Chapter 4 of 10

Chapter 4: Bone Tempering Cliff

19 min read4,638 words

Zhang Tangzhuang loudly announced to the crowd, "Everyone listen up. Follow the path through the bamboo grove to reach the Bone Tempering Cliff of the Seven Mysteries Sect. The first part is through the bamboo grove, followed by a rocky area, and finally a cliff. Only those who reach the top of the cliff can join the Seven Mysteries Sect. If you don't make it by noon, you won't become a formal disciple, but if you show exceptional performance, you might be accepted as a named disciple."

Han Li naturally didn't understand the meaning of "named disciple," but he knew he had to move forward and climb the mountain. He glanced ahead and saw a not-so-steep hillside covered with bamboo of various sizes. It didn't seem too difficult!

Han Li looked at the others; he didn't want to be outdone by his peers. The atmosphere among the children suddenly became tense.

Zhang Tangzhuang looked at the rising sun and said, "It's about time. Let's get started! Don't be afraid; the senior disciples will protect you from any danger."

Han Li turned to look at the young men behind him. These were the senior disciples, probably the previous batch of disciples. If he joined, would he also get to wear the same impressive clothes?

While he was pondering, Han Li noticed that the other children had already rushed into the bamboo grove. Seeing this, he hurried to follow.

The bamboo grove was quite extensive. The thirty-odd children scattered as soon as they entered. A tall and thin senior disciple followed closely behind Han Li, his face cold and expressionless. Han Li was a bit afraid and didn't dare to speak to him. He just lifted his feet, bent his body, and slowly moved forward along the slope.

The bamboo grove looked easy at first, but the longer he walked, the more tiring it became. His legs grew heavier, and gradually, Han Li had to use one hand to pull himself along the bamboo stems to save energy.

He persisted for a long time, but eventually, he was so exhausted that he sat down on a small mound and panted heavily.

Han Li took a moment to glance back at the tall and thin senior disciple. Despite the steep slope, the senior disciple stood motionless, not a speck of dust on him, as straight as the bamboo, quietly watching Han Li from a short distance away.

Seeing the cold gaze of the senior disciple, Han Li felt a bit afraid and quickly turned his head back. He heard heavy breathing from ahead, knowing that those who had climbed faster were also resting. After a short break, Han Li hurriedly continued upward.

The slope became steeper, and Han Li's strength waned. To avoid losing his footing, he had to bend over and crawl on all fours. Fortunately, his clothes were sturdy, or his joints and knees would have been scraped raw.

Finally, he was about to leave the dense bamboo grove, but the last part of the journey became increasingly difficult. The ground was covered with more rocks, and the bamboo became sparse.

Han Li could no longer pull himself along the bamboo stems and had to inch forward bit by bit.

As soon as he emerged from the bamboo grove, he saw a vast open area. Directly ahead was a massive boulder, with a few small figures slowly climbing upward. Behind each of them was a senior disciple dressed similarly. Without hesitation, Han Li ran toward the giant rock.

The rock face was composed of layered sedimentary rock, heavily weathered. Some parts crumbled at the slightest touch, while others were sharp and jagged. Within the time it took to eat a meal, Han Li's hands were already covered in cuts, and his elbows and knees were torn and bleeding. Even though the wounds were small, the tiny rock fragments that got into them made the pain even more intense.

The few at the front had already climbed far ahead. Remembering his family's and Uncle San's words, Han Li gritted his teeth and continued to climb with great difficulty.

Before setting out, Han Li's father and Uncle San had warned him that the entrance test would be challenging. If he didn't persist, he wouldn't be able to join the Seven Mysteries Sect. At this point, Han Li no longer cared whether he would join the sect; he was driven by a stubborn determination to catch up with the others.

Han Li looked up with great effort. The one leading the way was Wu Yan, who was more than a year older than Han Li and had practiced some martial arts, making him much stronger than the other children. It wasn't surprising that he was in the lead.

Han Li glanced back a few times. There were still many figures moving behind him. He took a deep breath and accelerated.

Even using all his strength, he couldn't close the gap with the leaders. His body grew heavier, and the sun was gradually reaching its zenith. Wu Yan had already reached the top of the rock face.

There, a vertical cliff rose about thirty zhang high. From the top, several hemp ropes hung down, each with fist-sized knots. Wu Yan was now climbing one of these ropes, slowly making his way to the top.

Han Li watched Wu Yan and felt disheartened. He knew he couldn't catch up with the leaders, and time was running out.

As this thought crossed his mind, the wounds on his elbows and knees began to throb painfully. His limbs felt weak, and his hand trembled as it gripped the rock, causing his entire body to slip. Han Li's heart raced, and he quickly pressed himself tightly against the rock face, too afraid to move.

After a while, he calmed down and tried to grab a protruding rock. After testing it a few times, he felt it was secure and relaxed a bit.

Han Li instinctively looked back and saw the senior disciple crouching with his arms outstretched, ready to catch him. Seeing that Han Li was safe, the senior disciple slowly stood up.

Han Li felt a wave of gratitude. If he had fallen, all his efforts would have been in vain. After a short rest, he slowly moved forward, heading toward one of the thick hemp ropes hanging from the cliff.

Finally, he reached an unoccupied rope. The sun was almost at its zenith, and there was less than half an hour until noon. By then, Wu Yan had already reached the top and was looking down. As Han Li reached the bottom of the rope, he saw Wu Yan raise his arm, extend his little finger, and make a gesture, followed by a burst of laughter before leaving.

Han Li felt a surge of anger and quickly grabbed the rope, starting to climb.

However, Han Li was completely exhausted and could barely hold onto the knots.

When he finally reached the last knot and sat on it, he felt utterly drained, unable to move a single finger. He turned his head and saw some children sitting on the rock face, panting heavily, just like him, having used up their last bit of strength.

Han Li could only laugh bitterly. He had underestimated this test, but at least he wasn't at the back. He glanced at the cold senior disciple and, after a moment's hesitation, decided to muster his remaining strength and climb a bit higher. Even if he couldn't reach the top by noon, staying still would be too embarrassing!

Han Li stretched his slightly stiff hands and used the little strength he had left to slowly move up the rope. However, his hands were completely unresponsive and couldn't grip the rope. After a few moments of struggling, he still couldn't make any progress.

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