The next morning, the small town at the foot of Cloud Mountain was completely packed.
Thousands of young cultivators filled the streets.
Some looked confident, some looked nervous, and some were already showing off their strength in small fights.
Lin Kai stood in front of a bronze mirror inside the rented courtyard.
He wore simple gray robes and had changed his appearance slightly with a basic disguise technique.
His black hair was tied differently, and his face looked a little older.
He also used a thin layer of energy to hide the special aura of his Void Core.
“From today, my name is Chen Yan,” he said calmly.
Wang Bo laughed.
“Chen Yan? Simple name. Easy to remember.”
Su Mei looked a bit worried.
“Be careful. Even with a disguise, some strong experts might still sense something strange about you.”
Lin Kai nodded.
“I know. You all stay in the town and watch from outside. If the Li Clan tries anything big, send a signal.”
Ye Chen stepped forward and handed him a small jade slip.
“This contains a simple communication method. Crush it if you need us.”
Lin Kai put the jade slip away and left the courtyard alone.
The registration for the Cloud Mountain Sect entrance test was held in a large open square at the base of the mountain.
Hundreds of young people stood in long lines.
Sect disciples in green robes were checking identities and cultivation levels.
When Lin Kai’s turn came, a young outer disciple looked at him and asked, “Name and age?”
“Chen Yan. Eighteen years old.”
The disciple placed a testing stone in front of him.
“Put your hand on it.”
Lin Kai placed his hand on the stone.
He carefully controlled his Void Core so that only the power of Mid Stage 6 would be shown.
The stone glowed yellow.
“Mid Stage 6. Acceptable,” the disciple said and handed him a wooden number plate.
“Your number is 347. The first test will begin in one hour. Wait in Area C.”
Lin Kai took the plate and walked toward Area C.
As he moved through the crowd, he noticed several people who stood out.
Zhao Rong was standing under a tree, calmly fanning himself.
When their eyes met, Zhao Rong gave a small smile of recognition but said nothing.
Not far away, a beautiful girl in white robes stood quietly.
This was Luo Qingya.
Many young men were trying to talk to her, but she ignored all of them.
On the other side of the square, a young man in plain black clothes sat alone on a rock.
His eyes were closed, and a long sword rested on his knees.
The atmosphere around him was sharp and calm.
This was Feng Jian.
Lin Kai found a quiet corner and sat down to wait.
Around him, many participants were talking.
“I heard the first test is simple. We just need to break a strength testing stone.”
“Simple for geniuses maybe. Last time, more than half of the people failed.”
“Did you hear about the Black Flame Demon? People say he might come to the test.”
Lin Kai listened quietly without showing any reaction.
One hour later, a powerful aura descended from the mountain.
An old man in white robes appeared in the air.
His cultivation was at least Stage 9.
This was Elder Zhou, one of the outer sect elders in charge of the test.
“Silence!” Elder Zhou’s voice echoed across the square.
“The first test will now begin. Each of you will attack the Strength Testing Stone with your full power. Those who can make the stone shine with at least three lights will pass. Begin!”
Large black stones were placed in several areas.
Participants started lining up.
When it was Lin Kai’s turn, he walked forward calmly.
Many people looked at him with little interest.
A Mid Stage 6 cultivator was not considered special among so many geniuses.
Lin Kai stood in front of the stone and took a deep breath.
He did not use his full power.
He only used enough strength to clearly pass the test.
He punched the stone.
Boom!
Four lights shone brightly.
The stone shook slightly.
A few people nearby looked surprised.
“Four lights at Mid Stage 6? Not bad.”
Lin Kai stepped back without any expression and waited for the results.
Zhao Rong’s turn came soon after.
He only used one finger and made the stone shine with six lights.
The crowd immediately became noisy.
Luo Qingya’s attack created a layer of ice on the stone and also produced six lights.
The cold energy made many people shiver.
When Feng Jian walked up, the square became quieter.
He simply unsheathed his sword a little and released a sharp sword intent.
The testing stone cracked slightly and shone with seven lights.
The whole square fell into silence for a moment before exploding with noise.
“Seven lights!”
“Who is that guy?!”
Elder Zhou’s eyes also showed a bit of interest.
Lin Kai watched everything carefully.
These three were truly strong.
Especially Feng Jian.
His sword intent was very pure.
After the first test ended, more than half of the participants were eliminated.
Only a few hundred people remained for the second test.
Elder Zhou spoke again.
“The second test will be a combat test. You will fight against each other in groups. Those who show enough strength and technique will pass. The test will begin tomorrow morning.”
The remaining participants were led to temporary living areas on the lower part of the mountain.
Lin Kai was assigned to a small wooden room.
As he sat down to rest, he received a faint message from the jade slip Ye Chen had given him.
“Li Clan people have arrived in the town. They are searching for any sign of you. Be careful.”
Lin Kai crushed the message and closed his eyes.
“Let them search,” he whispered.
“Tomorrow, the real test begins.”
Far away in the spectator area that was being prepared for important guests, Lin Feng stood with several Lin Clan elders.
He looked at the list of remaining participants and stopped when he saw the name “Chen Yan.”
A cold smile appeared on his face.
“Chen Yan… interesting disguise. Do you really think I will not recognize your smell, you piece of trash?”
The second test was about to become much more dangerous than anyone expected.
End of Chapter 16