"Young lad, stand right there," Li Zhung, the man in the green robe, pointed to a spot on the ground marked with symbols.

LianXian nodded and took his place.

"Try your best not to fall," Li Zhung added.

LianXian took a deep breath, a storm of complex emotions was raging inside his heart. He felt happy to have passed the first exam, but also nervous about the upcoming test, hopeful and aspirational for the future, yet filled with despair and doubt at the thought of failing at this crucial juncture.

, making his body feel impossibly heavy. Despite his pride in his past training and physical strength, he could barely manage to stand upright. The intense pressure blurred his thoughts, and his legs began to tremble. Every moment stretched into an agonizing eternity.

As LianXian was organizing his thoughts, he suddenly felt it became harder to breathe. It was as if an invisible force was pressing down on him, making his body feel impossibly heavy. Despite his pride in his physical strength, which had always been a source of his confidence,, he could barely manage to stand straight. Under such intense pressure, his thoughts started to blur, and his legs shook uncontrollably. Every moment felt like an eternity.

While LianXian faced this ordeal, the sect elders observed from a distance. "This kid has potential," one elder remarked. "To last so long with a mortal body and to have trained his body so well."

Another elder spoke excitedly, "This year’s batch is quite good. Number 14 and number 7 especially had equal, if not more, potential than number 17. We might restore our sect to the glorious days of the past."

The Jade Sword Sect was once a major sect in its golden era, but nothing remains constant. As the saying goes, "The only constant in life is change." At their peak, they only selected geniuses, but now they were willing to accept anyone in a desperate effort to save the declining sect. This year’s batch brought some hope.

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Soon the pressure on LianXian was removed; he had passed the second test and had now become an official member of the sect. He could barely stand at this point, but suddenly he felt a kind of energy enter his body, healing his injuries. After a few seconds, he was completely healed and even felt better than when he entered the hall. All his tiredness was washed away, even the exhaustion from the first test.

He stood in a daze for a few moments before regaining clarity. This technique had made a huge impact on him. To think that cultivators could easily manipulate his body, heal or suppress him—while he couldn’t do anything was both awe-inspiring and humbling. Thinking about it made his mood a bit somber, but soon excitement rushed forward. He had entered the world of cultivation and would one day also wield such power.

After that, he came out of the hall joining with the rest of the people who passed the first test. The test continued for about two hours before those who failed were designated as external disciples, while those who passed became internal disciples. Normally, sects wouldn’t recruit those who failed even one of their tests, but the Jade Sword Sect was desperate for any additional manpower they could get.

The second exam was truly brutal; only ten out of fifty had passed.

The treatment they received was also very different. External disciples would not be given many resources beyond the basics. The sect didn’t want to waste their resources on external disciples; rather, they would invest in internal disciples who had greater potential to grow. If the people who failed the second exam saw how many resources those who passed received, they might die of jealousy. That might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point.

LianXian and the others received thirty Qi crystals, cultivation scrolls, manuals, and techniques that explained advanced cultivation methods and topics. This was one reason sects had grown so much. Most people didn’t have any way to cultivate and were forced to join a sect; thus, only members of a sect obtained these methods.

Gradually, the concentration of stronger individuals within sects increased making sects more powerful, weakening the path of individual cultivation. Hence, it was rare to see independent cultivators in the northern plains.

After receiving their resources, the internal disciples were given their flats in the Internal Dormitories Pavilion.

The Internal Dormitories Pavilion, located within the innermost area of the sect, provided each internal disciple with a private flat. These flats offered privacy and a conducive environment for cultivation and rest. Each flat was thoughtfully divided into a private meditation room, a sleeping room, and a toilet. Compared to the shared quarters of the external disciples, these accommodations were a significant step up, reflecting their elevated status.