There were a lot of children, so Han Yu tried to be as observant as he could.
"I need to know who can be a challenge for ," Han Yu thought to himself, scanning the crowd. He reckoned there weren't more than twenty individuals who looked remotely strong. The rest? Well, they were about as intimidating as a sack of rice.
Just as he finished his analysis, the fierce-looking elder on the dais finally stood up, his gaze sweeping over the new recruits like an eagle searching for the weakest chick in the nest.
Han Yu instinctively straightened his back.
"Let's hope I don't end up as the chick," he thought, resisting the urge to gulp.
He noticed so of the children stepping back.
'Hah, they lost already,' Han Yu thought smugly. 'Compared to the Ghostly Man, this guy looks downright friendly.' He maintained a neutral expression, determined not to let his thoughts show.
"I am Elder Nie Jing!" the man announced, his voice booming across the field. "And I shall be overseeing your recruitnt today."
"We greet Elder Nie Jing!" all the children chorused, including Han Yu, though he was fairly certain his greeting was at least 20% more enthusiastic than so of the others.
"Hmm... You all have been given a great opportunity today..." Elder Nie Jing continued, his gaze piercing through the crowd. "It is a rare opportunity that many die to obtain, so be grateful... but also be vigilant, for this opportunity is still beyond an arm's reach. You must prove your worth. Show us that you are worthy of our sect!"
The children reacted in various ways. So beca anxious, looking as if they were already planning their escape routes. Others remained carefree, either too confident or too dumb to care. A few, like Han Yu, were brimming with confidence—or at least faking it really well.
The elder noted everyone's expression, already ntally picking out potential candidates.
"We shall now begin our assessnt. The first test will be a test of your ttle," he declared. "The disciples who brought you here will organize you into groups, and you will begin fighting." He clapped his hands.
HUALA!
An array activated, and nearly a hundred rings ford within the grounds.
"Two of you will enter each ring and fight. The one who is knocked out, gives up, or is pushed out of the ring will lose," the elder explained. "Now then... any questions?"
Most of the children were too terrified to speak, afraid that raising their hand would single them out for imdiate elimination. However, a few brave—or reckless—ones stepped forward.
"You there, with the sword." The elder pointed at one boy Han Yu had noticed earlier.
"Honored Elder, how many do I need to defeat to pass?" the boy asked confidently.
"Hoho, already sure of your victory?" The elder raised a brow, amused. "The criteria for passing is up to to judge. Even if you lose, if your strength and skills are impressive, we will still take you in. That being said, the more opponents you defeat, the higher your ranking will be."
"Will there be rewards, Elder?" the boy asked, his eyes gleaming with interest.
His words struck a chord with the other children, and they all perked up.
"Of course," the elder replied with a smirk. "The more opponents you defeat, the greater your rewards. Additionally, if you manage to catch the eye of any elders watching, you may even earn the chance to train under them."
The boy bowed. "Thank you, Elder!"
"Oh, and one last thing," Elder Nie Jing added ominously. "No using weapons or severely injuring your opponents." His eyes glowed with an icy intensity that sent shivers down everyone's spines.
'Damn, that's so strong pressure. He must be a high-level cultivator,' Han Yu thought, resisting the urge to step back.
"Now then, BEGIN!" the elder ordered.
"Yes, Elder!" the overseeing disciples responded in unison, quickly moving to sort the recruits into pairs.
Han Yu, however, was left standing alone.
"Uhh... what do I do?" Han Yu asked, watching as everyone else got paired up. "Everyone else seems to have a partner."
"Let check if there are any odd ones left." Xu Qing, his overseeing disciple, scanned the area. "There." She pointed to another lone child.
Han Yu followed her as she approached another disciple—an Inner Court Disciple, judging by his robes.
"Senior Sister." The man greeted her respectfully.
'Hmm, looks like Xu Qing outranks him despite being at the sa level,' Han Yu noted.
"It looks like you have an odd recruit left. Let him fight the one I brought," Xu Qing instructed.
"Ah, of course, Senior Sister," the man said without hesitation. He then glanced at Han Yu, scanning him up and down.
"Oh? Would that be fair, Senior Sister?" the man asked, raising a brow. "Your recruit seems weaker."
"That's fine." Xu Qing waved a hand dismissively. "If he loses, he loses."
'Hey, at least pretend to have faith in ,' Han Yu thought but kept his mouth shut to maintain decorum.
"As you wish, Senior Sister." The man nodded. "They'll fight after this match."
"Okay." Xu Qing turned to Han Yu. "Watch the fights—you might end up facing so of them later."
"Yes." Han Yu nodded, already intending to do just that.
His opponent was clearly stronger.
'An Eighth Stage Body Tempering Realm cultivator... doesn't matter. I've outrun and outwitted Qi Refining Realm cultivators. You're just an ant compared to that,' Han Yu thought, his confidence unwavering.
He locked eyes with his opponent and gave him a sinister smile.
The boy, roughly the sa age as Han Yu, visibly flinched.
'Why is he looking at like that?' the boy thought, suddenly regretting his life choices.
'Haha, he's already backing down. I've already won half the fight.' Han Yu rejoiced internally.
Having grown up as a street urchin, he had been in many street fights. As such, he knew the first rule of winning a fight was to intimidate your opponent before it even began. Chances were they might give up before it even started.
User Comments
0 comments from readers