[As the third hour passed, you opened your eyes and exhaled in a state of relaxation.]
[Having been awake for over a day now, and being only at the 1st level of Essence Refinement, you are no better than a mortal in terms of capacity to stay awake for prolonged periods. With all the effort that you had put into the second stage, being able to meditate and refresh your mind is extremely relieving.]
[No sooner than you opened your eyes, the senior that had the overwhelming presence appeared in front of all the examinees that remained.]
[Before he began to speak, the senior raised his hand and waved forward one of the Elders that had overseen the second stage. Once the Elder arrived, she began to speak: "The second stage was graded in 2 main directions. The first being the points gained from the elimination of beasts, and the second being from the gathering of treasures. Other factors such as cultivation level, group effort and cooperation, and various combat statistics were taken into account, but those will be disclosed at a later time."]
[The Elder continued to speak about the second stage and everything that had happened, before announcing that those who entered into the second stage had since been split into three groups: those who have failed the examination, those that will enter the Sect as Probationary Disciples, and those that will have the chance to enter the third stage and aim for a higher position as disciples.]
[The last thing that the Elder did before vanishing from sight was to announce those that were currently ranking the highest with points that they had earned through both the first and second stages.]
[Your name was first. There was an astounding difference between you and second place, your sister, with your treasures and your Dao Seed playing the largest role.]
[While you had understood that this was to be expected, the rest of those that had passed the second stage were completely stunned.]
[None of the other examinees had seen or heard of you during the course of the second examination, and because the Elders had taken the treasures you had collected to tally your points before you returned to the mountain, nobody recognized you to be the thief that had stolen their goods.]
[Furthermore, your stoic, brooding face makes others believe you to be an innately brave and courageous individual. You naturally look to be someone that would dominate in an exam that focuses on battle.]
[Once the Elder announced the top twenty examinees, with you and your sister taking first and second, she disappeared and the powerful senior that had summoned her began to speak: "For those listed in the top 20, you will be advancing to the third stage. Upon arrival, you will be handed a technique suitable for your level, and will be given a period of 12 hours. Within that time, the more of the technique that you can comprehend, the more points you will earn. Once all examinees are finished, you will use your points to exchange for a position within the Sect. Of course, the positions are all higher than Probationary Disciples."]
[After the senior finished what he was saying, you felt an energy wrap around your body before you and the other examinees promptly vanished from the mountain side.]
[When you felt yourself slow to a stop, you noticed that you were now on top of the mountain, though it seemed to be completely different from the mountain you had started at. Taking in your surroundings, you couldn't decide whether or not you were even in the same mountain range.]
[What you could tell, however, was that the level of Essence on this mountain completely eclipsed the level of Essence everywhere else that you had been. The Perch family villa, the woods in the Perch territory, the city of Thalli, and even the small hut that was a part of the All Consuming Sect mountain range. None of them could begin to match the level of Essence here.]
Aron took a deep gulp reading this information. While he knew that the levels of Essence here at the Perch villa and the surrounding area was quite high, he knew that, when compared to the Imperial Palace in the Olsen Empire, the Essence levels weren't that significant.
What Aron was most stunned by was that the levels of Essence on the mountain had exceeded the levels of Essence at the hut in the All Consuming Sect.
With the years of experience he had, however few, Aron could quickly tell that the mountain he was now on in the simulation was likely a core location within the Variant Earth Sect. With the levels of Essence here, Aron wouldn't be surprised if this was near the center of the Sect.
To be brought to such a place only meant that the high officials of the Sect wanted to provide the disciples with the most potential with benefits that could ensure that they are able to advance to a disciple position above that of the Outer Sect.
With so much surrounding Essence, Aron knew that the ability to comprehend the techniques that were going to be given to them would increase drastically.
The Sect wanted them to grow in the most efficient and beneficial manner. The Sect wanted to provide them with ample opportunity to thrive and develop themselves.
[You hear a voice ring out in your mind telling you to begin as a rough book appears in your hands.]
[Without even thinking, you sit down to open the book and read it. The sooner you can commence the comprehension of the technique, the more points you would be able to gather towards your position as a disciple.]
Aron was slightly concerned about the kind of technique his simulated self would receive.
If the technique were to be unrelated to Dao Seeds, Aron was likely to fall towards the bottom of the pack in terms of points. While everyone else at the examination would have Greater, Major, or even Peak Cores, along with the high comprehension that comes with that talent, his comprehension abilities would be a reflection of his own Core talent.
Only if the technique was related to Dao Seeds, would he be able to show off high level comprehension abilities.
But Aron did not think that that would be very likely.
First of all, to even have a Dao Seed so early was just too rare. This rarity would result in a lack of techniques that cater to low level cultivators.
Also, Aron hadn't even officially joined the Variant Earth Sect, yet. He was still in the midst of the Disciple Examination, giving him no right to any kind of technique that would be as valuable as a Dao Seed oriented technique.
So, he could only hope that his simulated self would be able to perform well enough to give him a spot in the Inner Sect. From there he would be able to give himself a stable enough position to slowly develop himself and his understanding of the broader world.
With his thoughts concluding, Aron turned his attention back to the simulation.
[Looking at the book, you notice that the name of the technique is not on the cover. Opening it, you still can't find a name.]
[As you look through the technique, you discover that it is an offensive technique. Reading through the description, it seems that the level of power that one can derive from the technique is dependent on the speed that they can reach.]
[Like the third stage's overseer had said, you received a technique that suited your current specialty: speed.]
[You also notice that, as you had predicted, the technique was unrelated to anything regarding Dao Seeds. It was just a typical peak White technique.]
[You continue to read through the technique, ensuring that you memorize every move within the book.]
[Once the various steps and forms of the technique are in your mind, you close your eyes and begin to contemplate them.]
[The hours steadily passed as you contemplated the technique. Most other examinees had long since begun the physical practice of their techniques, but you knew that no matter how much you tried to physically practice it, you wouldn't be able to keep up with those with higher Cores.]
[Instead, you used your mind to connect the new technique with your current movement technique.]
[You don't need to combine them, just understand how to use them in conjunction with one another. After all, the faster you move, the more powerful this new technique will be. As long as you understand the basics of the new offensive technique, you should be able to garner a significant amount of points.]
[As you are engrossed in comprehending the offensive technique, time slowly ticks by. Soon, the whole half day is up.]
[You are awakened by a gust of energy sweeping over the mountain. When you open your eyes, you are in a large, gray room. Looking around, you see nobody besides yourself.]
[In the center of the room, you see a single, faceless mannequin. Though the mannequin was not moving, nor was it holding any weapons, you could feel the energy that the mannequin was projecting. It was roughly the same cultivation as you, being in the 1st level of Essence Refinement.]
[Just as you begin to grow confused about your current location, the voice of the powerful senior that had brought you to this mountain spoke into your mind: "To test your comprehension and understanding of the technique you received, you have been placed into the Variant Earth Sect's 49 Seal Tower. Each floor of the tower will increase in difficulty, and the points you will receive will be based on your use of the provided technique, along with the floor of the tower that you made it to. Fight hard. In the Variant Earth Sect, nothing is given, all is earned."]
[As the voice grew quiet, a dim gem within the chest of the mannequin seemed to flicker to life. With the light of the gem, the mannequin went active, sprinting to the wall.]
[As the mannequin arrived at the wall, you watched it grab a blade that was hanging there.]
[With the blade in its hand, the mannequin turned and began to run towards you. As the mannequin arrived, it took a heavy slash towards your head.]
[With a small sidestep, the slash missed you completely. You realize that while the two of you may have the same level of cultivation, your pure and dense Essence carried you far beyond what the mannequin was capable of.]
[While the mannequin was off balance from the failed attack, you had several opportunities to finish the battle and move on to the next floor. Still, you restrained yourself.]
Aron was confused for a moment before he realized why 'he' may spare the life of the mannequin. During the period that was given to comprehend and practice the technique, he had done so only in his mind. Aron had taken the full 12 hours to memorize and contemplate how best to use the technique that was given to him by the Sect.
Because of this, Aron had not had the opportunity to test the technique at all.
While his mind remembered the moves, and he was confident that he would be able to use it in conjunction with his movement technique, his body had not yet acquainted itself with the technique.
So, while the mannequin is weak and the difficulty of the floor is low, Aron felt it would be best if time was taken to actually use the technique in reality, rather than just in his mindscape.
It was even more important, because there was no set time limit for this part of the third stage. Aron could take as much time as he needed to play around with the mannequins and develop his familiarity with the technique.
[For the next 30 minutes, you run in circles around the mannequin. Using your movement technique and the new offensive technique, you familiarize your body with how to use the two together.]
[Eventually, thinking that this floor had helped you all it could, you take a single step towards the mannequin and, while flashing forward, execute a simple slash.]
[The mannequin falls to the ground, and the gem in its chest grows dim. Motes of white light cover its body before it flashes away.]
[Just as the first mannequin disappears, two more flashes of light appear in the large, gray room. As the light goes away, you see two more mannequins both at the same level of cultivation as the first.]
[The gems in their chests begin to grow with light.]
[Instead of running over to the wall to grab a blade, both of these mannequins already have one. Immediately, they begin to rush you. Two heavy slashes fall on your position simultaneously.]