The Rich Cultivator
Chapter 79. Selection

Chapter 79: 79. Selection

"Congratulations on passing 20 days," Supervisor Han announced before the crowd. Only half of the people remained; the rest were either still working in the mines, had their blood sucked by the Blood-Devouring Demonic Vines, had fallen sick, or had simply given up. The survivors understood that the only way to make it here was to grab every opportunity they had.

Supervisor Han stood beside a door. Just a door, but Tyler knew better—it wasn’t simple.

"The last ten days are very simple," Supervisor Han said. Everyone’s face twitched; he said the same thing every time.

"The last trial is, you just have to..." Supervisor Han paused, causing the crowd to hold their breath and listen intently, "register."

"What?"

"Did I hear wrong?"

The crowd became noisy with confusion and disbelief.

"SILENCE!" Supervisor Han shouted, and the chatter ceased immediately.

He took a remote and pressed a button. Then he opened the door, revealing a greenish cliff with visible crags.

"Now go inside and register. Those who finish registering will become official disciples. You have ten days to register. Remember, if you can’t register, you can become a Servant Disciple and work harder to become an official disciple," Supervisor Han said, remaining outside the door.

Tyler held Silvia’s hand tightly and walked toward the door. Everyone else followed.

---

As they passed through the door, they found themselves on a precarious cliff path. The air was thick with humidity, and the greenery around them was lush but foreboding. Tyler’s instincts screamed caution. The path ahead was narrow and winding, with dangerous drops on either side.

"We need to be careful," Tyler whispered to Silvia. "Stay close to me."

Silvia nodded, her grip on his hand tightening.

The group moved cautiously along the path, the silence only broken by the occasional sound of loose rocks tumbling down the cliffside. Tyler’s eyes scanned the surroundings for any signs of traps or danger.

Suddenly, the whole scenery changed. Tyler and Silvia flinched. The people behind them were confused and alarmed. Why had they suddenly stopped?

Tyler held Silvia’s hand and moved backward. The scenery changed back. They moved forward again, and the day became night. They found themselves on the same cliff, but instead of greenish land, it showed a desolate cliff. They couldn’t see the bottom, covered in smoke and darkness. A huge chain connected to the other end.

Other people walked near the chain, baffled.

One of the guys tried to step on the chain. He easily stepped on it and walked forward. Suddenly, his speed slowed, and he fell off.

No one understood what had happened. Everyone was afraid now. Some people chose to go back.

Many moved forward. Tyler also took Silvia on his back and walked forward. Tyler was confused because it seemed easier.

He walked towards the centre. He got a little nervous because most people fell here.

Suddenly, Tyler felt a little heavy, like some kind of pressure was pressing against him. But his body could handle it. Still, Tyler put on a heavy expression and walked forward. He didn’t want whoever was controlling the pressure to think he had a strong body and increase the pressure. Even though he wasn’t sure if there was a person controlling the pressure, Tyler chose to do it out of precaution.

Tyler was one of the few people who chose to cross the chain. He did it while carrying Silvia. The others looked at Tyler, who was already out of sight, and chose to continue the trial.

Tyler suddenly felt the chain become slippery. His leg slipped, and he fell off the chain along with Silvia.

"Oh crap... Is this it?" he thought.

As they plummeted, Tyler instinctively wrapped himself around Silvia to protect her. The darkness enveloped them, and the wind rushed past them as they fell.

Just when Tyler thought they were doomed, they hit something soft. They bounced slightly before coming to a stop on a cushioned surface. Tyler quickly checked Silvia, who seemed unhurt but shaken.

"Are you okay?" Tyler asked, his voice trembling with relief.

Silvia nodded, her eyes wide with fear but otherwise unharmed. "I think so. What happened?"

Tyler looked around. They had landed on a large, soft mat, surrounded by a faint glow that seemed to come from the pillars at the side. The air was cool, and the sound of their breathing echoed softly.

Tyler saw the people who had fallen already as well as those who had successfully crossed the chain. Supervisor Han was already standing among them, nodding in approval.

"Becoming an Immortal Practitioner is not an easy road. If one cowers in the face of danger, then they are doomed to not reach the pinnacle. This test is just a test of courage. As long as you stepped on the chain, you passed. Now use your badge to print your name on the scroll," Supervisor Han explained and pointed at a scroll.

Tyler bit his thumb and used his blood to shade the letters on his badge, then pressed it onto the scroll. For some reason, the name didn’t appear backward. He then used his blood again to help Silvia.

As their names appeared on the scroll, it emitted a soft glow, signifying their acceptance.

"You guys just registered your names. There are still many things to register. Go forward," Supervisor Han told them.

Tyler, Silvia, and the others moved forward. They walked into a cave where an old lady sat in the middle. She opened her eyes and said, "One at a time."

One of the girls in the group stepped forward with determination. As she walked inside, the cave suddenly glowed greenish. The old lady didn’t even turn back and said, "9th grade mortal, Wood Attribute." A scroll and a feather pen in the air automatically noted it.

One by one, people entered. Silvia went in before Tyler. She was nervous, but Tyler patted her head and encouraged her.

Silvia saw the cave had a giant crystal ball in the centre. She placed her hand on the crystal, which glowed brightly. Silvia saw images of the ocean and forest. Everyone outside the cave only saw sky blue and green colours.

The old lady in the front flinched and then returned to normal, announcing, "5th grade Heaven, Water and Wood Dual Attribute."

Tyler understood that these grades were just spiritual roots levels, similar to Mortal, Earth, and Heaven level spiritual roots.

Tyler walked in next. A big ice glacier image formed, emitting a bright white light before it stopped.

"8th grade Earth, Ice Attribute. Broken. Needs mending," Tyler heard the old lady’s voice. He nodded his head. Even though he had used Never Melting Ice to improve his spiritual roots, he never found anything to upgrade it further. But he never cared much about his spiritual roots.

He took the passage to the left and arrived at the place where others were gathered. Silvia jumped up to him and said, "Hehe... Is Heaven Grade good?"

"It’s the best," Tyler winked at her. He looked around at all the people. There were more than 200 people, and many unknown faces. Tyler soon understood that there were many people who came for the trial and that the trial didn’t happen in just one place. These people were the ones who had passed in other places.

Soon, a group of official disciples entered. "Everyone, submit your badge," one disciple said. Everyone took their badges off and placed them on the table at the front.

The disciples stood in four rows, took a badge, and called out a name. One girl walked toward them nervously.

"Ai, Age 25, Earth Grade 7, Metal Attributes. You are selected." He crushed the badge, and the girl felt something leave her body. But she was too excited and happy, so she went to the side.

Another disciple called another person.

"Tang, Age 30, Mortal Grade 6, Fire Attributes. Too low. Be a servant disciple for a few years, and if you can reach Novice Warrior faster, you can become an official disciple," he said.

"Why? I survived all the trials!" the man asked, aggrieved.

The disciple didn’t say anything and took the badge, injecting a little aura. Suddenly, the man groaned in pain, which made others panic.

"There is a curse in the badge," Tyler murmured softly. But all the disciples heard him and looked at him.

"Correct. It is a simple curse. Welcome to the Crimson Blood Sect," the disciple nodded and smiled gently, which made others stutter.

"Don’t worry. When you become an official disciple, we will destroy this badge," the disciple said.

"Black, Age 10, 5th grade Heaven, Water and Wood Dual Attribute. Passed." The disciple was a little confused by her name. But the world is vast with different cultures and people, so he didn’t dwell on it.

"White, Age 51, 8th grade Earth, Ice Attribute. Broken. Needs mending. Hmmm..." The disciple thought for a second and said, "Become a servant disciple for a few years and find a way to mend your meridians. Then practise for a few years."

Everyone looked at Tyler with pity. Tyler noticed that the disciple was looking at the side. He saw the same disciple he had tied up before sitting there, looking at him mockingly.

Tyler smiled back and looked at the disciple in front, saying, "I refuse."

The disciple shook his head at his stupidity and activated the badge.

But nothing happened.