"Greetings, to the 150 of you here. I believe everyone has a good sleep yesterday, to prepare for today's test. I will be reading out the rules of the test once, so pay attention at this to not cause anything wrong in your test."
"The test is split into five different categories, and each will test you in the content of Talents, Skills, Attentiveness, Ability, and Heart. Only by passing this five test you're qualified to become the disciples for an elder."
"The moment I ring the bell, everyone will enter the cave to conduct the test at the same time. Only those passed all five test will be allowed to come out, while those who failed will be evicted from the cave automatically."
The speaker was an elder, taking the position of the guardian and also the person in charge of this examination process. With a shake of his hand, the bell ring, indicating the test is starting.
Without bothering about anybody else, Zhang Wu Ji and Guan Qing Han join along with the moving group and entered the manmade cave about one and a half meter wide. It was slightly dark if looking from the outside, but the moment they entered, it was actually dimly lit with mysterious Night Glowing Pearl that will continue to shine as long they were fed in a location filled with Natural Qi.
But without anyone knowing, the simple test started to become a marathon, where those leading at the front line suddenly begin to run. Unable to fight against the flow brought by the frontline, Zhang Wu Ji and Guan Qing Han were forced to follow the flow and begin to run as well.
Estimated about ten meters of running, the entered a bigger chamber which was well lit with a large amount of Night Glowing Pearls. The chambers were empty, with only more tunnels leading to unknown places and discarded rocks scattered around the whole area.
After calculating, Zhang Wu Ji noticed there were a total of seven tunnels, each of them came with a very different formation, but when it was posted in front of a librarian who read too much book in his life, Zhang Wu Ji did not hesitates but to chose the last and final tunnel, and leading Guan Qing Han along with him.
It was really mysterious, because not even in her own mind were considering to follow Zhang Wu Ji along in his path. The last path led them into a different chamber that came with different words carved on their entrance wall.
[A Diamond with a flaw is worth more than a pebble without imperfections] is carved on the entrance of the left, and [An unrefined Jade are worthless as a weapon] is carved on the entrance to the right.
"Which one should we go?" Guan Qing Han asked as she ponders between choosing one of the two tunnels to enter.
"You choose first. I will take the remaining one. This will be where we separate. I hope you do well in the exam too." Zhang Wu Ji replied, and let her make her first decision.
"Then... I will take the right tunnel! The word carved on the wall suits me better." as expected by Zhang Wu Ji, she chooses the right tunnel to enters. The fact one will always choose a path more suitable for his character is always true.
"Alright, I will go to the left tunnel then. Good Luck." Zhang Wu Ji look hesitates, but in his mind, the left one would suit him even better, because of his physical flaws.
Entering the tunnel on the left, it leads him into a smaller chamber that shines brightly with over a thousand Night Glowing Pearl is embedded on the ceiling. In the middle of the chamber is a podium with a manual.
He steps into the room, walked to the podium with a manual and inspect all the words surrounding him. But unexpectedly, the guide to pass this level is written on the surface of the podium.
[Flaw or not, Talent is what make a person to succeed as a cultivator, and ascends to become a saint. Take ownership of your own fate, and make use of your talent to master the art in the manual to break through this level, and proof your talent.]
"Seriously? Just master the skill and use it to break through this level?" he holds the book in his hand, and inspect it.
Fist of Destruction Qi Manual
Usage: Allow the user to use Fist of Destruction Qi (3) to destroys his opponent.
Durability: 2/2
Instead of flipping the manual, he went to a section of the wall that seems different from the others and activated the Fist of Destruction Qi by paying 3 strands of Inner Qi. Not putting too much strength, he lands his fist on the wall and destroys them in a single hit. In the term of destruction power, it was nothing lesser than a master of this art.
Without any obstacle, he went further ahead, taking up the first spot as the person to pass the first test, Talent!
Still walking in the tunnel, he continues his way until he reaches the second chamber to test him in skills! This chamber was slightly bigger than the one in the first test, and it was fitted with many different profession tools and materials that were suitable to be processed.
"So, the test for skills is actually a test to see how good I am in professional skills. Then this would be too easy." he explored the room to look for the Pill concoction section, and check the ingredient they put here.
"Again? Wound Mending Pill?" he looks at the prepared ingredients and felt disappointed. It seems that because the profession is not treated as highly as the personal cultivation, thus the minimal requirement for one to pass the Skill test only required one to complete the most basic test in one profession.
Easily, he finished the concoction of Wound Mending Pill without any difficulties, before he explores the tools surrounding him. After thinking for a short moment, he decided to went over to complete the Blacksmithing task as well. it was a test to prepares and refine a Copper Ingot and Iron Ingot. Although the task wasn't as difficult as it thinks, to process out a pure copper ingot from their provided materials, it was a difficult task. But still, Zhang Wu Ji able to complete it without a hitch, especially when he got the ability to scan the product he created.
As long it reaches a quality to form into an ingot, the results will be taken as a pass.
He turned and prepared to leave, but when he walked past the section of a Botanist, it pains his eyes to see how a proper Ice Leaves Tea Tree is placed so close in proximity with the furnace.
"The person who places this pot here should be killed and feed to the dogs. How can he place such a fragile plant near to the Burning hot Furnace!" Zhang Wu Ji complained. But finally, he completes the Skill's Test with a three profession success.
What he doesn't know is the test of attentiveness was also been evaluated along with the test of Skills. As the person who realized the mistakes of placing a plant near to the furnace, and taking the effort to refine a proper quality copper ingot, he passes the third test at the same time, with flying colors.
The tunnel continues, until he reaches the Chamber to test his ability. Here, the chamber only contains an orb made from jade, placed on top of a podium. It was a treasure known as Jade of Inner Mind, a treasure that can give an enlightenment to many things.
Some people succeed in breaking through, some obtained enlightenment in their martial arts, and some obtains the vision for their future. By placing his hand on top of the jade, he was brought into a world where he was looking at a person with the body made of luminescence light.
"Are you... Upgrade?" Zhang Wu Ji asked. But soon, the light vanished from his sight, where the vision before him turned into a scene happening in Li Jiang Town.
"Li Jiang Town, wait... Under attack?" Zhang Wu Ji fall into confusion when he saw a scattered group of troops is attacking the residents that trying to escape. Among them, few of them was the servants of the Zhang's Family.
"Stop!" Zhang Wu Ji wields his Iron Ruler and tried to charge at the attacking soldiers, but as he tried to move, the Iron Ruler's weight completely holds him still on the ground, unable to move a single step.
"Damn! Inside here the Upgrade Effect is not existent!" Zhang Wu Ji felt the sheer weight of the Iron Ruler that won't budge a single centimeter. Without anything else in his arsenal, Zhang Wu Ji is left with only his normal punches and kicks.
"What is this test? Ability? What do you mean with ability? What do you want me to do in this test?" he was completely confused with his current condition. Being put in the situation without his ability, he was actually a trash!
"Wait..." he walked over to somewhere close to him and took a box out from the rubbles. It was quite a modernized weapon containers he's seen before back in his own world.
"Oh yeah, this is the weapon they said to be the most destructive shotgun in the world right?" He opened the box and took out the so-called Kel-Tec-KSG shotgun, loaded with twelves rounds of shells.
"Upgrade."
Kel-Tec-KSG 25 +1
Attack: 22
Defense: 0
Durability: 21/21
"Again. Upgrade."
Kel-Tec-KSG 25 +2
Attack: 24
Defense: 1
Durability: 25/25
"Damn, having just enough 30 Strands of Inner Qi is a troublesome matter." after noticing he lost a third of his physical strength, it must be due to the high consumption of Inner Qi is needed to upgrade the weapon.
"The only issue is, why would this weapon appear here out of sudden?" he was still slightly confused. That item should belong to what he owns in this world were useless, while those weren't supposed to appear in this world actually appears.
What's more, it was very tangible and solid. What he did not imagine was that this is a created world through his mind. Since he possesses two lifetimes of experience, the limited power of the jade was failed to process only one memory completely, making his world is intertwine together.
And the intertwine effect... Caused a disruption on the experience created by the Jade of Inner Mind. It made things impossible become possible, and end up useless against somebody like Zhang Wu Ji.
With the weapon in hand, he becomes the hunter, turning the slaughtered to become the slaughterer. Armed with a modern weapon, no spears and swords were his matches. The damage of 24 completely decimates his opponent armor, weapons, and even magical treasures.
The win he obtained in this test almost caused the Jade of Inner Mind to crack. This was the first time the jade, filled with a spirit within, was scared stupid from trying to fight with such a character.
"Does this means... I pass?" he looks at the surrounding that returned to normal. The Iron Ruler was still by his side, and the Kel-Tec-KSG 25 was gone from his hand.
"Damn! With this weapon, I'm the lord of this place." he thought about it for a moment, but finally understands that everything that happened, was an imagination, a test for him, to test his ability in handling matters, heroism, and the ability to take on responsibilities.
With four test passed, only the test of heart remains. This test was extremely direct and simple. By placing his hand in the Crystal of Clarity, the crystal will then release a brilliance depending on how clear is the heart of the owner.
If the brilliance of the crystal reaches only one-fifth of the crystal's height, it means the heart is spoilt, untamed, rash, and ignorant. Such quality of a heart wasn't suitable to be taken as a disciple, as the risk of defecting, betrayal is higher than usual.
If it managed to reaches two-fifth of the crystal's height, it recognized the owner's heart to be in a state of confusion, unknown of what path he should go in his life. Those that were categorized in this quality were given a chance to improve, but difficulties still remain.
As for those reaches three-fifth of the crystal's height, which was a pass, the brilliance indicates the strength, stubbornness, and the aim to excel. Those that were evaluated to stand at this level are counted as qualified to become a disciple of the sect.
The four-fifth brilliance is much rare than the previous three. Except possessing the value that worth better than the former, those stands in this category are always the talents that were groomed since birth to partake important positions in their future, as the pillar of the humanity.
Only the rarest kind of people worth standing at the top amongst the top. The complete brilliance from the crystal was only given to people with utmost talent and will be assumed to be the pillar of humanity from birth.
The complete brilliance was also the minimal qualifications for a crown prince to be crowned as emperor, where only the most capable amongst talent worth such a position.
When Zhang Wu Ji went to touches the test of heart, he followed the guidance given by the engraving and allowed the crystal to evaluates the quality of his heart. After a while of closing his eyes, Zhang Wu Ji opened it when he realized that the crystal no longer absorbing any Inner Qi from him.
It wasn't a disappointment, but it wasn't an excellent result either. three-fifth brilliance. Zhang Wu Ji was barely a pass in this examination.
"Well, three-fifth is still a pass. With my kind of talent and ability, passing the test is enough for me." he exhaled breath, and relaxed because he finally completed the whole test, and should be going out from the cave now to met his appointed master.
When he exits the cave, it creates a commotion that was later spread to the whole Seven Star Sect, shocking both masters, disciples, and subordinates.
Zhang Wu Ji, Fifteen years old and two month. Martial Body Aptitude, None! Cultivation Strength, 30 Strands of Inner Qi, yet to enter the 1st Stage of Inner Qi Fighter! Weapon of choice? Iron Ruler! Profession? Pass in Pill Concoction, Blacksmithing, Botanist, and Medicine!
With so many special traits one can see from him, even if he wasn't a quality to become a cultivator, the masters and elders in the sect will still choose him to become their direct disciple, and turn into one of the Sect's most important pillar in the future.
Outside of the cave, he was surrounded by twelve elders, each elder was busy introducing themselves and their specialized profession, trying to hook Zhang Wu Ji into their own faction. With such a major character inside their faction, not only their overall strength will increase, even the quality of his disciples will see a great change due to the participation of an amazing disciple.
But no matter how much the ten normal elders and two grand elders tried, none of them managed to hook him into their faction. He was personally greeted by the arrival of the Seven Star Sect Headmaster, the Lord of Seven Swords, Liang Tian.
"Zhang Wu Ji?" the headmaster questioned.
"Yes, headmaster." seeing how much reverence and respect this elder received from the twelve elders, he immediately understand the importance of this old man. If will be impossible to get the respect from all twelve elders if he wasn't an important character.
"Good. Although the lacking of a Martial Body hindered you in cultivation, you still able to achieve 30 Strands of Inner Qi at your fifteen years old. What's more, the amount of your knowledge in three different professions isn't shallow either."
"This only indicates one thing. You're a cultivating and knowledge maniac! This is the quality I'm looking at my students, are you willing to become my direct disciple?" the headmaster extend his invitation to the youth before him.
What an honor! The headmaster came personally to obtain the youth standing before the thirteen of them. If this situation was seen by the other youth brought back by the Grand Elder of the Left, what would he think? To imagine that a youth will not only become the first to leave the Cave, he even obtains promising results from all five test, if this wasn't a talent, then what is talents?
"This youth will need to understand one thing before he decides. May this youth dare himself to request?" Zhang Wu Ji cupped his palm together and speaks.
"Go ahead! If that's not something I cannot do, it will be granted!" since Liang Tian already decided to take this youth as his disciple, he felt there will be nothing left for him to hesitates.
"If a master can't even answer certainly to his direct disciple, then why does he desire to take him into his faction? For the fun to take somebody away from others?" this is everything in his mind at this instant.
"Zhang Wu Ji wishes that he will be given the liberty to access everything he wanted, all for the sake of knowledge!" without anybody expecting his intention is to be given the ticket for complete freedom, Zhang Wu Ji speaks his heart out.
"That's all? An in return, what do I get from you?" the headmaster, Liang Tian asked.
"My complete loyalty, and all I ever blessed," he replies in a very deep answer, that possibly only the headmaster who will become his master, understands it.
This was the beginning of a new era for the Seven Star Sect, an era where their prosperity was the source of jealousy in the whole Ping An Continent.
Thank you for the great support of 13 Power stone for now. You're great.
Here comes the promised chapter, it was done yesterday and updated finally once I have done with the little proofreading.
Can you guys help out a little to push me up further? Thanks!