John stared at Russell who had just appeared before him and asked for a fight. A powerful aura was emanating from Russell, indicating that he was serious in his request.
John looked at Russell for a moment before he looked away and returned to his cultivation.
"Sure, but after the trials are over," John responded.
A smile appeared on Russell's face as he heard John's response. "You better not back out when the time comes."
Adam stared at John and Russell in surprise, especially John. John was just at the mid Qi Condensation Realm, while Russell was at the peak of the realm.
"Why the hell would you accept such a fight? Your cultivation is way lower than his!" Adam asked in a panicked tone.
"It's just a fight. The worst thing that happens is I get beaten up," John replied in an unconcerned tone. Adam was shocked to hear such a response, as he himself avoided all confrontation unless he was assured victory.
"Hahaha, that's exactly the attitude a man should have," Russell responded.
John continued to cultivate in silence for the next six hours as more and more youths showed up. By the end of the six hours, just under one thousand youths had passed the trial. There were several thousand youths that had passed as outer disciples, which showed the Trial of Pain had a high failure rate.
'More passed the trial than I expected, but the Elder in charge did say the trial gets easier as time goes on. I wonder why they allowed such a discrepancy in difficulty?'
It didn't make much sense to John why the trial varied by so much. Although the Elder did explain that there were rewards for finishing in the front of the pack, it would make sense to finish the trial later and conserve strength.
John dismissed such needless thoughts and returned to cultivating. A short moment later, the lone Elder in charge opened his eyes as he stared at the group of youths in front of him. Most of the youths sat in silence, recuperating from the harrowing trial they had just experienced.
"Silence,"
The Elder stated, quieting the few discussions that were taking place amongst the youths. The youths all quieted down and stared at the Elder. They were all curious as to what the last trial would be, as it would determine if they were to become Core Disciples or remain Inner Sect Disciples.
"Congratulations on passing the Trial of Pain and becoming Inner Sect Disciples. By doing so, you have all demonstrated to the sect that you are worthy of nurturing, and you will receive resources beyond your imagination."
A proud look appeared on Adam's face, acting as if he deserved to be here. John looked at Adam and rolled his eyes, and looked back towards the Elder.
"Now, for the last trial to determine who of you becomes Core Disciples and who remains Inner Sect Disciples…"
Eager eyes stared at the Elder at the mention of the final trial. It was the dream of all the youths to become Core Disciples, and they would seize such an opportunity with all their strength.
"Core Disciples represent the pride, the talent, and the resolve of the Heavenly Lightning Sect. Only those who strive to achieve greatness in everything they do are fit to call themselves Core Disciples…
The fifth and final trial has already been completed. The Elder in charge of the Trial of Pain mentioned rewards for finishing in the front of the pack, and any cultivator worthy of a Core Discipleship would have seized any and all opportunities given to them. Those who would wait for the trial to become easier, or took too long to complete it are unworthy of being called a Core Disciple. As such, those who finished in the top ten are now all Core Disciples."
Stunned silence descended on the group of youths before a clamorous uproar burst out.
"What the hell is that?"
"How is that fair? We weren't even told of such a thing."
"That's bullshit!"
The Elder listened to the youths explode in an uproar as if he had been expecting such a reaction. His aura suddenly flared outwards, and his powerful Heavenly Tribulation aura pressed down on all the youths, silencing them instantly.
"You are all now disciples of the Heavenly Lightning Sect, and no longer pampered youths of your own powers. You best remember that, and proceed forward with poise and respect," the Elder stated in a calm voice, causing all those who had been shouting to blush in embarrassment.
Silence blanketed the group, until one youth raised his hand to speak up. The Elder acknowledged him, and he stepped forward in a humble manner before speaking up.
"Elder, what you say is fair. However, I have one complaint regarding this ruling." The boy suddenly pointed towards Adam, who was standing there with a prideful look on his face.
"Everyone saw that boy be forcefully dragged to the end of the trial by that other boy. He wasn't able to pass the trial on his own strength, and I believe he should be disqualified." The boy who had just spoken had come eleventh in the trial, and felt robbed by such a ruling.
The eyes of all turned to look at Adam, and were disgusted at his prideful appearance, as if he had earned a Core Discipleship on his own merit. The Elder in charge looked towards Adam as well, and thought about it for a moment before responding.
"Such a decision is out of my hands, and will be decided on momentarily."
The boy was about to protest again, but the Elder suddenly waved his hand. Formation lines began to glow on the ground beneath all the youths, and a powerful aura began to emanate from it.
Before anyone could react, they felt themselves once again pulled into a spatial chanel and transported through space. The transportation lasted just a moment.
John gathered his bearings and began to look around. His face, and the faces of all those in the trial widened in surprise as they stared around. They had appeared in the great courtyard within the Heavenly Lightning Sect, directly in front of the massive palace that existed at its center.
Tens of thousands of people were gathered in the courtyard, surrounding the group of youths that had just arrived. John looked around in shock, and his eyes trailed upwards to the top of the stairs that led to the great palace.
At the top of the stairs, several familiar faces stared down at John and the group of youths.
