In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 2 This Emei Sect, in deep meditation

"Emei welcomes all disciples equally. Character, temperament, and patience are all indispensable. Those who pass the first ten of the two initial tests can enter the inner sect; the rest will enter the outer sect, becoming the foundation of Emei!"

Abbess Juechen's voice was clear as her gaze slowly swept across the entire room. In her insightful eyes, Gu Shaoan's figure involuntarily appeared clearer than his surroundings.

"However, you must remember that the essence of the Emei swordplay and its core internal energy cultivation methods are the secrets passed down through the inner sect. Those of the outer sect practice the skills of protecting the mountain and strengthening the body, and are responsible for sweeping, cleaning, and cultivating. Whether you progress or not depends on your own abilities!"

These words were powerful and resounding, clearly indicating the status and limitations of the outer sect.

This drew excitement and anticipation from the eyes of the group of little people present.

Gu Shaoan was the same.

"I've entered a meditative state at Mount Emei."

After scanning her surroundings, Abbess Juechen nodded slightly.

A young female disciple standing next to Abbess Juechen waved down a command flag.

"The first test: stepping on the stone steps to examine your heart, then open the mountain gate!"

With a whoosh, the heavy wooden mountain gate slowly opened, revealing a steep, hundred-foot-long blue stone staircase behind it, resembling a ladder to heaven.

What's even more unsettling is that on these bluestone steps, there are nearly a hundred Emei servants dressed in gray cloth gowns, standing in pairs at different points on the steps.

Beside them were either straight green bamboo poles as thick as an arm, or baskets of heavy sand, gravel, and timber.

As the mountain gate opened, these Emei laborers carried bamboo poles or sand, gravel, and timber down the mountain.

The bluestone steps, which were only wide enough for two people to walk on, suddenly became congested.

"Climb the steps! Do not bump into or obstruct those carrying materials! Those who reach the top before midday are qualified!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the crowd surged forward like a tide.

Everyone used their own methods, some leaping lightly, others charging headlong, all trying to seize the initiative, and chaos ensued.

Gu Shaoan did not rush forward immediately.

He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and took unusually steady steps.

He knew that the key to this challenge lay in a solid foundation and resilience, and that impatience was a major taboo.

The reason for knowing this is simple.

These three levels were all set up by him in the game.

The boomerang of time and space has now struck him.

The stone steps are steep, and the bamboo and wood are heavy.

In the confined space, a fierce clash inevitably broke out between the two groups of people moving in opposite directions.

Each heavy bamboo pole or stone basket that came crashing down on us felt like a moving obstacle.

If someone is unable to dodge in time and gets hit, a member of the Emei sect will immediately use their lightness skill to take the person away.

Gu Shaoan's eyes were focused, and his steps were steady.

As the heavy footsteps of another group of laborers carrying huge baskets of sand and gravel approached, he had already observed the gaps in advance, pressing his body tightly against the slippery, cold rocks on the inner side of the mountain wall, like a stubborn rock nailed to the ground.

The heavy bamboo pole, carrying wind pressure, almost grazed his nose, and the edge of the gravel basket narrowly brushed against his clothes, yet his face showed no fear, giving off an air of composure.

The porters carrying the poles glanced sideways, surprised to see the boy standing so precisely in position, causing them no trouble whatsoever.

Abbess Juechen stood on high ground, her gaze sweeping over the chaotic scene on the stone steps like that of a hawk, paying particular attention to how to deal with the points of conflict.

As she scanned the area where Gu Shaoan was, she saw him just complete a clean and efficient dodge.

Looking at his calm eyes and the composure that belied his actual age, as well as his skillful yet not slick demeanor in avoiding confrontation, Abbess Juechen's brows relaxed slightly.

"He is quite composed."

A faint thought crossed her mind.

The person behind the cliff and window, who was also watching Gu Shaoan's performance, couldn't help but nod, clearly quite satisfied with the qualities that Gu Shaoan was showing at this moment.

On the bluestone street, Gu Shaoan proceeded cautiously, navigating the chaos and pressure with the ease of a fish.

His clothes were soaked with sweat, and his calves ached and felt like they were about to burst, but his breathing remained steady.

Those who had initially been so aggressive were now panting heavily, struggling to move under the weight of the heavy transport team. Even Gu Shaoan was now drenched in sweat, which dripped continuously down his chin.

"Damn it, I should have made the entrance exam for Emei simpler from the start."

Although he was inwardly complaining, Gu Shaoan didn't show it on his face at all.

Step by step, silently and stubbornly climbing upwards, steadily surpassing one figure after another.

As the golden light of the sun finally broke through the thin mist on the mountaintop, gilding the majestic jade archway with a golden edge, Gu Shaoan stepped onto the last step of the bluestone and stood firmly within the sight of Abbess Juechen.

His chest heaved, sweat trickled down his temples and neck into his collar, but his resolute expression remained undiminished.

The disciple in charge of recording the results announced in a clear voice: "Gu Shaoan, first place, has reached the top!"

Abbess Juechen's gaze fell on Gu Shaoan.

That face, still bearing the innocence of youth yet with sharp features, those eyes that shone even brighter with sweat, those tightly pursed lips revealing a resolute curve—all these showed the boy's remarkable resilience. And what concerned her even more was...

It was this child's unique quality that made even the usually stern and unyielding judge find him somewhat "pleasing to the eye." Among the many disheveled or struggling girls, his performance stood out like a crane among chickens.

She didn't say much; her cool gaze lingered briefly on Gu Shaoan before turning to the huge bluestone square behind the archway.

Several piercing-eyed deacons stood there, awaiting orders.

The first round alone eliminated nearly 30% of the participants.

The remaining people were led to a secluded bamboo forest.

The bamboo groves are as green as the sea, lush and verdant, with a thin mist permeating the forest, making the paths appear and disappear.

"The second challenge is to traverse this 'mysterious bamboo forest.' Enter from the east within half an incense stick's time and find the correct path to reach the western exit. Those who do so will pass!"

Abbess Juechen announced it personally.

"The bamboo array in the forest has its own ever-changing formations, and the markings may be obscured by the mist. Those who are restless and impatient are easily led astray. Remember, calm your mind and discern clearly!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved the command flag.

A large number of figures immediately rushed into the bamboo forest.

At first, things were fine, with vague paths trodden by those who had come before. But soon, these people discovered that there were more and more forks in the road ahead.

In addition, this bamboo forest is quite unique. Even though it is no longer early morning, there is still mist in the bamboo forest, and the bamboos are even denser and more similar, making it very easy to lose one's sense of direction.

Some people rush in recklessly, only to find themselves going in circles;
Some people tried to climb the bamboo to look into the distance, but found that the bamboo leaves at the top of the forest were layered and overlapping, and they could not see the distance at all.

Some people, in their frustration, stepped on places they shouldn't have, triggering simple traps or alarms. A bamboo whistle blew, and immediately Emei disciples appeared, taking the person away and eliminating them from the game.

As Gu Shaoan stepped into the bamboo forest, he immediately sensed an atmosphere different from that of the mountains and fields.

The air here is filled with a refreshing bamboo scent, and also a subtle sense of oppression.

The forest paths crisscross and intermittently wind through the bamboo poles, where a thin veil of mist flows and obscures the view.

Unlike the others, he was not anxious. Instead, he stopped not far from the entrance, took a few deep breaths of the air, which was filled with the crisp scent of bamboo and the damp smell of earth, and scanned his surroundings with sharp eyes.

He appeared to be idly observing the bamboo grove.

He would sometimes bend down to examine the bamboo branches, and sometimes look up to observe the gaps between the bamboo branches and the direction of the mist flowing above.

Sometimes they would even rub a little soil between their fingers or stick it to a bamboo pole to feel the temperature difference.

The second challenge, the Mysterious Bamboo Forest, seemed simple; all that was needed was to find the exit. However, Gu Shaoan knew that this bamboo forest of the Emei Sect was built according to the Five Elements and the Eight Trigrams.

For those with exceptional lightness skills, it's of little use, but for these children who are only eleven or twelve years old, it's quite difficult to find an exit in a short time if they're not proficient in the Five Elements and Eight Trigrams.

The most straightforward method is, like Gu Shaoan, to determine the way out by following the growth trend of the bamboo.

Above the bamboo sea, Abbess Juechen, standing atop a stalk of green bamboo, looked down at Gu Shaoan, who was proceeding in an orderly manner, and nodded once more.

"It's impressive that you were able to think of using the growth direction of bamboo so quickly."

A quarter of an hour later, outside the bamboo forest, as Gu Shaoan emerged, the clear voice of the disciple in charge of recording rang out again: "Gu Shaoan, first place!"

In contrast, Gu Shaoan bowed to the disciple in charge of recording and Abbess Juechen and others, then quietly walked to the side, his back straight as a bamboo, exuding an air of composure.

This prompted several elders of the Emei Sect to nod in approval.

(End of this chapter)