Chapter 3

The smell inside the vehicle was clearly not pleasant, which was no wonder given that a compartment designed for only a dozen or so people was now crammed with nearly thirty children. Although children were much smaller than adults, the vehicle was still unbearably crowded.

Han Li cleverly squeezed his thin body into a corner of the compartment and secretly observed the other children inside.

The children who came to take the entrance examination could be clearly divided into three categories based on their attire and background.

The first category was the group of well-dressed young men sitting in the center of the compartment, surrounded by the majority of the other children.

One of these young men was named Wu Yan, who was thirteen years old, the oldest in the vehicle. Although he was already over the age limit, he had a cousin who was married to a powerful figure in the Seven Profound Sect, so the age issue was no longer a problem. Wu Yan's family ran a martial arts school and was quite wealthy. He had also practiced some martial arts from a young age, though not very proficient, it was more than enough to deal with children like Han Li, who only had brute strength and no martial arts training.

It was obvious that people like Wu Yan, who were wealthy and influential and had some martial arts skills, naturally became the "big brothers" of most of the children in the vehicle.

The second category was the group of children surrounding Wu Yan. These children came from various backgrounds: some from families running shops, some working, and some making a living through their skills, and so on. However, they all shared one common trait: they had grown up in towns and had learned to read people's expressions and act in their own interest from their parents. Therefore, they all gathered around Wu Yan, calling him "Young Master Wu" and "Big Brother Wu," and Wu Yan seemed to be very accustomed to and pleased by these titles.

The last category was people like Han Li, who came from remote and impoverished areas. Their families generally relied on the mountains or rivers for their livelihood and were very poor. There were only five or six of them in the vehicle, and they mostly appeared timid and hesitant, not daring to speak loudly. They just watched others laugh and talk loudly, forming a stark contrast to the boisterous group of children.

The carriage set off from Qingniu Town and headed west, stopping at several places along the way to pick up more children. Finally, on the evening of the fifth day, they arrived at Caihua Mountain, the headquarters of the Seven Profound Sect.

As soon as all the children got off the carriage, they were deeply captivated by the colorful sunset at Caihua Mountain. It wasn't until the voice of Warden Wang urged them that they came to their senses and continued walking.

Caihua Mountain was originally called Luofeng Mountain. According to legend, an ancient five-colored phoenix once landed there and transformed into the mountain. Later, because people found that the mountain was exceptionally beautiful at sunset, as if covered in a rainbow, it was renamed Caihua Mountain. Of course, since the mountain was occupied by the Seven Profound Sect, outsiders could no longer come to admire such beauty at will.

Caihua Mountain was the second-largest mountain in Jingzhou, after another mountain called Baomang Mountain. It covered an area of several dozen miles, and the mountain range extended for over ten miles. The mountain had several peaks, each of which was very steep and dangerous, and all were occupied by different branches of the Seven Profound Sect. The main peak, "Luorifeng," was particularly treacherous, not only extremely high and steep but also had only one path from the base to the summit. The Seven Profound Sect placed its main hall here and set up thirteen checkpoints, both visible and hidden, along the dangerous sections of the path, making it virtually impregnable.

Han Li followed the people in front, observing his surroundings as he walked. Suddenly, the group in front stopped, and a hearty voice was heard.

"Brother Wang, why are you so late? You're two days behind schedule."

"Master Yue, there were some delays on the road. I apologize for the trouble."

Warden Wang stood in front of the crowd, bowing respectfully to an elderly man with a red face, his usual domineering demeanor replaced by a flattering smile.

"How many batches of disciples have been sent up the mountain?"

"This is the seventeenth batch."

"Hmm!" Master Yue glanced at Han Li and the others with a casual air.

"Send them to the Qingke Courtyard and let them rest well for the night. The selection of qualified disciples will begin early tomorrow morning. Those who fail should be sent down the mountain as soon as possible to avoid breaking the mountain's rules."

"Yes, Master Yue."

As they walked up the stone steps, all the children were excited, but no one dared to speak loudly. Although they were all young, they knew that this place would determine their future.

Warden Wang led the way, smiling and greeting people they met along the road. It was clear that he had many acquaintances within the sect and was well-liked.

Most of the people they encountered wore blue silk clothing, carrying knives or swords, and occasionally some empty-handed individuals with bulging waistbands, likely concealing something. From their behavior, it was evident that they were skilled and had good martial arts abilities.

Han Li and the others were led to a relatively low mountain peak, where there was a cluster of earthen houses. They spent the night there. In his dreams, Han Li saw himself wearing fine clothes, holding a golden sword, and possessing supreme martial arts skills. He beat up the blacksmith's son, whom he had never been able to defeat in the village, and felt very powerful. He still savored the dream when he woke up the next morning.

After waking up, Warden Wang did not let them have breakfast but directly led them to a large sloping area covered with bamboo at the foot of the mountain. There, Master Yue and several other young men, whom they had not met before, were already waiting.