Golden Serpent's Test!

  The day has finally come for Yellow Jade City. The Golden Serpent Sect's recruitment test only happens once every 5 years and every year mortals and cultivators alike get just as excited for this event. It would be nearly impossible to find anyone not in high spirits for this.

  Business was booming from the event and the revenue gained for the city was higher than it has ever been before. This is one of the reasons why mortals are so ecstatic when the Golden Serpent Sect comes to the city. People were lined up on the streets just to watch people go up to take the test. Some of them were families who were encouraging their children that were in line and were wishing for them to pass and bring good fortune, riches, and protection to their families.

  This was the first time Jing saw this side of Yellow Jade City and was properly shocked. Even though it has only been about 2 or 3 days since she's been here, she has never seen the city so lively, festive, and joyous. It was a completely different atmosphere from how it is usually. And if she were to be honest, deep down she felt like this situation would be so much more entertaining if this festival was somehow ruined and turned into complete chaos.

  Why did she feel that sort of way? She didn't know but felt like there was more to her than she even knew herself. Just what kind of person was she?

Jing was finally about to enter inside the purple smoke with Li Li and meet face to face with the three examiners from the sect. Jing hoped that she would feel something once she met them up close, but they didn't give off any special feeling. They just seemed like really conceited adults. No special feeling in the air around them that made you think twice about trying something or "Wow! So amazing!" She was slightly disappointed but didn't let it show on her face. She figured that it was probably because they weren't trying to be intimidating or awe inspiring at the moment.

  Jing entered through the formation made by the four talismans and entered inside a completely different realm. Inside the formation was a giant white space filled to the brim with cultivators and mortals alike. Thousands of eyes laid on her before quickly looking away in disinterest or switching to look at Li Li.

"A mortal beast master? Interesting…"

"She probably found it in the forest and raised it since young."

"But it's in the first realm! It has to have killed a spirit beast to do that!"

"Yeah… and she doesn't look wealthy or beautiful enough to have food for spirit beasts to eat on the regular."

  Jing calmly walked to the side and out of view from the majority of people as she waited in the sea of people as well. To pass the time, she stood around others and listened to everyone.

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"Did you know that Gong Jun is here as well?!"

"The Gong clan's prodigy!? The one that's been said to have reached the seventh stage and can already use qi through his blade?!"

"The Gong Clan that is said to have connections to the royal family!?"

"I also heard that he's engaged to Liu Lan! The super beautiful princess of the Liu Kingdom! She's reached the sixth stage and already has unlocked a part of her royal bloodline!"

"WHAT!? The famous bloodline of the Blazing Tyrant!? The man that has been said to have turned entire countries into ash!?"

"WELL NO! The bloodline is actually from the race of ancient people called the Firebringers. It's said that the royal family made that rumor of the Blazing Tyrant being the source of their bloodline because it sounded better."

"That's kind of embarrassing."

"Yeah but don't let any members of the royal family hear you say that to their faces or you can kiss your entire family lineage goodbye."

"Oh okay. But seriously Gong Jun and Liu Lan huh…"

"The gifted are truly blessed…"

"It's a match made in heaven. I guess they do deserve each other after all with their backgrounds and appearances."

"Did you guys also hear that the city lord's son is also here?"

"Yeah! He's a 5th stage Qi Gatherer at the age of 14!"

"Isn't he even more talented than Gong Jun then!? Gong Jun is 17 years old and at the seventh stage! "

"I don't know… But don't let either of them hear you comparing them or you can consider your life forfeit!"

"Isn't that Tang Wuying walking up to Gong Jun now!?"

"What!? No way! Let me see!!!"

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  A large majority of the crowd circled around the two devilishly handsome youths. One with wild fiery red hair and the other with calm serene blue flowing hair. Gong Jun stood a whole head above Tang Wuying due to his age but Wuying's confidence didn't make it seem as if he was being looked down on at all. It was as if these two were equals. In Tang Wuying's eyes of course. Gong Jun had an amused sneer on his face as he looked down on the boy.

  Tang Wuying didn't like that in the slightest. He was brought up being told he was the best and was treated just as such. When he heard that someone could possibly be better than him, the treasured son of the heavens, he couldn't believe it. So, he went over to see for himself just how much he matched up to Gong Jun. Tang Wuying already knew of the rumors of the Jun's family genius but rumors were simply rumors weren't they?

  Sweat visibly ran down the face of Tang Wuying once he felt the dense and powerful qi emanating from Gong Jun's body. A certain number of cultivators and mortals merely fainted from coming in contact with that thick qi and Wuying was having trouble keeping himself together. Even Jing herself felt her knees go wobbly after wanting to feel this aura for herself. Excitement filled Jing's body as she thought about conquering and bringing this strong prodigy to his knees and enslaving him for herself. Even after her own refinement, she didn't think it would be so easy to defeat Gong Jun. His qi was so overwhelming, Jing was forced to step away or she'd ruin her outfit.

'He's merely two stages higher than me! There can't be such a gulf between us! It's impossible! Is his cultivation method truly that superior?! It has to be higher than the stellar ranked cultivation technique I've been using!' Wuying cursed deep in his heart with envy.

  The sneer on Gong Jun's face seemed to be increasing as he saw Wuying getting weaker and weaker from his aura. Wuying's body was shaking in both rage and fear, making him even more outraged. With so many people watching him, there's no way he can back down now. Especially with his future wife, Xiao Hong, staring as well. Wuying glared into Jun's amused eyes and gritted his teeth and clenched his fist.

"This isn't over Gong Jun! You may have had more resources and a higher age than me… But it won't be like this forever! Once I prove my talent to the Golden Serpent Sect, they'll reward me with resources great enough to match against your clan's! I'll challenge you to a proper duel in three months time!" Wuying swore before storming off.

*DING*

[Mission available for host!]

[Help the arrogant young master regain some face! Train Tang Wuying till he's capable of fighting evenly with Gong Jun or surpassing him in strength! Or weaken Tang Wuying by the time of the duel that he loses all popularity and credibility.]

[Rewards: Group tab is unlocked, martial technique: Snake Fist, 3 rare tickets.]

  Jing was slightly confused about this sudden mission. Not too long ago the system wanted her to teach Wuying a lesson, but now it wants her to aid him? Jing didn't understand what angle the system was playing at by trying to manipulate her with these mission quests, but it was doing a fairly good job at targeting her greed for power. She'll have to do some planning and a lot of thinking, but for now she plans on somehow passing this mission.

  A wicked and purple haired youth could be seen delighted after seeing the embarrassment of Tang Wuying.

"I'll be waiting." Jun said with an entertained look on his face before turning around and looking towards the entrance of the white room.

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  One of the elders from outside walked inside. No one but a few cultivators managed to notice him entering. He realized that not many noticed him walk inside and he coughed into his hand.

  That cough seemed to have echoed throughout the entire room and into the bodies of everyone. Jing felt a chill enter her heart. That chill told her to turn around immediately or get away as fast as she could. She chose the former and saw the old man examiner from the sect. That feeling he sent through her completely betrayed his innocent wise old man look. Jing felt like this old man could erase her without even looking in her direction.

  Jing's breathing began to get slightly heavy.

'So these are cultivators.... I have much to look forward to in the future….' She said with a devilish smile hidden on her face.

"I'd like to explain the first portion of the test. Please listen up." The old man announced.

"You all will soon enter inside a dangerous realm. Your only goal will be to survive. Farewell." He said as he pulled out a talisman from his robe and had it ignite in between his fingers.

"What do you----"

  All the candidates vanished from the room and the only one remaining was the elder. Two more figures entered inside the white plane and stood next to the first elder.

"Did you notice any good ones Elder Chang?"

"Hmm...Perhaps…" He responds mysteriously.

"None for me so far. Maybe I'll find someone interesting during the test." The muscular elder says.

"I see. We'll let's see how they do." The female elder said as she threw a talisman on the floor.

The talisman ignited and the floor shifted into a bird's eye view of the testing area.

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  Jing suddenly found herself surrounded by thick trees, colorful vegetation, and buzzing insects all around. She felt the hot and humid air clinging to her skin. A displeased expression appeared on her face as she looked up into the sky and didn't notice anything unusual from the place she was transported to.

*SMACK*

  Except the large number of bugs trying to blemish and eat away at her skin. Jing was about to start exploring before suddenly being mentally assaulted.

*DINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDING*

[Mission available for host!]

[Survive! Don't get killed during the test!]

[Rewards: 3 rare tickets, 100,000 yuan, 5 spirit stones]

[Mission available for host!]

[Gain one or more allies during the test!]

[Rewards: Allies tab will be unlocked in system's menu.]

[Mission available for host!]

[Steal 20 items from other competitors! Additional rewards will be given every 10+ more items stolen after mission goal has been reached.]

[Rewards: Storage ring, ???]

[Mission available for host!]

[Kill over 500 competitors during the test!]

[Rewards: Title: Rising Prodigy of Death, Legendary ticket, 1 High-tiered spirit stone, Utility martial technique: 9 Revolving Suns]

[Mission available for host!]

[Pass the Golden Serpent Sect's test and become an official disciple! Additional rewards may be given depending on how well you stood out amongst the competition.]

[Rewards: Basic Cultivation book, ???]

'This test is a lot more important than I figured if the system is willing to give me this many missions right at the start. Something big has to be happening for the system to want me to be accepted in this sect this badly..' Jing thought as she looked over the missions once more.

"I guess I'll aim for the easiest one first.. Li Li. We're going to get our first 'ally'" She smiled before suddenly hearing a scream a few distances away from her.

"There he is…."