《Sage on the Mountain》


 Prologue

    On my 160th birthday, I came to a crushing conclusion. I would die of old age before taking another step on my path. My body and soul had been refined by the Heavenly energies and would last several thousand years without decay. To most, I might as well already have been immortal. Mundane weapons could not harm me, and I could wield Qi to achieve impossible feats.


    But I was not really immortal, and for cultivators, my lifespan was nothing special. To the true masters of the Dao, my existence would be as short and insignificant as a mortal¡¯s was to me. But I could not go further as I was. I had achieved some mastery in the element of earth and the aspect of the mountain and refined my [Heavenly Mountain] art into a respectable art of powerful defensive techniques and destructive yet slow offensive techniques.


    But I could not form a core. I was never exceptionally talented at gathering Qi, and most of my achievements were due to diligence, perseverance, and luck. Neither the ambient Heavenly energies nor the resources of my sect were enough to make up for my meager talent. So then I was doomed to feebly cultivate in vain until I died of old age due to my inability to progress. The end of thousands of other mediocre cultivators under the Heavens.


    For the past 10 years, I had been cultivating trying to advance. At first, I was enthusiastic, having fully permeated my soul with heavenly energies and reaching the peak of Soul Saturation. But gradually as I made nearly imperceptible progress I realized that I would never take the next step in my lifetime.


    ¡°How frustrating, how vexing!¡±


    Would I truly live out the rest of my days as merely another Grumpy old elder in my sect, guiding the outer disciples in their similarly doomed cultivation?


    Must I abide by such a fate? I asked myself. Was I truly destined to never touch upon the sublime truths of the Heavens? To never claim ownership of my own fate and walk the Dao with my head held high?


    ¡°NO!¡± I refused such an end!


    But what was I to do? Should I have left the sect in search of fortune? Hoped that I would find some great treasure in the wilds, and attempted to use it to advance before I was killed by others seeking their fortune? It would be a wretched life, to live like a dog fighting over scraps. Loose cultivators create nothing, they leave only a wake of destruction in their selfish quests for power and immortality. No, I could not live such a life. My path of the Heavenly Mountain would not fit such a lifestyle, for mountains are sedentary and stable things. They do not move and hunt. They simply stand for eons letting all things come to them. Such irony then, that I would be unable to progress my path. Because despite cultivating the way of the mountain, I was not a mountain, I was but a man destined for dust as any other mortal and as such I could not wait like the mountain.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Perhaps that was my mistake? Had I cultivated a path unsuitable to my fate? Should I attempt to shed my cultivation and start my path anew? Could I even succeed in such an endeavor? Shedding one¡¯s cultivation is a dangerous task, with a high risk of destroying oneself in the process. Should I have attempted it, I would have likely ripped my spiritual veins to shreds and cracked my Dantian like an egg. A miserable way to go.


    ¡°Hmmm¡­ no, I think I won¡¯t¡± Much too risky and painful, and even should I have succeeded my meager talents would remain the same. But my time would be shorter and I¡¯d be without the advantage of youth. No, it was simply not a viable way forward for me.


    It seemed then, that I would continue my path of the Mountain. And in truth, I was glad for that. The path speaks to me. I loved engrossing myself in the depth of concepts contained in the mountains.


    So how would I proceed then? No other matters demanded my attention, so I was free to seclude myself and attempt to find a path forward, to fight against the tyranny of time. So I meditated upon this for the next month until I came to a conclusion.


    Once I emerged from the depths of meditation, I could not help but smirk. Ah, how foolish I had been. The path forward is always both clear and obscure, but this time I was confident I had found my next step. It should have been obvious what I should have done.


    ¡°From the great Heavenly Mountain, the beginning of the cycle springs forth and attracts all that would strive. And so the mountain feeds the hunger of life. And the many paths that traverse it etch upon it the heavenly Dao. On the Heavenly Mountain grows the Fruit of Immortality, thus inevitably the fruit will fall from its branch and become one with the mountain.¡±


    While meditating on my path I studied this passage in my [Heavenly Mountain] art closely and came to a conclusion. As I was, I was like a barren mountain. Nothing grew upon me and nothing sprung forth from me. And I derided loose cultivators of creating nothing? What hypocrisy when I failed in much the same way. So what would I do to grow the Fruit of Immortality? I decided I should take on a disciple.

 Chapter 1: the disciple selection ceremony pt. 1

    The disciple selection ceremony would not be for several months yet. Every year at the beginning of the new year, those who wanted to seek the Dao had the opportunity to ascend up the mountain of our sect and attend the ceremony in hopes of joining our ranks.


    There are several tests and trials used to determine which students are worth taking on as disciples, or simply worth keeping an eye on should they prove themselves in the years to come.


    But at the moment, I had time to prepare for taking a disciple. I never considered the matter before, so I had no idea what I should do to prepare for taking a disciple. Should I prepare housing and training courses or would I merely need to be there as a guiding figure giving the occasional support?


    I decided I should be as involved as possible. The purpose of this endeavor was, after all, to grow the fruit of immortality upon my Heavenly Mountain. A hands-off approach would simply be both insufficient and too impersonal to call any fruit that might grow my own.


    But I was no great elder. My resources in the sect were limited. My abode would not be large enough to house a disciple with all that that entails. Us cultivators do not live in expansive residences with courtyards and pagodas out of mere vanity. While it is certainly the case for some, for most of us, each space in our residence has a purpose of its own. Be that different locations to cultivate and train in various ways, or gardens and workshops to practice our esoteric pursuits, they are all necessary and useful in our cultivation.


    I decided to visit the sect¡¯s resource administrators and request resources to provide for a disciple. Perhaps I would be granted the resources I needed.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid not.¡± The great elder in charge of distributing land and resources within the sect replied in his usual apathetic monotone, not even looking up from the papers in front of him on his desk.


    ¡°But why not? With respect honored grand elder Frozen Abyss, I¡¯m a perfectly respectable elder and I desire to take on a disciple. Why can¡¯t you provide me with resources to provide for my disciple?¡±


    With a sigh, he looked up and fixed me with a condescending look ¡°Because,¡± He said ¡°We provide all that the general body of disciples need to them already, and any disciple you pick will hardly stand out so much as to deserve any more special treatment.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean more special treatment?¡±


    ¡°I mean, getting a master should be more than enough for whomever you choose.¡±


    ¡°Honored eld-¡± But my mouth snapped shut from the force of his spiritual pressure and the grand elder continued.


    ¡°If your student cannot rise beyond the rabble with just standard sect resources and an elder¡¯s guidance, they are not worthy of special treatment. Especially not if their master has no previous record of successful students to prove their worth, such as yourself elder Gao.¡±


    He paused briefly, piercing me with a condescending glare as if to hammer home his opinion of my nonexistent achievements, before continuing. ¡°Now if your student were to achieve some measure of distinction, you can return to me to have your request reconsidered. Dismissed!¡±


    Before I could open my mouth to protest, the door behind me opened back up and he released his spiritual pressure, forcing me to leave or offend him by attempting to stay by releasing my own. Not that I¡¯d have a chance at succeeding, considering that grand elder Frozen Abyss was at the fifth stage of core strengthening and vastly overpowered me. So I left in silence and frustration, pondering what I could do to help my future disciple now that knew I would not be receiving any additional resources from the sect.


    I considered what I could provide to any new disciple of the sect. I could certainly teach them the basics of cultivation if they don¡¯t already know them, and perhaps guide them in finding their own path. But after that, the help I could provide would greatly depend on what that path was. If they are aligned with my own path I could teach them an art similar to my own and assist them with my personal insights. But if not, then I felt I might be at a loss. In the end, I decided that much more speculation would only harm my efforts and that I should simply attend the ceremony and let fate guide me, perhaps then I would be granted a fortuitous encounter.


    I meditated upon my knowledge until the day before the ceremony so that I would be prepared to teach a student when I found one. I just hoped I could find someone with potential before all the good students were taken by higher-ranking elders, but maybe if I made a good impression on some of the kids, they would choose me over those prideful old masters. The choice of a master is, after all, the student¡¯s.


    The morning of the 1st day of the disciple selection ceremony


    At the foot of the Ordered Lotus Sect mountain, thousands of youths from the Peng empire were gathered for the annual disciple selection ceremony. From barely literate peasants chasing dreams to proud scions of noble clans come to fulfill the expectations laid upon them so that they might become the future pillars of their family, youths from all walks of life had trekked from far and wide in order to ascend up the mountain and obtain the power and fate that they desire.


    Among them was even the first prince of the Peng empire, here to obtain power and longevity in order to rule his future empire for as long as possible, as all other Peng emperors before him. The Ordered Lotus Sect was the biggest sect in the Peng empire, located on the greatest mountain in the empire. To the Peng empire, it was a great source of strength, and one of the ways the empire had stayed in power for as long as it had. But to the sect, the empire was only the last in a long line of mortal governments to rise and fall in the mortal world below. And so their relationship was like that of an uncaring leviathan and the scavengers that live in its wake feeding off of the scraps from its meals. Even the young prince had to act humbly when he came to the sect, so as to not be dismissed as foolish and simply trampled by the cultivators of the sect.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    And among these hopeful youths come to seek power was a young man, or perhaps boy, by the name of Wu Yong. The son of a hunter, he had a wiry physique from an active lifestyle and not quite enough food to become bulky, but enough to be healthy. He also had a sharp and observant gaze from spotting and tracking animals when he was out hunting with his father. His mother had passed away from illness when he was a child, and half a year ago, his father had died as well. While out hunting deer, a great stag had gored him.


    The stag had been huge for its kind, its body rippling with flowing muscles, and its antlers iridescent as if made of pearls. It was a spirit beast that had migrated to the area they lived in and had taken over the local flock of deer. Normally the animals that lived in the province were normal and relatively harmless, due to a low concentration of Heavenly energy. Perhaps the stag had been chased out of its previous territory by cultivators or another spirit beast and had migrated to the available area.


    Wu Yong had escaped with his life and gone to the local authorities, who had then swiftly called for a cultivator of the empire to come and remove the beast so the mortal hunters could resume their work. Wu Yong had been devastated by the loss of his father, and helpless to obtain closure by his own hands. When the immortal arrived and slew the beast with only a modicum of difficulty, Wu Yong knew that he had to obtain that power for himself or he too would someday perish to random tragedy as his father had.


    Now, half a year later, he had finally arrived at the Ordered Lotus Sect mountain. With no more money or supplies and clothes ragged from his long journey, in a land practically swarming with monsters and spiritual beasts from the high concentration of Heavenly energies. He had left no other path to survival for himself than to be accepted into the sect as a disciple.


    When the sun began peeking above the horizon, a sect disciple struck an ornate gong, producing a sonorous and oppressive sound reverberating through the morning mist and the gathered crowd. Silencing any voices and dispersing the mist from the plaza they were gathered on.


    Once the sound had abated, a majestic elder appeared on the raised platform at the front of the plaza. He stood straight as a spear, towering imperiously over the attendees. As soon as all eyes were upon him, he announced the beginning of the ceremony in a clear and controlled yet deafeningly loud voice ¡°Welcome, young aspirants, to the disciple selection ceremony!¡± he made a small pause while the echo of his voice abated before he continued in a more reasonable volume ¡°You have traveled here from far and wide to have a chance to become a disciple in our great Ordered Lotus Sect, to pursue the martial and spiritual path to attain the strength and longevity of immortals. And for that, I welcome you and commend your determination.¡±


    He looked out over the crowd, eyes lingering on groups or individuals with a penetrating gaze. Following the elder¡¯s eyes and looking around him in the crowd Wu Yong saw others like him, marked by many months of travel and hardships. And their faces lit up and backs straightened with pride at the acknowledgment, himself included. He felt justified in his efforts by what the announcing elder had said and burned with the desire to live up to it.


    The elder soon continued ¡°Currently, you are gathered on the Earthly Lotus Plaza at the mountain entrance and behind me lays the Mortal Sealing gate, which serves as the entrance to the Myriad Way Mountain, upon which our great sect resides.¡±


    Looking past the elder, Wu Yong and the rest could see a great bronze gate sealing the path to the mountain. The gate was imposing, to say the least. Around its edges were engraved a hundred great spiritual beasts, some beautiful, and some terrifying, but all awe-inspiring in their majesty and all looking down on those who would seek to enter. The gate itself was engraved with mystic symbols arranged in a mind-bending array. It looked as though both unbelievably ancient as it no doubt was and pristinely new as if it had only just been made. None of the mortals on the plaza could quite figure out that paradox.


    Beyond the gate, they could barely make out the beginning of the mountain through the mist. But just as everyone was squinting and trying to make anything out in the mist, the elder flicked his right arm up towards the mountain causing the mist to be blown away in a great gale that continued to flow up the mountain, rustling trees and startling birds in an invisible wave, clearing up the view of the mountain.


    ¡°Behold! The great Myriad Way Mountain! From here it stretches further up than your mortal eyes can see and contains more than a mortal perception can fathom. I said earlier that I commend your determination in making it this far, but merely that is not enough. The first test in order to enter our sect lies beyond the Mortal Sealing gate. A great stone stairway leads up the mountain providing a safe path through the wilderness, your first task will be to climb those stairs until you reach the Budding Heavenly Lotus plaza further up the mountain, where the examination will continue. You must reach the top before sundown to succeed. I wish you all luck in the coming trials, and I hope to see many of you at the top.¡±


    He then spoke once more in his deafening volume ¡°Now let the first trial begin!¡±


    So saying, he turned around to face the mountain and made a hand signal. As soon as he did, the gates to the mountain started to slowly open, being pulled by great ropes by a pair of cultivators from the inside.


    Wu Yong took a moment to let his ears stop ringing from the elder¡¯s loud voice and admire the view of the mountain before he moved towards the gates with determination. No matter what trials they threw at him, he was determined to move forward and succeed.


    The entire crowd awoke from their daze and began to move. Some said farewell to their families or guardians, while others moved forward immediately by themselves or in groups. They flowed like a river through the gates under the watchful eyes of the cultivators guarding it, one of the guardians announcing that only those attempting the trials were allowed to pass beyond this point.


    As Wu Yong passed through the gate, he felt a tingle pass through his body. Moving forwards it slowly faded as he got accustomed to it, and soon he was in front of the first step. some were already climbing, while others stood by the bottom of the steps with equal mixes of caution and curiosity. The stairs were solid stone with not a single crack in sight, and looking up Wu Yong realized with trepidation that he could not see the end of the stairs even far above him. Having surveyed his surroundings and found no reason to hesitate, Wu Yong took a deep breath and placed his foot onto the first ancient stone step.

 Chapter 2: the disciple selection ceremony pt. 2

    On the morning of the disciple selection ceremony, I left my abode and went to the Budding Heavenly Lotus plaza where the students would arrive after their first trial. As I arrived at the spectator area for elders of the sect, a sort of large ornately covered balcony constructed on the cliffs near the plaza, I could not help but feel nostalgic and a bit nervous. Many decades ago I participated in these very same trials myself, and seeing it again, though now from a new perspective, brought forth a profound feeling in my soul. At the same time, I was simmering with anticipation for what young aspiring cultivators I would see today, and whether I would be successful in my own endeavor.


    Standing on the observation platform, I let my mind wander to imagine what hopeful souls might be climbing the steps of Will Over Fate. A fitting name for the first trial, in which mortals seeking to take control of their destiny must demonstrate and exert their will against adversity in order to have that chance.


    Back when I made the climb myself, I will admit I arrived with a half-assed conviction. I struggled greatly and very nearly gave up several times, having decided to attempt to become a cultivator mostly out of a combination of boredom as well as an artistic and academic curiosity. But while climbing the stairs and struggling to find the will to push on, I observed those around me, and it was there that I found the strength of will to overcome the first trial. I saw the proud and determined youths who never faltered in their ascent and they practically radiated heat from their burning souls. Some of them so bright it was hard to look upon them for fear of crumbling in shameful inferiority.


    I also saw those who struggled more or less like me as they faltered in their steps, but then after meditating, stretching, hyping themselves up, or sometimes even screaming at nothing and everything, they would take that next step and continue their climb.


    But those who had the most powerful effect on me were those who failed. Those who came with weak convictions and doubt in their hearts. They climbed the stairs meekly and hopefully, often looking like they were hoping for a savior rather than saving themselves.


    When the difficulty of taking the next step became insurmountable to them, they would stop, perhaps look wistfully up the mountain, and then sit down on the steps waiting for the trial to end so that they could descend.


    In that moment when they breathed out their sigh of defeat and sat on the steps, it was as if I could see their spirit die. Like their very soul left their body through that final breath. I saw myself in that. I had grown disillusioned with the mortal world and sought a higher purpose in art and power, and I realized that if I breathed out that sigh of defeat myself, my fate would be sealed. I would never overcome my despondency and find true satisfaction in this life. So I stood and looked back down the mountain, and I searched my heart for any true desire for what I would leave behind. And when I found none, I crystallized my will to aim for that peak far above and took the next step. After that, I did not falter again.


    Today, new aspirants with burning souls are striding up the steps without fear, and I will doubtlessly see which new stars my future disciple will have to compete with and measure themselves against. But more personally interesting to me are the many more strugglers. Those who on those very steps either find the conviction to seek the highest aspiration or falter and never reach the plaza below.


    The trial of Will Over Fate consists of ascending up an extraordinarily long series of steps while enduring slowly increasing pressure, both physical and spiritual. Every step becomes harder and harder to take, thus taxing your physical abilities to the limit, though never above it. It is personally adjusted so that no matter your strength and endurance it is always possible to make it to the top. But in addition to the physical challenge, the steps exert a spiritual pressure on the climber which pushes down on their motivation and willpower. The effect takes stabs at your conviction, forcing you to question yourself and your decisions. If your conviction is not strong enough and aimed properly at becoming a cultivator, it will poke holes in it and rip it apart until you lose the will to continue. The path that we walk is not an easy one, and it does not abide the insecure and half-hearted.


    Around noon, the first aspirant finally reached the Blooming Heavenly Lotus plaza. Until now, the attending elders had been either meditating or making conversation, but now they turned their attention to the plaza below and the flow of Aspirants that was about to begin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t recognize that kid. Is he from an obscure family? Or a complete unknown?¡± Asked an elder in a small group of elders that sat together and had been having a casual conversation before the first aspirant arrived.


    The elder next to him scrutinized the boy while stroking his beard before he replied. ¡°That hair and face, does he not seem familiar? I feel like I¡¯ve seen a few people like him, likely some uncles or fathers of his, not that they stood out. I think he¡¯s from a small family somewhere.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, I think you¡¯re right. Now that you mention it he does resemble that Song fellow from a few decades back. He left the sect some years back when he failed to become an elder.¡±


    I tuned out their conversation and turned my attention to the plaza below to study the kid. He certainly did not look like the sort to quit halfway. His posture was straight and defiant, he seemed to radiate a barely constrained hostility. Perhaps a kid to watch out for, if he did not learn to control his rage he might self destruct and take others down with him.


    Soon other aspirants began to arrive at the plaza. Most of the frontrunners were clearly sons and daughters of noble and martial descent. Martial arts and cultivation basically ran in their blood, instilled into them from a young age by their parents and tutors. Some of them already had predetermined masters as long as they made it through the selection ceremony. Ancestors of their family dedicating their lives to cultivation and staying in the sect instead of returning to the mortal world, fulfilling their familial obligations by taking their descendants under their wing within the sect. A safe and reasonable practice, though not one likely to produce great geniuses since there is no guarantee that the masters or disciples would be competent.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Among these young masters, there was an obvious standout. The imperial scion, the First Prince of Peng, the future Emperor of the Peng Empire. Though not the first to arrive, he was certainly among the front of the pack. He had a proud demeanor and his gaze was full of authority and determination. A good combination for a prince.


    His master would inevitably be the venerable grand elder Peng. An old monster who had been the brother of the First Emperor of Peng. Now he tied the Ordered Lotus Sect and the Peng Empire together with his skill and political scheming, while also teaching all future emperors in both cultivation and rule before they returned to take up their positions when they were ready. The imperial scions were always quite successful cultivators. I assume some of it flows in the family, but most of it is likely also because grand elder Peng is a skilled teacher.


    Once the standouts had reached the top, the rest began to arrive in a more steady stream. Some of them looked promising as future disciples, though it was too early to judge based on the first test alone. There were some scholarly looking youths that I decided to keep an eye on in case they proved to have potential, considering that I might have the best affinity with a student who resembled me. But beyond those, I was honestly at a loss as to which of them might make for good disciples, or more importantly who I would make a good master for. For now, I just tried to look impressive in order to increase my chances if I had to fight over a disciple with any of the other elders. Good thing I did too.


    Meanwhile on the steps of the trial of Will Over Fate.


    On the 6,054th step of the stairs, Wu Yong faltered for the first time. Not that he was counting. There was still no end of the stairs in sight, and he began to doubt whether or not he could make it to the top before he was overwhelmed by the building pressure or ran out of time. He had been slightly surprised at first when he took the first step and felt a light pressure settle on him, but had quickly realized it was part of the test. Becoming an immortal wasn¡¯t supposed to be easy after all. But by now the pressure had increased to an intense burden that made his every step a small struggle, which quickly added up to exhaust him. He feared that if the pressure continued to increase for however long the staircase might be, he would not be able to make it. Not that he¡¯d give up now. No, this was merely the fear taking root.


    But during the next thousand steps, the pressure kept increasing, and his fear began to grow. Who was he anyway to believe he could do this? He had long since lost sight of the wealthy young masters that took the lead. How could he compare to these kids that had clearly been training for this all their life? Was he not like an insect trying to stand alongside dragons? He felt pathetic and embarrassed, struggling with every step when the strong ran up the steps without breaking a sweat.


    He tried to push it down and continue regardless, but it was only getting worse. On the 7,689th step, he had to stop to catch his breath, and his mind was a mess of self-doubt and shame. When he stopped and tried to get his breath under control his eyes blurred from tears, causing him to lose his balance and land on all fours on the steps.


    He couldn¡¯t push himself up with his shaky arms and exhausted legs so he slowly turned over and sat down on the steps. Taking deep breaths he managed to regain control of his body and wipe the tears from his eyes. But his mind was still in turmoil. He missed his father like nothing else, and he couldn¡¯t help but feel a gaping hole of grief in his chest. Whenever he had felt sad or overwhelmed before, his father had been there to help him.


    He felt desperately alone and lost. What had he been thinking? Deciding to just become a cultivator as if that was a simple thing to do. He had been crushed by the grief of his father¡¯s death and latched onto the idea like a drowning man. This quest had been all that was keeping him together for the last half-year. Sitting on those steps he realized he had been running from his father¡¯s death until now. His quest to become a cultivator had just been to distract himself from his grief.


    He sat on the steps and felt lost, looking down the mountain. Not far below him, other youths were climbing the stairs. Further below, looking above the treetops that surround the path, lay the great valley at the foot of the mountain. From where he sat he could not see the plaza where they had begun, but now that the morning mist had lifted he could see the entire lush valley below. Most of it was wild forestation and plains, but a long and wide road also snaked through the valley, leading from the sect to the mountain pass that divided this place from the rest of the empire. He could make out the distants shapes of flocks of beasts roaming the plains and forests, as well as the dots of birds flying above the treetops. Some of the plains had also been made into rice fields, providing food to the sect. Though not enough to feed the entire sect, so there must have been other food sources around.


    Wu Yong was starting to get hungry. He had eaten his last food early in the morning before the trials started. If he gave up now he would likely have to steal to survive, if he couldn¡¯t find any work fast. He could probably apply as a servant somewhere. Beyond his skills as a hunter, he at least knew how to do most household tasks, having had no mother to take care of it when he grew up.


    But thinking of giving up and walking down the mountain filled him with both shame and rage. Was he that weak? Could he just give up his dignity to live as a servant? No! He was not inferior to those who were born into power! He had been forged by hardship from the day he was born! There was nothing for him to return to if he gave up, and it was not merely a desperate whim that made him decide to become a cultivator. When he saw cultivators he could not help but be filled with awe and longing. The path of an immortal radiated hope to his eyes. It was a way to become strong enough to stand alone, to protect others and be a spear against the darkness.


    And he could not stop his hunter¡¯s soul from being excited at the idea. Imagine! Shooting great arrows of thunder while hunting dragons. Wrestling giant demonic beasts with your bare hands. He had loved hunting with his father, and now it was all he had left of his family. He felt compelled to pursue hunting as far as he could. To carry on his legacy and make his father¡¯s spirit proud.


    Filling up with hope and determination, he finally managed to push himself up and start climbing again. So what if he was like an insect compared to others? He would not accept the fate of an insect. This time he managed to push the fear and doubt away. He quenched it with his desire to take his fate into his own hands, and make his father proud by becoming a great immortal hunter, slaying the great demons of the world.


    Wu Yong didn¡¯t stop again, but the rest of the climb was still a grueling march up the last few thousand steps. On the last thousand steps, he had to dedicate all of his being to keep climbing, losing awareness of time and distance. His whole world became just a long series of steps one after another. It was a desperate focus to keep going. All of his mind was focused on just taking the next step again and again, with his previously realized motivation like a beacon drawing him forward.


    Eventually, when he attempted to take the next step, his foot failed to find anything to stand on. He almost fell over before he came out of his focus and noticed the world around him. When he looked up and took in his surroundings, he realized he had reached the Budding Heavenly Lotus plaza. He had almost fallen because he had attempted to climb stairs that didn¡¯t exist. Breathing in, he felt the pressure on his mind and body lift. Suddenly clear-headed, he couldn¡¯t help but break into a massive grin. He¡¯d completed the first trial!

 Chapter 3: the disciple selection ceremony pt. 3

    Wu Yong


    Standing at the entrance to the plaza, Wu Yong took in his surroundings. The plaza itself was a little smaller than the one at the foot of the stairs. It was shaped like an octagon, with a mosaic of a blooming lotus centered in the middle, each leaf pointing to a corner of the plaza. On the left side of the plaza from where he stood, a row of tables was laid out with a buffet of food. Wu Yong¡¯s stomach rumbled at the sight, reminding him of his hunger. He quickly made his way to the tables to get some sustenance.


    The food was at first glance quite mundane and simple. But once he started eating, Wu Yong quickly realized it was anything but. Everything was beyond delicious and filled his body with energy and comfort. It was clearly made of special ingredients. Meat from spirit beasts and ancient and rare plants. He could scarcely believe they would serve this kind of food to people who weren¡¯t even members of the sect yet.


    Once he had eaten, Wu Yong remembered that the disciple selection ceremony was not over yet and that soon the next trial might begin. Looking around, he could not find any indication of when and where the next trial would begin. The plaza was still slowly filling up with aspirants as they arrived at the top of the stairs. Most of them were either eating or chatting with each other, though some were stretching or meditating, preparing for the next trial.


    The ornate balcony adjacent to the plaza caught Wu Yong¡¯s eye. It was situated on the cliffs, overlooking the plaza, and was occupied by elders of the sect. Wu Yong¡¯s eyesight was quite good, so he was able to study them in some detail from where he stood.


    Prominently at the center of the balcony, a trio of impressive-looking elders sat on raised seats. In the middle, on the highest seat sat an ancient man with a long silky beard that reached the middle of his stomach. But despite showing many signs of old age, he did not seem feeble even for a second. He sat comfortably and straight, radiating physical confidence in his manner. To his left sat a musclebound man, seemingly in his middle-age, with a short dark beard and wild hair. To his right sat an older looking man with a scholarly air about him, and with a clean-shaven face and long hair. All three of them radiated authority and power, sitting on their high seats, looking down on everyone present.


    Taking his eyes away from the intimidating trio, Wu Yong scanned the crowd of elders looking for a clue for when the next trial would begin, as well as out of simple curiosity. But suddenly, he found his gaze locked with an elder.


    Gao Xin Ke


    Studying the various aspirants, I suddenly locked eyes with a lanky looking kid by the buffet tables. He had arrived sometime in the last half hour, somewhere in the upper-middle in the distribution of arrivals. He had a piercing gaze, clearly taking in many details with his eyes. He almost seemed to judge me in his mind, until his eyes widened in some mix of surprise and embarrassment before quickly being averted when I gave a knowing smirk.


    I couldn¡¯t help but chuckle at his embarrassment. He certainly had some spirit. And if he could cultivate that sight of his, he might even stand out.


    While I was absorbed in my own thoughts, another elder approached me and drew me out of them with his greeting.


    ¡°Elder Gao? Is that you?¡±


    I turned to face him and recognized him as elder Wei, one of my peers, likely stuck in his cultivation like me. I returned his greeting with a nod and replied ¡°it is indeed, elder Wei.¡±


    In a vaguely judgemental tone, he said ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to find you here. Aren¡¯t you usually holed up by yourself in cultivation? It¡¯s been a while since I last saw you.¡±


    I held back a sarcastic retort and replied in an amicable tone ¡°I spend most of my time improving myself, yes, but I am here today in order to find a disciple.¡±


    He broke into a knowing grin, nodding and saying ¡°Aaah I see, so the reclusive Gao Ke Xin has finally given up and joined the rest of us in teaching the next generation. Welcome to the club brother.¡±


    Frowning, I retorted ¡°Not quite, brother, I have not given up yet. Taking a disciple is for the purpose of continuing on my path.¡±


    Surprise and interest showed in his expression as he asked ¡°Oh, really? How so? So far, teaching the disciples has been a waste of my time. Don¡¯t see how you could strengthen your cultivation by taking up teaching.¡±


    Though I had my own doubts about the effectiveness and purpose of my endeavor, I didn¡¯t let it show. ¡°After long deliberation, it was the conclusion I came to. My art of the Heavenly Mountain will benefit from taking on a disciple.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I see. Well, good luck with that. Though I doubt you¡¯ll have much luck with getting a good disciple. All the kids with good potential get snatched up by the more powerful elders and grand elders.¡±


    Skeptical, I asked ¡°Really? One would think that there are more than enough students to go around.¡±


    Shaking his head with a wry smile elder Wei replied ¡°Only a tiny fraction of the students that make it all the way through will truly amount to anything. Even among those showing promise, many will end up becoming mediocre, or leave the sect to return to the mortal world instead of pursuing cultivation in the sect. And all those with great potential are always taken in by the grand elders. Even if the elder has many disciples already and won¡¯t be able to give much time to each individual one, just their power and connections alone are enough to give a massive advantage to their disciples.¡± He gave a defeated sigh and continued ¡°So in end, the only disciples that are available to us are the mediocre and the dregs, and even amongst those there will be fierce competition for the better ones¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    A feeling of anxiety was taking root in my body, but before it could affect me I summoned up my determination and smothered it. ¡°If so, then I will fight fiercely for the best I can. I will not be so easily cowed. I have decided on this as my path forward, so I will not give up easily¡±


    Elder Wei looked at me deeply before he replied ¡°I can¡¯t say I don¡¯t admire your tenacity. I doubt you¡¯ll succeed, but I wish you luck nevertheless¡±


    ¡°Thank you, brother Wei¡± I replied sincerely. I pitied his defeated attitude, but I appreciated his support.


    When the last disciple that hadn¡¯t given up, arrived at the top of the stairs, a loud gong sounded, signaling the end of the first trial. It had reached late afternoon by now, and the sun would soon start to disappear behind the western mountaintops.


    All the aspirants were quickly gathered in front of a podium. The elder in charge of conducting this year¡¯s trials stepped onto the podium and congratulated them all on their success in the first trial, before introducing the next trial. The trial of Mind Over Fate. In this trial, the aspirants would be given an instruction manual with a basic technique to move the Qi in their bodies around deliberately.


    Qi flows along the paths that fill the world. Therefore all things in this world contain Qi, because all things in this world embody a path of some kind. A plant might embody paths of growth and harmony, and thus attracts Qi proportional to the strength of its path. The same applies to people. We all have our paths, however ill-defined they might be. This is why you sometimes see mortal people of great focus and talent like skilled warriors or artisans transcend mortal limits. They have strong paths, causing more Qi to flow through their bodies, which they then unconsciously use in their work. Cultivation is merely the conscious pursuit of this


    The first trial served as a test, but it also made sure that all the aspirants that completed it have sufficiently strong paths in order to attract the Qi needed for the second trial. All the aspirants thus had some innate Qi in their bodies already, and the first step in cultivation is learning how to manipulate it deliberately. Not an easy feat by any means, but with proper instruction, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.


    The manual they were given contains an effective, and easy to use, technique that will allow them to channel the Qi in their bodies into an object in their hands. To succeed in the trial, they must learn the technique before noon tomorrow and demonstrate their ability with special detection stones that glow when infused with Qi.


    Before long, the aspirants were handed a manual and detection stone each. They wouldn¡¯t need sleep tonight after eating the Qi infused foods we had set out for them.


    I decided to pay attention to the kid I had locked eyes with earlier, figuring he might be interesting to observe. He seemed a bit concerned while regarding his manual, and looking him over as a whole I realized he might not know how to read. His skin was tan and somewhat rugged, indicating a life of outdoor labor. He might have been an illiterate peasant.


    For this very reason, the manual also had pictures and diagrams demonstrating how to execute the technique, so perhaps he would manage.


    By the time the sun started to disappear below the mountains and cast its evening light, all the disciples were deep in their study. They weren¡¯t allowed to help each other so they were watched over by older disciples assigned to the task.


    It might sound boring, to simply sit and watch them read and practice in silence. It was, to an extent. But if cultivation taught only one thing, it would be patience. Entering a meditative state of focus is one of the most important skills in cultivation, and for elders of the sect, observing this trial for its duration was no obstacle.


    I suppose it might have been slightly poetic, that we would be practicing one of the things the aspirants are currently trying to learn. A clear mind and focus are paramount to succeeding in the trial of Mind Over Fate.


    By midnight, some of the kids had already entered a proper meditative focus. The boy I was focusing on included. At least he had a good mind, able to understand the manual, and focus on the task. He likely had practice with tasks demanding focus already. Considering his tan and sharp eyes, perhaps hunting.


    Back when I took the trial to enter the sect, I understood the text easily, having done some studying on cultivation before I joined. But although I understood the concepts and meaning easily, putting it into practice was more difficult. The technique for manipulating heavenly energy first requires you to clear your mind and enter a meditative state. Once the state has been achieved, you must practice a breathing technique that activates the Qi in your body, allowing you to perceive it. Having grasped the form of the Qi in your body with your mind, the sense of it won¡¯t ever leave you again. This is called opening your inner eye and is the first step in cultivation. Also known as Awakening. It is the first and easiest step on the path to immortality.


    Once your inner eye is open, the manual describes how to take hold of the Qi in your body with your mind, and how to guide it along your spiritual veins to push it out through the palms of your hands. The final step sounds difficult, but once your inner eye is open, grasping the Qi in your body is not too difficult. The Qi that naturally flows through you is given to you by the Great Dao and is yours to command, and as long as you move it within your spiritual veins, it flows easily. All you have to do is exert your will on it. Internal Qi manipulation is thus quite easy.


    External Qi manipulation is much harder, but it is not something we require the aspirants to do during these trials.


    I had a hard time clearing my mind and entering a meditative state when taking the trial myself. I have always had an active mind, causing me to overthink the techniques and being unable to completely clear my mind. Obviously I eventually succeeded, and I have since refined that same mind into one that can focus all that activity on a singular task.


    A few hours before dawn, some of the disciples showed signs of having reached Awakening. Their aura would change, indicating the change in their souls. Followed shortly by them opening their eyes with various expressions, from surprised glee to smug pride.


    Not long after the first aspirants had reached awakening, the kid I¡¯d been watching achieved the same. He opened his eyes slowly and distractedly stared into space for a moment before his eyes focused and he broke into a proud grin.


    Impressive considering he likely barely knew how to read, so at least his ability to focus is quite good.


    In this trial, the more affluent youths were still solidly leading the pack, many having received training in focus and meditation at home. Though none would dare complete their awakening before the trials. We don¡¯t accept already awakened disciples into our sect outside of extraordinary circumstances since we want to observe their talent from the beginning and make sure they study the proper basic manuals. This way the sect has a hand in every step of every disciple¡¯s cultivation.


    When noon came on the second day of the trial, a little less than a thousand aspirants were able to complete their awakening and pass the trial. With this, all who were left were guaranteed a place in the sect. The next and final test would determine what that place would be.