He was still in the cavernous room, but Elder Yu led him to the center instead of standing near the entrance, where a translucent, palm-size stone had floated down from the ceiling.

“Before we start, choose the path you want to take. Do you wish your testing to emphasize the Path of Alchemy or the Path of a Sentinel?”

William wanted to throw out Alchemy instinctively but also wasn’t keen on picking the latter. With the name it possessed, choosing the Path of a Sentinel just sounded like it was focused on combat. He would usually be happy to pick that, but this was a Sect that was clearly focused on alchemy and healing. It would be a shame if he didn’t take advantage of it.

“Excellent,” Elder Yu stated, to William’s surprise, “Choosing the Path of a Sentinel is the wise decision. Little Yin would be happy to see that you followed her advice.”

William vaguely remembered that Qin Yu, the guard that let him in, mentioned something about a Sentinel after Lan Yin talked to him, but that couldn’t be considered advice. Either way, he wasn’t happy that Elder Yu pushed him onto something he wouldn’t choose. Correcting an Elder wasn’t the best idea, but this would be the foundation for his future. He couldn’t be passive about it.

“Elder Yu,” William interjected before she continued speaking, “I was actually going to choose Alchemy.”

“That would waste your talent,” Elder Yu shook her head, “And I’m sure I heard you say you’d prefer the Path of a Sentinel. Are you saying I misheard?”

William wasn’t saying that at all. He was saying that she was forcing him to dismiss alchemy. But why bother giving him a choice if she didn’t want him to make his preferred pick? However, when Elder Yu emphasized the path he was to take, he felt a bone-chilling sensation run through his body as if he was being warned not to say the wrong thing.

With great reluctance, William murmured, “No, Elder Yu. You didn’t mishear. I chose Sentinel.”

“Good. Let’s start the testing,” Elder Yu said blandly, “This will be a formality with your talent, but regulations must be followed. Place your hand on the Meridian Evaluating Gem.”

[Side Quest Available | Join the Jade Healing Sect]

[Reward: ? | Penalty: Refusal of entry into the Jade Healing Sect]

[Accept: Y/N]

William’s mood was lifted with a side quest finally activating, even if this one had a penalty. He quickly accepted the quest and placed his hand over the translucent gem.

[Side Quest Added | Join the Jade Healing Sect]

When nothing happened after he touched the gem, William glanced at Elder Yu to see her showing a frown. It might have been easier to brush off if it had been anyone else. However, even though he had only recently become acquainted with Elder Yu, he had witnessed a range of emotions that never seemed to extend beyond a cold indifference.

William guessed that an obvious frown on Elder Yu was the equivalent of Lan Yin yelling angrily or Li Xinyue falling into a furious rage.

“Elder Yu?” William questioned hesitantly but didn’t get a response. In fact, she didn’t look away from the Meridian Evaluating Gem, even though it was doing nothing.

[-5 HP]

With a sudden, thunderous explosion, the Meridian Evaluating Gem burst into a shower of glinting shards, scattering across the room chaotically. He instinctively raised his hand to shield his face, feeling a sharp sting as a few razor-edged fragments sliced into his skin.

“This…” Elder Yu muttered with a deeper frown than before.

The small cuts from the shattered gem didn’t bother William. His mind was racing with the possibilities of what this meant. Perhaps his potential was so outrageous that it exploded under the weight of measuring such a colossal value.

William froze when Elder Yu again pressed her finger to the pulse on his neck.

“I can sense that you are near a breakthrough… So why did the gem explode?”

William stayed quiet at the rhetorical question but started to sense that the explosion wasn’t a good thing.

“The regulations of the Sect state that you aren’t eligible to take the test, Wei Liang. Each candidate, whether through recommendation or not, must be able to make the Meridian Evaluating Gem glow red at the minimum. An explosion means your meridians are damaged.”

William’s heart sank to his stomach, unable to accept that he could fail the test before even trying. That was without mentioning that he would fail the first side quest with a penalty. In the back of his mind, he wondered if this had something to do with his soul damage.

“So that’s it?” William said unwillingly, “That gem decided my fate?”

Elder Yu seemed nonplussed at his disappointment. “Most of the time, yes, it does. But there have been candidates in the past that have succeeded despite the Meridian Evaluating Gem exploding. However, it is a path few can succeed in.”

“I can do it,” William blurted before realizing that sounded too arrogant, “I mean, I want to do everything I can to join the Sect.”

“I would commend you for your confidence, but I suggest you think it over,” Elder Yu cautioned, “You will be required to learn a cultivation technique to show that the gem’s evaluation was wrong. Since you are not yet part of the Sect, you will be provided a low-tier, human-level cultivation technique.”

William’s instinct was to scream his acceptance. This was a gift that would upgrade his cultivation and get him to level eleven at the same time. But there had to be a reason that Elder Yu mentioned the level of the technique provided.

“That sounds straightforward, Elder Yu. Is there something wrong with taking this option?”

“Of the few candidates that succeeded in learning the technique, over half couldn’t change it to a higher level option. It’s tough for even the most skilled to switch techniques in their lives.”

That erased most of William’s doubts. Switching cultivation techniques would be absolutely necessary if one desired to reach the higher realms, and that was something he wasn’t worried about at all with the system he possessed.

“I’ll do it,” William said firmly.

“Very well,” Elder Yu accepted before placing a hand on his shoulder, shifting him into a location that seemed like a library.

As William looked around the room, noticing the numerous disciples browsing through the shelves of books, Elder Yu waved a hand toward him.

[+5 HP]

“Elder Yu!”

That one disciple’s exclamation started a cascade that caused everyone within earshot to drop what they were doing and crowd Elder Yu and William.

“Go about your business,” Elder Yu said coldly, making the disciples freeze awkwardly and shuffle back to their previous activities.

“Um, thanks for healing me, Elder Yu,” William said after they were no longer being mobbed.

“You’ll be provided a private room,” Elder Yu ignored his thanks and handed him a well-used manual that suddenly appeared in her hands, “With how close you are to a breakthrough, I will give you two days to succeed.”

Before William could respond, he found himself in a sparsely decorated room stocked with food that would last a few days. It had everything a mortal needed for a short stay, and more importantly, the time was already ticking down.

[Time Remaining: 1d 23h 59m 27s]

William didn’t know Elder Yu meant two days quite so literally, but that only meant that there was no time left. He glanced at the cover of the manual and blinked.

A Beginner’s Guide to Cultivation.

The manual sounded more like a joke to trick unsuspecting mortals than an actual cultivation technique. Still, Elder Yu handed it to William, so he took it seriously and flipped to the first page.

He sat on the provided mat and quickly completed the first several pages. The common adage of not judging a book by the cover undoubtedly applied here.

As he delved into the pages, William felt a sense of familiarity wash over him. It was as if he was transported back to his old world, eagerly binging a book while forgetting everything else. Only, this time there would hopefully be a life-changing reward at the end.