Chapter 5 What I really want is for you to become my apprentice...
The two flew on their swords over the brightly lit market town, traversing a straight, nine-thousand-step white jade staircase. They sped along at breakneck speed, and after a series of close calls, arrived safely at the mountain gate before the gates were locked.
Fu Ming timed his move perfectly, jumping off Xiao Huaiyuan's sword and landing lightly.
Beneath the mountain gate plaque inscribed with the three large characters "Tianyan Sect," Lin Han, the female cultivator from the Surveillance Department who had once helped Fu Ming out of a predicament, was anxiously looking around.
"Why are you so late? You'll miss the registration deadline if you're any later."
As soon as he appeared, Lin Han grabbed him and headed towards the square where the crowd was gathered.
"It's a long story. There were villains attacking us on the way, and it was this immortal who helped us escape." Fu Ming explained the reason for his lateness in a few words, and then used his lightness skill to travel together, moving freely through the gaps in the crowd.
Upon hearing this, Lin Han turned around and was startled by what she saw. She then noticed that the person following Fu Ming was none other than their supervisor, the acting sect leader, Senior Brother Xiao Huaiyuan.
Senior Brother Xiao is always fair and impartial, and is usually very serious and reserved. Would he really take the initiative to rescue a disciple who has not yet entered the sect?
"Greetings, Senior Brother Xiao."
Xiao Huaiyuan nodded slightly in acknowledgment, and then disappeared into the wind.
After Fu Ming filled in his false name and place of origin on the paper, the hourglass on the table ran out, and a loud bell rang out from above.
Then, a piece of paper with about a hundred names written on it suddenly burst into flames, turned into a stream of light, and flew into a strange rock, thus recording their names on the rock.
A group of teenagers, like fledglings, stood in the square, their eyes fixed on the words on the stone. This new generation, from all corners of the country, had gathered here; for them, this was a day that would change their destiny.
Fu Ming found this quite novel; he had previously joined the Tianyan Sect through unorthodox means and had never witnessed such a grand spectacle.
The first test is to assess one's natural talent.
Some were overjoyed, some were dejected, and some were worried. Caught among all sorts of people with varying emotions, Fu Ming calmly placed his palm on the stone, which drew a second glance from the recording cultivator.
"Single Fire Spiritual Root, Top-Grade Talent."
Fortunately, although Fu Ming's spiritual root was a top-tier spiritual root that was one in a hundred, it was not some rare and mutated spiritual root that was only seen once in a thousand years. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to sneak in.
On the elders' seat, which was concealed by a confusion spell, Fu Ming sensed several gazes directed at him.
The second test is to test one's character.
A very boring illusion. Fu Ming fabricated a tragic memory of parting from his parents in a chaotic state within his soul, and the Trial Stone, lacking intelligence, extracted this memory and processed it to form the illusion before him.
The unexpected reunion of separated parents after many years is such a touching scene. In front of the illusion of his parents, whose hair is white but who call him by his fake name, Fu Ming first pretends to be immersed in the warmth of his family and is unwilling to leave. Then he realizes that the scene is fake. After a period of psychological struggle, he finally cuts off the bond and gets away.
The system started watching a TV series directly in Fu Ming's mind, creating sound effects of crunching popcorn while mercilessly making sarcastic comments.
"Honey, this plot seems a bit cheesy. Even X-point and ○Jiang don't write this kind of thing anymore."
As long as it works, that's fine. Don't worry about the rest.
When he opened his eyes and returned to reality, the other teenagers were still immersed in the illusion, with different expressions. Some even burst into tears in public, making Fu Ming stand out from the crowd.
"This boy is a promising talent; we at Wanjian Peak want him."
"Since when did you poor bastards like Wan Jianfeng get to choose your people? Of course, it would be better if you came to our Dao Fa Peak."
The gazes from the elders' seats grew even more intense, and the hushed whispers of conversation reached Fu Ming's ears.
"Ding dong, the progress of the [Joining the Heavenly Evolution Sect] is 80%. Dear host, you are not far from success."
With Fu Mingzhu's outstanding performance preceding him, the other young men present were relegated to the background. Chen Chong, the young master of the Chen family who was also an examinee, woke up only a stick later than usual, and then no longer received the attention of the elders.
Chen Chong was furious, Chen Chong was unwilling, Chen Chong wished he could devour Fu Ming alive.
He spent a fortune to purchase a mind-cleansing artifact that wouldn't be detected by the trial stone, only to wake up and find that this lowly country bumpkin had stolen all his limelight!
Mingchen, is that it? You're lucky you didn't die this morning. Let's see how long your luck lasts!
If he embarrasses himself in public, I'll see which elder is willing to accept him. A plan gradually took shape in Chen Chong's mind. His uncle, who was in charge of the Respect for Teachers Hall, had already tipped him off that the acting sect leader would choose his first disciple today through a martial arts competition.
This bitch is only in the early stage of foundation building, but he is in the late stage of foundation building. And with that thing nearby, he can beat the shit out of him with just a swipe of his little finger. He might as well do this first...
If vision could solidify, Fu Ming's back would probably be riddled with holes. He was seriously considering which main peak to go to next when he suddenly sneezed.
Who is talking about me behind my back?
Fu Ming was quite puzzled. He looked around and then noticed that the tall, fat, gourd-like, lewd cultivator in the inn was staring at him with a sinister look. His face was wrinkled and looked even uglier.
To be honest, Fu Ming didn't care what those who hated him were thinking. There were plenty of people who hated him; he could teach them a lesson one by one and they would behave. So he simply turned his head away and didn't look.
This made Chen Chong, who was already indignant, even angrier.
Everyone thought the next step would be to choose the main peak and master, but unexpectedly, a middle-aged male cultivator in elaborate clothing and holding a scroll stepped forward and loudly read out a letter written by the sect leader.
"The acting sect leader will be recruiting his first disciple at this recruitment event, so an additional martial arts trial will be held. Those who are interested can come here to register."
These words were like a string of firecrackers exploding in the crowd: If one could become the sect leader's first disciple, and then work harder in the future, wouldn't one be close to becoming the sect leader?
The boys eagerly awaited the news and signed up enthusiastically, but Fu Ming pretended to be stunned and acted bewildered.
Half an hour later, the steward made the announcement.
"The first match is between Ming Chen and Chen Chong."
Who signed me up? Oh well, I don't even need to think about it to know who it was.
Fu Ming stepped onto the arena with a heavy heart.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the two bowed to each other. One was slender and handsome, the other arrogant and fat, the contrast was quite stark, making those in the audience who knew the situation break out in a cold sweat for Fu Ming. How did such a good kid end up with Chen Chong, this troublemaker?
Please enlighten me.
Before Fu Ming could finish speaking, Chen Chong impatiently raised his sword and slashed down. His sword was a rare item forged from Kunlun's ten-thousand-year-old cold gold, and it exuded a chilling aura with every swing, clearly indicating its high cost.
In contrast, Fu Ming only carried a low-grade yellow iron sword, his sleeves were empty.
The three-foot-long sword was swung left and right in Chen Chong's hands, seemingly without any particular pattern. However, Fu Ming did not use any novel moves either, only dodging and weaving, his movements like a mudfish in a field.
The hasty duel disappointed the elders present. Could it be that this young man named Ming Chen was cowardly and dared not confront an opponent of a higher level?
Ding! Several sword energies, which had been gathering momentum for a long time, rushed towards Fu Ming. Fu Ming immediately held his sword horizontally at the point where the energy was concentrated, narrowly deflecting the attack.
Seeing this brilliant method of deflecting force, the members of the Surveillance Department secretly cheered, but the next second, their hearts jumped into their throats again—something seemed amiss.
White mist emanated from the point of clash, enveloping most of the arena.
Seeing Fu Ming's movements become uncontrollably slowed down, Chen Chong's mouth almost stretched to his ears in a wide grin.
The cold air alone is nothing special. The most dangerous thing about this sword is the colorless and odorless poison hidden in its energy. Once inhaled, it will slow down your movements, make you dizzy, and eventually render you unable to move, leaving you at the mercy of others.
The squad from the Inspectorate, who were watching the battle from the sidelines, despised this despicable behavior and booed Chen Chong. Lin Han, who was in charge, acted swiftly and rushed to the stands to file a complaint with the middle-aged male cultivator who was in charge of the Respectful Affairs Hall.
"Senior, using such a vicious magic weapon in a Foundation Establishment stage competition is, as I recall, a violation of the sect's rules. Please stop the competition!"
The steward glanced at her, but said...
"That's easy for you to say. If you ruin the sect leader's important matter of accepting disciples, can you take the responsibility?"
The arena was now in complete chaos. The chilling mist was stirred up by the chaotic sword energy, scattering here and there in patches. Adding to the chaos, Chen Chong, as excited as a boar in heat, charged around the arena, leaving Fu Ming little room to dodge. A moment's inattention and he would be grazed by the sword energy. In no time, his roughly made linen clothes were torn with several fine, bloody scratches, making him look extremely disheveled.
To prevent the elders of the Tianyan Sect from seeing through his true cultivation level, Fu Ming did indeed suppress his cultivation to the early stage of Foundation Establishment, however...
He used to be the number one on the Heavenly Ranking, having defended his title for three thousand rounds without a single defeat.
Such tricks are too boring.
Below the stage, someone shouted, "Drive Chen Chong off!" The disciples responded in unison, their shouts echoing loudly enough to shake the mountain.
At this moment, Chen Chong, who was provoked by the insults and couldn't hold back, just wanted to end the competition as soon as possible and go down to teach those clueless bastards a lesson. As soon as he saw Fu Ming, who was exhausted, reveal an opening, he drew his sword and slashed at him.
"Prepare to die!"
Fu Ming remained calm, his eyes focused, constantly watching for any flaws that might appear in Chen Chong's jiggling fat.
Time seemed to stretch out in that instant. Fu Ming raised his broken iron sword to block, and the two swords clashed. The already cracked iron sword shattered upon contact. Overjoyed, Chen Chong pressed his advantage, thrusting his sword forward to pierce Fu Ming's chest, but then he discovered—
That country bumpkin stole his precious sword!
He acted impulsively and didn't notice that the sword slipped from his hand at the moment of impact.
"This is a good sword. Do you know how to use it? If not, give it to me. Don't waste it."
Fu Ming, who had been silent until now, snatched the sword and the pot from the other party with a single cry. The sword was entirely bluish-white, and when held in his hand, it emitted a slight ringing sound, its radiance growing even brighter. Clearly, the sword also longed to choose a worthy master.
He gathered his energy and stood still, drawing upon the flowing cold mist and the energy of heaven and earth to condense at the tip of his sword. With a single, gentle swing, he sent Chen Chong flying over a hundred meters away, breaking countless tree branches along the way.
—It should be noted here that, since the destructive power of the Foundation Establishment stage is relatively weak, low-level arenas like theirs do not have barriers.
"Hey, system, he asked for it, so you can't blame me, right?" Fu Ming issued a disclaimer.
System: Yes...yes, but something feels off.
The entire room fell silent.
A figure in white slowly walked out. It was not the steward of the Respectful Affairs Hall, but the imposing acting sect leader, Xiao Huaiyuan.
"Chen Chong is morally corrupt and has harmed his fellow disciples. He is unfit to be a disciple of the Tianyan Sect. His entry qualification is revoked immediately. Chen Yanqing, the steward of the Jingshi Hall, has failed to properly supervise his disciples and is demoted three ranks."
He glanced at Fu Ming, who was resting against the railing of the arena, from a distance.
"The competition continues."
Lin Han, a female cleric from the Surveillance Department, took over as host of the recruitment event. The first few rounds of competition were all very polite and predictable, making the spectators quite sleepy. Fortunately, the next round will be a challenger-only format; hopefully, the competition will be more exciting then.
"The one who drew the title of champion is—Ming Chen. Does anyone want to challenge the champion?"
A spirited young girl jumped up. Her surname was Gu, and she was a promising talent who had long been favored by the elders.
Fu Ming didn't really want to become Xiao Huaiyuan's disciple, so he naturally went easy on her. After exchanging a few moves with her in a seemingly respectable manner, he exposed an opening and then conceded defeat, leaving the stage.
Unexpectedly, this girl, who was probably not even fifteen years old, had a rather strong temper. After realizing that Fu Ming had not used his full strength, she shouted at the host.
“Fellow Daoist Mingchen is exhausted after the fierce battle. My victory is not honorable and I feel ashamed to accept it. Therefore, I voluntarily withdraw.”
Gu Zhencai was unwilling to become the sect leader's first disciple, a position offered by someone else.
"Then, Ming Chen will defend his title again this round."
...
The other teenagers were all weighing whether they could fight Ming Chen if they went on stage. Upon hearing this speech, they also thought that attacking the injured would not be very honorable even if they won.
As a result, the first round of registration was enthusiastic, but the second round of challenges was deserted, creating a rare situation of a bye.
"In that case, congratulations to Fellow Daoist Mingchen for standing out and becoming the first disciple of the acting sect leader..."
Fu Ming suddenly interrupted the female cultivator, his eyes sincere and his words resounding.
"I am grateful for the sect leader's kindness, but what I really want to go to is Daofa Peak."
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