Master Yue loudly declared to all present, "Listen carefully. From the path in the bamboo grove, proceed forward to reach the Bone-Forging Cliff of the Qi Seven Sect. The first section is through the bamboo grove, followed by a rocky terrain, and finally a mountain cliff. Only those who reach the summit by noon may become formal disciples. If you cannot arrive by noon, though you won't be admitted as full disciples, those who demonstrate commendable performance may be enrolled as associate disciples." Han Li naturally had no clear understanding of what "associate disciples" meant, only knowing that he would have to walk and climb ahead. He glanced forward and saw a moderately gentle slope, with many bamboo stalks of varying thickness growing along it—seeming quite manageable. Han Li looked around at the other children, determined not to fall behind his peers. The atmosphere among the younger ones had suddenly grown tense. Master Yue gazed at the rising sun and said, "It's about time. Let's begin! Don't be afraid—your senior brothers will follow behind and protect you, ensuring your safety." Han Li turned to look back at the young people behind him. They were called his senior brothers, probably former disciples. If he too joined them, would he be able to wear the same elegant clothes? While pondering this, Han Li noticed that the other children had already surged into the bamboo grove. Seeing this, he hurried to follow them. The bamboo grove must have been quite spacious. With thirty or so children rushing in, they immediately scattered.紧 behind him came a slender senior brother, who maintained a cold expression and said nothing, simply following closely. Han Li felt a bit afraid, hesitated to speak, and merely lifted his feet, lowering his posture, slowly advancing along the slope. Though the grove looked unimpressive at first, it soon grew tiring. His legs grew heavier with every step, and gradually, he found himself needing to use one hand to gently grasp the bamboo stems to help him move forward, thus conserving some of his strength. After maintaining this pace for a long time, Han Li was utterly exhausted and finally settled himself casually on a mound of earth, breathing heavily. He took a moment to glance back at his slender, elder brother. Though the ground was steep, the elder brother remained motionless, untouched by dust, standing straight as a bamboo stalk, quietly observing him from a distance beneath the slope. Seeing his brother's cold, steady gaze, Han Li felt a fresh wave of apprehension and quickly turned his head back. The steady breathing sounds continued to reach him from ahead, signaling that others who had climbed faster than him were also resting. After lingering a little longer in place, Han Li hurried upward. The slope grew steeper, and his strength dwindled steadily. To avoid falling or losing his balance, Han Li had to bend forward, moving hand-over-hand. Fortunately, his clothes were sturdy enough; otherwise, his joints and knees would have been worn raw from the friction. Finally emerging from the dense bamboo grove, Han Li found that the final stretch of the path was growing increasingly difficult—the rocks on the ground were gradually multiplying, while the bamboo was becoming sparser. Han Li could no longer drag the bamboo poles forward; the last leg of the journey had to be made step by step. As soon as he stepped out of the grove, he was greeted by a vast expanse ahead, with a colossal boulder directly in front of him. Several slender figures were already slowly climbing up its face, and behind each of them followed a group of fellow disciples dressed in similar attire. Without hesitation, Han Li hurried toward the massive stone wall ahead. The stone wall of this massive boulder consists of layered, stacked sedimentary rock, heavily weathered—so much so that in certain spots, it crumbles upon slight contact. Yet there are also many sturdy fragments of sharp stone, which, within the span of just one meal, have left Han Li's hands covered in wounds. His elbows and knees have been scraped, and several cuts have penetrated through his skin, though the wounds themselves are small. Fine fragments of stone have seeped into the flesh, intensifying the pain. The leading group has already climbed far ahead. Han Li, recalling his family's and his third uncle's instructions, gritted his teeth once more and pressed on, climbing upward with renewed effort. Before departure, Han Li's father and third uncle had already warned him that the entrance examination would be demanding—without perseverance, admission into the Qi Xuan Sect would be impossible. By now, Han Li no longer cared whether he would be admitted or not; what drove him was an inner resolve, a stubborn determination to catch up with the others. Han Li raised his head and looked ahead with effort. Now leading the group was Wu Yan. After all, Wu Yan was not only a year or two older than Han Li, but had also practiced some martial arts, making him physically stronger than the other children; it was therefore no surprise that he was at the forefront. Han Li then glanced back several times at the rear, seeing that many figures were still moving behind. Taking a deep breath, he quickened his pace. Despite using every ounce of strength, he could not close the gap with the leading few. His body grew heavier and heavier, and as the sun gradually climbed to the zenith of the sky, Wu Yan had already reached the end of the massive stone cliff. This was a sheer, steep cliff rising some thirty zhang high, with several dozen hemp ropes hanging from its summit, each rope tied with knots the size of a clenched fist. Wu Yan was now climbing one of these ropes, moving slowly and steadily toward the cliff's peak. Watching Wu Yan ahead, Han Li grew increasingly discouraged. He realized he would never catch up with the leading group, and time was running out. As soon as this thought arose, sharp, burning pains surged simultaneously from his elbow and knee injuries, leaving him weak in all limbs. The hand gripping the rock trembled, and suddenly his entire body dropped downward. Han Li was startled, his heart pounding wildly, and quickly pressed himself tightly against the stone wall, unable to move. After a while, as his mind calmed, he reached out to grasp a projecting stone spur, pulling it several times until he felt it was more secure, then felt reassured. Subconsciously, Han Li turned to look back and saw his senior brother half-squatting, arms outstretched, forming a protective stance. Seeing that Han Li was safe, the senior brother slowly stood upright. Han Li felt a deep sense of gratitude—should he have actually fallen, all his previous efforts would have been for nothing! He paused briefly, then slowly advanced, crawling along the thick hemp ropes hanging from the cliff face. Finally, he reached a rope path with no one else around. The sun had nearly reached the zenith of the sky, and there was less than half an hour until it would be exactly noon. At that moment, Wuyan had already climbed to the summit and was looking back down. Just as Han Li reached the bottom of the rope, he saw Wuyan. Wuyan raised his arm, extended his little finger, and gently pointed it twice toward the people below before bursting into loud, hearty laughter and then departed. Han Li felt deeply annoyed and immediately grasped the rope, beginning to climb upward. However, by now, he had no strength left in his entire body—his grip on the knots was nearly slipping. After exerting great effort to reach the final knot at the very end and sitting down on it, he felt his body go soft and weak, unable to move even a single finger. With great difficulty, he turned his head and saw that some children were still seated against the stone wall behind him, breathing heavily, clearly having used up their last reserves of strength as well. Han Li could only shake his head in苦笑, realizing how much he had underestimated this test. Fortunately, he hadn't ended up last. Turning to see his cold-tempered senior, he hesitated for a moment before finally making up his mind to push on, climbing higher despite knowing he would absolutely not reach the top before noon. To stay still now would have been too embarrassing. Han Liu stretched his slightly stiff hands, using the weak strength he had just regained, and slowly moved upward along the knots. But by then, Han Li's hands were completely useless—he could no longer grasp the rope—and after a few moments of struggling, he still failed to make any progress.