"Help! Somebody help me!"The desperate cry echoed through the towering stone walls before abruptly falling silent.Moments later, another voice rang out."I've been here before!""No... that's impossible!"Panic spread like wildfire inside the massive labyrinth.Applicants who had charged confidently into the maze only moments earlier were now running in circles, their faces pale with confusion. Some frantically scratched marks onto the walls. Others climbed onto one another's shoulders, hoping to see over the towering stone barriers.It was useless.Every direction looked the same.Every corridor ended in another fork.Every turn led to another dead end.Outside the maze, the white-haired elder watched the scene without the slightest change in expression."The impatient always lose themselves first," he murmured.Another elder smiled knowingly."They never learn."Earlier...After surviving the first trial, the remaining applicants had been led to another enormous square beneath the

Silence hung over the examination grounds.Thousands had arrived at Moon Brim Sect with dreams of changing their destiny.Now...Only a few hundred remained.Every surviving applicant stood before the massive Ascension Platform, their eyes fixed on the elderly examiner standing at its center.No one dared speak.Even the arrogant young masters who had mocked others throughout the examinations now looked nervous.Their fate...Would be decided in the next few moments.The white-haired Elder slowly unrolled a long bamboo scroll.His sharp eyes swept across the anxious crowd."The three entrance examinations have concluded.""Endurance.""Judgment.""Martial Foundation.""Each trial carried equal importance."A murmur rippled through the applicants.Equal importance?Many had assumed talent would outweigh everything else.The Elder continued calmly."Moon Brim Sect does not seek the strongest.""We seek those worthy of becoming strong."Those simple words silenced everyone.Sawyer's eyes

The news spread through the Outer Disciple residences before sunset.Three newcomers had refused Luther Cain.Not one.Not two.Three.And they had done it publicly.To many disciples, it was almost impressive.To everyone who knew Luther...It was incredibly stupid.The sun hung low over Moon Brim Sect when Luther returned.This time, he didn't come alone.More than a dozen disciples followed behind him.Some carried wooden staffs.Others wore mocking smiles.Every one of them looked eager to watch what happened next.Word had spread quickly.Disciples emerged from nearby courtyards to watch.Some leaned against fences.Others sat atop stone walls.The atmosphere felt strangely festive.As though everyone had gathered to watch a performance.Inside Room Seventy-Nine, Wang was attempting to repair a broken chair.Attempting.The chair was losing the battle.Crack!One of the legs snapped completely.Wang stared at it.The chair stared back.Then the entire thing collapsed beneath him.

"Late." The cold voice echoed across the Martial Lecture Hall.More than five hundred Outer Disciples immediately straightened their backs.A middle-aged instructor slowly entered the enormous stone hall with his hands clasped behind him. His long grey robe swayed with each measured step, and although he wasn't releasing any aura, the hall instantly fell silent.No one dared whisper.No one dared move.Even Wang, who had been secretly nibbling on a steamed bun, hurriedly stuffed the rest into his mouth before anyone noticed.Unfortunately...Chi noticed."You couldn't wait until after class?"Wang whispered through a full mouth."I woke up hungry.""You woke up ten minutes ago.""I was cultivating.""You were snoring.""I cultivate differently."Chi rolled his eyes.Sawyer simply smiled before looking toward the front of the hall.The instructor stopped before a giant black stone board.His sharp eyes swept across the hundreds of new disciples."I am Instructor Rowan.""My responsibil

The morning after the Stone Carrying Mission, the Outer Sect was unusually lively.Hundreds of disciples gathered before the Resource Hall, forming several long lines that stretched across the stone courtyard.Some chatted excitedly.Others clutched their identity tokens with anticipation.Today...Every Outer Disciple would receive their monthly cultivation resources.For disciples living on the lowest rung of Moon Brim Sect...This was the most important day of the month.Without cultivation resources...Progress was painfully slow.Wang stood on his toes, trying to see the front of the line."What exactly do we get?"Chi shrugged."I heard Spirit Gathering Pills.""Cultivation stones.""And contribution vouchers."Wang grinned."Finally.""Something good is happening."Sawyer remained silent.Instead of watching the Resource Hall...He watched the disciples.More accurately...He watched the people standing beside the line instead of inside it.Groups.Factions.They weren't waitin