Chapter 85: The Red Crystal of Truth

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Qing Jin.

The spear on his back, he’s gotten used to. The red hair, he barely notices. The name, however, still feels foreign to him. No matter how many times he hears it, there will always be a pause, a moment in which he has to remind himself that is his name now. It is something he needs to fix. A clever person will almost certainly pick up on it.

Well, Liu Jin doubts he has to worry about that sort of thing when dealing with Huang Shing.

“Qing Jin! Look!”

He seems… simple.

“They are starting!” Huang Shing points up ahead, where a man in red and white robes is walking down the steps. “Let’s go!”

Liu Jin sighs as Huang Shing eagerly walks into the mass of people. Crowds are not something he enjoys. Not in Eastern Port City. Not in Five Bats City. And most certainly not here. All those stories about great masters who removed themselves from civilization to achieve eternity probably neglected to mention they also did so because dealing with too many people at once is exhausting.

Liu Jin thinks about it for a moment and nods.

Yeah, that sounds right.

“You have come from lands far and wide,” the man in red and white robes says once he reaches the lowest step. His Qi reveals him as someone in the True Realm, the fifth Realm of cultivation. “Doubtlessly, you have endured many hardships on your way here. However, to join our Eternal Flame Clan, that cannot even be called the first step. We have no use for the weak!”

That draws many frowns from the crowd. Angry whispers are suddenly aplenty; a few even shout.

“Oh?” The man raises an eyebrow. “You say you are not weak. Very well, you have, after all, come here to prove your strength. Far be it from me to deny you the opportunity. Those who have courage, step forward and be judged!”

He snaps his fingers. People stumble back as a large rock rises from the ground.

No, Liu Jin quickly amends. Not rock, crystal. It is a beautiful red crystal in the shape of a wild flame. It rises until it is as tall as three men standing on each other’s shoulders, towering over the crowd.

“You will stand in front of the Red Crystal of Truth. Touch its surface, and your age and cultivation stage will be measured. Those who are not found wanting will pass to the next stage!”

The atmosphere changes. Eagerness is replaced by apprehension. It is not a person but an artifact that will judge them. Their names will not sway it. Neither will their charisma or deeds. Their age and cultivation level will be the only factors taken into account, which means they will pass or fail by those alone.

Amid this tense atmosphere, a derisive snort rises.

“Hmph! Is that all? It seems the Eternal Flame Clan is much kinder than I thought.”

Bei Hong walks out from the crowd with confident steps. He does not ask for further clarification or even looks at the examiner. He boldly touches the Red Crystal of Truth.

The crystal glows with red light, and flames erupt from its surface, causing Bei Hong to take a step back in surprise. He need not have bothered. The flame flies straight up and bursts into fiery letters.

Spirit Realm, Third Level. Fifteen-Years-old.

Huang Shing curses under his breath. He had probably hoped his senses were fooling him back then, yet it is not so. Bei Hong truly is in the Third Level of the Spirit Realm. Indeed, Huang Shing is far from the only one moved by this reveal. Even among people as gifted as these, to reach the Spirit Realm at such a young age is noteworthy.

“Good.” The examiner nods approvingly. “You will be transported to the next testing area.”

Bei Hong only has a moment to look surprised before a red circle appears beneath him. He is engulfed in red light and vanishes.

“What was that?” Huang Shing asks.

“Transfer circle,” Liu Jin replies, his tone far more casual, yet that does not mean he is not impressed. It is, after all, the first transfer circle he has ever seen.

Transfer circles can connect two different areas, yet there are limits to how far apart they can be. Even if this is the Eternal Flame Clan, he doubts its range goes past the Summer Forest.

“Most likely, he was taken to the next testing area.”

“Who will be next?” The examiner shouts, his voice asserting itself over the crowd.

There is a pause. Bei Hong, unfortunately, and perhaps deliberately set the standard too high. He passed the first stage while being in the Spirit Realm. Does that mean only people in the Spirit Realm can pass? Everyone is wondering that. The pressure of having to walk in front of everyone only to fail and return home a loser is too much for many.

Huang Shing, after a few moments of internal debate, suddenly straightens his back. He takes a step forward.

And runs right into Liu Jin’s arm.

“Hey!”

“If you go up there right now, I’ll have to go as well. I’d rather see the other participants first.”

It will give him more opportunities to see how the crystal works.

Huang Shing shoves his arm out of his way. “But what if we wait too much, and they run out of spots?”

Liu Jin shakes his head. “There is no quota to be filled. The Eternal Flame Clan will not turn away those who are strong. There are only those who can finish the test and those who can’t.”

Something Huang Shing would know if he had spent any amount of time in Ember City. Occasionally, disciples from the Eternal Flame Clan would pass by. Most would tell horror stories to scare away those hoping to join, but a few would let important details slip out. “Look, there is another one.”

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Indeed, someone else has worked up the nerve to take the test, a girl this time. She touches the crystal, and the flame reveals her level.

Nascent Realm, Eighth Level. Fourteen-years-old.

It takes only two seconds for the transfer circle to appear beneath her, yet the crowd hangs in suspense throughout them. Many sigh in relief once she is judged worthy.

After that, volunteers start coming in earnest.

Nascent Realm, Fifth Level. Thirteen-years-old.

Nascent Realm, Ninth Level. Fifteen-years-old.

Spirit Realm, First Level. Fifteen-years-old.

Huang Shing glares at Lu Mei as she easily passes the test, a confident smirk on her lips as she vanishes in a flash of red.

Liu Jin, however, is more concerned with those who had yet to take the exam. There are a few that—now that they have been faced with their own inadequacy—are quietly drifting to the back of the crowd. They’ll probably leave without ever touching the crystal, already understanding they are not strong enough.

Others recklessly rush in, hoping against hope.

Nascent Realm, Third Level. Fourteen-years-old.

The youth who stepped up to the challenge waits as the seconds drag on painfully, his face flushing with shame. More than one person snickers at his failure.

“Fail,” the examiner cries out, further cementing his humiliation. “Stand back so others can take the test.”

“Ouch,” Huang Shing says. Liu Jin cannot help but agree.

Yet, that is not the most embarrassing thing to happen to someone.

Nascent Realm, First Level. Fifteen-years-old.