Chapter 40: Dumbfounded

Finally arriving, Jun turned to gaze out the window, with Yinling by his side sharing his curiosity. Below them lay a massive mountain, shrouded in mist, dotted with pavilions that seamlessly blended into the terrain.

"Damn..." was all Jun could say, this was his first time seeing a sect that blended into its surroundings. Most other sects either destroyed the entire terrain to have a certain style but for this, they decided to become one with the terrain.

Elder Lili, swelling with pride, remarked, "Our sect's harmony with nature is our hallmark. It's a distinction no other sect can claim."

Jun's eyes roved across the landscape. "So, this is the Scarlet Sect?" he asked, puzzled.

Elder Lili knew what he meant when Jun asked this question "Our sect name is not based on appearance, but rather on the technique we use. If both of you manage to pass my test, I will naturally teach you this technique"

Yinling's eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Is the technique really that powerful?"

Puffing up her big chest, Elder Lili said "You may not know this but this technique used to be famous through Leaf State and even noticed by Sky Domain"

Jun tilted his head, a playful smirk on his lips. "Really? That's news to me," he remarked, his casual tone slightly puncturing Elder Lili's inflated pride.

"Our technique can amplify one's combat strength fivefold for a brief period," Elder Lili explained, trying to regain her composure.

"Let me guess... does your body feel like breaking in half afterward..." Jun spoke abruptly already knowing the deal with these powerups.

Elder Lili, momentarily taken aback by his insight, stammered, "How did you...?"

"It's not hard to guess. Powerful moves often come with serious drawbacks," Jun reasoned.

Elder Lili sighed, conceding his point.

"We're here!" Yuling's voice cut through the conversation.

Quickly the carriage landed on a mountain peak further away from the main core peak of the Scarlet sect. Jun and Yinling held hands and walked out of the carriage, expectations high on what sight they would see.

"So much for visibility," Jun muttered, his disappointment clear. 

"It's... so foggy" Yinling spoke looking around but saw nothing but fog, she could barely even see her hand out in front of her.

Jun had expected something at least a bit better than the Azure Sword Sect but this, who the heck wants to stay here? 

"Why does it feel like we're the ones who got fooled" Jun thought.

"Now, I know what you two may be thinking" Elder Lili said but was interrupted by Jun.

"Wait! Are you secretly a 10-star sect disguised as a pig to eat the tiger!!" exclaimed Jun 

Elder Yinling was dumbfounded at his comment but smiled mysteriously.

"Why don't you first follow me and pass my test, then I'll tell you the truth" Elder Lili spoke mysteriously but she knew in her heart she was lying through her teeth.

Elder Lili's disciples all looked at her confused wondering the same thing "Are we actually a 10-star sect?" 

Jun nodded solemnly and followed her, Yinling still holding hands with him. Elder Lili's disciples followed suit.

"Jun, Is what you said true?" Yinling transmitted this thought to Jun.

"There's a high possibility... her cultivation is low compared to an actual 10-star city cultivator but there could be hidden masters beneath this place, otherwise why would anyone live in such a bad area" Jun transmitted to Yinling.

If Elder Lilin heard such a comment, she would have probably castrated Jun on sight.

Yinling nodded and followed Jun, along the way, they didn't discover a single other disciple which confused Yinling and Jun but this fact didn't seem to bother the others. 

They soon reached a giant mansion, although not as big as the 8-star city one, it's still pretty big.

"That reminds me, I still need to go and put that deserted city in my system storage" Jun still hasn't forgotten this amazing feature, the reason he didn't do it was because he was in front of Elder Lili, it would be dangerous to him and Yinling if he did do it.

"As your test, it's simple, climb those 10 stairs that lead up to the mansion" Elder Lili said.

Jun looked at the stairs confused "Climb these stairs? That's it?"

"Oh but these stairs aren't simple, they adjust to the cultivator's level and test their leapfrogging abilitie- WHAT!" Elder Lili wanted to finish but found herself speechless at what she saw.

"Common elder Lili, let's head to the real test" Jun spoke already on the platform above the stairs of the mansion alongside Yinling. But this simple act stumped Elder Lili and her disciples.

"M- monsters...." Yu Lu said dumbfounded.

Yu Zhu saw this and almost fell backward out of shock. "I... " Yu Zhu muttered, unable to form a single sentence.

What Jun and Yinling didn't know was that these steps are the actual test given to all disciples who wish to join Elder Lili's peak. The test works in a simple way, the more steps you climb, the higher the pressure you experience.

Climbing one step proves you have the power to leapfrog one small realm, in total there are 10 steps leading up to the main platform. Doesn't this prove that Jun and Yinling, two foundation establishment cultivators have the power of a Spiritual Pillar expert?

Elder Lili's best disciple named Hua Jieyu at best could only climb 6 steps which caused a sensation through the Scarlet sect, yet here are two people who completely climbed 10 steps without them realizing this was the test.

Jun saw the shocked expression on their faces and knew something wasn't right, he went downstairs and approached them.

"Is there something on my face?" Jun turned to Yinling "Do I have something on me?"

Yinling shyly looked at Jun and examined his handsome face but found nothing out of the ordinary.

Elder Lili calmed the heat she could feel, these two people were now comparable to a precious gold mine. What is the concept of leapfrogging 1 giant realm, no one in the history except in the ancient days of the scarlet sect when it used to be more prosperous has ever climbed the entire steps.

Regaining her composure Elder Lili spoke "Cough... you have passed my test, welcome to my 12th peak known as miscellaneous peak"

Jun and Yinling looked at each other confused as to how they joined when they clearly hadn't done any test. But either way, they accepted such an offer.