Li Shuyang stood beneath the mountain gate with a gentle smile, as each child who had passed the second trial came running to bow and pay respects to him.

The six-hundred-year-old Li Shuyang paid these grand gestures no mind at all—he was more than deserving. He seemed in a good mood, sometimes reaching out to lightly pat a child’s head as a gesture of kindness.

"Once you’ve rested, you may ascend the mountain. Take three hours to reach Hammer Sound Pavilion, and you’ll be considered to have passed. If you fail to arrive on time, someone will escort you up. Even if you enter the Outer Sect, you must cultivate well. In the future, there is hope to be admitted to the Inner Sect. Back then, even I failed to scale these thousand stairs, but isn’t that so? I still cultivated until now, didn’t I? So, relax, don’t be nervous. Go on then, go, go..."

Li Shuyang was encouraging these children. He had always been an easygoing person; otherwise, those fellows would not have cajoled him into showing his face this time.

"It’s been so many years since I’ve seen all three trials, haha, all good children." Li Shuyang could not help but feel sentimental. It was as if his own initiation was only yesterday, but turning around, the world had changed utterly.

Back then, Li Shuyang had indeed failed to pass those three thousand steps—missing it by a brief margin, he was unable to enter the Inner Sect directly. Instead, he struggled in the Outer Sect for ten years, barely chosen for the Inner Sect upon reaching Gathering Spirit Fifth Layer. Even then, he was still among the weakest within. Yet his perseverance proved solid—for while others reached Gathering Spirit Realm Perfection as he lingered at fifth layer, by the time he attained Ninth Layer Perfection, the rest were still stuck, unable to break through. All along, he made slow but steady progress, eventually kicking open the door to the Primordial Pill Realm, and didn’t stop until he reached the Profound Sea.

Upon reaching the Profound Sea, Li Shuyang wrote the name of his birthplace, "Pingyang," as his courtesy name, with clear intent: to remind himself never to forget his roots.

Six centuries swept by in a blink; few things could stir Li Shuyang’s heart anymore. Alongside the other four acting elders, he spent each year in seclusion within their respective dwellings, leaving routine matters alone. The Sect Leader made decisions in the mountains; the five elders governed fortune. Such was the tradition in Gui Mountain Cultivation Institute, generation after generation.

Yet the ways of the world are ever unpredictable, and change always finds a way to stir things up. Some months back, the Great Elder was startled awake from deep meditation, claiming his thoughts had become blocked. He set up a ritual altar to divine the omen—a strange image appeared: "Beast in the Clouds, fortune and misfortune descend together!"

The Great Elder always prided himself on his "unfailing divination," obsessed with such arts; though sometimes he was accurate and sometimes not. Another in his position, drawing lots and mumbling so, might have been ignored—but with age, status, and power on his side, he was the most senior among the five acting elders, and thus could not be opposed.

Li Shuyang was ranked the lowest and youngest of the five elders, so he was pushed out to investigate. Otherwise, given his standing in Gui Mountain Cultivation Institute, why would he attend the new disciples’ recruitment?

But this reason was never announced within the sect; only the five elders and Sect Leader knew. Likely, even the Great Elder himself intended it only as an extra precaution, believing "better to believe it than not." As for taking it seriously, perhaps not so much.

Throughout half the day, Li Shuyang felt a touch of nostalgia, but had yet to spot anyone meriting his attention.

"Beast in the Clouds," the Great Elder explained, "the ’cloud’ refers to Gui Mountain; the peak is not high, and only in early winter is there mist—just a brief period from October to mid-November. The only major event to affect the sect during this time is the opening of mountain gates to recruit new disciples, so the Great Elder was certain the omen referred to these ten days of recruitment." 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Of course, Li Shuyang did not trust such slapdash interpretations. But at merely six hundred years old, his words held little weight. Even if he disbelieved, he still let himself be talked into it.

As for "Beast" in ’Beast in the Clouds’—the Great Elder explained, it could be a wild beast or a guardian protector of the sect. Coupled with the previous "cloud," didn’t this just fit the recruitment season’s characteristics? So, Shuyang, you’ll have to bother yourself this time.

Regarding that last phrase, "fortune and misfortune descend together"—well, it’s impossible to interpret. Either way could be argued. Hence, the omen seemed anything but reliable in the end.

By afternoon, eight children in all had triggered "Three Appearances of Floating Light" on the Black Wall, but so far, no report from above that anyone had passed the third trial. Presumably, those who started climbing earlier had all failed to reach Hammer Sound Pavilion within the time limit.

The third trial was indeed tough—otherwise, how could there be the reward of "direct entry to the Inner Sect" upon success? One word separates inner and outer sects, but the difference in resources is like heaven and earth. Li Shuyang, who had spent time in the Outer Sect, knew well how much this disparity would affect one’s initial cultivation stage and the gap in realms as years went by.

Age, talent, perseverance—each more difficult than the last, yet only the most difficult—perseverance—can be acquired later. Li Shuyang was a typical example: innately lacking in resolve, it was only through years of struggle that he honed his will.

His thoughts tangled, Li Shuyang steadied himself. Suddenly, exclamations rang out by his ear, and following the commotion, he saw that, just as the first day was about to conclude, a new twist had emerged.

It was a twelve-year-old girl, a loose cultivator, who manifested four clear lines of Floating Light on the Black Wall!

"Good! Little one, very good! Rest for a bit, adjust yourself, and give the third trial a try. If you succeed, I’ll have one of my disciples grant you a formal badge."

Li Shuyang announced it on the spot. Rare as it was for him to attend the recruitment season—cajoled here as he was—how could he not seize a little benefit for himself?

At once, the place erupted in excitement.

Who was Master Pingyang? He was the boss who suppressed the fortune of a first-class sect! True, Master Pingyang did not intend to take disciples himself, but having a seat disciple do so was in itself great fortune. Others watched with eyes red in envy, and the girl’s father, overwhelmed, repeatedly kowtowed and shouted his thanks.

"No need to thank me. Whether the child succeeds still depends on her own luck. All right, go on—just do your best."

With the talent to show four Floating Lights, she would most likely stand out even in the Outer Sect and be picked for the Inner Sect eventually—though perhaps with less future potential.

"Could this girl be the ’beast’ the Great Elder spoke of? Four Appearances of Floating Light are rare but not unheard of; the sect already has several like her. Sigh, let’s see what happens."

His thoughts spinning again, Li Shuyang’s mind drifted elsewhere. He certainly wouldn’t just keep his gaze fixed on the few before the mountain gate. With a flick of his divine sense, the area for miles around became territory for his spiritual intent to wander.

The first day came to an end.

Gui Mountain Cultivation Institute accepted nine in all—eight with Three Appearances, one with Four. That last girl with Four just barely climbed into Hammer Sound Pavilion before the deadline, leaping straight into the Inner Sect—the gap between her and the other eight instantly widened.

...

The Xuanqing Guard had stood watch from dawn till night, yet could not relax come evening.

The Gui Mountain Cultivation Institute folk had returned to the mountain, but great crowds still gathered at the foot. To ensure their children could challenge the trials early the next day, many had already started erecting tents. Some less particular loose cultivators simply found a tree to lean against for the night, or gathered around a fire, lying on the ground for some rest.

With the crowd came trouble, and coupled with two previous unresolved murders, all of Xuanqing Guard dared not let down their guard.

Only one person kept glancing at the Black Wall left at the mountain gate, which had yet to be moved away.