After a while, Han Li felt his waist tighten and his body grow lighter, as though his entire being suddenly lifted itself upward on its own. Han Li turned to see that it was his senior brother who had been closely following him—his hands cradling him, while with both arms and legs skillfully ascending. At the same time, Han Li noticed that the sun hung high in the sky, centered directly above them. It seemed he finally hadn't managed to complete this journey. Han Li felt a bit saddened—he had worked so hard, yet still couldn’t match others? Soon they reached the summit of the cliff, where only six young children sat quietly resting by the side. Wu Yan was conversing with an elderly man dressed in deep blue robes, his hands folded over his chest, aged about fifty and well-proportioned. Yue Hall Master and Wang Guardian were standing beside him, along with several others who stood waiting for each of the younger seniors to bring up the slower children. After a while, all the children had been brought up. Then Yue Hall Master stepped forward, solemnly facing the young ones. "There are seven qualified candidates in total," he said slowly. "Six will enter our Hundred-Refinement Hall and officially become internal disciples of this sect." "The seventh, Wu Yan, reached the summit first, displaying outstanding performance—directly recommended to the Seven Perfection Sect for training in our most refined techniques," said Yue Hall Master, turning to look at the elderly man wearing blue robes. The man stroked his beard contentedly and nodded. "As for the others…" Yue Hall Master looked over the remaining children, gently touched his chin, paused a moment, then continued: "Zhang Tie and Han Li arrived slightly later than scheduled, yet have shown strong potential—clearly capable of enduring the demands of martial training. You two will first stay within our hall under several instructors to build your foundation. After six months, you’ll be assessed again: if qualified, you'll officially become internal disciples; otherwise, you'll be assigned as external disciples." Han Li glanced at the young boy who had just stepped forward and addressed as Zhang Tie—exactly the one who had been closely behind him, nearly reaching the summit. "Wang Guardian," said Yue Hall Master, "each of the remaining children will receive some Silver Coins. Send them all back home." "Understood!" Wang Guardian stepped out, bowed respectfully, and took charge of leading the children down the cliff. "Zhang Jun and Wu Mingrui, you two will escort these qualified candidates to our hall and assign each to Gu Deputy Hall Master and Li Instructor respectively." Two young men stepped forward, dividing Han Li and his companions into two groups as they walked toward the base of the cliff. Among them was precisely the cold-tempered senior brother. As they approached the edge of the cliff, Han Li couldn’t help but glance at Wu Yan—only to find that he remained chatting with the blue-robed elder, showing no signs of movement. "He is different from you—he's one of the core disciples assigned directly to the Seven Perfection Sect. Once trained, he’ll surely attain at least a Guardian-level position," said the slender-faced senior brother, sensing Han Li’s subtle question. Yet in his words, there was an unmistakable undercurrent of admiration and jealousy. "But wouldn’t it be more than just luck? He only entered because of his aunt-in-law who holds a deputy hall master position—hadn’t she married into the family as a secondary wife to Ma Deputy Hall Master? Otherwise, with his age exceeding even the entry requirements, how could he have made it so easily into the Seven Perfection Sect?" The cold-tempered senior brother’s remarks left everyone feeling an icy chill rising from their backs. "Zhang Jun—you’re not even paying attention to your own life! Is Deputy Hall Master someone you can casually criticize? If others hear this, we’ll all be required to face silent reflection and regret!" The slender-faced senior was startled by the cold-tempered brother’s words. He quickly surveyed the surroundings, relieved when he saw that only these young children were present—no one else in sight—and breathed a sigh of relief. The cold-tempered brother emitted a short snort, as though also mindful of his own position, and then fell silent. Han Li now realized that this senior was named Zhang Jun. Though the details remained somewhat unclear to him, he sensed clearly that Wu Yan had not entered the Seven Perfection Sect through sheer merit—rather, it was due to family connections with a deputy hall master’s relative. On the way along the mountain path, both seniors found themselves reflecting on various matters within the sect that seemed increasingly discouraging. Without speaking, they silently led Han Li and his companions forward, while Han Li and others hesitated not to speak privately—perhaps each of them already sensed subtle differences between Seven Perfection Sect and life at home. As they passed through a dense grove, an elderly man slowly emerged from the woods. The man was in his sixties, tall and slender with a yellowish complexion, yet wore long white hair that cascaded to his shoulders. He walked steadily but kept bowing and coughing constantly—his breathing laborious, as though at any moment he might fall, making everyone deeply concerned. Upon seeing this elder, Zhang Jun and Wu Mingrui didn’t show the slightest sign of worry—they instead hurried forward, respectfully bowing deeply before him. "Doctor Mo, good morning. Is there anything you'd like me to attend to?" Zhang Jun completely reversed his usual reserved demeanor—his face filled with deep respect. For him, this elder was more worthy of reverence than even the Hall Master or Deputy Hall Master. "Oh," said the elder, finally stopping his cough, "are these new recruits just arriving?" His voice was somewhat husky as he spoke slowly. "Yes. Among them, there are six official disciples and two Ji Ming Disciples." Zhang Jun replied carefully. "I’m currently short-staffed—need one more apprentice for medicine preparation and one for herb collection. These two will join me," said the Doctor Mo, gesturing casually toward Han Li and his companion—both Ji Ming Disciples—and his tone carried an unmistakable sense of authority. "Understood," said both seniors without hesitation. Even Wu Mingrui, the slender-faced one, enthusiastically praised the elder’s competence. Seeing that both senior brothers had no objections, Han Li and Zhang Tie naturally followed with no need to speak up—joining the doctor as they walked into the grove. The doctor led them slowly along a winding path through the woods. As they turned here and there, a lush, vibrant green valley suddenly appeared before them—a serene, thriving landscape. On the left lay an expansive courtyard emitting a rich, fragrant aroma of medicinal herbs—various plants that Han Li couldn’t name. On the right were several interconnected buildings of varying sizes. Surveying the surroundings, they found only one entrance leading into the valley—no other exits appeared visible. "This is Shenshou Valley," said the doctor as he stopped in front of a cluster of buildings. "Outside students usually come only when ill or injured. You two will now reside here. Rest well tonight and come to the main hall tomorrow morning—I have something important to share with you." "From now on, you may call me Master Mo," he paused before adding: "You may also refer to me as Doctor Mo." With that, the doctor turned away and walked slowly into a more spacious room. Han Li was already exhausted—neither caring nor even noticing his companion Zhang Tie. He simply collapsed onto a wooden bed inside the room and fell asleep immediately. To him, no matter how it might be, he now felt himself to be half an official member of the Seven Perfection Sect.