“The first trial you will face is known as the Trial of Endurance,” the Sect Master continued, "You will be transported to a mini-realm, a pocket of space created and controlled by our sect. Within this realm, each of you will face a series of challenges."

An excited whisper rippled through the crowd. Kai caught fragments of conversation around him.

"A pocket realm?"

"I've heard stories, but never thought I'd see one!"

"How do they even create something like that?”

I wonder if it's like the instance dungeons in MMOs, Kai mused.

"For those unfamiliar with the concept," the Sect Master explained, noticing the confusion on some faces, "a pocket realm is a small, self-contained space separate from our world. It allows us to create controlled environments for training and trials."

Liu Wei's eyes widened. He leaned closer to Kai and whispered, "Master, is such a thing really possible?"

Kai nodded, keeping his eyes on the Sect Master. "With qi, many things are possible."

The Sect Master's voice grew stern. "Listen carefully, for this is crucial. You have one hour to complete the trial. Those who finish early will rank higher than those who finish later. Anyone who fails to complete the trial within the hour will be expelled from the sect."

A gasp rippled through the crowd. Kai could see the panic setting in on many faces. One hour time limit with expulsion as the penalty. Classic high-stakes scenario.

"One hour? I'll finish it in half that time!" Sun Jun scoffed.

His companion, Lu Chen remained silent, but his eyes narrowed in concentration.

Kai glanced at Shen Yu, curious about his reaction. The calm-faced boy showed no change in expression, as if the news didn't faze him at all.

Either he's incredibly confident, or he's mastered the art of the poker face, Kai thought. But with his mysterious background, I'm going with incredibly confident.

The Sect Master raised a hand, calling for silence. "There's more you should know. The difficulty of the challenges will depend on your cultivation level. For those who have yet to begin cultivating, the trials will be adjusted to a level a mortal can withstand."

Kai frowned at this news. Well, there goes my advantage. I was hoping my higher cultivation level would give me an edge.

Liu Wei let out a sigh of relief. "That's good news for me, right, Master Kai?"

Kai nodded, but his mind was racing. If the challenges scale with cultivation level, then raw power might not be enough. This could be more about problem-solving and adaptability.

Zhi-Zhi, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, suddenly piped up. "Ha! Scaling difficulty? That's nothing new. Why, I once participated in a heavenly tournament where the challenges adapted to our very thoughts! Of course, I won easily, but—"

"Shh," Kai hushed the spirit tortoise gently. "Let's focus on what's happening now, okay?"

The Sect Master's gaze swept over the crowd once more. "Are you ready to begin?"

Before anyone could respond, he clapped his hands. A blinding light enveloped the recruits, and Kai felt a sudden pulling sensation.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Here we go, he thought, bracing himself. Time to put all that gaming experience to use.

In an instant, the recruits vanished, leaving only the Sect Master and the elders on the plateau.

The Sect Master turned to face the elders, his expression unreadable. His gaze swept over them one by one, finally settling on the Outer Elders.

"You will receive your rewards after the trial.”

The Outer Elders straightened, their eyes lighting up with anticipation. Elder Feng, in particular, seemed to be holding his breath.

With a casual gesture, the Sect Master reached into his storage ring and produced a small, glowing red pill.

The Outer Elders' eyes widened in recognition. Elder Zhou let out an audible gasp.

"C-Core Formation Pill!" he stammered, unable to contain his shock.

The Sect Master smiled, a rare expression that made him look almost human. "Indeed. If one of your recruits reaches the top of the leaderboard, the Outer Elder who brought them in will be awarded this pill."

The reaction was immediate. Elder Feng's eyes gleamed with barely contained greed. Elder Zhou straightened his back, a determined look crossing his face. Even the usually composed Elder Li couldn't help but stare at the pill with longing.

"Sect Master," Elder Zhou ventured, his voice filled with hope, "the young masters I recruited, Sun Jun and Lu Chen, they're both at the eighth stage of Qi Refining. Surely they have a good chance of claiming the top spot?"

The Sect Master's smile faded, replaced by a look of mild disappointment. "Is that supposed to impress me, Elder Zhou?"

Elder Zhou faltered, taken aback by the Sect Master's response. "But... but Sect Master, they're only sixteen! To reach such a level at their age—"

The Sect Master held up a hand, cutting off Elder Zhou's protests. "You misunderstand, Elder Zhou. While their cultivation is indeed noteworthy for their age, it is not as impressive as you seem to think."

He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing. "Those born into powerful clans like the Sun and Moon have advantages from birth. Access to high-quality resources, expert guidance, and optimal cultivation environments. Many such 'prodigies' struggle to break through to Core Formation, their potential stunted by early advantages that become crutches. Their current level is expected, not exceptional.”

The other elders nodded in agreement, some looking relieved that their own recruits weren't being dismissed outright.

Elder Tao stepped forward. "Sect Master, if I may ask... do you intend to take a disciple this time?"

The question hung in the air. The Sect Master was known for his discerning eye and high standards. It had been 5 years since he last accepted a personal disciple.

The Sect Master paused, considering the question. "If any of the participants show talent comparable to Wang Lin, then yes, I see no reason why I shouldn't nurture them myself."

At the mention of Wang Lin, the Sect Master's prized disciple, a ripple of excitement passed through the gathered elders. Wang Lin was a legend in the sect, known for his unparalleled talent and rapid advancement. The twenty-year-old was only half a step away from breaking into the Nascent Soul Realm!

Elder Feng, emboldened by the Sect Master's words, spoke up. "Sect Master, if I may, what about my recruit, Kai Thorn? He's also at the eighth stage of Qi Refining, but he comes from a simple village with no clan backing."

The Sect Master's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of interest passing across his face. "Yes, that boy... Kai. He is indeed interesting."

Elder Zhou, still smarting from the dismissal of his prized recruits, couldn't help but interject. "But Sect Master, what if the boy simply found some hidden resources or a powerful treasure? That could explain his rapid advancement without clan support."

The Sect Master let out a laugh, the sound echoing across the plateau. "Elder Zhou, at my level of cultivation, do you think such things would escape my notice?"

He shook his head, amusement clear in his voice. "I can sense when cultivators have used external resources to bolster their progress. That boy, Kai, has definitely not used any. In fact, I would be surprised if he's ever even used a simple healing pellet. His qi is remarkably pure."

Elder Zhou's face fell, but the Sect Master wasn't finished.

"Even if he did use some sort of treasure, the fact that it could hide its effects from my senses would make it, and by extension him, all the more remarkable."

The elders murmured among themselves, casting curious glances at Elder Feng, who was trying (and failing) to hide his smug expression.

The Sect Master turned to Elder Tao, his expression serious. "Send someone to investigate this Kai Thorn. I want to know everything about him – his background, his training, any unusual encounters he may have had. Something tells me this boy will surprise us all."

The Inner Elder bowed deeply. "It will be done, Sect Master."

The Sect Master then raised his hands, conjuring streams of water, his fingers blurred as he formed complex patters in the air, coalescing the water into hundreds of screens. Each watery display flickered to life, showing a different recruit navigating the challenges of the pocket realm.

As the Sect Master’s gaze fell on a particular screen, a small smile played at the corners of his mouth.

This year's trials, he thought, might be more interesting than I anticipated.