“This will be your temporary residence for the next few days. There are plenty of rooms inside, so you can each find one to stay in. For the next few days, no one is allowed to leave this courtyard. Food will be delivered by a dedicated person when the time comes.”
Stopping in front of a residence nestled in a dense forest, the purple-robed Middle-aged Man turned to face the Children, his gaze sweeping over them as he spoke in a stern, imposing voice.
Although Qin Fengming and the Children felt a slight sense of helplessness and fear, at this moment, no one dared to make a sound.
On the morning of the sixth day, while Qin Fengming and the Children were still asleep, they suddenly heard a commotion from a distant valley. Just as everyone was wondering what was happening, the purple-robed Middle-aged Man who had brought them here suddenly appeared in the courtyard.
“Today is the day of our Luoxia Valley’s triennial New Disciple Selection Assembly. I hope all of you will strive your best to be selected. Now, I will take you to Cui Zhu Peak to participate in this selection together with all the other waiting Disciples.”
Listening to the purple-robed Middle-aged Man’s words, Qin Fengming knew that today was the crucial day that would determine whether he could enter Luoxia Valley. He felt both excited and a little nervous.
After speaking, the purple-robed Middle-aged Man glanced at the Children, then said no more, leading everyone directly towards the source of the commotion.
They arrived at a valley where hundreds of people were already waiting. Among these hundreds, more than two hundred Children, the same age as Qin Fengming, stood in the center of the small valley.
Looking at the robust youths standing around, dressed in five-colored clothing and holding swords, Qin Fengming couldn’t help but feel envious. Without asking, these youths were undoubtedly Luoxia Valley Disciples.
The purple-robed Middle-aged Man stepped forward quickly and bowed to a handsome, yellow-robed Middle-aged Man standing on a large rock, saying, “Zhang Tangzhu, the waiting Disciples from Qijia City have been brought.”
The yellow-robed Middle-aged Man looked down at Qin Fengming and the others, uttering only a single “Good” before saying nothing further.
After bowing, the purple-robed Middle-aged Man had Qin Fengming and the Children stand among the two hundred-plus Children.
Over the next half an hour, another group of Children was brought to the valley. Qin Fengming scanned his surroundings and noticed that there were now over three hundred Children in the valley.
Just as Qin Fengming and the Children stood in the valley, their faces showing nervousness, a figure flashed, and Elder Wang, whom they had seen holding a feather fan when they first entered the mountain, appeared on the large rock in front.
“Brother Zhang, it’s already late. The Children participating in this selection must have all arrived. Can we begin?”
The person named Zhang Tangzhu’s face showed no unusual expression. He looked down and nodded slightly. With a flicker of his body, his tall frame floated like a wisp of cotton, gently landing on an even taller mountain rock.
Upon seeing this, Qin Fengming and the Children immediately let out gasps of admiration, their eyes filled with longing.
Zhang Tangzhu’s face remained expressionless at this sight. He cleared his throat and said, “Zhang is the Tangzhu of Hundred Refinements Hall. Today’s selection assembly will be presided over by my Hundred Refinements Hall. This selection will have three stages. Only those who pass all stages can officially become Disciples of my Luoxia Valley. Elder Wang will explain the details of each stage.”
After scanning the Children, Zhang Tangzhu’s figure flickered, and he retreated to the side.
With a wave of his feather fan, the ruddy-faced Elder Wang immediately appeared before everyone.
“The three stages set for this selection of Luoxia Valley Disciples are: the first stage is a test of agility; the second stage is a test of endurance; and the third stage is a test of courage.”
Hearing Elder Wang’s words, Qin Fengming pondered silently. According to the types of these three stages, there was nothing particularly unusual. Qin Fengming had already experienced such tests while hunting in the mountains.
To pass these three stages, it probably wouldn’t be too difficult. Thinking of this, Qin Fengming felt much more at ease.
“The first stage, the agility test, requires the waiting Disciples to climb the mountain to the east bare-handed within the allotted time.” Just as Qin Fengming and the others were secretly pondering, Elder Wang spoke again.
Following Elder Wang’s refer to direction, Qin Fengming and the others turned to look at the mountain.
With just a glance, Qin Fengming saw the mountain. Although the mountain was only forty to fifty Zhang high, the trees and bamboo forests on it showed signs of being deliberately trimmed, and in places with larger drops, there were vines hanging down. Such a high mountain, for Children around ten years old, was indeed quite challenging.
“You have one hour. Those who reach the peak within one hour will pass. Those who fail to arrive on time will be deemed failures and cannot participate in the subsequent two selection stages. All right, timing starts now.”
As Elder Wang’s words fell, the more than three hundred Children in the valley rushed towards the small mountain like chickens and ducks being herded.
Duan Meng, who stood with Qin Fengming, was only two years older than Qin Fengming, but he was more mature than the other Children. At this moment, his face also showed nervousness as he said, “This selection concerns our fate. I hope everyone does their best. Let’s start too.” After speaking, he was the first to run towards the mountain.
Standing at the foot of the mountain, Qin Fengming looked up, found a less crowded spot, and began to climb the slope bare-handed.
For this kind of slope with many places to gain leverage, Qin Fengming did not seem particularly rushed. He occasionally grabbed protruding rocks with his hands, and at times agilely jumped from one tree to another. When he encountered vines, he would grab them and climb up, looking completely at ease.
Although Qin Fengming felt no difficulty, for the other Children, this kind of climbing was extremely difficult. Children occasionally rolled down the slope, and some also fell from the vines.
Although the Children who fell looked to be in extreme danger, whenever a Child fell, a young man dressed in five-colored clothes would appear in time and catch the falling Child in his hands.
Most of the Children who fell were sent down the mountain, but a few still chose to continue climbing.
As time slowly passed and the Children’s physical strength declined, tense situations continued to arise.
Although other Children were constantly in peril, Qin Fengming faced no danger. Half an hour later, Qin Fengming flipped and leaped, already reaching the peak.
At this time, several Children were already on the peak, but none of Duan Meng and his companions had arrived yet.
Scanning the group, Qin Fengming noticed that these Children were mostly eleven or twelve years old, and their physiques were all slightly robust.
As more and more Children reached the peak, Duan Meng and his companions gradually ascended. Observing Duan and his companions, except for Duan Meng, the others all appeared exhausted.
When they saw Qin Fengming already standing on the peak, Duan and his companions all showed surprise. They all remembered that when they first started climbing, Qin Fengming was the last one to move.
At this time, there were already many Children on the peak, their clothes somewhat torn, and their faces showing signs of fatigue.
After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, two figures flashed on the peak, and Zhang Tangzhu and Elder Wang suddenly appeared.
“All right, time’s up. Children who failed to reach the peak have lost their qualification to compete further. Now, gather all the Children who didn’t make it up, and after the assessment, give them some silver and send them home together.”
Facing the base of the mountain, Elder Wang spoke in a stern, serious voice.
As his voice fell, many young men in five-colored clothes flashed out from the dense forest at the base of the mountain. Their figures swayed as they tucked the struggling Children under their arms and rushed down the mountain.