Chapter 139: Wisdom and Willpower (Patreon)

“This is where the Training Hall’s grounds begin. If you become outer disciples, you will be spending most of your time here for the next years.”

Ye and the others looked around with curious eyes as Liting continued talking, pointing out important buildings and explaining how things worked around the place. The place was bustling with disciples – some barely older than they themselves, others already grown adults –, some of whom returned their looks or greeted them with smiles or waves, but most of whom went about their own business without making note of their little group.

“We’re coming up on the main plaza now. This is where the written exam will be held.”

As the buildings gave way to the open space, Ye could see rows and rows of tables set up before them. Many other groups of candidates were already here, some still standing around and others already seated at the tables.

“As I told you already, this examination is simple. Read the questions carefully, write your answers clearly. Don’t try to cheat, you’ll get caught. You have six hours. Nothing more to it. I’m sure you’ll all do splendidly!”

Liting smiled warmly at them.

“You can go and find yourselves a seat already. The examination will begin shortly.”

With that, the group dispersed in all directions. Ye had set his eyes on the front row of seats, the natural place for someone of his status and talent, and had already started making his way towards them, when he noticed that Xinming had stayed behind with their aide. He stopped in his tracks, curious to listen in on their conversation.

“Excuse me, but I…”, she shifted around uncomfortably. “I can’t read.”

Liting seemed confused for a moment before the realization showed on her face.

“Oh yes, of course.”

Her expression turned pensive.

“Let me think for a moment… Damn, that’s going to be a problem. I’ll go and ask one of the instructors what we can do about that. I’m sure we’ll figure something out.”

She tried for an encouraging smile before she hastily headed off.

Ye shook his head and turned around to leave. This wasn’t his problem. He couldn’t deny feeling a touch of pity for Xinming’s condition – it had already given her such a hard time at the physical exam –, but this was her own fault in the end; what business did a blind girl like her have trying to become a cultivator anyway?

…

Liu Wei studied a summary of the results of the physical examination. There had been some outstanding performances, but nothing truly out of the ordinary. He glanced over the edge of the report, down onto the plaza where the over two thousand candidates were busy working through the stack of paper laid out on the tables before them.

The written examination was, truth be told, vastly more important than the physical one. The children’s physical state had little to do with their potential as cultivators; not only were they not fully grown yet, but they’d also be fundamentally rebuilding their physiology during Body Reformation anyway. The real purpose of the physical examination was mostly just to set the tone for the following exams. Besides that, it only served to cull out those in exceptionally bad physical condition.

Liu Wei’s soul sense, which he had spread out over the entire field, picked up on an irregular movement. Focusing his attention, he found one of the candidates in the process of trying to subtly copy his neighbor’s answers. He nudged the nearest instructor with his presence to alert him of the activity before returning to the report before him. There would be no cheating on his watch.

…

“Man, that was terrible! I still haven’t even understood what all that babble was even about.”

Nuo lay splayed out across the ground as he echoed a sentiment shared by many of the candidates around them. They’d been given a break after the written exam but told to stay in the vicinity and remain in their groups so besides the few that were in the mood to explore, most of them – including their group – were just loitering on the plaza.

“It was about cultivation, what else?”, Ye generously endorsed Nuo’s idiotic question with an answer.

“Shit, I had no idea all of this would be so complicated.”

Ye rolled his eyes. While he couldn’t hold the fact that the farm boy hadn’t received a proper education like himself against him, this was the exact reason cultivation should be left to those of a more refined background, like himself. For his part, he was entirely confident in his given answers, though even he had to admit that forcing himself to concentrate for six hours straight had been an exhausting experience.

“I think it was a lot of fun!”, Meilin chirped. “What about you, Xinming?”

Xinming stood a little off to the side, arms crossed.

“They read me the questions. I wrote the answers. What more is there to say?”, she replied without looking up, her tone dismissive.

“Oh wow, you can write even though you’re blind? That’s amazing! Still… wouldn’t it take forever to do it that way?”

Xinming’s empty eyes shot up to focus perfectly on Meilin with hostile intent.

“It’s none of your damn business, okay?”

Meilin flinched at the retort.

“Wait, that rude? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“Ugh… Just drop it. Okay?”

They stood around in silence for a while before Nuo spoke up.

“So… anyway… what do you guys think the next test is all about? The willpower one, I mean.”

Ye scratched his chin. He hadn’t given it much thought so far, figuring that he’d likely be brilliant at it regardless of what it was, but now that he considered it, how did one test for willpower?

“No idea, honestly. Can’t think of anything that wouldn’t just be another physical exam.”

“Maybe they’ll have us scream really loudly about how determined we are?”, Meilin offered.

“What? Why would they…”, Ye stopped and just shook his head.

“Maybe they’ll make us endure some kind of pain?”, Xinming put forward. “My brothers used to play a game where they would see how long they could hold their hands over a candle flame before pulling away.”

“Anything but that!”, Nuo exclaimed, shuddering at the mention. “I hate fire.”

“What is there to hate about… Oh, hey. Looks like we’re about to get an answer.”

He’d spotted Liting heading towards them.

“Hello everyone! The lots have been drawn, and you guys are among the first one hundred who will take the next test. It will take place in the Training Hall’s headquarters, so please follow me there.”

Said headquarters was a large building that stood right behind the plaza, so the way there wasn’t particularly long. As the group of ten followed Liting’s lead, Ye raised his voice to ask her the question they’d been discussing.

“Excuse me, if I may ask, what exactly does the third examination entail.”

Liting turned to them as she walked.

“It’s the first time this one is being held and I’m afraid we haven’t been given any more information than you yourself, since you supposedly don’t need to know anything to prepare you for it.”

She shrugged and smiled apologetically.

“I’m sure we’ll all find out soon enough though.”

…

“So how are the results from the written examination looking so far, Elder Wei?”

“We’ve only just started grading them, Elder Xia. The scribes can’t work wonders.”

“But you can surely tell me the tendency so far.”

“Well, they seem like a somewhat good batch so far. The average results are lower than normally, but quite good when you factor in the bigger pool of candidates.”

“I see, I see. Well, I certainly look forward to what they have in store for us in the next examination. Oh my, if you excuse me, I’ll have to greet Elder Zheng Rong!”

Meixiu Xia courteously bowed before heading off to meet the new arrival.

Liu Wei shared her sentiment; he was quite curious how the candidates would do the willpower examination. It was, after all, the first time something like it was being conducted and he truly believed that it had the potential to filter out exceptional children.

Perhaps because they shared that sentiment, or perhaps because of simple curiosity, most of the other Elders had come to watch this event personally, unlike the first two. They were situated in a lodge above the assembly hall, where the exam would be held, giving them a good view of the candidates without being seen or heard themselves. This was the same room the Qi affinity examination was being held in, and this construction had been devised to give the elders the space to comfortably negotiate the disciples they wanted to take into their respective halls.

Liu Wei watched from above as the candidates, one hundred of them, were guided into the hall. Once the hall had filled, he withdrew from the railing and made his way down himself; He’d be personally administering this examination.

The room’s exited chatter died down quickly when his presence was noticed.

“Greetings, everyone, and welcome to the third examination. I assume that most of you are rather tired out from the last one already, but I assure you that this won’t take too long and once you’re done, you’ll have the rest of the day to yourself, so please do your best to focus once more.

“First off, I ask that you order yourself according to your groups, with each of the ten groups forming a row of ten people. Make sure there’s a distance of at least two arm’s lengths between you and your neighbors.”

The crowd got into motion and while it took a while, eventually managed to form orderly rows as he had told them to. Liu Wei waited a little longer, while the exam aides informed the instructors overseeing the examination of the order and names of the members of their groups, then he continued speaking.

“The following examination will test your willpower. As a cultivator, you will walk a path that may at times be arduous and unforgiving. Your willpower is what will drive you forward regardless, instead of coming to a standstill.

“Your will can carry you to places that were never meant to reach, there are elders within this sect who are a living testament to that. If you want it to take you that far, however, it can’t a mere whim. It needs to be an unyielding defiance against the natural order of the world, a steadfast determination to take from it that which it didn’t give to you.”

Liu Wei deeply admired that quality, embodied by nobody like it was by Lan Shi. A man of natural talent, he had never needed to face anywhere near the struggles she had endured to get where she was.

“Take a moment to think about what motivates you to be here. What makes you wish to become a disciple at our sect, to become a cultivator. Whatever it is, keep it in mind for this test.

“We shall now begin. I have only one task for you to fulfill: Keep standing.”

Before the candidates had a chance to grow confused at this direction, Liu Wei spread out his presence across the room, its essence infused with a simple command that he projected on all those within: Kneel!

Knees buckled and groans were heard as the candidates reacted to the sudden pressure they were subjected to. To them, it would feel like a physical force bearing down on them, though, as the first candidate to fall to their knees – a broad-framed, muscular boy – aptly demonstrated, their physical strength would do nothing to help them stay upright.

Two more candidates went down shortly after the first, but after them, nobody else showed signs of losing. In fact, having overcome the initial shock, most candidates now stood without much visible effort. Liu Wei nodded to himself. Anything else would have been a disappointment with the meager amount of pressure he was exerting.

Satisfied that everyone besides the three to have fallen had satisfied his base requirements, Liu Wei upped the pressure he was exerting by a notch.

Immediately, half of the candidates dropped to the ground.

Liu Wei stroked his beard. Perhaps he had overestimated the average candidate somewhat. Now that he had set this amount pressure as a standard for the second level, he’d have to apply it to the following groups as well to make sure everyone’s results could be compared.

Still, this wasn’t too much of a problem. The sect wasn’t too interested in the results of the bottom half anyways. If they wanted to become disciples, they’d have to shine in another category. Liu Wei increased the pressure again, though only by half the margin from before.

More of the candidates collapsed. By now, the effort was showing on every last one of their faces. Liu Wei increased the pressure.

Only twelve of the children remained on their feet. At the level of pressure they were now subjected to, most mortal adults would falter. That they could continue resisting it at their age was something they could be proud off.

Another level, the fifth when counting from the start. Twelve became seven. Liu Wei made sure to memorize their faces. If the other groups showed similar results, they’d be counted among the top one hundred in this examination and he’d wager that many of them would be taken in by the sect.

He increased the pressure. One of the exam aides dropped alongside the candidates, many of the others visibly struggling to stay upright as well.

Three candidates managed to stay on their feet. Two boys, whose robes bore crests that delineated their lineage as members of two major clans from Moonlake City and a curious girl with clouded eyes. Sweat was pooling on their foreheads and, their breathing was shallow and their knees buckled, but the three continued to resist the pressure.

Liu Wei nodded in acknowledgement. These three had proven that they possessed a determination far beyond their age and he’d personally make sure that they’d be taken in as disciples for this feat alone. There was no need to prolong their struggle. Liu Wei increased the pressure.

Several of the aides collapsed to the floor. The two boys went with them. The girl, however, remained upright. She’d closed her eyes, her teeth were clenched and her whole body was trembling with effort, but she continued to resist the overwhelming will bearing down on her.

This time, Liu Wei was genuinely impressed; he had fully expected the examination to end right then and there. He could sense keen interest emanating from the Elder’s lodge as well; they too could feel the pressure he was exerting, though it wouldn’t be enough to bother any of them, and this girl had clearly caught their attention by resisting it.

Liu Wei increased the pressure once more. The last of the aides dropped to the floor.

Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes and her fingernails dug into her skin as she clenched her fists, drawing blood, it’s dripping to the floor being the only audible sound in a room that had otherwise grown completely silent. And yet she continued to stand.

Liu Wei felt compelled to withdraw his presence right away – he’d never intended to subject a child to such a level of pressure –, but doing so would not just be compromising the examination, it would dishonor her determination to get this far. So instead, he kept up the pressure until there was only one thing left to do: Increase it once more.

Two audible thuds permeated the silence: One from the girl collapsing to the floor at last and one from one of the instructors, a fully-fledged sect member of the Soul Realization Realm falling to his knees alongside her. Finally, Liu Wei withdrew his presence.

He was the first to move while everyone else was still getting their bearings. He quickly made his way through the rows of exhausted candidates to check on the girl.

She had fainted from the pressure, not having given in to the last moment.