Chapter 9

"Here is where you will be staying for the next few days. There are plenty of rooms inside, so each of you find a room to stay in. For the next few days, no one is allowed to leave this courtyard. Meals will be delivered on time."

Stopping in front of a mansion in a dense forest, the man in purple turned to face the children, his face stern as he spoke in a deep voice.

Although Qin Fengming and the other children felt a bit helpless and frightened, no one dared to make a fuss at this moment.

On the sixth morning, while Qin Fengming and the other children were still asleep, they suddenly heard a commotion from a distant valley. Just as they were puzzled, the man in purple who had brought them here suddenly appeared in the courtyard.

"Today is the day of the Luoxia Valley's triennial selection ceremony for new disciples. I hope you all strive to be selected. I will now take you to Cui Zhu Peak to participate in this selection with all the other candidates."

Hearing the man in purple's words, Qin Fengming knew that today was the crucial day that would determine whether he could enter Luoxia Valley. He was both excited and a bit nervous.

After speaking, the man in purple glanced at the children and then led them toward the commotion.

When they arrived at a valley, there were already hundreds of people waiting. Among these hundreds, over two hundred children of Qin Fengming's age were standing in the center of the small valley.

Seeing the robust young men standing around, dressed in various colors and holding swords and knives, Qin Fengming envied them greatly. No doubt, these young men were disciples of Luoxia Valley.

The man in purple quickly approached and bowed to a middle-aged man in yellow robes standing on a large rock, saying, "Hall Master Zhang, the candidates from Qijia City have arrived."

The middle-aged man in yellow robes glanced down at Qin Fengming and the others and simply said, "Good," without further comment.

After bowing, the man in purple led Qin Fengming and the other children to stand among the two hundred children.

In the next half hour, another group of children arrived at the valley. Qin Fengming looked around and found that there were now over three hundred children in the valley.

Just as Qin Fengming and the other children stood in the valley, looking tense, a figure flashed, and the elder Wang, who they had seen holding a feather fan when entering the mountains, appeared on a large rock in front of them.

"Brother Zhang, it's already late. I believe all the children participating in the selection have arrived. Can we start now?"

The man named Hall Master Zhang showed no expression, glanced down, and nodded slightly. His figure flickered, and his tall body landed softly on an even larger rock like a ball of cotton.

Seeing this, the children, including Qin Fengming, let out a chorus of exclamations, their eyes filled with admiration.

Hall Master Zhang, showing no expression, cleared his throat and said, "I am the Hall Master of the Hundred Refinements Hall. Today's selection ceremony will be hosted by our hall. This selection consists of three trials. Only those who pass all three will officially become disciples of Luoxia Valley. Elder Wang will explain the details of each trial."

After glancing at the children, Hall Master Zhang's figure flickered, and he stepped aside.

Waving his feather fan, the ruddy-faced Elder Wang appeared before everyone.

"The three trials for selecting Luoxia Valley disciples are: the first trial tests agility; the second trial tests endurance; the third trial tests courage."

Hearing Elder Wang's words, Qin Fengming pondered deeply. According to these three trials, there was nothing particularly unusual. Qin Fengming had already experienced all these tests while hunting in the mountains.

To pass these three trials should not be too difficult. Thinking this, Qin Fengming felt greatly relieved.

"The first trial of agility requires the candidates to climb the eastern peak bare-handed within a specified time," Elder Wang said as Qin Fengming and the others were deep in thought.

Following Elder Wang's finger, Qin Fengming and the others turned to look at the peak.

At a glance, Qin Fengming saw the peak. Although it was only forty to fifty zhang high, the trees and bamboo on the peak had been deliberately trimmed, and there were vines hanging from the steeper areas. For children around ten years old, this peak was indeed a significant challenge.

"The time limit is one hour. Those who reach the peak within an hour will pass. Those who fail to reach the peak on time will be disqualified and cannot participate in the next two trials. Now, the timing begins."

As Elder Wang's words faded, the over three hundred children in the valley rushed toward the small peak like a flock of chickens and ducks being driven.

Duan Meng, who stood with Qin Fengming, was only two years older than him but was more mature than the other children. He looked tense and said, "This selection is crucial for our future. Everyone, give it your all. Let's start." He then ran toward the peak first.

Standing at the foot of the mountain, Qin Fengming looked up, found a less crowded spot, and began to climb bare-handed.

For this slope with many handholds, Qin Fengming did not seem overly anxious. He would sometimes grab a protruding rock, sometimes nimbly jump from one tree to another, and when he encountered vines, he would climb up by grabbing them, looking quite relaxed.

Although Qin Fengming found it easy, for the other children, this climb was very difficult. Children would occasionally roll down the slope or fall from the vines.

Although it seemed dangerous for the children who fell, each time a child fell, a young man in colorful clothing would appear in time to catch the falling child.

Most of the children who fell were sent down the mountain, but a few chose to continue climbing.

As time passed and the children's energy waned, the scene became increasingly tense.

Although other children faced constant dangers, Qin Fengming remained safe. After half an hour, Qin Fengming leaped and climbed to the top of the peak.

At this point, several children were already on the peak, but none of Duan Meng's group had arrived.

Glancing at the others, Qin Fengming noticed that these children were mostly around eleven or twelve years old and were somewhat robust.

As more children climbed to the peak, Duan Meng and his group finally arrived. Except for Duan Meng, the others looked exhausted.

When they saw Qin Fengming already standing on the peak, Duan Meng and his group were all surprised. They all remembered that Qin Fengming was the last to start climbing.

At this point, there were already many children on the peak, their clothes torn and faces weary.

After a moment, two figures flashed, and Hall Master Zhang and Elder Wang suddenly appeared on the peak.

"Time's up. Those who failed to reach the peak have lost their chance to compete. Gather all those who did not make it, and after the assessment, give them some silver and send them home."

Facing the mountain, Elder Wang said sternly.

As his words faded, many young men in colorful clothing appeared in the forest below, carrying the children who were still struggling to climb, and carried them down the mountain.