Chapter 50 - Unexpected News (2/2)
Hei, listening to those words, immediately understood what the sect leader was implying and answered quickly.
”Basically, you sect leader has increased the rewards for the first seven places. It is no coincidence that you chose this number - excluding the personal disciples of the third, fourth and fifth elders, who are engaged in secondary activities, in the younger generation, there are your personal disciple plus those of the remaining elders, for a total of 5 people. With Lian and me, we get exactly seven.”
”Exactly, I see that despite the little time spent in the inner sect, you have learned many things, I am pleased. However, this was also noticed by the elders who didn't show reluctance to my proposal. Except for the first elder who added this clause. ”
”Yes, I heard various conservation here and there, and I was able to discover some things,” Hei commented to the sect leader's statement.
Despite these weeks, he and Lian had been in a very battered state, luckily Ye and Xing during their lessons had written everything they had heard in their notebook, and with everything, they also included flashes of conversation between other inner members. Since they had been told to write everything, they had done it to the letter. Unexpectedly this turned out to be useful to Hei, who was struck by his little sisters' ability to hear other people's conversations.
Hei continued to talk,
”Since there are seven places, it is possible for all five personal disciples to be rewarded. For that reason, they accepted your proposal peacefully, the first elder should be the same, but if he imposed this rule, it is because he has absolute trust in his disciple, right?”
The sect leader sighed and nodded her head,
”Yes, it's like you said. His personal disciple is his son. Of course, the sect's rules forbid to excessively favor your own children and other close relatives. Since we have limited resources, we need to focus only on those who are really talented. Personal emotions shouldn't guide us. Therefore, the only way the younger generation has to get prizes is to show off their skills on various trials prepared by the sect. His son is indeed among the most talented geniuses we have ever had, and you would have no hope against him right now. But fortunately, the evaluation trials were designed to make a fair competition among the inner members of the younger generation. ”
Then the sect leader raised two of her fingers,
”There are two evaluation trials - Combat Trial and Mind Trial. They are tests carried out through particular formations that will send images to your mind; you can think of it as a kind of illusion. The combat trial consists of fighting against imaginary opponents for a total of five waves. With each wave, the number and strength of the fighters will change. Obviously, their strength will be based on your age, the more years you have, the stronger they will be.”
”Based on age?” Hei asked doubtfully.
Although he was a bit older on the outside, he was only thirteen. He had indeed asked the sect leader not to investigate that aspect, and she had done it so far, just like the other elders.
”I know what worries you, but don't worry. The training has an automatic feature that allows it to read your body information and assess your age. Furthermore, it isn't something that we can openly tamper with, nor can we read, since it was given to us by the empire on the continent.”
”Empire? Continent?”
”I guess you heard about the war between humans, demons, and divine beasts about a hundred thousand years ago, right? According to the records of that time, during the final battle, there was a spirit power's reaction that affected the entire continent. It was violent that some portions of land were broken. Those more fortunate ended up just be separated from the main Continent while others disappeared entirely. The Rainbow Island is one of those lucky ones in which we humans could continue to live.
After tens of thousands of years, we have been contacted by the newly formed Sun Empire on the Continent. They provided us with various things to increase our society's pace of development. Still, there was a problem - the amount of spirit power in the environment was significantly lower than that on the continent.
For this reason, the maximum rank that can be reached on Rainbow Island is the spirit soldier. Furthermore, considering that the minimum age at which one awakens one's spirit power in the islands doesn't go under the age of 15, the empire has therefore deemed us unfit for cultivation and had left us alone as long as we stay on the islands. Although we are formally empire's territory, it is as if we weren't part of it.”
At that point, the sect leader sighed for a long time before continuing. Hei could read the sense of disappointment and helplessness within her. Probably, as a young woman, she had the desire to go to the Continent to show her talent and prove the islands' inhabitants could be as good as those of the main continent. But from her face, Hei could guess that she had slammed against the wall of reality and failed in her intent.
”It is possible to go to the continent, though, and it is through the combat test. If you break through the five waves, you will be given another test in which you will face an opponent according to the standards of the continent. If you pass it, you will get permission to go there; but since the day we have received these formations, there has never been anyone who was able to do that, whether it is our sect, the Rainbow Island's setcs or any other sects on the other islands.” While she was saying that, the sect leader was looking at Hei with a bizarre look.
Even if she didn't know the exact reason and it was a crazy idea to think, her heart told her that maybe these two mysterious youths would be able to succeed where she and all the others had failed — showing the empire that islands' martial artists weren't insignificant trash but real cultivators like them. To show that they were also struggling to improve themselves and reach the peak of cultivation - the god rank.
”Anyway, I am digressing. If you can overcome the five waves, it can already be considered an exceptional result. As for the dream trial, you will be subjected to a series of illusions that will show you everything that can become an inner demon in a martial artist. Since that was also given to us by the empire, we aren't exactly able to predict what it will look like, so the only thing I can advise you is to prepare yourself mentally for anything. The result will be determined based on how quickly you can get rid of illusions and regain consciousness.”
”Alright, I understand. Lian and I will keep it in mind and get ready for it. We thank the sect leader for having warned us.”
Hei and Lian bowed their heads in respect and saw off the sect leader who left the two youths to return to her residence. The news of the trials had taken Hei by surprise. And although they were an excellent opportunity, Hei and Lian had to consider how to deal with them, especially the test to access the main continent.