Many hours passed and the surviving cultivators made their way to the entrance of the forest. They rushed with whatever power they could muster, as there were more than the thousand that would be selected who survived.
Due to this, the first ones to reach the meeting point would be chosen.
But even while moving at such speeds, most of their minds were preoccupied with the massive explosion that occurred a few hours prior.
After the event, some had even chosen to go back to that area to witness the scene, but they found nothing. There was only a massive crater several thousands of kilometers in diameter, the bodies of neither Damien nor Long Chen being present.
Looking at the cultivators who slowly showed up in front of him, Mu Chen smiled. He got to witness many interesting scenes today and found many talented youngsters for their sect. Observing the kind of power the new generation could hold was one of his favorite pastimes.
'Especially those two..'
His mind drifted to the two that could be considered as the peak geniuses of this class of outer disciples. One had immense status while the other was entirely unknown, but neither failed to make a grand entrance.
Taking his mind off of them, he once again gazed at those who had gathered.
"Alright! To the 998 of you that arrived first, welcome to our Celestial Star Palace! Your badges should have lit up green by now, so you know who you are!
"You are allowed to return to your families and say your goodbyes if you'd like, but remember to be back at the sect with your token in 3 days' time! As for those who didn't pass, you can always try again during the next exam.
"The cultivation path is endless, and there is always a peak above the peak. If you don't have the fortitude to cope with this loss, you do not deserve to be titled as a cultivator."
Some voiced their dissent, but in the end, they didn't do anything. At least, most of them didn't.
"Senior! I counted myself, and I was the 1000th person to come out of the forest! Why is my token red?!" A black-haired man shouted. He was the same man who had plotted with Long Bai earlier in the exam.
Indifferently glancing at him, Mu Chen spoke. "I said clearly that the first 998 cultivators gained entrance, so why are you complaining?"
"But the exam was supposed to allow 1000 of us! Don't think my Long Clan will take this slight sitting down!"
"Long clan?" Mu Chen said with a questioning tone. The man's face became smug.
"That's right! I am Long Hao! I will be sure to inform my elders about what occurred here!" He said. Long Hao clearly believed he had the upper hand, becoming more arrogant with every word he spoke.
But Mu Chen didn't care in the slightest. "Why would your Long clan lose face here? Your young master is already our sect disciple. Not to mention that your Long Clan cannot harm us even if they tried."
The humiliating words in the latter half of the sentence were completely disregarded due to the shock of the former.
"L-Long Chen is still alive?! Impossible!"
Long Hao was part of the group that had almost been incinerated in that massive explosion. He firmly believed that Long Chen was dead, which was why he had the guts to act so brazenly.
"Whether you believe it or not isn't my problem. If you don't leave the area right now, I'll have to force you to do so." Mu Chen responded.
Long Hao's face went red with rage, but he knew he didn't have the strength to do anything. "I'll remember this." He said as he reluctantly flew away.
Just like that, the disciple examination was over, along with most of the drama it brought. Many of the cultivators returned to their homes to wish goodbyes to their families, as they were aware they wouldn't leave the sect often, while others directly entered its premises.
Within a certain building within the expansive city that decorated the Star Mountain on which the sect resided, two men could be seen lying down in beds.
Their bodies were riddled with scars, and even with their healing factors, it was taking them many hours to heal.
Days passed as these men lay motionless, and even after their bodies had returned to peak condition, they still hadn't awoken.
Next to one of these beds, a large black winged wolf was pacing nervously. She had been watching Damien for the past 3 days hoping for some change, but she saw nothing.
During that explosion, she felt that they would definitely die, but she had no qualms about it. As long as she died with Damien by her side, she'd be content.
Yet, at the last moment, she saw a blurred figure race in. After that, her vision went black. She didn't pass out, nor was she obstructed in any way. Her eyes simply couldn't process the speeds at which Damien's body was being carried.
The next thing she knew, they were in this building.
"Fear not, little one," came an aged voice from the entrance of the room, "their minds are simply exhausted from all the effort they put into their duel. They should be waking up in a few hours."
Zara simply nodded and went back to watching over Damien. By now, she was aware of the old man's presence. He was the one who brought them to this building and fed them the healing pills they needed, and Zara felt no malice from him.
As for how she'd treat him, that depended on what happened when Damien woke up. And after waiting a few more hours, just like the old man said, both Damien and Long Chen began to stir from their slumbers.
"Ugh…"
Damien groaned. The second his consciousness returned, he was met with a splitting headache.
'How the hell am I still alive?'
He didn't expect the outcome to happen as it had. At first, his only goal was to use his storm talent. Yet, seeing the grand palace that was built around Long Chen, his competitive nature arose and he went harder than he should've.
Long Chen was having similar thoughts. He only planned to use his golden palace and lava golems to attack, yet he ended up using one of his most powerful moves.
The two reflected on their battle and in the end, neither could conclude who had won that exchange. They both would have died if it wasn't for that shadowy figure that swooped them up at the last second.
"Are you kids done with your reminiscing?" A voice resounded through the room. Even if they weren't in peak condition, they both immediately put their guard up.
"Oho, it's good to see that you have the energy to look at me like that." In front of them stood an old man with flowing white hair and a similarly long beard. His look was the epitome of the "old monster" stereotype.
"Well then, if you're doing good enough to be so vigilant, I might as well begin my introduction." He said. Shifting his gaze between the two geniuses, the old man once again spoke.
"Welcome to the Celestial Star Palace, new outer court disciples."
