"Shit, I can't even move my head… the pain is too much. But that's good, it means I most likely haven't crippled myself yet," Ethan sighed.
Pain wasn't new to him; it was more like an old friend.
There were times when he had crippled himself while trying out new techniques or new potions.
Even when crippled, he always had ways to recover.
Though it would take time and the help of another person, it was never impossible.
"My nerves feel like they're on fire… but on the bright side, I managed to perform the [Breath of Sword]. I wonder what they call it here?" Ethan wondered, as he saw two elders walking toward him.
When they reached him, Ethan tried to stand but couldn't.
The elders didn't seem to mind.
One of them pulled out a pouch and waved his hand.
A green-colored pill flew out and hovered before Ethan.
"Accident or not, your sword intent defeated a sect member. Consider this pill a small prize," the elder said calmly.
"Did I pass this test?" Ethan asked.
"You did," the second elder replied. "Good luck on your final test."
With that, the elders walked away, leaving Ethan with the pill.
"The Vice Sect Master told you to give him a low-grade medicinal pill," one elder said to the other.
"Yes."
"But you gave him a mid-grade medicinal pill."
"Yes, I did."
"Oh, I see how it is. You're investing in him so you can draft him later as your personal disciple."
"There is trouble brewing everywhere. Who knows how many wars and conflicts we may face in the future? It's good to have talented individuals near us. Besides, I already have a personal disciple," the elder replied as they left.
Ethan glanced at the pill in his hand before throwing it into his mouth and biting down.
As soon as he did, the pill exploded, releasing hundreds of different substances into his system.
They rapidly reduced his pain, instantly stopped the bleeding, closed his wounds, and mended his cracked bones.
His broken bones began to repair as well, though not completely, just enough for him to regain mobility.
Most of the pain vanished, leaving only soreness and dehydration.
"So they call the Breath of Sword sword intent here, huh?"
"Argh…" Ethan sat up straight, stretching his limbs, back, and neck.
He noticed many participants as well as sect members observing him with various expressions.
"I'm sure a lot of them will come looking for trouble. I need to grow stronger, strong enough to protect my life in this world." Ethan ignored the attention and turned back to watch the ongoing fights.
Two hours later, the second test was completed.
Everyone was given water and a few minutes to rest before the names of those who had passed were announced.
Out of the 369 who passed the first test, only 175 passed the second.
Without wasting more time, they were taken to another building, a spacious, dome-like hall.
At the far end, nine crystal balls of different colors were placed in a circle on metal stands, all connected to a colorless crystal ball at the front.
"If I had to guess, those nine crystal balls each represent a natural element," Ethan observed.
The colors were arranged in a circle: red, light blue, brown, gray, green, white, black, deep blue, and yellow.
"The nine elements of nature… just like in other worlds. Here too, every human is born with a natural element: Fire, Water, Earth, Air, Wood, Light, Darkness, Ice, or Lightning," Ethan muttered.
"When I was born a mage in the world of Arcane, I had affinity for Wind, Lightning, and Ice. When I was born in Thyara, my dominant nature was Fire with a minor affinity for Wind. I wonder what it will be this time…"
He was curious.
The elders took the stage, standing beside the nine crystal balls. "Now, for the final test, we will see if you possess attunement for Qi. One by one, step forward and place your hand on this colorless crystal ball."
"If you possess attunement, one of the colored crystals will glow faintly, signifying your Qi nature. By the color of the crystal, we can learn what kind of Qi you possess," one elder explained.
Ethan watched as participants stepped forward.
Many did have attunement to Qi, most showing affinities for Fire, Water, or Earth.
"I wonder how this works exactly… is it similar to mana? Mana doesn't have an elemental nature, it's neutral energy capable of transforming into any of the nine elements." He observed carefully.
Within minutes, it was his turn.
Ethan walked up to the stage and stood before the colorless crystal.
"Place your hand on it, and don't resist," the elder instructed.
Ethan wasn't concerned.
He didn't care much whether he had attunement to Qi or not.
He placed his hand on the crystal.
Its surface was cold.
In an instant, a wave of unfamiliar energy entered his body through the contact, but it didn't remain inside him.
Instead, it flowed through his arm, returned to the crystal, and transferred into the nine colored crystals.
"Ah, interesting. The natural Qi from the colorless crystal enters my body, transforms into the nature of my elemental nature, and returns to resonate with the matching elemental crystal, causing it to glow faintly," Ethan analyzed as the process happened.
Only one crystal released a faint light.
"Ethan Valerius, Qi nature: Lightning," the elder announced, visibly impressed.
"A rare elemental nature indeed," another elder said with a smile.
"There are only a handful of cultivators in the entire sect with lightning nature," another commented.
"These elders… the way they're looking at me is suspicious. I should stay away from them. Now that I know I have attunement and can step into the supernatural, should I even remain in this sect?" Ethan thought to himself.
He watched the remaining participants. Almost all possessed Fire, Water, Wind, or Earth.
A few had Wood.
But other rare elements didn't appear.
"Maybe I should leave. It's not like I need them. I already have the experience and knowledge to grow stronger on my own. Even if this is my first time with Qi cultivation, the fundamentals of all forms of evolution are the same, or at least very similar."
Not to mention, Ethan had vast knowledge.
In one of his many lifetimes, he had even been a researcher of the supernatural.
He knew shortcuts, unique methods, and countless ways to grow stronger in the least amount of time.
It would be more accurate to say that it was the sect that needed him.
"No, I shouldn't make any hasty decisions… I should at least stay in the sect until I grow considerably stronger. Who knows what kind of dangers lie beyond the sect? What if I can't protect myself? But at the same time, I doubt I would find the same opportunities here that I might find in the wild."
In the end, Ethan decided that maybe he should stay in the sect for a while, at least until he was strong enough to survive in the wild.
Not to mention, he still had to learn more about this world, and the sect likely had a library.
It might not be such a bad idea to stay after all.
And even if he encountered problems inside the sect, he was confident he could handle them.
Ethan sighed in thought as the entrance exam came to an end.
Among the 175 participants who managed to pass the second test, 95 possessed attunement to Qi and would become members of the sect, where they would gain the chance to learn cultivation and access resources, so long as they followed the sect's directions.
Those who lacked attunement were not expelled from the sect.
Although they could not cultivate immortality, they could still cultivate their bodies, striving to reach the peak of mortality.
The sect also offered support for them, though body cultivation was much harder than Qi cultivation and required far greater effort just to achieve the same improvements.
...
[A/N: If you liked this chapter, don't forget to donate some POWER STONES and add it to your library. No pressure! Thank you for checking out the novel.]