The youths climbed onto the beds one after another. In the cold wind, they could only helplessly accept the filthy, hard communal sleeping platform and the damp, mold-reeking thin quilts. All they wanted was a good night's rest to wash away the exhaustion of traveling day and night, so they could face tomorrow's final test and write a new chapter in their lives.
Xu Yu lay close beside Qin Haoxuan, his lips turning bluish-purple from the cold beneath the thin quilt. It was not just Xu Yu—even the sturdy, healthy Qin Haoxuan and the other new disciples felt the bone-piercing chill.
In the dim candlelight, a black hand reached toward Xu Yu and yanked away the quilt tightly wrapped around him.
Xu Yu cried out in fright. It was a sturdy youth beside him. After snatching Xu Yu's quilt, he glared and cursed, "What are you yelling for? If you have the guts, take it back!"
After being shouted at, Xu Yu's eyes brimmed with aggrieved tears. Frail as he was, he did not dare argue on principle. At a time like this, reason was useless—whoever had the harder fists had the right.
Qin Haoxuan, beside Xu Yu, had seen everything. The quilt-snatcher's righteous indignation made his rage shoot skyward. If not for the fact that he had just arrived and did not want to draw too much attention, he would have punched him long ago.
"Come, let's share a bed. It'll be warmer this way!" Qin Haoxuan pulled over Xu Yu, who had curled into a ball from the cold, and gave him half his quilt. But the quilt was far too small, so he had no choice but to hold Xu Yu in his arms.
Xu Yu's pale, frozen face instantly reddened until it was scorching hot. Held in Qin Haoxuan's arms, he did not dare move at all.
Holding Xu Yu, Qin Haoxuan did not feel embarrassed. There was nothing strange about two men sharing a quilt. A faint fragrance from Xu Yu drifted into his nose, even diluting the foul moldy stench of the bedding.
Once the precedent of stealing quilts had been set, the shivering youths suddenly saw the light. Several boys who considered themselves strong began openly robbing others, while those being robbed fought desperately to defend their quilts. Fights immediately broke out in several places, blazing like fire.
Not far from Qin Haoxuan, Li Jing was also itching to make a move. At the signal from his eyes, several wealthy young men beside him swaggered off to seize quilts.
These wealthy youths had trained in martial arts since childhood, and their physical condition far surpassed that of the other boys. The moment they stepped out, they grabbed several quilts. Anyone who resisted was savagely beaten until their faces were bruised and swollen, and after that, no one dared resist again.
Quilt-snatching turned into quilt-collecting, and before long, they came to Qin Haoxuan.
The wealthy youth named Murong Chao grabbed Qin Haoxuan's quilt and yanked. Qin Haoxuan, who had only just warmed up, was suddenly chilled through. Xu Yu shuddered, and cold and frightened, tears streamed down his face.
Without another word, Qin Haoxuan sprang up from the bed like a carp flipping over, a muffled roar of force rumbling from his chest.
Smack!
His fist slammed into Murong Chao's face.
Murong Chao flew sideways like a fallen leaf in the wind, crashing onto the ground one or two meters away. He could not get up for a long while.
Only when Murong Chao let out a miserable cry of pain did the others come to their senses. One by one, they stared dumbfounded at Qin Haoxuan's astonishing fists and kicks.
Murong Chao came from a military family and had practiced martial arts since childhood. What he had learned were all battlefield killing techniques, and his reaction speed was the fastest among them.
The strongest, Murong Chao, had been knocked down by Qin Haoxuan with one punch. Just as the other wealthy youths were about to steel themselves and rush him together, Li Jing, who had remained silent all along, spoke up. "Insolent! Who told you to disturb Brother Qin's rest?"
The wealthy youths immediately stopped. Though they feared Li Jing to some extent, they feared the beast-like ferocity of Qin Haoxuan even more.
Yet Murong Chao, who had just climbed up from the ground, did not care about any of that. With a strange shriek, he drew a dagger from his waist and stabbed at Qin Haoxuan. The distance was short and his speed was extreme; the dagger hissed as it tore through the air.
Qin Haoxuan, as if he had grown eyes on his side, was clearly no pushover. He seized Murong Chao's wrist with a backhanded grab and locked onto his artery. The dagger in Murong Chao's hand must have been a fine weapon capable of slicing iron like mud; when it fell, it plunged deeply into the ground, leaving only the hilt exposed.
Still gripping Murong Chao, Qin Haoxuan kicked him in the backside and sent him stumbling away, then glared coldly at Li Jing, the mastermind behind it all.
Qin Haoxuan's ruthless skill truly stunned Li Jing. He thought, This man has some ability. If I can draw him into my camp, he would make a fine helping hand.
He walked over and sternly reprimanded Murong Chao and the others, then picked up Qin Haoxuan's quilt from the ground and stuffed it back into his hands. Showing goodwill, he said, "The final test is early tomorrow morning. Brother Qin, rest early."
Qin Haoxuan continued sleeping with Xu Yu in his arms. Though scattered disputes over quilts still broke out, no one dared steal from Qin Haoxuan again.
Zhang Kuang secretly rejoiced that Qin Haoxuan had offended Prince Li Jing the moment he arrived. Was the Third Prince someone he could afford to offend?
Since tomorrow was the final test, Qin Haoxuan forcibly suppressed his urge to go treasure-hunting in Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley. Tomorrow's test was extremely important; it would be bad if he went in drowsy and without energy.
The next day, while the sky was still dim, three crisp bell chimes rang out. The more than two hundred youths immediately climbed from their beds, tidied their clothes, and hurried to gather in the open space before the row of houses.
Led by the Daoist guide from the previous night, they ate breakfast, passed through rows of exquisite buildings, and headed for the site of the final test.
After walking for roughly half an hour, the Daoist guide brought them to an open-air square. The senior experts of Taichu Sect responsible for the final test had been waiting for a long time. An old man dressed as a Daoist, with the bearing of an immortal, stood surrounded by them. He was Taichu Sect's leader, True Lord Huang Long.
The final entry test for new disciples was a first-rate event for every major sect, and Taichu Sect was no exception. This year, even True Lord Huang Long, who had been in secluded cultivation for a long time, had come in person.
After incense was burned to honor Heaven, True Lord Huang Long personally announced the start amid ethereal immortal music. An elder stepped onto the platform and declared the content of the final test.
"This test will examine the degree of your talent and the quality of your aptitude!"
Some Taichu Sect disciples recognized that the elder standing atop the platform—with white hair and beard, dressed in a green Daoist robe, and possessing quite the bearing of an immortal—was actually True Person Luoye. True Person Luoye was even the martial uncle of True Lord Huang Long, the sect leader. His seniority within Taichu Sect was extremely high. He cultivated in seclusion year-round and rarely showed his face.
With both him and True Lord Huang Long appearing together, along with the many elders in the stands, it was clear how seriously they regarded this final test.
True Person Luoye said, "Immortal Seeds are divided by strength into Colored Immortal Seeds and Colorless Immortal Seeds. Colorless Immortal Seeds are further divided into full and unfull types, while Colored Immortal Seeds come in seven colors: gray, brown, cyan, orange, crimson, gold, and purple."
After explaining the ranks of Immortal Seeds, True Person Luoye paused, then said, "Once the testing is complete, regardless of whether your Immortal Seed is strong or weak, I hope none of you become arrogant or discouraged. A cultivator's ultimate achievements cannot be settled once and for all by the quality of their aptitude. Effort after birth can also make up for deficiencies inherited at birth!"
The test began. As True Person Luoye called out names, dozens of new disciples were tested in succession. Yet every one of them possessed weak, unfull Colorless Immortal Seeds.
The upper ranks of the sect remained calm. Even if every new disciple had a weak seed, that would be perfectly normal. Strong Colored Immortal Seeds were things one could seek but not obtain; it would already be good enough if one or two of these two hundred disciples had full Colorless Immortal Seeds.
"Next, Zhang Yang of Datian Town!"
Zhang Yang stepped onto the testing platform and placed his hand on the Clear Mirror Immortal Eye.
As True Person Luoye infused it with a thread of immortal spiritual energy, the Clear Mirror Immortal Eye immediately flashed with gray light.
"Gray Seed!"
True Lord Huang Long abruptly rose to his feet, disbelief blazing in his eyes. The wild joy in his heart could not be hidden from his dignified face. A Gray Seed! This was a Gray Seed! Over a hundred years of a sect's inheritance, it might not recruit even one disciple with an outstanding Immortal Seed like a Gray Seed!
As long as they had such a Gray Seed, Taichu Sect would have no worries for the next two hundred years, perhaps even longer. So long as Zhang Yang could grow, he might even become Taichu Sect's next sect leader! The current sect leader himself had also possessed a Gray Seed when his Immortal Seed was tested!
Perhaps an individual's Immortal Destiny would differ greatly in the future, but this Gray Seed would certainly become a pillar of Taichu Sect someday!
The elders in the stands rose excitedly as well. Amid the joy, excitement, and shock on their faces, traces of hostility also surfaced between them.
With such an outstanding Gray Seed, who would not want to take him as a disciple? In the future, their own lineage might well become the one that governed Taichu Sect.
"Martial Uncle Huang Long, our Gu Yun Hall lineage has not accepted a disciple in a long while. This time, I see that child below named Zhang Yang has the destiny of master and disciple with our Gu Yun Hall lineage. Why not have Martial Uncle Huang Long decide that, after the Immortal Seedling stage, he will join our Gu Yun Hall lineage?"
The other elders all turned their gazes toward the plump immortal master who had spoken. He was not tall, but his body was round and fat. The smile on his face was exceedingly kind, while his goatee trembled repeatedly with his chin as he spoke, giving him quite the air of an immortal.
Feeling the gazes of the others, the plump immortal master smiled faintly and cupped his hands toward them. "Senior brothers, junior brothers, and junior sisters, are you all looking at me because you agree as well? Then Gu Yunzi offers his thanks..."
"Gu Yunzi, since when did I hear that you understood physiognomy and divination? How do you know this child is fated to be with you? From what I see, this child has some destiny of master and disciple with my Xiayun Hall instead. In our Taichu Sect, the Six Yao Divination of our Xiayun Hall is beyond anyone's reach."
Gu Yunzi rolled his fat eyes and followed the voice to the gaunt Daoist who had spoken. This old Daoist wore a purple Daoist robe and looked more like a red envelope than an immortal cultivator. "Senior Brother Xia Yunzi, every time someone has entered the sect over the past ten years, you have snatched them away. Five years ago, you even snatched Chi Ming, that full Immortal Seed. Surely not every good seed can enter your Xiayun Hall?"
"I agree with Gu Yunzi... Your Xiayun Hall already has quite a few good seedlings. If we give you another, Heaven's law will not allow it!"
Bi Zhuzi, dressed like a scholar and carrying a rather transcendent air, hurriedly spoke up. "Martial Uncle Sect Leader, Patriarch Luoye, my Bi Zhu Hall has always remained above worldly disputes. Our disciples are even more free of distracting thoughts, wholeheartedly cultivating outstanding disciples for the sect and carrying forward the glory of our Taichu Sect. Zhang Yang has considerable spiritual roots. If he joins Bi Zhu Hall, he will surely burst forth with dazzling brilliance!"
Gu Yunzi and Xia Yunzi repeatedly rolled their eyes. Only then did they realize that Bi Zhuzi's usual appearance of remaining above worldly disputes and being incomparably lofty had all been an act. Tempted by a Gray Immortal Seed, he had finally revealed his fox's tail.
Cough, cough. A clear female voice, like an oriole emerging from a valley, rang out. "Senior brothers, my Hundred Flowers Hall has always accepted only female disciples. Its yin energy is too heavy, lacking a touch of yang vigor. Given the generous breadth of your hearts, senior brothers, surely you will let Zhang Yang join my Hundred Flowers Hall?"
Su Baihua's Hundred Flowers Hall stood alone within Taichu Sect. Its disciples were all women and were often on the minds of disciples from the other halls. Accepting women but not men was an unwritten rule of Hundred Flowers Hall, yet Su Baihua unexpectedly wanted to make an exception.
"Not appropriate, not appropriate!" Gu Yunzi shook his head as he pulled a white jade bottle from his robes.
The moment the white jade bottle appeared, a rich immortal aura instantly filled the entire platform.
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