CHAPTER 5

The much-anticipated day had arrived, and I found myself awake earlier than Hoffnung, busily preparing for the entrance tests. Even Henley and the children were out of bed earlier than usual, fully aware of the day's significance. Our purpose for the day was to escort my elder brother, Hoffnung, and our new family friend, Khan, to the entrance of the sect for their pivotal tests.

The air was charged with palpable excitement, a sensation as electrifying as it was undeniable. Anticipation rippled through our veins, raising the tiny hairs on our necks, forearms, and legs. We completed our daily chores with remarkable swiftness; this was no ordinary day, and none of us could afford to overlook any task.

While the official testing hour was set at 6 AM, candidates were expected to assemble at 5 AM. As the clock neared 3 AM, the restless night had taken its toll on all of us. We gathered around the comforting warmth of the fireplace, restlessly fidgeting, and provided soothing words of reassurance to both Hoffnung and Khan. The girls even serenaded us with their lullabies, a touching effort to calm Hoffnung, who was practically bouncing off the ground with nerves.

I couldn't help but find my daughters' gesture profoundly endearing. It was one of the sweetest things they had ever done, and it melted my heart. With the arrival of dawn, we knew it was time to commence our journey. The sect's entrance was approximately an hour's walk away, so we had left promptly at 4 AM.

We made the tough decision to leave the girls under the protective care of Healer Kim's clinic, refusing to expose them to any unsavory or influential individuals that might be present. We would rather face any potential danger ourselves than risk any harm coming to them. The Awakened Moon sect's cultivators paid little regard to a person's social status in the non-cultivation world, except in cases where individuals were connected to more influential figures. This meant that peasant children and aristocrats alike would be taking the test side by side, all crowded in the same compact space.

Upon our arrival at the sect entrance, just before 5 AM, we were met with the sight of a vast and hopeful throng of approximately a thousand candidates and their accompanying families. This was a life-altering event, one that had the power to shape the destinies of generations yet unborn. It was a momentous occasion that demanded the presence of family members as witnesses.

As time ticked away, more and more families joined the swelling crowd. By the official starting time of 6 AM, well over a thousand aspiring cultivators had congregated at the entrance. The atmosphere was electric, humming with anticipation as we stood closely packed together, akin to sardines in a can. With no cultivators in sight yet, and only a couple of formidable guards present, the opportunity remained to grab their attention with the right incentive.

This particular sect testing hall was the closest one to our village, and the sense of expectation was palpable. At precisely 6 AM, three figures emerged, all dressed in the sect's distinctive robes. One of them was garbed as an elder, while the other two donned the attire of outer sect disciples. The grey-haired man, dressed differently from the others, exuded an air of authority and commanded immediate respect.

In the most commanding voice I had ever heard, the elder declared, "Form three lines." His voice carried a weight so undeniable that it felt as though the world itself bent to heed his words. In mere moments, over a thousand people arranged themselves into three perfectly organized lines, sorted by height.

Hoffnung and Khan found themselves in the third line. The grey-haired man continued, "One by one, you will approach me and this podium." A podium, adorned with a glowing, floating cube, had materialized seemingly out of thin air, positioned before the three figures. The elder took center stage behind the podium, flanked by the two outer sect disciples.

The grey-haired man went on, "Place your dominant hand on the cube and follow my instructions. Understood?" The entire assembly responded in unison, "Yes, sir!" Even the thousands of family members standing to the side joined in, though they hastily silenced their conversations when the three figures cast disapproving glares in their direction.

The elder pressed his hands to the sides of the cube, setting it into rapid rotation while emitting thick white gas. One of the disciples to the left called upon a young boy from the first line to approach the podium and instructed him to place his dominant hand on the cube. The boy complied, and a fog enveloped his hand, gradually coalescing into a miniature cyclone.

After a minute, the fog remained white, and the disciple to the left declared the boy as "Undeveloped" before summoning the next candidate. The process continued with each person who approached the cube.

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A girl, around 15 years of age, with blonde, curly hair and captivating green eyes, followed the same procedure. In a matter of seconds, her fog turned black with multiple white spots. The disciple on the right announced, "Star grade. Premium!" The grey-haired cultivator's eyes widened in surprise, and he ordered the disciple on the left to escort the girl inside immediately.

Without a word, the disciple promptly seized the girl and whisked her away into the sect's entrance hall, disappearing in a matter of seconds. The elder returned to his composed posture, but then he instructed the disciple on his right, Bareem, to 'use more energy.'

As the testing continued, it was finally the turn of those in the third row, where Khan stood. He watched as several candidates ahead of him underwent the process with the cube. When it was his turn, Khan approached the podium, placed his hand on the cube, and followed the elder's instructions. The fog swirled around his hand, gradually taking on a pale brown hue.

Bareem promptly declared, "Root grade. Subpar. Failed. Next." The word "Root" echoed in Khan's ears, leaving him with mixed emotions. It wasn't the best result, but it was better than having no grade at all. He began to make his way back to where Henley was.

Upon seeing Khan's result, Henley met his eyes with understanding and explained, "I understand, kid. The same thing happened to me when I was younger, but my result was even worse – I received no grade and couldn't cultivate at all. Let's wait for Hoffnung to finish and then join us."

As the testing went on, Hoffnung finally had his turn. Out of the thousand applicants, only a hundred were able to cultivate, heightening the tension. As Hoffnung approached the podium, the three figures surrounding the cube, his movements seemed increasingly urgent.

This was his moment, the solitary path toward becoming someone capable of safeguarding his sisters and exacting vengeance on those who had harmed his mother. Each day, the memories of his mother's fate and the beatings he endured as a child plagued him. The nightly wind's mournful howling often brought back vivid recollections of the barbed whip's lashes on his back.

He valiantly fought back tears, stifling sobs in silence, determined not to reveal his vulnerability to his father. This was his singular opportunity, and he was resolute in seizing it with unwavering determination.

In a seemingly disinterested tone, the elder instructed, "Place your hand over the cube." Hoffnung acted with the utmost urgency, and the fog, as it had done for countless others, began to twirl around his hand, gradually taking on a light blue hue with flashes of white. The elder's raised eyebrows signaled his surprise, "Oh? Sky grade. Premium. Step aside with the others."

Hoffnung beamed with pride, turning to glance at his father with joy in his eyes. Henley smiled and nodded, acknowledging his son's remarkable success. Hoffnung had been tested for his cultivation capability four times prior, and each time, he had been marked as 'undeveloped.' This triumph marked a pivotal moment in his life.

Hoffnung promptly joined the ranks of the other hundred cultivators standing to the right of the elder, a few steps behind the disciple on the right. After further hours of testing, the evaluations were complete, and only 116 candidates exhibited the ability to cultivate.

This group included 85 individuals with Sky grade (Subpar) ethereal bridges, 25 with Root grade (Premium) bridges, and 7 with sky-grade (Premium) ethereal bridges. Only one person had been found with a Star grade bridge, which was the girl who had been escorted away earlier.

The elder, with a wave of his hand, made the podium disappear and addressed the candidates in his authoritative voice, "There are two paths to cultivation: spiritual cultivation through your 'Ethereal Bridge' and body cultivation through your physique."

He explained that the next test would be a focus on physique. The most recognized indicator of an individual's body cultivation talent was their "Gravitas Factor," which assessed the amount of force their bodies could generate relative to their mass. This factor was categorized into five grades: Mono, Modest, Capable, Mighty, and Cosmic.

With this additional challenge, the candidates were presented with a new opportunity. Excelling in body cultivation could offer a different path towards realizing their aspirations. It was an opportunity to reach for the sun, to soar like eagles with outstretched wings.

The elder continued, "The test is simple. You will all be placed in our force generation array. Last as long as you can inside the chalk circle, and we will give each of you a red coin. Rub it when you are unable to endure any longer."

The candidates were measured for their mass, and the disciples recorded their names and aura signatures. Subsequently, every candidate, regardless of their spiritual cultivation talent, was led into a square arrangement marked with peculiar symbols and drawings on the ground, positioned at the square's edges. Inside, chalk circles were drawn to measure the force output.

As the candidates took their places within these chalk circles, the ground began to radiate a bright blue light. In an instant, the gravitational force within those circles increased tenfold. In less than a minute, nearly 500 candidates reached their limits, urgently rubbing their red coins to signify their inability to continue.

The force of gravity returned to normal within those circles. Another 300 candidates yielded after five minutes, and 200 more after twenty minutes. An hour later, the remaining candidates found themselves unable to endure any longer, marking the end of the test.

The final stage encompassed physical assessments, such as running and striking objects to record the force of their punches. These evaluations aimed to identify candidates who, despite having average or subpar ethereal bridge talents, might possess a greater aptitude for body cultivation.

It was a chance for those candidates to discover whether their aspirations could elevate them to new heights, enabling them to soar like eagles with outstretched wings.