Two days later, the date of the Blazing Phoenix Sect promotion exam.

Every year there was a date for the disciple assessment and it was one of the most important days in the life of an outer sect disciple. Passing the exam would mean becoming an inner sect disciple. More access to resources, cultivation, battle techniques and even more important, one would be able to stablish connections with other disciples and more important people.

Indeed, a life changing situation.

If saw from above, the situation would be the true definition of crowded. Red robed disciples were moving in the streets like red blood cells flowing in the veins. All headed to one location. The place where the exam would occur.

Seth made his way through the crowd, hoping to find Chun Meiyi. Luckily, they had already marked a place for the encounter.

“Seth!” Already waiting there, Chun Meiyi waved her hands after spotting him.

“Meiyi, how are you? Do you feel prepared for today’s test?”

“I-I don’t know.” She was a bit anxious.

“Meiyi, be confident. Did you forget that not a single contestant here, have a higher cultivation than yours?” Seth tried to soothe her mood.

“But I can’t…”

“No, you can! Let me tell you something… The exam is simpler than you think. You just have to reach the other side of the field. There is no need to fight anyone.” Seth already knew what was to be expected from the exam.

Chun Meiyi listened with attention.

“Promise me one thing. As soon as the exam begin, with that speed you run away from me that day, get ahead of your opponents and then without restrain release that new technique you learned. I guarantee you can make it to the other side before the other competitors!”

“Alright, I’ll do it!” Chun Meiyi blushed after remembering what happened, but a bit of confidence dawned upon her.

“Then, let’s separate ways here and head to our assessment field.”

The competitors would be divided into smaller groups, each group tagged with a letter or two. People which their names initiated with the same letter as the group tag, would then head to that group.

There was about ten thousand or so disciples per group, which only ten people would pass. The criteria to pass would be: Be one of the ten that got to the other side the fastest. At the end there would be an examiner to check on your skills but there was a trick tough. One would be able to pass the exam if he crossed the field, so basically if a person could avoid the examiner, it would be considered that your skills were good enough.

People would often go mad on this exam. Failure, would mean one more year in the outer sect, with less resources and less future.

Fight between disciples were not common to see as time was precious there, so they basically would avoid being delayed. But there were no disadvantages upon using techniques that could disturb their opponent senses.

The field would be different for the groups, and it would be completely filled with traps to delay and disqualify the disciples. There would be inner disciples sparsely distributed judging all actions.

The hardest part was at the end. As an inner disciple or two would be there blocking people from passing, the disciples trying to pass would try to push their opponents onto the examiners, but their cultivation disparity would make it really hard for the competitor.

Seth got to the place he would take his exam. As soon as he got there, he heard a lot of exclamation noises.

“Woah! The sect master daughter is here!”

“Who? Huo Lilian? They say she is the most beautiful disciple in the whole sect! Where is she?”

“There! There!”

“Oh my god! She is gorgeous!”

“So pretty!” The disciples were constantly praising her beauty.

“Isn’t that Senior brother Huo Jianhong? He is huge!”

Spotting what seemed to be a giant, the crowd started to get out of the way. No one would want to cause trouble for those important figures.

Nothing less expected of the two top rank Core Disciples. They cause a ruckus wherever they are.

As Seth started to approach, Huo Lilian spotted him and came to greet.

“Your name is Seth, right? Good to meet you again.” She was mildly smiling, but Seth could see there was some curiosity hidden there.

‘Alright, she probably got a bit interested on my circumstances.’ He was thinking about his initial plan when he suddenly felt a hostile gaze coming from a man following Huo Lilian. The man was really tall and burly. His name seemed to be Huo Jianhong, but his hair was brown, probably not one of Huo Lilian’s brothers.

“Who are you?” Huo Jianhong aggressively approached. He came just like a gorilla trying to ascertain his authority.

“Senior sister Lilian, I’m happy to see you again. What brings you here?” Seth continued talking with her, ignoring a two-meters wall heading his way.

“Hey boy, are you hearing me!?” His loud voice attracted more attention.

Seth merely took a second to look at him and returned to talk to Huo Lilian. “Senior sister Lilian, you should be really careful while hiring a bodyguard. The one over there is so noisy, that he could bring you even more trouble instead.”

Giggle. Giggle.

Huo Lilian and the disciples observing the situation started to laugh.

“You! Do you think I’m her bodyguard?” He didn’t want to continue talking, extending a hand, he was ready to grab Seth and teach him a lesson.

“Stop! You are causing too much trouble here.” Huo Lilian blocked his hand.

“Junior brother Seth, we will be the disciples in charge of your assessment group today. Hope we meet at the end! Huo Jianhong let’s go!” She ordered. Her standing was higher than his inside the sect, so Jianhong could not defy her in public.

Huo Jianhong gave Seth one last look. “You better be prepared.” He then proceeded to his post.

It seemed her standing was higher than his inside the sect.

“He angered Huo Jianhong, he is finished!” The people around started whispering.

“To actually make one of the strongest core disciples that mad!”

“He destroyed his own chances of passing.”

Through people’s whispers, Seth discovered his new foe was as strong as Huo Lilian and one of the top five ranked disciples at the sect. The only difference was that he was 22. Three whole years older than her.

‘Sigh, whatever, not like he would pose any threat.’ Vanishing inside the crowd of people that would take exam together with him, he just waited for its beginning.

His exam would take place inside a forest. If he reaches the other side, he would be considered as an Inner Sect disciple, as long as he was within the first ten.

10 minutes later an instructor came. “Everyone, attention! The time limit is two hours. Make sure you reach the destination inside the time window. Is everyone ready?”

The instructor walked to the forest entrance and quickly unsealed the formation that was blocking the path.

“Start now!”