Journey of true Cultivation

The thirty disciples stood inside a massive cave, their gazes shifting around their new environment.

Behind them, a stone staircase led back up to the surface, marking their only exit.

The cave itself was surprisingly bright, its ceiling covered in luminous stones that bathed the entire chamber in a soft glow.

Despite the unusual lighting, the space was otherwise ordinary,a flat floor, no decorations, no obstacles.

It resembled a training ground rather than a trial site.

Yuan stood among the other hopeful disciples, quietly observing.

Everyone waited in silence, anticipation filling the air as they turned to the blond-haired young man who had led them here.

For a brief moment, the young man's expression softened, an amused smile appearing on his face.

Then

A flicker of nostalgia crossed his features.

As if he remembered his own trial in this very place.

After a few seconds of silence, he cleared his throat and addressed them.

"Ahem. Well, future junior disciples, the first trial is quite simple."

He gestured around the brightly lit cave, his green eyes glinting with amusement.

"As you can see, this room is illuminated by glowing stones embedded in the ceiling.These are known as 'Pressuring Will Stones'."

A pause.

Then, his tone became serious.

"The function of these stones is simple,they exert mental pressure on all who stand beneath them.The longer you endure, the better your evaluation.And the better your evaluation the greater your reward from the sect!"

The young man's gaze sharpened, sweeping across the gathered disciples with newfound intensity.

"This is a crucial test.Our branch sect and even more so, our Main Sect places heavy emphasis on mental endurance!"

His voice echoed through the cave, his words firm and commanding.

"Even if you come from a noble background.Even if your cultivation surpasses the others,If your will is weak, you will fail.And if you fail, you will not be accepted as a disciple."

He paused, letting his words settle in.

Then,his smile returned.

"So, do your best.Push yourselves.And prove that you have the willpower to walk the path of cultivation!"

Hearing this serious advice, Yuan quickly grasped why the sect placed such a high value on endurance.

After all, cultivation itself is the art of enduring time.

If a cultivator couldn't dedicate their free moments to cultivation, how could they ever hope to advance to the next stage?

The Howling Wind Sect clearly didn't want lazy individuals.

It sought ambitious disciples,those who constantly strive for more.

Yet, even with its preference for strong-willed cultivators, the sect wouldn't blindly reject others.

After all, hidden talents often reveal themselves only through life and death struggles.

And no sect or clan would willingly discard a hidden gem or a genius with high cultivation potential.

In the end, manpower was essential for a sect's growth.

With this realization in mind, Yuan found the Howling Wind Sect to be… interesting.

But only that.

His curiosity did not go beyond mild interest.

Now that the trial was explained, it would surely begin any moment.

Without hesitation, Yuan sat cross-legged on the cold stone ground, calmly awaiting the mental pressure to descend.

Seeing Yuan take a meditative lotus position, Emilia followed his example, closing her eyes and trying to focus on the surrounding spiritual essence.

But they weren't the only ones preparing.

Around them, the other future disciples reacted in various ways:

Some also sat in a lotus position, focusing their minds.Others stood with arms crossed, their posture rigid, as they waited for the trial to begin.A few even lay flat on the stone ground, staring directly at the Pressuring Will Stones above.Some talked amongst themselves, while others nervously fidgeted.

However, Yuan paid no attention to the surrounding movements.

His focus remained solely on the moment the mental pressure would finally descend.

And then

It began.

At first, no one felt anything.

For the first 30 seconds, there was only silence.

Then

At 40 seconds, some disciples shifted uncomfortably, feeling the first hints of pressure.At 50 seconds, a few began to breathe heavier, their focus slipping.By one minute, their bodies felt sluggish, concentration fading under the increasing weight.

At the one minute mark, many disciples began to falter.

A handful of Mortal Awakening Stage cultivators collapsed, their bodies refusing to endure the strain any longer.

By 1 minute and 20 seconds, even more of them gave up, their minds unable to withstand the pressure.By 1 minute and 40 seconds, nearly all Mortal Awakening cultivators had succumbed.At 1 minute and 50 seconds, Emilia finally reached her limit, collapsing with a deep exhale of exhaustion.

Now, only two Mortal Awakening cultivators remained.

One of them was Yuan.

At the 2-minute mark, the first Blood Purification cultivator fell, unable to continue.At 2 minutes and 20 seconds, more Blood Purification cultivators buckled under the relentless pressure.At 2 minutes and 50 seconds, the last remaining Mortal Awakening cultivator, besides Yuan, fell, along with several more Blood Purification disciples.

Now, only five cultivators remained.

Four Blood Purification Stage disciples.And Yuan,the last Mortal Awakening Stage cultivator still standing.

Three minutes.

That was a long time to endure such mental pressure.

Even the blond haired Inner Disciple was visibly surprised.

His green eyes narrowed slightly, his curiosity piqued.

For him, it was normal for Mortal Awakening cultivators to fall before two minutes.

Anything above that was already remarkable.

But three minutes?

That was true endurance.

A promising sign.

The thought formed in the blond haired young man's mind as he observed Yuan closely.

"Interesting…"

For Yuan, however

He felt nothing.

Not even the slightest hint of pressure.

It was as if the Pressuring Will Stones weren't even there.

But

If he continued standing too long, it would draw too much attention.

And if the blond haired young man noticed, he might label Yuan a monster rather than just a talented recruit.

That wasn't something Yuan wanted.

So, he pretended to falter.

Lowering his breathing, shifting his posture, and deliberately weakening his presence

Until, finally

He let himself collapse.

The blond haired young man sighed softly, nodding at Yuan in satisfaction.

He seemed pleased with Yuan's performance, but didn't linger on him for long, shifting his attention to the remaining Blood Purification cultivators.

At the 4 minute mark, only two Blood Purification Stage cultivators remained.

They were already struggling, their bodies trembling under the immense mental pressure.

At 4 minutes and 20 seconds, both collapsed, unable to endure a second longer.

And just like that

The trial ended.

The blond haired young man gave a satisfied nod, then snapped his fingers.

Instantly

The pressure vanished.

The suffocating weight dispersed completely, allowing everyone to finally breathe freely again.

With a wide smile, the blond haired young man addressed the group

"Well done, juniors. Now, let me announce your results."

He paused for effect, then continued:

"For the Mortal Awakening Stage juniors.Those who lasted only one minute or less will become unofficial outer disciples of the Howling Wind Branch Sect."

The moment those words fell, disappointment filled the air.

Several recruits visibly deflated, a few even breaking down into tears.

Some pleaded desperately, their voices trembling:

"Senior, please reconsider!""Give us another chance!"

But the blond haired young man remained unmoved, simply shaking his head.

"Juniors who lasted under two minutes will become ordinary outer disciples.And for the two who outperformed all others,those who endured beyond two minutes.You will be granted the status of high outer disciples!"

Though many disciples were devastated, the young man gave them a reassuring look.

"You don't need to worry too much about your current disciple ranking.Your status can change.The stronger your cultivation becomes, the higher you can rise within the sect."

With a wave of his hand, a stack of books appeared out of thin air, landing gently beside him.

"Here, read this."

The disciples hesitated for a moment before each one stepped forward to take a copy.

Even Yuan picked one up, his eyes falling on the title:

Howling Wind Sect's Rules & Introduction

But before anyone could start reading, the Inner Disciple spoke again

Forcing their attention back on him.

The blond-haired Inner Disciple continued his announcement, his voice echoing through the cave chamber

"Now, for the Blood Purification Stage juniors.Those who endured under three minutes will become outer disciples.Those who endured under four minutes will be granted the status of high outer disciples.And those who lasted beyond four minutes,will become low-rank inner disciples!"

His words sent a wave of reactions through the group.

Some disciples nodded in satisfaction, while others visibly clenched their fists, disappointed in their lower rankings.

But there was no time to dwell on it.

Because the next trial was about to begin.

The blond-haired Inner Disciple smiled, his green eyes glinting with amusement.

"Now that you are all officially disciples,let's move on to the second trial!"

A brief pause.

Then, his smile widened.

"Unlike the first trial, where you only had to endure mental pressure.This one will test your actual combat strength!"

The moment those words fell, the atmosphere shifted.

Tension rose.

Eyes sharpened.

The young man chuckled, clearly enjoying the anticipation building among the recruits.

"The stronger you are, the better for you.After all, you might catch the attention of an elder.Even if you don't, a high score will still bring satisfying rewards!"

Then, his tone turned playful.

"And as for the trial itself?"

He let the suspense linger for a moment before finally revealing

"Hehe… A simple tournament!One for the Mortal Awakening juniors…And another for the Blood Purification juniors!"

Hearing about the tournament, Yuan quickly understood the reasoning behind the Howling Wind Sect's selection process.

First, they identify those who can endure mental pressure and now, they measure actual combat strength.

This system separated two types of talents

Disciples with strong mental endurance, who could withstand hardship and cultivate long-term and Disciples who were naturally talented in battle, even if they lacked endurance.

Although it was a simple system, it was an effective way to filter recruits.

After all, a sect wouldn't want to waste potential warriors just because they lacked endurance,and vice versa.

However, Yuan also saw a flaw in this method.

The sect was clearly focused on combat strength and long term cultivation.But they completely overlooked other hidden talents.

Rune masters,Alchemy geniuses,Formation specialists.

None of them would be discovered in this selection process.

But then again

Every sect had its own priorities.

And for the Howling Wind Sect

Their priority was clear.

Fighting.

Cultivation.

And nothing else.

As Yuan processed all the information given by the blond-haired Inner Disciple, he suddenly felt a gaze on him.

A sharp, persistent stare,not from an elder, but from another disciple.

Though it would be normal for an elder to take interest in his unusual mental endurance, Yuan doubted that any elder would stare at him so intensely for just that alone.

So, he subtly turned his head, scanning the area

Until his eyes landed on the source.

It was the other Mortal Awakening Stage cultivator.

He appeared fourteen or fifteen years old.He wore a bright red robe, its fabric lined with enchantments, likely to regulate heat and cold.His face was undeniably handsome sharp features, piercing red eyes, and dark brown hair so deep it almost looked black.

Even though his robe was plain in design, it was clearly made from fine materials, maybe a wealthy or noble background?

However

Yuan had no idea who he was.

For a brief moment, he considered the possibilities.

Had he offended this boy in some way?

Then, it clicked.

Yuan had taken the first place spot from him during the mental endurance trial.

Was it jealousy?

Maybe.

But Yuan wasn't interested.

His gaze lingered on the boy for a mere second before losing interest entirely.

Seeing this, the red robed boy's expression darkened.

He clicked his tongue in annoyance, clearly irritated that Yuan had dismissed him so easily.

Then, with a sharp huff, he turned his eyes away.

Meanwhile, Emilia had a completely different reaction.

She was beaming with admiration as she looked at Yuan.

A high outer disciple!

Unlike Yuan, she actually understood what that meant.

Higher privileges,More resources,Better training.

And most importantly

Yuan was her servant.

Which meant

All his benefits… were hers as well, right?

A smirk crept onto her lips as she chuckled softly, already imagining the advantages she would gain once they officially joined the sect.

Yuan glanced at Emilia, noticing her soft chuckle.

Then

He simply ignored her.

Her amusement didn't concern him.

Instead, he shifted his attention back to the blond-haired Inner Disciple, who still stood silently, eyes closed.

The blond haired Senior took a step forward, his sharp green eyes scanning the gathered junior disciples.

With a confident smile, he spoke:

"Juniors, I gave you all ten minutes to rest.I hope you used them well and have regained your strength!"

His voice echoed across the training ground, carrying a mix of authority and amusement.

Then, his smile widened slightly.

"Now,let us begin the Mortal Awakening Juniors' Tournament!"

A short pause followed.

Then, his eyes narrowed slightly as he called out the first match

"The first to step forward Junior Alex and Junior Daoist Pressuring Books.Please step forward!"

His tone was firm, yet expectant, signaling the official start of the tournament.

The crowd of disciples stirred slightly, anticipation rising.

The first battle was about to begin.