September 1.
The first day of registration for the Card Dropping Battle.
A White Feather Crane circled down from the sky. Just before it reached the ground, Li Shuidao leaped off and landed steadily on his feet.
"Brother Dao, good luck!" Li Shuilang shouted as he rode the White Cloud Crane.
"Don't worry!" Li Shuidao replied, cupping his fists toward him.
This was the plaza outside the Trial Hall. White Feather Cranes descended one after another.
The disciples landed one by one. Those who arrived riding White Feather Cranes or other flying beasts were generally quite young. The vast majority had come with their masters, and these young disciples wore expressions of nervous anticipation, as though they were about to face a trial of life and death.
By contrast, most of the eighteen-year-old disciples had made the journey on foot by themselves, deep helplessness showing on their faces.
The Five Poisons Sect was a demonic sect, and competition within it was brutally cruel.
The sect encouraged trials, and many Cultivation Families required their disciples to complete their first trial before the age of eighteen.
Trials were platforms built for disciples to slaughter one another.
Trials were like raising poisonous insects in a jar: the earlier you took part, the faster you could grow strong—but you might also die sooner.
The Family didn't care about that, though. They hoped to raise poisonous insects, too, so that a few more figures like Li Tianwu might emerge among the Li Family cultivators.
And what use was having more useless people?
They would only waste resources for nothing.
The Family had its own considerations. There was no right or wrong; people simply stood in different places.
Li Shuidao entered the Trial Hall alone.
A Trial Hall disciple greeted him with a smile and asked