Xiao Chen stared at the massive stone drum before him, then slowly turned his head to look at Elder Kong.
"…Is this really considered a test?"
His tone wasn't disrespectful—just genuinely confused.
The drum looked ancient and heavy, its surface covered with faded runes that pulsed faintly, as if breathing. It didn't look like something meant for a casual registration test.
Elder Kong did not answer immediately.
He only smiled.
It was a strange smile—lazy, mysterious, and slightly amused. His half-lidded eyes glanced at Xiao Chen, then at the drum, as if he were watching something interesting unfold.
"Just try it first," Elder Kong said lightly. "You'll understand soon enough."
Xiao Chen hesitated, then nodded.
He took a step closer to the drum, then suddenly stopped and turned back.
"Elder… how exactly should I do this?"
Elder Kong sighed, as though explaining something extremely troublesome.
"Alright, little brat, listen carefully," he said. "You use your hand and strike the drum with your strongest strength."
He pointed toward the row of drums behind the first one.
"There are nine drums in total. Each corresponds to one stage of the Body Strengthening Realm."
"The first drum represents the First Stage. If you can make it sound, you qualify as a First Stage Body Strengthening cultivator."
"The second drum corresponds to the Second Stage. The third drum to the Third Stage. And so on."
"You have three chances per drum."
He yawned halfway through explaining.
"Now hurry up. I still have business to attend to."
By business, Xiao Chen knew he meant sleeping.
Xiao Chen was speechless.
This elder… is truly something else.
Still, he turned back toward the first drum.
This was it.
The moment that would determine whether he remained a servant—or stepped onto the path of cultivation properly.
He stood before the first drum, raised his right hand, and inhaled deeply.
This time, he made a conscious decision.
No qi.
He wanted to see how far his pure physical strength had reached.
His arm moved.
BOOM—!
The sound was loud and heavy, echoing across the registration grounds like a sudden clap of thunder.
Several birds flew away from nearby trees.
The first drum vibrated violently, its runes glowing briefly before fading.
Elder Kong's drooping eyes opened slightly.
"…Oh?"
He glanced at Xiao Chen with mild surprise.
"No qi," he muttered. "Yet that kind of sound."
"That's at least Second Stage physical power."
Xiao Chen himself was startled.
He hadn't expected the sound to be that loud.
Suppressing his excitement, he walked toward the second drum.
This time, he slowly raised his hand—and allowed qi to flow.
A faint blue-black aura wrapped around his fist, subtle but distinct.
The moment Elder Kong saw it, his expression changed.
His lazy posture straightened just a little.
His eyes sharpened.
Blue… and black?
Elder Kong's heart skipped a beat.
He did not laugh. He did not speak.
But inside—
I've struck gold.
Ancient records flashed through his mind.
The sect library contained old texts describing qi attributes. While most humans absorbed white or silver qi, the world itself contained countless variations.
Those who could absorb colored qi were rare.
And those whose qi was stronger than standard white qi…
They were monsters.
Geniuses who could fight across realms.
Elder Kong carefully hid his reaction, keeping his expression calm so as not to alarm Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen didn't notice any of this.
He only focused on the drum.
"Hyah!"
BOOM—!
The second drum rang out clearly.
The sound was deeper, heavier than the first.
Xiao Chen clenched his fist.
That felt… easy.
He stepped toward the third drum, excitement slowly building.
"I only used about twenty percent," he thought. "Let's try fifty."
He struck.
BOOM—!
The third drum shook violently, its sound echoing farther than before.
Now Elder Kong was no longer pretending to sleep.
He stared at Xiao Chen with undisguised interest.
First Stage Body Strengthening… yet striking the third drum with ease?
Impossible under normal circumstances.
Xiao Chen moved toward the fourth drum.
His breathing was steady, his eyes bright with enthusiasm. He had completely forgotten that Elder Kong was watching.
If he had looked back, he would have seen the old man staring at him like a dragon who had discovered an unpolished gem.
Elder Kong quietly released a strand of spiritual sense, probing Xiao Chen's cultivation.
And then—
He froze.
"…First Stage."
His pupils shrank slightly.
He's only just broken through.
His qi was still unstable, thin, clearly the sign of a recent advancement.
Yet—
He's ringing the third drum?
Elder Kong felt a chill run down his spine.
Xiao Chen stood before the fourth drum, hesitating slightly.
Something felt… different.
From the first drum onward, he had followed an instinctive rhythm—adjusting his strength naturally.
"Let's try ninety percent," he muttered.
He struck.
BOOM—!
The fourth drum barely sounded.
But at the same time—
BANG—!
A powerful shockwave erupted from the drum, slamming into Xiao Chen's body.
He was sent flying backward, crashing onto the stone ground several meters away.
"Ugh—!"
Pain shot through his arm.
He rolled once and came to a stop, coughing lightly.
His right hand trembled.
Blood seeped from his knuckles.
Elder Kong sighed and stood up.
"From the fourth drum onward," he said calmly, "the drums no longer only test strength."
"They reflect force."
"If you strike the fourth drum with full strength, it sends back twenty percent of the power."
"You didn't guard yourself at all," Elder Kong added, glancing at Xiao Chen. "So you took it head-on."
Xiao Chen slowly sat up, staring at his injured hand.
He hadn't expected that.
But strangely—
He didn't feel afraid.
He stood up.
Ignored the pain.
And walked back toward the fourth drum.
Blood dripped from his right hand.
Elder Kong frowned slightly.
"What are you doing?"
Xiao Chen raised his left hand instead.
"This time," he said quietly, "I'll use everything."
Qi surged.
The blue-black aura exploded outward, far denser than before.
Elder Kong's eyes widened.
And then—
He saw it.
Xiao Chen's left eye glowed blue.
His right eye glowed black.
For the first time in many years—
Elder Kong's calm shattered.
"…Impossible."