Zeng Fei was relieved to learn that the Enforcers had not come to beat a confessional truth out of him, but to take him to the Council Hall before the list of ascending disciples was made public.

His mood dropped again though once he realised it wasn’t just him they were taking.

His former opponent’s wounds had been slathered with herbal paste and bound with bandages, giving the image of a mummified disciple; nevertheless, Dong Fu still managed to look more at ease than Zeng Fei.

Given Senior Sister Dai’s complaint about the frequency of Dong Fu’s visits to the Medicinal Hall, it made sense that the thug was already well-accustomed to moving around while in such a condition.

Besides coldly snorting in Zeng Fei’s direction, Dong Fu refused to acknowledge him any further, which Zeng Fei was perfectly content with.

Also joining them was Sun Ru, who looked completely fine and not like someone who’d lost.

Although Zeng Fei didn’t know how the final match had played out, he knew that at the least, it should have been as intense as his bout with Dong Fu; for her to have healed up to this extent in the time since, it was clear she either possessed an insane recovery rate or had received more expensive treatment than them.

The original had heard rumours long ago that Sun Ru possessed True Spiritual Roots and cultivated a powerful fire technique, which was most likely the explanation for why her hair, styled in a pony tail, was the colour of rich auburn, or why there were bronze glints floating in her irises.

In terms of appearance, she had dainty features, manifestly clear skin, and a fit build, neither slender nor muscle-bound, giving her an overall image that captivated both men and women.

Once she had greeted the Enforcers, she fell into step alongside Zeng Fei and Dong Fu, disrupting the chilly air between them. It gave Zeng Fei his much sought-after opportunity.

He showed a friendly smile. “Greetings, Sister Sun Ru. Many thanks for your help last time. I definitely owe you for that.” He scratched his head. “And I hope you’ll forgive how long it has taken me to tell you that.”

To his relief, she accepted his gratitude warmly.

"That’s okay, Brother Zeng Fei - I heard you came by while I was in seclusion. Besides, I did what was only natural so no need to feel indebted.” She paused, squirmed her mouth, then dipped her head lower. “And I’m sorry for not recognising you back then - I only learnt of your identity afterwards.”

Her personality was indeed true to the rumours: polite and gracious, even showing face to someone insignificant like him.

He waved his hand dismissively. “Please don’t be. I’m not small-minded and thug-like to feel insulted by something so minor like that.” Zeng Fei chuckled frivolously like it was a random untargeted comment.

Although he’d told Senior Sister Dai he’d lay off the issue, he just couldn’t help himself here, the presence of Sun Ru and the two seniors bolstering his confidence. Unfortunately, though, he couldn’t tell if he was successful in provoking Dong Fu due to the bandages covering the face.

Sun Ru glanced between the two rivals, then showed a strange expression towards Zeng Fei that he couldn’t quite decipher. Had she not known there was history between them before the fight? Or was it something else on her mind?

But before she could speak, the seniors interrupted them.

They were now out of the Medicinal Hall, and the Enforcers were beckoning the three onto a small, simple Chinese pavilion, which covered 1.5 metres squared of stony ground that looked out of place against the surrounding grass.

Once they were under the pavilion’s coverage, Zeng Fei felt his heart jolt as the platform suddenly lifted into the air; flustered, he grabbed onto the nearest pillar in a hurry.

The unabashed chuckle in the background caused him to flush and look away from the group, immediately knowing who it was.

Cultivators at Foundation Establishment had qi pools large enough to freely use magic artefacts, and Zeng Fei also knew that almost all disciples at this stage travelled via flight. Yet although he’d occasionally seen flying platforms streak through the skies, he’d never seen one up close before and hadn’t been anticipating this unseeming pavilion to be one.

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He quickly got over his embarrassment once it got moving; even with the Enforcers going at a slow speed, the experience of flying without walls confining you was exhilarating. Zeng Fei had to use his qi to attach himself to the platform, aware that he would otherwise get flung off by a random gust of wind.

Within minutes, they reached their destination: the Council Hall.

The Council Hall sat on the edge of the Inner Sect territory, and was therefore one of the only buildings visible to those in the Outer Sect; this was why it had become a beacon of aspiration in the eyes of Outer Sect Disciples, somewhere they wanted to step foot into within their lifetimes. The original, especially, had yearned for it like it was the promised land.

So although it was disappointing to learn the building was used for administrative and bureaucratic purposes (hence disproving the many theories said about it in the Outer Sect), it was nonetheless a special moment as it showed how much Zeng Fei’s stock had risen in one day.

The disciples were ushered into a room to the side of the building, where the Sect Leader was waiting alongside a young man that Zeng Fei presumed to be Wang Li.

One glance was sufficient for Zeng Fei to confirm his suspicions that this person carried around a spirit adviser: sharp-jawed and bright-eyed, Wang Li was toned and elegantly handsome, the perfect look to go on the cover of a Chinese webnovel.

What was surprising was that Wang Li’s attention too was exclusively on Zeng Fei, observing him with a measuring gaze, expression inscrutable.

The Sect Leader, a dignified scholar in crystal white flowing robes, meanwhile thanked the Enforcers and let them go, before gesturing towards the disciples to take their places next to Wang Li.

They bowed as one towards him. “These faithful disciples greet the Sect Leader.”

“By now, you should all be aware why I have gathered you here.” The Sect Leader assessed them one by one, giving a small nod each time. “And what a good crop this year; the Elders truly had wise judgement this time. There is no doubt in my mind that you shall grow to be the future foundation of our sect.”

Although it was obvious he said the same thing to every intake, there was something undeniably encouraging to hear those words from someone unfathomably more powerful than themselves, causing the disciples to beam many lux brighter.

The Sect Leader continued. “Now, I know you are curious as to what comes next, but before we get onto that, let me speak a little on your present situation.”

He cleared his throat and adopted a serious mien. “I know you are probably feeling ambivalent towards the sect: as the Sect Leader, I will freely make the admission that you weren’t shown much love in the Outer Sect.”

The disciples grew alarmed he was calling them ingrates and tried to say otherwise, but he stopped them with an open palm gesture.

“The road towards Immortality is not only difficult but also obscure, hence the belief of our sect’s founder, Daoist Scattered Mind, that it is nigh-impossible to pick out who would be successful in pursuing the Dao. But if that is the case, how are we supposed to know which candidates to tutor then?”

He gave a few moments for them to think before answering.

“If we cannot trust our own judgement, then we must place our trust in the judgement of the heavens. I can reveal to you now that your circumstances in the Outer Sect were deliberate: it is by design we allowed the rule of the jungle to reign supreme and provided little guidance. Indeed, the entrance test you all passed on joining the sect was a ruse; the true test to see if you were worthy of admission was in fact your experience in the Outer Sect.”

“And today you have proven yourselves worthy. You...” he said, meeting each of their gazes, “have earned your place with blood, sweat, and tears. Never forget that because no matter which of the infinite paths you take towards Immortality, those are the only reliable currencies to take you there.”

The Sect Leader clapped, and the wall behind him disappeared.

The sudden extension to the room was plain except for an odd sight on the marble floor: footprints from someone walking diagonally over the space, their steps creating concentric ripples as though they’d been treading over water instead of marble.

The footprints appeared engraved and unchanging, whereas the water was in motion even now, despite both being made of the same marble medium. This sight was reminiscent of the Treading Infinity Sect’s insignia on their robes, though the insignia had only two footsteps.

None of the disciples were able to scrutinise the rippling waves for more than a handful seconds before being overwhelmed and forced to look away whilst clutching their heads; insights far beyond their comprehension were trying to force inside their minds.

The Dao was alive within this artefact, and not just of any particular path but of a potential infinite paths as the collisions between the ripples destroyed the existing Dao intent and created anew.

Profound sword intent transmuted into spear intent, into piercing, blood arts, healing, and so on.

The Sect Leader waited until they had returned their attention to him. “This behind me is a magic artefact left behind by our founder, which I cannot tell you the name of at your level. Honestly, it has no real use, more an art exhibition than anything else, but some do manage to obtain insights from it. It’s also become a tradition for those joining our sect to witness this right at the start, for it helps explain the true character of our sect better than words could ever do.”

The Sect Leader grinned and stretched out his arms wide. “So with that out of the way, I’d like to welcome you all, my dear disciples, to the Treading Infinity Sect!”