The assessment process continued.

Each participant's turn marked by the announcement of their names and the number of spiritual cores they had gathered. The atmosphere was tense; every whisper of a new total sent ripples of excitement, jealousy, or dread through the remaining participants.

Some children still standing in line shifted nervously, their eyes darting to the examiner and the elders who watched the process with hawk-like scrutiny.

Kael stood among them, his nerves growing as he observed the sequence unfold.

One child after another stepped forward, each submitting their spatial bags, and each seemingly filled with an abundance of spiritual cores. Kael’s own total was pitiful in comparison. He had gathered only 16 cores, a number that took him every ounce of courage and strength to obtain through hunting spiritual beasts.

Yet here he was, surrounded by others who had easily amassed hundreds. His anxiety was written all over his face, his fingers fidgeting with the hem of his robe.

"What if I fail? If I don’t have enough cores, will I be sent back home?"

Rinne stood beside Kael, with a presence a stark contrast to the tension radiating from him.

She observed the unease etched across his features, yet her own expression remained serene and composed, as though the impending results held no weight for her. After casting a brief, appraising glance at Kael, she spoke in a calm and soothing tone that seemed almost detached from the gravity of the moment.

"You’ll be just fine. You're not the worst one here."

Her eyes scanning the surroundings before she gestured subtly with a tilt of her head.

Kael followed her gaze, taking in the scene more fully for the first time. He noticed that while there were many children eagerly lining up to submit their results, there were also quite a few who remained where they stood. They kept their heads low, their expressions blank or filled with resignation.

Some of these participants bore visible signs of being victims—scratches, torn clothes, and bruises that hinted at altercations. They had no spatial bags in their possession; they had been robbed by the ones currently basking in glory.

Others, however, simply stood there as though disconnected from reality, looking more like shadows than people. They had neither the skills nor the courage to hunt spiritual beasts, spending the entire trial in hiding. There were many who had nothing to show, some because they had been preyed upon, and others because they had been too weak to even try.

In comparison, he had fought for every one of his 16 spiritual cores.

"How many spiritual cores did you end up with?"

The question slipped out, driven by an insatiable curiosity that he couldn't suppress.

But Rinne's next words left him stunned.

"Zero."

Rinne replied with an air of nonchalance, her gaze drifting to the platform where participants continued to step forward.

Kael blinked, momentarily stunned by her response. "Zero?" he repeated, his voice a blend of disbelief and concern. His eyes softened, his view of the situation shifting.

"Did... did you also get robbed?"

He suspected that she might be one of those unfortunate enough to fall prey to theft, given the tense atmosphere surrounding the event.

She shook her head slightly, her expression inscrutable.

"No, I just didn’t bother to collect any."

Kael paused, taken aback by her words.

Surprise mingled with confusion as he processed her statement. He couldn't understand why could she maintain such calmness in this situation. The atmosphere was charged with anxiety, and yet Rinne appeared unfazed.

“Wait, why are you so calm about this? You’re going to get eliminated!"

He paused for a moment before continuing, this time his tone lowered.

"How about this, I could share my cores with you. Half of them, even.”

As he said that, his hand had already touched the spatial bag on his belt. It could be seen clearly that Kael was serious. He really planned to give half of the spiritual cores he collected to Rinne.

Rinne’s gaze softened, but her tone remained steady as she shook her head.

"Actually, you don’t need to worry. All the participants here have already passed as outer disciples. This trial only gives us the opportunity to become inner disciples. There is no elimination, even if we do poorly."

She replied flatly as her eyes briefly flicked to the participants still standing on the platform, each one grappling with their own fate, before returning to Kael's gaze.

"I plan to join as an outer disciple."

Her casual declaration caught Kael off guard.

For the first time, he felt his perception of this beggar child shifting. In his eyes, Rin wasn’t a beggar at all, the calm demeanor and mysterious aura set Rin apart from others.

♠♠♠

As the young master of the Verin clan, Kael had never known what it meant to be short of money.

He was never stingy with others, especially children his age whom he wanted to befriend. His upbringing taught him the value of generosity, especially when it came to children his age, as his father always said:

— Friendship is easy to forge when you give others gifts.

Over the years, he amassed many friends, but he quickly realized most of them were drawn by what he could give them. Whenever he offered gifts or support, their eyes would light up, but it was the excitement of a prize, not genuine friendship.

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But Rin... Rin was different.

Kael couldn’t quite put his finger on it. Despite being a child in ragged clothing, Rin exuded a calmness and confidence that didn’t match that small frame or shabby appearance. When Kael had given Rin five of his clan's prized Fireball Talismans, Rin had barely glanced at them before pocketing them with the same indifference as if accepting an apple.

That scene had left him bewildered. These were Fireball Talismans crafted by the Verin clan, renowned in Elaria Town and valued at 500 gold coins, or 50 low-grade spiritual stones per piece. Yet, Rin had acted as though they were no more special than pebbles on the road.

And then, the conversation just now.

The trial of the immortal alliance recruitment ceremony changes every year and the detailed information should only be known to a small number of people. How could Rin know about the information regarding the third trial this year, even though even fairly large clans like the Verin clan didn't know about it?

Kael couldn't help but speculate, his thoughts racing.

'Rin must be from an important clan, one more influential than mine.'

The idea seemed far-fetched, yet it was the only explanation why his clan's Fireball Talismans failed to make an impression.

Kael still couldn't fathom why Rin showed up to the Immortal Alliance recruitment ceremony dressed like a beggar. Maybe Rin was disguising himself to escape pursuit of someone?

There were many holes in his theory, but at ten years old, Kael still struggled to piece together complicated scenarios. Kael’s imagination filled the gaps with intricate scenarios, each one more elaborate than the last.

Nevertheless, he liked to imagine grand possibilities.

'If Rin is choosing to start as an outer disciple, there must be a reason.'

He admired Rin's composure and thought that perhaps befriending Rin was a more valuable move than any he had made before. To show his sincerity, Kael even considered joining as an outer disciple, intending to follow Rin to whichever sect he chose.

'Maybe he's aiming for a deeper plan, something grander than I can ever imagine.'

Kael looked at Rin, who stood quietly amidst the crowd, showing no signs of concern about his poor result in the trial. Unlike the other children who desperately clung to their successes or trembled in fear of their failures, Rin seemed beyond such trivialities.

♠♠♠

Time passed, and all the participants who had stepped forward to submit their results had been assessed.

The atmosphere grew tense as the final results were tallied. Now, only those who hadn’t moved remained standing in the background, silently contemplating their next steps. The examiner elder scanned the area one last time, his gaze stern and penetrating.

He called out, his voice carrying a hint of impatience.

"Is there anyone else?"

His words were not loud but could be heard by everyone present, but none of the remaining participants responded. They were still silent and did not move from their respective places.

Rinne glanced sideways at Kael, noticing his hesitation.

"Why aren’t you stepping forward?"

She asked curiously.

"It doesn’t matter how many cores you have, even if it’s just one. The mere act of stepping up shows determination, and that holds value in the eyes of some elders."

Rinne already knew from Elder Soryn’s memories that Kael had nothing to worry about, he would receive an invitation from the Verdant Blade Sect. All he needed to do was step forward and hand over the cores he had collected.

Kael slowly shook his head.

"I'm not concerned about being an inner disciple, I want to join as an outer disciple, just like you."

Rinne blinked, caught off guard for a moment. Her earlier comments seemed to have changed his determination.

She let out a soft sigh, lightly shaking her head.

"I don’t understand why you would choose the harder path when an easier one is readily available."

Kael remained silent and offered no response to her words. Rinne chose not to pressure him. It was his decision, after all, and she felt it was important to respect it.

The examiner elder, noticing that no other participants stepped forward, nodded curtly to signal the conclusion of the assessment.

"In that case, the assessment is concluded, all of you may now choose the sect you wish to join."

After making that announcement, the elder intended to go back to his boat, but he postponed it when he saw someone raised his hand.

Amidst the group, a young boy stood nearby, his hand raised hesitantly.

"Elder, can I still join a sect? I was under the impression that if we failed, we’d be sent back home."

His words quivered, showcasing the depth of his anxiety and the weight of his concerns.

The elder raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement playing on his lips as he scoffed lightly.

"Who said anything about failure? There is no such thing as failure here. Even if you didn’t do well in this trial, you can still choose any sect to join as an outer disciple. However..."

He paused for dramatic effect, casting a glance at the group of eager, hopeful faces before him,

"Your treatment won’t be as favorable as those who made it as inner disciples."

A wave of relief washed over the children, their hearts lightening at the elder's words. It didn't matter even if they could only start out as outer disciples. At most they just need to be able to work hard.

Not long after, the sound of wind and rustling fabric filled the air as several flying boats descended upon the scene. Each bore the emblem of a different sect, their colors and designs denoting their unique heritage. The air buzzed with the flurry of movement as senior brothers and sisters disembarked from the boats, moving swiftly to maintain order.

One of the senior cultivators, his voice booming across the platform.

"Those who wish to join the Azure Sky Sect, line up here!"

"Those for the Crimson Wind Sect, line up here!"

The area quickly turned chaotic as participants rushed toward the flying boats, eager to secure a place in the sects of their choice. Despite the invitations, or lack thereof—each sect had a limited capacity, and everyone knew that space was precious. The boats could only accommodate a set number of new disciples, and once they reached their limit of 500, they would depart.

Rinne watched the bustling scene, her eyes sharp and calculating. She was already moving, seeking out the specific boat she wanted. Kael hurried to keep up with her, his curiosity getting the better of him.

He couldn't help but asked, his voice tinged with excitement and apprehension.

"Which sect are you planning to join, Rin?"

"Frostfire Sect."

She replied succinctly, not bothering to elaborate.

Kael looked slightly confused but didn’t question her further. Rinne had her reasons, that much he understood.

In truth, she had chosen the Frostfire Sect after careful consideration. If she wanted to solve her problems as efficiently as possible, joining a sect with the finest knowledge and resources in alchemy was the obvious choice.

While several sects, including the Azure Sky Sect and Verdant Blade Sect, matched this criterion, Rinne had weighed factors like the sect's location, architectural style, local customs, and available specialties. The Frostfire Sect seemed the most convenient and suitable for her plans.

Soon, she saw the Frostfire Sect’s boat, with its symbol elegantly engraved on the side of the boat. Without hesitation, she stepped towards it. Kael followed closely behind her, determined to join her on the path she had chosen. The line for the Frostfire Sect was relatively short compared to the others, which suited Rinne perfectly.

Standing in line, Kael glanced at the emblem and then back at Rinne, feeling a surge of determination.

"Frostfire Sect, huh?"

He murmured to himself.

As they moved forward, awaiting their turn to board the boat, Kael's mind wandered back to the third trial. It had been a grueling process, but now, with the end in sight, a new journey was beginning.

'Rin always seems to know exactly what he’s doing. If he’s going there, then so am I.'

Following Rin into the Frostfire Sect seemed like the right step, a decision that might change the course of his life in ways he couldn’t yet foresee.

However, what he didn’t know was that this would be the last time he would see Rin. Once they joined the sect and separated, he would never find the boy named Rin again.