The next day, Ron left Agnum City satisfied. The rest of his journey was smooth, and he reached Zhang sect after 3 days. The wagon dropped him in front of a trading village, right below a mountain range, which spanned hundreds of kilometers; the selection process would start the day after tomorrow, right at the entrance of the mountain.
He saw people flying on swords, into and out of the mountaintop. The mountain itself was very vast, and he was barely able to see the top of the mountain, where a giant gate stood tall. A stream came down the mountains, making the waterfall look scenic.
The village was bustling as many people were coming here in wagons, on horses, and even on foot to attend the Zhang sect's selection of outer disciples. Many of them were accompanied by family; some of them came alone, and it all looked just like college entrance exams on earth, where family and friends drop them off at the examination center and wait for them to return with success.
'Damn, I'm getting emotional! Sam wasn't able to have a good life in my past life, so I'll make sure that he gets everything this time around, and I'll also make sure that my parents live a long and happy life'
Ron encouraged himself and stepped into the village. There are still 2 days left for the selection process, so he checked into a hotel.
"Hey, bro, what's your name? You must be here for the outer disciple selection, right? Do you want to join our group? It'll be really helpful to stick together in the selection process"
Ron rejected them and moved forward; there were people already forming groups, so that they will have an advantage in clearing the outer disciple selection.
The guy instantly turned fierce, and the group left towards a new target.
It's not just this; Ron heard that there was an incident at the restaurant as well. Someone tried to tease a girl, and she broke a few bones of that guy and chased him around the village.
There were even some middle-aged men dressed as youngsters walking around the village. The selection process clearly had an age limit of 17 years. Anyone over 17 will not be allowed. These guys wanted to skip this with just a makeover, as if that was going to make them look younger!
All sorts of bizarre things happened as he waited for those two days.
On the day of selection, Ron woke up early, before the sun rose, and got ready to leave for the mountain. When he came out, there were already many people lined up; he went along and stood among them.
After a while, a group of cultivators descended from the mountain top and stopped right at the entrance of the mountain. The inspector took out a crystal ball and placed it on the table. People began to enter the mountain one by one, and the inspector checked the bone age and cultivation level roots of each individual.
"Samuel Wood, age 17, First Level Body Refinement Realm"
"Sameera Jackson, Age 16, Second Level Body Refinement Realm"
"Elijah Noah, Rejected!"
Boom!
The middle-aged man who dressed as a youngster was lifted into the air and thrown far away; he lost consciousness and lay there with torn clothes.
"You people won't change no matter what. Do you think the rules of the Zhang sect are something you can trample on? I won't warn you again, but anyone under 17 better get out of here now. If I find one, then you can forget about leaving, as you'll be buried on this mountain"
The inspector scared away almost 20 people from the line; the line got shortened, and Ron moved forward.
"Ayesha Shaik, Age 16, Fifth Level Body Refinement Realm"
There were instantaneous murmurs going around. It's definitely the highest cultivation level among the people who have been appraised so far.
"Bob Meyers, 15 years old, mortal. hm? Hey kid, are you sure you want to join this selection? There is no guarantee for your life once the selection process begins. I'd suggest you leave and come back when you break through to the body refinement realm; you still have 2 years"
Bob bowed to him and spoke with a loud voice,
"Sir, Please allow me to participate in the selection process! I'm an orphan ready to do anything, even risk my life to join the Zhang sect. Please do not take this opportunity away from me and allow me to participate this year!"
There was silence for a moment, but then the inspector sighed and allowed him in.
"Thank you, sir!"
Bob excitedly entered the mountain, shouting loudly.
Next, Ron arrived in front of the inspector and placed his hand on a crystal ball.
"Ron Rogers, Age 16, Third Level Body Refinement Realm"
Fortunately, the inspector didn't discover anything abnormal. He thought that Alexa might be exposed during the appraisal, but it looks like they are not able to detect it.
The appraisal continued for a while, and most of the candidates were filtered out. Everyone stood neatly in front of the mountain. An elder with a long beard, wearing blue robes, flew in front of the crowd. He looked at the crowd, which instantly made them all shut up. It was completely silent.
"The outer disciple selection of the Zhang sect officially starts now!"
"There are three tests that you all will have to clear, in order to become a disciple of my Zhang sect. The first test is a survival challenge, only those who are strong or quick witted can survive it. The second test checks your aptitude for learning new skills. The final test is to check your cultivation aptitude"
"Those who don't want to lose their lives leave right now, because you won't get that chance again. I'll give you an incense's worth of time"
No one budged from their places. They already knew that they would have to put their lives on the line for this selection, but they are determined to enter the sect, as it's not an opportunity anyone wants to miss.