Chapter 9 – Cheat Mode Activated!

  High atop the central peak of the Tranquil Mountain Sect, the clouds parted gently around a broad stone platform carved directly into the mountainside.

  Here, the spiritual energy was so dense that it shimmered visibly in the air, forming rippling veils of mist that the sunlight filtered through in brilliant rays. At the center of this platform was a ring of trees with purple and blue leaves where the Inner Sect’s Elders had gathered.

  They were dressed in blue robes with gold trim stitched with patterns of cranes, waves or clouds. Each of them had stepped into the Core Formation Realm, and their presence stirred the Qi of the mountain they stood on with merely their existence.

  At the head of the assembly stood a man who looked no older than his mid-forties, with calm eyes and a serene expression. His robes were also blue, but trimmed in purple to display his elevated status.

  There was no other ornamentation that proved his different rank from the others, but they all would have understood even without the purple trim of his robes.

  He was a Nascent Soul Cultivator, one who stood at the peak of power within their Sect. His Qi compressed the space around him and was highly focused and impossibly deep.

  The gap between realms was insurmountable, and it was clear to anyone who stood near him that they were not his match.

  The tranquillity of the peak was broken by the flutter of wings as a white crane descended from the sky to circle once before landing lightly at the edge of the platform. Its passenger, an Outer Sect Elder, leapt from the back of the crane with reverent haste and rushed toward the group.

  With his simple, blue robes with white trim, he was clearly marked for his lower rank. He bowed deeply, his forehead nearly touching the stone at his feet.

  “This one greets the Sect Master and honoured Inner Sect Elders.” He spoke. His voice was steady, but low with deference.

  One of the Inner Sect Elders frowned slightly, with her arms crossed.

  “As an Outer Sect Elder, you know this peak is not for those of your station.” She chastised, and the Outer Sect Elder nodded and bowed again in her direction.

  “Yes, honoured Elder. But my summons was received. I would not presume to disturb your assembly without cause.”

  A pause followed, before the Sect Master lifted one hand, palm out in a gentle motion. His voice was like flowing water, measured and quiet, but with an authority that silenced all.

  “Let him speak.”

  The Outer Sect Elder slowly rose to his feet and glanced around at the assembled leaders of the Sect. At his 10th Level of Qi Condensation, the pressure of these Core Formation cultivators pushed down on his meridians like a grinding stone.

  Still, he was an Elder, and he stood tall.

  “As I have reported to the Sect Master, I have brought five candidates from Nan Ao City. There are four with solid potential, but one is exceptional beyond anything I have witnessed.”

  The Inner Sect Elders exchanged glances, their expressions skeptical, but the Sect Master was intrigued. The message delivered by this elder had reached him quickly, but he hadn’t put much stock into it at the time.

  But, seeing how this Outer Sect Elder was willing to come before them and speak on behalf of a newcomer despite the pressure he must be feeling, made the Sect Master’s interest grow.

  “The testing orb shattered in his hands, along with all the others I had brought. He passed the first trial with ease, and I suspect the second will further demonstrate his value to the Sect.”

  The Sect Master’s eyes narrowed slightly, not in suspicion, but in thought. He quickly tried a divination, calculating the future with his fingers, before nodding.

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  “A name?”

  “Jun De.” The Elder replied with another bow. The name floated across the pavilion, carried by the mountain breeze. The Sect Master turned his gaze toward the stairway in the distance, his spiritual sense encapsulated everything within the Sect, revealing the ongoing trial to him.

  “We shall see if this young man is worthy of your high expectations.”

  Page Break

  Jun De stepped onto the first stair, and a hush fell over the courtyard. The air shimmered faintly around him, then trembled.

  A thin beam of golden light broke through the mist above and shone on the young man. It was almost imperceptible at first, like a blessing missed by most people’s eyes. But with each step Jun De took, the light grew stronger and deeper, changing from pale gold to a warm, radiant glow that bathed his figure in an ethereal lustre.

  It wasn’t as dramatic as lightning or the roar of thunder, but it was just as undeniable.

  Jun De ascended the stairs easily, his movements smooth and unhurried. The spiritual energy that had repelled the others like a crashing tide or a river’s torrent seemed to part for him. The way was cleared as though the staircase and the Sect were welcoming his presence.

  By the tenth step, some jaws in the crowd had already dropped. Jun De passed the struggling young man who had managed to reach the twelfth step, the poor man’s body was covered in sweat, and he was lying on the ground panting.

  By the twentieth stair, even those who had tried to mock or taunt him earlier were speechless. Jun De looked as though he were taking a leisurely stroll through a garden.

  Mei Lian clasped her hands over her mouth, her eyes were wide with awe and near worship, while even Ren Qiu found his lips parting slightly, his pupils narrowing as he watched with folded arms.

  “It’s obviously easier than it looks!” Another young man shouted as he ran forward to climb the stairs in a rush. He leapt up the stairs two at a time until he reached the tenth as well and collapsed into a heap with a strangled yell.

  Jun De said nothing as he walked.

  Outwardly, he was the picture of serenity. His back was straight, his gaze was calm, and his breathing was even. His white robes fluttered gently in the mountain wind, and his figure was wreathed in golden light like some forgotten immortal returning to the heavens.

  But inwardly, Jun De was confused as hell.

  ‘What’s going on, are these even the same stairs everyone else is struggling with?’ Jun De thought to himself. He took another step, expecting to feel something, but there wasn’t any pressure, or weight or even the slightest sense of resistance.

  Jun De cast a sidelong glance at one of the other disciples who were gasping for air down on the tenth step, their veins bulging on their forehead and sweat pouring down their face, before returning his gaze to the front of him.

  ‘Is this body bugged? Did I get some kind of cheat mode installed when I reincarnated?’ Jun De asked internally, and a flicker of doubt passed through his mind.

  He remembered that in cultivation novels, a reincarnated person would get a ‘Golden Finger,’ an item or ability to help them adapt or succeed. Was his ‘Golden Finger’ his handsome appearance and the ability to cheat trials?

  ‘That would be awesome!’ Jun De exclaimed in his mind. Any help in his cultivation journey would be appreciated. He needed to learn to cultivate and get strong enough that no one could mess with him.

  He wanted to live a long time and enjoy life to its fullest! If his ‘Cheat Mode’ could help him achieve that, then he didn’t feel any guilt about using it.

  Jun De kept walking forward, each step effortless, and the golden glow pulsed around him, brighter than before.

  Page Break

  On the mountain peak, Jun De’s performance had sent the assembled Elders into chaos. They were already arguing about who would take the young man on as their personal Disciple, and which peak he would join.

  One of the Elder, a sharp-eyed man with blue robes emblazoned with a jade sword emblem, stepped forward and spoke to the others.

  “This boy’s sword intent is clearly profound; he belongs on Righteous Sword Peak. Our path will refine his talent to its rightful edge.”

  Another Elder scoffed at the statement.

  “Refine it into arrogance, perhaps. What he needs is control and discipline. He moves like flowing water; his movements are aligned with our Soaring Tide Peak. We will guide him with patience.” The Elder responded, and the white wave crest on his robe marked him as the Master of Soaring Tide Hall.

  Soon, the gathering had devolved into an open argument. Voices overlapped and fingers pointed. Spiritual Pressure rose and fell in heated waves, and the Out Sect Elder backed away in order not to be caught in the conflict.

  Each Elder had their own justifications on why Jun De should join their peak, but at the center, the Sect Master finally spoke in a voice that easily cut through the noise.

  “Enough. You have all forgotten the rules. No disciple may directly join the Inner Sect before reaching the 7th level of Qi Condensation. And no Inner Sect Elder may take a personal disciple from the Outer Sect before that threshold is crossed.”

  A few Elder looked away, suddenly very interested in the horizon.

  “These rules are not arbitrary. A flower grown in a greenhouse may bloom beautifully, but will wither faster than the weed that grew through stone when winter comes.”

  “The boy must walk this path on his own. Let him prove whether he is a star, or just a spark quickly extinguished.”

  The Elders said no more about the matter, but inwardly, each silently marked the name ‘Jun De’ into their memory like an oath and hoped that he reached the required level of Qi Condensation as quickly as possible.