3 months have passed since the meeting with Huang Long and Ling.
It’s now time for the Grand Journey Gathering to welcome the envoys that come to test the youth from all around the city and to bring them to their sect.
The inns are all full and there are a multitude of tents planted outside the city wall. All around there are a great number of youths training under the supervision of their parents hoping to become the disciples of one of the sects. I learned right now that there aren’t just the envoys coming here but five: the Pure Sword Sect, the Thunder Furnace Sect, the Myriad Forms Sect, the Frigid Cloud Sect, and the Beast Hall Sect.
We were staying just outside the crowd and there was an empty area around us. People watched from afar the hooded guy that stood near the frightening bear even if I could see that a few girls were itching to come and pet me. I know, I’m freaking adorable.
Before any of them could muster the courage we heard the sound of a horn from afar and, after a while, four floating ships flew from the horizon until a few meters outside the crowd.
From there various robed men started to quickly organize the stage.
It consisted of three steles with a crystal ball at the center of them. From what I understood from the sequent explanation all the contestants have to do is to touch the crystal ball.
It would first check the toucher bone age and would glow green if it was under 12 years of age. Then it would check the qi cultivation and the first stele would glow the first two symbols if the contestant was in the dantian forming stage or the qi gathering stage. If it was just the first symbol, and so at the dantian forming stage the crystal ball would show the number of hidden meridians used.
The second stele would judge the contestant's body fitness from 1 to 9 stars with one as a cripple and 9 as a natural peak of the human body without qi. For 12 years old 3 was ok, 4 was good and 5 was exceptional. As for 1 and 2, they were considered trash and were discarded while 6 to 9 were never seen before in someone so young.
The third stele was the least and the most important of the three. It could detect if the user has some special constitution. It’s the least important because if the contestant has passed the other three tests even if he doesn’t have a special constitution he could enter a sect anyway. It’s the most important because even if someone has failed one or even two tests, except the first one, if he has a special constitution the sects will welcome you with open arms.
The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.
As I was mulling over this the first few contestants had already tried the tests. I noticed that most of them didn’t pass the second test and none had passed the last one. It seems that because of the last test, every youth of age would try their luck even if they haven’t found their hidden meridians or even if they weren’t able to detect qi. You never know: they could have a special constitution and be accepted regardless.
After a few hours, it was time for Huang Long to shine. He pulled down his hood and approached the stage while I waited from the sidelines.
Soon a few people started pointing at him saying things like:
“Look, the trash has come to make a fool of himself! Hahaha”
“Strange, I heard that he ran away to avoid ashaming his clan”
“Strange he doesn’t look as sickly as the rumor says”
“It’s probably the effect of the precious herb but with broken meridians, he remains trash.”
“True. Hahaha.”
Huang Long touched the sphere and it flashed green. So far no one was surprised. Then two symbols glowed on the stele and it gave birth to an uproar.
“No way. I am seeing it right? The trash is not trash anymore”
“Maybe he found only one hidden meridian?”
“Idiot is well known that young master Huang’s qi detection skills are top notch. If somehow his meridians were restored then do you think he only found one hidden meridian?”
Silence ensued.
The second stele lit up and 4 symbols lit up.
Then the last stele lit up as well and the uproar restarted.
Huan Ling was satisfied and joined the other contestants who had passed the test. I went with him.
After the test, it was now time to choose which sect to join.
Every envoy made a little speech explaining the good points of his sect and depicting it as the best one.
In a few words: the Pure Sword Sect specialized in sword usage. The Thunder Furnace Sect specialized in artifact crafting and had a special method to use lightning instead of fire to accomplish it. The Myriad Forms Sect has the most cultivation methods and techniques. The Frigid Cloud Sect is an all-female sect and, that's it, it didn’t seem to have a specialization despite how the flowery words of the envoy depicted it as a maiden haven. And the last: the Beast Hall Sect. It specialized in demon beast taming and nurturing.
I hoped that Huang Long chose the Beast Hall Sect but it seems that he had other ideas and went with the Myriad Forms Sect’s envoy instead.
It seems that he didn’t put me in his eyes. I will have to change that, or maybe not. Now that I will be moving to a new area with abundant resources I will have chances to improve.
And so my journey continues in a new place filled with opportunities.