The Immortal Slaying Mirror stopped flashing purple. Dong Meirong opened her eyes. Blood trickled down the corner of her eyes. Her pale skin paled further, making her indistinguishable from white paint. Her body trembled. Total chaos rampaged through her mind. Images of the bright smile her best and only friend gave her along with the happy moments they shared together flickered within her mind. Blue diamond earrings, a golden pendant, bright pink lips, rosy beige skin with some freckles around the cheeks and kind gold eyes, clung to her memories. She wiped away the blood, stumbling backwards into the ground.
She dragged her knees towards her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She didn't sob, let alone make a sound. She just sat. No one made a sound the moment they noticed what was going on. Mostly because of the respect she garnered for breaking past the record set by Qian Jian. A record that stood the test of time for a full two hundred years. Few of them had the qualifications to challenge the record.
Elder Mo didn't rush her this time. She earned his respect. Breaking the record set by Qian Jian attested to the sturdiness of her Dao Heart. Her Minor God talent paired with that unbreakable heart of hers meant she was destined to become something great in the future. The Spectral Haven Sect would be fortunate to have her as a member. Even if she lost, he was willing to make the exception and have her join as an inner disciple of the Inner Court.
"Dong Meirong. Passed. Supreme Dao Heart Foundation. A thousand points," Elder Mo said.
The Four Slabs above the stage lit up. Dong Meirong's name shot up to the first place. One-thousand points were written right next to her name in the total points column. Someone started clapping, disrupting the silence that brewed within the stadium. The rest of the participants and even some Transcendent Dao children joined, giving Dong Meirong a standing ovation for her exceptional performance. Some of the Transcendent Dao Children spotted long faces. Dong Meirong's performance meant they didn't dare take the Dao Heart Testing portion of the exam. None of them could afford to put on less of a spectacle than her.
One of the few Transcendent Dao Children to take the loss without annoyance was Feng Meng, a scion of the great Phoenix Clan. He didn't join the rest of the participants in the standing ovation, choosing to remain still and observe. Another reason for not standing up was so as not to disturb the purple-skinned lady using his shoulder as a pillow. He flicked a strand of her purple hair that stuck to her lips. He tapped her forehead, injecting a bit of spirit qi into her. Her eyes fluttered open.
"I guess I'll have to take cousins approach to this," Feng Meng said.
"Did she break the record?" the girl asked.
"Unfortunately she did Violet. My fastest speed clearing the Dao Heart Test was fifty three seconds, about four seconds behind her. If I went, I can at most do it in fifty-one to fifty two seconds. That won't cut it. I'd rather skip it and let people guess my Dao Heart foundation, than go up and remove all doubt," said Feng Meng.
"I won't go either. My mother would kill me if she learned I failed a Dao Heart Test," said Violet.
"I don't believe it. You scored fifty-five seconds yesterday. You need to complete the test in sixty minutes to pass," Feng Meng giggled.
"Ugh… don't act as if you don't know how particular my mother is about these things," Violet hit his shoulder with her fist.
"Ouch! my fiance wants to kill me," Feng Meng shouted as softly as possible, akin to a whisper.
"Don't draw unnecessary attention. It wasn't that hard," Violet murmured, "Wake me up when start the fun test starts."
"You started it," said Feng Meng, "Fine. I'll keep that in mind."
Violet closed her eyes and rested her head on his shoulders once more. Instantly, her breathing rhythm changed. Her breathing pace slowed down to a point where someone without enhanced sense would think she was a corpse. Feng Meng slid his hand underneath her arms, squeezing her closer to him. He planted a kiss on her forehead. Then he shot his gaze to Long Wei's black and gold pavilion. There was something fishy going on between him and Dong Meirong. Long Wei had a habit of never agreeing to deals from those weaker than him in both ability and background unless he was the one offering it. And he knew that the Cosmic Bead wasn't a treasure that could force him to accept a deal. There had to be something underneath the surface.
Dong Meirong stood up after five minutes. She no longer looked like a sheet of white paper. She got the sequela from the Dao Heart Test under control. Clenching her fist she walked down the stage, confident in every step. Gazes of reverence and respect followed her. Some of the participants moved out of the way for her. One of the girls from the same faction as she, rushed to embrace her in a hug. At first, she was shocked, but quickly accepted it and patted the girl's back once she realized who it was.
"Meirong! You broke the record! You were awesome," Yi Biya extracted herself from the hug.
"I did?"
"Didn't you hear the standing ovation? Or Elder Mo's announcement? Look!"
Yi Biya frantically pointed at one of the slabs floating above the stage. Don Meirong followed her finger. Her eyes bulged when she saw the number of points she gained from passing her test. A full thousand points! Only one other person managed to get that number, Qian Jian. Did she break his record? How? Another divergence… She shot her gaze to the man who should have broken the record, Feng Meng. She shook her head in confusion. Her Dao Heart wasn't this strong. What happened? Yi Biya tugged on her wrist and dragged her to their seating area. The other girls were all smiles, cheering her for her performance. She smiled back at them but chose a corner a bit far from them to gather her thoughts.
In the gold and blue pavilion right next to Long Wei's pavilion, the First, Second and Third Elders sat around a small table with the Vice Sect Master. Their personal disciples sat around a smaller table, drinking wine and enjoying some vicious beast meat as they ate. The Vice Sect Master straightened his white robe filled with golden cloud symbols and cupped his chin. The other elders chatted happily, enjoying each other's company as they discussed the new recruits.
" Don't argue with me on this, I have dibs on that Feng Li kid. He has some talent. Under the right training regiment he could surpass Qian Jian," the Third Elder, Qian Jian's master said.
"Qian Jian is enough for you junior brother. Don't be too greedy," the First Elder was having none of it.
The Third Elder was given dibs for the past two centuries and he picked the best in each batch. They were left to pick subpar talents compared to Qian Jian and Lai Xiaolian. He wouldn't let Lui Ying gain another treasure for a third time in a row. Not on his watch. He snatched a cup of Immortal Bliss wine from the table and gurgled it in an instant. Yu Yongnian, the Second Elder went silent. He didn't want to involve himself in the pair's disputes. The last three times he tried, he lost a few precious treasures. He wouldn't fall for their shenanigans a fourth time. And his mind was more focused on Dong Meirong. He believed in steady progress. Someone with such a strong Dao Heart foundation was perfect for him.
"Why are you fighting me for the Feng Li kid, didn't you want the brat Feng Meng?" Lui Ying harrumphed.
Lui Ying was a large man, built like a beast in human form. His arms and legs were as wide as two adult humans. He had a large bull-like face, large, thick and brutish, complete with thick eyebrows and a large nose. His muscles strained the golden robe he wore. Every one of his movements gave the illusion that the poor fabric would snap. They never did. His clothes were made using Eon Silk from an Eon Spider, normally found in black holes on the brink of collapse. He gave his elder brother a stink-eye and shut his mouth in surrender. The Vice Sect Master didn't need to watch them bicker for the rest of the day.
"Dong Meirong has broken your record Qian Jian, how do you feel about that?" The Vice Sect Master tried changing the subject.
Qian Jian dropped a cup of wine onto the table and fell into deep thought. She broke his record. When he saw the scene a brief spark of disappointment lit in him, but he shoved it down as quick as possible. Records were meant to be broken. They weren't eternal. He didn't see a need to let one record shove him into resentment. Talent needed appreciation.
"At first I felt disappointed. I was somewhat wishing that I set an eternal record back then. After all I beat the previous record by a full twenty seconds. But I shouldn't let the past shackle my future advancements. So I'm glad. There is always someone greater," Qian Jian guided the Vice Sect Master through his thought process.
"Its good you understand. You should pay a little more attention to her. Her Dao Heart screams greatness in the future. I want you to be her mentor once this trial is over," said the Vice Sect Master.
"I'll try my best," Qian Jian smiled.