Legend of Eternity
Chapter 3: Seven Mystery Sects
Chapter 3: Seven Mystery Sects
The smell inside the carriage was unpleasant, but this was not surprising. The optimal capacity for this carriage was only ten people, but there were currently around thirty small children sandwiched in the carriage. Even if small children have smaller bodies than adults, the space inside the carriage is very narrow.
The clever Han Li had chosen a seat near the side when he first entered the carriage and was now quietly observing the other children.
The children who had registered or nominated to take the test in the Seven Mysteries Sect could be separated into three different groups based on their clothes and attitudes.
In the first group, there was a young man dressed in silk clothes sitting in the middle of the carriage, surrounded by mostly children.
The name of this young man was Wu Yan. He was 13 years old, one of the oldest children sitting in the car. Normally, she wouldn't even be here because her age had already exceeded the age limit, but one of her older female cousins was married to someone who had authority within the Seven Mysteries Sect. Therefore, Wu Yan's age was deliberately ignored and he was allowed to follow the selection. Wu Yan's family runs a martial arts dojo, so he has access to a lot of wealth. From a young age, he had practiced external martial arts. Although his talent could not be considered outstanding, when facing Han Li— typethe children who had never practiced martial arts before—it was more than enough for Wu Yan to trample them.
It was very clear that children like Wu Yan, who came from powerful wealthy families and had previously practiced martial arts, could be considered as elites within the group of children inside the carriage.
They come from different backgrounds: some come from shop owner families, some come from working families, or artisan families, etc. However, they all have one special thing in common; they grew up in the city. So, from an early age, they have learned from their family elders about how to observe people and know what is beneficial to them. Therefore, these people surrounded Wu Yan and repeatedly called “Young Master Wu” and “Sister Wu” to lick. Wu Yan seemed to have gotten used to being pampered.
The third group were people like Han Li; this group came from a remote and poor village. They are usually content with what they have, poor, and have experienced a difficult life and strife. Only five to six people belonged to this third group, creating a minority within the carriages. They are usually aloof, and have a quiet attitude, not even daring to speak or laugh out loud. They are a refreshing change when compared to those noisy children.
After the horse carriage exited Green Ox Town, it drove west and made several detours to visit other locations and gather more children. On the fifth day, they managed to arrive at the Heavenly Rainbow Mountain, the home of the Seven Mysteries Sect, ahead of sunset.
The first thing that children see after getting out of the train is a beautiful and charming sunset. Only when Protector Wang started to gather the children did they wake up from a daze and continue forward.
Celestial Rainbow Mountain was originally the Setting Wind Mountain. Legend has it that in ancient times, a five-color wind blew past this location, instantly turning the mountain. After this place was discovered by humans, they realized how beautiful the sun set behind the blushing pink clouds. Inspired by the majestic image, humanity decided to name this place Heavenly Rainbow Mountain.
The Heavenly Rainbow Mountain was the second largest mountain in Jing Province after Bai Mang Mountain. It was extremely vast, spanning a ten Li radius. The Heavenly Rainbow Mountain was actually a mountain range consisting of ten mountain peaks, each extremely dangerous, and under the control of the various divisions of the Seven Mystery Sects. The main mountain peak of Celestial Rainbow Mountain was named “Setting Sun Summit”; it was dangerous and could not be compared. Not only was it very steep, there was only one path between the peak and the base of the mountain. After the Seven Mysteries Sect rebuilt their roots in this area, they set up a total of thirteen checkpoints on the mountain climbing path. Some of these checkpoints were hidden while others were in the open.
“Sister Wang, why did you come so late? You're two days late.”
“Head of Division Yue, we were delayed by the trip here, sorry to have made you worry.” Standing in front of all the children, Protector Wang replied respectfully as he bowed to a red-faced old man. Protector Wang's stern facade was instantly replaced by a licking look.
“Which generation kids are these?”
“This is batch number seventeen.”
“En!” This Yue Division Head arrogantly looked towards Han Li and the other children.
“Send them to the page, let them rest tonight. Tomorrow morning, we will begin the selection process. Send those who failed or broke the rules back to mount.”
“Understood, Division Head Yue.”
Walking on the mountain stone stairs, the children were extremely excited, but no one dared to speak out loudly. Despite their young age, the children somehow knew that this place would decide their fate.
Protector Wang took the lead and greeted several figures on the way to the children's bed. It could be seen that he was familiar with many people and was quite popular in the region.
The majority of the people they met on the way were all dressed in green clothes and equipped with knives or swords. Even those who appeared empty-handed wore pockets containing mysterious items on their waists. From their attitude and behavior, one can say that all these people are rather proficient in martial arts.
Han Li and the other children were taken to a seemingly lower mountain peak compared to the other mountain peaks. At the top, there is a house made of mud, built for children to sleep at night. As he slept, Han Li dreamed that he was wearing silk, had a golden sword in his hand, and had peerless martial arts, defeating the son of the village blacksmith who was previously no match for him. Then she woke up on the second morning, still remembering her dream.
Protector Wang did not let the children enjoy breakfast. Instead, he led all the children down the mountain to a steep slope containing many bamboo shoots. There, Division Head Yue and a few other unrecognized youths Han Li were already waiting for them.
