After all the crazy events, peace returned to the lives of Su Ming and Zhang yong. They resumed their missions for another month—collecting points, delivering cores, everything.
By the end of that month, summer had concluded for the Violet Star Sect.
Zhang yong and Su Ming returned from a mission. As they stepped into the mission hall, they noticed a crowd gathered in front of a board.
"What are they gathering around?" Su Ming wondered, glancing at Zhang yong, who shrugged.
They placed their mission materials away. When the tasks were done, they moved toward the board, pushing through the crowd until they reached it.
Their eyes lit up: "The Sect Trial!"
That was what the board read—an exam for outer disciples. The top eight winners in the competition would join one of the four peaks and become inner disciples.
The rules followed directly: eight arenas would be set up in the central zone, and any outer disciple could participate. The trial would consist of two phases: Talent Potential, and Combat. The trial would begin the following day.
Zhang yong and Su Ming left the hall excitedly. Su Ming clenched his fist, excitement in his voice.
"The sect trial is finally here—what peak will you join, Yong?"
Zhang yong waved dismissively.
"I don't know. What kind of elders are there anyway?"
Su Ming raised an eyebrow.
"Really? You don't care which peak you end up at? Well, there's Thunder Peak—specialized in Lightning Law and techniques. Then Heavenly Sword Peak—for sword users. Then Silver Frost Peak, led by a female elder rumored to be Beautiful as the bright moon, and only women are accepted. And the last one... isn't very famous and hardly anyone joins it. It's called Serenity Peak. It's said its elder is disabled and has the fewest disciples."
Zhang yong stroked his chin thoughtfully, then paused.
"You're probably going to join Sword Peak?"
Su Ming shook his head.
"No, my master told me to join Serenity peak. He gave me a letter to give him, so I'll join Serenity Peak."
Zhang yong chuckled.
"Well, maybe instead of worrying about which elder will accept you, you should go train."
Su Ming suddenly smiled with confidence.
"For what reason?"
"We'll fight each other—better bring all your tricks so you don't lose to me."
"Ha!" Su Ming laughed"As if I'll lose to you."
Zhang yong rolled up his sleeves.
"Fine. Loser pays for dinner."
"You're on!"
----
The next day, the platforms and stands were putted overnight with incredible efficiency. A line of disciples stood before a table at the entrance, where an elder sat, registering participants.
After registration, many disciples gathered in the stands, giving a distinct Roman‑coliseum feel.
"Seems like many participants," Zhang yong mocked, watching from afar.
"Scared of losing?" Su Ming leaned on Zhang yong's shoulder, jesting.
"Well... do you think I'll lose? When the combat phase comes, go to a different ring than mine—so we'll inevitably meet in the finals," Zhang yong said with a smile.
Su Ming folded his arms.
"Yes, that makes sense. Then I'll beat you in the finals."
Zhang yong cracked his knuckles.
"True. Hey, take this." He pulled out a paper and handed it to Su Ming. "It lists all my weaknesses. Might help calm your nerves."
Su Ming took it and looked at Zhang yong blankly.
"Zhang yong... it's blank."
Zhang yong laughed.
"Of course. What did you expect, fool"
Su Ming clenched his fist and gripped the paper.
"I can't wait to wipe that smile off your face."
"We'll see."
(Host gained +122 Obsessive Points.)
Zhang yong thought: 'Where the hell do I get these points? All last month, I get them every time I walk around the sect... The worst part about point notifications—they don't show who's feeling it.'
He diverted his gaze to distract himself from the notification. He saw four elders seated on elevated platforms—two on each side. But a central chair—clearly for the Sect Leader—stood empty. The only elder he recognized was Elder Gu Zixian, seated at far left, with two disciples behind him—one was Liu Yan, the other unfamiliar.
Next to Elder Gu sat a muscular man with bright yellow hair that looked like a literal shock of lightning. His hair framed his face and was long and vibrant. His skin was slightly tanned, as if fire‑tempered. He wore a purple jacket over a long gray tunic and black pants with a yellow sash—Thunder Peak's elder without a doubt.
On the other side, a younger‑looking man, maybe just past thirty, with dark green hair tied at the back, holding a pristine white‑sheathed sword and wearing white robes—clearly the elder of Heavenly Sword Peak.
The last elder was a woman, exuding icy, impassive glow. Stunningly beautiful, she looked to be in her twenties. She wore a sky‑blue gown that hid her hands, her black hair tied with a large white‑and‑sky‑blue crown—Silver Frost Peak's elder.
But appearances weren't everything. Zhang yong had heard from Su Ming that reaching Venerable rank lengthens one's lifespan to 150, King to 500, Emperor to 1000 years , plus there was Divine Beauty Pills which could be understand by the name its effect , the lifespan of the cultivator can increase by other way too and might be able to exceed those high level cultivator lifespan ,that assuming their original lifespan was normal.
But for those like himself , at Emperor rank they don't gain that much of an increase , maybe 10 extra years—hardly worth it.
Suddenly, a man appeared among the inner elders—wearing a long purple robe, white hair fluttering in the wind, a long beard, and sincere eyes seemingly able to see past ordinary people.
He stroked his beard and announced:
"My greetings to all disciples. Today the Sect Trial will take place to accept new inner disciples. Eight will be chosen based on the elders' selection. Show your talents and give your all for the future of our sect!"
Cheering erupted among the disciples, and conversation buzzed through the stands.
"Who do you think will win this year?"
"Clearly Brother Shan Yuntian. He was top among the outer disciples."
"I bet Brother Zhao will win too."
"You mean the deacon Zhao's nephew from the Hall of Punishment? I think he'll use the back door."
"Shh, lower your voice—or they'll target you."
Zhang yong listened quietly.
'So the deacon's nephew is participating? I doubt that deacon would misuse his authority without being found out'
(Host gained +142 Obsessive Points.)
'Who's that person? Must be someone here... maybe in the stands?'
He scanned the stands—the audience either talking or staring at the sect leader.
'Not in the stands. Then maybe among the participants'
His eyes fell on someone— a beautiful girl in white garments, silver silky hair flowing behind her, clear blue eyes.
"Is she looking at me? No—she definitely is. Why? Because of my face? Yeah, I need to calm down. Obviously, it's my face. Damn, this makes me uncomfortable."
(Host...)
"What's up?"
(You're bad at dealing with your problems.)
"I'm not! It's just... makes me uncomfortable... Wait, uni—please tell me it's not what I think."
(Not certain yet.)
Zhang yong exhaled slowly, trying to ignore those looks and focus on the sect leader.
Deacon Zhao raised his hand and waved.
"The first test now begins—Talent Potential. Those whose names are called, step forward."
Holding a list, Deacon Zhao began calling names one by one. Each person stepped to a pillar, placed their hand on it. A symbol—a square or triangle—lit up atop, with a rising scale below.
"I wonder how this works. Ling Xi—do you know?"
Ling Shi immediately complained.
"I don't feel like explaining, okay?"
Zhang yong stayed persistent.
"Come on, just tell me."
Ling Xi sighed and appeared as her spirit‑form "Alright. These pillars evaluate Talent on a scale from 1 to 10, based on age and training level. Younger and stronger means a higher score. The shape changes depending on their constitution—triangle, square, pentagon—based on low, medium, or high constitution. Constitution helps absorb spiritual energy better. You can increase it using elixirs or special resources. The spirit spring water you took helps with constitution too."
Zhang yong nodded, confused.
"But the thief's King said Spring source water is good for spiritual animals and plants."
Ling Shi retorted:
"What would an old fart like him know?! No one knows its value but me!"
Then she vanished back into the spirit sea.
Zhang yong thought, 'I don't know why she's so snappy... Maybe delivering the sheath sooner would cheer her up'
Then he heard:
"Outer disciple Su Ming, step forward."
Zhang yong's eyes lit up. He wanted to see Su Ming's talent potential, to what extent he could reach.
Su Ming took a deep breath, placed his hand on the black pillar. It glowed, showing a triangle. From the expressions of the elders and deacons, the result was expected—but as the score climbed, the elders leapt in shock. He scored a 9—just little bit towards 10.
Even Zhang yong felt jealous. He laughed.
"As expected from him. Huh—wonder what I'd score at full strength."
After the pillar test, it was strength evaluation. With Su Ming's 9 in a low constitution, more possibilities opened. If his constitution were raised, how much more could he score? That was on the elders' minds— even the sect leader seemed focused on him.
Zhang yong chuckled "Bet he's nervous inside."
In the combat arena, Su Ming stood still. 'What should I do? I never thought I'd score that high' He glanced involuntarily at Zhang yong, who met his gaze with a grin. Su Ming cursed inwardly. 'That bastard—I'll remember this'
After spending more time with him, Zhang yong realized Su Ming had some psychological shock when his past was told—he had stage fright, being the center of attention.
Su Ming stood before a massive black iron cube, held his sword, swung with full strength, striking it. A deacon measured the impact: "28 cm."
It wasn't huge or small. The cube was made of a special metal resistant to blows—an ideal test for strength. The result didn't diminish the elders' admiration.
Su Ming stepped back and left the platform. Deacon Zhao checked the list and still smiled.
"Outer disciple Zhang yong, step forward."
Zhang yong walked to the pillar and stood in front of it—but it remained inert; nothing appeared. Everyone watched cautiously—this had never happened before.
Deacon Zhao approached the pillar.
"Is there a problem?"
As he placed his hand on it, the pillar lit up, proving it wasn't broken.
'Uni?'
(Your dantian is broken, so your score didn't rise. Without spiritual energy, the pillar won't work.)
Zhang yong sighed as eyes watched from afar.
Thunder Peak's elder spoke first:
"This boy's extremely unlucky. Could he have such poor talent?"
Heavenly Sword Peak's elder shook his head in objection:
"That's impossible. Even if he's weak, the pillar should respond. What do you think, Elder Han?"
Silver Frost's elder gave no comment, maintaining a neutral expression.
Elder Gu Zixian chuckled softly as he thought to himself 'They judge by appearances only. I feel sorry for them'
Zhang yong smiled, ignoring the pillar. He waved at Deacon Zhao.
"Sir Deacon, just record it as is."
Deacon Zhao nodded, unconcerned.
Zhang yong stepped to the iron cube and touched it calmly. He recognized 'Ah, the first level of Metal Law is ingrained in him , no wonder it's used as the test'
He smirked with arrogant expression, and declared—something he'd longed to do:
"You think I'm trash because of that Talent test, don't you? Well, go to hell, all of you!"
He raised his hand and with a powerful slash, pierced the iron cube , piercing a deep hole straight through, reaching his shoulder.
Deacon Zhao shook, whispering: "Seven—seventy centimeters."
Zhang yong walked away from the platform with a casual expression. The crowd's jeers washed over him—they were nothing but barking dogs. If they were strong, maybe he'd care—but all they could do was criticize.
Su Ming raised an eyebrow seeing that and he felt an uneasyness deep in him
"Zhang yong didn't use his full power as i see"
Su Ming knew Zhang yong's strength best, and realized he hadn't even unleashed all his power—this was intentional intimidation, nothing more.