After a short while, Han Li felt a sudden tightening around his waist, and before he could react, his body was lifted upward.
He turned his head to see that it was the senior disciple who had been trailing behind him. With one hand holding onto him, the other hand and his legs nimbly climbed up the cliff. Han Li noticed the sun was directly overhead, marking the high noon.
"Looks like I still couldn't make it in time," Han Li thought, a twinge of disappointment filling him. He had tried so hard, but it still wasn't enough to match the others.
As they reached the top of the cliff, Han Li noticed six children sitting on the ground, catching their breath. Wu Yan, the boy who had reached the top first, was talking to an elderly man dressed in a dark blue robe. The man appeared to be in his fifties, with a slightly plump figure. Master Yue and Protector Wang stood beside him, along with several other figures, all waiting for the remaining children to arrive.
After a brief pause, the last of the children were pulled up the cliff by the senior disciples. Master Yue stepped forward, facing the group of children with a solemn expression.
"Seven of you have passed. Six of you will join the Hundred Forging Hall and become formal inner disciples of the Seven Mystical Gates," Master Yue announced slowly.
He then turned to Wu Yan, "As for you, Wu Yan, you were the first to reach the top, showing outstanding ability. You will be sent directly to the Seven Absolutes Hall to learn our sect's secret techniques."
Master Yue cast a glance at the elderly man in the blue robe, who stroked his beard and nodded approvingly.
"As for the rest of you..." Master Yue paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping across the remaining children. "Zhang Tie, Han Li, although you didn't make it to the top on time, your performance has been commendable. You seem to have the potential to endure the hardships of martial training. You will remain in the sect, training under a few of our instructors. Six months from now, you will be tested again. If you pass, you will be inducted as inner disciples. If you fail, you will be relegated to outer disciples."
Han Li glanced at Zhang Tie, the boy who had been just behind him during the climb, nearly reaching the top but not quite making it.
"Protector Wang, distribute some silver to those who didn't pass and send them home," Master Yue said coldly, turning his attention to the remaining children.
"Understood!" Protector Wang replied with a bow and then began guiding the failed children down the mountain.
"Zhang Jun, Wu Mingrui, take these successful candidates to the hall. Assign them to Vice Hall Master Gu and Instructor Li," Master Yue ordered.
Two young disciples came forward and began organizing the children into two groups. One of them was the cold-eyed senior Han Li had noticed earlier. As they began heading down the mountain, Han Li couldn't help but glance at Wu Yan, who was still conversing with the elderly man in blue robes, showing no signs of moving.
"He's different from you all," one of the long-faced senior disciples, Wu Mingrui, seemed to notice Han Li's curiosity and explained. "He's being sent directly to the Seven Absolutes Hall. Once he completes his training, he'll at least become a Protector."
"He's only in because of his connection," added the cold-faced senior disciple, Zhang Jun. "His aunt remarried the Deputy Sect Master, so he gets special treatment. Otherwise, with his age surpassing the entrance requirements, he wouldn't have been accepted into the Seven Absolutes Hall."
Wu Mingrui glanced nervously at Zhang Jun after hearing these words. "Don't talk like that! The Deputy Sect Master is not someone we can casually speak of. If others hear you, we'll both be in trouble."
Zhang Jun snorted but seemed to have some reservations, falling silent afterward. Han Li couldn't quite grasp everything being said but understood that Wu Yan's place in the Seven Absolutes Hall wasn't due to his own merit but rather because of his powerful connections.
The group continued walking in silence. As they passed through a thick forest, an elderly man slowly emerged from the trees. He looked to be in his sixties, tall and thin, with yellowish skin and long white hair that reached his shoulders. He was hunched over, coughing violently as he walked, and his frail appearance made it seem as though he might collapse at any moment.
Despite his weak condition, when Zhang Jun and Wu Mingrui saw him, they immediately approached him with respect, bowing deeply.
"Doctor Mo, how are you? Is there anything we can do for you?" Zhang Jun asked with a change in tone, his usual cold demeanor replaced by complete reverence. It was clear this elderly man was someone more important than even the sect masters or deputy sect masters.
"Ah, new disciples have arrived, I see," the elderly man, known as Mo, stopped coughing for a moment and rasped out, his voice rough but filled with authority.
"Yes, among them are six formal disciples and two outer disciples," Zhang Jun replied respectfully.
Doctor Mo paused for a moment, his sharp gaze sweeping over the group before landing on Han Li and Zhang Tie. "I'm short on manpower. I need a disciple to help with medicine preparation and another to assist in gathering herbs. You two come with me."
The way he spoke was commanding and left no room for refusal. Zhang Jun and Wu Mingrui nodded immediately, not offering any resistance. "These two are outer disciples. To be chosen by Doctor Mo is a great honor. You should thank him. If you're lucky enough to learn even a little of his medical skills, it will benefit you for a lifetime!" Wu Mingrui praised, a bit too enthusiastically.
Han Li and Zhang Tie exchanged a glance, realizing they had no say in the matter. They followed the elderly man into the forest.
The old man led them down a winding path, and after several twists and turns, they arrived at a lush green valley. The vibrant landscape was filled with fragrant medicinal plants, and on one side, they could see a field of herbs. On the other side, there were a cluster of interconnected buildings, all enclosed within the valley.
"This is the Shenshou Valley. Only disciples from the valley can come here. Outsiders only visit if they're sick or injured. You'll be living here from now on," the elderly man said, pointing to one of the smaller houses. "Go inside and rest for now. I'll meet you in the hall later. I have something to discuss with you."
"You can call me Doctor Mo, or just Mo," he added, then hobbled off, coughing as he entered a larger building nearby.
Han Li, utterly exhausted, didn't even bother looking at Zhang Tie. He walked into the small house, collapsed onto the bed, and fell into a deep, dreamless sleep. Despite the fatigue, a sense of accomplishment lingered in his heart. No matter what, he had officially become a disciple of the Seven Mystical Gates.