As they passed through the gate, their cultivation instantly disappeared! It was not that they had been crippled, but that there was a formation covering the entire way, 300km, that prevented any spiritual energy from being used. That being said... the kids would need to depend on their own bodies to reach the end!
Rean couldn't help but comment.
"A marathon and a very harsh one at that."
Roan nodded but didn't say anything.
As the kids' speed dropped after traversing the gate, the elder who talked with everyone smiled.
'Talent is good and all, but talent without effort means nothing! Only those who practiced every day will have built up their bodies to the point where they can conclude this test. As for those who simply sat inside their fancy houses using all the free Spirit Stones and cultivation resources given to them by their families... hehe!'
The elder then looked at the side to ask.
"Are the resting places ready?"
The elder beside him bowed before answering.
"Yes, Elder Hulian. We set up one resting place where they can eat and sleep every 50km. Not to mention that there is a font of water available for them every 5 kilometers. We also have several Outer Sect disciples along the road to rescue the kids who can't continue anymore. Those kids will then be brought back here for those responsible for them to retake those children."
Elder Hulian nodded, satisfied. This elder was one of the ten Elders in charge of the Inner Sect. Different from most, he didn't have a significant aptitude, being only a Yellow Color. However, through his own immense effort, his cultivation improved, and he reached the position that he is today.
Every year's test would be done according to the elder in charge's whims, so for someone who loves effort like Hulian, a trial aimed at this topic was to be expected. There were quite a few who didn't like his methods and that put aptitude above all, but few could really hold their own against Hulian. In their eyes, exceptions like Hulian are too rare to be counted.
Elder Hulian looked behind and saw that all the kids had passed through the gate already.
"Alright, close the gate. I will be presiding over this test myself. If I see any of the outer sect disciples giving some hidden help to those pompous young masters, you should know what will happen."
Hulian then took flight and disappeared from their sight.
There had been several instances in the past that some members of the same clan would help their young ones to bypass the rules. But when it came to Elder Hulian's time, no one dared to do so. That's because not only that outer sect disciple will be killed on the spot, but the kid he tried to help would be going to hell with him. Some had tried to do that in the past, but almost none lived.
Back on the road, Rean and Roan instantly decreased their pace. The majority of the kids in the front kept running forward, completely forgetting the 300km ahead of them. They only thought about being between the first five thousand.
However, how could Rean and Roan not understand what this meant? Be it the other kids or themselves, they all have undeveloped bodies. It is simply impossible for them to keep that high pace for more than a few minutes.
Malaka, on the other hand, didn't think about any of this.
"Rean, Roan, we are falling behind, quick, let's run faster!"
But just as she was about to rush forward, Rean and Roan held each of her hands.
"Out of the question. You will run just like we are doing."
Rean nodded.
"Don't worry, we will definitely pass this test, just do as Roan says."
Malaka sulked a bit since she didn't like to see all the kids passing ahead of her. She even tried to escape and run ahead by herself. Still, Rean and Roan held her hands tight, not allowing her to move a single step away from them. In the end, she could only give up and do as they said.
But Malaka didn't feel sad for long. Soon, their group of three started to pass by several kids who were sitting on the ground gasping for air.
At first, it was only one or another, but soon, there were tens, and then hundreds of kids in the same condition.
"See? That's why I told you to not run ahead. You will get tired too fast, and then you will lose in the end. Trust your big brothers, and keep following us. We might not be the very firsts to arrive, but we definitely are going to pass it."
Malaka's eyes shined, and she immediately nodded.
"Okay!"
Rean and Roan finally let her hands go since it was quite bothersome to run without freely moving their arms.
Soon, 20 minutes went by. Rean's group then stopped jogging and started to walk.
"Eh? Are we not running anymore? I can still run much more."
Malaka, of course, got confused.
However, Rean just laughed.
"Hahaha! Don't worry, this is also part of the plan. Just trust Roan and me."
Rean, Roan, and Malaka had put a lot of effort into their other training besides cultivation. Especially since Roan was quite spartan about it. So their three bodies were quite in good shape. Not to mention that they received the nurturance of Spiritual Energy until now. Even if they can't use Spiritual Energy during this test, their bodies were definitely more enduring than ordinary kids at the same age.
Roan was the guy who was responsible for Rean and Malaka's training, so Rean left it for him to do all the calls.
His plan was very obvious. They can still run a lot more than they did, but Roan knew it would be prejudicial in the long term. He looked at and Rean and Malaka and could already see the sweat on their bodies. That's why they began to walk instead.
Once again, several kids began to pass them. But this time, Malaka didn't complain. She already believed that Roan was telling the truth. Additionally, Roan becomes pretty scary when she doesn't follow his words.
Time passed, and over 5 hours went by. Roan would continuously check Malaka and Rean's condition to tell when they should jog, walk, or stop completely to rest. They also paused to drink some water prepared by the sect on the way.
By now, the kids who didn't know how to control their pace had fallen far behind them, which made Malaka very happy. Sure enough, a 9-year-old kid like her was easy and hard to deal with.
Finally, after keeping this progress for almost 8 hours, they spotted something in the distance. As they got close, Rean and Roan couldn't help but smile.
"Just as we thought, they really left some resting points for us. Let's stay there for 30 minutes, and then we can continue on our way. Make sure to eat your fill so that you won't feel hungry later."
However, they were surprised after they arrived. Julio was also there together with a few other kids!