Chapter 31: Chapter 31 Level 2
But at True Martial Holy Sect, Outer Sect Disciples are also divided into ordinary and elite.
Stepping onto the eight steps with tenfold gravity is considered being an ordinary Outer Sect Disciple.
And if one can complete all eight steps, they can become an elite disciple.
Elite disciples definitely receive far more resources; for cultivation, wealth, companions, methodologies, and territory are indispensable.
Therefore, every year many newcomers wish to challenge this and directly become elite disciples, leaving behind a splendid story.
Xu Zimei stepped onto the steps with tenfold gravity, the force of the gravity growing stronger. He loosened his body a bit and took a deep breath.
...
As he stepped onto the first step, he encountered the twin sisters standing there.
"What are you looking at? Haven’t you seen a beauty before?” the younger sister Xue Mengmeng retorted, showing her small tiger teeth and glared at Xu Zimei.
"I live at Goose Southern Peak,” Xu Zimei tapped their shoulders three times and then walked towards the second step with a big laugh.
"What does he mean by that?” Xue Mengmeng asked her sister, puzzled.
Her sister Xue Qianxue clenched her silver teeth, angrily saying, “He’s telling us where he lives and even patted our shoulders three times.
It means he’s asking us to go to Goose Southern Peak to find him at midnight.”
"Shameless,” Xue Mengmeng watched Xu Zimei’s departing back, her little fists clenched tight and her face flushed red.
Stepping onto the third step, Xu Zimei saw a stocky young man named Gao Xiong and smiled at him.
"My name is Gao Xiong, nice to meet you,” the young man named Gao Xiong said, scratching his head with a simple smile: “Me ma used to say that as a kid, I could go head-to-head with the brown bears in the forest without being the least bit weaker, so she named me Gao Xiong.”
"The Little Prince of Close Combat, huh,” Xu Zimei said with a smile, “Young man, I think highly of you. Want to hang with me?”
"Are there any benefits?” Gao Xiong asked curiously.
"When I carry out my destiny and ascend to Great Emperor, I’ll appoint you as my second War General; how about that?” Xu Zimei said with a laugh.
As for the position of first War General, it had already been reserved by Lin Ruhu.
"But I want to be a Great Emperor too,” Gao Xiong said with a laugh, showing off a set of big white teeth with a naive expression.
"If you contest the destiny with me, I’ll have no choice but to kill you then,” Xu Zimei said.
"Maybe I can counter-kill you,” Gao Xiong laughed dismissively.
"Haha, interesting, really interesting,” Xu Zimei laughed heartily for a few moments, then looked at Gao Xiong thoughtfully, “Inheritor of the Ancient Power Bear bloodline, you indeed have the qualification to contend for the destiny.
It’s a pity that you were born in the same era as me.”
Gao Xiong’s expression changed as he looked intently at Xu Zimei.
His Ancient Power Bear bloodline was always his secret; how could the other party know?
Leaving behind a contemplative Gao Xiong, Xu Zimei continued upwards to arrive before the fifth step.
He looked at the young girl in front of him, Baili Xiao, who was also looking at him, their eyes meeting.
"I really regret the idiotic things I did back then,” Xu Zimei said gently.
The girl looked at him with eyes full of confusion.
A gentle breeze rippled the surface of the lake, and the branches of the willow trees on either side swayed with the wind, while several birds flew from afar, their wings beating softly.
"The game has started, but this time I am the one in control,” Xu Zimei suddenly smiled, paying no attention to the girl, stepped into the void, radiating confidence and an air of unrestrained grace.
Yan Buhui stood with his sword, his body erect, resembling a drawn sword.
Sword Qi enveloped him, his white clothes fluttering in the wind, his long hair slightly gathered into a bun with a sideways fringe covering half his eyebrow, dancing in the breeze.
"Do you want revenge?” Xu Zimei asked, stepping onto the stairway, smiling as he looked ahead the same time as the young man.
"If you help me eliminate the Huang Family, my life is yours,” Yan Buhui turned his head, eyes glittering as if there were swords flashing within, gazing intently at Xu Zimei.
"Shouldn’t vengeance be more satisfying when carried out with one’s own hands?” Xu Zimei smiled and, without giving the youth’s astonished look any further attention, stepped up to that final stair.
His momentum was overwhelming, spiritual energy surging around him like a mighty river, his purple robe draped behind him as he turned to look at the countless youths still struggling against gravity to climb.
Xu Zimei couldn’t help but think of the True Martial Great Emperor, that man who bore his destiny and stood at the zenith of the heavens, and who proclaimed “Destiny is mine alone” before the whole world with such grandeur.
"Young Master Zimo truly has an extraordinary talent,” an Inner Gate Elder said with a sardonic tone nearby: “He truly lives up to the Deputy Sect Master’s continuous nurturing.”
What the Inner Gate Elder meant was that Xu Zimei was only able to outshine the other newcomers because his father was the Deputy Sect Master, suggesting he was built upon by superior resources.
"Always leave room for maneuver in your actions; don’t deprive yourself of even the opportunity to beg for mercy in the future,” Xu Zimei glanced indifferently at the Inner Gate Elder and remarked.
The Inner Gate Elder’s face changed, and he looked deeply at Xu Zimei before falling silent.
After Xu Zimei climbed the one hundred and eighty-eight steps, Lin Ruhu, too, struggled for a long time before finally reaching the top.
Yan Buhui, surrounded by swirling Sword Qi which seemed to soar into the skies, followed by the sound of sword cries, eventually made his way up as well.
Although Baili Xiao had no particularly stunning performance, she step by step, step by step, just kept walking up.
Against all odds, with her body feeling like it was going to be crushed by the intense gravity, she gritted her teeth and ultimately made it to the top.
After that, no other disciples were able to finish climbing the one hundred and eighty-eight steps, but nevertheless, many disciples managed to step onto those eight steps afterward.
The trials of the True Martial Holy Sect were divided into three phases, and after all three phases were complete, the scores from each phase would be added together.
The top one hundred ranking disciples would then be allowed to join the True Martial Holy Sect and become Outer Gate Disciples.
As for the second phase, it was a test of aptitude, which is absolutely crucial for martial artists.
Even the Empress Hongtian, that girl with mediocre talent, had to seek ways to enhance her aptitude step by step on her journey to Becoming Emperor.
The True Martial Holy Sect classified aptitude into nine levels, with first-level being the strongest and ninth-level the weakest.
Typically, an aptitude of fourth-level or above is considered to be competent.
Xu Zimei did not participate in this phase, confident in his aptitude after merging with the Eternal Ancient No.1 Body and the Prison-Suppressing Divine Body.
In this phase, Gao Xiong and Yan Buhui both possessed first-level aptitude, while Baili Xiao had second-level aptitude, and the twin siblings had third-level aptitude.
Aptitude was tested specifically with an Enlightenment Stone, one of the Taoist Stones from nature, which, after modification, was used explicitly for testing aptitude.