"Step back, all of you!" said a powerful elder. Two figures blurred down from the high viewing platforms, their spiritual pressure instantly forcing the blood-crazed youth and the screaming noble apart. Along with them, two young female medical disciples rushed into the clearing, their hands already moving to treat the catastrophic wounds.

The first girl dropped to her knees beside the grandson of the Sword Saint. She quickly poured a glowing emerald liquid directly over his mangled, half-severed forearm. The potion hissed and sizzled violently, releasing a thick cloud of pungent green smoke as the flesh began to rapidly bind together.

"Hold still, Young Master!" said the medical girl. She worked with practiced, frantic efficiency, wrapping the treated limb tightly in thick, spiritual bandages to stabilize the bone.

Right across from them, the second female disciple kneeled in front of Roy. She didn’t say a word, immediately pressing her glowing palms against his punctured abdomen. The green smoke hissed from his skin as the deep rapier wound closed up, leaving a fresh pink scar over his rugged muscles.

"Both of you stand up," said the first elder, looking over the two bleeding youths with an expressionless face. "You have both passed the initial entry trial. Follow the disciples inside immediately."

"What?!" said a young master in the crowd, his jaw dropping in absolute bewilderment.

"The trial was just to pick a fight with a stranger?!" said another noble heir, looking around in utter confusion. "No one ever mentioned such a ridiculous requirement!"

The entire plaza fell into a state of collective shock. None of the outer applicants or the arrogant core descendants had any idea that the test had already begun.

However, Ethan merely stood in place, his piercing amethyst eyes completely calm. He wasn’t surprised at all. Before arriving at the plaza, he had received a highly confidential, anonymous letter delivered straight to his room. The message inside had been simple and direct: ’Do whatever you must do on the day of the competition, but ensure you are standing as close to the main gates as humanly possible.’

Although the letter hadn’t specified the reason behind the command, Ethan’s sharp instincts told him it was vital to follow. Shoving his way to the front and letting Roy spark a bloody conflict had perfectly positioned them right at the threshold before anyone else could even react. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Silence!" said the Chief Instructor. He stepped forward onto the grand balcony, his voice booming across the plaza like a thunderclap, instantly crushing the rising murmurs of the crowd. "It seems none of you have the patience to wait for a formal ceremony, so let us skip the pleasantries and begin the true examination."

"I order all non-applicants to abandon the immediate zone right now," said the Chief Instructor. "Any individual who remains within this perimeter after my count will be treated as an official examinee. Furthermore, if your age exceeds the recruitment limit, your presence will be handled as an explicit attempt to deceive the Heavenly Sword Pavilion, and you will be executed on the spot without trial."

The threat was absolute and terrifying. Within seconds, thousands of family guardians, servants, and older advisors practically trampled each other to escape the marked perimeter. When the dust finally settled, tens of thousands of young, anxious applicants remained standing in the massive plaza.

"Listen carefully to the rules for today," said the Chief Instructor. "The first stage is incredibly simple. Every single one of you will be handed a specialized spiritual talisman. You have exactly two hours to acquire as many talismans from your peers as humanly possible."

"Wait a minute! That is not the traditional examination!" said a haughty noble youth from a prominent core family, unable to contain his anger. "This is absolute garbage! What happened to the standard forms?!"

"Foolish boy, shut your mouth!" said his family elder from outside the line, desperately waving his hands in a panic.

But the warning came far too late.

Xiu!

A blinding, invisible line of sharp qi sliced through the air out of absolutely nowhere. Before the youth could even draw a breath, his head—along with the heads of the four family members who had accompanied him to the frontier—flew into the air, a massive fountain of blood painting the cobblestones.

"It appears some structural secrets regarding our traditional trials have been leaked to the outside world," said the cold, echoing voice of an hidden sect observer from the high tower. "We will personally pay a thorough visit to this young man’s clan later today to investigate exactly how they obtained such detailed knowledge of our internal affairs."

A suffocating, deathly silence gripped the entire plaza. The reality of the situation was incredibly grim: almost every single powerful core family present knew the official rules and tests months in advance through bribery and political connections. However, everyone kept their mouths shut to maintain the illusion. The Heavenly Sword Pavilion was a den of ruthless wolves, and they absolutely had to maintain a strict facade of total, flawless impartiality to the public world, even if the entire system was rotted to the core from within.

"If there are no further interruptions, I will finish explaining the conditions," said the Chief Instructor. His sharp eyes scanned the sea of pale, trembling faces, his voice dropping into a heavy, ominous tone that echoed across the blood-stained plaza.

"The blade is entirely blind," said the Chief Instructor. "If anyone here wishes to withdraw from this selection, you must step out of the perimeter right now. Once the countdown officially begins, we will not, under any circumstances, guarantee your survival inside the arena."

"You will have to rely completely on your own strength, your own wit, and your own will to live," said the Chief Instructor. He crossed his arms, his dominant presence crushing whatever remaining arrogance the core disciples had left. "Think very carefully about whether standing here is truly worth your blood, or if you prefer to retire right now and avoid completely unnecessary suffering."

A tense, heavy silence blanketed the tens of thousands of young applicants. Nobody moved a single muscle, but the air was thick with suffocating dread.

-------------------

From this moment forward, to avoid confusion regarding cultivation ranks, I will include this footer with the current established levels.

Note: These are only the ranks mentioned so far to avoid spoilers.

Body Refinement Realm

Skin Refinement / Bone Refinement / Organ Refinement

Spiritual Gathering Realm

Spiritual Perception / Spiritual Mist / Spiritual Condensation

Spiritual Core Realm

Core Solidification / Core Awakening / Spiritual Collapse (Half-step Spiritual Core)

Spiritual Soul Realm

Spiritual Soul Awakening / Soul Nourishing / Soul-Core Fusion

Golden Core Realm

Prime Fusion / Core Perfection / Core Destruction

Spiritual Sea Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Dao Manifestation Realm

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??

Spiritual Transcendence

Stage 1 ?? / Stage 2 ?? / Stage 3 ??