The last few youngsters were tested. Those that were found to have the ability to cultivate were over the moon, however the ones who couldn’t cultivate had a subdued reaction, as if they had expected it. None repeated the actions of Dalian however. No matter how much they wanted to become immortals, it wasn’t worth it to become slaves just for a possibility which might not have even existed. Although they couldn’t experience the thrilling lives told about in stories, they could still return to their families and live a fulfilling life.
Once the final girl had been checked, Elder Kailin performed some hand gestures, and the group of those who had failed began to float in the air. Nobody was startled, as it was how they had gone up the mountain in the first place. They began to move, and began their long journey to the bottom.
Elder Alano waited for the failures to disappear from view before he began speaking. “Well done to all of you so far. Fate has shone on you, and you have the ability to ascend to the level of the immortals.” It seemed as though he was ignoring Dalian’s presence within the group. “However, do not think you can rest easy now. The road to immortality is long and difficult and nobody can say who is and isn’t able to achieve it. If you relax for even a single moment, fate will come down on you like a harsh mistress. Make no mistake, once you begin, you must continue to climb until you either reach the top or die. There are no breaks.” He let his words hang in the air, allowing the youngsters to understand their reality.
“You may believe you are able to enter the sect now, but you are mistaken. What you just went through was merely a filter. To determine those who can, versus those who can’t. The true examination begins now. Only half of you will make it through, the rest will die. Of those half, eighty percent will die within a year. There are two hundred of you before me and only twenty will be able to truly step on the path to immortality. If any of you believe you do not have what it takes, you may still leave.”
The excited atmosphere of the youths had become quiet and sordid, with many looking side to side worriedly, seeing who would give up and who wouldn’t. It only took a few seconds for some to decide they weren’t cut out for immortality and exit the crowd. Dalian examined the reactions of his fellows, detest forming within, but he hid it perfectly. He felt the gaze of the elder upon him and looked back.
“There is honour in knowing your limits.” The elder addressed the crowd, but Dalian knew he was speaking to him. Nevertheless, he didn’t back down. He had known what he was getting into before he ever came to the sect, before he had ever met the outer sect disciple in his small village. He was prepared to sacrifice everything for success.
When no one else left the crowd, the elder nodded, and a woman came floating through the air, into the pavilion. She had perfectly straight blonde hair, and a beauty rarely seen.
“Elder Yue will return you to the base of the mountain.” The group of ten was lifted off their feet and transported out of view.
He turned back to the ones who had stayed. “Your bravery is commendable. Now, we will waste no further time. Your second test is to reach that peak within twelve hours.” Dalian followed the hand of the man, which was pointing to a mountain top far off in the horizon, and looked impossibly far away. “Your time begins now.”
Immediately, the crowd exploded into a tumult, as youths began pushing each other to try and make their way down the mountain. Dalian observed them silently, as did a few others. A few minutes would make little difference, firstly, he needed to consider the situation and determine the best way forward.
The peak looked like a spot in the distance, as if it was a hundred kilometres away. However, it couldn’t be. The sect would not give a test that could not be passed. It was more likely to be some kind of illusion to extend the distance, he wouldn’t be surprised if immortals were capable of such things. Perhaps the long amount of time was even given to nudge them towards accepting the possibility. If he was right, then there had to be some other kind of difficulty. Perhaps something that might play upon the carelessness of those who didn’t take the time to consider anything. Something that would be dangerous if one rushed in without thinking.
With that knowledge in his mind, Dalian began making his way out of the pavilion, into the forested mountain below, making sure that he stayed conscious of his surroundings, and keeping an eye out for any dangers. No matter that the test could be more than it seemed, he still had to make his way to the other peak anyhow.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
—
The forest was loud with the sound of insects buzzing, and birds chirping. The autumn leaves crinkled distinctly underfoot. Dalian pulled shrubbery out of his way and descended down a particularly steep slope. He had been travelling for about half an hour, taking care to be calm and quiet. So far there had been nothing to confirm his theory of other dangers, but he stayed vigilant and believed in himself.
He was lucky to have plenty of experience exploring his local forest whilst he hunted wild boars, and foraged for berries, vegetables and herbs. This meant he was able to keep his sense of direction, even when the canopy of leaves above blotted out the sun. He imagined that those who had come from rich families must’ve been suffering. He was having difficulties himself, so he couldn’t believe that they were any better.
It was a few minutes later, as he was stepping over a particularly large root, that he noticed something. If he hadn’t been paying close attention then he wouldn’t have been able to tell that anything had happened. But since he had, it was very clear that something was different. The usual noise of the forest had dulled to silence. He stopped moving, bent his legs and brought his arms up to get into a ready stance.
His keen eyes scanned the shrubbery surrounding him, and the trees further away. He slowly rotated, analysing each and every facet of the environment. He purposely kept his breath constant and steady, so that he wouldn’t be overwhelmed by feelings of fear or panic. When he had almost completed a full rotation, he noticed something.
He nearly had to do a double take upon seeing it, unsure if he had truly seen what he thought he had. A pair of black eyes stared at him fiercely, around them was the head of a mountain lion. It had mangy black-brown fur, and was completely still. Somehow it had gotten within two metres of him. They stared at each for a few tense moments, as if trying to decide who was the predator and who the prey. Evidently, the animal found an answer as it suddenly pounced.
Dalian responded immediately, having been ready for an attack. He half stepped, half jumped to the side. The jaw of the lion barely skimmed past his arm as it flew through the air. Without wasting a moment Dalian gathered his feet and jumped onto the lion, who had just landed. His elbow landed into the animal’s ribs, and he felt them crunch as they broke. The lion whimpered and faltered from the pain. Dalian took the opportunity to grab the lion’s hind leg and snap it along the knee, then did the same with the other. He forced its head into the ground by grasping its neck, then looked around for an object. He recalled a rock that he had seen whilst looking for the threat and picked it up, raised his arm and brought it down upon the lion’s head, bludgeoning it several times until it stopped moving. He hit a few times for extra measure then relaxed his hold and stood up.
Examining the mangled corpse gave him confidence; perhaps these wild animals were the only challenge that the elder wanted to give them for this section of the entrance exam. If so, then he would be in a good position. Weak enemies like that could be dealt easily. The only danger they could possibly give him would be if they caught him by surprise, and now that he knew what to look for, that would be much more unlikely.
Noting the blood spilling from its wounds, Dalian decided to leave. Fresh blood would attract other beasts, and while he was confident in dealing with them on an individual level, he wasn’t too sure how he would stand up against a pack. So, once again keeping his awareness at the highest level he could manage, he forged onwards.
The forest was quite similar to the one near his home village. The main trees were blackhearts, so named for their coal-like core that ran through the centre of the trunk. There were also some dale oaks scattered around, though they were by far the minority. More importantly, there were plants he could recognise, ones that were edible. So far, he had found various types of berries. However, most of them were either extremely bitter, or outright poisonous. Thankfully, he had found red Joga berries, which were sweet and juicy. The only difficulty he had was getting through the thorny branches hiding them, which were easily solved with a few whacks of a stick. Thus he had been gradually keeping himself full as he travelled, the berries being relatively common. He was glad that he didn’t need to resort to grazing different herbs like a forest cow.
At what he guessed to be the second hour of his journey, he heard a scream. It was a girl’s, and it sounded close to him, more than he was comfortable with. If he was correct, it had come from his left, maybe slightly behind him as well. Without a second thought, he turned and went in the opposite direction. With her outburst, the girl had likely attracted every animal in the nearest kilometre, and judging from the crazy state of the mountain lion from earlier, they were hungry. When they inevitably gathered on her position, it would be a bloodbath.
As for the girl's well-being, it was a shame, but she would probably end up dying. Dalian felt no need to risk himself for someone he didn’t even know. Besides, he had his own problems to face, the most important of which being to pass an examination for immortals without a spirit root. He didn’t know how much energy he would need to conserve, so he couldn’t go around saving every person who cried.
With the attention of the animals likely placed fully on the girl, he felt that it would be fine for him to pick up the pace instead of traipsing around quietly. However, his desire to get far away from the danger was quickly dashed as another scream echoed through the forest.
The girl was coming in his direction.