Master Yue addressed the group solemnly, "Listen carefully—follow the path leading out from the bamboo grove to reach the Bone-Refining Cliff of the Seven Perfection Sect. The first stretch is through the bamboo forest, followed by a rocky wall section, and finally a mountain cliff. Only those who make it to the summit can enter the sect. If you haven't reached the cliff top by noon, though you won’t be formally admitted as disciples, anyone displaying commendable performance may still be accepted as a Ji Ming Disciple." Han Li naturally didn’t understand what a "Ji Ming Disciple" meant—only knowing that he needed to keep walking and climbing. Looking ahead, there was a moderately gentle slope covered with bamboo of varying thicknesses; it seemed not at all difficult. Han Li glanced around at the other children. He didn't want to fall behind his peers. The atmosphere among them suddenly grew tense. Master Yue looked toward the rising sun and said, "We're about ready—let's begin! Don’t be afraid—the senior disciples will remain behind to protect you." Han Li turned back and saw those younger men behind him—now he learned they were called seniors, likely former disciples. If he joined them, would he wear the same dignified attire? While still pondering this thought, Han Li noticed that all the other children had already surged into the bamboo grove. Seeing this, he quickly followed suit. The bamboo forest must have been vast—thirty or so children burst in and immediately scattered. A lean, tall senior disciple trailed behind Han Li, silently maintaining his pace without speaking. Han Li felt a bit uneasy, unable to speak with him; he only kept lifting his feet, lowering his body slightly, and moved forward slowly. At first the bamboo grove seemed unremarkable, but as time passed, the effort grew steadily heavier. Han Li’s legs began to grow heavy, and soon he had to hold onto one of the bamboo stems with a hand to ease the strain. After enduring this for quite some time, Han Li was utterly exhausted and finally sat down on a mound of earth, breathing heavily. Taking a moment to look back at his senior, though the slope was now steep, the disciple stood completely still—dust-free and upright, like a bamboo stalk, watching him patiently from just below. Han Li sensed the cold gaze fixed upon him, which made him feel even more uneasy. He quickly turned around again, hearing the steady breathing of others ahead who were also pausing to rest. After lingering for a while longer, Han Li resumed his journey upward. The incline became steeper and steeper; Han Li’s strength diminished with each step. To avoid stumbling or falling, he had to bend forward, moving hand-over-hand. Fortunately, his clothes were sturdy enough—otherwise the joints of his arms and knees would have been rubbed raw. Finally, after nearly emerging from the dense bamboo grove, Han Li found that the last stretch was increasingly difficult—the ground rocks became more numerous while the bamboo gradually thinned out. Han Li could no longer hold onto any bamboo stems to help him advance. The final journey had to be made one meter at a time, inch by inch. Upon stepping outside the grove, he saw an expansive vista ahead—a massive rock formation stood directly before him. Already several slender figures were slowly climbing upward, each followed by a senior disciple dressed in similar attire. Han Li immediately began moving toward the great stone wall without hesitation. The stone wall was composed of layered sedimentary rocks, heavily weathered and worn; at certain points it fractured upon contact. However, many sharp fragments remained standing, offering resistance. Within just one meal’s time, Han Li's hands were marred with injuries—his elbows and knees’ clothes torn open, and the inner skin cut in several places. Though each wound was small, fine rock splinters had penetrated through, intensifying the pain. The leading climbers now moved farther ahead. Reflecting on his father’s and Third Uncle’s words before departure, Han Li once again clenched his teeth and pushed upward with renewed effort. Before leaving, Han Li's father and Third Uncle had reminded him that entrance tests would be demanding—failure to persevere would mean no chance of joining the Seven Perfection Sect. By now, Han Li didn’t care about whether he’d actually enter the sect at all; instead, a strong inner resolve surged within him, compelling him to catch up with others. Han Li lifted his gaze and strained to see ahead—the one leading was Wu Yan. Wu Yan, being older than Han Li by more than a year and having trained in martial arts, was naturally stronger and more resilient than the other children—thus it wasn’t surprising that he was at the forefront. Han Li glanced back again toward the rear. Still many figures were moving behind. Taking a deep breath, he pushed forward with greater urgency. Despite drawing on every ounce of strength, Han Li could not close the gap between himself and the leading group—the weight in his body grew heavier. As the sun climbed steadily to its zenith, Wu Yan had already reached the far end of the great cliff wall. There stood a vertical, steep cliff wall over thirty zhang high—hanging from it dozens of ropes tied with large knots at intervals. Wu Yan now climbed one such rope, inch by inch, slowly progressing toward the summit. Han Li looked upon Wu Yan and felt disheartened—he realized he would never catch up with those leading figures and that time was running out. This thought struck him suddenly—then sharp pains flared simultaneously in his elbows and knees. His limbs grew weak; his hand gripping the rock trembled, and then he dropped straight down. Han Li’s heart pounded violently as he instinctively pressed himself firmly against the stone wall, unable to move a single inch. After a while, his mind calmed down—then he reached for a projecting stone corner with one hand, pulling it several times until it felt secure. Only then did he feel reassured. In an unconscious motion, Han Li turned back and saw that his senior disciple had now bent half-squatting, arms spread wide in a protective posture. Seeing that he was safe, Han Li gradually straightened himself upright. Han Li felt deeply grateful—what if he actually fell down? Then all the efforts would have been wasted! He paused briefly to rest, then slowly advanced toward one of the thick ropes hanging from the cliff wall. When he finally reached a rope with no one else on it, the sun had nearly reached its zenith—the time was now less than half an hour until noon. At that moment, Wu Yan had already climbed to the summit and turned around to look down. As Han Li approached the base of the rope, he just happened to catch sight of Wu Yan—Wu Yan raised his arm and gently pointed with his little finger at those below before chuckling and walking away. Han Li felt deeply annoyed. He immediately reached for the rope and began climbing upward. But now, every muscle in Han Li’s body had been drained—he could barely grasp any of the rope knots. After expending great effort to climb up to the final knot and sitting down on it, he found himself utterly weak—his fingers trembling, unable to move at all. He strained his neck to look back—the stone wall behind him revealed several children seated there, breathing heavily—it seemed they too had exhausted themselves completely. Han Li only managed a wry smile—he had underestimated the test significantly. Fortunately, he hadn’t ended up last. Then he glanced over toward the cold-faced senior disciple. After hesitating for a moment, Han Li decided to summon all that remained of his strength and climbed upward again—though he would definitely not reach the summit before noon, remaining motionless now would have been utterly embarrassing. Han Li stretched out his slightly stiff hands, using the meager strength restored in him, slowly shifting forward along the rope knot. But at this moment, his hands no longer responded to his will—they couldn’t grip the rope at all. After struggling for a while, he still achieved no progress.