Chapter 6: The Path to Eternity (2)

So my spirit channels are completely destroyed.Even with Dashan's help, Xun barely reached the top of the mountain in time. His half-burnt robes were soaked in sweat, and he laid face-down on the patches of grass that grew between the rocks. Taking advantage of this rest, he began to look inside himself again.My talent isn't chalk-tier anymore. It's below that. The average mortal has better talent than me. The only people who have worse spirit channels are those born with blocked spirit channels. And I barely beat them.Spirit channels were the product of heaven. They embodied the five elements, fire, water, earth, wood, and the lost iron.No one knew for sure what spirit channels were. Experiments in dissecting the human body never once uncovered an organ or tissue that even remotely resembled the spirit channels. But every cultivator knew their spirit channels, combined with their aperture, were the foundations of cultivation."The universe runs on fifty rules. Forty-nine of which have been cemented by heaven's will. The last one is known as the path to eternity. It's luck, a chance for all living beings to become eternal." A young woman stood at the front of the collapsed students. She wore a simple white dress with very few ornaments."You have taken the first step on the path to eternity. That's why the final test of our sect entrance is a mountain climb. Cultivation is not just the simple pursuit of strength. It's the journey of finding yourself in the shadow of adversity and not being afraid. For without adversity, there can be no triumph."None of the students really understood her words, but Xun did. Whoever this woman was, she was wise. Xun was suddenly jealous; to have such a deep insight at such a young age was a blessing.Noticing that the students weren't responding, the woman paused and began a new line of thought. "Congratulations! Two years of learning and honing your spirit channels for this moment. And it's all paid off. Welcome to the Nine Thunders Sect."A weak but happy cheer went through the crowd."Before you enter the sect, I'll tell you a bit more about your future life." She waved her left hand at the mountain range behind her while her right hand was tucked between the folds of her dress. "Behind me is the famous Seventeen Mountains. Does anyone know why we chose such a site?"One of the boys closest to the front raised his hand and said, "Disciple Zeran, is it because it has more zhen than elsewhere?""Correct, and you can also call me Sister Zeran or Sister Ze if that's easier. Everyone here is now my junior brother or sister, so there's no need to be so formal." The disciple smiled as she continued. "Zhen is the foundation of all living beings. Cultivating in an area with high zhen density has many benefits. That's why we live in the Seventeen Mountains. We share this mountain range with two other sects, the Twin Beast Sect and the Purple Flower Sect. Your first lesson as a member of the Nine Thunders Sect is to never lose face for the sect when dealing with the other two sects. Understood?""Yes.""Good. Second, right now, none of you are cultivators. We've intentionally stopped you from opening your aperture in order to give your spirit channels time to develop and grow. But now that your channels have matured and have been tempered by the elemental souls, it's time for you to become cultivators.""Wait!" a red-robed man called out. "Before we get to this next section, perhaps Elder He should announce the results of the entrance exam."Elder He stroked his beard in agreement as Zeran bowed to give the stage to the elder."Remember that twelve of your peers perished in this exam," Elder He began. "Cultivating is not meant for the faint-hearted. If you can't accept that, it's better for everyone if you leave now."No one moved."Good. You all have done well to get to this point, but one of you did better than the others. Fangqiu passed the Water Path first. Well done, Fangqiu. I have an offer for you. While the sect mandates that students who pass any non-thunder elemental path must become outer disciples, I see your talent and heart. I'd like to take you as a personal disciple, my third disciple, when you graduate into the inner disciple ranks. In the meantime, you'll be an honorary disciple of mine. What do you say?"In a motion that looked rehearsed, Fangqiu stepped forward and bowed low. "Of course, Elder He. I would be honored to have such a master.""Master He now.""I apologize, Master He.""Good, good." The old man laughed as a cloud appeared beneath his feet. "My good disciple, you and I have lots to talk about. Why don't we head to the sect first?"Neither of the other two sect members moved to stop Fangqiu from stepping onto the cloud. Together, the new master and disciple sped away.The moment the fire-robed man saw that Elder He was out of earshot, he spat at the ground."Thank the heavens that idiot's gone. Zeran, don't waste time teaching them. Your time is precious. In another few years, you'll also be an elder. You need to get rid of the kindness you've developed as a disciple. Just announce the results, and we can all be off."In the back, Xun looked at the woman and committed her face to his memory. So she's Zeran, the one who saved me. I'll find some way to repay her.The female disciple bowed. "Yes, Elder Pi. Fangqiu, Yifan, Hongdao, Luotu, and Zhanghan. You five are now outer disciples of the sect. The rest of you chose the Spiritless Path and are now sect laborers. But the path to eternity is long and wide, becoming a laborer doesn't stop you from becoming cultivators. In our sect history, many laborers have become elders through hard work.""That's enough Zeran. Outer disciples will leave for the sect in twenty minutes," Elder Pi said. "Say your goodbyes now. It'll be months before you see each other again, if ever."He dismissed everyone with a wave and walked over to the side of the mountain as if he couldn't stand being in the presence of the students.Xun also took a long look at the man and remembered his face.He's the man behind the second voice. The one that said my life wasn't worth saving.