Chapter 5: Strength That Determines Ones Future

On his way to find the elder Neonero spotted a lot of disciples gathering around one of the training grounds. Then someone called his name.

"Junior brother Neonero!"

As soon as Neonero heard the voice, he already recognized who called him.

"Good morning senior brother Jino." He greeted.

"Where heading at and it seems you're in a hurry?" Jino then noticed the changes in Neonero. "You're at early body refining stage in just one night? Tell me, have you been tempering your body before you got recruited as a disciple?"

Jino was really surprised as soon as he noticed that Neonero has already stepped into the early body refining stage. One must train his body for several months in order for a cultivator to enter the early body refining stage with the help of body tempering pills.

"I was looking for elder Zen so I could confirm from him if I have really stepped into early body refining stage. Since senior brother already confirmed it for me I don't need to look for elder Zen." Neonero then added. "I guess you can call it too as body tempering, because I'm used to hard labor senior brother." Neonero made up a story that he was used to hard labor. He can't disclose that he practices a body tempering method from a fictional story that he was reading from a light novel and that he was not a person of this world.

"By the way senior brother why is there a gathering of disciples in that training ground?"

"Oh right, see that huge object that looks like mirror over there at the top of the platform it's called Strength Measuring Crystal. Newly recruited disciples at the early body refining stage can test their strength by sending a punch into it. Then an image of will manifest on that crystal to show how much strength you have at the early body refining stage. This will also determine your future in cultivation. "Jino explained.

"So what kind of images does appear in that Strength Measuring Crystal?" asked Neonero.

"Some are wild beasts, some are human warrior images and some are legendary beasts but I have not yet seen a disciple able to manifest legendary beast in my years of being a disciple in the sect. It will also show a rank which your strength will belong. The rank of strength is arranged from E as the lowest to A as the highest. But according to legend, there is still a rank S which is really the highest ranking for physical strength. But for several thousands of years none has been recorded in history that a cultivator has achieved a rank of S in testing their strength." then Jino looked at Neonero and said. "Junior brother now that you have are already at the early body refining stage why don't you go over there and test your strength?"

Actually after hearing what Jino said, Neonero is feeling excited to try and test his strength to know what kind of beast or warrior his strength will manifest. Then suddenly the crowd went in an uproar.

"Look it's that kid from a well known family of cultivators." Said one of the senior disciples.

"I heard that this kid is a genius. He's just ten years old but he's already at the early body refining stage."

"Yeah, I can even sense from him that his about to enter the mid body refining stage. He sure will have a very promising future ahead of him.". A senior disciple added.

Neonero heard all these praises from the surrounding seniors. Then he asked Jiro. "Senior brother who is that kid?"

"Oh that kid, he's Ren from a well known family of cultivators the Destro family. His grandfather is one of the strongest cultivators in this region. His grandfather is also a grand elder of our sect and is just a second in strength to our sect master. Our sect master is at the mid Heavenly Soul Realm while his grandfather is at the early Heavenly Soul Realm. His father is a late Soul Warrior Realm cultivator. They are one of the powerhouse families of Black Cloud City. I heard that kid also arrogant so stay away from him or else you'll be in deep trouble."

"I will senior brother Jino, thank you for informing me." Neonero answered.

Bang!

A loud bang was heard. It was Ren he unleashed his early body refining stage punch to the crystal then it started to glow and release a blinding light. Then an image of magnificent warrior was manifested within the crystal. The warrior was clad in a magnificent golden armor with a huge sword on its back and it seems to be releasing an aura of a Divine Soul Realm cultivator.

All the gathering disciples on the training ground was feeling oppressed by the aura of that magnificent warrior. Then slowly the image blurred and the light disappeared. That was when the feeling of oppression was gone. And after that a character "A" emerges, he has a rank A strength.

Many of the disciples who have witnessed this scene were shocked and astonished and are saying that Ren might become the strongest cultivator of this Eastern Continent. He might become a Divine Soul Realm expert and be the overseer of the continent. He might even become a legendary Godly Soul Realm expert in the future if fate permits.

While everyone was still in shock and others are discussing Ren's future cultivation, another disciple went to the platform to test his strength.

Bang!

The crystal starts to glow and another blinding light appeared and manifested a winged two headed beast. It roared with all its might and its roar seems to shake the heaven and earth. He has also a rank A strength.

"Another prodigy! The heavens has blessed my Mystic Lightning sect with two prodigy disciples this year." said by the elder who was managing the testing of strength.

"Not bad, this kid has also a promising future." Said by grand elder Aldo watching from within the grand elder's hall.

The crowd was in uproar again and it seems they cannot contain their emotions anymore after witnessing two disciples obtaining rank A of strength.

Wooow…. Clap clap clap clap clap....

Some are cheerfully screaming and others were clapping continuously. But some are also feeling envious and jealous since their rank in strength was just around rank D or C. After a few moments, the elder signed to settle down and said.

"Is there anyone who still hasn't taken the test?"

Right at this moment someone yelled.

"Excuse me elder I would like to take the test."

It was Neonero who was walking to the training ground with Jino on his right. The elder recognized who this young man is. It was just yesterday since he was recruited as a disciple and he was still not on the early body refining stage. To his surprise he noticed that Neonero already entered the early stage of body refining stage. "How did he broken through to early body refining stage that easily? Hmmmm strange?" the elder said in his heart.

All the disciples gathered looked into the approaching disciple's way. Many of the gazes were filled of disdain.

"Okay, come here and test your strength." the elder instructed.

"Hey, is that the new disciple who sect master recruited just yesterday?"

"Yeah, it's him. I wonder why the sect master recruited him."

"Maybe sect master saw something special in him."

The disciples started discussing to themselves.

Suddenly Ren mockingly said in a loud voice.

"Heh… A sixteen year old only at the early body refining stage? I don't think you deserve to be a disciple of the Mystic Lightning Sect!"

Majority of the present disciples where also giving a mocking look at Neonero since all of them are younger than him around fourteen years old and already at the mid or late body refining stage. To them his cultivation level is of a trash and should not be in admitted in their sect. He should have joined a low tier sect such as Flame Fist Sect.

Hearing this Neonero just smiled and continued to walk to the platform. Upon reaching the platform, he takes a punching stance and concentrated his strength into his fist. Then he released his fist and punched the crystal.

Bang!

The stage seems to shake slightly and dust particles started to float around the platform due the force created by that punch. The crystal started to emit brilliant lights, bluish in color and sometimes turning white. Then the crystal started to manifest an image which look like a ball of energy then it suddenly changed it shape that seemingly to look like an egg. That egg looking image seems to have pattern of scales. It did not even exude any majestic or supernatural aura, then the image blurred slowly.

Looking at the manifested image, Neonero was somewhat stupefied. Not just him, but all the disciples and the elder just beside him all feel the same way.

Laughter broke out from the crowd.

Hahahaha. Hahahah. Hahaha.

"Puhahaha" Ren laugh mockingly.

This scene turned Neonero into a laughing stock. Even the elder could not hold anymore and also laugh softly.

"What a fierce looking egg! Puhahaha." Ren said while laughing and pointing at Neonero.

As the image of an egg was slowly fading, a weird character appeared in the crystal it was "1", not S, A, B, C, D, or E, but "1". The crowd was again stupefied by this.

"Damn! What in the world is this, earlier it was an egg and now a number "1"? Neonero can help but curse himself.

"Alright, alright. Everyone we're done here. And you kid start cultivating hard if you want to stay in the sect!" the elder said to Neonero in an imposing manner.

"Hey mister fierce egg, congratulations! Hahaha." Ren mocked him again while slowly walking away from the training with his lackeys.

Jino then patted Neonero's back and said. "It's alright junior brother, sometimes looks can deceiving right? So don't be disheartened with the result of the test. Maybe the crystal has broken and could not function well after those two monster kids punch it. And it has been punch for a thousand or even tens of thousands times already. So how about this, I'll show you around the sect and introduce you to some of my friends?"

Unbeknownst to the Neonero and all the people gathered around the training ground, there was one person who concealed his aura and self floating in the sky above the platform. It was the sect master himself Lightning Kan who was just observing them from the sky.

"Hmmm, a number 1. Could, could it mean the number one? One who stands at the peak of all realms?" he trembled slightly and said to himself again "The image is certainly not an egg, it seems to be some kind of a legendary creature or even far exceeding than that, I certainly saw two formidable eyes somewhere in the middle of that egg looking image. I'll have to secretly nurture this kid."

It was already late in the afternoon that the test of strength ended. So after Jino toured Neonero around the sect and introduced him to his friends, they returned to their rooms.Feeling down, Neonero decided to just take a nap.