Chương 18: Climbing the Steps
Chapter 18: Climbing the Steps
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"Alright, people who had artifacts on them do not need to worry. Your artifacts will be returned after the test. Now, the test will begin!" Mo Jian announced, his voice carrying over the murmuring crowd.
As he finished speaking, the massive gates began to creak open.
Creak.
The sound echoed through the area as the gates brushed against the ground. Many cultivators had attempted to push these gates open before, but their combined physical might had not even budged them.
The weight of the gate was unimaginable. A normal First Layer Qi Refining cultivator could kill a cow with a single punch, yet the cultivators who tried—and failed—to push the gates were at the Fourth and Sixth Layers of the Qi Refining Realm.
Thud!
The massive gates finally swung fully open, revealing a breathtaking scene.
Even Aerich, who had read about this test in the novel, was stunned. Words could not do justice to the scenery beyond the gates.
"Your test," Mo Jian began, his voice clear and commanding, "is to climb this staircase. Those who reach the hundredth step will have the chance to be chosen as personal disciples by inner sect elders. Those who reach the fiftieth step will gain entry into the inner sect. If you manage to cross thirty steps, you will become outer sect disciples. Everyone else who fails to meet these thresholds will be disqualified."
At first, many cultivators dismissed the task.
"Is that it?" they thought.
But the majority would soon realize how difficult this test truly was. If the Azure Sky Sect only cared about cultivation levels, they would have directly assessed each participant. This test evaluated more than that—it measured the heart of the cultivator.
The staircase tested their righteousness and the strength of their will. After all, cultivation was about defying one's fate.
Dong! Dong!
The sound of a bell marked the beginning of the test, and the crowd surged forward, rushing to climb the stairs.
Fortunately, a formation had been installed on the staircase to prevent overcrowding, expanding the space as more participants entered.
Aerich, however, did not rush. He cautiously placed one foot on the first step, testing the pressure. To his relief, it was nearly non-existent.
The elders watching from above noted his slow pace. Unlike the others, who had already advanced to the fifth step, Aerich lingered on the first.
Feigning struggle, Aerich pretended to exert great effort as he moved to the second step. His body bent as if under immense pressure, though it was all an act.
He needed Mo Jian to believe that he was no longer a threat. His goal was to show that his transmigration had created a butterfly effect, rendering him irrelevant to the main plot.
Around him, other cultivators pushed forward. Those on the fifth and sixth steps appeared far stronger than him. Based on the cultivation he was displaying, Aerich seemed to be only at the Third Layer of Qi Refining.
Looking up, he noticed many had already surpassed the thirtieth step. Tasia was among them, standing confidently on the fortieth step.
Aerich searched the crowd for Berlotte but couldn't find her. Then, he spotted a familiar figure struggling on the twentieth step. She was facing away from him, her back hunched as she fought to climb. Though she was at the peak of the Qi Refining Realm, her talent was only slightly above average by Azure Sky Sect standards.
Aerich wasn't concerned about passing or failing. His father's senior-brother relationship with Elder Shang Tian ensured he had a way into the sect.
Still, he maintained the charade, pushing himself to his limits—or at least appearing to. After an excruciating thirty minutes, Aerich collapsed on the third step.
Thud!
The sound of his fall was loud but went unnoticed amidst the cheers erupting around him. Curious, Aerich turned his head to see who had drawn the crowd's admiration.
It was Tasia Lowlance. She stood panting on the hundredth step, her sweat-soaked appearance disheveled yet radiant.
Aerich tried to see whom she was looking at, but his vision was blocked by a cultivator on the fourth step.
The cultivator turned and sneered at Aerich. "You worthless insect. You don't even have the qualification to gaze at my goddess."
"..."
Aerich was dumbfounded. This cultivator, who was only at the Fourth Layer of Qi Refining, had the audacity to call him worthless.
"Sorry," Aerich said humbly. "I was just curious about the source of the cheers. I apologize if I offended you, Brother."
The cultivator huffed but seemed satisfied with Aerich's submissive attitude. "Hmph! You do not deserve to be my brother, but I will accept your apology."
Satisfied, the cultivator turned his attention back to climbing.
From his seat among the sect elders, Mo Jian observed the interaction, his brows furrowing.
'Why is the script different from what I remember?' he thought.
"System, use Destiny Eye on Aerich Yu," Mo Jian commanded.
Ding!
[Host, the Strongest Villain System is attempting to assess your Protagonist Status. Do you allow it? Yes/No.]
'Yes,' Aerich replied inwardly.
He knew exactly whose system was at work.
Mo Jian's system completed its analysis in seconds, displaying Aerich's details.
[Host, the selected target is not a protagonist nor a villain. The target is classified as a complete extra.]
Relief washed over Mo Jian. The greatest threat to his life was no longer a protagonist. For the first time since his transmigration, his heart felt at ease.
Aerich heard a familiar notification.
Ding!
[Villain Mo Jian's hostility has decreased.]
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