Chapter 90: Unity is Strength! Ready, Sing! p2
…
The next afternoon, three cultivators stood in the air above the Trial Forest, one a handsome young man with an air of immortal grace, the other a beautiful woman with a delicate, oval face.
No one would guess, looking at them, that they were all over a hundred years old.
Yi Huayun, the master of Boundless Sea Peak’s Medicinal Cuisine Pavilion, looked down at the forest, his expression grave. “Brother, how many candidates do you think will pass this year?”
His brother, Yi Hao, the peak lord of Boundless Sea Peak, a middle-aged man in black robes, stared at a bronze mirror in his hand, sighing. “Three or four, if we’re lucky.”
He paused, then continued, “I don’t understand Master’s reasoning. The entrance exams are held every few years, and only a handful of disciples pass each time. At this rate, our peak will be empty”
Despite his worry, he still had a sense of humor.
The formations on Boundless Sea Peak were created by his master, the previous peak lord.
And so were the entrance exams.
During the first year of the exams, he had questioned his master, pointing out that the trials were impossible for most Foundation Establishment cultivators.
But his master had refused to listen, simply saying, “Boundless Sea Peak only accepts prodigies,” then leaving without further explanation.
He had been eighteen then, powerless to argue, forced to obey.
And even now, as the peak lord, he couldn’t change anything. He could only watch as the number of disciples dwindled year after year.
It wouldn’t be a problem for a few decades, but eventually… Boundless Sea Peak would be deserted.
“If only three or four pass this year, we’ll have to change the exams before the next one,” he murmured.
The difficulty was far greater than the other peaks’. It was unfair.
If word spread, who would even bother applying to Boundless Sea Peak?
The other peaks were easier, weren’t they?
It was like Boundless Sea Peak had a higher passing score, and the exams were harder.
Yi Huayun glanced at his brother, sighing inwardly.
It was easier said than done. Persuading their master… it wouldn’t be easy.
Their junior sister, the youngest of the three, stared at the bronze mirror, her brow furrowed. “This is strange. Why are all the candidates gathering in one place?”
They both looked at the mirror, and their eyes widened in surprise.
The candidates, who had been scattered throughout the forest yesterday, occasionally clashing with each other, were now converging on a cave entrance.
And at the entrance, a young man, a mere fifth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator, stood talking to them, a smile on his lips.
Beside him stood the two captivating sisters.
It was clear that he had gathered them.
Yi Hao stared at the young man, his gaze curious. “How does a fifth-level cultivator have such influence?”
“He’s Mu Zhi’an, the eldest son of the Mu family from Tianxuan City. According to Junior Sister Lan’s report, he’s incredibly talented, but he wasted some time indulging in pleasures. His mind is sharper than his cultivation,” their junior sister explained.
“Oh?”
Yi Hao’s interest piqued, and he studied Mu Zhi’an more closely.
To be praised by their talented junior sister, this Mu Zhi’an must be extraordinary.
Most of the candidates were from cultivation families or powerful backgrounds, their pride evident.
They had clashed with each other upon entering the forest yesterday.
And yet Mu Zhi’an had managed to unite them. He was indeed capable.
But why had he gathered them all in one place?
Yi Hao stared at the mirror, his eyes narrowing.
After a moment, he chuckled.
“It seems this year’s entrance exams won’t be boring”
