2 The tests of the Immortals (2/2)
Everything was brightly lit, even in the middle of the night. The weirdest thing of all was that there was no lamp around.
”It's almost as if the buildings themselves are glowing ! I can't believe it !”
The first gate was the main entrance to the sect. It was a place where the magical barriers defending the whole sect impeded every person who was not part of the sect. That was the reason why Fen Wudao could directly fly in but Shin Sumi had to walk the long stone stairs.
Coincidentally it provided a good opportunity for a test of perseverance. This way, every mortal that wished to join the Dark Sky Starry Sect would have to prove their determination.
Shin Sumi had passed the first test.
A young man who didn't seem to be much older than Shin Sumi was sitting cross legged at the center of a platform, in front of a big stele that was glowing in shades of purple.
He seemed asleep to Shin Sumi, but he opened his eyes as soon as she entered within a twenty meters radius of him.
The young man was a first step Liquid Realm disciple of the Dark Sky Starry Sect called by everyone ”Little Azu”. He didn't have a great talent and had been put in charge of the second test for the mortals that wished to enter the sect.
As soon as he opened his eyes, his jaw dropped and his eyes started to bulge visibly.
”A girl ? And a very cute one at that !! Quick, I have to look good !”
Little Azu jumped to his feet and almost instantly seemed to regain his countenance.
Clearing his throat, he announced loudly in a voice too low to truly be his own ”Mortal ! Welcome to the Dark Sky Starry Sect, the most powerful Immortal Sect this side of the Blue Fire mountain range ! I am Immortal Lit.. I mean Immortal Azu.”
Shin Sumi looked at him with a quizzical expression. She was still impressed because the young man was an Immortal. But compared to the impression Fen Wudao had made on her, this Daoist Azu and his fake voice was simply... comical.
She gave a very light bow as she simply replied ”This humble one is Shin Sumi. I was brought here by Senior Brother Fen Wudao. I look forward to your guidance, Senior Brother Azu.”
The youth standing proudly with his hands clasped behind his back felt very happy with the way she addressed him. He was usually called Little Azu by everyone, even the honorary disciples that had not even reached the Liquid Realm.
But as soon as he heard the three words ”Senior Brother Fen Wudao”, all the air seemed to leave his lungs as Little Azu gasped loudly.
Who was someone like Fen Wudao ? He was only a year older than him and was already a fourth step Liquid Realm cultivator ! And how Shin Sumi casually used his name, clearly she had some relation with him.
Using his real voice this time, he quickly replied ”Sister Shin, I didn't know you were a friend of Senior Brother Fen ! We are all friends here, please call me Little Azu like everyone else ! I will be in charge of conducting the second test for you.”
Turning to the grey stele behind him, Little Azu continued.
”There are three tests to become a honorary disciple of the Dark Sky Starry Sect. The first one was the endurance test. You passed this one by arriving here. The second test is the talent test. It's easy, you just put your hand on the surface and the test stone will light up according to your talent.”
”Red means basic talent. Then there is orange, yellow, green and blue. Last is purple, meaning extreme talent. No one has succeeded in making the stone turn purple in the last ten or so generations. Even colors above yellow are rare, so you shouldn't feel bad if you get red or orange. As long as the test stone changes color, you pass the test.”
Little Azu's cultivation base was not nearly as high as Fen Wudao's, but even he could feel the Shinsoo fluctuations around Shin Sumi.
Shin Sumi was very intrigued by the stone stele and figured she would give it a try.
After all she walked all the way up to please the weird nut and stop it from biting her, but now that she really had a chance to become an Immortal, she felt a little excitement.
”I wonder if I do have talent after all...” she thought to herself.
She still wanted to become a librarian in her heart, to be able to read books all the time, but as she had already passed the first test to enrol into an Immortal sect, how could she not be excited ?
It was the dream of every mortal to become an Immortal. Even though most people thought that Immortals were but mere legends, sometimes a mortal would see people flying high in the sky above their heads.
Shin Sumi had confirmation that what she always took to be stories for children was the reality. And it was right in front of her !
She took a step forward to place herself in front of the test-stone. Taking a deep inspiration, she put her hand on the flat cold surface.
”...”
”...”
Neither Shin Sumi nor Little Azu said anything. The stele kept it's grey dull color.
After nothing happened for a few seconds, Shin Sumi turned to Little Azu with a concerned look on her face.
”Erm... there seems to be an error Sister Shin. Let me try the test stone.”
Little Azu put his hand on the steele. Almost immediately the stone turned a vivid red, proving that is worked perfectly well.
But how could that be ? Little Azu himself felt Shinsoo fluctuations on her ! How could she be totally devoid of talent ?
And considering the fact that Fen Wudao brought here here in the first place, it seemed like even him must have had sensed something.
Little Azu was puzzled and in deep thoughts when Shin Sumi felt something move between under her robes.
The little nut moved against her skin, rolling while ignoring gravity until it found itself inside her palm.
Understanding something, Shin Sumi gently asked ”Brother Azu, can I give it a second try ?” and moved her hand toward the platform a second time.
”Normally it won't change anything, this test stone has never failed in hundreds of ... ?”
His sentence was cut short when he realized that the stone stele was showing signs of change.
As Shin Sumi pressed the hidden nut on the stone, it finally changed to a bright red. Without stopping, the red changed to orange, then yellow. When it finally started to settle down, the stele was almost halfway between green and blue.
Both Shin Sumi and Little Azu were speechless.
Hesitantly Shin Sumi asked ”Brother Azu, does that mean that I have passed ?”
”How could someone Senior Brother Fen himself brought here not pass with unsurpassed talent ! I have never seen something like this before ! Sister Shin you are amazing ! With talent like that you may even have a chance to reach the Core Developpement Realm and become an Elder !”
Shin Sumi blushed. It was not from the excessive compliments and praise that Little Azu was offering, but because of shame.
The color of the test stone was due to the nut, not her. She had absolutely the worst talent for Immortal cultivation !
She didn't know what the Core Developpement Realm was but she didn't care. She only wanted to go to the third gate and meet Fen Wudao again.
He had said that he would wait for her on the second day at the third gate, and she intended to ask him to bring her back to where she belonged, with the mortals.
”Congratulations to Sister Shin for passing the second test. You can now go through the second gate. The last test is a test of sensing the Shinsoo, but with your talent it should not take you long.”
With that Little Azu gave her the lightest bow and offered her a piece of jade. He had imprinted the jade with Shin Sumi's results for the first and second test and the jade would act as an official proof.
Shin Sumi bowed low enough to hide her red cheeks as she said goodbye to Little Azu.
”Sister Sumi... If ever you want to after you've become a disciple of the sect... feel free to come back and have a chat with me !”
She didn't reply and hurried towards the second gate. She felt too shameful to even look at an Immortal in the eye.
The nut was still in her palm as she scurried through the grand arch and in the direction of the third test.
”Shinsoo sensing... I have the feeling that I won't be able to pass this test by myself either...”
A few minutes later, Shin Sumi understood what the test was about.
She found herself in a gigantic maze where every path was blurry.
From what she had read about the Immortals ways, she knew Shinsoo was the energy from heaven and earth that Immortals used all the time. It was something that normal mortals couldn't feel.
For obvious reasons the Shinsoo in the maze of the third test was made so that even mortals could feel it as long as they had a bit of affinity with it.
But Shin Sumi didn't have even the tiniest bit of Shinsoo affinity.