Rinne stirred as the final announcement for the second trial faded into the air, signaling the end of her brief rest.
She blinked, the remnants of a dream still clinging to her consciousness—a dream that wasn’t so much a dream as a vivid recollection of her past life.
In that life, she had been an evil cultivator, a predator who hunted without remorse or hesitation. When she targeted someone, the path she took depended on their strength and connections. If her target was weak and insignificant, it was a simple matter—a quick, clean kill that left no traces.
But if her target was powerful, surrounded by a web of allies, family, or sect members who would seek vengeance, her approach was different. She would start by dismantling their influence, one connection at a time.
It was a methodical and strategic process, akin to playing a stealth game in the modern world.
'It’s strange how easily the past can surface, like an old game reloaded into a new console. I remember playing Tenchu or Assassin's Creed series, where I kill the target while trying to be unnoticed. But perhaps, Hitman series was probably the closest to reality.'
She reproduced the way she completed a certain mission in the game, with the challenge of killing everyone and remaining unseen.
'Each target had a pattern, a routine, and it was my job to find the weak spot, take advantage of the environment, and kill them without anyone knowing.'
But when she killed, it wasn't just a simple kill, that would be too wasteful.
She first had to immobilize the victim by using traps, poison or other methods, leaving them vulnerable and unable to resist. This step was crucial to ensure she could use the soul search technique without interference.
Once the target was immobilized, she would use the soul search technique to extract their memories, skills, and experiences. This step was crucial for gathering the necessary information to enhance her own capabilities. It was through this method that she had amassed an unparalleled wealth of knowledge, learning countless techniques that were otherwise monopolized by powerful clans and sects.
And after that, she used the Blood Essence Devourment Technique, a forbidden art that allowed her to absorb her victim’s essence, converting it into spiritual energy that fueled her cultivation. It was like gaining experience points in a game, leveling up with each kill.
Eventually, she grew tired of performing the three steps separately. It was time-consuming and inefficient.
So, after she searched relevant methods, she created a new technique, which she named Soul Harvest Technique, a culmination of her efforts to streamline the process, combining Soul Bind Technique, Soul Search Technique, and Blood Essence Devourment Technique into one efficient action.
'Efficiency was key! Why waste time on separate processes when you can merge them into a single, potent action? It was perfect for someone like me, always seeking the quickest path to power.'
However, the Blood Essence Devourment Technique came with a heavy price. It was not a healthy technique by any means. The spiritual energy she absorbed was volatile, often wreaking havoc on her body, particularly on her heart, where she stored the energy in the absence of a spiritual root. The pain was constant, a reminder of the unnatural forces she was tampering with.
That was understandable, even in modern times, transplant surgeries came with rejection risks. Absorbing another's energy was no different, only far more dangerous.
As for the so-called resentment that other cultivators often spoke of—the lingering malice of those she killed—she had never experienced it. She had a theory, though: by extracting their memories first and storing them separately, she prevented their emotions from contaminating her mind.
Interestingly, she also never encountered the so-called Heavenly Tribulation that cultivators feared. Even when she reached the Void Refining level, the skies remained silent. Her speculation was that it might have something to do with her soul being foreign, from another world altogether, but she wasn’t entirely sure.
'But still… If possible, I won’t use that same method again in this life. The power it offers isn’t worth the constant pain. I’d rather find a different path to strength, one that doesn’t involve heart attacks. I’ve accumulated enough knowledge to cultivate through other means, anyway.'
With these thoughts lingering, Rinne shook off the remnants of her dream and fully awakened.
♠♠♠
After a few minutes, Rinne found herself standing in the public hall of the Iron Blade Sect.
The familiar sensation of teleportation faded, leaving her amidst a group of thirty other participants who had seemingly passed the assessment as well.
The hall buzzed with the muted excitement and tension of those who had just survived the trial. Rinne’s gaze swept over the group, noting the varying degrees of exhaustion etched on their faces. Despite the shared experience, she felt detached from the rest, her mind still processing the memories she had absorbed using the Soul Search technique.
An elder, whose presence commanded immediate attention, stepped forward. His voice, calm and authoritative, cut through the silence that had fallen over the hall.
"Congratulations to those of you who have passed."
With a single, fluid motion of his hand, two bottles and a wooden badge floated through the air, landing gently in front of each participant. Rinne caught hers with ease, her curiosity piqued as she examined the items.
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The blue bottle contained ten Qi Gathering Pills, while the green bottle held ten Healing Pills. The elder explained that these were rewards for passing the trial and then announced the number of those who had succeeded.
"These are your rewards! From the original 480 participants, only 31 of you have passed."
The elder continued, his tone neutral.
"Such a low passing rate, but that only serves to show how selective we must be."
Rinne noted the absence of the remaining participants.
According to the memories she had extracted from other cultivators, those who failed the trial were not present because they would be left here and relegated to the role of handymen within the Iron Blade Sect.
Prominent sects like the Azure Sky Sect and others didn’t bother accepting those low-quality seeds. They did not lack handymen, as they had their own rigorous systems of evaluating and promoting or demoting disciples. Those who met the standards were promoted, while those who didn't were demoted, and at the bottom were handymen, who performed menial tasks until they proved their worth.
The elder’s voice drew her attention once more.
"You are to board the boat and rest. No further instructions will be given at this time."
With that, he left them to their own devices. Rinne joined the others as they made their way to the flying boat, the same boat that transported them, docked just outside the hall.
As they walked, she noticed some of the participants discreetly swallowing a Healing Pill, their faces contorting in brief pain before relief washed over them. Others, though wounded, chose to conserve their pills, saving them for more dire situations.
Rinne, however, pocketed both bottles without a second thought. She felt no need for the pills, her body unscathed and her energy reserves intact.
Just as she was about to step onto the boat, a boy’s voice called out behind her.
"You’re pretty good for a beggar."
Rinne frowned, the words triggering a flicker of irritation. Still, she responded with a curt, "Thank you," and continued on her way.
But the boy was persistent, quickly catching up to her.
"Hey, wait! I didn’t mean it like that. I was actually complimenting you. Don’t just walk away."
Rinne stopped, her patience wearing thin. The boy shifted uncomfortably under her gaze before offering an apologetic smile.
"I’m sorry if I offended you. My name is Kael Verin."
The young boy named Kael Verin looked to be around 10 years old. His hair was short, dark brown, and slightly tousled, giving him a cheerful look. His eyes were a piercing green, reflecting a mix of curiosity and determination.
Rinne didn't understand why this boy seemed interested in her. Maybe he was curious about why the beggar child could pass the trial while many of the wealthy children could not.
Regarding this, she could only say that they were simply too pampered and became weak.
"Just call me Rin,"
She replied, her tone flat as she resumed her pace, leaving Kael to follow or not as he wished.
As they continued toward the boat, Rinne’s attention was drawn to a figure approaching Roran, who was ahead of her. An elder, distinguished and stern, had made his way to Roran and engaged him in a brief, hushed conversation. Roran nodded and, without hesitation, followed the elder towards a different boat.
Rinne’s eyes narrowed as she recognized the elder from Roran's memories—it was Elder Soryn. The realization struck her: this was likely the moment Roran had been recruited into the Azure Sky Sect, bypassing the need for the third trial entirely. Though she couldn’t hear their conversation, it was clear that something significant was happening.
Watching Roran disappear with Elder Soryn into the boat, Rinne felt a pang of curiosity. She knew this wasn’t just any casual invitation; this was the start of Roran’s journey into one of the most prestigious sects in the Immortal Alliance—a journey she had already glimpsed through his memories.
But this has nothing to do with her, she had her own path to walk. Turning away, Rinne boarded the boat with the other participants.
After all the participants had boarded the flying boat, it lifted into the air, heading toward the location of the third trial. The hum of the boat's energy thrummed beneath Rinne's feet as she found a seat near the edge, preferring to stay away from the crowd.
Kael Verin, the boy who had earlier spoken to her, made his way over and sat beside her. He seemed eager to continue the conversation.
"Let me reintroduce myself. I’m Kael Verin, second son of the Verin main branch family."
Rinne gave him a brief nod, her expression neutral. “Rin,” she replied simply, not offering more.
Kael continued, oblivious to her disinterest.
"The Verin clan is known for our talisman shops. We have branches in many towns, including Elaria Town. Maybe you’ve heard of us?"
Rinne remained silent, though she was far from uninformed.
She knew the Verin clan well, but not because of any reputation Kael might think they had. They were one of her victims in her previous life, a fact she wasn’t about to reveal. The Verin clan's wealth and knowledge in talisman making had contributed significantly to her own arsenal of skills and resources back then. However, she had never seen Kael before. He was likely either in hiding during her attack or had perished young before she could get to him.
Kael didn’t seem to notice—or perhaps care—that Rinne wasn’t interested in the conversation. He probably thought she was a boy, after all. Her current appearance—a young child with short, unkempt hair—was indistinguishable from that of a boy, especially to someone who didn’t know her. It wasn’t the first time someone had made that assumption, and Rinne wasn’t in any hurry to correct him.
Seeing that Rinne wasn’t going to respond, Kael shifted the topic.
"I wonder what the third trial will be. Do you have any idea?"
Rinne was silent for a moment, hesitating whether to answer or not.
She looked at the wooden badge they had all been given, turning it over in her hand.
"I don’t know, but it must be related to these."
At first glance, there didn’t seem to be anything special about this wooden badge, it was just a badge made of wood. But of course, the items distributed by the Immortal Alliance couldn’t be ordinary items. It was just that ordinary people didn’t know the function of this badge.
Kael furrowed his brow in thought.
"Hmm, maybe they’ll make us fight each other to rob the badges? It wouldn’t be the first time something like that happened in a trial."
Rinne’s gaze flickered, and she pocketed the badge.
"Then we should prepare ourselves and rest."
With that said, she took a meditation stance and closed her eyes.
Kael nodded, his earlier enthusiasm dampened by the realization of what might come.
"You’re right. Better to be ready for anything."
Of course, Rinne already knew what would happen in the third trial—she had extracted that information from the memories of others long ago. But it would be far too strange for a beggar to have such knowledge. For now, it was better to play along and maintain the facade.