novelraw Chapter 8 – Let's have a fight
Chapter 8 – Let's have a fight
Qin Yu awoke from the illusory realm, his memories from reality and the illusion blending together, leaving him with a sense of disorientation.
"Is it over already? So, what was the third test about? Was it about petting a dog?"
Qin Yu recalled that he had simply petted a dog for a while in the illusory realm before being transported out.
"No wonder they say the third test of the Xuantian Sect is abstract. You finish it without even knowing what it was about."
Qin Yu checked his backpack and found that the stinky tofu wrapped in yellow paper had mysteriously disappeared.
"Can the illusory realm actually affect reality? No, wait!"
Qin Yu suddenly realized something. "That dog ate my stinky tofu and didn't pay for it. Damn it, didn't even bother to find out about my reputation as the Blood Domain Butcher. Eating for free off me, Qin Yu, is courting death!"
More and more people were waking up, and everyone began to discuss fervently.
Qin Yu joined in to hear what others thought.
But the more he listened, the less he understood.
What little girl?
Whether to save or not?
Being eaten by a monster?
What on earth? Were we even in the same test?
Forget a little girl, Qin Yu hadn't even seen a female mosquito in the illusory realm.
What flaming bear monster? It was clearly a small black dog, clingy and affectionate, and quite adorable.
If possible, Qin Yu would have loved to keep one.
Finally, Qin Yu realized the crux of the problem.
"Ah, it's all about saving face! These people must be like me, not understanding what the test was about, but to avoid showing their ignorance, they made up a story about a little girl.
Once one person said it, the others, to save face, could only agree."
Qin Yu had seen many such people in his past life, a group of people who knew nothing discussing things as if they were experts, getting more absurd as they went.
"But these prodigies with spiritual roots have a pretty tight logic, making it sound so real that even I couldn't spot any flaws.
If I hadn't participated myself, I might have believed their nonsense."
Qin Yu muttered a few words and walked away quietly.
He couldn't be bothered to play along with these braggarts.
***
After a while, Second Elder Hu Tian approached the crowd.
Though he was close to Qin Yu, Qin Yu didn't dare to test the Second Elder's talent.
He wasn't sure of the Second Elder's strength, and if the elder noticed, it would be troublesome.
"Based on your performances in the third test, the Sect Master and the elders have conducted a detailed analysis and finalized the entry list!"
"Those whose names are called, step forward to register!"
"Li Meng!"
"Zhao Tianhai!"
"Wang Xinyu!"
***
"Qin Yu!"
Hearing his name, Qin Yu wasn't surprised at all.
"Ha, it seems those people were indeed bluffing," Qin Yu sneered inwardly.
Everyone looked enviously at those whose names were called as they stepped forward to register, then eagerly turned their eyes to the Second Elder, hoping the next name would be theirs.
Tang Aotian stood with his arms crossed, patiently waiting for the Second Elder to call his name.
He was very confident, being a high-grade spiritual root. How could the Xuantian Sect bear to eliminate him?
After about three hundred names were called, the Second Elder slowly closed the list and announced: "The rest of you may leave. This year's recruitment is officially over!"
Those not called let out cries of despair, wilting like frostbitten eggplants.
Tang Aotian, still waiting for his name, felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
"Why wasn't my name called?"
"There must be a mistake!"
Tang Aotian loudly questioned, "Second Elder, why wasn't my name called?"
"Oh?" The Second Elder responded, "If your name wasn't called, you didn't pass. You can prepare to try again next year."
"Impossible, I didn't die in the third test, so why didn't I pass? You must have made a mistake."
As soon as he said this, many others whose names weren't called chimed in.
"I didn't die either, so why am I not on the list?"
"Exactly, I even escaped from the monster's mouth, so why am I eliminated?"
The Second Elder snorted coldly, and a wave of pressure instantly enveloped everyone, silencing them.
"Our sect has its own standards for judgment, and there will be no mistakes. Please leave! Corruption! This is definitely corruption!"
With so many people supporting him, Tang Aotian became even more inflated.
Suddenly, Tang Aotian saw Qin Yu registering and started shouting.
"Why can this guy with a low-grade spiritual root pass, but I, with a high-grade spiritual root, am eliminated? There must be corruption here."
Qin Yu, who had been watching the commotion with a smile, suddenly froze.
It felt like being a bystander and suddenly becoming the center of attention.
With Tang Aotian leading the charge, others who were eliminated also began to shout.
"Corruption!"
"Why can someone with a low-grade spiritual root pass, but I am eliminated?"
They all held onto a sliver of hope that if the Xuantian Sect gave them another chance, they would hit the jackpot.
Since they were already eliminated, they had nothing to lose regardless of the outcome.
The shouts grew louder and louder.
The Second Elder's expression grew increasingly grim. He could forcibly drive these juniors away, but if the situation wasn't handled well, it could easily affect recruitment for the next year or even several years.
Moreover, these juniors had various forces backing them. Offending one or two wasn't a problem for the Xuantian Sect, but offending all of them would be too much, even for the Xuantian Sect.
After all, cultivation isn't just about fighting; it's also about relationships.
The Second Elder pondered how to resolve the situation.
"Do I have to reveal the standards for passing the third test? The Xuantian Sect never explains itself to outsiders, and if I break that tradition, the other elders will mock me to death!"
The Second Elder glared fiercely at Tang Aotian, wishing he could skin him alive.
"After this is over, the force behind you better give me a reasonable explanation."
Suddenly, a voice rang out, silencing everyone.
"I was chosen because I'm better than all of you! If anyone disagrees, come and fight me!"
Qin Yu stood there with his hands on his hips, pointing at everyone, arrogantly declaring, "I'm not targeting anyone, but all of you here are trash!"
The Second Elder looked down at his feet on the ground and silently used his magical power to lift himself an inch off the ground.
Qin Yu beckoned to Tang Aotian, "Is a high-grade spiritual root that impressive? Come fight me, and if you win, I'll let you into the sect."
Tang Aotian retorted, "You lowly commoner, your words mean nothing!"
Qin Yu replied, "How do you know my words mean nothing?"
Tang Aotian asked, "Do your words mean anything?"
Qin Yu confidently said, "Of course, my words mean nothing!"
Tang Aotian: "..."
Qin Yu turned to the Second Elder and politely inquired, "Second Elder, what do you say?"
The Second Elder thought, 'You still remember I'm the Second Elder!'
The Second Elder had recognized Qin Yu immediately, remembering him as the young man with the backpack full of dung, leaving a deep impression.
The Second Elder was touched that Qin Yu stood up at this moment.
But the method Qin Yu suggested made the Second Elder hesitate.
If Qin Yu won, it would be fine, but if he lost, would they really have to let the eliminated people into the sect?
If they set this precedent, what if others also demanded a challenge?
It's not about having too little, but about inequality!
The situation might become even harder to control than it is now.
While the Second Elder hesitated, he suddenly saw the determined look in Qin Yu's eyes, conveying a sense of trust that said, 'Leave this to me, it'll be fine.'
The Second Elder steeled himself, 'Let's gamble on this. If he can play with dung, what can't he do?'
"Hmph!"
The Second Elder stepped forward to stand beside Qin Yu and addressed the eliminated crowd, "You can challenge if you're not convinced. If you win, you can have another chance at the third test, but if you lose, you and your family will be barred from ever setting foot in the Xuantian Sect."
"No problem!"
Tang Aotian agreed without hesitation, while the others shrank back, not daring to speak.
They weren't fools. Winning only meant another chance, and they still didn't understand how to pass the third test. What good was another chance?
But losing would come at a high cost, barring not only themselves but also their families from future applications.
If they lost, their family elders might beat them to death when they returned home.
Everyone looked at Tang Aotian, thinking, 'Luckily, there's a fool to test the waters first. If it's easy, I can go next.'
Seeing everyone else silent, Tang Aotian felt even more self-important.
Meanwhile, at the edge of the square, the old servant who accompanied Tang Aotian was nearly frantic. He kept trying to communicate with Tang Aotian, but Tang Aotian ignored him.
The old servant wanted to step forward to stop him, but as soon as he took a step, he felt a wave of pressure coming at him.
Not far away, the Second Elder was staring at him coldly.
If you take the chicken away, how will I warn the monkeys?
Causing such a mess and thinking you can just walk away, where is the Xuantian Sect's dignity in that?
The old servant felt a chill, as if he had fallen into an ice cave, and dared not move another step.
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan