Chapter 6: Inner Sect Selection

Time flew by.

Ten days had passed.

During those ten days, news spread that three disciples from the Baiyang Sect had died in the Blackwind Forest.

The entire Blackwind Town was shaken by the incident.

Countless people speculated and whispered.

Some said the three had accidentally encountered Qi Condensation–level beasts deep within the forest and had been killed brutally.

But their bodies had remained relatively intact, it didn’t look like they’d been mauled by beasts.

After all, if it really had been spirit beasts, there wouldn’t have been a single bone left.

And to top it off, all the treasures on their persons were missing.

Anyone with half a brain could figure it out.

They’d been robbed!

When this became clear, quite a few rogue cultivators were thrilled.

Those Baiyang Sect disciples had robbed plenty of them in the past.

Now, they’d finally gotten their just deserts, robbed and even killed.

Serves them right!

Soon after, a steward from the Baiyang Sect arrived and took Du Feng’s body back.

As for the other two disciples… the steward didn’t even bother with them.

That steward even asked some of the surrounding rogue cultivators if they knew who was behind it.

But those cultivators had long held grudges against Du Feng and his ilk.

Naturally, they weren’t about to talk.

Not to mention… they honestly didn’t know either.

Seeing that he couldn’t get any useful information, the Baiyang steward quickly left.

Gu Yang overheard this whole affair, but he didn’t pay it much mind.

During those ten days, Gu Yang spent each day hunting fierce beasts in the Blackwind Forest.

When luck was on his side, he’d encounter plenty of them and even snag a few valuable herbs.

When it wasn’t, he’d only find beasts, not even a single stalk of treasure herb in sight.

When he grew tired of hunting, he’d head back to Blackwind Town to rest.

Overall, his luck wasn’t all that great.

Sometimes, he’d go two days straight without any gains.

After ten days of hard work, he’d only managed to obtain one Grade-Two treasure herb and five Grade-One herbs.

Adding in the beast corpses and materials he’d collected, the haul wasn’t spectacular, but it still earned him about ten thousand silver taels. Barely acceptable.

With that, Gu Yang used all his earnings to purchase a top-grade Qi Condensation Pill worth ten thousand silver taels.

Top-grade Qi Condensation Pills were ridiculously expensive, average Body Tempering cultivators could never afford them.

But their effects were undeniable. Taking one would boost a cultivator’s chances of breaking through to the Qi Condensation realm by eighty percent.

Given that Gu Yang still couldn’t modify herbs like Qi Condensation Grass, he chose to sell them and use all his savings to buy a top-grade pill instead.

Why?

Because he wanted to play it safe.

After all, he had zero confidence in this body’s aptitude and root constitution.

Afterwards, Gu Yang left Blackwind Town and returned to the sect.

He didn’t plan to take the Qi Condensation Pill just yet.

That was because, to break into the Qi Condensation realm, one had to cultivate a Qi Condensation technique.

This was the biggest bottleneck for many rogue cultivators.

And the only way to access Qi Condensation techniques…

Was to become an Inner Sect disciple.

Only Inner Sect disciples were considered true members of the Flowing Cloud Sect, worthy of full training and support.

Outer Sect disciples were, at best, considered half disciples.

Flowing Cloud Sect, Outer Sect Square.

The Inner Sect selection was fast approaching.

A crowd of Outer Sect disciples had already gathered, the air buzzing with heated discussion.

“This year’s Inner Sect selection feels intense… I wonder if I stand a chance?”

“Keep dreaming! You need to be at least Body Tempering Level Ten to even qualify, do you have that?”

“That high?! Then won’t only a few people be able to join?”

“Heh, not everyone is like you. There are geniuses in the Outer Sect!”

“If nothing else, Ding Xuan’s a shoo-in for the Inner Sect this year!”

“For sure. He was already killing Rank-One beasts while still at Body Tempering Ten. He’s probably already broken into Qi Condensation by now.”

“Nie Jin’s also impressive! His sword techniques are downright ghostly, like illusions! Aside from Ding Xuan, who could match him?”

“What are you talking about? Don’t underestimate Zhao Wei!”

“Tch, I nearly forgot about that monster.”

“Yeah, Zhao Wei’s fists are insane! Among those at the same level, few can hold a candle to him. Even Nie Jin might not have a guaranteed win!”

“Looks like those three are the top contenders this year. As for the rest… eh, probably not gonna make it.”

As all these voices filled the square, Gu Yang, newly returned to the sect, narrowed his eyes slightly.

“Three so-called geniuses? Doesn’t seem like any of them pose a threat to me.”

He paused for a moment, then shook his head and walked off to the side.

He was heading to the steward to register.

There weren’t many disciples at the registration booth.

After all, not many Outer Sect disciples had actually reached Body Tempering Level Ten.

Gu Yang quickly signed up.

Of course, he didn’t reveal his Qi Condensation cultivation. He only released his blood energy.

The steward gave a slight nod and wrote his name down.

That was enough. Registration complete.

Just then, the noisy crowd suddenly fell silent.

Gu Yang looked up instinctively.

An Outer Sect elder had appeared, standing atop the platform.

He began to speak.

“The Inner Sect Selection is about to begin. Before we start, allow me to explain the rules.”

He cleared his throat and continued.

“First, you should already know the entry requirement, only those who’ve reached Body Tempering Level Ten may participate. However, if you’re already at Qi Condensation, you may directly enter the Inner Sect.”

“Once the entries are confirmed, the selection will begin immediately!”

“The rules are simple, just look behind me.”

Behind the elder stood a dueling arena.

“Each participant will enter the arena and face a fierce beast. Those who perform well will be admitted into the Inner Sect!”

“Elders will be observing. The best performer will not only enter the Inner Sect, but also receive ten lower-grade spirit stones as a reward!”

The crowd instantly erupted in excitement.

“We’re fighting beasts this time?”

“Wasn’t it traps in past years? This sounds way harder!”

“Harder, sure, but the rewards are better too!”

While many chattered excitedly, most of them didn’t meet the entry requirements anyway, just spectators running their mouths.

Those who did qualify, on the other hand, were already raring to go.

Seeing this, the Outer Sect elder didn’t say much more.

He waved his hand.

The steward holding the participant list stepped forward.

“Chen Yue.”

The named disciple immediately stepped into the dueling arena.

A fierce beast was soon released.

The battle started instantly.

Less than ten minutes later, the disciple was nearly bitten to death, fortunately, the elder stepped in just in time to save him.

“Unqualified,” the elder said calmly.

The disciple hung his head in shame and walked away quickly.

One after another, more disciples were called to enter the arena.

“Unqualified.”

“Unqualified.”

“Unqualified.”

The elder announced each failure with a blank expression.

A whole string of participants failed.

Not a single success.

One unfortunate disciple even had a chunk of flesh ripped from his thigh, the bone clearly visible.

It was a terrifying sight.

The crowd of Outer Sect disciples couldn’t help but sigh.

Sure enough, this year’s Inner Sect selection is way tougher than before.

The elder frowned deeply.

Are this year’s Outer Sect disciples really this weak? So many people, and not one passed yet?

Just as the elder began to feel thoroughly disappointed, the steward spoke again.

“Next: Zhao Wei.”