That aura was…
Zhu Zhu froze for a moment, then curved her lips into a faint smile. "This is the Sect Master forging a weapon. Sect Master's cultivation is unmatched, and in the way of forging, she also has considerable mastery. The moment she makes a move, it is a Heaven rank artifact!"
The eyes of the new disciples all lit up with excitement.
So this was the Sect Master refining a weapon?
There were countless rumors about Yun Jin outside. Her incredibly rapid rate of advancement and overwhelming cultivation were the most widely spread. At times, her skill in alchemy was also mentioned. But her ability in artifact forging? Few ever spoke of it. Yet now, this seemingly unremarked-upon talent of the Sect Master had actually reached the level of a grandmaster?
And it was a Heaven rank weapon!
"You have been struggling through those trials for over a month, yet the Sect Master only went into seclusion to forge slightly later than you. And now, Sect Master has already forged a Heaven rank weapon. What about you?"
Zhu Zhu cast a look over the group of new disciples and sighed softly. "You couldn't even get past the second trial. To be blunt, you are the weakest batch I have ever brought!"
Yuan Yuan could not help glancing sideways at Zhu Zhu.
Wasn't this the very first batch?
But the group of new disciples all showed shame on their faces.
It was true—they had disappointed the Sect Master.
"All right, the Game Hall will open once every three days. Next time, you may come challenge again." Zhu Zhu sighed once more.
"I only hope that the mighty name of my Wushuang Sect will not be destroyed in your hands." Her appearance was one of sorrow and worry, as if she were truly burdened by concern for the future of the sect.
The new disciples dropped their heads even lower.
"Go now. I hope that when I see you next time, you will have improved." Zhu Zhu said.
The new disciples finally left the Celestial Divine Palace.
Yue Zhao was waiting for them outside the doors. When he saw them, he smiled faintly. "Have you been struck a blow?"
One disciple admitted awkwardly, "Senior Brother Yue, I fear we may bring shame to the sect."
They had none of the crushing might their senior brothers and sisters displayed.
"Do you feel weak?" Yue Zhao chuckled softly. "That is only because you have not truly set foot on the path of becoming stronger."
The disciples looked at him with puzzled expressions.
"Follow me." Yue Zhao led them to the base of the Trial Tower.
Until now, these new disciples had not yet come to the tower. From the moment they arrived, they had been battered again and again in the Celestial Divine Palace. At this point, their self-confidence was at its lowest. Bringing them to the Trial Tower now would create a rebound effect.
"Enter. This is the true beginning of your path to strength." Yue Zhao said with a smile.
The group of new disciples, full of curiosity, stepped through the tower's gates.
A smile played at Yue Zhao's lips.
The older disciples of Wushuang Sect also gathered around, eager to watch. They were curious to see how their junior brothers and sisters would react the first time they entered the Trial Tower.
Not long after, the first disciple was expelled. He looked completely bewildered, as though he had no idea what had just happened.
The older disciples could not help but laugh. He must not have cleared even the first level before being thrown out.
"Junior Brother, you didn't even get through the first level?" one of the older disciples teased."Come, let me teach you a way to exploit the bug. If you lure that bull over to the far right boulder, it will get stuck. Then you can slowly grind it down until you kill it."
"That method was discovered by Senior Sister Xiao Su," another chuckled. "Consider it a blessing for newcomers."
Exploit a bug?
Slowly grind it down?
The new disciple tried to digest the terms. As expected of Wushuang Sect, even the vocabulary was so profound. He roughly understood, then nodded in gratitude and reentered the tower.
One after another, more new disciples began to emerge.
Among them, Ji Heng once again performed best, managing to break through to the fifth level. Only then did he accept a reward and leave the tower, looking dazed. He had chosen the reward of Great laws. In just that brief time, his mind was filled with countless new insights!
This gain surpassed more than ten years of his own contemplation. So this was the supreme secret of Wushuang Sect's strength? Ji Heng's eyes burned with exhilaration.
Outside the tower, the new disciples and old disciples were already chatting away.
"Oh? A trial game? That sounds interesting!"
"You haven't heard? That Celestial Divine Palace was once the Divine Palace of the Spirit Beast Forest."
"That Divine Palace? No wonder it's so mystical!"
"Three days from now, the game inside the Celestial Divine Palace will open to all disciples below Unity stage. Let's go together and challenge it."
The group bustled with excitement, and the new disciples quickly blended in.
Three days later.
Nearly every disciple of Wushuang Sect below Unity stage took time to attempt the trial.
And then Zhu Zhu utterly lost her composure.
She discovered…
The new disciples really were just a group of cute little things.
But once the older disciples joined, the entire style changed instantly.
Some would defeat the trial beasts, yet instead of advancing, they sat down on the spot to cultivate, because they thought the first level's wood attribute spiritual energy was so dense it was perfect for training.
Some went on mad explorations and uncovered a bug in the game: if they ascended three hundred meters, then dropped swiftly, then ascended again, repeating this ten times, they gained an invincible buff in the first level.
Zhu Zhu nearly lost her mind.
What nonsense was this? How could anyone even discover something like that? Did they have that much free time?
And some disciples immediately realized the beasts were being played by real beings, and tried bribing them. Xiao Bao, the guardian of the first level, let a female disciple pass easily after she promised to give him three hundred candies once she left.
These old rascals were truly hateful!
The new disciples watched their senior brothers' and sisters' methods with wide eyes. So… the game could be played like this? No wonder they had been struggling—they had been far too honest! It was as if they had opened the door to a whole new world. From then on, Zhu Zhu began a miserable life of frantic patching.
While Zhu Zhu fought her endless battle of wits with the players—
One day, within the Celestial Divine Palace, yet another surge of aura exploded skyward.
Zhu Zhu sensed it, her pupils narrowing. It was still that same artifact from before. But the aura… it was even stronger! This must be a weapon among the very strongest of Heaven rank.
That Yun Jin possessed such a weapon was not surprising. But to forge it herself at this level—now that was extraordinary. After all, Zhu Zhu had never once seen Yun Jin devote time to the path of forging.
"Yuan Yuan, am I sensing wrong?" Zhu Zhu could not help but ask. "This aura…"
Yuan Yuan's big eyes flickered with a string of garbled symbols. After a long moment, he finally said slowly, "No mistake. This is the master's Tai'a Sword. The master is upgrading it. And the upgrade… is still continuing!"
The two little ones waited, but Yun Jin still did not emerge. They exchanged a glance, their expressions growing solemn. Could it be… the master was still going to continue forging?