The Hot Spring Encounter and the Third Round

“Tomorrow, I’ll be facing inner disciples. I wonder if the pistol will still be useful…” Lin Tian lay behind a green stone, his face flushed slightly.

In the past, her maids handled her bathing, and she would get a nosebleed just by looking down. Even she couldn’t withstand it.

“Oh? Someone’s still here so late…”

A young girl’s voice drifted from behind him. Lin Tian instinctively sank deeper into the water, hoping to remain undetected.

“These clothes… they belong to a man, don’t they?”

From the sound of it, there seemed to be more than one person.

“Hmph! Let me see who dares to trespass into the women’s ‘bathhouse’!”

The hot spring pool was vast, dotted with numerous green stones. Several female disciples leaped onto the stones, searching one by one.

“Here! Come out!”

Lin Tian shook his head, then stood up. This body was female; surely, nothing untoward would be said.

He saw three figures on the stone behind him, all clad in white robes, clearly inner disciples.

“Seniors… is something amiss?”

“Tch, it’s just a girl.”

A hint of disappointment, mixed with a touch of jealousy, flickered across their faces. Noticing their unfriendly demeanor, Lin Tian turned and left.

****

“Bandages? Men’s clothing?”

As the three watched him get dressed and depart, their faces were etched with confusion.

“Hmph, good thing she knows her place…”

The female disciples in Murong Mountain were pitifully few, each one pampered like a star surrounded by the moon. If Lin Tian were to appear in women’s attire with his beauty, everyone else would surely pale in comparison.

Returning to his living quarters, he found the three others sound asleep. He tiptoed to his bed and lay down.

Staring at the moonlight outside the window, Lin Tian felt an inexpressible sense of loneliness. Though he had family, no one else knew his secret.

In his original world, he had a fiancée on the verge of marriage, but work had delayed it, leading to an irreparable situation.

Now, in this world devoid of absolute laws, strength was the only rule. Lin Tian touched the cold pistol. This item could never truly bring him a sense of security; true power resided within oneself.

He mused over the martial arts he had observed that day, slowly drifting into sleep.

****

The next morning, he was the first to awaken. Just as he changed into his gray robe, a knock echoed from outside:

“Everyone, the third round of tests is about to begin. Don’t be late; this is a direct opportunity to become an inner disciple…”

Luo Tao immediately sprang from his bed. “Ying… Luo Tian, when did you get back?”

“Hmm~ What are you ‘Ying-ing’ about so early in the morning?” the stout young man slowly sat up.

“Can’t I? Ying ying ying…”

“Is your brain waterlogged?”

“You f*ing say that again!”

The two inevitably started bickering the moment they spoke, while Zhang Yu also roused himself from sleep.

“The third round of tests? Who wants to be in a group with me?”

The test required groups of three to challenge an inner disciple. Luo Tao and the stout young man were definitely going to team up with Lin Tian, naturally leaving Zhang Yu out.

“We already have a team. You should find someone else,” the stout young man bluntly refused.

“Sigh… someone like me, no one will take me in…”

“What’s it to us? It’s already good enough that we let you stay here. Don’t try to play the victim,” Luo Tao said, unwilling to associate with him.

“It’s fine. There are twenty-one disciples being admitted, right? That makes exactly seven groups. Not one person can be missing, so someone will eventually find you,” Lin Tian said before pushing open the door and stepping out.

“That’s right! Senior Brother Luo Tian is the best.”

****

The tests were held in the training grounds, a vast open space with three arenas. All twenty-one participants were present, waiting there.

Many disciples had also gathered around to watch, including several elders.

“This year’s newcomers don’t look like much. The two female disciples are just average-looking, not even as cute as that guy next to them, can you believe it…”

“As long as they can fight, what good is good looks?”

“Heh~ You… you’ll be single your whole life, won’t you?”

“Everyone, quiet down.” A middle-aged man walked onto the stage. His sharp gaze conveyed immense authority.

“Brother Luo Tian, that’s the Sect Master,” the stout young man explained.

“The Sect Master is personally presiding?”

“That’s right. There’s only one batch of newcomers each year, so he always comes out to preside.”

Lin Tian observed the Sect Master. Aside from his sharp eyes, there was nothing particularly remarkable about him.

“You have all traveled long distances to reach here and have passed the selections. This third round of testing is a gift; those who perform exceptionally well will directly become inner disciples.”

“I’m sure you’ve heard of cultivators. Our Murong Mountain does indeed have dealings with them. Every few years, an immortal master will come here to select disciples.

If you are chosen, it will not only be your fortune but also the glory of our Murong Mountain.”

The people on the field listened in silence; no one uttered a sound. Many were unfamiliar with cultivators, viewing them as something ethereal.

However, it was precisely because of cultivators that many people were drawn to join, Lin Tian included.

It was said that over the past century, only three disciples had been chosen by cultivators, a pitifully small number.

“I won’t say more. I hope you will abide by Murong Mountain’s rules. After the test, each person will receive one hundred merit points. Those chosen as inner disciples will receive three hundred merit points!”

One hundred merit points! The new disciples were extremely excited. Lin Tian quickly calculated: this subsidy was roughly ten taels of silver, which, converted to Earth currency, was about ten thousand yuan. The benefits were quite good.

****

The competition then began, with three groups of three competing simultaneously on the three arenas.

Lin Tian’s group was scheduled for the last round, which provided a perfect opportunity to observe and learn from the combat experience.

Participants were allowed to carry weapons onto the stage, and the match would continue until one side conceded, with killing strictly forbidden.

He had initially wondered why three fighters couldn’t defeat one, but once the matches began, the significant disparity became evident.

Inner disciples were proficient in various martial arts and possessed extensive combat experience. An outsider could be incapacitated with a single blow.

For instance, in Arena Number Three, an inner disciple wielding an iron staff knocked out two of the three newcomers almost immediately after the match began, prompting the sole remaining participant to surrender.

“This year’s newcomers are too useless, it’s like beating dogs.”

The first round concluded with no one selected. The watching elders all shook their heads.

The participants in the second round appeared very frail, and no one held much hope for them. However, halfway through the match, two inner disciples suddenly announced their surrender!

One of them had been injured by a hidden weapon, while the other was bound by iron wires wielded by the three newcomers working together!

“Hey! Not bad~”

“Does that count as passing? The iron wires were used by three people, and as for the hidden weapon, wasn’t that a bit too underhanded?”

“What’s underhanded about it? It’s survival of the fittest. Would you talk about fairness and justice with an enemy during a life-and-death struggle?”

****

The observing disciples buzzed with discussion, and the elders did not go back on their word. The three who used iron wires and the one who used a hidden weapon were all admitted as inner disciples.

Soon, it was Lin Tian’s group’s turn for the final round. Their opponent was a handsome young man who used a folding fan as his weapon.

The three ascended the arena. At this point, only their group remained, and everyone’s eyes were fixed on the stage.

“Isn’t that Jiang Yu? It seems these three have no hope.”

“Tch! Even if it wasn’t Jiang Yu, they wouldn’t win. One’s a fatty, one’s a midget, only that other young man has some bearing.”

“It’s Senior Brother Jiang Yu!” Some female disciples’ eyes sparkled with adoration.

“Oh? Sister Wu Ya, isn’t that kid on the stage the one we met at the hot springs yesterday?”

“He does look a bit like him… Yes, it’s her!”

“So he’s a new disciple. No wonder he looked unfamiliar. If there were such a pretty female disciple, everyone would have known long ago.”

“To actually dress as a man, who is she looking down on?! We’ll teach her a good lesson later!”

****

Amidst the chatter on the field, Lin Tian’s trio discussed their attack strategy.

“I’ll go test his strength first. Your attack methods are too distinctive, so don’t reveal them yet,” Luo Tao told the two, who nodded in agreement.

“The match begins!”

With the starting command, Luo Tao drew his sword and charged towards Jiang Yu…