Li Yuan arrived at the designated gathering ground just as the last strands of morning mist were thinning between the trees.

  The clearing looked the same as it had seven days ago but the number of Outer Sect disciples had decreased. Of the original 89 who entered the forest, only 67 seemed to have returned. 22 had died in the past week to spirit beasts, or other disciples.

  He tried not to feel think too deeply about it. He had done his best, and it's not like he could save everyone. At least this number of disciples was still much better than the original numbers where over half the disciples had died within the forest.

  He stepped forward and entered the clearing. Heads turned and the few people who still had the energy to converse stopped abruptly. In an instant, the atmosphere within the clearing changed.

  Those who had seen him kill those three disciples at the beginning of the exam looked wary and even a bit afraid of him. While those whom he had saved within the forest seemed rather grateful and respectful.

  He stepped into the clearing and stood on one side, away from the other outer sect disciples.

  Faint footsteps approached him not long after. It was Han Mei. She looked haggard. Her clothes were tattered. Her once neat hair was now tied in a practical, messy knot, and her eyes had deep dark bags under them. But despite all that, she had a proud and excited look on her face as she approached him.

  "Senior brother Li." She greeted respectfully, giving him a deep bow as she came to a stop beside him.

  He raised a silent eyebrow, noticing the deep reverence in her voice as well as how deeply she bowed. Compared to earlier, it seemed that she had now truly become convinced of his abilities.

  "Sister Mei." He said in return. After holding the bow for a long moment, she finally raised her head. Her prior proud smile still plastered onto her face.

  "Thank you for saving me back there, Senior brother." She said. "This Han Mei will remember Senior Brother Li's kindness for the rest of her life."

  He waved his hand away. "No need to be so formal. It is what we, as fellow disciples, should do. If we don't take care of each other, then who will."

  Han Mei gave him a tired smile at his words. "If only every outer disciples thought like you, Senior brother Li. But I'm afraid that most just see each other as obstacle to their own rise."

  He let out a sigh. More than aware that she was telling the truth. Though he also knew that despite how bad the Outer Sect seemed, there were only a few bad apples that caused a majority of the harm. Remove them, and the outer sect will be a much better place.

  A few disciples nearby shifted uncomfortably before one of them—a thin young man with nervous eyes—stepped forward and bowed as well. "Senior Brother saved me too. If not for him the Black-Fang Wolves would have torn me apart."

  Another quickly added, "He save me as well. If not for him, I would've certainly met my end."

  The circle around him tightened slightly as more and more disciples stepped over and offered him their gratitude for saving their lives.

  Slowly, the atmosphere in the clearing changed. As the other disciples who had only seen him butcher those three disciples at the start looked confused or even bewildered by this scene.

  "There's no point in even competing for the first place." One of the louder boys proclaimed loudly. "With Senior Brother Li's abilities, he will definitely take first place. I'd be shocked if anyone else even came close."

  He gave a side glance to the guy who just said that. 'Oi, oi, oi. What's with the sudden bootlicking?'

  "Indeed. I've never heard of an Outer Sect Disciple as mighty as Senior brother Li!" Another disciple chimed in "Once he's in the Inner Sect, he'll definitely rise like a dragon among men."

  He almost physically cringed at those words. 'Dragon among men? Bruh, really?' But it seemed that those words had opened the gates of hell because after that, almost every disciple around him started to sing his praises, making his face twitch more and more with each absurd praise they poured over him.

  Even some of the disciples that he hadn't saved seemed to have joined the train of lickspittles and were now sucking up to him.

  And it was all he could do not to facepalm.

  'Guys. Stop already. It is because people like you that many of the young masters turn into arrogant assholes.' He thought.

  Then, a girl stepped forward stiffly. She had a deep wound on her side. And he remembered saving her from a pair of Three eyed Lightening Foxes.

  The girl gave him a deep bow despite the pain such an action would've caused her before holding out a cloth-wrapped bundle toward him. "Senior brother. I could never repay your kindness in saving my life. I come from a poor family and don't have much on me. But please accept this Frostleaf Herb as a gesture of my gratitude."

  That seemed to cause a murmur of excitement go through the crowd as they suddenly changed tactics and started showering him in gifts. Each giving him more and more absurd gifts in hopes of making a connection with him.

  None of the items he received this time were extraordinary. But for outer disciples, these were not in significant things. And he decided to remember the names and gifts all the disciples gave him.

  He did not like having lickspittles around him. But if he could help them in the future then he would. And so, he accepted the gifts calmly. Noticing that even those whom he hadn't saved had now joined the line to give gifts and curry favour.

  Surprisingly, Han Mei stayed by his side. Not joining the others in gift-giving. He supposed that she saw her gratitude as being worth much more than whatever items she currently had at hand.

  As the disciples handed over their gifts, the air above the clearing rippled. A wave of pressure rolled outward as the elder arrived at the clearing. He descended slowly from the sky, his robes billowing majestically around him.

  He blinked. The wind speed was definitely not enough to make those robes flow like that. Was the elder using some kind of Qi technique to do that? Like Severus Snape.

  The comparison almost made him laugh, and he had to purse his lips in order to stop himself from doing that. Even then, his chest continued to shake in mirth, causing Han Mei to give him a weird look.

  As the Elder finally came to a stop right in front of them, every disciple immediately straightened and bowed.

  "Rise," the elder said as his gaze swept across them, lingering briefly on him before he turned toward one of the Inner Sect disciples on the other side of the clearing and ordered him to start announcing the victors. The twenty with the highest scores who'll move on to the next part of the tournament.

  Li Yuan kept his expression neutral.

  "Rank Twenty — Wu Zhao. Eighty-Six Points!"

  A disciple standing to his right let out a whoop of excitement before he quickly regained his composure and stood straight. A beaming smile on his face.

  "Rank Nineteen — Ten Lin. Ninety-One Points!"

  The girl who had given him the first gift raised a hand. "Here." She said, a tired smile on her face.

  "Rank Eighteen — Han Mei. Ninety-four Points!"

  "Here." Han Mei said, gazing at him proudly.

  'Girl, what are you looking at me for?' He wondered, though he wasn't stupid enough to actually ask that question and simply gave her a nod that seemed to cheer her up.

  And so, the names continued to be announced until…

  "Rank One — Chen Yu. Three hundred and twelve Points."

  Unsurprisingly, the guy at the Foundation Establishment had earned the most points in the tournament and seemed rather pleased with himself. But that didn't stop a murmur from rippling in the crowd as they gazed at him in confusion.

  After all, his name hadn't been announced at all. Even the elder seemed confused as the Inner sect disciple finally lowered the jade slip.

  "That concludes the top twenty." The Inner Sect disciple announced.

  A subtle crease appeared between the elder's brows. His gaze fell on the Inner sect disciple who'd just made the announcement. "Is that correct?" He asked.

  The Inner Sect disciple hesitated. "Yes, Elder. According to the submitted tallies, those are indeed the participants with the greatest points."

  Han Mei frowned. Then she stepped forward again, this time without hesitation. "Honoured Elder, there must be a mistake."

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  The elder's eyes shifted to her. "Explain."

  "Senior Brother Li's name was not announced." She said.

  A subtle stir ran through the group. The Inner Sect disciple glanced down at the jade slip once more, as if wondering if he'd missed something.

  "That's because he did not submit a single ear." The Inner sect Disciple said after a moment, looking confused himself. "As such, he has earned zero points throughout this event."

  Han Mei turned toward Li Yuan in disbelief. Then her gaze turned back to the Inner sect Disciple "That's impossible. I personally witnessed him kill a Second Grade Shadow Leopard."

  Her words sent a ripple of shock through the entire crowd as everyone now looked at him with new eyes. Even the elder raised an eyebrow in appreciation.

  Then, the other outer sect disciples spoke up one by one.

  "That's right. I saw him kill a pair of Three Eyed Lightning Foxes."

  "I witnessed him slaughter a pack of Thunderwolves with my own eyes."

  Soon, several voices rose in agreement. All speaking on his behalf. It actually made him feel a bit touched.

  The elder's gaze settled on Li Yuan. "Step forward." He said.

  Li Yuan did.

  "Hand over your Brother-Sister Storage bag. We will check for any malfunction in the formation."

  Li Yuan met the elder's eyes without flinching. Then shook his head. "There is no malfunction, elder."

  The elder tilted his head in confusion. "What do you mean."

  "I did not submit any ears." He said. And the clearing went still.

  A frown had now appeared on the elder's face. "You dare treat this assessment lightly?" the elder asked, and this time a thin edge of pressure threaded through his voice.

  "No. Elder. It's just that I changed my mind." Li Yuan replied evenly.

  "About what?" The elder asked.

  "About joining Sword Peak." He replied.

  The effect was immediate. Even those who did not fully understand the political weight of those words felt the shift in atmosphere.

  The elder's voice cooled noticeably. "Explain."

  "After having taken part in this tournament, I've now gained a clearer understanding of my own strengths and limitations." Li Yuan said. "And I believe my path would be better suited to Snow Peak. Or possibly Main Peak."

  It was a lie. He had no intention of tying himself permanently to any of them. But Snow Peak and Main Peak were under the authority of Nascent Soul elders. Namely Elder Wu Yuechan, and the Sect Leader himself.

  If he simply said that he no longer had any interest in joining the Sword Peak, then the elder would see this as an Outer Sect disciple insulting the Sword Peak, and might kill him on the spot for the perceived disrespect.

  But if he said that he wanted to join a Snow Peak or Main Peak, then that showed his intention of becoming the student of a Nascent Soul Elder. At that point, the narrative changed from an 'arrogant disrespecting the Sword Peak', to 'a talented disciple looking to join a Nascent Soul Elder'.

  At that point, the elder could no longer simply kill him on a whim. Because if he did that and word spread that he killed a talented disciple who wanted to serve a Nascent Soul Elder, then the elder would get into trouble.

  Essentially, he was using the two Nascent Soul cultivators within the sect as his shields.

  The elder's eyes sharpened at his words.

  "Foolishness. The Sword Peak's heritage is no less than Main Peak's," he said. "And far surpasses Snow Peak, which has existed for only a few centuries."

  "I do not doubt Sword Peak's strength," Li Yuan answered calmly. "But I believe my future lies elsewhere."

  The silence stretched within the clearing as the Elder's face turned unpleasant.

  The pressure increased slightly, enough that several disciples shifted uneasily. Han Mei clenched her fists but she held her mouth shut this time.

  The elder studied him for several long seconds, his face shifting through various unpleasant emotions. Then finally, the pressure receded.

  "Very well," the elder said flatly. "You have forfeited your ranking in this tournament."

  "I understand." He said with a respectful bow.

  The elder turned away as if dismissing the matter entirely.

  At that moment, a deep hum rolled across the sky. Clouds parted as a massive flying ship emerged from the horizon, placing the entire clearing under its shadow as it came to a stop above them.

  And Li Yuan let out a relief sigh. Much like the other disciples around him. Time to collect his belongings and return back to the sect.

  —————

  The flying ship cut through the clouds in steady silence, its hull humming faintly as layered formations stabilised the airflow around it.

  Most of the outer disciples had retreated to their own corner on the ship's deck, too exhausted to do anything but sit or lie down in silence. Some had already fallen asleep due to the exhaustion from the past seven days of hunting within the Forbidden Forest.

  Li Yuan sat near the railing along the starboard side of the ship, and focused on studying the formations on the ship.

  He had already decided that once he returns to the sect, he'll look into creating his own Flying ship. It doesn't have to be big. Just large enough to carry one or two people. It doesn't even have to be a ship. He could create a flying bike. Like the ones he'd seen in so many futuristic video games in his past like.

  Just how fucking cool would that be.

  Then, he glanced at the Ancient Spatial Ring that was now back in his possession, and at the large bundle of items and gifts he'd brought back from the forest.

  With practiced motion, he started placing all those items within the Spatial Ring. Being especially careful with the spirit herbs as he wanted to replant them within his ring.

  Finally, he placed the jade box inside the Spatial ring, and sighed in relief.

  Aside from being worried that he would anger the Elder by refusing to join the Sword Peak, he had also been worried that the elder might sense the Primordial Beast Core in his possession. But it seemed like the Jade box did its job, and the Elder didn't sense a thing.

  Then, soft footsteps approached him from behind. And without even looking back, he knew who it was.

  Han Mei stopped beside him, resting her forearms lightly against the railing. The wind tugged at loose strands of her hair, but she didn't seem to notice. Up close, she looked worse than before. The tension that had kept her upright in the clearing was gone, leaving behind a more honest exhaustion.

  For a while, she said nothing and he wondered with some amusement if she had fallen asleep while standing up.

  Then, quietly, she asked "That wasn't the real reason, was it?"

  He didn't look at her. "Which part?"

  "About you changing your mind about joining the Sword Peak sect."

  He turned toward her. "What makes you say that?"

  Her eyes narrowed faintly. "Call it female intuition."

  "What a scary thing."

  "You're changing the subject, Senior brother Li!"

  "Maybe I am. What does it matter to you?" He asked flippantly.

  Han Mei's eyes narrowed at his words. "It matters, because I care for you. Because I would rather you stay alive long enough for me to repay your life saving grace."

  "What a selfish woman you are." He teased before he sighed upon seeing no change in her expression. He then leaned back on the railing and shrugged. "You're right. I didn't step out of the tournament because I wanted to join the Snow or Main Peak."

  "Then why?" She asked.

  "…I suppose I just didn't like the way the elders of the peak treated the participants." He said. "You know. The part where they pitted the disciples against each other."

  "That's just how it is done, Senior brother." Han Mei replied quickly "The strong rise. The weak fall."

  "Yes," he agreed. "But there's a difference between that and deliberately treating lives as expendable."

  She turned to face him fully now.

  "We're outer disciples," she said, her tone sharpening slightly. "Most of us have average talent at beast. Even if we join the Inner Sect, we still won't measure up to the prodigies who joined the Inner Sect directly. It's normal that the elder treat us as expendable."

  "Perhaps," he said calmly. "That doesn't make it right."

  She studied his face, as if trying to determine whether he was being sincere or merely mocking her.

  "There's a saying from where I come from," he continued. "If you want to judge a person's true character, don't look at how he treats his equals. Look at how he treats those beneath him."

  Her expression shifted slightly and he continued.

  "Back there, I saw an elder who didn't care whether twenty died or forty." He said. "If that is how Sword Peak views treats its lesser, then I have no interest in binding my future to them."

  Han Mei let out a short breath, something between disbelief and frustration.

  "That's foolish." She said in the end.

  "Is it?"

  "Yes." She pushed away from the railing and faced him fully now, arms crossed. "You're thinking like a mortal."

  He raised an eyebrow.

  "Golden Core elders aren't moral exemplars," she continued. "They're cultivators first and foremost. They've survived hundreds of years. They've seen wars, betrayals, disasters you and I can't even imagine. Of course they're detached."

  "Detached," he repeated.

  "Yes. Detached. Practical. Ruthless." She met his gaze without flinching. "And powerful."

  "If you had joined Sword Peak," she went on, "you would have been under the protection of Golden Core elders. Do you know what that means? It means fewer people would dare to touch you. It means your family would have their indirect protection. It means access to resources others can't dream of."

  She shook her head. "And you threw that away because you didn't like the elder's attitude."

  He listened to her words carefully and mulled on them, before he shrugged. "Maybe it was the wrong decision. But I've made my choice, and I find that I don't really regret it at all."

  "That's it?" she demanded. "No second thoughts?"

  "No."

  Her jaw tightened.

  "You think Snow Peak or Main Peak will be better?" she asked.

  Juding by how Elder Wu Yuechan kicked Xu Chen out after he lost his talent. And how the Sect Leader shows little to no interest in fixing the stagnation in the Outer Sect. Likely not.

  "I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not." He said with a shrug. "With that said, what can you tell me about the Nine Peaks of the Sect? I'll likely reach Foundation Establishment within a year. At that point, I'll need to know which peak would be the best to join."

  Han Mei hesitated, then leaned back against the railing again, folding her arms loosely. "There are Nine Peaks in the Nine Peak Sect," she began. "Each with its own focus and temperament."

  "Main Peak is led by the Sect Leader. It's technically the heart of the sect and has a reputation as the strongest peak, but he rarely interferes in day-to-day matters. Most disciples there are administrative talents, elite lineages, or direct descendants of major families tied to the sect."

  "Sword Peak," she continued, "you've already seen. The elders here are Martial to the core. Sword cultivators dominate there. They value killing power above all else."

  She glanced at him briefly. "They would have liked you."

  He said nothing and gestured for her to continue.

  "Alchemy Peak is the wealthiest. Every elder and disciples within this peak is an alchemist. They control a massive portion of the sect's internal economy. Including all the Spirit Herb Gardens inside and outside the Sect. Even the Sect Leader has to treat them with respect."

  "After that is the Formation Peak which handles defensive arrays, offensive formations, and artefact refinement. They're less flashy but equally as indispensable to the sect. Nothing in the sect functions without their formations. Even this very ship that we currently stand upon was likely built by the elders of Formation Peak."

  "After that is Snow Peak…" She paused slightly. "Elder Wu Yuechan rarely accepts disciples. Because of that, it's the smallest peak by far. Those she does accept are all exceptionally talented. And despite its small size, some argue that Snow Peak is in fact the strongest peak in the entire Sect. If only because of the Elder Wu Yuechan's personal strength."

  "Then there's the Beast Taming Peak," she went on, "It is the poorest in terms of liquid resources. Because most of what they have goes into feeding and nurturing spirit beasts. But in raw combat power? They're terrifying. Every elder there has one or more companion beasts at the same realm as themselves, which gives them the highest number of Golden Core level combatants in the Sect."

  He nodded faintly.

  "And the others?" he asked.

  Han Mei shifted her weight against the railing, eyes narrowing slightly as she searched her memory. "The Seventh Peak is called Body Peak." She exhaled softly. "They walk the path of body refinement. They don't focus on inner Qi circulation the way orthodox cultivators do. Instead, they focus on tempering their flesh, bones, blood, and even marrow."

  "Tell me more about them." He said, remembering the Heaven-Breaking Titan Body Scripture in his Spatial Ring.

  "Body Peak disciples are crazy. They hammer their bodies with lightning arrays. They train under crushing gravity formations. Some of them willingly break their own bones just to temper them stronger during recovery." She shook her head faintly. "Weirdoes. But weirdoes you never want to meet in close combat."

  He listened without interruption.

  "I've heard that when beast tides erupt, or the sect goes to war" she continued, "Body Peak disciples are always at the front lines. They hold the defensive lines when others would be torn apart. Their numbers aren't high, and their wealth isn't impressive. But because of their participation in various battles, the Body Peak is held in great respect by people within the sect."

  He filed that away carefully. "And the last two?" he asked.

  Han Mei hesitated this time.

  "I know the least about them," she admitted. "The Eighth Peak is Law Peak. They're responsible for maintaining order within the sect and in Nine Peak City. If disciples fight beyond acceptable limits, if someone steals, betrays, murders without sanction—Law Peak intervenes. They capture offenders, investigate crimes, conduct trials, and punish the offender."

  Considering how bad the situation in the Outer Sect had become, with disciples ambushing and murdering each other in broad daylight, he didn't have a good opinion of this Law Peak.

  "And the Ninth Peak?" He asked.

  "Shadow Peak." Her voice dropped unconsciously. "They gather intelligence for the sect. External and internal threats. Espionage. Counter-espionage." She gave a small, uneasy laugh. "Half the rumours about them contradict each other. Some say they don't exist at all. Others say they're everywhere. Probably their own work, if I'm being honest."

  "Which rumours do you believe?" He asked,

  She met his gaze for a brief moment before she shrugged. "I don't know. And I don't think I want to know. Talking about them makes me uneasy."

  That made him smile. "Well, let's change the topic then."

  She nodded and studied him for a few seconds before asking, "Have you made up your mind on which peak you would like to join?"

  He shook his head. Though in truth, two of the peaks interested him the most.

  Formation Peak and Alchemy Peak.

  Formation Crafting and Pill Refinement were both categorised as skills. And with his Stele, he would have little to no difficulty in improving his skills.

  With that, he could easily outshine any of the geniuses in either of those peaks, and rise through the hierarchy rapidly, making a name for himself while hopefully also gaining a decently powerful Golden Core elder to serve as his shield.

  There was also the fact that unlike most cultivators, he wanted to focusing on building instead of merely destroying. And joining either of these peaks would let me do just that.

  But before he could say anything, the ship slowed down and begin to descent. They had reached the Nine Peak Sect.

  As soon as the ship landed, the elder rose into the air once again, his robes flowing majestically as he studied the disciples.

  "The twenty." the elder said flatly. "Follow me." A slight pause. "The rest. Return to the Outer Sect."

  The old man didn't even bother to hide the disdain in his voice. And something told him that the disdain was meant for him.

  "Good luck. And farewell." He told Han Mei who hesitated for a moment and then nodded.

  "You be careful as well." She said quietly before she turned and joined the others in following the Elder.

  The remaining outer disciples lingered uncertainly. A few of them were already glancing at him again, expressions shifting back toward admiration.

  He recognised the signs of an upcoming lickspittle competition. In which the other disciples would see which one of them could flatter him the most.

  He had no patience for that. So, without warning, he activated Veil of Borrowed Heaven and got the fuck out of there.

  He didn't stop till he finally reached his small courtyard. He slipped inside his house and shut the door behind him.

  Silence.

  "Oh. My rickety little house. How I've missed you." He said as he took in the familiar sent of old wood and faint incense.

  He exhaled slowly before he retrieved two books from within the Ancient Spatial Ring and set them side by side.

  Heaven-Breaking Titan Body Scripture. And Eternal Abyss Soul Furnace Manual.

  He then remember the points he had collected in the past week. A total of over 9000.

  Time to learn these techniques and put those points to use. Hopefully that many points would be enough to take these techniques to the Realm of Perfection, or at least to Major Accomplishment.

  If not… well, he supposed that he could always go out and hunt for more Spirit Beasts.