Chapter Thirteen: Zhao Hu's Examination (Part One)

(PS: Zhao Hu is an extremely important character in this book; his entrance assessment deserves a chapter of its own.)

Let us leave aside Ji Mo for now. Upon learning that Ji Mo had already been accepted into the sect of Moonwatch, Zhao Hu clenched his fists in secret and silently vowed to himself: He must pass the assessment and become a body cultivator of Moonwatch Sect.

The assessment for body cultivators in Moonwatch Sect was much stricter than that for spiritual cultivators. Its target was boys and girls between eight and sixteen years of age. The entry requirements were as follows: for those aged eight to ten, reaching the third stage of postnatal body tempering met the entry standard; for those aged eleven to sixteen, attaining the fifth stage sufficed. The requirements were not high, but to pass the assessment smoothly was rare—barely one in a hundred would succeed.

The body cultivator assessment was far more complicated than the spiritual root test, with many more participants. As a result, Moonwatch Sect set up ten assessment sites for body cultivators; even so, each site was crowded with lines that stretched as far as the eye could see. When Zhao Hu and his companions finished their spiritual root test and arrived at the body cultivator site, the queue before them could only be described as a sea of people.

They chose a queue and waited nearly three hours before their turn arrived. In front of the assessment platform stood a black strength-measuring apparatus, half as tall as a person. Its material was unknown, but it could withstand tens of thousands of pounds of force. At the head of Zhao Village's group was Zhao Qin. When his turn came, he took a subtle breath, stepped to the apparatus, and struck it lightly with his fist. Thud! A muffled sound echoed, and the device's needle spun rapidly, finally stopping at the two-thousand-pound mark.

"Well done, young man. Only twelve years old, yet you managed to unleash the power expected of the seventh stage of body tempering. Not bad, truly not bad. You've passed the preliminary test—come and register your name." The examiner, an elder appearing around fifty, saw Zhao Qin's result and his squinting eyes shone with a hint of light. He smiled as he spoke.

"Thank you, immortal master." Zhao Qin bowed respectfully before going to register his name.

The next was Zhao Wen, who was ten years old and at the fourth stage of body tempering. He took a deep breath, stepped forward, and with a grunt, punched the apparatus. Thud—the needle stopped at eight hundred pounds. Without opening his eyes, the elder spoke calmly: "Eight hundred pounds of force, fourth stage of body tempering—you meet the basic entry requirement. Go and register."

"Brother Changfeng, the youth participating in this year's test are all outstanding. Our Zhao Wen's level seems to be among the lowest here. Alas, his hopes of joining Moonwater Sect this year seem dim." Zhao Wen's father, Zhao Changshui, watched the previous results and then his own son, feeling a wave of disappointment.

"Changshui, don't be disheartened. My Tie'er is about the same as your boy. If he's lucky, there's still hope. Even if he doesn't make it into the sect, competing with so many talents will be of great benefit to his growth." Zhao Changjin's attitude was calm. He patted Changshui's shoulder in comfort.

Changshui thought for a moment and realized the logic: too many wish to join Moonwatch Sect, but each time, only a few hundred body cultivators are admitted. In centuries of Zhao Village's history, only five shrines had produced a successful candidate; the rest had none. For his son to witness such an event was already valuable for his future development. With this thought, his anxiety lessened considerably.

Next was Zhao Tie, who struck with a force of nine hundred fifty pounds. After him came Zhao Hu. Zhao Hu stepped before the apparatus, bent his knees slightly, and punched with a boom. Thud! The needle spun swiftly, finally halting at one thousand eight hundred pounds. The elder examiner, whose eyes had been closed, suddenly opened them and glanced at Zhao Hu. He spoke: "Ten years old, fifth stage of body tempering, yet your punch is already at the boundary between the peak of the sixth stage and the seventh. Well done, lad. What is your name?"

"Reporting to immortal master, my name is Zhao Hu." Zhao Hu answered with his chest held high.

"Zhao Hu—very good. Go and register your name." The elder nodded and closed his eyes once more.

"Brother Changfeng, your boy is truly astonishing. When he pierced that green-scaled serpent in the woods, we thought it was just luck. But who would have expected such talent? With only five stages of body tempering, he produces power nearly equal to the seventh stage. This time, both Zhao Qin and Zhao Hu from our village are likely to pass the assessment. To have two body cultivator disciples at once—such a thing is rare indeed in the history of Zhao Village!" Zhao Changhai was moved by the scene.

"It's still too early to say if they'll enter the sect. The children participating in this shrine's trial are all extraordinary," replied Zhao Changfeng.

The next five days passed in waiting for Zhao Village's group. Because there were so many participants, Moonwatch Sect's preliminary assessment lasted a full five days. Only then did the formal assessment begin. In total, thirty-three thousand had met the preliminary body cultivator standard. As for how many would remain in the end, no one knew. Based on previous years' records, the ratio was at most fifty to one—that is, one in fifty would pass and become an outer disciple of Moonwatch Sect. In the worst years, the acceptance rate was less than one in a hundred.

"Little Hu, work hard." Before departure, Zhao Changfeng patted his son's head in encouragement.

"Father, don't worry. I will definitely pass the assessment." The ten-year-old's eyes brimmed with determination.

"Good. I will wait here for your good news." Zhao Changfeng smiled with satisfaction.

The five children of Zhao Village bade farewell to their families and went to the designated assembly point. Their parents watched their departing figures, silently cheering them on in their hearts.

"The first stage of the assessment is this: everyone will enter the mountain range. The mountain covers five thousand square kilometers and rises to seven thousand eight hundred meters. If you can reach the summit within three days, you will pass the first stage. Those who fail to reach the summit within three days will be eliminated."

"I must inform you: besides countless wild beasts, there are two first-tier demon beasts in the mountain. If you encounter an unbeatable situation, you can press the token in your hand and you will be sent out. Of course, once you are sent out, you lose the chance to continue the assessment." The examiner was a middle-aged man with a scar across his face. He stood atop a high platform, his gaze cold as he surveyed the tens of thousands of youths on the field.

"What? Demon beasts? Even the weakest first-tier demon beast requires someone at the tenth stage of body tempering to deal with. The strongest among us are only at the eighth stage—how can we possibly cope?" The youths murmured anxiously.

"Silence! The mountain covers thousands of square kilometers, and there are only two first-tier demon beasts. The chance of encountering them is very low. If someone does meet one, blame your luck, not others. Remember, on the path of cultivation, besides talent and perseverance, luck is just as crucial." The scarred examiner's voice boomed like thunder, silencing the crowd. No one dared to speak further.