30 The Selection

The blue sky over Qizhou City was pretty clear with only a few clouds.

With the hopes and expectation of a lot of people who were looking up, a huge flying ship running with the power of spirit animal's Inner Essence appeared on the horizon of the blue sky.

"Finally, come home!"

It was the day that each major martial club and Family had been waiting for. They've been waiting so long and anxiously for the trial result of their students and Family members. Except one — Gu Zhenshan, the lord of the Qizhou City, who was leisurely drinking the tea now in the City Lord House.

Since father knew his daughter best.

Gu Zhenshan knew the talents of Gu Qianqian very clear and had assigned the great master to coach her, hoping she could enter into a powerful sect someday, for example, Sect of Dual Sword, which was even more well-known than the four major sects.

The four major martial arts clubs in Qizhou City were: the East Mountain Sword Club of the East Mountain Sword Clan, the Long-Stream Martial Arts Club of the Ancient-Stream Sword Clan, the H-Sun Martial Arts Club of Yan Hua Clan, and the Mountainic Martial Arts Club of Tri-harmo Clan.

Now, all four owners of the four major martial arts clubs were present to welcome their students' return, in victory or in failure.

Both victory and failure were precious treasure for the youngsters' future cultivation.

The huge flying ship landed, the result landed, the happiness and sadness landed.

To the four major martial arts clubs, the result was acceptable, at least one student in each club had passed. The East Mountain Sword Club was the biggest winner. Hu Xiaoshu and Lin, however, seemed not like the people who could pass the trial.

Luck shouldn't be ignored in the trial, everyone knew it, but it still brought the two teenagers numerous envies even hatred from their peers.

As he'd been hoping, Wei Gaoyuan finally chose to enter the outer section of the East Mountain Sword Clan, and a few days later he embarked on the road to the next stop for his further cultivation. Certainly, it was not a full stop but just a comma.

Now that the fake spiritual root actually had a large potential to make him reach the Nature, why did sister Yun decide in the first place to leave him in the club instead of directly arrange him into the outer section of the clan? He could only get the answer while met sister Yun next time.

...

Through the trial this year, the East Mountain Sword Clan enrolled a total of twelve outer disciples. Only five among the twelve were from Qizhou City, and the other seven were from other two cities around.

Outer section of the clan as it was, it was located in the deep forest of high mountains, impossible for ordinary people to find it.

When looking up on the half way of the very high main mountain in the area of the outer section, Wei Gaoyuan was stunned thoroughly by the magnificent architecture in distance, which was so high at the end of the hundreds of stone steps as if its roof had been penetrated into the clouds in the sky. Literally, this building was ten times more brilliant than the City Lord House of Qizhou City. And even compared with the royal palace, it might be more…

Well, I can't imagine in my mind what the royal palace was really like, Wei Gaoyuan thought.

In addition to that grand main palace, there were six other buildings on the six peaks surrounding the main mountain, and a few small cabins were scattered among the forest, like the little fairies resting on the giant green leaves.

"A true paradise, fantastic place for cultivation…" Wei Gaoyuan commended in his heart.

It hadn't reached noon yet. After climbing the long long stone steps, Wei Gaoyuan were directly led into the largest central hall of the main palace where six Elders and about ten officers of the outer section had already been present. And there he met Hu Xiaoshu and Lin, including other new disciples.

"It said that we've got a new disciple with the fake spiritual root in this trial," a long beard Elder whispered to himself, who was sitting in a deep bronze fauteuil and touching softly his long silvery beard. He scanned around the twelve new disciples and asked, "Who is Wei Gaoyuan?"

Wei Gaoyuan was startled little, and before he was about to respond, a young man in a Chinese costume on his left side stepped forward and said respectfully,"Elder, I'm WEI Gaoyuan."

(WEI Gaoyuan: the different characters with same pronunciation. In the following chapters, "Wei" refers to "卫" and "WEI" refers to another Chinese character "魏" .)

The same name? Wei Gaoyuan was thinking silently and meanwhile gave Hu Xiaoshu and Lin a look, a cue that it was just okay to stay silent.

"You are Wei Gaoyuan?" a red-faced Elder glanced at WEI Gaoyuan quickly and asked before the Long-haired Elder continued. "I'm the Elder of Scarlet-Feather Peak, would you like to be one of my disciples?"

"Elder Hua," the long-haired Elder responded soon, "I've not ended my words, how could you get your words in?"

"Oh? Then I'm looking forward to Elder Qi's following words," the Elder of Scarlet-Feather Peak said as he continued to fix his eyes on WEI Gaoyuan.

Just then a few slight coughs came beside him. Another Elder wearing a brocade robe said, "Well, we all knew Elder Qi's following words, and we've all got the same words to the kid. So, why don't we show the kid something different, and I believe he'll give us the answer then…"

"I agree," said another Elder

The twelve eyes of the six Elders were all focused on WEI Gaoyuan, as if there were no other new disciples beside him.

Wei Gaoyuan still stood aside quietly as he was not so sure whether he was the right kid the Elders were talking about.

An old Elder in the brocade gown said first, "Wei Gaoyuan, I'm the Elder of Golden-Feather Peak, I promise that you'll reach the Nature within twenty years if you choose my school."

"Twenty years…it sounds not quite difficult for a boy with the fake spiritual root," said the Elder who spoke "I agree" just now, slightly shaking his head. "My school was located on Cyan--Feather Peak, I promise to teach you the Geng-level cultivation method of Internal Qi, plus the Geng-level combat skills."

Hearing "Geng-level", the other five Elders could not help but change their expressions. They did have Geng-level cultivation method of Internal Qi as well, but it seemed kind of late… The Cyan-Feather Peak was teaching them five to put something different and heavier on the scales.

Having determined it finally, the long silvery beard Elder followed, "I'm Elder Qi, my Silver-Feather Peak will provide you…as long as you choose me to be your master…with the monthly task halved and the benefits doubled… in addition to the Geng-level cultivation method of Internal Qi and the same level combat skills!"

The Elder in black uniform, whose voice was as loud as thunder, spoke at last but very seriously, "Come to my Dark-Feather Peak, enter the peak level of the Nature."

WEI Gaoyuan seemed to open his mouth slightly, yet still speak nothing.

The Elder of Cyan-Feather Peak, who saw the last chance, threw his last card, "Wei Gaoyuan, if you enter mine, I'll create an opportunity for you to enter the inner of the clan."

His remark astonished everyone in the hall!

The Elder of Dark-Feather Peak frowned and said in a low voice this time, "Elder Xu, a promise must be a promise! You should know the opportunity to enter the inner shouldn't be promised the kid that easily!"

Elder Xu shook his head slightly, looked at WEI Gaoyuan and added, "I can't guarantee that you'll enter the inner, but I'll be making every effort to create an opportunity for you. Besides, apart from my previous promises, you'll get a sword of Ren-level in my school. Just decide it for yourself."

WEI Gaoyuan clenched his teeth and tried to keep himself calm. His grandfather used to study Martial Arts in the outer section of the East Mountain Sword Clan. Was it because of his grandfather… as only a third level of the Mystery? He never expected, even in his dreams, that he could be treated so special by the Elders today. So grateful he was that he tried hard to stop the tears in his eyes.

"Elder, please authorize me to enter the Cyan-Feather Peak!" WEI Gaoyuan kneed down and kowtowed to Elder Xu.

"Good… Good… Good!" smiled Elder Xu of Cyan-Feather Peak. He took out two scrolls from his bosom pocket and handed them to WEI Gaoyuan,"Cultivate hard first with the two secret scrolls. Any time, any questions about it, just ask me."

"Thank you! Elder!" WEI Gaoyuan was overjoyed to kowtow again.

"Elder?" Elder Xu smiled.

"Uh…thank you, master!" WEI Gaoyuan changed it quickly.

"The old fox!" the other five Elders said in their hearts, who realized Elder Xu had prepared the secret scrolls in advance.

Elder Xu didn't conceal his elated smile as he turned his eyes to the remaining eleven new disciples and asked, "Anyone else wants to enter my Cyan-Feather Peak?"

No one responded. The other eleven new disciples all seemed hesitating — except for WEI Gaoyuan, how much attention and care else would Elder Xu gave to other new disciples?

Not waiting for the left eleven new disciples to make a decision, the Elder of Dark-Feather Peak pointed at two of them, "You, and you, follow me!"

Everyone looked over the direction of his fingertip:

One was a fat guy, and the other was Wei Gaoyuan.