The first twenty minutes were filled with murmurs and exclamations, but once half an hour passed, silence spread like a heavy mist.

  Even the outer disciples of Jade Peak, who had been watching from afar with faint airs of superiority, exchanged incredulous glances.

  “How can he still be holding on?”

  “Impossible… for someone who hasn’t even begun cultivating, thirty minutes should already be the limit—even with extraordinary talent.”

  “Even a cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Gathering can barely endure an hour. With every passing minute, the pressure on the meridians becomes unbearable.”

  Yan Mei, standing to the side, frowned slightly. The medicinal liquid had been designed for a two-hour soak, intended for cultivators at the seventh level.

  It might have seemed wasteful, but the remaining mixture would later be used to enrich spiritual soil.

  She shook her head softly. The initial shock had already faded; only intrigue remained.

  What exactly is happening with that boy?

  At that moment, a faint tremor rippled across the surface of the tub.

  Inside, Jin remained submerged in his own world, oblivious to the whispers outside. His body was undergoing a silent transformation. Meridians that had once been dim and sluggish now shimmered with a purer, sturdier light.

  A golden current coiled within him—cleansing, refining, reconstructing.

  …I don’t know how different mine are compared to everyone else’s, Jin thought, his consciousness barely holding on.

  Then, suddenly, everything stopped.

  The golden energy withdrew into his dantian. The crimson liquid lost its glow, turning into a thick, dark sludge.

  Taking that as a sign, Jin realized he could move again.

  The pain was still there, but now it was faint—nothing more than a reminder that he was alive.

  With effort, he sat up and rose from the water.

  His long hair, still damp, slid over his shoulders like a black waterfall.

  “Mmm… I’ll tie this into a ponytail when I can,” he thought irritably, flicking it aside.

  When he lifted his gaze, his expression froze.

  Before him stood a crowd, staring in absolute silence—faces tense, eyes filled with disbelief.

  Jin’s smile twitched awkwardly. He glanced left, then right, and unable to endure the weight of so many gazes, forced a crooked grin.

  “What? Hahaha… I know I’m handsome, but staring this much is just rude, you know?”

  His voice echoed awkwardly through the stillness.

  No one replied.

  Only the ripples in the dark liquid disturbed the silence.

  Coughing in embarrassment, Jin stepped fully out of the tub.

  Just as one of the disciples seemed ready to speak, a deep, cheerful voice thundered through the air, drawing everyone’s attention.

  “Well, well, children, hahaha…”

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  Master Mo appeared, laughing heartily, his voice rolling like gentle thunder.

  “All of you who lasted more than five minutes—congratulations! You are now disciples of Jade Peak.”

  His tone was casual, yet his eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

  “As for those who gave up before then… don’t lose heart. You may try again next year.”

  With that, he turned toward Yan Mei.

  “Mei, take care of these fifteen children.”

  And in the next instant, he vanished as if he had never been there.

  The silence shattered.

  Emotions surged—some faces lit up with relief, others bowed in frustration.

  Yan Mei straightened, regaining her composure, and raised her voice.

  “Alright! You heard the Master. Those who did not pass, return to the trial disciples’ area!”

  Then she turned toward the fifteen who remained—three girls and twelve boys—and frowned.

  “But before anything else…” She wrinkled her nose. “You all stink.”

  Pinching her nose in mock disgust, she waved her hand.

  With delicate control of her Qi, a wooden token floated before each new disciple.

  Jin caught his and inspected it with curiosity.

  He had only been in this world for a few weeks, and now… he was part of a sect.

  Frowning, he sniffed the air.

  “What’s that smell?” he muttered, finally realizing the stench clinging to his body.

  Judging by the grimaces around him, he wasn’t the only one suffering.

  Thankfully, several senior disciples soon arrived, pushing large tubs filled with fragrant water.

  Time passed.

  The chaos of the selection faded away, and Jin found himself standing before a cluster of small cottages connected by stone paths.

  They were simple but tidy, each marked with a number carved above the doorway.

  Comparing it with the token in his hand, he walked toward his assigned dwelling, a strange sense of familiarity settling in his chest.

  The house wasn’t made of wood, as it first appeared.

  When he touched the doorframe, he realized it was smooth, polished stone—warm beneath his fingers. A small, well-kept garden adorned the entrance.

  “What a cozy place…” Jin murmured as he stepped inside. “Guess this’ll be my headquarters for a while.”

  The interior was modest: a bed, a small table with a stone lamp, and a secluded corner where a thin stream of clear water flowed directly from the ground.

  Soft blue light radiated from glowing pebbles embedded in the walls.

  On the bed lay three black robes, a small booklet, and a piece of jade.

  Jin raised an eyebrow.

  “First things first…” he muttered, sniffing himself. “I need to wash this smell off before it seeps into my soul.”

  He glanced around, searching for something to bathe with, until his eyes fell on the small spring.

  “A water source in every room? That’s pretty luxurious for newcomers…” he murmured, admiring the steady flow.

  Without further thought, he stripped and washed himself with the cold underground water.

  “Ahhh… it’s freezing…”

  A shiver ran down his spine, but the sensation felt oddly purifying.

  Minutes later, he stepped out, wrapped in a dry cloth.

  Under the blue light, his skin faintly shimmered.

  “Weird… I didn’t even use soap, but the smell’s completely gone,” he muttered as he dressed.

  The black robes fit him perfectly, as if they had been tailored just for him.

  “How the hell do they know my size? Even the boots fit like a glove…” he grumbled, unsettled by the precision.

  Pushing the thought aside, he sat at the table and opened the small booklet.

  “According to the blue-haired girl, this should contain everything we need to know…”

  He read quietly for a while. When he finished, he let out a sigh.

  “I thought it’d be something grand… but it’s just rules and warnings.”

  The booklet detailed punishments for fighting outside dueling platforms, movement restrictions, and various regulations he barely understood.

  The most important item, however, was the jade fragment—it had to be presented at the Hall of Martial Scriptures to receive the basic cultivation method.

  “Alright, sounds simple enough…” He frowned. “But… where the hell is that hall?”

  He looked around for signs or directions, finding none. He had only located the dorms because someone had pointed the way earlier.

  “Ahhh… I guess they want us to learn to rely on ourselves,” he murmured with a tired smile.

  Outside the window, the sun still hung high, bathing the stone paths in golden light.

  “I suppose it’s time to explore this place,” he said, tying his long hair into a ponytail.

  He stepped out of his quarters with steady strides. Fresh air filled his lungs, and in the distance, ancient pavilions rose, stairways spiraling toward elevated platforms.

  A faint smile curved his lips.

  For the first time since his arrival, Jin Yuchen truly felt part of this world.

  And with his heart caught between curiosity and excitement, he began walking toward his new destiny.