They woke up; all twenty-one testers were conscious. Instantly, they collapsed to the ground, one of them, heavily injured from being pierced by a skeletal figure, was vomiting.
"Elder Ku, they've all woken up!" a disciple of the Taiqing Immortal Sect exclaimed excitedly.
"Ask them what happened in the mental realm," Elder Ku replied, urgency in his voice. The testers realized that those who died in the illusion had perished in reality too.
"How can this be? People really die?"
"Isn't it just a test? How could we have died? We nearly did!" Panic ensued as they thought about their pursuit of joining the Taiqing Immortal Sect; if they lost their lives, what was the point?
"Don't worry, you've all been accepted as official disciples of Taiqing Immortal Sect; today was just an accident."
"Alright, tell us what you experienced."
Gradually calming down, the testers recounted their ordeal…
"You saw a skeleton, a white bony figure?" Elder Ku's expression changed abruptly.
"Yes! If not for someone organizing us, we might have been killed one by one! We couldn't budge that skeleton; all twenty of us were barely holding it off."
Elder Ku's face fluctuated between emotions, murmuring, "Has that evil entity returned?"
"Elder Ku? You know what that is?" a disciple couldn't help but ask.
"Seal the lips of everyone here; this matter must not spread!" Elder Ku's tone was gravely serious. He didn't explain the skeletal figure, but his expression made the gravity of the situation clear to all.
"Understood!"
Nearby, Xiao Nanfeng felt a twinge of dissatisfaction. They almost died, and not even an explanation?
"Evil entity, huh?" Xiao Nanfeng muttered the term Elder Ku had just mentioned.
At that moment, several relieved testers turned to Xiao Nanfeng. One, struggling to stand, approached him and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, senior brother, for saving me. I'll remember this!" he said solemnly.
Xiao Nanfeng looked youthful, clearly younger than the man, yet he was addressed as "senior brother." The gratitude was sincere; without Xiao Nanfeng's decisive leadership, they would have died.
As the youth bowed, others followed suit, expressing their gratitude to Xiao Nanfeng.
"Thank you for saving us!" they chorused.
Xiao Nanfeng stood and returned their bows, speechless.
Everyone turned their gaze to him, realizing he was the one who had inspired hope and coordinated their efforts against the skeleton. In that moment, the perception of Xiao Nanfeng shifted; his character was not just exceptional but outstanding. He was the clear frontrunner in this test.
The disciples responsible for recruitment watched Xiao Nanfeng with envy. Such a character, even if lacking in cultivation, was a prize worth pursuing.
The only ones feeling uncomfortable were two groups: Ye Dafu and his friends, who felt sick with jealousy, and Zhao Yuanjiao, who suspected Xiao Nanfeng might be a spy from the Dark Sect. Seeing him receive accolades made him frown.
"Your name is Nanfeng? I'm responsible for recruiting Huang Faction disciples. Join us, and I'll recommend you to the master and provide the best guidance."
"No way! He's ours!"
"Hmph, we from Tian Faction have our sights on him!"
Xiao Nanfeng suddenly turned to Elder Ku, "Elder Ku, I heard that the best performer can choose their master? I'm Nanfeng; may I ask you to be my master?"
Everyone froze, surprised by his request.
"To become your master?" Elder Ku responded, slightly taken aback.
"Yes! I want you to be my master!" Xiao Nanfeng bowed earnestly.
All eyes were on Elder Ku, who contemplated for a moment. "So, you organized the effort against that evil entity? What were your thoughts at the time?"
Xiao Nanfeng hesitated, "Nothing special. I just wanted to survive. If we were to be killed one by one, it was better to combine our strength and fight back. I just wanted to live."
"A commendable desire to survive! I'm satisfied with your answer, and you saved everyone. However, I haven't taken on disciples in many years, and I lack the time to teach you. Let's do this: I'll take you as a registered disciple for now. If you still wish to be my disciple in a year, I'll accept you then."
"Thank you, master! I'm Nanfeng, your disciple!" Xiao Nanfeng bowed again.
"Then follow me for now; if in a year you want to formally become my disciple, we'll set the terms then." Elder Ku nodded.
"Under your guidance!"
Xiao Nanfeng's public initiation caused the recruiters to feel regret, but the disciples of Xuan Faction smiled, as Elder Ku was one of their elders. Even if Xiao Nanfeng didn't become a direct disciple, he would still be a brother of Xuan Faction.
"Alright, the test is over. Hold my guqin; we must leave," Elder Ku instructed.
"Yes!" Xiao Nanfeng replied respectfully, carrying the ancient instrument.
Elder Ku summoned a celestial crane.
"Call another to carry my new disciple," he instructed.
The crane flew off into the mountains and returned shortly with another.
As they mounted the cranes, the other Taiqing Immortal Sect disciples respectfully bowed.
Elder Ku, settling on the crane, spoke solemnly, "An accident occurred; that evil entity has returned and will surely appear again. I cannot continue testing your character through music; find someone else next time."
"Elder Ku? Are you saying the skeleton is not dead and will return?" a disciple gasped.
"It wouldn't be called an evil entity if it could be easily killed. However, compared to years past, it's much weaker. But now that it's back… sigh! Inform the sect master; he will know."
"Let's go." Elder Ku urged the cranes, lifting off toward the misty mountains of Taiqing Immortal Sect.
While they departed, the Hall of Invoking Immortals was still filled with heavy hearts, reflecting on the nine promising candidates who had inexplicably died.
Ye Dafu and his group were frustrated—why did Xiao Nanfeng, a nobody, have such luck?
Zhao Yuanjiao squinted, watching Xiao Nanfeng leave.
"Master, did that Nanfeng really become Elder Ku's disciple? He took him to the scripture palace; what now?" a junior brother whispered.
Zhao Yuanjiao replied coolly, "It's fine. There are Xuan Faction disciples in the scripture palace. Notify them to keep an eye on him."
"Understood!"