Gui Delun raised his hand and mounted his sword. “The final trial commences now!”

“No, you need to speak. I can’t understand—” Mu Bingshi paused and turned away from Bai Jingwen. He furrowed his brows. “Inner Peak Lord Gui Delun, we haven’t finished interrogating all the participants—”

“No matter. Commence the final trial,” Gui Delun ordered.

Hui turned his head down and sighed. Could you be a little less transparent about stopping the entire test just so you could interrogate your daughter’s supposed boyfriend? For that matter, did they even properly interrogate Bai Jingwen, her real beloved? Huh?

As the peak lords ascended, Sui Linli leaned in to Mu Bingshi. “The youngest fifth-stage I encountered was fourteen. You?”

“Fourteen—fourteen? No. Fourteen, and fifth stage?” Mu Bingshi gaped. A second later, he smirked. “Is that what you expected me to say?”

“So? How young was yours? I didn’t see anyone younger than her,” Sui Linli argued.

“A little over a year,” Mu Bingshi smirked, crossing his arms.

“You… what? An infant?” Sui Linli asked, narrowing her eyes at him.

Mu Bingshi chuckled and waved his hand. “No, no. It was a clone that had become the man’s true body due to a strange set of incidents. His bone age was much younger than his actual age.”

Still holding the severed hand, Gui Delun glanced back. He raised an eyebrow.

“Father, what did you do to Xie Hao?” Gui Yutong asked, running up beside him. She caught sight of the hand and gaped, turning to look him in the eye. “Father…?”

“Hmph.” Gui Delun turned away, tucking the hand in his sleeve.

She looked up at him, twisting her hands. “Father…” Her eyes trailed after the hand, and she swallowed, then shook her head and bit her lip rather than continue. Xie Hao, I’m so sorry. I’ll make sure you’re well-compensated!

Four high-realm cultivators descended from the heavens as the peak lords left. One wore all white, and a scintillating gold aura surrounded their body. A strong aura of life qi emanated from them. Hui squinted, but the gold aura and white clothes made them too bright for him to make out their gender, facial features, or even their hairdo. The second wore simple, short orange robes and a single blade sheathed at his waist. He scowled down at the participants, his face perpetually locked in a stern expression. Long hair fell down to the next cultivator’s ankles, her pleated crimson robes long enough to trail after her when she walked, her stiffer over-robes a clean, fine white. She held a flute loosely in one hand, and wore a placid smile on her face, long lashes shading eyes like limpid autumn water. The final cultivator had a wild mess of hair and ragged, filthy robes. She hunched over, lifting one arm to scratch her back. A meter-long pangolin descended at her side, lifting its head to lick at her face before landing back on all fours and surveying the crowd.

The glowing golden cultivator stepped forward. Hui raised his hands and flinched back. Yikes. My eyes hurt.

They spread their hands. With a very deep voice, they announced, “Hear me! The final challenge shall test your specialties. Whether you are a weapon-focused cultivator,” he gestured at the orange-robed cultivator, “one who hones their magical techniques,” he said, gesturing at the woman in long white and red robes, “a spirit beast master,” he gestured at the woman with the pangolin, “or a healer such as myself, we accept cultivators of all types.”

Of four types, anyways, Hui snarked to himself.

The glowing cultivator clasped his hands before him and nodded. “Please separate yourself according to your specialty. If you cannot fit into a category, please pick the closest one to your specialty. We can grade many abilities beyond our particular specialty, so rest at ease.”

Right, so… how are we doing this? Peak Lord asked.

Hui raised a hand to his chin. I’ll go for healing, obviously. Sectgoer, you can—

Weapons, I got it. Fine. Whatever, Sectgoer grumbled.

I’ll take spirit beasts, Rogue offered.

Ah, so I’ll take magic, then, Peak Lord said happily.

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As for those with us… Ying Lin to weapons, Zhubi to spirit beasts, Bai Xue to magic… which leaves Bai Jingwen and Jin Xian, Hui said.

Bai Jingwen can decide for herself. Jin Xian… should probably also do weapons? Rogue suggested.

Hui rubbed his chin. Three in weapons? Will they even accept three in a category?

What else can she do? Spirit beasts? Magic? Healing? Rogue asked.

Magic, Sectgoer suggested.

Sure, if you mean demonic techniques, which… Rogue trailed off.

Hui licked his lips. Yeah, let’s not. Weapons it is!

I could always double up on magic, Sectgoer suggested.

No, no. Too much risk of overlap. After all, your magic techniques will clearly have the same root as Peak Lord’s. Better to use techniques from an entirely different category, Hui replied.

Sectgoer sighed. If you say so.

“Master, which trial are you taking?” Ying Lin asked, tilting her head.

Hui pointed at the glowing cultivator. “Life qi. Ying Lin, what do you want to attempt?”

“I’ll go with weapons. I’d still like to improve my sword skills, and it seems like an excellent opportunity to grow stronger,” Ying Lin said, nodding.

Hui nodded. “Good, good.”

Zhubi tugged at Hui’s robes. He pointed at the spirit beast cultivator and tipped his head.

“That’s right. There’s an Elder Brother who will look after you,” Hui said, patting Zhubi’s head.

Zhubi shook his head. He pointed at himself instead.

Hui laughed. “That’s right, that’s right. You’ll look after me, isn’t that right?”

Zhubi nodded.

Turning toward the cultivators, Hui took a deep breath. He smoothed his hair and strode forward, joining the other trial attendees as they picked their category.

Ying Lin bounced off in the other direction. Zhubi hesitated one last second, reluctant to leave Hui, then nodded to himself and scurried out after the other spirit beast cultivators.

As the other cultivators chose their groups, Hui quickly scanned the sets of cultivators. The majority followed him to the shining cultivator, to no surprise. It is a sect known for exorcism and healing, after all… two applications of life qi. Whether the cultivators already know life qi and decided to ply it to their advantage to gain a high position in this powerful sect, or they’re healers and exorcists looking to advance their cultivation by learning life qi, the sect would naturally attract mostly those interested in life qi.

A large group of cultivators still flocked to the magical techniques cultivator, while a smaller group hung around the sword cultivator. Ying Lin beamed and waved at Hui when he glanced at her, and he nodded back, smiling. Bai Jingwen wandered over beside Peak Lord and Bai Xue, joining them in the magic techniques section. Hui hesitated, then nodded. Ah, it’s fine. She should excel like that.

Which only leaves… His eyes fell on the spirit beast section.

Only a handful of cultivators stood near the spirit beast cultivator and her pangolin. Zhubi stood at Rogue’s side, quietly clutching Rogue’s black robes. Another three cultivators stood around in the vicinity, but otherwise, they stood alone.

Hui licked his lips. Maybe we should’ve sent more people to the spirit beasts group. After all, it looks like there isn’t much competition!

But there could also be not much demand, Rogue pointed out, shrugging.

Hui nodded. What Elder Brother says is indeed reasonable.

“Has everyone made their selection?” the glowing cultivator asked. He swished his sleeve, and bright light encapsulated Hui and all the other cultivators around him.

The sword cultivator mounted his sword. A giant sword projection emanated from his blade and scooped up the others around him. Smiling gently, the magic cultivator wafted her hand, and a warm wind lifted her group up. The spirit beast cultivator nodded at the pangolin beside her, and it grew larger, tens of meters long. It lifted up the beast cultivators in its claws and clomped off into the distance.

Hui nodded. Right. Everyone went to the right groups. All the clones, Zhubi, Ying Lin, Bai Xue and Bai Jingwen…

Wait. Where did Jin Xian go? Rogue asked.

Hui stiffened. He looked around him, peering through the other cultivators in his group. I… don’t see her. Surely she wouldn’t have chosen the life qi group?

I don’t know. Her mind is pretty gone at this point. I don’t know that she has enough reason left in her to avoid it, Rogue said.

Peak Lord frowned. Surely she’d instinctively avoid the life qi cultivators? They’re her mortal enemy. Exorcists! Her antithesis!

…Elder Brothers, you have to remember that she isn’t a reasonable person like us, Sectgoer said.

What do you mean? Hui asked.

Well, she… that is, she, er… when it comes to heart demons, this small cultivator wouldn’t dare to claim first if she claimed second! Sectgoer said.

Jin Xian has a heart demon? Peak Lord asked, confused.

Sectgoer coughed. I mean, she’s confident. Isn’t it possible that she sought them out, to launch some sort of sneak attack?

Hui frowned. She wouldn’t do that. Would she?

She’s pretty far gone, Rogue said, shaking his head. When you guys sent her into the node, she mostly came to me. There isn’t much left of her rationality. Fang Hua… that is, her human half… may be gone.

So she’s become a simple jiangshi, rather than a death cultivator, Hui thought, shaking his head. He sighed. Hopefully she had the prescience… or at least instinct, to avoid life qi. I have to hope!

I haven’t seen her, Rogue said.

Sectgoer shook his head. Nor I.

Me either, Peak Lord said.

A familiar grunt sounded in Hui’s ear. A cold hand touched his.

Hui licked his lips nervously. That had better not be Jin Xian. It had better not be!

Icy drool dripped down his collar.

Hui flinched and spun. “Elder Sister, that’s a bit mu…ch.”

Jin Xian looked at him, blinking numbly. One of the clones had disguised her, but the fake pupils over her eyes stared directly into the middle distance, focused on nothing.

Hui sighed. Ah, dammit. I guess it was too much to hope for…