C7 Outer Circle Disciple

The river churned violently, with a stone pillar every half zhang, barely breaking the surface and no larger than the area of two footprints. Crossing from one to the next was a formidable challenge, requiring considerable bravery to even attempt the leap. With an injured leg bone, Han Binn found jumping especially difficult. Clenching his teeth, he propelled himself up and lunged for the first stone pillar.

Landing brought searing pain shooting through his leg, causing Han Binn to wobble precariously, looking as though he might topple into the river at any moment.

"Be careful!" cried out a child on the bank, hands slick with nervous sweat.

It took some time, but Han Binn eventually steadied himself. After a brief pause, he readied for the next jump.

The children following him leaped one after another, their pace far outstripping Han Binn's.

Soon, one of the children caught up. Noticing Han Binn resting on the pillar, he grinned and encouraged, "Brother, keep it up. I'm heading on ahead." With that, he sprang to the next pillar.

Han Binn focused and recognized the boy as the one who had led the climb earlier, responding with a smile of his own.

As more children vaulted past, Han Binn remained on his pillar, immobilized not by choice but by the agonizing pain in his thigh that made jumping impossible. Each slight movement brought torturous pain. Three more pillars lay ahead, each appearing as insurmountable as a mountain. The sun edged closer to the horizon, and Han Binn knew that if he didn't make it across before nightfall, he'd be faced with spending the night on the river or waiting for dawn to continue.

With a grimace, Han Binn dismissed the throbbing in his legs and hurled himself toward the far bank. One leap, two, then three—in one breath, he miraculously cleared all remaining pillars. On both riverbanks, children—those who had yet to cross and those who had—stared wide-eyed in disbelief. A few in the midst of crossing, distracted by Han Binn's rapid succession of jumps, lost their focus and plunged into the swift currents.

Upon reaching the opposite shore, Han Binn's legs were bloodied and raw. Still biting back the pain, he took determined steps toward the flag.

Deep in the mountains, the red-robed elder who had once saved Han Binn gazed in this direction and sighed, "The boy's resolve is strong, yet the Great Dao is merciless. Oh, how merciless the Great Dao is!"

Taking his first step, Han Binn was shocked to feel an immense gravitational pull from the earth, rendering him unable to lift his feet. In the past, he could have walked step by step, but now, with his legs injured, raising his foot was an arduous task. The children who had reached the flag were touched by Han Binn's determination, cheering him on with chants of "Keep going, keep going..."

"I mustn't give up, I mustn't give up," Han Binn murmured through clenched teeth, struggling to take a step forward. This seemingly simple action drained all his energy.

After that step, Han Binn's head buzzed, his consciousness waned, and he collapsed to the ground.

The following day, Han Binn awoke to find himself in bed, his injuries miraculously healed. He sprang up and dashed outside.

The door opened to a forest alive with birdsong and floral scents, shrouded in a serene and elegant mist.

Wang Feng approached through the trees and asked, "Are you awake?"

Han Binn rushed to him, gripping his shoulders, and asked urgently, "Did I fail?"

Wang Feng nodded silently.

Collapsing to the ground, Han Binn's thoughts spiraled into chaos, the world seeming to spin around him.

A tap on the head from Wang Feng jolted Han Binn back to reality. "You still have a chance," Wang Feng assured him.

Han Binn let out a wry laugh, thinking Wang Feng was just trying to console him. "I've already failed. What chance is left?"

Wang Feng explained patiently, "Cultivating immortality involves three trials: the Spiritual Root, perseverance, and Immortal Fate. Even if you don't meet the first two criteria, aligning with the last can still make you an entry-level disciple."

Hope flickered across Han Binn's face. "You mean there's still a test for me?"

Shaking his head, Wang Feng replied with regret, "No more tests. The Immortal Fate Test concluded while you were unconscious." Noticing Han Binn's spirits fall once more, he added, "But someone with your level of perseverance is entirely qualified to remain as an outer disciple." The Immortal Fate he referred to wasn't a test, but rather a matter of relational favor.

"Outer disciple?" Han Binn was unfamiliar with the term. "Can outer disciples cultivate immortality too?"

Wang Feng saw the hopeful expression on Han Binn's face and paused before responding, "If you hold a steadfast belief, opportunities to cultivate immortality will come your way."

With a determined nod and clenched fists, Han Binn declared, "Alright, I'll become an outer disciple."

Two hours later, after escorting Han Binn to the registration area for outer disciples, Wang Feng made his way back to the forest.

There, he encountered the red-robed elder. Upon seeing Wang Feng, the elder inquired, "Have you sent him off?"

Wang Feng bowed respectfully and admitted, "Uncle, there's something I'm puzzled about."

Anticipating Wang Feng's question, the elder explained slowly, "You're wondering why I bestowed upon him a chance at immortality and made him an outer disciple. Strictly speaking, having just set foot in the Gravity Land, he's not yet qualified. But as you've seen, if he hadn't tumbled down the slope, his tenacity would have likely carried him beyond the midpoint."

With newfound clarity, Wang Feng nodded, "I understand now."

At the registration, a man in a green Taoist robe approached Han Binn, pulling out a ledger and asking, "What's your name, and how old are you?"

Han Binn answered, "Han Binn, fifteen."

"And where is your home?" Sun Yuangang inquired, pen poised.

"Green Stone Village in Tianfeng City," Han Binn replied.

Once Sun Yuangang finished writing, he handed Han Binn a wooden waist tag and instructed, "This is your identity token as an outer disciple. Keep it safe. Complete your missions, and you'll be fed. Fail, and you'll be left with water." He then gestured towards a cluster of neatly arranged houses and directed, "Pick one of those houses to live in."

Puzzled, Han Binn sought clarification, "Immortal, when can I begin learning the Immortal Arts?"

Sun Yuangang paused briefly before saying, "Immortal, Immortal Arts?" Then, remembering that the young man had just arrived from the realm of mortals, he chuckled and clarified, "You don't need to call me Immortal—Senior Brother will do. And we aren't Immortals, either. You'll come to understand that soon enough. Typically, disciples who arrive here don't possess the qualifications to pursue cultivation."

Han Binn had borne disgrace and suffered greatly, all in pursuit of cultivation. To be told by this youth that he lacked the qualifications was unacceptable. Eager for answers, he inquired, "Senior Brother, if we're not qualified to cultivate, what purpose do we have here?"

"To undertake missions, of course," Sun Yuangang replied. "And with a bit of luck, there might still be a chance to cultivate."

"How can one begin to cultivate?" Hope rekindled in Han Binn's heart.

"Simply complete the daily missions," Sun Yuangang explained calmly. "Maintain that dedication for three years, and you'll earn the right to cultivate."

Elated, Han Binn could hardly wait to start. "What kinds of missions are there?"

With a knowing smile, Sun Yuangang placed his hands behind his back and listed them off to Han Binn. "There's a variety: gathering herbs, mining, tailoring, fishing, woodcutting, laundry, cooking..."

"Those are the missions?" Han Binn was baffled. It seemed no different from the tasks of a mortal.

Anticipating such a reaction, Sun Yuangang gestured dismissively. "It's not the same as mortal work. You must harvest spiritual herbs, not ordinary ones. Don't even think about passing off common weeds as mission-worthy."

At last, Han Binn grasped the reality. Outer circle disciples essentially served the inner disciples, and their performance could either open the path to cultivation or condemn them to a lifetime of menial labor. Considering his own talents, he knew that following the standard path would never lead him to master the Immortal Arts. But after all the storms he'd weathered, what were three more years?

With resolve, Han Binn declared firmly, "Alright, I'm in!"

The booming voice startled Sun Yuangang, prompting him to rub his ears before inquiring, "What kind of mission are you looking to undertake?"

"Gathering herbs!" Han Binn, having grown up in a mountain village, had assisted his parents with this task since childhood and was familiar with various medicinal plants.

Sun Yuangang looked at him oddly and questioned, "Are you certain you want to gather herbs?"

Considering that the herbs of mortals might differ from those of immortals, Han Binn figured that, in the end, harvesting was all the same. Without hesitation, he confirmed, "Yes, gathering herbs."

Without further ado, Sun Yuangang pulled out a detailed booklet and handed it to Han Binn. "This contains the names and descriptions of all the herbs in the nearby mountains. You just need to collect one type each day to fulfill the mission."

"That simple?" Han Binn accepted the booklet and headed toward a nearby row of houses, not even bothering to glance at it.

Watching Han Binn walk away, Sun Yuangang let out a sly chuckle. "The fool. The medicinal herbs within ten miles have all been picked clean. He'll wear himself out just searching for them every day."

Upon reaching the row of houses, Han Binn noticed someone inside and called out, "Excuse me, is anyone there?"

A voice from within responded shortly after, "It's full."

After trying several more places, all of which were occupied, Han Binn got no response at the tenth room.

"At last, an empty one." Breathing a sigh of relief, Han Binn opened the door to find two beds. A young man was fast asleep on one, while the other held neatly arranged bedding. Han Binn stepped over and sat down on the bed, which groaned ominously under his weight.

Quickly standing up, Han Binn peered underneath to discover a missing leg. He muttered in frustration, "No wonder it's vacant. Can anyone even sleep on this bed?"

The soundly sleeping young man abruptly awoke, turned to Han Binn, and exclaimed in astonishment, "It's you!"

Recognizing the youth as the one who had first scaled the mountain peak days before, Han Binn greeted him warmly, "Hello, I'm Han Binn."

The other person spoke up, "I'm Xie Hu. Weren't you eliminated? What brings you back here?"

Han Binn was momentarily at a loss for words. Xie Hu, catching a glimpse of his hesitation, seemed to grasp the situation and said, "How you got in doesn't matter. You can bunk with me! Oh, and just a heads-up, that bed's got some issues. It's scared off a few folks already."

"No worries, I'll take care of it," Han Binn said as he flipped the bed over, removed several wooden sticks, and rearranged them.

Xie Hu's eyes bulged in amazement. "Brother, were you a carpenter before? You know how to do all this?"

Han Binn offered a slight smile and shared, "I used to watch my grandfather, who was a carpenter, work on things back in the village."

"Just from watching a few times you can do it?" Xie Hu gazed at Han Binn as if he were looking at a creature from another world.

Later, as the conversation between Han Binn and Xie Hu turned to the task Han Binn had taken on, Xie Hu's eyes popped once more, and he exclaimed, "You've done this sort of thing before?"

Han Binn nodded, "I've gathered herbs a few times in the past."

Feeling a wave of dizziness, Xie Hu muttered in frustration, "You've got the nerve to take on this mission after just a few herb-gathering trips. You're truly one of a kind!"