The First Test

"Essence Qi and talent test? I know what an essence Qi test is, but what constitutes a talent test?" John mumbled out loud.

He had taken the essence Qi test in the tournament, which quantified his essence Qi output and strength, but had no idea what a talent test constituted.

"A talent test is an inspection of your body, from the meridians, acupoints, dantian and more to see if you have the required natural talent to become a powerful cultivator," a voice behind John chimed up, answering his question.

John turned around to the source of the voice, which was a boy his age. The boy had an average face, with short brown hair and brown eyes. His face still had some baby fat on it, making him appear younger than most at the exam. He was a head shorter than John, and had a relatively thin frame for a cultivator.

"Oh, thanks for answering," John stated, unsure of who this newcomer was.

The boy stretched his hand out in greeting, and a smile appeared on his face as he spoke to John once more.

"I'm Adam."

There was a look of pride on his face, as if John should know who he was. John shook the boys hand, but was confused as to why he was talking to him or why he was so friendly, as he was sure he didn't know this boy.

Adam noticed the somewhat confused look on John's face.

"We don't know each other, but I saw your bold display earlier towards Mason and Russell. I have to say, I'm quite impressed with your guts, talking to them like that despite only being in the mid Qi Condensation Realm."

Adam gave him a thumbs up, and John could only rub the back of his head, unsure of what to say. He hadn't done that to get attention or make a statement, he had just been ticked off by how the two of them looked at him.

"Uhh, thanks?"

"No problem. I'm not sure why, but I can tell that there's something special about you. Not only that, but you don't seem like a pompous asshole like the others. I think you're going to make it far in this Sect, and I want to ride your coattails as far as I can, so as of right now, I am your first official follower," Adam stated without a hint of shame, causing John to stare at him with a bewildered expression.

"Uh, what? I don't need any followers," John replied, unsure of what exactly was going on. He had no idea who this Adam was, and although he didn't have a bad opinion of him, he preferred to be alone.

However, Adam was undeterred by John's response.

"I know I know, I don't look that strong, but trust me, I can help you in a lot of ways. I happen to know many things about this sect and the surrounding powers, so I can always help with that. You didn't even know about the customs of the exam at the front gate, so I'm sure you don't know much about this land.

Besides, you'll need followers once you're inside the sect if you want to be a Core Disciple or higher. I can tell you're unfamiliar with this sect and how it works, but it's pretty common knowledge that every Core Disciple and above has a following of disciples below them."

Adam paused for a moment, before walking to John's side and draping his arm around John's shoulders. His actions made it seem like he had been best friends with John for years.

"I may not look strong, but I'm a formations expert. I'll be invaluable to you," Adam stated, his face brimming with pride. Clearly he was proud of the fact that he studied formations, and claimed to be an expert on top of all that.

'Formations expert? That could actually be pretty useful to know someone like that.'

Formations experts were able to do all sorts of amazing things with formations if their talent and comprehensions were high enough.

John stood there in silence, staring at Adam who still had his arm draped around his shoulders.. Adam smiled and spoke up before John could say anything.

"I know, you're amazed that I'm a formations expert, and I don't blame you. But like I said, I see a bright future in you, and so I'm willing to follow you."

Adam had a look on his face as if he was doing John a massive favor. John shrugged Adams' arm off his shoulders, and shook his head in confusion before walking forward with the rest of the group of youths.

Adam quickly dashed forward to catch up, and walked closely behind John, talking non-stop about himself and the Heavenly Lightning Sect.

The Elder in charge of the trials addressed the crowd once more.

"Line up in even lines in front of every table, order or table does not matter. If you pass the first trial, you will be given an identity badge for the remainder of the exam. Those who fail will be asked to leave the sect grounds immediately."

John stepped into one of the lines that had formed, and Adam followed behind closely. While waiting in line, John turned to Adam, who was still talking the entire time.

"Since you claim to know so much about this sect and its entrance exam, do you know the average passing rate?" John asked curiously. Knowing the passing rate would give him a rough approximation on how good he would have to do compared to the rest of the group.

"I sure do. On average, the passing rate each year is around fifteen percent, with the other eighty five percent failing."

John raised his eyebrows in surprise at Adams' words. He had expected a failure rate of about fifty percent, but the truth was much more brutal.

"Don't worry though. Talent plays as much of a part as cultivation level in these exams, so some a mid Qi Condensation cultivators manage to become Outer Disciples," Adam elaborated. He assumed John was concerned with passing the exam with his lower cultivation compared to the elite here, and did his best to reassure him.

John shook his head but didn't elaborate. The line continued to creep forward, and before long, he was next.

"Next in line, step forward," a voice called out.

He walked forward to the table, and stood directly in front of it, waiting for the Elder to speak up. After a moment of silence, the Elder looked up to John and frowned slightly. He was still dirty and bloody from his arduous journey, and so he looked as if he didn't take this exam seriously. All the other youths were dressed in luxurious robes and were as clean as possible, while John looked like a homeless beggar.

"I had some troubles getting here," John rubbed the back of his head and mumbled with an embarrassed tone.