The smell inside the carriage was unpleasant, but this could hardly be surprising. The optimal capacity for this carriage was only ten people, but currently, there were about thirty young children squeezed into the carriage. Even if young children had smaller bodies than adults, the space inside the carriage was intolerably cramped.
The clever Xu Su had chosen a seat near the sides when he had first entered the carriage and was now stealthily observing the other children.
The children who had registered or been nominated to take the test at the Seven Clouds Sect could be segregated into three different groups based on their clothing and bearing.
In the first group, there was a youth wearing silk clothing seated in the center of the carriage, surrounded by the majority of the children.
This youth's name was Mu Yan. He was 13 years old, one of the oldest children to be seated inside the carriage. Normally, he would not be even here since his age had already exceeded the age limit, but one of his older female cousins was married to someone of authority inside the Seven Clouds Sect. Therefore, Mu Yan's age was purposely overlooked and he was allowed to join the selection. Mu Yan's family ran a martial arts dojo, so he had access to a considerable amount of wealth. From a young age, he practiced external martial arts. Even though his talent could not be considered excellent, when facing against Xu Su's type- children who had never practiced martial arts before- it was more than enough for Mu Yan to trample them underfoot.
It was very clear that children like Mu Yan, who came from powerful wealthy families and had previously practiced martial arts, could be considered the elite within the groups of children inside the carriage.
The second group of children were from different backgrounds: some came from the families of shopkeepers, some came from the families of workers, or families of craftsmen, and so on. However, they all had one special thing in common; they grew up in the city. Thus, from an early age, they had learned from the elders of their families on how to observe people and know what was beneficial for them. Because of this, these children surrounded Mu Yan and repeatedly called out "Young Master Mu" and "Big Brother Mu" to curry favor. Mu Yan seemed to be used to being fawned over.
The third group of children were people like Xu Su; this group came from remote and poor villages. They usually made do with what they had, were poor, and had suffered a life of hardship and strife. Only several children belonged to this third group, creating a minority inside the carriage. They usually kept to themselves and had a quiet demeanor, not even daring to speak or laugh loudly. They were a refreshing change when compared to those loud children.
After the horse carriage exited Pinewall Village, it sped westward and made a few detours to visit other locations and collect even more children. On the fifth day, they managed to arrive at the Celestial White Mountain, the home of the Seven Clouds Sect, near sundown.
The first thing the children saw after exiting the carriage was the beautiful, captivating sunset. It was only when Protector Zhao started to rally the children that they woke up from their daze and continued proceeding forward.
Celestial White Mountain was originally called Falling Dragon Mountain. Legend has it that during ancient times, a white-colored Dragon fell on this location, then gradually transformed into a mountain. After this place was discovered by humans, they realized how beautiful the sunset looked behind the mountain and rosy pink clouds. Inspired by the majestic image, the humans decided to rename this place Celestial White Mountain.
The Celestial White Mountain was the second largest mountain in the Jang Province after the Xie Mang Mountain. It was extremely spacious, spanning a radius of ten Li. The Celestial White Mountain was actually a mountain range consisting of ten mountain peaks, each of them being incredibly dangerous, and under the control of the various divisions of the Seven Clouds Sect.
The main mountain peak of the Celestial White Mountain was named the "Rainbow Clouds Summit"; it was treacherous and dangerous beyond comparison. Not only was it extremely steep, but there was also only a single path between the peak and base of the mountain. After the Seven Clouds Sect rebuilt their roots in this area, they set up a total of thirteen checkpoints on the path up the mountain. Some of these checkpoints were hidden while others were out in the open. They were prepared for every single route that the Feral Snake Gang might use to invade the mountain.
As Xu Su followed the escorts in front of the group, he surveyed his nearby surroundings. Suddenly, the escorts stopped as waves of friendly and amicable voices rang out.
"Little Brother Zhao, why did you arrive so late? You're two days behind schedule."
"Division Head Li , we were delayed by the journey here, sorry for making you worry." Standing in front of all the children, Protector Zhao replied respectfully as he bowed to a red-faced old man. Protector Zhao's stern facade was instantly replaced by a look of fawning.
"This is the batch number seventeen."
"En!" This Division Head Li pompously looked toward Xu Su and the other children.
"Send them to the courtyard, let them rest for tonight. Tomorrow morning, we'll begin the selection process. Send those who fail or break the rules back down the mountain."
"Understood, Division Head Li ."
Walking atop of the mountain's stone steps, the children were tremendously excited, but no one dared to speak loudly. Despite their young age, the children somehow knew that this place would determine their fates.
The majority of the people they met on their way were all wearing green clothes and were equipped with a blade or sword. Even those that appeared empty-handed wore pouches full of mysterious items around their waists. From their bearing and conduct, one could tell that all of these people were somewhat proficient at martial arts.
Xu Su and the rest of the children were brought to a mountain peak that seemed lower in height in comparison to the other mountain peaks. On the summit, there was a house made of mud, built for the children to sleep in during the night. As he slept, Xu Su dreamed that he was wearing silk, had a golden sword in his hands, and possessed peerless martial arts, soundly beating the village blacksmith's sons who he was previously no match for. Then he woke on the second morning, still reminiscent of his dream.
Protector Zhao did not let the children enjoy breakfast. Instead, he brought all of the children down the mountain to a steep slope containing many bamboo shoots. There, Division Head Li and a few other youths whom Xu Su didn't recognize were already waiting for them.