Time flew.
The date of the last big test of the nominal disciples was getting closer and closer.
At that time, the news came out from the Six Peaks and Six Palaces that Li Lan, Li Muyun and Liang Feixue who had previously joined them because of their outstanding performance returned to the area of nominal disciples.
According to the requirements of the Sect, they would appear in the final compet.i.tion.
For many people, that was bad news.
Because, according to the Sect’s previous rules about the big compet.i.tion, the top fifteen of the compet.i.tion would directly enter the inner core and become successor disciples of the inner core. After that, they would almost have a skyrocketing rise. They could not only enjoy getting a large number of cultivation resources, but also get the greatest training from the Sect. Moreover, their status would get a huge leap.
If there was enough chance and luck to go further, they might even enter the core of the Sect. They would be the most attractive group of the whole Sect.
When Li Lan and the others returned to partic.i.p.ate in the big compet.i.tion, they would inevitably occupy four of the fifteen places. For others, their chances would be much smaller.
In addition, after that final a.s.sessment, the Swordsmans.h.i.+p-seeking Sect would a.s.sess more than two thousand nominal disciples, based on the performances of previous a.s.sessments in the past year. Then it would rank them according to the overall performances.
The 16th to the 200th would directly enter the inner core.
The 201th to the 500th would enter the outer area.
The nominal disciples ranked after the 500th would almost lose their cultivation value. The Sect would not waste limited cultivation resources to nurture those disciples.
The fate of those failed disciples would become uncertain.
They might either return home respectively, become homeless wandering warriors, or become mercenaries who were on the line of life and death. And the luckiest ones could stay in the Swordsmans.h.i.+p-seeking Sect and become unauthorized odd-jobmen.
For many people, having a permanent job at the Swordsmans.h.i.+p-seeking Sect such as becoming the manager of the Sect’s estate in the Human tribes was also a very good choice, since they could live under the protection of the Swordsmans.h.i.+p-seeking Sect.
That process fully revealed the cruel survival of the fittest rule.
In the cold world of the Land of Infinity, only the superiors were qualified to control their own destiny, whereas, the weak could only be engulfed by the cold tide of fate.
…
As time went by, the atmosphere of the Swordsmans.h.i.+p-seeking Sect became tenser.
Especially in the area of nominal disciples. The atmosphere there was rather taut.
Some good friends, at that time, had become indifferent because of the possible compet.i.tive relations.h.i.+p. Because even their best friends might become their own obstructions in the compet.i.tion.
In the face of a cruel destiny, friends.h.i.+p would always suffer.
For the Swordsmans.h.i.+p-seeking Sect, the year-end big compet.i.tion of the nominal disciples was a grand event.
In addition to those anxious nominal disciples, the various large or small factions in the Sect, the Six Peaks and Six Palaces, those little-known Peaks, the major functional organizations of the Sect, and even some elders without real power would appear in that compet.i.tion.
Those people were like bargain-hunters who would patiently and carefully watch the entire process of the big examination, with the slim hope to find and keep some concealed genius. They would cultivate or make use of them.
Time flew by in such a hustle and bustle.
On that day, in the number eight academy, Ding Hao finally saw Li Lan from whom he had parted for more than half a year.
“Hey, Xiaolan, I haven’t seen you for a long time, you are still so thin,” Ding Hao smiled and asked Li Lan to sit down.
Li Lan was still in a clean cyan gown. He was so thin that even a gust of wind could blow him away. His shoulders were narrow, his face was pale, and there was a slight of exhaustion between the eyebrows. There was no excitement and inspiration in him as people had imagined, after learning in the Misty Peak one of the Six Peaks and Six Palaces. However his eyes were deeper and deeper like an abyss which seemed to be able to submerge everything.
“You still were good at getting into trouble,” Li Lan condemned madly.
Regardless of how he opposed it, the feminine name “Xiaolan” eventually fell on himself. However, in the entire Swordsmans.h.i.+p-seeking Sect, only Ding Hao dared to call him by that name. If others dared, their mouths would definitely be torn into pieces.
“I am sorry for the affairs concerning Xiaofan…” Li Lan broke the silence with an apology, after being silent for a moment.
He knew what Ding Hao was concerned about.
“Before Ding Hao left the Swordsmans.h.i.+p-seeking Sect, he personally asked me to take good care of Zhang Fan, w.a.n.g Xiaoqi and the others. After all, at that time I was the head of the Eastern Academy of green s.h.i.+rts who was able to do this.”
“Unfortunately, I was later selected by the Misty Peak, one of the Six Peaks and Six Palaces and had to leave the academy. I didn’t thought that in such a short time, so many things would happen.”
“After all, I still couldn’t help him keep that friends.h.i.+p,” Li Lan thought.
“This is your virgin apology? Hey, okay, I forgive you,” Ding Hao said facetiously.
Being honest, Ding Hao was a bit disappointed with Li Lan at the beginning. Before going down the mountain, he firmly believed that Li Lan could keep the entire Eastern Academy of green s.h.i.+rts well-organized. Who knew that the final result would be so disappointing?
However, Ding Hao soon figured it out.
“After all, when it came to the invitation of Misty Peak, one of the Six Peaks and Six Palaces, no nominal disciple can refuse. Moreover, I had no right to ask Li Lan to give up such a great opportunity, or I would be too selfish,” Ding Hao thought.
A virgin’s apology?
Li Lan was infuriated.
He found that when facing Ding Hao, the b.a.s.t.a.r.d, he could never be serious. He intended to talk with him about that seriously. However, the atmosphere was destroyed completely.
“Oh, yes, Xiaolan, let’s talk about your business first. Hey, I heard that there were many beautiful women on the Misty Peak, have you ever fallen in love with any of your senior sisters? Just say it out loud to us,” Ding Hao said while waving a hand towards w.a.n.g Xiaoqi and Li Yunqi. Then he put a small bench near Li Lan, looking at him in curiosity.
Li Lan did not get angry that time.
He looked Ding Hao up and down carefully, and suddenly said, “Ding Hao, you have changed.”
“Oh?” Ding Hao smiled slightly, “Xiaolan you really have a good sense. Have I become more handsome and mature?”
“Pooh! You have become cheekier.” Li Lan snorted with a sigh of relief. He became relaxed and then he seemed to have thought of something. He said thoughtfully, “It’s good for you to have changed. It seems that you have really figured out some things and saw through them. Don’t be like that person. Otherwise, you would feel tired when you enter the Sword-hidden Peak with your previous personality.”
“Eh, Xiaolan, you seem to know a lot of things. Why don’t you explain it thoroughly?” Ding Hao said. He discerned something from Li Lan’s words and became a little shocked.
“Without me saying so, you will know soon.” Li Lan kept his mouth shut.
Ding Hao no longer asked. He changed the topic and said, “Did you, Li Muyun, and Liang Feixue return to the academies of nominal disciples to partic.i.p.ate in the year-end compet.i.tion?”