While almost everyone was sleeping inside the tents Wu Guang did not only wash and fill the almost empty flask but also visited the bazaar area. Several stalls were about to open so he did not have problems buying a light breakfast and a packed meal for later as well.
The first test was the aptitude one and as announced before they entered the Sect's grounds would take place in the 3rd tower counting from the left. Seemingly this test was meant to be taken in order of arrival so he directly went towards the tower instead of returning to his lodgings.
When he arrived the sun was only beginning to rise, so it was not strange for him to be the first one to do so. Several other applicants also arrived right after him and when an outer elder exited the tower to announce the start of the test he found a small group waiting.
The Elder smiled approvingly and quickly explained the rules. These were extremely simple and the scroll Wu Guang had read was exactly right. Every one of them would ascend to the level of the tower corresponding to their cultivation plus one. If one passed the test normally, he would get 25 points towards his total score while passing it with the best time would give an applicant 50 points. During this test, only people with 6th or superior levels will have the opportunity to gain a mark. These marks can be later exchanged for ranking points if needed or for contribution points if you passed anyway.
Each floor had its own minimum and maximum times so only after ascending the tower did Wu Guang find a rune panel where he would need to place his plaque to find out the times.
For a 7th level Body realm cultivator, the minimum amount of time was considered to be half an hour. The best time was considered to be a full hour. There was a challenge written beneath as well, which was to resist the full hour and later half an hour with twice the pressure.
From all the tests that existed, this one was by far the easiest for Wu Guang. Pressure tests were hard for any cultivator that did not yet activate his soul or did not have a trained consciousness. As mortals and Body realm cultivators had neither of those they would need to resist physically during all the time. With Wu Guang having both of these on Saint-level, if he wanted, he would resist the pressure of a similar level only by using its passive effect, not to say a measly 8th Body level.
Wu Guang never considered himself like a blindly lawful being so awakening the small amount of soul that he could do willingly he passed the challenge without even feeling anything. He actually took a nap most of the time which was his only possible option as any qi usage would clash with the pressure anyway.
Exiting the room and taking his plaque he gently caressed its back and the number 50 alongside a 'Star' character appeared. When he exited the tower he encountered an enormous queue of people waiting to enter and inwardly smirked about the decision of coming first. Actually, he first was extremely surprised that the queue would be general, without any distinction by cultivation. But when he felt the runes inside the tower, he found out that it could only allow twenty-five people inside at a time, without the floor or needed pressure mattering. The test times for the lower level as expected were smaller than his, so several groups had already entered and exited.
Before returning to his resting place he swept by the two ranking slates that were installed near the gates. As explained before these slates would later reveal the 100 passing people, but during the test time only the first and last position would be revealed. Names or even identification numbers would remain obscured, but the points would make one able to calculate his chances. Right now only the scores of 50 and 25 were shown as expected, considering that the first test was equally ranked for everyone.
For the rest of the day, he took a walk around the towers, the only area currently open for them. During the previous test, the elder had recommended storing his weapons and non-essential possessions in the administrative tower. So after thinking about it, Wu Guang found it reasonable and did so. At least now he would not need to worry about them being lost.
Before going to buy dinner he quickly washed and practiced a bit of rune calligraphy as well. The latter was actually more like a pastime for Wu Guang, as he found out that his past skills did not diminish much even after changing bodies. He did not try to speak with others and only briefly greeted the Clansmen he saw while walking around.
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For the second day, Wu Guang repeated his routine. Being the first one to arrive at another one of the ten towers that surrounded the gates he directly entered the test. The test was also ruled by arrival order and to pass one would need to reach the top level of the tower. Only ten people could be present inside the tower at a time as there were ten different stairs and situations per floor. If someone took more than an incense stick worth of time to solve any presented situation he would be ejected automatically to the next floor. Although it was not ranked or gave any points, failing most or all the floors would lead to a negative note added to your score. There was an opportunity to win a mark by solving any three situations differently from the ones offered like the uniqueness that the scroll spoke about.
Being the first to enter and read these rules, Wu Guang quickly stored his plaque in the corresponding rune plate and walked towards the nearest stairs.
A rune set was covering the stairs and right as Wu Guang neared a projection formed before him. Apart from the projection, several possible actions were presented. "Seems that I have to reach the best possible outcome for every situation by choosing the actions I would make. Hmm, uniquely solving should mean solving with the best possible outcome but using the uncommon actions or reaching a hidden outcome" He thought while carefully observing the situation.
It was represented by being the judge for a robbery case. A poor man stole several medicines for his sick daughter as he could not pay for them. There were several option paths, but eventually either the robber was executed as the laws stated or he was not.
Wu Guang by using several question and testimony options found the full story. The story was that the daughter got sick while working for the medicine owner so with this the judge could rule out that the medicines had to be given for free. This would be the outcome expected by any examiner, but Wu Guang did not finish there.
The real correct answer was to prosecute both the employer and the robber. The first one for trying to evade his responsibilities while the latter for the fact of robbery. Although it would be punished with only a small term in prison and not execution.
With this outcome reached, Wu Guang advanced to the next floor. All floors had similar situations, mostly based on the almost identical moral dilemmas that any cultivator or even mortal could encounter. It even had the classical dilemma between saving a dozen or a hundred people, which actually could be solved by a way that only a few knew of - the value and strength of the ones to save. This latter sounded cynical but actually, it was not, the ones to be saved should be the weakest, while the stronger had to fend off for themselves.
Actually, Wu Guang would be said to be cheating, as his quick and optimal solutions came from his memories. Except he did not take it like this, after all, the memories were his own.
About half an hour later Wu Guang exited the tower. A second 'Star' character had appeared near his 50 total points so it meant he was successful in gaining the mark.
Being the first to enter he was obviously the first to exit, and when he did he found out that most of the applicants were just arriving and forming a line to enter.
Judging that it will take the full day for everyone to pass through the test, Wu Guang decided to use the first half of his day to browse the bazaar stalls. He had ignored them yesterday as most of the stalls weren't set up yet, but today he expected at least half of them to be open.
He was not mistaken, a fact that he discovered when arriving at the square dedicated for it. Several new stalls appeared and a few of the empty ones also had people. Scanning the area and locating all the stalls that were run by disciples he started to check them one by one. Nothing really called for his interest, but he did buy a few common weapon manuals. He also asked a pair of the disciples he traded with about cultivation resources, but they explained that except the herbal Hall that may sell a few herbs useful for the Body realm resources could be only traded with the sect for contribution points.
Hearing this Wu Guang returned to his resting place after buying some packed food for both meal and dinner. The day passed with him quickly memorizing the clubs, hammer, sword, and big saber manuals he bought and then practicing them mentally. Pure mental weapon training was not as effective as physical or a mix of mental and physical training by far, but without anything better to do, it was a nice way to pass the time and gain something at least.