Chapter Thirty-Five:
Arrival of the New Disciples & Trials of the Ten Paths
Six months had passed since the ignition of the World Origin Furnace.
In that time, the Undefeating Sect – Demon Rising Hall had evolved beyond recognition.
Floating atop layered clouds, surrounded by protective formations crafted from starmetal, soulstone, and ancient voidsilver, the sect pulsed with life.
Disciples—new and old—walked paths of cultivation once thought lost.
Heavenroot Pavilion sang with spirit energy.
Demon-Rising Hall housed internal and external dual cultivators in harmony.
The Boundless Arts Library grew daily, absorbing every technique, every legacy, and refining them into pure, accessible art.
And now—on the dawn of a new cycle—the first wave of new disciples arrived.
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The Arrival
From across the continent they came:
Noble clan scions, bearing pride and ancestral martial scripts.
Wandering orphans, drawn by tales of a sect where no talent was discarded.
Fallen prodigies, rejected by prestigious sects but still burning with determination.
Beastkin twins, artifact-born children, and even a mute swordsman who spoke only through his blade.
They numbered one hundred and twenty-three.
Each carried a dream.
None expected what came next.
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The Trials of the Ten Paths
Upon their arrival, the Main Character stood atop the open sky-platform, his robe calm in the wind, his voice carried by Dao resonance:
> "Here, you will not walk one path.
Here, you will walk all."
Ten massive doors opened around the outer ring of the sect's plaza, each one leading to a Trial Realm.
Each Trial Realm tested not power, but potential and intent:
1. Trial of Alchemy – Brewing life and balance with herbs from five realms.
2. Trial of Forging – Shaping spiritual metal with bare hands and will.
3. Trial of Talismans – Carving essence onto jade without scripts.
4. Trial of Formations – Creating an array using only your mind's clarity.
5. Trial of Weapon Mastery – Choosing a weapon that speaks to your spirit.
6. Trial of Inner Will – Walking through illusions forged from your fear.
7. Trial of Dual Dao – Balancing yin and yang without chaos.
8. Trial of Beast Harmony – Communicating with untamed spirit beasts.
9. Trial of Void Silence – Cultivating without guidance, technique, or sound.
10. Trial of Sect Bond – Fighting side by side with a stranger in true unity.
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Hidden Talents Revealed
As the disciples entered the realms, incredible scenes unfolded:
A blind girl identified rare herbs by scent alone, brewing a Healing Dew never seen before.
The mute swordsman created a floating formation sword—a blade that fought with him like a twin soul.
A rogue fire cultivator forged burning talismans that exploded into phoenix-like constructs.
A boy with no spirit root at all merged with a stone furnace and completed the forging trial, earning the sect's first Artifact Soul Pact.
The sect elders, watching through crystal mirrors, were stunned.
The Main Character only smiled.
> "Potential is not in bloodlines.
It is in understanding. In practice. In evolution."
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The Final Gate
At the end of the trials, the ten paths merged into one.
The disciples, now more than initiates, stepped onto a spiral staircase floating into the heavens.
At its peak stood a gate of golden mist—the Pathweaver Gate.
Passing through, each disciple received:
A Living Sect Token—bound to their soul and tailored to their cultivation type.
A First-Class Manual matching their trial results.
Access to Dao Practice Fields, where the environment itself trained them.
Entry to the Evolving Vault, a space that reflected their deepest talent and showed their potential futures.
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Ending Words
As the new disciples bowed and swore their oaths, the Main Character spoke:
> "You are not just students.
You are cultivators of all paths.
And this world… has never seen what you will become."
Above, the Origin Furnace pulsed.
Far away, ancient sects began to watch.
But within the Undefeating Sect, new life had begun.
And the journey… was only beginning anew.
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End of Chapter
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Next: Chapter Thirty-Six – Whispering Winds of War: When Other Sects Take Notice
Shall I continue? Chapter 36