The two people in teal and white stepped back far away from the stone. Xiao Chen was also scared as h.e.l.l and wanted to take his hand back. However, it seemed that his hand had been cauterized on the stone. He was not able to take his hand back.
All of a sudden, the black stone vibrated violently and then shattered with an earthshaking boom. This stone contained a great amount of Mystic Power, so its explosion was catastrophic. Yu Yifeng had seen this coming. He pointed two fingers at Xiao Chen as a beam of white radiance dashed forth and instantly changed into a radiance curtain that shrouded Xiao Chen.
Then, he flashed to Xiao Chen in a beam of light and pressed on Xiao Chen"s wrist.
After a long time, the crowd in the square was still restless. Yu Yifeng released Xiao Chen"s hand and said loudly, "Everyone, do not panic. The test stone had gone wrong just now. Junior Brother Xiao has six Upper Spiritual Meridians."
His words carried more authority than that of the Spiritual Meridian Test elder, and the crowd accepted this reasonable explanation. The elder then said with a smile, "Yes, indeed. This stone had not been maintained for a hundred years, so it"s normal for it to go wrong."
The two men in teal and white did not make comments. One of them said, "Now, please wait for a moment. I"ll show the test results to the elder."
Xiao Chen was still a bit distracted. He was really scared by those 12 beams of black light. Yu Yifeng pressed on his shoulder and said, "It"s fine. It"s just a test stone that had gone wrong. You go back now."
"Okay." Xiao Chen nodded and walked to the crowd below. Xiao Wan"er giggled and said, "I knew it. You"re as good as Brother Xiao Han. It"s a shame that I only have four Spiritual Meridians. But it"s fine anyway. Shall we go to the town tomorrow to celebrate? It"s on me!"
Xiao Chen forced a smile and said, "Okay." Xiao Han was still there quietly gazing at the sky.
At this moment, the Three Princes walked here, and one of them said, "Senior Brother Xiao, impressive!"
Xiao Chen nodded and smiled, saying, "Yoo too."
Each of the three people had two Medium Spiritual Meridians, which was not too bad.
Dusk fell one hour later. The two people in teal and white walked back to the crowd with a bundle of bamboo slips in their hands. Everyone started to concentrate because the names of those who would join the sect must be written on those slips.
The one in teal opened the slips and read, "The following 50 are qualified Outer Disciples. Liu Han, w.a.n.g Yue..."
Many people listened attentively and were extremely nervous. They wanted to hear their names now because it was impossible for them to be an Inner Disciple."
Some talented disciples were also nervous. On the contrary to most people, they did not want to hear their names now. Xiao Wan"er was one of them.
The man in teal finished reading the names as Xiao Wan"er sighed with relief. Her name was not on this list. The Three Princes jumped with joy. One of them said, "After all these, we"re Outer Disciples!"
Xiao Chen"s brow furrowed tightly as he stared at the man in white.
The man in white opened the bamboo slips in his hand and said, "The following five people have better talents, hence they will directly become the Pro-disciples of the First Elder." He then looked at the slips and said, "Tang Yu."
"Here!" A 17-year-old youth raised his hand.
"Zhao Lingfei."
"Here! Here!" A 17-year-old girl jumped and waved her hands.
"Shangguan Yan."
Shangguan Yan smiled gently and nodded her head.
Xiao Chen"s brows knitted tightly. There were three of them, but now there were only two names left!
"Xiao Wan"er."
"Here!" Xiao Wan"er raised her hand and immediately looked at the other two people beside her, frowning.
The disciple in white nodded and said, "Xiao..." He then looked carefully at the bamboo slips, when everybody looked at Xiao Chen and Xiao Han.
"Xiao Han."
The disciple in white smiled and said, "Congratulations on your Inner Disciple qualifications..."
"Wait!"
A cold voice interrupted him. Xiao Chen walked forth with a gloomy face. The disciple in teal said, "Junior Brother, take it easy... Don"t start a fight here..."
Xiao Chen grabbed the bamboo slips from the disciple in white and then read it. A few seconds later, the knuckle of his finger cracked. The disciple in white smiled bitterly and said, "Junior brother, you can come here next time..."
"Next time. Hehe. So am I not even qualified for Outer Disciples? Hehe..." Xiao Chen smiled coldly. He looked sullen and scary.
n.o.body had expected this. Xiao Chen had an outstanding performance from the beginning. Even though he could not be an Inner Disciple, why was his name not on the Outer Disciples" list?
Luo Shangyan walked to him quickly and said, "It"s okay. Our group finished the first in the test, so I can appoint one person to become an Inner Disciple..."
The disciple in teal smiled bitterly and said, "Senior Sister Luo, the elders canceled this privilege temporarily. So you..."
"What?!" Luo Shangyan could not quite believe this.
The disciple in white said, "All right, brothers and sisters, you can go back now. Tomorrow, you will formally take the entrance ceremony. By the way, to those who failed to join our sect, please don"t be discouraged. We will recommend you to the Skygale Sect and many others."
The crowd sighed and shook their heads. It was a joke that the Skygale Sect would want a reject from the Three Pure Sect.
The Three Princes walked forth and asked, "Senior Brothers, have you mistaken?"
Xiao Wan"er and the others also walked forth. Shangguan Yan asked, "May I pa.s.s him my qualification?"
"Uhh..." The two disciples in teal and white looked embarra.s.sed. "Is this a joke?"
"Oh, it"s nothing. I was just asking."
"I want to see your elders!" Xiao Chen growled.
"Uhh... Elders are not available for anyone today," said the disciple in teal.
"Then I"ll wait for tomorrow! If they"re not available tomorrow, I"ll wait until the day after tomorrow! I won"t leave until I meet them!"
At this moment, Yu Yifeng came along. The two people in teal and white were scared and dared not to look at him, lowering their heads. The disciple in white said in horror, "This is the elders" decision. We can do nothing about it..."
"Okay." Yu Yifeng uttered one word before he walked to the hall where the elders stayed.
One after another, many people had left. There was a young man standing alone in front of the stairs. His silhouette in the dusk looked so lonesome.
"Young Master, let"s go home..." Lil Ruo walked to him with two packages in her hands.
Xiao Chen did not say anything.
Yu Yifeng walked into a hall. There was only the Forth Elder here, and he was frowning. Upon seeing Yu Yifeng, he hurriedly stood up and walked forth.
"Xiao Chen"s physique is extraordinary, and he is very suitable to become an Immortal. Why do you reject him?"
"Uhh..." The Forth Elder looked embarra.s.sed.
"It"s my decision." An elder"s voice rose from the back hall.
"Martial Uncle Qingfeng... Why?" Yu Yifeng could not believe it.
A cyan-robed elder with a zither box on his back came from the back hall. Despite his silver hair and beard, there was no wrinkle on his face. He looked at the Forth Elder and said, "Forth Elder, would you?"
"Aye, Senior Zither Saint." The Fourth Elder clasped his hands and then left the hall.
The cyan-robed elder looked at Yu Yifeng and said, "Sit down."
Yu Yifeng said nothing and sat down. The cyan-robed elder waved his arm as a light curtain appeared in their front. There was a vision on the curtain: the mountains were collapsing, the water of rivers was running backward, the earth was sinking, the sun and moon were cracking, and the stars were shattering. This was a vision of the end of the world.
Yu Yifeng was frightened while seeing this. The cyan-robed elder canceled the curtain and said, "This is the last Annihilation Times more than 40,000 years ago. None of the Immortals had survived from it."
Yu Yifeng took a deep breath and asked, "Does it have something to do with Lil Chen?"
The cyan-robed elder said, "Can"t you tell that there is something wrong with this kid"s Destiny?"
Yu Yifeng"s head lowered and he said, "Sorry, my cultivation might be too low to tell."
"All right then. Let me show you this."
The elder waved out another light curtain again.
Yu Yifeng looked shocked as his breath hastened for quite a while.
"Can you tell now?" The elder waved again to cancel the light curtain.
Yu Yifeng fell silent for a long time. They then had been talking for a whole night. The next day when the sunlight fell upon them, the elder said, "His Destiny was already set by someone a long time ago. You are not able to change it. I am not able to change it. He is not able to change it."
Yu Yifeng moved his fingers to calculate something and then said, "Then why did you save him 16 years ago? I don"t believe this! Destiny can be changed by another person, only if he meets someone with a Destiny that can prevail over Xiao Chen"s Destiny!"
"Whose Destiny do you think in this world can prevail over his Destiny?"
"Then find someone who shares the same Destiny as his! Destinies can generate each other, whereas they prevail over each other!"
Both of them stopped talking. After a long time, the cyan-robed elder said, "If this works, what about you 600 years ago? Why did you have to enter the Samsara by killing yourself with a saber? Yifeng, you should go back now. Your business in this Human World is done. As for the issue about the demonic flowers, I"ll go investigate with your Martial Uncle Xiaoyao. You don"t need to worry about it, and tell Senior Brother Qingchen not to worry about it."
With a long sigh, Yu Yifeng stood on his feet and said, "I"m leaving. Take care, Martial Uncle." He then turned around and left.
Xiao Chen had been standing in the square all night. The high humidity on the mountain had moistened his hair. Due to his relationship with Yu Yifeng, the Three Pure Sect disciples dared not to mock him or expel him. Most of them just pa.s.sed him by with their heads down.
Lil Ruo also had stood all night to be by his side.
"Junior Brother Xiao..."
A soft voice rose from behind. It was Luo Shangyan.
"My apologies, Junior Brother Xiao. I"m not able to help you."
Xiao Chen found her look fatigued and a.s.sumed that she might have talked to the elders all night. He smiled gently and said, "It"s fine..."
"You can leave now. The elders will never see you..." Luo Shangyan"s voice became lower and lower.
"It"s hard for a mortal to become an Immortal. It"s so hard. Heh..." Xiao Chen gave a cold smile and was about to leave, when a voice rose from the distance, "Lil Chen."
It was Yu Yifeng. The disciples around, who were preparing for their morning cla.s.ses, greeted him respectfully upon seeing him.
"Brother Yifeng..." Xiao Chen"s dry lips moved.
Yu Yifeng smiled gently and wanted to say something. But instead, a white sword flew out from his back. It was white throughout, and the sword body and hilt were unified. The sword was glowing with a faint white radiance which made it look sacred and bright.
Everyone looked at the sword. This was an ancient divine sword. The swords they rode on could not compare with this one at all.
The white sword seemed to have a spirit as it slowly fell on Yu Yifeng"s hands. He said, "This sword is named "Unsullied". Those who are unsullied within will not be tempted by the unrighteousness." He put the sword back in the sheath, handed the sheath over to Xiao Chen, and said, "From now on, you are the master of this sword."