Recruitment

It cost at least a thousand taels of silver just to enter the Gravity Chamber, and that was for a mere three hours!

Three hours was basically the limit. An ordinary person who could last one hour in the Gravity Chamber was already impressive; two hours made them a genius, and three hours put them in the monster category.

Yet the Treasure Pavilion charged by the three-hour block for every visit to the Gravity Chamber. It was clear just how heartless they were!

There was no way Shi Qingfeng could break through to the Blood Refining Realm in just a few days. So if he wanted to improve his combat strength, training in the Gravity Chamber was his best option.

Of course, he wasn't going to such lengths just because he'd suffered a setback at Zhou Heng's hands. In his eyes, Zhou Heng had merely caught him off guard and landed a sneak attack. The ones he considered his rivals were the other three at the Ninth Layer of Body Refining: Shen Xinqi and the others!

What a rich man!

They were both wealthy families from a small place, yet Shi Qingfeng could toss around thousands of taels and train in the Gravity Chamber every day. His wealth was clearly far beyond what the Zhou Family could match.

Zhou Heng snatched a jade box from the chest. Inside was the gallbladder of the Golden-Crowned Snake. If he sold it, it would fetch about five thousand taels of silver on the market. It was a considerable fortune, but after thinking it over, Zhou Heng put the box away again.

He'd better keep it. It could counteract all poisons and might save his life someday! And what price could possibly be put on one's life?

Knock, knock, knock. Someone rapped on the door.

Zhou Heng couldn't help sighing. He regretted showing off a few days ago. Now he couldn't get a moment's peace, with people coming to visit every so often. He walked over and opened the door. Standing outside was a strikingly handsome woman, dressed in a fitted emerald-green outfit that showed off her stunning figure. Her full, rounded breasts were especially captivating.

"My name is Shen Xinqi!" the beauty introduced herself openly. "Won't you invite me in?"

She certainly was quick to make herself at home.

Zhou Heng stepped aside. "Please."

So she was Shen Xinqi, one of the Four Great Talents and one of the most eye-catching prodigies in this Nine Spirits Sect Mountain-Opening Selection. Of course, there were far more than four talents across Fengyu City and its surrounding territory. Since the Three Great Sects divided the recruits among themselves, there had to be at least a dozen prodigies like her.

Once Shen Xinqi entered, Zhou Heng closed the door. There was a dangerous aura about her, one that even he could sense. He didn't think she had come to befriend him like the others.

"Miss Shen, what can I do for you?" Zhou Heng asked. He didn't even offer her tea or anything of the sort.

Shen Xinqi couldn't help feeling a little annoyed. Leaving aside her talent in martial arts, which earned her attention wherever she went, her bewitching looks alone had always served her well!

Was this brat blind? Couldn't he see how breathtakingly beautiful she was?

She took a breath and pushed down her irritation. "Brother Zhou is a straightforward man, so I won't beat around the bush. I'd like you to find an opportunity to join Elder Tianzhu's faction after entering the Nine Spirits Sect."

Elder Tianzhu?

Thoughts raced through Zhou Heng's mind. It seemed the Nine Spirits Sect was divided into factions, not united as one. Otherwise, why would anyone try to poach recruits?

It made sense. Even clans that shared the same surname were full of power struggles, let alone a sect.

He looked at Shen Xinqi and paused before asking, "Could Miss Shen give me a detailed introduction to the Nine Spirits Sect?"

"Of course." Shen Xinqi nodded. "The sect master is naturally the most powerful, but he devotes himself to cultivation and rarely manages sect affairs. So the sect is governed jointly by seven elders. Elder Tianzhu is one of them, and ranks second among the seven in strength."

Lin Fuxiang's father was quite a free-spirited man. How many people could treat power as nothing? But if he gave up so much authority, wasn't he afraid his subordinates would grow too powerful and overthrow him as sect master?

"Brother Zhou, Elder Tianzhu's faction may not yet be as powerful as Elder Sanjian's, but it isn't far behind. With your talent, Elder Tianzhu will surely cultivate you with all his care. You're bound to become a Spirit Gathering Realm powerhouse one day!"

Shen Xinqi was a capable persuader. For the vast majority of martial artists, the promise of reaching the Spirit Gathering Realm would be impossible to resist.

But Zhou Heng didn't want to "sell himself" to advance in martial arts. He believed in his own abilities and was certain he could break through to the Spirit Gathering Realm!

Still, she had come with good intentions, and he couldn't bring himself to reject her outright. "Let me think it over."

Shen Xinqi couldn't help looking disappointed. She'd thought Zhou Heng would readily agree. After all, a stunning beauty like her was inviting him to join her faction!

Truth be told, although she thought highly of Zhou Heng's potential, her main reason was the inn manager's attitude toward him. The man was at the Twelfth Layer of Body Refining. If Zhou Heng didn't have a Spirit Gathering Realm powerhouse backing him, why would the man show him such respect?

Winning Zhou Heng over would be like winning over one, or even several, Spirit Gathering Realm powerhouses. That would surely make Elder Tianzhu's faction much stronger. Her grandfather was the fourth disciple under Elder Tianzhu. If she accomplished this, her grandfather's standing in the elder's eyes would rise considerably.

"Brother Zhou, Elder Tianzhu is at the peak of the Third Heaven of the Spirit Gathering Realm. He's just one step away from completing Spirit Gathering and opening up his Dantian world, becoming an even stronger powerhouse of the Initial Division Realm!" Shen Xinqi continued to persuade him. "If you distinguish yourself, you might even qualify to enter Black Water Hall one day. That's something countless people would fight tooth and nail for!"

"Black Water Hall?" Zhou Heng couldn't help asking.

Shen Xinqi blinked her lovely eyes. She could tell that Zhou Heng really had no idea what it was, and wasn't pretending.

This guy didn't even know about Black Water Hall?

Suspicion immediately stirred in her heart. Could someone who didn't even know what Black Water Hall was really have a Spirit Gathering Realm powerhouse backing him?

Perhaps the inn manager had a grudge against the Shi Family and had deliberately taken Zhou Heng's side!

At that thought, Zhou Heng's standing in her eyes plummeted. Since he was being so lukewarm, she, the proud daughter of the Shen Family, had no reason to lower herself before him. She couldn't be bothered to say another word and rose to take her leave.

Zhou Heng had no idea what was going through her mind. He was completely baffled by her sudden change in attitude, and thought she was a most peculiar woman.

Seven days passed in the blink of an eye, and at last, the day of the Nine Spirits Sect Mountain-Opening Selection arrived.

That day, the young men and women staying at the inn left Fengyu City under the guidance of a middle-aged man. Once they were outside the city gates, the man stopped and said, "My name is Yu Dongcheng. I'll be your first examiner. Now we'll begin the first test!"

"Follow me and run until we reach the Nine Spirits Sect! Anyone who arrives more than three minutes after me will have failed the test and won't need to continue!"

The group exchanged glances. Then one person said, "Senior Yu, you're an expert of the Blood Refining Realm. How could we possibly keep up with you?"

"You needn't worry about that. I guarantee you'll be able to keep up with my pace. How long you can do so will depend on your stamina and willpower," Yu Dongcheng said calmly.

"Begin!"

He turned and strode forward. He seemed to be taking his time, yet every step carried him more than ten meters. In the blink of an eye, he had covered a hundred meters.

The young men and women didn't dare waste time. One after another, they used their footwork and set off after Yu Dongcheng. In an instant, more than a hundred people had formed a long line.

Yu Dongcheng hadn't lied. His speed was indeed only at the level of the Seventh Layer of Body Refining. He was simply pushing that speed to its limit, racing like a galloping horse.

The Seventh Layer of Body Refining was a major leap. Warriors who reached this level gained greatly in stamina, but even at a full sprint, they could maintain their pace for only half an hour at most. Yet the Nine Spirits Sect headquarters lay a hundred li from Fengyu City, requiring at least three quarters of an hour of running at full speed!

But they were allowed to arrive no more than three minutes after Yu Dongcheng. That meant they had to break through their own limits!

It was a test of both stamina and willpower!

To conserve their strength, no one spoke along the way. Each person focused on making perfect use of every bit of True Essence Power in their body, not daring to waste the slightest amount. The ones at the Ninth Layer of Body Refining were the exception, of course. Their reserves of True Essence Power were far deeper, so they had little to worry about.

Zhou Heng remained silent. The Flying Cloud Steps consumed very little True Essence Power, so he had no need to worry about running out of strength.

Time passed quickly. Half an hour later, the brutal test began in earnest!

One by one, people fell behind. One, two, three—but Yu Dongcheng's pace didn't slacken at all. He maintained the same speed as before and led the group onward, soon leaving the stragglers far behind.

Ten, fifteen, twenty!

More and more people fell behind, and the ones who remained weren't faring much better. They were all panting heavily, sweat pouring down their faces. Even Shen Xinqi and the other three at the Ninth Layer of Body Refining were breathing unevenly.

Zhou Heng's breathing remained steady, and a thin sheen of sweat covered his forehead, but he hadn't used nearly as much True Essence Power as he appeared to have.

With the Flying Cloud Steps, it was as if heaven and earth were propelling him forward. The technique consumed almost no True Essence Power. His fatigue came entirely from the strain on his body. It was like a warrior going three days and nights without sleep. What good was abundant True Essence Power when the body itself couldn't take it?

A few minutes later, a mountain that wasn't especially tall appeared ahead. Several flags could be seen fluttering on its peak, with the words "Nine Spirits" waving in the wind.

They were almost there!

The young people, who had long since reached their limits, seemed to have been given a shot in the arm. Their spirits soared, and a few sprinted ahead with all their might, even overtaking Yu Dongcheng. But the mountain was farther than it looked. Though it seemed close, it was still more than ten li away. Those few young people had burst into a sprint, but they couldn't keep it up. The main group soon caught up with them and left them far behind.

By then, more and more people had reached their limits and dropped out of the group one after another. But they hadn't lost all hope: once Yu Dongcheng stopped, they would still have three minutes.

At last, Yu Dongcheng stopped at the foot of the mountain. He looked over the five people who remained, and when his gaze fell on Zhou Heng, a flicker of surprise crossed his face.