Qing Feng Sect Entrance

All of those in the dining hall stood up and greeted Tan Rui.

Tan Rui was all smiles and greeted them back, as if nothing had happened.

When he walked past Lin Fan, he also just gave him a smile and a nod of his head.

Lin Fan didn't bother with him and continued to feast on his breakfast of buns and porridge.

Silently taking note of Tan Rui's ability to keep it in and not be rash.

As the saying goes, don't fear those who shout in anger; fear those who can still smile at you.

Those people will wait for years and suddenly gut you in the back when they finally seize a chance.

With that thought, Lin Fan quickly munched down on his meal.

When he'd finished, Lin Fan and Ho Ming packed up their belongings and left the inn.

They still had half a day of walking ahead of them.

"Ah Shi, this is the second time you are trying for the abilities test. Tell us more about it."

"There is a test for different aptitudes: strength, endurance and your cultivation root."

Fellow travelers chatted about the abilities test; Lin Fan listened intently to find out more information about it.

"Cultivation root? What's that?"

"You didn't know? There are different cultivation roots that you might have natural aptitude in, like sword, alchemy, artifact, formation and physiques."

"Which cultivation root is the best?"

"For Qin Feng sect, sword cultivation root is the best."

All of the travelers nodded in unison; Qing Feng sect was best known for their Qing Feng Sword Style, after all.

Even the current sect master was from the sword peak.

"What is the physiques cultivation root about?"

"Physiques cultivation root? The worst cultivation root you can get. They train their body and use brute techniques."

"How crass of them."

When Lin Fan heard the conversation about the physiques cultivation root, he became intrigued.

It sounded awfully similar to his system's leveling up of physiques.

But why did these travelers look down on it with such contempt?

"What do you mean they are crass!"

A teenage girl with her hair tied up in a ponytail stood with her hands on her hips, fuming, staring at the traveler who made the remark.

She continued and said, "Don't you know how much pain and suffering they have to go through cultivating their body?"

"And don't you know, if they breakthrough to the Great Ascension level, even with just a drop of blood left, they can fully restore themselves?"

Her big round eyes stared intensely, puffing her cheeks, which ironically made her look cute.

The traveler realized by now he had spoken wrongly, bowed, and apologized to the teenage girl.

"Hmph, that's better. Next time, don't let me catch you doing that again."

"Yes...yes..." The traveler, not knowing her background, didn't want any trouble and quickly scurried away.

As she wanted to give chase to the traveler, she turned and glanced at Lin Fan.

She walked up close to him, marveling at his fit and lean body.

"I'm Zhang Xi from the physiques peak. You must come to our peak. With your fitness right now..."

Zhang Xi slapped Lin Fan hard on his back.

Piak.

"Ouch..." She cried out in pain as her palm hurt.

When she looked at her palm, it had gotten red and swollen from Lin Fan's hard back.

"Thanks, but we must get going," Lin Fan replied and hastened his pace.

"Don't worry, I shall see you soon," Zhang Xi mumbled to herself silently as she watched Lin Fan and Ho Ming's backs.

As Lin Fan continued his journey, he thought to himself, "What an interesting girl."

This was the first time he'd encountered someone so outgoing.

But he didn't want to engage with her any further; he couldn't be sure about who she really was.

With his instinct to preserve himself, Lin Fan felt it was safer to get away first.

After two hours of traveling, they finally arrived at the foot of Qing Feng sect.

When Lin Fan looked up, he could see five mountain peaks, partially covered by clouds, in the background.

In front of him was a huge flight of white-colored stairs, leading up to the central square of the sect.

Two disciples in their gray-colored Daoist robes, with their arms crossed and swords in hand, stood guard at the foot of the stairs.

When Lin Fan tried to go up the stairs, the two disciples motioned for them to wait.

"They must be waiting for everyone to arrive first," Lin Fan said as he took out some buns and passed them to Ho Ming.

He sensed that the test was going to start soon.

It was better to replenish some energy.

Ho Ming, already hungry, didn't wait and picked up one of the buns, then took a big bite out of it.

With a mouthful of the bun in his mouth, he said, "Now I feel the anxiety. Hope I can make it into the sword peak. My father had wanted me to do so for years."

"Don't worry, you will be able to. I will help you in any way I can." Lin Fan gave him some encouragement.

And Lin Fan meant it when he said he would help.

Having Ho Ming in the sect would be beneficial to him as well.

Information gathering, resource sharing, and even helping Lin Fan to kill.

So many possibilities of when Lin Fan would need help.

As they waited, more and more people arrived.

Including those young lords in their horse carriages.

When Tan Rui stepped down from his carriage, he was, as usual, all smiles.

His servants quickly took out two barrels from the carriage and offered tea to those who were thirsty.

"Young lord Tan Rui is such a considerate young man."

"I think he rightfully deserves a place in Qing Feng sect."

"Thank God for this tea. I shall always remember his kindness."

Those seeking enrollment to Qing Feng sect started to praise Tan Rui for his gesture.

Lin Fan wasn't impressed; he instinctively knew this Tan Rui was up to no good.

Suddenly, a loud voice of an elderly man boomed in the sky.