10 Chen Zoe, master of Long Yuzhen.

"Senior, wake up… It's almost time for the selection process." Rui arrived on time to wake up Chen Zoe, as the selection process for new candidates was about to begin.

"Let me sleep a bit… It's time… How long have I been asleep?" Anxiously awakened from his slumber, Chen Zoe hurriedly went to the selection area, looking quite disheveled.

"Where are you going in this state?" Rui stopped Chen Zoe from leaving the room. "This is why Xi Shen always complains about you, senior. You never take care of yourself. If you go around like this, what will people think? Your reputation will hit rock bottom on the first day." Helping him get ready, Rui continued to scold him.

"Are you my junior or my mother?" Chen Zoe teased Rui.

"If you learned to do things yourself, I would stop playing these roles." Completely made him speechless, Rui continued. "Anyway, senior, I've been watching you for a few days, and you seem worried about something to the point of causing you stress. You're not even getting enough sleep. What's the matter?

If it because of any person, I can lend you some medicines to get rid of that person. No one would find out how he even died. Want some?" Rui, who had knowledge of medicines and poisons, made a rather intriguing offer.

The burden he been keeping to himself for the past fifteen years were not something that can share with Rui or someone else. He had mentally prepared himself for this day when he would meet Long Yuzhen. However, as the days grew shorter, he couldn't hide the anxiety about the future that loomed over him.

He can act differently from the real Chen Zoe, but there were still a few things that chained him to the written destiny.

"What are you talking about? Who would dare to stand in my way in this sect? It's just, thinking about taking responsibilities make me feel uneasy."  Chen Zoe covered his worries with a white lie.

"I can understand your worries. I also felt the same way when Father put me in a practical test…"

Their conversation continued until they reached the audition area. To be selected in the Chen Long sect, the participants had to pass two exams. First, they had to fight against other participants and win at least three rounds. The second round concluded with another fight section against a senior disciple of Chen Long sect.

However, the second round wasn't about winning against a martial artist; it was a simple test to evaluate their willpower and judge their attitude towards a strong opponent.

From the building where elders of Chen Long sect and junior masters were observing the exam, Chen Zoe looked around for Long Yuzhen using the characteristics he knew. A handsome boy with jet-black hair and green gem-like pupils.

Due to the number of participants with similar features, he couldn't easily spot Long Yuzhen. But after the two exams, he heard the name loudly and clearly while they announced the top-ranked students in the exam. Long Yuzhen ranked first, and Chen Ling was second.

Surprisingly, Long Yuzhen emerged as the first ranker after defeating the senior disciple in the second round. As Chen Zoe observed him from head to toe, he couldn't help but think that Long Yuzhen was a classic protagonist material. There was a bright aura emanating from his very presence that could easily capture the hearts of any onlookers. His teenage charm and manly demeanor combined seamlessly, making him a striking figure in the crowd. It was no wonder that people, especially women, would be drawn to him.

"It's time for us to enter the stadium to choose our disciples. Let's go…" The gathered elders and junior masters moved toward the stadium, and Chen Zoe followed.

Meanwhile, among the participants, Long Yuzhen and his friends gathered together. Luckily, they had also passed the exams.

"Yuzhen, did you find her?" One of his friends asked.

However, they didn't receive a positive reply. The happy atmosphere around them turned dull. They all knew that Long Yuzhen's primary reason for entering the Chen Long sect was to meet the girl named Zoya.

To help him, they decided to look for her based on the few details Long Yuzhen could remember about her appearance.

[In Yuzhen's view, she was like an angel who had come into his life, kind and caring. She had black hair as shiny as the night, and if you looked into her eyes, it felt like you were gazing into a vast ocean. Just like the moon had a scar, she also had one near her left eye.]

"There's no one that matches the description."

"Maybe she isn't even present here. It's not like everyone had to gather in this place."

Long Yuzhen's heart began to race suddenly, and a glimmer of hope illuminated his eyes. He was certain that she was close by, but he couldn't discern her whereabouts. His gaze swept across the area, searching eagerly, yet he couldn't catch even a fleeting glimpse of her presence. The uncertainty gnawed at him as he continued to scan the surroundings, desperately trying to find her.

Meanwhile, Chen Zoe entered the stadium with the other masters. Long Yuzhen's wandering eyes locked onto Chen Zoe, unable to look away, and his racing heart gradually calmed down.

When everyone bowed their heads to show respect to the leader, Yuzhen stood still, staring at Chen Zoe without any other reaction. This action catches everyone attention and made Chen Zoe feel slightly uncomfortable.

"Yuzhen, what are you doing? Head down..." Long Yuzhen's friends tried to rouse him from his fixed, unblinking gaze. Realizing the peculiar attention he had drawn upon himself, Yuzhen quickly followed suit and bowed his head along with the others, suppressing his intense desire to locate the one he sought.

…

"Isn't this an abuse of power? The senior disciples get the first chance to pick the fresh ones, and we're left with the leftovers," Junior masters whispered among themselves, not openly challenging the seniors.

"Leader, please select your disciples." According to the rules, the first person to choose a new disciple was the leader of the sect.

But knowing the secret complaints of the junior disciples, this time Leader Zeng decided to change the method of selecting disciples to avoid disappointment.

As per his orders, a wooden box filled with the names of every master's there was placed in front of the participants. He told them to pick one paper, which would determine who would be their master.

It wasn't acceptable for elders, but they had no voice against Chen Zeng. As the first-place winner, Long Yuzhen got the opportunity to choose his master from the box.

Everything seemed different from what Li Xin remembered about the future. Long Yuzhen was personally selected by Chen Zeng without a process like this before. However, right now, Chen Zoe truly hoped that Long Yuzhen would end up with someone else other than him.

Long Yuzhen went to pick a paper from the box and handed it to the guard standing nearby.

"Chen Zoe." The guard announced the name in front of everyone, shattering Chen Zoe's hopes into a thousand pieces.