?"

"Have you ever seen an Archer who could shoot a coin fifteen kilometers away, yet was only at Bronze Rank?"

"These three were the first, second, and third place finishers when I took the assessment. They joined the Spirit Sword Sect and Heavenly Soul Valley, respectively."

"At that time, 453 people were admitted. Even the last-place finisher was a genius beyond the reach of ordinary people!"

Sun Lei, still unconvinced, froze upon hearing this, his face a mask of disbelief!

"This, this is talking about Bronze Rank Awakened Ones, right? Not Gold Rank Awakened Ones?!"

Sun Lei's voice trembled uncontrollably as he asked Luo Wei in astonishment.

Luo Wei, on the other hand, looked relieved and patted Sun Lei's shoulder with the air of someone who had been through it all.

"Shocked, aren't you? I was even more shocked than you when I saw it with my own eyes. Even I can't reach that kind of power now!"

Huo Lian nodded from the side, saying with emotion, "Yeah, the top three in my year were also monsters beyond imagination."

"Especially the first place, that monster Blacksmith flattened a piece of Cold Iron with one hammer strike, even making the hammer and anvil glow red!"

"The Spirit Sword Sect wanted to recruit him as a Sword Cultivator. In the end, the elders from the Ten Thousand Treasures Hall and the Spirit Sword Sect were cursing each other at the venue. They would have fought if no one had held them back."

Sun Lei's face showed a complex expression of shock, incomprehension, and immense envy.

Then, that expression deflated, and his dejected demeanor instantly amused both Luo Wei and Huo Lian.

"Hahaha... Kid, just stay in the City Guard. If you want to see for yourself, next year's quota could be yours!"

Luo Wei slapped Sun Lei on the back, making him stumble.

"Ouch—! That hurts!"

Sun Lei rubbed his sore back, twitching his lips. He sighed and added, "If I can't get admitted, is there any point in me going?"

"Of course! Go see how big the world is, and maybe you'll even join them?"

Luo Wei gave Sun Lei a thumbs-up, a wide smile splitting his face, making his teeth seem to sparkle.

Sun Lei was taken aback by Luo Wei's demeanor and managed a weak smile.

Huo Lian clapped her hands and said somewhat impatiently, "Alright, alright, let's talk about it when we get upstairs. I've had enough of being here."

"Ah, let's go!"

Luo Wei slung an arm around Sun Lei and headed back in the direction they came from.

"Speaking of which, how many materials did we collect this time?"

"Ah, Captain! We have twelve Bronze Rank claws, three Silver Rank ones, two hearts, and three Magic Cores..."

"Yeah! That's great. The team will give you a bonus based on your share!"

"Ah! Yes, thank you, Captain!"

"That's really good. Want to go for a drink later?"

"..."

In the darkness, a pair of eyes watched the three of them leave from a distance, a faint green light flickering within them.

Plop!

A Slime hopped over to the severed Flame Marsh Lizard and stretched its body to swallow it whole, then disappeared without a trace.

It was as if nothing had happened, and the bustling sewer returned to its usual quietude