Chapter Nine: The Experiment

With a moment to spare, Li Mu bowed politely and said, “I’m going to fetch my companions from the distant east to test their aptitude. I’ll take my leave for now and return later.”

Madam Wang, in high spirits, replied casually, “The eastern side? Let me take you there.”

Li Mu smiled gratefully, his timing impeccable. Madam Wang’s offer suited him perfectly.

Li Mu quickly departed, but Madam Wang, with a mere flicker of movement, was already ahead of him, though she hadn’t made any visible effort to move.

Madam Wang brushed her fingers through the clouds, and a jade-green cloud-and-rain fan materialized, her fingers barely parted. The fan descended slowly, shifting shape at will, spreading out to a breadth of three or four meters. “Come aboard,” she said.

Li Mu laughed quietly and glanced at the blue-robed cultivator nearby, then stepped onto the fan.

The blue-robed cultivator sat cross-legged and unmoved, but on closer inspection, his body was trembling slightly, almost as if he might topple off.

Madam Wang, delighted, called out, “Stand firm, we’ll be moving quickly.”

In the blink of an eye, the two soared above the grounds.

Once the pair had departed, the blue-robed cultivator finally opened his eyes, filled with terror. Moments earlier, he had planned to intimidate Li Mu and seize the Five-Colored Stone, thinking Li Mu was a mere commoner who would easily be frightened. Now, he hadn’t expected Li Mu to remain unmoved and to leave together with Madam Wang, becoming a distinguished guest of the city.

Who was Madam Wang? She stood equal to the city lord, a senior elder of the Jade Iron Sect, far above his station, wielding great authority.

Even his boldness was shaken.

Li Mu awakened Li Si and Li Ying, leading them once more to the Jade Iron Sect branch.

From afar, the blue-robed cultivator spotted Li Mu and his companions, and hurried forward, bowing deeply. “I was very much at fault earlier, but I hope you won’t hold it against me, brother.”

Li Mu returned the gesture, “It’s nothing.”

He said little else, leading the two inside.

His previous demeanor had served its purpose. Li Mu felt a certain satisfaction; such petty figures, once they felt fear, would behave much better.

The blue-robed cultivator glared resentfully but was powerless to do anything.

Inside the hall, only Steward Ye remained; the others had already left.

Upon seeing Li Mu enter, Steward Ye took a few steps forward and tossed over a pouch. “Here’s what you requested. Inside are five mid-grade spirit crystals, which should suffice. Originally, low-grade crystals were offered, but since you’re not a cultivator and can’t use a storage pouch, you wouldn’t be able to carry so many. So, I’ve given you mid-grade ones.”

Li Mu bowed in gratitude. “This is perfect. Thank you, Steward Ye.”

A single mid-grade spirit crystal could be exchanged for a thousand low-grade ones, often considered of great value and rarely available for trade. Li Mu smiled, pleased at having such special benefits despite not being a cultivator.

Steward Ye nodded, looking past Li Mu to the two behind him. “So, you three wish to undergo the cultivator aptitude test?”

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“Yes,” Li Mu replied.

Li Si stood awkwardly, unsure what to say. Li Ying’s eyes sparkled with innocence, smiling at Steward Ye, utterly fearless.

Steward Ye was sharp-eyed, giving the three a quick once-over. “Follow me.”

Li Mu led the two in pursuit, following Steward Ye as they headed deeper into the hall.

After passing several corridors, a vast courtyard unfolded ahead. Around it stood many jade pillars, varied in height, inscribed with all manner of mysterious and strange patterns, seeming to form a complex array.

Within the courtyard, there was a small stone chamber, unguarded, built from black stone, seamless and without any visible cracks.

“This is the place,” Steward Ye announced, stopping and smiling. “Those arrays are costly to set up and require many spirit crystals—one hundred low-grade crystals is no small expense.”

Seeing the intricate arrays, Li Mu couldn’t help but feel some concern. “Steward Ye, is there any danger in the test?”

Steward Ye shook his head. “You need only stay in the True Force Chamber for a short while to learn the result. There’s no danger.”

Li Mu nodded, saying nothing more.

He was still a little uneasy; the stone chamber seemed so tightly sealed, he worried even breathing might be problematic.

“Who will go first?” Steward Ye asked, as he triggered some mechanism. The chamber’s entrance suddenly swung open, just wide enough for a person.

Li Mu stepped forward. “I’ll go.”

Steward Ye nodded. “Go on in.”

Li Mu entered, and the door gradually closed behind him. The surrounding arrays whirred to life, and mist surged from within, quickly engulfing the chamber so nothing could be seen.

“Brother!” Li Ying cried out.

Witnessing the scene, Li Ying grew anxious for Li Mu, her heart filled with worry as she tried to rush in, but an invisible barrier blocked her way.

Distressed and frantic, she shouted.

Steward Ye smiled kindly, unperturbed. “It’ll be fine. Just wait a moment.”

Li Si could only stare blankly, neither speaking nor moving. He felt as if he was about to become fundamentally different from others.

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The mist floated gently. Within the stone chamber, Li Mu sensed something unusual.

Though the chamber was clearly sealed, he felt no discomfort whatsoever.

On the contrary, the air around him was impossibly fresh—he had never felt anything like it, neither in his previous life nor this one.

Soon, his whole being relaxed, as if he had merged with the chamber itself. It was like an out-of-body experience, drifting like an immortal, ethereal and light.

He couldn’t see anything, but every part of his body seemed unusually clear, attuned to every subtle change.

A warm current quietly coursed through him.

“So this is the legendary True Force?”

Li Mu wondered, but before he could ponder further, he drifted into unconsciousness.

When he awoke, the mist had dissipated, and the chamber’s door was open.

Steward Ye stood at the entrance. “Come here.”

Li Mu followed him to a pillar in front of the chamber. The jade pillar was about two meters tall, glowing softly with a gentle radiance.

“Place your hand on it.”

Li Mu complied, laying his hand upon the pillar.

After a short while, mist rose from the pillar and circled it, forming three concentric rings.

Steward Ye’s expression showed surprise. “Three rings?”

“What does it mean?” Li Mu asked in confusion.

Steward Ye smiled. “Congratulations, you can cultivate. Three rings means your aptitude is quite remarkable.”

Seeing Li Mu still puzzled, Steward Ye explained further.

The principle of the aptitude test is to use an array paired with the True Force Chamber to produce a special True Force that doesn’t harm the body, forcibly infusing it into the candidate. If the candidate has cultivator aptitude, a temporary energy pool forms to store that True Force.

This energy pool lasts only briefly before dissipating, and the True Force fades with it.

But the array on the pillar channels the special True Force to create energy rings. The more rings, the more True Force received, the greater the temporary energy pool, and the better the cultivation aptitude—five rings is optimal.

Having crossed over, Li Mu quickly understood. “Thank you for explaining, Steward Ye.”

Steward Ye waved his hand, his expression tinged with expectation. “Li Mu, since you have cultivator aptitude, why not join our Jade Iron Sect? With your aptitude of three rings, you will surely receive excellent training. What do you think?”