Chapter 9: Idiot or Pretending to be a Pig to eat a Tiger!

Under the eyes of everyone present, as Yuan Ming placed his hand on the second orb, it illuminated into three colors: Red, Pale Green and Black.

"Fire, wind and yin, huh," Long Tian murmured, assessing the boy's talent. "I think he has a decent talent to be able to directly join the inner sect with just his aptitude.'

Long Tian believed that the boy had enough potential to directly enter the inner sect without delay. 

Typically, a sect was divided into three sections according to the way it was operated: outer sect, inner sect and lastly the core area. 

The outer sect served as the baseline from where the journey of all the aspiring cultivators who were eligible to enter the sect started, but comparatively, they would receive a lower amount of resources than the ones received by the Inner sect disciples. 

Cultivators could advance to the inner sect in two ways.

Once the disciples reach the sixth layer in the qi gathering realm they would be allowed to enter the inner sect and the other condition is to possess an exceptional talent like Yuan Ming to gain a direct entry to the inner sect. Talents are valued everywhere.

In the Cultivation world, no matter how hard-working or diligent someone was, without having enough talent or luck by their side, they would either die early or crumble away like dust in the river of time.

Meanwhile, the core area is something that is only accessible to a few highly talented people or those who have attained the cultivation of the Qi condensation realm, which was the third realm of Cultivation during which they would be personally taught by the sect elders and the ones in question would be respected by all the disciples.

Every core disciple was provided with a personal abode and the highest amount of resources to aid in their cultivation.

Just as Long Tian anticipated, the elders recognized Yuan Ming's potential and called out to Yuan Ming. 

"Young man, your talent is truly impressive. Would you like to join our sect? You will be granted a direct entry into the inner section, along with access to an ample amount of resources." 

It was necessary to know that not everyone present would be willing to join the sect, as some were here only to check their talent. This was because many were afraid of the gruesome journey a cultivator would have to go through, a journey where they might lose their life at any point without them even knowing of it.

Nonetheless, the elders welcomed that because they were wary of missing out on any potential talent who might not be given the chance to even gauge their talent.

While the offer presented to Yuan Ming promised him a bright future within the sect, it was up to him to make this life-altering decision.

Everyone in the crowd was surprised to hear this declaration from the elders. They looked at Yuan Ming with undisguised jealousy and envy. There were even some who were having malicious thoughts against Yuan Ming. 

Who would not want more resources so that they would be able to take a huge leap in their cultivation than their peers, some could even kill to gain such resources in order to increase their cultivation.

However, while most of their gazes were filled with envy they also held traces of doubt and wonder, as to what might be his response to this offer. None of them doubted that the guy would accept the offer in an instant, but the boy was taking too long to answer.

After a moment of silence, Yuan Ming looked at the elder and spoke without hesitation, his voice filled with determination.

"I express my gratitude for your generous offer, Elder. However, I wish to begin my journey from the outer sect." 

Everyone sucked a breath of cold air as his words echoed in the silent city hall.

Rejected!

The boy dared to reject such a generous offer!!!

Curiosity etched across the elder's face as his brow furrowed slightly. While he was angry that a mere mortal had dared to reject his offer, he decided to calm himself down before trying to listen to the boy. 

Meanwhile, Lin Feng was staring at Yuan Ming as if he was some sort of idiot, which was not any different from what most of the people there were thinking.

"Tell me, why do you want to do that?" demanded the elder. 

The reason the boy responded caught the elder completely off guard, even Long Tian, who was wondering what might be the reason behind his choice was equally puzzled.

"I want to earn my accomplishments through my efforts. Starting from the outer sect, I aim to enter the inner sect based on my cultivation."

With his resolve for personal achievement and recognition, Yuan Ming elicited different kinds of gazes filled with numerous emotions from everyone. 

Those who were looking at him as if he was an idiot now regarded him as if he did not even have a brain. 

Meanwhile, Long Tian tried to suppress his laughter while he looked at the boy with a weird expression on his face.

'From the way he is speaking, this guy has some protagonist complex. He might also be some attention seeker, who knows. No matter what it's cringy~'

The Family heads of the three families were also thinking if this guy was a born idiot or just wanted recognition from others.

But somehow, the elder's expression changed to that of admiration. He couldn't help but gain a favorable admiration towards Yuan Ming's unwavering attitude, thinking that the boy was worth nurturing.

"You are a true dragon among men, I have never seen a youth like you in my entire life. How about this, you will be allied to start your journey in the outer sect, but still keep this token of mine. It will grant you the privilege to join the inner sect any time you wish."

With a subtle flick of his wrist, the elder sent a metal token sailing through the air toward Yuan Ming, eliciting shock from the crows as their eyes widened while even Long Tian was forced to think whether the elder had gone senile. 

'What is he thinking, of course you won't meet someone like him in your life. No one is that much of an idiot,' Long Tian mused.

Accepting the token gracefully, Yuan Ming bowed in appreciation, securing his place within the sect momentarily before stepping to the side. The elder's gesture showed his approval of Yuan Ming's determination.

'Seriously? You're determined to prove yourself? Do you think you are the center of the world? Either this guy is an attention whore or he's hiding something. Given the look in his eyes, I'd bet on the latter.'

Long Tian thought as he narrowed his eyes as if trying to reevaluate what kind of person this Yuan Ming really was.

But ultimately, Long Tian shrugged off his thoughts.

 'Since I won't be joining the sect, it's none of my concern. We might not even meet again.'

He turned to look at the audience and thought.

'With Long Chen's behavior and those words from that Lin Feng boy, there's something going on in the dark. I need to be careful and should not enter this sect. Mother told me that she has a technique for me to cultivate, this is also a chance for me to open up to her and have a meaningful conversation.'

With these thoughts in his mind, Long Tian decided to focus his attention on his journey. Even if he had to suffer for it, he was determined to gain a good life for his mother.

Meanwhile, Yuan Ming's decision to embark on his path was met with a mixture of admiration and curiosity from the people of humble origin who were now acting as if they had discovered their idol or something.

With that, the next participant was called on the stage and the test went on. Only a select few were given the opportunity to cultivate while the rest had no other choice but to go back home.

"Next, No 1170"

As the number called, a young woman stepped onto the stage, seemingly her presence was somehow left unnoticed by the crowd until the time she ascended the stage after which a series of gasps echoed throughout the hall.

Her presence simply captivated all who beheld her.

She possessed a beauty that defied logic. Despite her plain and baggy clothes that concealed her well-developed figure, her allure was on a different level even surpassing that of Xiao Mei's. 

Her silver eyes, reminiscent of Limpid Autumn Water, remained fixed on the orbs before her, oblivious to the rest of her surroundings. Her delicate phoenix-like eyebrows shifted slightly as she moved her gaze across the stage as if scanning for something.

Her rich, deep-toned skin seemed to exude a warmth akin to the sun's caress, bestowing upon her an exotic and enigmatic charm. Despite the color of her skin, her beauty did not diminish, instead, the color seemed to be only elevating her beauty even further and acting like a canvas that beautifully contrasted against her sharp and graceful facial features. 

Amidst the whispers and hushed admiring murmurs of the crowd, she arrived in front of the orb, commanding everyone's attention with her mere presence.

At the sight of the girl, something seemed to have clicked inside Long Tian's mind as a smile full of warmth and affection spread across his lips.

'Ruo'er'

Memories from the past flooded his thoughts, flashing a scene of his youth. It was of time when the world was simpler for him, and his father was still by his side. 

He could still recall the days as if it were yesterday, a time when he could roam the city without any worries or pressure. Amongst the memories of his past, one stood out the most- the image of a young girl, her eyes gleaming with fierce determination that defied the odds that were stacked against her. 

He still vividly remembered how he met her for the first time, she was being bullied because of her skin tone. One had to know that dark skin tone was a rarity even among mortals, let alone cultivators all of them had jade-like skin.

Usually, he would have ignored such a scene but bullying was something he could never tolerate.

He trampled all those bullies thereby saving the girl in the process and while the boys fled in fear, the look of vigilance in the girl's eyes did not seem to have changed, but after a proper introduction, she got close to him.

Their destinies had already intervened and soon, an invisible bond had formed between the two. The two shared a connection that transcended words as if the universe itself had conspired to bring them together. 

The two would meet every day and play together. Her maturity allowed Long Tian to easily get along with her, unlike the rest of the people of her age. 

Soon playmates turned into companions, and his memories of their escapades were painted with all those laughter and shared secrets. 

He remembered her determination and stubbornness, qualities that resonated with his spirited nature. 

She became the reason for his journey outside the clan, her presence became a source of comfort in this unknown world for him, making his eyes always look for her every time he went out.

But their good times did not last long. The day his father left on his journey to gain power against the pleas of his mother, the long family revealed their true nature. Both he and his mother were from then on, they were imprisoned within the boundaries of the compound by the clansmen.

And today was the day when he could finally see her again!

As he gazed upon her once again, her presence evoked a surge of emotions, a mix of nostalgia, regret, and also a glimmer of hope. 

A hope that she still remembered him.