Chapter 21: Sect Trial {Part One}

“Not only will those disciples who complete the trial be rewarded with Foundation Establishment Pills, but in the future, any pills that aid cultivation at the Foundation Establishment stage can also be requested from the sect. The top ten outstanding disciples who successfully complete the trial will be personally accepted as disciples by the Nascent Soul elders of our sect. In the future, they will enjoy far superior cultivation resources within the sect compared to ordinary disciples—spirit stones, pills, spiritual tools, and so on. There’s no need for me to elaborate on each of these rewards; you can well imagine them for yourselves.”

“As for those who do not manage to complete the trial, do not lose heart—there will be other rewards from the sect. The content of this sect trial is as follows: all disciples in the ninth level or above of the Qi Refining stage are eligible to participate, but there are only one hundred spots available. Therefore, you must compete against one another in matches to determine the victors. The final one hundred who emerge triumphant will be those selected for the sect trial.”

“Though this will be conducted as a series of matches, remember that you are fellow disciples—do not let your contests become battles of life and death. Should anyone violate this rule, their eligibility will be revoked, and in serious cases, their cultivation will be crippled and they will be expelled from the sect. Let this be a warning to all.”

“The hundred disciples who prevail will immediately take on the sect’s trial mission, which will last for a full year. During this period, the sect will hold ten consecutive days of matches, and those who win will be added to the trial roster. Now, any disciple who meets the requirements and wishes to participate may step forward to register.”

With these words, the sect master, Master Zhang of the Hengyuan Sect, put away his jade slip and stood squarely at the center of the great hall, his gaze sweeping over the disciples gathered in the square below. Soon after, and under everyone’s watchful eyes, nearly three hundred people stepped forward one after another. These nearly three hundred were all inner-sect disciples of the Hengyuan Sect, at the ninth to fifteenth levels of the Qi Refining stage. Most of them had not been in the sect for long, having been brought back as mortals with spiritual roots by that cohort of Foundation Establishment disciples who went down the mountain for training some twenty years ago.

To have reached the ninth level or above of Qi Refining in just over twenty years was a testament to their extraordinary talent and excellent spirit root attributes. While they could not compare to someone like Qiu Han, who possessed a single spiritual attribute, or Yun Rou, with her mutated spirit root, they all had roots of three attributes or fewer.

Single-attribute roots are, after all, one in ten thousand. Qiu Han, Zhou Yi, and He Yitong, who were born with single-attribute roots, were accepted directly as disciples by Nascent Soul elders, to say nothing of Yun Rou’s heaven-defying mutated spirit root—such a prodigy is rare even in a century, perhaps only seen once in a millennium.

For someone like Yun Rou, with her mutated root, her cultivation speed was astonishing and her progress nearly free of bottlenecks. Unless some calamity befell her, her ascension to the Soul Transformation stage was almost guaranteed, hence the extraordinary attention she received. This meant that in the years to come, after the last Soul Transformation ancestor, the sect would likely produce another cultivator at that level.

Every twenty years, the Hengyuan Sect would send a new batch of Foundation Establishment disciples down the mountain to train and seek out mortals with the potential for cultivation, holding trials for Qi Refining disciples every ten years. The purpose was to provide these newly admitted elite disciples with more experience and practical combat, while also gathering the myriad resources the sect required.

In the last such gathering, over twenty years ago, the Foundation Establishment disciples brought back several hundred mortals with spiritual roots. That is why the number of disciples participating in this trial was so high—nearly three hundred, the vast majority being from that same intake, with only a few from forty years past.

This latter group likely had poorer aptitude, which was why, after forty years of cultivation, they were still at the Qi Refining stage. Their motivation for joining the trial was simple: the lure of rewards, hoping for better resources to break through to Foundation Establishment at last. After all, the lifespan of a Qi Refining cultivator is no different from that of a mortal—if they failed to break through, in a few decades, they would be nothing but dust.

Some, too, had failed the previous trial and were unwilling to accept defeat, hoping to stand out this time. In short, disciples of every mindset had come forward to participate in the trial.

Among these nearly three hundred, Qiu Han and Yun Rou were not included, nor were their names counted among the hundred available spots. The reason was simple—should Lin Yang and Yun Rou wish to participate, their respective masters would assign them special trial tasks, and their rewards would be different from all others.

Next, these nearly three hundred would face off in elimination matches for the trial spots. The final hundred would earn the qualification for the sect trial, the matches continuing over ten days, across multiple venues, with more than ten thousand spectators watching the contests.

However, Qiu Han did not stay to watch the matches. At this moment, he was strolling leisurely through a quiet grove at the back of the mountain, muttering to himself.

“Brother Zhou’s cultivation has now reached the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, and Senior Sister Yitong has also recently begun her closed-door cultivation, striving for the same level. I hardly see them these days. Now that the sect trial has begun, I fear I won’t have a chance to say goodbye. I wonder what task Master will assign me this time, and whether Yun Rou will also be participating.”

Gazing up at the azure sky, Qiu Han drew a deep breath. Just as he was about to turn back, a voice sounded in his mind: “Return to your quarters to see me at once.”

It was only a few words, but Qiu Han paused in surprise, for the voice transmitting through his spiritual sense belonged to none other than his master, Gu Sui Feng.

“Why is Master suddenly coming to see me at my quarters?”

With this question in his heart, Qiu Han quickened his pace toward his residence.

Arriving at his door, he gently pushed it open to find a figure standing with his back to him within the room—it was his master, Gu Sui Feng.

“Disciple Qiu Han greets Master.”

“No need for ceremony.”

Gu Sui Feng turned and waved him to a seat, his manner kind, his gaze filled with fatherly affection.

“I have come today because there is an important matter I must discuss with you.”

Qiu Han respectfully clasped his fists. “May I ask what it is, Master? Please instruct me, and I will do my utmost.”

“It is nothing too arduous. I’m sure you know by now that the sect trial has begun, and all disciples at the ninth level of Qi Refining or above are enrolling. But as my disciple, your trial will be different from the others.”

Gu Sui Feng paused, then continued, “Qiu Han, I have written the details of your trial mission in this jade slip. You are to carry out the objectives as instructed, and upon completion, I will have a reward for you. In addition, I will impart several techniques to you, which you should learn as soon as possible. I have also prepared a life-saving item for your protection.”

With that, Gu Sui Feng produced several items from his storage pouch—a jade slip, several talismans, and a jade-green ring—setting them on the table.

“The jade slip contains the details of your trial mission and the techniques I am granting you. With your aptitude, you should master them quickly. Lastly, this ring is a life-saving treasure I crafted for you myself. It contains three uses of a protective divine ability. Should you encounter mortal danger, infuse it with spiritual power to activate it. Remember, it can only be used three times, and only in true emergencies.”

“I understand. Thank you, Master!”

“Good. Then I shall not disturb you further. Oh, and remember: your trial mission begins in one month and will last a year. When the year is over, you must return to the sect—do not forget!”

As Gu Sui Feng turned to leave, Qiu Han quickly called out, “Master, please, forgive my boldness, but do you know whether Yun Rou will also participate in the trial?”

“I cannot say,” answered Gu Sui Feng. “Her master will make arrangements for her, and even if she does participate, someone will surely be sent to protect her.”

Before the words had faded, Gu Sui Feng vanished in a flash, leaving Qiu Han alone in his room, head bowed in deep thought as he pondered his master’s words.