Chapter 4: Missed Event

A month quickly passed and Zixin was still holled up in the training room not knowing that the Disciple Advancement Event would be taking place in a few days. He was too focused on his training to care about anything else. 

Currently, Zixin was sitting cross legged with bruises and scars all over his body, his face swollen up to an unrecognizable level.

'The Organs Tempering Advanced Phase is now also useless but I feel like I'm already halfway to completing the first volume.' thought Zixin. 

"One puppet at the Beginner Qi Gasification Stage, step forward."

The two puppets stepped back and only one puppet remained. It had increased its strength to the Beginner Qi Gasification Stage. 

"Attack!"

The puppet turned into a blur and appeared in front of Zixin and punched his chest, sending him crashing into the training room walls.

Pfft!

"Stop…" said Zixin weakly after vomiting a mouthful of blood.

"Give me that porcelain bottle quickly…"

The puppet quickly fetched the porcelain bottle and gave it to Zixin. Zixin then took out a pill and swallowed it, only then did his condition get better. 

'So that's how strong a Foundation Building Realm is at its weakest. Powerful!' thought Zixin as he sat cross legged and meditated. His bones began to heal his broken ribs.

[Ding! The Host has successfully captured a punch from a Beginner Qi Gasification Stage.] sounded the system notification. 

"Status."

[Ding! Seven types of attacks captured. 

1.Qi Deviation (×1)

2. Beginner Body Tempering Stage punches (×3)

3. Advanced Meridians Tempering Stage punches (×1209)

4. Beginner Organs Tempering Stage punches (×985)

5.Intermediate Organs Tempering Stage punches (×460)

6. Advanced Organs Tempering Stage punches (×202)

7. Beginner Qi Gasification Stage punches (×1)]

'So I've been beaten up by these puppets so many times! Bastards, you're lucky you're not alive!'

…

A few later, the Disciple Advancement Event commenced and all Outer and Inner disciples were gathered outside the sect. 

[Today is the day many of you have been waiting for, the day of the Disciple Advancement Event. This event will take place in the Hundred Mountains Forest. Mind you, we won't be the only sect there, there will also be disciples from the Volcano Sect, Vine Sect, Beast Taming Sect, Red Rose Sect and the Demonic Cult. 

The advancement system will be in a points form, meaning, points will be allocated to you after you reach the requirements. Outer disciples need a thousand points to become the best Outer disciples and to become an Inner disciple, a corpse of a Warrior Beast or Inner disciple from another sect will be required together with the thousand points.

For Inner Disciples, ten thousand points will be required to reach the best Inner disciple title and ten Battle Beast corpses or Core disciple corpses from other sects will be required together with the points. If you manage to hunt more than required, additional rewards will be provided. Now, the sect has prepared these storage sacs to make it easier for you to complete your mission. Does anyone have any questions?] spoke an elder of the sect. 

This elder wore black robes, looked a little aged with grey hair here and there but his demeanour was imposing and demanding of respect. His eyes were also sharp so no disciple made eye contact with him. The other sect elders who were present stood respectfully behind this elder. This was the sect's Grand Elder, equal in status with the Sect Leader. 

"Grand Elder Luo, what if someone doesn't participate in this event?" asked one of the disciples. 

[If you don't participate then their status as disciples will be stripped off, given a hundred or two hundred lashes, crippled cultivation and kicked out of the sect. We are not nurturing cowards here but warriors who'll reach the peak of martial arts one day!] said Grand Elder Luo sternly. 

[Does anyone else have a question, if not, we're leaving!]

"Elder, how long will this event last?"

[A month. Now let's go!]

Zixin was completely oblivious about the sect's event taking place today. He was also oblivious about the consequences of not participating in it. He was fully immersed in his cultivation. 

…

A month quickly passed and the event ended. Many disciples had died, others were gravely wounded and the few that returned with minor injuries were now like sharpened swords. They had gone through many life and death battles that refined both their combat abilities and mentality. 

Of the one thousand plus disciples that had participated in the event, half of them had perished. This showed just how dangerous this event was.

The Core disciples and elders who had remained behind welcomed the Grand Elder and the disciples. The disciples who were fatally wounded were given first priority and provided with the best healing medicine. Grand Elder Luo flew away as soon as he returned to the sect.

…

Today, Zixin had just finished another cultivation session like he normally does. He took out his last healing pill and swallowed it. 

"I'm finally out of healing pills, guess I have to go to the Medicine Hall to procure more and continue to practice." he said to himself and after his scars and wounds healed, he stood up and left the training. 

Once outside, Zixin didn't know why but the air in the sect felt different. Also, the disciples seemed to have undergone some type of transformation that he couldn't quite put his finger on. Ignoring everyone's gaze, Zixin walked to the Medicine Hall. 

Like usual, there were many queues in the hall but this time, they actually weren't that long. Lucius joined the queue for ordinary healing pills since those were the only pills he could currently get without injuries. Everyone in the hall gave him weird looks but he completely ignored them and continued to wait. 

'Must be because of my torn robes that everyone is looking at me.' he thought.

Soon, it was finally his turn to request for some pills.

"Greetings Senior Sister, I'm here to fetch my quota healing pills and I'd also like to convert cultivation pills into healing pills." said Zixin respectfully and with a smile.

"Your disciple badge please."

Zixin gave her his token, a cloud shaped token made from green jade. The female disciple took the token but didn't give Zixin the pills he requested. 

"It seems Junior Brother didn't participate in the Disciple Advancement Event that took place a month and few days ago right?" she asked. 

"The Disciple Advancement Event has already taken place?! Why wasn't I told about it?!" exclaimed Zixin in genuine shock. 

"Yes, and the sect has introduced new rules. One of the new rules states that disciples that didn't participate in the event will be stripped off their status, given a hundred lashes, have their cultivation base crippled and kicked out of the sect."

"What?! Senior Sister, there has to be an explanation for all of this. Let me go to the sect elders to seek answers and also explain my situation." said Zixin. 

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen. As an Inner disciple, I have the power to exercise the sect's rules and I'll exercise them now. Xong Zixin, you're henceforth no longer a disciple of the Greencloud Sect and you'll be kicked out after your judgement!" said the female disciple while taking out her whip from the storage sac.

Whop-eesh!

The whip struck his shoulder, tore through both his robes and skin but Zixin didn't grimace in pain. The female disciple kept whipping Zixin until he was covered in blood but he still didn't scream in pain. The female disciple continued until Zixin grabbed her whip. 

"Senior Sister, you've already lashed me a hundred times so please refrain from attacking me any further."