Hall Master Yue called out loudly before the crowd: "Listen well, everyone. Follow the small path through the bamboo forest ahead, and you'll reach the Seven Mysteries Sect's Bone Tempering Cliff. The first section is bamboo forest, followed by a rocky slope, and finally a sheer cliff. Only those who reach the top will be allowed to enter the Seven Mysteries Sect. If you can't make it by noon, you won't become an official disciple — but if your performance is noteworthy, you may be accepted as an In-Name Disciple."
Han Li naturally had no idea what an "In-Name Disciple" meant. All he knew was that he had to keep moving forward and climb the mountain. He looked ahead and saw a hillside that wasn't particularly steep, covered in bamboo stalks of varying thickness. It didn't look all that difficult to climb!
Han Li glanced at the others. He wasn't about to lose to kids his own age. Among the other children, the atmosphere had suddenly turned tense.
Hall Master Yue looked up at the rising sun and said, "It's about time. Prepare to set off! Don't be afraid — your senior brothers will be behind you, keeping you safe. They won't let anything happen to you."
Han Li turned to look at the young men behind him. So these people were called senior brothers — probably disciples who had been accepted before. If he joined too, maybe he'd get to wear the same impressive clothes!
While he was lost in idle thoughts, Han Li noticed that all the other children had already charged into the bamboo forest. Seeing this, he hurriedly followed close behind.
The bamboo forest was clearly vast. The moment over thirty children rushed in, they scattered in every direction. A thin, tall senior brother followed close behind Han Li, keeping pace in silence with a cold expression on his face. Han Li felt a bit frightened and didn't dare speak to him, so he simply raised his feet, hunched low, and slowly advanced along the slope.
The bamboo forest didn't look like much at first, but after walking for a while, the exertion began to tell. His legs grew heavier with every step, and gradually Han Li had to use one hand to grip bamboo stalks and pull himself forward to conserve his strength.
After persisting for a long time, Han Li was utterly exhausted. He found a random mound of earth and sat down heavily, panting without cease.
Taking a moment, Han Li glanced back at the thin, tall senior brother. Even though the ground was extremely steep, this brother stood perfectly still, not a speck of dust on his clothes, his posture as straight as the bamboo around him. He was gazing down at Han Li from a short distance below, silent and cold.
Seeing that icy gaze, Han Li felt a fresh wave of fear and quickly turned his head back. He heard ragged breathing drifting from ahead — others who were climbing faster than him were resting too. After lingering for another brief moment, Han Li hurriedly pressed onward.
The slope grew steeper still, and Han Li's strength was fading fast. To keep from collapsing mid-step, he had no choice but to bend at the waist, moving on all fours. Fortunately, his clothes were sturdy enough, or his elbows and knees would have been torn to shreds.
He was nearly out of the dense bamboo forest at last, yet this final stretch felt increasingly difficult. Rocky ground was replacing the bamboo — more and more stones appeared as the stalks grew fewer and fewer.
Han Li could no longer pull himself along by the bamboo. These last stretches had to be measured out, inch by painful inch.
The moment he stepped out of the bamboo forest, the view opened wide. Directly ahead loomed an enormous rock face, and several small figures were already visible on it, slowly inching their way upward. Each one was trailed by a senior brother in identical attire. Han Li didn't hesitate — he broke into a run toward the massive stone wall.
The surface of the rock was layered in sheets of sedimentary stone, heavily weathered and crumbling at the touch in some places. Other sections featured sharp, jagged fragments that held firm. In no more than the time it took to eat a meal, Han Li's hands were already covered in cuts and scrapes. His elbows and knees had been torn through, and the skin underneath was slashed in numerous places. Though the wounds were small, fine grit had worked its way into them, making the stinging sensation all the worse.
Several climbers at the very front had already pulled far ahead. Han Li thought of his family and the words Third Uncle had told him, and gritted his teeth in silence, continuing his arduous ascent.
Before setting out, Han Li's father and Third Uncle had warned him that the entrance trial would be grueling. Without perseverance to the very end, joining the Seven Mysteries Sect was impossible. At this point, Han Li no longer cared whether he made it into the sect or not. A stubborn fire had ignited inside him — a burning refusal that demanded he catch up with the others no matter what.
Han Li lifted his head and struggled to look upward. The person leading the pack was Wu Yan. Wu Yan was at least a year older than Han Li and had trained in some martial arts, so his body was far sturdier than the other children's. It was no surprise he was in front.
Han Li glanced back again. There were still a number of figures moving behind him. He took a deep breath and surged forward.
He poured out every ounce of strength he had left, yet still couldn't close the gap with those at the front. His body grew heavier by the minute. He watched the sun climb toward the zenith, and Wu Yan had already reached the top of the stone wall.
Beyond that point rose a sheer, vertical cliff — over thirty zhang high. A dozen hemp ropes dangled from the clifftop, each studded with fist-sized knots. Wu Yan had seized one of them and was now ascending, slowly moving toward the top one pull at a time.
Han Li watched Wu Yan ahead of him and felt his spirits sink. He knew he could never catch up with the leaders, and there wasn't enough time left.
The moment that thought took hold, a searing pain shot through his elbows and knees simultaneously. His limbs went weak. The hand gripping the rock trembled, and his entire body began to plummet. Terror seized him — his heart pounding wildly — and he pressed himself flat against the stone face, not daring to move a muscle.
After a while, his composure returned. He reached out and grabbed a protruding corner of rock, tugging at it several times. It held firm. Only then did he relax.
Han Li reflexively turned his head and saw that the senior brother behind him was crouched low, arms spread wide, braced to catch him if he fell. Seeing that Han Li was safe once more, the brother slowly straightened up.
Gratitude swelled in Han Li's heart. If he had actually fallen, all his effort up to this point would have been for nothing! After resting a moment, he inched forward again, making his way toward the thick hemp ropes hanging down the cliff face.
He finally reached one that no one else was using. The sun was nearly directly overhead — less than half a shichen until noon. By now Wu Yan had already climbed to the top and was looking back down. When Han Li reached the base of the rope, he happened to catch sight of Wu Yan. The boy raised his arm and gave a small, contemptuous flick of his pinky toward those still below, then let out a burst of wild laughter and disappeared from view.
Han Li seethed with anger and grabbed the rope, starting to climb.
But his entire body was spent — not a trace of strength remained. He could barely grip the knots.
After exhausting enormous effort to reach the last knot at the very bottom, he sat on it and found that his whole body had turned to jelly. He couldn't even move a single finger. Straining to turn his head, he saw several other children sitting on the rock face behind him, gasping for air in great heaving breaths. They had clearly used up their last reserves just as he had.
Han Li could only smile bitterly to himself. He had underestimated this trial. At least he hadn't ended up at the very back. Turning his head again, he saw that cold-eyed senior brother. Han Li hesitated for a moment, then resolved to muster whatever strength he had left and push a little higher. There was no way he'd reach the top before noon — but to stop here entirely would be too embarrassing!
Han Li flexed his stiff fingers and summoned a sliver of recovered strength, beginning to inch upward along the knots. But by now his hands had completely stopped obeying him. He simply couldn't grip the rope. He struggled for a while, but to no avail.