Youth must be seized early; how can one remain young forever? Chapter Twenty-Nine Test

On a grand square in the city of Ningshui Prefecture.

Today was the day of the Celestial Ascension Gathering held by the Xuanyang Sect. The square was packed to the brim, the crowd so dense that there was scarcely room to move. Shoulder brushed against shoulder, the atmosphere vibrant and crowded.

The throng consisted entirely of youths not yet of age. The Xuanyang Sect had drawn a boundary line; the many family members had to wait outside the square, forbidden to enter. Thus, many people anxiously watched from beyond the perimeter.

“Still arrived too late!” Chen Lin sighed inwardly.

He too was squeezed within the crowd. He had risen early that morning, hastening to the square to queue in hopes of securing a good position, but even so, he found himself near the back—many had arrived even earlier than him.

The circular square was packed with children, while to the north a wooden dais had been erected. Atop it stood several chairs and a table, and at the very center, a large stone slab, entirely black and as tall as a man, which seemed to emit a faint glow.

Chen Lin looked up; five people were already seated above, all clad in gray robes. The young man on the left, handsome and serene, was none other than the Immortal Master Bai Qingzhou, whom Chen Lin knew well. At the center sat a most beautiful woman—Chen Lin vaguely recalled her as Immortal Master Zhang Zhiyan.

The five seemed to be conversing, but at such a distance, Chen Lin could not hear a word, and so he withdrew his gaze, quietly waiting for the event to begin.

“Brother Daniu! Do you think we really stand a chance?”

“Uh, I don’t know either, but since so many from our village came, surely someone will make it.”

“But there are so many people here...”

All around, questions and discussions overlapped, turning the place into a cacophony. Chen Lin stood silently where he was, waiting, not joining in the chatter.

“Silence!”

A shout exploded as if in his ears.

The crowd fell silent at once. Chen Lin looked toward the dais and saw Immortal Master Zhang Zhiyan rise from her seat, her clear voice ringing out:

“Today marks the opening of our Xuanyang Sect’s Celestial Ascension Gathering. May fortune favor you all, and may you ascend in a single step, bringing strength to our sect!”

Her voice was not loud, yet everyone heard her clearly.

“To cultivate immortality, talent is paramount! Without potential, no amount of effort will suffice. True aptitude for cultivation is one in ten thousand; only a rare few among you will become disciples of the Xuanyang Sect. This test will measure your potential. Those found worthy will be admitted as disciples immediately!”

“Now, form a line, and each of you place your hand on the black stone atop the stage.”

Glancing at the crowd below, startled into silence, Zhang Zhiyan said no more and returned to her seat, closing her eyes in calm repose.

The rules were simple and easily understood.

Below, Chen Lin gazed at the jet-black stone, thinking to himself, “So this is the test Master Bai spoke of...”

“Begin. Step up one by one,” called a young immortal from the stage.

At his command, the people at the front began to shuffle forward.

Before long, Chen Lin saw a boy in rough linen nervously ascend the dais first. He bowed to the immortals, then slowly approached the stone, placing his small hand upon its surface with trepidation.

Nothing happened. The stone remained utterly unchanged. The boy stared blankly, then looked at the immortals, confusion in his eyes.

“No potential. Step down. Next!” the young immortal said flatly.

At these words, the boy seemed drained of all strength. His face darkened with bewilderment as he left the stage, and sighs drifted from the crowd—perhaps from his relatives.

A family’s hope for transcendence, shattered in an instant...

Chen Lin felt his own nerves tightening as he watched, swallowing hard. This was the chance he had waited over a year for.

I can do it!

“Next!”

Again, another youth stepped up, yet the stone showed no reaction.

“Next!”

The young immortal’s voice rang out, devoid of emotion.

Time passed. The testing continued. Soon, over a hundred had found no potential. The crowd advanced slowly, sighs echoing through the square.

When it came to the three-hundredth candidate, a youth ascended the dais...

“Hey! Isn’t that the martial prodigy of Ningshui Prefecture?”

“Yes! That’s Fan Tianhe. They say he’s the direct disciple of the Wild Knight, already a master of martial arts at such a young age.”

“If anyone can do it, it should be him...”

The crowd outside buzzed with speculation at the familiar youth.

Chen Lin looked up. The boy was robust and confident, arrogance glinting in his eyes. He strode boldly onto the stage, bowed deeply to the immortals, and declared loudly, “Fan Tianhe greets the Immortal Masters!”

The immortals merely regarded him silently. Fan Tianhe finished his bow and strode to the black stone, pressing his callused palm firmly upon it.

...

Yet the expected reaction never came. The stone remained as before.

“Next!” the young immortal’s voice sounded as usual.

Fan Tianhe’s confident expression froze, disbelief clouding his face as he hesitated to withdraw his hand.

“Immortal Master! There must be a mistake!” Fan Tianhe cried, turning back.

The young immortal looked at him coolly. “You are unqualified. Step down.”

“Impossible! I began martial training at six! The Wild Knight is my master, I—” Fan Tianhe, stung to madness, shouted incoherently.

Slap!

Fan Tianhe’s cheek was struck, sending him flying from the stage.

“Noisy,” the young immortal said as he withdrew his hand, indifferent. “Next!”

Chen Lin saw Fan Tianhe lying below, eyes rolled back in unconsciousness. A middle-aged man rushed in from the edge, apologizing to the immortals as he hurriedly carried the fainted boy away.

Chen Lin was silent. This was not as easy as he’d imagined...

Time ticked by. Chen Lin counted inwardly—over two thousand had been tested, and not a single one had passed. His confidence ebbed with each failure.

“Next!”

Another youth touched the stone, but nothing happened.

At last, it was his turn. Chen Lin glanced to the edge—Ji Si and Ji Nian were waving vigorously, cheering him on.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped onto the stage.

He looked around, then respectfully saluted the immortals as the rules required.

As he did so, Chen Lin noticed that Bai Qingzhou, normally expressionless, seemed to soften with a trace of warmth.

Chen Lin nodded heavily.

Master Bai, I will not let you down...

He walked to the stone, pressed his palm solemnly against its surface, and slowly closed his eyes, heart full of hope.

Since childhood, treachery had orphaned him, forging in him a spirit that refused to yield!

Come wind or rain, he had trained diligently every day, never daring to slacken, all for this moment!

He...

“Next!”

The cold voice pierced him to the core, draining the color from his face and setting his legs trembling.

Despair welled within: he, too, was not chosen by fate...

He turned stiffly to glance at Bai Qingzhou, and saw him sigh softly before resuming his usual composure.

Lowering his head, Chen Lin descended the stage, his heart heavy with helplessness, the words declaring his failure echoing in his ears.

But before he could leave the square...

“Wow! Look! Everyone, look!”

“The black stone finally reacted!”

“Who is it? Whose daughter is that?!”

Sudden cries and exclamations erupted from the crowd.

Chen Lin turned quickly and saw a girl of about fifteen or sixteen standing before the dais, her fair, delicate wrist pressed lightly against the stone, which now glowed with a faint red light.

Her expression was icy, showing not a trace of joy, as though she had expected this outcome.

“That’s the Meng family girl who slept for two years!”

“I know! Her name is Meng Li!”

“Tut tut, the Meng family is going to soar now...”

“Such luck...”

The crowd’s chatter was tinged with awe and envy.

Chen Lin glanced at the immortals on the dais; all looked delighted as they gazed at Meng Li. In Bai Qingzhou’s eyes, he even saw astonishment.

Zhang Zhiyan said something to Meng Li, and under the envious gaze of all, the girl walked behind the immortals’ seats, standing motionless, her face still devoid of emotion.

Chen Lin watched, a bitterness rising in his heart. Others ascended to heaven in a single step, while he left in dejection.

He left the square, heavy-hearted, and found Ji Si and Ji Nian at the edge.

“Sisters, I failed...”

Seeing his expression, the two girls felt a pang of sympathy. Ji Si stepped forward to comfort him: “Xiao Lin, don’t be so downcast. Those with potential are one in ten thousand. I’ve heard from the elders that sometimes five years pass without a single recruit. It’s not so easy.”

Chen Lin protested bitterly, “Sister Ji Si, it’s just such a shame...”

Ji Nian patted his shoulder and smiled. “No need for regret. We’re already ahead of many, living in Master Bai’s courtyard.”

At this, Chen Lin could only nod heavily, though sorrow remained on his face.

Seeing him thus, the sisters exchanged a helpless glance.

Bai Qingzhou had told them of Chen Lin’s past, urging them to look after him. They knew that his good looks had invited ill intent, resulting in his parents’ murder.

Ever since, Chen Lin had dreamed of becoming an immortal cultivator, striving for this day—so much effort invested, only to fail at last. They understood his pain.

Ji Si thought for a moment, then whispered, “Xiao Lin, there might still be a trial for registered disciples...”

Chen Lin’s eyes lit up at this, and he quickly asked, “Registered disciples? What sort of trial is that?”

As both sisters assisted Master Bai with various affairs, they knew the specifics of the assessment.

Seeing his hopeful look, Ji Si almost blurted it out, but recalled Bai Qingzhou’s warning not to divulge details. After a moment’s thought, she said vaguely, “You’ll find out tomorrow...”

Realizing she would say no more, Chen Lin pressed no further.

But suddenly, his heart calmed, and the gloom of before dissipated as he quietly watched the ongoing trials.

He thought: As long as I can cultivate, being a registered disciple will suffice...

The sun sank lower, and after five hours, all participants had been tested. Only three now stood behind the immortals.

These three stood before the dais, basking in the envy of all. To the eyes of the failed, they were as the chosen of heaven, impossibly exalted.

The three were two girls and a boy: Meng Li, Tang Si, and Shi Zhichen.

Chen Lin gazed up at these paragons, his heart full of bitterness.

“Today’s testing is concluded,” Zhang Zhiyan announced from the center.

A chorus of sighs rose from below, and from the perimeter, the sound of weeping—so many dreams dashed in a single day.

“But do not despair. The world of cultivation values perseverance, too! Tomorrow, there will be a trial for registered disciples. Those who wish to participate should gather at the north gate at dawn!”

With these words, Zhang Zhiyan activated a talisman, and the immortals mounted it, soaring away in an instant.

Yet her words rekindled hope among the crowd, and cheers rose anew, with many kneeling in the direction she vanished.

Ji Si chuckled softly, whispering to Chen Lin, “See? There’s still a chance to become a registered disciple.”

Chen Lin nodded vigorously, drawing a deep breath, clenching his fists and fixing his gaze on the direction in which Bai Qingzhou had departed.