During the waiting period before the Aperture Opening Ceremony commenced, Hong Yuan did nothing else but continuously practice the Five Tiger Breaking Gate Sword.
Even though Chen Dongsheng had been preliminarily identified as one of the three new rising disciples and was favored by the First Elder of the Enforcement Hall, Hong Yuan did not let this distract him.
One must rely on oneself.
"ROAR!!!"
Accompanied by a deep tiger roar, a tiger-shaped phantom emerged from behind Hong Yuan.
Meanwhile, Hong Yuan's expression remained unchanged as he continued to wield the Miao Blade, practicing the forms one by one.
After a while, the blade was sheathed, and the phantom dispersed.
Hong Yuan exhaled a turbid breath and opened his proficiency panel.
Soon after, a joyful smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
The Five Tiger Breaking Gate Sword had reached the Minor Accomplishment Stage!
Beyond that, his Mysterious Water Snake Avatar had also benefited, gaining a new and powerful Innate Ability!!!
[Innate Ability: Tiger Shadow - Enables the conjuring of a tiger shadow to engage enemies.]
"GULP." Hong Yuan swallowed hard.
This was still only the Minor Accomplishment Stage of the Five Tiger Breaking Gate Sword; what if it reached the Major Accomplishment Stage, or even ascended to the Transcendent Level? Or what if he learned another Cultivation Technique of even higher grade than the Five Tiger Breaking Gate Sword?
Hong Yuan found it hard to imagine what that time would be like.
More importantly, Hong Yuan discovered that his Original Body also possessed the ability to provide feedback to the Mysterious Water Snake Avatar.
In other words, the Original Body and the Mysterious Water Snake Avatar supported each other—achieving an operation where one plus one was greater than two.
As long as my Mysterious Water Snake Avatar devours and evolves, the [Life Span] and [Aptitude] of my human Original Body can grow infinitely. At the same time, breakthroughs in the [Cultivation Technique] of the human Original Body will strengthen the Mysterious Water Snake Avatar, granting it new [Innate] moves.
The more he pondered the development of these Innate Abilities, the wider the grin on Hong Yuan's face grew, looking rather ferocious.
…
…
In this world, the cultivation of Martial Arts required opening the body's Apertures and constantly advancing these Apertures to enhance one's Martial Arts level.
From the first to fifth rank, they were Martial Artists; from the sixth to eighth rank, they were Martial Saints; and at the ninth rank, one was a Martial Emperor.
The tenth rank… there was no tenth rank in this world. It was the legendary realm of immortality, a state no one in this world had ever achieved!
The Aperture Opening Ceremony was a collective event held by various powers for their eligible young subordinates to open their Apertures.
As the early sun gradually rose, the clouds and mist dissolved.
Hundreds of youths, poised to open their Apertures, stood in various queues before the Sect's Grand Hall. They listened quietly to the teachings of the Great Elder on the high platform—or perhaps, brainwashing.
Having experienced an era of information overload, Hong Yuan was not interested in the Great Elder's speech. He used this opportunity to stealthily observe the group of disciples dressed in blue.
These guys must be the rumored sect disciples; otherwise, they wouldn't directly become Cultivation Disciples without even having their Apertures opened. I wonder how strong they actually are; surely their Cultivation Techniques won't be something as common as the Five Tiger Breaking Gate Sword…
With Hong Yuan's thoughts swirling, the Great Elder finally concluded his speech and had Elder San and the Outer Sect stewards lead all the groups to the foot of Yuan Peak Mountain.
Following the Great Taoism, they headed towards the towering mountains.
After several hundred more steps, the view suddenly opened up.
A towering mountain that reached into the clouds, immeasurably vast, appeared before their eyes. Its ascending steps were entirely made of white jade, stunning and incredibly luxurious.
Many of the youths cried out in amazement.
But Hong Yuan noticed that the expressions of the second-generation sect disciples were indifferent, clearly used to such sights.
This must be the place for opening Apertures, Hong Yuan speculated in his heart. I just don't know where those Energy Stones containing rich True Essence are.
He only knew that the Sect would hold the Aperture Opening Ceremony after Formal Disciples were admitted, but Hong Yuan was completely unaware of the specifics, as his access to Sect intelligence was very limited.
Elder San instructed the Outer Sect stewards to count the members of each team. After ensuring all Formal Disciples were present, he suddenly waved his hand.
BOOM!
In an instant, the snowy white mountain before them seemed enveloped by Immortal Qi, becoming veiled and indistinct.
"Yuan Peak has finally opened!"
"What a grand gesture by the Sect! How many Energy Stones must have been burned to create this Essence Qi cloud…"
"I must reach the A-grade Aperture zone!"
Whispers rippled through the vast group, buzzing with shock and fervent vows.
"Alright, listen to my command. When your team's name is called, ascend the mountain in order. Climb as high and as far as you can," Elder San said sternly. "A-grade Team One and Team A02, begin your ascent."
The teams that included the sect scions immediately set off. Their expressions varied; they were terrified of halting on the Great Taoism, unable to even touch the white jade steps.
There were many paths leading to the summit, and from there spread several white jade staircases. Their railings also varied: some were fiery red, others a watery blue, and some a woody green.
From information provided by the Outer Sect stewards, Hong Yuan understood that these differently colored railings were a boon from the Sect. They were designed to allow disciples to experience the uniqueness of elemental powers, perhaps even imbuing their Apertures with a trace of elemental energy.
Soon, the disparity among the Sect's disciples became apparent. Some had already reached the white jade steps and were climbing upwards, while others had only just crossed the halfway point of the Great Taoism.
Upon seeing this, Elder San sighed lightly. "The aptitude of our Sect's descendants is diminishing with each generation. Fortunately, Lin Yiru hasn't brought shame upon her father."
Then he issued orders for Team A03 and B-rank Team One to set off.
Chen Dongsheng was in Team A03, Hong Yuan in B-rank Team One.
Hong Yuan caught a glimpse of Chen Dongsheng at the forefront of the two teams. His gaze swiftly swept past as he continued to walk calmly onward.
The most important task at hand was opening his body's Apertures. Thoughts of revenge and scheming had to be put aside for now.
The moment he stepped onto the Great Taoism, Hong Yuan felt a warmth begin to spread in his abdomen, with the peculiar energy of True Essence drawing nearer bit by bit.
Following the main group, Hong Yuan soon reached the end of the Great Taoism. He now had to choose one path with a differently colored railing to ascend the white jade stairs—the higher, the better.
Only then did Hong Yuan feel a slight pressure, which originated from the mist surrounding Yuan Peak.
Because that mist, astoundingly, was True Essence compressed to an extreme degree!
"This batch of servant disciples shows exceptional aptitude, especially those three prospective Cultivation Disciples!" Elder San stroked his snow-white beard with satisfaction, his gaze frequently lingering on Fang Xiu, Liu Xiang'er, and Chen Dongsheng.
At the foot of Yuan Peak Mountain, determination filled Chen Dongsheng's eyes. After giving himself a pep talk, he headed towards the white jade staircase that represented the ice element, without looking back.
Just the day before, he had caught the admiration of Niu Juhe, the First Elder of the Enforcement Hall. A pact was made: if he could open a B-rank Aperture, then he would become Elder Niu Juhe's disciple after the Aperture Opening Ceremony.
Still, Chen Dongsheng was not content; he wanted more, to reach for the skies in one step. For that, he had to ensure he could open a Class A Aperture!
The ice element, not among the Five Elements, was undoubtedly an opportunity rife with both risks and rewards.
Ice element? Hong Yuan pondered to himself before shifting his gaze away from Chen Dongsheng's retreating figure.
TAP. TAP.
Without hesitation, Hong Yuan stepped forward, choosing the white jade staircase of the water-element path.
He didn't need to take risks; all he needed was to steadily open his Apertures.
After all, his Martial Arts were the Longevity Martial Arts!