Time slipped by, and several days passed in the blink of an eye. Sightseeing along the way, Ming Hao and his companions unwittingly passed through the last few cities of the Great Qin Dynasty.
At last, they stepped beyond their own territory and officially entered the lawless Chaos Zone, where no authority held sway.
This place was utterly unlike any city they had passed through before, as though it belonged to a different world entirely.
There was not the slightest semblance of order here. The chaos and disorder of anarchy permeated every corner.
Armed street fights, bloody clashes, gang robberies, murder for treasure, and the strong bullying the weak were commonplace.
With no authorities to preserve the peace, this land had instead become a breeding ground where people unleashed the darkest sides of their hearts.
A young man who ordinarily carried himself with graceful elegance might transform into a murderous arsonist here;
and a beautiful, aloof fairy might descend into a twisted sadist...
Yet not everyone on this chaotic land remained indifferent to such atrocities.
Many hot-blooded youths would step forward without hesitation upon witnessing injustice, drawing their blades to help.
Unfortunately, most overestimated their own strength and underestimated the world's treachery.
Before they could even reach the Misty Sect's mountain gate, their corpses already lay along the roads, leaving others to sigh at their fate.
Ming Hao and his companions kept quiet throughout the journey, pressing onward without a word.
Still, a few minor incidents arose along the way.
Whenever Ming Hao's sense of justice stirred and he tried to enact some clichéd hero-rescues-the-beauty scene, Qing Yun and Qing Ying would seize him from either side like a pair of flanking protectors and drag him back.
No matter how hard Ming Hao struggled, he could not escape their grip.
Perhaps because Ming Hao's party was so large and clearly looked like people not to be trifled with,
they encountered no major trouble along the way and reached the outskirts of the Misty Sect's territory without incident.
"Young master, on the Misty Sect's South Sea Continent, only two long, narrow passageways, one eastern and one western, lead directly inland.
"And the Misty Sect, the Corpse Puppet Sect, and the Clearwind Sect have filled both sides of these passageways with all sorts of formations. They also station experts from their sects here year-round."
Qing Yun pointed toward the narrow passageway stretching beyond sight and explained it to Ming Hao.
Ming Hao followed the direction of her finger and saw crowds surging along the passageway, shoulder to shoulder in a bustling throng. He could not help exclaiming,
"What a sea of people!"
Qing Yun continued,
"I hear every traveler wishing to pass through here has to hand over a hefty sum of spirit stones. It brings the Misty Sect an enormous income every year!"
Ming Hao nodded thoughtfully. The Misty Sect really does know how to make money!
"However, anyone unwilling to pay the spirit stones can take a ship across the surrounding sea instead. That saves quite a few spirit stones."
Qing Yun added.
But danger lurked on every side at sea. Sea beasts ran rampant, pirates abounded, and a safe crossing was far from certain!
Ming Hao gazed at the countless vessels of every description lining both sides of the passageway. Crowds swarmed the shores, and boats packed with passengers periodically cut through the wind and waves.
Though the sea's dangers were unpredictable, the passageway over it remained safe and secure. Yet ordinary poor people still made up the vast majority. Unable to afford the steep fees, they had no choice but to risk boarding ferries. Many others ventured out to sea willingly, seeking thrills and adventure.
Above lay the safe passageway; below lay the deep sea, dangerous and unknown.
The wealthy families on the passageway pointed down at those queuing for ferries along the shore, laughing and chatting as though they were surveying and passing judgment on the whole realm...
Countless dark masses of people on the shore below looked up at the well-dressed children of wealthy families, their faces filled with envy...
Those above and those below formed a stark contrast, forever incompatible as fire and water!
On the passageway, Ming Hao and his companions looked left and right as though they had discovered a new continent. This was their first glimpse of the true sea.
Sea and sky met in an endless expanse, sweeping the clamor of the mortal world beyond the highest heavens.
Waves struck the reefs, playing a cheerful song of nature.
The sea glittered like a night sky strewn with stars.
As the sun sank in the west, its golden evening glow shone upon schools of fish, clothing them in shimmering gold. They were beautiful.
Now and then, pink dolphins leaped from the water, tracing graceful arcs.
Enormous octopuses spread all their tentacles like flowers in full bloom.
It truly made them linger, reluctant to leave...
After who knew how long, they finally crossed the seemingly endless passageway and officially entered the Misty Sect's domain.
"Young master, there are still several days before the Misty Sect opens its mountain gate for the disciple recruitment ceremony.
"The first trial will begin in Cloudmist Valley, where they will conduct an initial screening for qualified disciples.
"We have already secured a well-positioned little hill in Cloudmist Valley as a place to rest.
"Everything we need has been prepared. Please make your way there, young master!"
The maid Qing Yao reminded him softly, holding a jade slip that recorded the Misty Sect's admission guidelines.
Ying Ming Hao nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the crowd.
People hurried toward Cloudmist Valley from every direction.
Not everyone had the means to claim a well-positioned resting place ahead of time and take things at their leisure.
Cloudmist Valley was already boiling with voices, with people of every description moving to and fro.
Some traveled in groups of three or five, while others came alone. Some youths wore spirit swords at their waists, the blades shimmering with light, and were surrounded by servants-clearly scions of distinguished families;
some women wore thin veils over their faces, a faint, elusive fragrance lingering around them, with groups of splendidly dressed young talents gathered about them,
seemingly hailing from some mysterious power; several allied factions gathered together, laughing and chatting, their words brimming with pride...
All had come for the Misty Sect's admission ceremony. The valley's terrain rose and fell, and hills both large and small had already been occupied,
with some groups even having erected simple tents, clearly arriving well prepared.
Ordinary cultivators who had failed to seize the initiative could only squeeze into corners along the valley's edges,
or stand on low slopes, looking up at the factions occupying the heights with both envy and resentment in their eyes.
Most had to rush about searching for an unoccupied place to stay, while vast numbers of ordinary people could only stand in out-of-the-way spots around the perimeter,
crammed densely into narrow corners, with no chance of receiving any benefits...
The positions claimed by the various factions were not guaranteed either. In the end, fists did the talking, and small-scale battles broke out one after another!
After all, none who made it here were ordinary. Every one of them possessed outstanding talent and towering pride. None would submit to another, and each thought themselves more outrageously impressive than the rest...
"Young master, this spot offers an open view, enough to overlook everything happening in the valley. We have set up formation flags here, so common scoundrels will find it difficult to approach."
Qing Yun explained respectfully,
Ming Hao nodded in satisfaction and stepped into the tent. His fingers lightly brushed the stack of Heavenly Prodigy Rankings jade slips, several feet thick, and a playful smile appeared on his face.
"The Wind and Cloud Pavilion certainly knows how to do business."
He sighed softly and ran a fingertip over a jade slip. Dense golden runes immediately emerged.
Each page recorded detailed information about a heavenly prodigy:
their sect, cultivation, battles that made their name, and even weaknesses in their personality-nothing was left out.
The Wind and Cloud Pavilion was an organization specializing in collecting and selling information. This time, it had gathered information on the disciples arriving from every quarter.
It selected those with immense potential and outstanding reputations, added all manner of information, and compiled a richly detailed ranking spanning tens of thousands of pages.
It allowed the various factions to quickly obtain firsthand intelligence. Despite its steep price of "80 lower-grade spirit stones," numerous factions still eagerly sought it out.
Note: one lower-grade spirit stone = 100 low-tier spirit stones = 10,000 spirit stone fragments. However, 10,000 spirit stone fragments usually could not be exchanged for one lower-grade spirit stone!
Spirit stones could be absorbed directly into the body. Two low-tier spirit stones could sustain an ordinary person's cultivation for a day.
A family of three at the lowest rung of society needed only around 1,500 spirit stone fragments a month to cover its daily necessities.
Of course, cheap knockoff versions were also prepared specifically for ordinary people, containing only names and a few scant lines of information,
with less than a tenth of the original's thickness. They cost only three lower-grade spirit stones, yet many ordinary people still could not afford them.
As a result, dozens or even hundreds of ordinary people gathered together,
pooling their money to buy a copy and passing it around. They read with great relish, forming one curious circle after another.
"Long Chen, eighteen years old, peak Body Integration realm cultivation. Extraordinary phenomena filled the sky at his birth. His physical body is formidable,
"and he once used his physical strength alone to brutally kill multiple opponents in the Void Insight realm, crossing the realm gap and wiping out several factions with the might of a single dragon..."
"Lin Hai, eighteen years old, eldest legitimate son of the Lin Family. Once a renowned genius who reached Foundation Establishment at six and perfected Golden Core at eight. Later, for unknown reasons, his realm fell and he lost his talent for cultivation, becoming an outcast of the Lin Family.
"Three years ago, he suddenly recovered his cultivation and advanced even further. He has encountered numerous fortuitous opportunities. His realm is unknown, and his cultivation speed far outstrips his peers..."
Wang Teng, seventeen years old. Extraordinary phenomena manifested across heaven and earth at his birth; immortal cranes flocked to him, and a hundred birds circled overhead. His talent is unparalleled.
The head of the Wang Family often said, "My son Wang Teng has the makings of a Great Emperor..."
"Meng Wanting, twenty-two years old, adopted by the Meng Family in childhood. She was born with a pair of dimples, yet her smile is not cloyingly sweet; instead, it lends her a touch of cool aloofness.
"With skin like ice and bones like jade, her beauty could topple cities and kingdoms. Blessed with both beauty and talent, she has countless admirers.
Luo Shuihan, sixteen years old, perfected Spirit Division realm. A member of the direct line of the Luo Family, a great northern clan. Skilled in water divine abilities,
"she single-handedly annihilated an entire squad of evil cultivators three years ago, and killed several bandits above her realm two years ago..."
As his fingertip moved, line after line of text sprang before his eyes as though coming to life.
Looking at all of Heaven's Chosen recorded on the jade slips, Ming Hao's lips curved into a meaningful smile.
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