“This is the first stage. Here we test the spiritual roots of our candidates. We do so using the reverberation stone in the center of the plaza. Place your hand on the stone for ten seconds. How bright the stone glows reflect the quality of your roots.” The examiner stepped aside.

Sean snorted and walked up to the stone. He raised his palm.

[They dare to look on me?! Let me show them all! My true talent!!]

With all his might, the young man slammed his hand down onto the stone.

…

“The first stage is complete. Follow me.”

“Wait, wait, wait! It’s only been three seconds! Why are we leaving?!”

“The stone did not glow. Your roots are dogshit. Follow me.”

Sean didn’t know whether to cry. His dreams were shattered in an instant.

…

The two arrived at a large mountain with a staircase spiraling up the side.

“This is the second stage. All you have to do is try and reach the top of this mountain by climbing those stairs. How far you can go up the mountain is indicative of your talent for cultivation. If you can make it up a thousand steps then you are considered a genius. Go on.”

The examiner wasn’t obviously didn’t even care at this point. He walked off the side and down sat under a parasol, opening a book. He didn’t even bother to make eye contact or pay attention while explaining the rules. It was without a doubt Sean was a talentless baboon at this point, but that did not stop him from climbing the stairs.

The moment Sean’s foot touched the first step, he felt a enormous ‘pressure’ weigh down on his entire body. It was as though gravity had multiplied by hundred times, but the feeling was somewhat different. He didn’t feel as though this immense pressure would crush him. Rather, it was as though something was preventing him from moving forward. His legs would not move no matter how hard he urged himself.

As Sean struggled, a memory from the past echoed. It was from when Shénqí Lǎorén berated Pàng Zi on his choice to return, to come back and fight for Sean.

…And yet you dare to return? For what?! For him?! This one?

…This one right here, with no cultivation or talent?! …this trash!

Sean grit his teeth. He was not just another piece of trash. “I… will show them!”

[I am destined to stand atop the apex! To shape the heavens to my will!]

“Uraaaaahhhh!!!!” Sean screamed at the top of his lungs. Veins protruded from the top of his forehead as he began to climb the flight of stairs. His entire body shook with an intent to shake the foundation of the world! His hands were starting to line with sweat. This… This was his destiny! This was his desire! To grasp at the heavens and pull it down beneath one’s feet, that was his goal!

Sean raised one foot and slammed it down. There, he had done it! He had succeeded! This mere tribulation would not be equal! Sean let out a roar. He bared his fangs at the world itself! He would not be stopped! His heavenly ascent was infallible!

“Urrrraaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

The examiner sitting in the shade some odd distance away raised an eyebrow. He looked up from his book and furrowed his brow. What the hell was this guy doing, screaming like a banshee in the middle of the day?

Sean had just finished catching his breath. He put both hands to his sides, and with one foot on the next step, arched his back in a heroic pose. The youth stared off into the distance with a profound expression.

[Surely, I must be the greatest of this generation.]

“I take it you are done?”

“Yes, but how did you get up here?”

“This is the second step.”

“Ah, I see.”

下一章

“This is the residential area. The third stage is up ahead, but to take the test, you have to pay thirty-thousand contribution points. The next group test is scheduled in three months. We part ways here. Don’t show your face in front of me again.” The examiner walked off.

[Since so many people wish to cultivate the path of dao, these sects have no shortage of disciples. It is not that I doubt sir’s talents, however there is a hefty entrance fee as well.]

“Hmph. So this is what he meant.” Sean crossed his arms and snorted.

The residential area was quite large. It reminded Sean of Disn*yland. There were people from all walks of life wandering about. Shopkeepers, pill refiners, alchemists, and weapon smiths stood outside stores holding colorful banners and advertising their business. Some buildings were carved into the side of mountains or large stones, others were built from the ground up using hardwood and thatch. The atmosphere was lively and bustling, and yet, there were no kids wandering the streets. It was obvious that this was a place meant only for cultivators. A companion today could have been a competitor tomorrow. Such was the way of life. Everyone here accepted the fact that in order to go forward, sacrifices had to be made. On the path to the apex, what road would not be littered with countless corpses beneath one’s feet? These friendly peers were ready to kill and scheme against one another at a moment’s notice. It was an inevitable truth; they were all competing for the same thing.

Sean rubbed his chin. The next exam was in three months. He would need to find a way to scrounge up enough points by then. Not only that, he also had to find room and board. The youth sighed, the life of a cultivator was fraught with difficulties and hardship.

“Good sir, might you be interested in this circulation-enhancing pill? For only the low, low price of 35 contribution points, this set of ten could all be yours! Consuming one pill daily will greatly improve your qi circulation and meditation.” A pale-faced man approached the youth, making an attempt to peddle off his wares.

“Ah, I don’t have any points. Sorry.”

“Whaaaat? Did not come through the gate just now? Surely you can afford something as basic as this!” The man put on a surprised expression.

This question took Sean off guard. What was that supposed to mean? Was he supposed to been given some amount of points before arriving here?

“What do you mean by that?” Sean asked.

“Good sir, if you weren’t interested, you just had to say so. It is not good to lie. Everyone who enters the third stage is given an amount of contribution points equal to how well they did on the first two exams. Even the son of a farmer can manage at least a hundred points. Though, such an amount is only enough to sustain someone for two to three days. By then, they would realize how difficult it is to continue and quit.”

“….I see.”

Sean wanted to find that examiner again and rip the guy’s spinal cord out. That fucker didn’t even give him enough points to sustain himself for a day! Sean quickly left the market district, thanking the peddler for his help. As it turned out, every examinee entering the residential area was supposed to be given a stone talisman. This talisman recorded how many points they had on their person, who they were, and the person who invited them in.

Sean was livid, the examiner had sent him in with nothing but the clothes on his back. It seemed the guy didn’t want to be implicated for inviting some trash onto the sect grounds. This did not discourage Sean, however. He had already gotten in. Now all he needed to do was find a way to get to the next stage.