This Emei Sect, I'm Definitely Joining

"Emei Sect is opening its gates to accept disciples, treating all equally. Aptitude, character, and endurance—none may be lacking. Those who place in the top ten across the two gate-entry trials may enter the inner sect. The rest shall enter the outer sect and serve as the foundation of our Emei Sect!"

Master Juechen's voice was clear as her gaze slowly swept across the crowd. In those eyes that seemed to see through the ways of the world, Gu Shaoan's figure inexplicably stood out more sharply than those around him.

"However, remember this well: the essence of Emei Swordplay and the core Internal Cultivation Method are secrets passed down only to the inner sect. Outer sect disciples shall learn the Mountain Protection and Body Strengthening Technique and undertake cleaning and cultivation duties. Whether you improve or not depends on your own ability!"

Her words rang like struck metal, making clear the outer sect's position and restrictions.

The children present looked excited and expectant.

Gu Shaoan was no exception.

This Emei Sect—I'm definitely joining.

After sweeping her gaze around the crowd, Master Juechen nodded lightly.

A young female disciple beside Master Juechen waved down a command flag.

"First trial: Stone Steps Heart Questioning. Open Mountain Gate!"

With a rumble, the heavy wooden mountain gates slowly opened, revealing behind them a hundred-zhang stretch of bluestone steps, steep as a stairway to heaven.

Even more unnerving, nearly a hundred Emei Sect servants in gray cloth tunics stood at various points along the bluestone steps, arranged in pairs.

Beside them lay straight green bamboo poles as thick as an arm, or baskets filled with heavy sand, stone, and lumber.

As the gates opened, the Emei Sect servants hoisted the bamboo poles or baskets of materials and began descending from the mountain.

The bluestone steps, already only wide enough for two people abreast, immediately became crowded.

"Climb the steps! Do not collide with or obstruct those carrying materials! Those who reach the summit before midmorning pass!"

The moment the words fell, the crowd surged forward like a tide.

Everyone showed off their own abilities. Some leaped nimbly, while others lowered their heads and charged forward, all hoping to seize the advantage. Chaos erupted at once.

Gu Shaoan did not rush to the front.

He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and started forward with exceptionally firm steps.

He knew this trial tested one's foundation and resilience. Impatience was the greatest taboo.

The reason he knew was simple.

All three trials had been designed by him in the game.

Now, the boomerang of time and space had come back to chop him right in the face.

The stone steps were steep, and the bamboo and timber were heavy.

Within that narrow space, the two opposing streams of people inevitably clashed fiercely.

Every time a heavy bamboo pole or stone basket bore down on them head-on, it was like a moving obstacle course.

If anyone failed to dodge in time and was struck, an Emei Sect member would immediately use qinggong to carry them away.

Gu Shaoan's gaze was focused, his footsteps steady.

When the heavy footsteps of another group of servants carrying enormous baskets of sand and stone drew near, he had already spotted a gap in advance. He pressed himself against the damp, icy rock wall on the inner side of the path, like a stubborn stone nailed to the ground.

The heavy bamboo pole swept past the tip of his nose with a gust of wind, while the edge of the sand-and-stone basket barely brushed his clothes. There was not the slightest trace of fear on his face, only an air of certainty.

The servant carrying the pole glanced sideways, surprised to see this youth standing in precisely the right spot without causing them the slightest trouble.

Master Juechen stood at a high point, her hawk-like eyes surveying the chaotic scene on the stone steps, paying particular attention to how the contestants handled the points of conflict.

When her gaze passed over Gu Shaoan's area, she happened to see him complete another clean, decisive dodge.

Seeing his calm eyes, his steadiness so unlike his actual age, and that practiced yet unpretentious way of yielding, Master Juechen's brows eased by an almost imperceptible degree.

"Quite steady."

The faintest evaluation passed through her mind.

Meanwhile, Miejue, watching through the window of the cliffside pavilion, could not help nodding at Gu Shaoan's performance. She was clearly quite satisfied with the qualities he had displayed.

On the bluestone steps, Gu Shaoan advanced cautiously, weaving through the chaos and pressure like a fish through water.

Sweat soaked his clothes, and his calves ached as though they might split apart, yet his breathing never fell into disorder.

Those who had started with the greatest momentum were already panting like oxen, pressed so heavily by the transport teams that they could barely move another step.

Even Gu Shaoan was now drenched in sweat, beads constantly dripping from his jaw.

Damn it. If I'd known, I would've made Emei Sect's entry examination easier.

Though he grumbled inwardly, not a trace of it showed on Gu Shaoan's face.

Step after step, he climbed in silence and stubbornness, steadily overtaking one figure after another.

When the golden light of the sun finally broke through the thin mist atop the mountain and edged the towering jade archway in gold, Gu Shaoan stepped onto the final bluestone stair and stood firmly within Master Juechen's sight.

His chest rose and fell, sweat streaming from his temples and neck into his collar, but the determination on his face did not diminish in the slightest.

The disciple responsible for recording called out in a clear voice, "Gu Shaoan, first to reach the summit!"

Master Juechen's gaze settled on Gu Shaoan.

His face still held the youthful innocence of a boy, yet its lines were already distinct. His eyes, made brighter by sweat, and the stubborn curve of his tightly pressed lips all revealed this youth's exceptional resilience. What concerned her even more was—

the strange quality about him that made even her, known for her iron-faced severity, rarely find someone somewhat pleasing to the eye. Among the many girls who were bedraggled or barely holding on, his performance was as striking as a crane among chickens.

She did not say much. Her cool gaze paused only briefly on Gu Shaoan before turning toward the vast bluestone square beyond the archway.

Several sharp-eyed stewards stood there solemnly, awaiting orders.

The first trial alone had eliminated nearly thirty percent of the contestants.

The remaining people were led before a deep bamboo forest.

The emerald bamboo stretched like a sea, lush and dense. Thin mist drifted among the trees, and the paths appeared and vanished from view.

"Second trial: cross this Bewildering Bamboo Sea. Enter from the east and find the correct path to the western exit within half an incense stick's time. Those who succeed pass!"

Master Juechen announced it personally.

"The bamboo formation within changes according to its array. Markers may be hidden by the mist, and those with restless hearts will easily lose their way. Remember: calm your minds and discern clearly!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the command flag swung.

Countless figures immediately rushed into the bamboo forest.

At first, things were manageable. There were faint trails left by the Predecessors, but before long, everyone discovered that the forks ahead were growing more numerous.

Moreover, this bamboo forest was rather unusual. Though it was no longer early morning, mist still filled the grove. The bamboo grew denser and more alike, making it extremely easy to lose one's sense of direction.

Some grew anxious and charged about wildly, only to quickly discover they were going in circles;

some tried climbing the bamboo to look into the distance, only to find layer upon layer of bamboo leaves overhead, blocking any view of what lay far away;

others, irritated and careless, stepped where they should not have and triggered simple traps or alarms. A bamboo whistle sounded softly, and Emei Sect disciples immediately appeared to escort them away, declaring them eliminated.

The moment Gu Shaoan entered the bamboo forest, he sensed an atmosphere different from the wild mountains outside.

The air held a fresh bamboo fragrance, along with a faint, almost imperceptible sense of pressure.

Paths crisscrossed through the forest, broken and intermittent, while veil-like mist flowed between the bamboo stalks and obscured one's view.

Unlike the others, he did not become agitated. Instead, he stopped not far from the entrance, drew several breaths of air scented with crisp bamboo and damp earth, and swept his sharp gaze over his surroundings.

He appeared relaxed, but he was actually observing the entire bamboo forest.

At times, he bent down to inspect the ground; at others, he raised his head to observe the gaps between the bamboo branches and the direction in which the mist drifted above.

Sometimes, he even rubbed a pinch of soil between his fingers or pressed his hand against a bamboo stalk to feel the difference in temperature.

The second trial, the Bewildering Bamboo Sea, seemed simple—one merely had to find the exit—but Gu Shaoan knew that this Emei Sect bamboo forest had been built according to the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams.

It was of little use against those with powerful qinggong, but for children like them, only eleven or twelve years old, finding the exit in a short time without understanding the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams was quite difficult.

The most straightforward method was exactly what Gu Shaoan was doing: following the direction in which the bamboo grew to determine the way out.

Above the bamboo sea, Master Juechen stood atop a stalk of emerald bamboo and looked down at the orderly Gu Shaoan below. She could not help nodding again.

"To think he realized so quickly that he could use the bamboo's growth direction. Not bad."

A quarter of an hour later, outside the bamboo sea, as Gu Shaoan emerged, the disciple responsible for recording called out clearly once more, "Gu Shaoan, first!"

As for Gu Shaoan, after bowing to the recording disciple and Master Juechen's group beside her, he quietly walked to one side. His back stood straight as bamboo, his bearing naturally apparent.

Several Emei Sect elders nodded to themselves.