The whale observed with strangeness that figure... they could clearly feel the behemoth bloodline flowing in him. That appearance, that infinite hunger... it was too painful for them to see, especially knowing they were quite similar.
The elder noticed the awkward silence and exchanged glances between the newcomer and the young leader of the forge institute, and spoke softly.
"The young master is named Thalor Obsidian. He is a simple person who enjoys eating, but when in battle, he is a hero of humanity. His clan has ties to all races, and he belongs to the largest clan in the sect and on the continent."
Everyone’s hearts stopped... meanwhile, Thalor continued to chew and bite the meat, seemingly not caring to say anything, not even looking at Alm and Bruno, so immersed in the food. Soon, the elder sighed and turned to the others.
"This young dark elf is part of the second-largest clan, he is named Xylos Noctryn."
The elder introduced a slim dark elf, who just looked at everyone with a cold and dry aura. Then, a mountain of green muscles took a step forward, speaking for himself.
"I AM LOKAR! ORC BONECRUSH CLAN! FOURTH LARGEST!"
Everyone felt their eardrums vibrate with the loud and fierce shout. He was a three-meter orc, proportionally muscular, the opposite of Thalor’s fat or Denil’s. The orc had green skin similar to ogres but with pronounced tusks and a brave warrior’s aura.
Unlike ogres, who lacked intelligence and lived in isolated tribes causing trouble for other races, orcs were a more organized and social race, with a culture that valued honor, loyalty, and physical skills. They were intelligent, though a bit below average among humans. They had no specific tactics or laws; everyone cultivated for direct combat and had enviable physical power.
Then, a human figure of the same stature and appearance as Ruri took steps forward. It was a woman, and her ethnicity was almost identical to the people of Montide.
"You idiot, follow the order," the woman spoke to the orc, who snorted and took a step back. "I’m Sunli, from the Nightflare clan. Third largest," she finished, and her gaze crossed with Ruri’s; then, a subtle murderous intent emerged from both.
A few seconds of silence later, a small figure of one meter fifty stepped forward. Quickly, that figure captured everyone’s attention; it was a Fey. Then, her voice sounded like a bell. "I am Fyclea, from the Soothora clan, the fifth largest."
Fyclea was clearly a Fey born in the icy lands of the north, embodying ethereal beauty and an intimate fusion with the laws of water. Standing at only 1.50 meters tall, her slender body boasted vibrant blue skin adorned with intricate water runes that glowed softly. Her dark blue hair cascaded down, and translucent butterfly-like wings of ice lent her grace as she spoke.
The Fey bloodline was fully connected to the natural elements around them, merging with them. Due to their connection to the laws of water, which is related to Yin, this Fey emitted a feminine aura and likely considered herself a woman.
Feys can crossbreed with all humanoid races, but they are very reserved and have almost no desire for reproduction. Their race initially has no defined gender. The definition of Fey gender only occurs after contact with other races.
They define themselves in a gender, but it starts as blank. And if they happen to feel an inclination to unite with another race, their bodies mutate, gaining characteristics of that gender. Physically, they are quite different, and they can change their internal structure for reproduction; this is a likely adaptation for the bloodline to survive, and there were practically only hybrids on the planet. Fyclea, however, was a pure Fey, and the fact that her clan was the fifth largest was due to the purity of their bloodline.
Everyone introduced themselves, and the elder spoke to all the disciples. "In the inner region, everyone is divided into factions by obligation; and the test for inner disciple is the recruitment zone. If you want to live, join one of the factions of the most powerful disciples."
Everyone looked at the five seriously, and the elder continued. "The test involves a deadly group fight. You can’t compare to their battle experience. In terms of talent, you may be almost the same, but when it comes to combat strength, they are ten times stronger than you. If you want to keep your lives, abandon your dignity and try to join them."
Everyone clenched their fists and took steps towards the five. Soon, Alm and Bruno spoke mentally to the three who were attentively watching. ’You must create your factions; this is your first challenge. For now, observe them closely.’
Quickly, the five moved among the crowd calmly. Fyclea spoke gently to those nearby, as a fey, she fought evasively and strategically. All her members had to follow her lead and her methods of combat, or they would never advance. She recruited almost exclusively women, allowing only a few dozen men within her standards.
On the other hand, Lokar was the complete opposite. His faction fought head-on amid blood and wounds. He recruited only those with a high physique and defensive power; if anyone else tried to enter, it would result in their early death. He didn’t care about protecting anyone in the rear.
Thalor finally finished eating and started talking to people. He didn’t have many strict criteria. He simply looked at them and recruited those with various affinities that pleased him; his recruitment method was more open.
Meanwhile, Xylos and Sunli were the fiercest among the disciples. They simply chose those with greater talent, judging their physique and abilities mercilessly. Their approach was similar to Thalor’s, but they didn’t care about anything other than power and talent.
In just an hour, the situation became clear to the whale’s group. Out of the sixty thousand disciples in the test, thirty thousand were recruited. In addition to them, there were thirty thousand disciples who had not been chosen by any faction. They were not considered with strong points and had very low talents.
’Observe the excluded ones. Everyone realized they were rejected, but half of them were gathering and forming a new faction. Soon, they will join forces to fight together for survival,’ the whale spoke to the three mentally.
’The elder was quite clear about the level of danger; they all know that, without the support of powerful factions, they are heading for certain death. However, they didn’t resist and refused to give up until the end. Not giving up in these circumstances requires not only willpower but also courage. They may be weak, but they have the determination to burn all bridges behind them if necessary. They all came from small clans, so they came to the sect with the will to change their pathetic destinies.’
’Everyone just wishes to have a chance to achieve something. And if someone gives them that chance, they will definitely value it a thousand times and invest ten thousand times more in others’ work. That’s the correct determination of a cultivator or anyone, and that’s the value they should seek for their factions. Those who fight by your side must be reliable, and mutual respect and gratitude must exist. Subordination is subtle, but gratitude and respect are solid.’
’Recruiting for compatibility issues is the same as building an army of fish; as soon as they are taken out of the water, they will all die. The ideal is to have the ability to deal with anything and adapt. Talent is just something ephemeral, worthless without the right will.’
Everyone nodded in understanding; for everything to go well, they would have to unite trustworthy people, and now they had a clearer view. At the same time, the elder looked at the whale and his group and sighed heavily. They seemed like arrogant pillars that would not bow to anyone. They fought alone...
After a short time, seeing that the factions had been formed, the elder finally spoke. "The judgment of the inner sect can begin now. Move forward!"
Everyone breathed heavily and followed the order; there was the entrance to the inner sect, and there was a closed, dangerous area where the test always took place inside. When not in testing, disciples trained there.
Their vision changed as space distorted; then everything darkened, and they appeared in a desolate and dark valley. Brutal auras fell upon them. Before they could figure out what was happening, furious roars shook in all directions. Countless figures emerged from the front, like a wave of death.
They watched the horizon tremble with an army of demonic beasts resembling giant ants. A black legion of these creatures, each measuring five meters in length, advanced with dreadful coordination. Their bodies exuded an aura of bloody death, their overwhelming fangs ready to tear everything in their path.
"Can you see the great mound ahead? The goal is just to reach there; I wish you good luck in surviving until the end." The elder’s voice echoed for everyone, and soon, their hearts trembled as they drew their weapons.
The place was a gigantic battlefield, and soon seven groups joined together and moved forward, a few dozen meters apart. The whale pulled out a black bow and walked slowly toward the objective. Ahead of him, the three members of his group clashed head-on with the sea of beasts at the same time as all the disciples.
Blood stained the ground in the first few seconds, and in the next few minutes, dozens of bodies fell, torn apart by the fangs of the ants.
The five leaders roared and commanded the disciples, but the ants were powerful; their subordinates died every second. Meanwhile, solitary disciples saw dozens die every second, like pieces of paper.
Fear and terror quickly spread to everyone. Then, the five commanders roared and unleashed all their power.
Sunli Nightflare took out numerous runes that spread throughout the area. She then created multicolored barriers that held the ants while funneling them. A formation expert, Sunli had many resources to burn without caring about anything. Everyone in her group attacked and walked in coordination under her command.
Thalor’s behemoth lineage and his mastery of the laws of the earth were used strategically. Pillars of earth emerged, dividing the beasts; his offensive power was not immense, but he always split the enemy army, preventing them from concentrating on his faction. Then, he attacked and guided everyone with the composure a leader should have, being the opposite of what he seemed.
In the sky, an ice mist permeated a large area. It was Fey Fyclea, who used her elemental mastery and bloodline to blend ice runes with the entire environment; the beasts were invaded without any defense, and their movements became incredibly slower. Soon, her faction managed to fight more easily while she commanded them.
Xylos, the black elf, roared, slashing with his sword. A black mist followed his blade and created a domain around his people. It had the power to kill and poison anything that approached, so his faction only dealt with the weaker ones that didn’t die. And the agile leader killed and leaped, attacking without stopping. His allies were handpicked, and all possessed the ability to protect themselves, with him taking care of a vast area.
The orc Lokar was the one furthest ahead of everyone. His faction advanced violently amidst the sea of beasts, and he, with a giant axe, attacked, destroying the earth and killing dozens at once. His bloodline was activated to the maximum; it was like a beacon, and all the ants seemed to focus on him, sensing a presence of death. He drew everyone’s attention, even if by instinct; all his allies were front-line warriors and fought against the few that passed the orc leader.
In a few minutes, everything seemed to stabilize for the members of the powerful factions; they advanced every minute. The whale’s group was massacring and advancing as well, just behind them. It was only three of them fighting, and the whale lazily walked behind them and, at times, attacked with his bow.
The last places were for the largest group, the excluded ones. Over 5 thousand died quickly and were being unilaterally oppressed. In an hour, more than 30 thousand would be slaughtered without any defense.
Ruri and the others looked anxiously behind. Among the leaders of the other factions, only the orc and the fey glanced back. Alm and Bruno saw Fyclea tremble and her eyes seem to moisten, but she just sighed and moved on; she had no capacity or power to change anything. Lokar, whenever he looked back, roared even more violently in his attacks; he clearly felt the weight of senseless deaths and, if he could do something, he would do it without hesitation.
Others just advanced without caring. This trial eliminated the weak, leaving only the elite behind. What the sect wanted was the elite, not those they considered weak. That’s why they didn’t care about those people at the back. Their goal was only to clear the way forward, and those who survived would be the ones worth a second look.
After confirming everyone’s true character, Alm and Bruno waved to the three ahead, and they slowed down, approaching the group behind. Then, all their power was unleashed.
The most uptodat𝓮 n𝒐vels are published on freёwebnovel.com.
The air and space began to vibrate as if they were writhing. In a few seconds, the number of beasts around those disciples dropped by almost two-thirds. Then, everyone ahead looked back in shock; only three cultivators had started attacking, each of their movements was dry and without any exuberant power. But... with one movement, a gigantic line of beasts fell in a bloody manner, as if exploding from the inside out.
The three were spread out on three sides, and each one killed the equivalent of an entire faction on their own. Beast corpses flew through the air and exploded like fireworks; it was shocking and beyond a massacre.
"Thank you very much, Lord Denil!" A young man, who led the group, spoke to the whale who was in the center of the three.
The group was clearing the way for them. The whale turned back, and in his eyes, only seriousness and kindness reflected. Everyone trembled, although these people had no relation to him, the whale seemed not only unwilling to see them die there.
"As long as there are no threats to my group yet, I don’t mind paving a way for your survival. However, that doesn’t mean I will protect you all the way. You are cultivators fighting against the heavens, so don’t cower behind my companions. Move forward and fight!" The whale spoke heroically.
This path was not so simple to traverse. Although the three were spread out and killing most of the demon beasts coming from the front, there were still some attacking from the sides. These disciples were still being killed, and they had to survive on their own.
An hour passed. These ants were actually only at the sixth level of the Core Formation Realm. All the disciples there had the same cultivation, and some were above that. The reason they managed to kill so many people at the beginning was that these people were too scared to fight properly. They had never seen such terrible beasts, nor had they seen a person next to them being torn apart; they were the definition of hothouse flowers who had come peacefully.
Only after that did the whale notice that everyone had stabilized mentally. That was when the ants seemed to have just arrived. Then, fervent roars sounded in the sky, and winged serpents emerged, bringing the smell of poison.
They were demon beasts in the Heaven Stage Realm, and what was once a dead end for these disciples now became impossible. Alm and Bruno finally put away their bows and prepared to fight a little.
Behind them, everyone felt an indescribable pressure that made them tremble. In the next second, they just looked at the whale ahead, and then their world seemed to crumble. The whale... was trembling!
Alm and Bruno halted their steps with the whale, feeling their Qi and bloodline completely petrify. Then, their eyes turned cold and bloodthirsty as Alm muttered dryly. ’Shit, our cultivation has been completely sealed. Some bastard is sneakily targeting us.’