As it turned out, the one most worked up about the disciple assessment wasn't Gu Chengming at all — it was Hundred Bones Resonance.
[Hundred Bones Resonance is brimming with excitement, thinking: the disciple assessment is finally here!]
[Next comes leaping past realm boundaries to slay enemies, a single roar that shakes the heavens, catching the eye of some powerful senior who takes you as a disciple, and then — a bid for the position of Sect Holy Son!]
——Hopeless. Completely hopeless. Classic protagonist-from-a-web-novel brain.
Gu Chengming silently complained in his head.
The Wenjian Sect didn't even have a Holy Son position. The closest thing was the Dao Seed title under Daoning Gate — and there was no way he was going to become a female cultivator.
He was still lost in these idle thoughts when —
"Senior Brother Gu, it's starting!"
Jiang Lu murmured urgently at his side.
Gu Chengming snapped back to attention and looked up.
At the center of the plaza, a middle-aged steward serving as emcee raised his voice and announced: "First trial — the Dao-Heart!"
Past disciple assessments had almost always been straightforward tests of cultivation realm or live combat drills. No one had ever heard of testing something as nebulous as the Dao-Heart.
The thing was intangible, notoriously difficult to measure, and prone to all manner of complications.
Up on the observation platform, the assembled elders watched the buzz of unease ripple through the disciples below, their expressions varied.
"Looks like the little ones were caught completely off guard," Zhao Wuji remarked, taking a sip of tea with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
The white-haired elder in the central seat spoke slowly.
"The path of cultivation is full of peril. A Dao-Heart that wavers will, in the end, lead only to a handful of grave-dirt."
Ren Wencai listened to the elders' exchange with a heart that was, privately, quite relaxed.
After all, he was the one who had witnessed Gu Chengming leave a sword mark on the Sword-Questioning Stone with his own eyes. He understood perfectly well that this first trial was no obstacle whatsoever for the boy.
As the elders finished speaking, the formation inscribed across the plaza activated.
A haze of pale azure light surged skyward, instantly enveloping the several thousand disciples gathered in the plaza.
The formation was called Grand Dream, Floating Life — and true to its name, those drawn into it would experience it as a long and vivid dream.
Those who broke free of the illusion under their own power within half an hour were ranked supreme. Within one hour, excellent. Within two hours, adequate. Those who had not awakened by the time the formation closed were deemed to have a Dao-Heart clouded by dust — unlikely to amount to anything.
The moment the formation engaged, the roaring noise of the plaza fell instantly, completely silent.
...
Elsewhere.
Gu Chengming felt the world flicker before his eyes, and the scene around him transformed utterly.
When his vision cleared, he was no longer within the Wenjian Sect.
Beneath his feet, white jade steps wreathed in drifting clouds and mist. Above his head, an immortal palace blazing with ten thousand rays of golden light.
Countless celestial maidens in robes of rainbow silk and feathered gauze stood in respectful rows on either side, bearing exquisite delicacies and fine wine.
And at the top of the steps, a dragon throne — the very symbol of supreme power — waited quietly for him to take his seat.
Below the steps, an uncountable host of cultivators knelt prostrate, among them no few of the sect elders he recognized.
They called out in unison: "We welcome the Immortal Sovereign to his rightful throne! May the Immortal Sovereign reign for ten thousand years and unite the immortal realm!"
Gu Chengming stood on the steps and looked down at it all.
"...That's it?"
He sighed inwardly. This illusion was kind of phoning it in, wasn't it?
As if it had sensed his thoughts, the scene shifted.
The immortal palace vanished, replaced by the warm, rosy glow of silk canopies and gauze curtains.
Several incomparably beautiful women surrounded him, each one a different flavor of loveliness.
But honestly, without character art, this was just boring.
Over the time that followed, the illusion seemed determined to prove itself, cycling through a dizzying parade of life's ultimate peaks.
Glorious campaigns and noble titles. Unmatched dominion over all under heaven. A sword strike that split open the gates of the sky.
It even made him the savior of all creation, rescuing the masses from an ocean of suffering...
Is there no fast-forward on this thing?
Gu Chengming was losing patience.
Back when he used to play visual novels, this kind of plotline was exactly what the Ctrl key was invented for.
The very instant that thought crossed his mind, the images around him suddenly began to warp and accelerate.
The beauty who had been murmuring in his ear urging him to drink — her voice shot up to a sharp, frantic pitch, her movements jerking and twitching as if played back at high speed.
The sun rose and set. Seasons blurred into one another. What should have been a long lifetime's worth of experiences was now compressed as if someone had hit a fifty-times speed button.
The so-called glory, power, and beauty streaked past before his eyes in a smear of indistinct light.
"Holy — it actually works?!"
Gu Chengming blinked.
In just a few breaths, that entire long lifetime had been fast-forwarded to its end.
The scene froze at the moment he was about to ascend and transcend to immortality.
The Heavenly Gates stood wide open. Celestial music swelled.
And at that exact moment, the familiar wave of dizziness hit again.
[Piercing Insight activates.]
Gu Chengming's vision lit up, and those three familiar semi-transparent choice panels materialized directly over the image of his impending ascension.
He couldn't help but laugh.
Well, I'll be — you can play a visual novel inside an illusion now?
He focused on the three options:
[Option 1: That's all? No content with a little more going for it?]
[Option 2: Replay. I think that segment where the celestial maiden was dancing had more to appreciate on a second viewing.]
[Option 3: Illusion — shatter! I'm done playing this boring game.]
Without a moment's hesitation, Gu Chengming selected the third option.
The glittering immortal palace, the endless divine figures, the heavenly gates on the verge of swinging open —
All of it, like a mirror struck by a stone, instantly webbed with cracks.
Crack —
A sharp, clean shattering sound rang out.
Every last image collapsed in an instant, dissolving into countless motes of light.
He had broken free of the illusion, and it had barely cost him any effort at all.
From the perspective of the outside world, only a single breath had passed.
The spirit-light above the Sword-Questioning Stone platform was still gently flickering when Gu Chengming opened his eyes.
His gaze was clear and steady, not a trace of the confusion that ought to mark someone just wrenched from a dream.
At his sides, hundreds upon hundreds of disciples still stood with eyes shut tight. Some wore expressions of anguish; others were drenched in cold sweat, visibly struggling deep within their demonic visions.
The sight was so jarring that the elders up on the high platform, who had been chatting and laughing moments before, all froze mid-motion — teacups still half-raised, forgotten.
"This..."
A steward elder in charge of formation maintenance furrowed his brow, staring down at the inscription pattern beneath Gu Chengming's feet with unconcealed bewilderment. His fingers flew through rapid calculations inside his sleeve, but no matter how he ran the numbers, they didn't add up.
"He broke through in a single breath? That's impossible. Unless... one of the formation nodes in that area has degraded from neglect and malfunctioned — failing to draw this disciple into the illusion at all?"
The moment the words left his mouth, the surrounding elders nodded along.
After all, Gu Chengming was just an outer-sect disciple. If one of the core inner disciples or direct successors had shattered the illusion in an instant, that would be one thing — but for an unknown junior with no reputation to speak of, a formation malfunction was the only explanation anyone could come up with.
Ren Wencai, of course, knew perfectly well that Gu Chengming had broken it on his own merit.
But he was the devious sort. Not only did he refrain from saying so — he actually stood up with an expression of the utmost gravity, folded his hands behind his back, and declared with great righteousness:
"My fellow elders make an excellent point! The integrity of the assessment is a matter of the sect's honor — we cannot afford even the slightest carelessness."
Having said his piece, he fixed Gu Chengming below with a stern, theatrical stare.
"Given the doubt, the result cannot stand. Gu Chengming — do you dare to be tested again before everyone present?"
Gu Chengming was just about to explain that he had already broken the formation, when he looked up and caught the glance Ren Wencai was sending him.
He understood immediately.
So Elder Ren likes to put on a show, does he, Gu Chengming thought. He thinks one breath was too fast for anyone to see clearly — so he's setting up a stage for a proper performance.
Well, if that's what he wants, he can have his little performance.
Elder Ren had helped him out considerably before; the least he could do now was play along with a small piece of theater.
With that settled in his mind, Gu Chengming composed his expression, clasped his hands in a formal bow, and declared in a clear, carrying voice:
"This disciple obeys. I am willing to be tested again."
"Very well — but if it's a retest, we cannot use the grand formation again."
Ren Wencai stroked his beard, let his gaze wander across the assembled elders, and finally settled on Zhao Wuji with a pleasant smile.
"Junior Brother Zhao, if I recall correctly, your greatest area of expertise is the Spirit-Drawing Formula and similar techniques of the divine-soul path. Since everyone suspects the formation of error, why not have Junior Brother Zhao administer a personal one-on-one test for this disciple? That way the process remains fair, and no one can have any objections — what do you say?"
The surrounding elders all nodded their agreement, finding the proposal very sound.
Only Zhao Wuji's expression turned distinctly odd.
That old schemer had always been fiercely protective of his own people. If this disciple were truly without ability, Ren Wencai would have found some way to deflect and cover for him long before now — he certainly wouldn't be volunteering his own face to be slapped.
There's a trap here somewhere.
Zhao Wuji's thoughts churned rapidly, but as he looked at the expectant faces of the surrounding elders, he knew that backing out now would only make him look either cowardly or petty — as if he were deliberately targeting a junior.
"Since Senior Brother Ren flatters me so, I suppose I'll make a fool of myself then."
Zhao Wuji accepted with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He rose slowly to his feet, and the old man's previously clouded gaze sharpened in an instant into something fathomless and deep. An invisible weight of authority began to seep outward from his body, as if the very air around him had grown a degree thicker.
"Boy, this Spirit-Drawing Formula of mine is nothing like that gentle grand formation. Those whose will is not iron-hard may find their divine souls damaged — and if you're lucky, all you'll need is ten days to half a month of rest to recover. If you want to back out now, you still can."
Gu Chengming's expression was calm and composed, neither deferential nor defiant.
"I respectfully invite the Elder's instruction."
"Good!"
Zhao Wuji let out a cold snort and said nothing more.
He drew a slow breath, brought his right index and middle fingers together, and pressed them into the hand-seal.
With a low, sharp syllable from his lips, a dim light flared at his fingertip.
The Spirit-Drawing Formula was no technique of combat or slaughter — but it was supremely adept at dredging up the deepest fears and obsessions lurking at the bottom of a person's heart. Relentless and all-permeating, it was considerably more insidious than the Grand Dream, Floating Life formation.
Gu Chengming neither stepped aside nor shielded himself, letting that dim light sink directly into the center of his brow.
The light entered. A faint coolness stirred through his sea of consciousness, and Gu Chengming braced himself to fast-forward through it again.
And then... nothing happened.
Gu Chengming stood rooted to the spot, eyes closed, and waited.
One breath passed.
Three breaths passed.
Ten breaths passed.
Around him there was only the faintly cool mountain wind, and somewhere in the distance, the vague sound of birdsong.
Gu Chengming was puzzled.
What was going on?
Had Elder Zhao's technique misfired? Or did this Spirit-Drawing Formula have some kind of loading delay before it kicked in?
He was just starting to consider cracking an eye open to check on things, when a line of text suddenly flashed across his vision —
[Hundred Bones Resonance is inwardly horrified: WHERE IS THIS PLACE?!]
Gu Chengming's mind produced a single, eloquent question mark.
"?"
Wait — how are you the one who got pulled in?
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