Volume One: The Awakening of All Things, Where All Seasons Are Spring Chapter Forty-One: The Test of the Bronze Dragon-Patterned Pillar

The sound of bells lingered throughout Wudang Mountain. Unfortunately, a gentle spring rain had begun to fall that day. Mist shrouded the morning, and when one looked up, the Golden Hall atop Tianzhu Peak appeared and disappeared in the haze, like an immortal realm.

Mi Lu had already risen and dressed herself with care. It was clear she had put effort into her appearance; her long hair was coiled into an elegant bun, her eyelashes curled above eyes bright as a crescent moon. Beneath her pale blue dress, her legs were slender and straight, wrapped in white lace.

Noticing Mo Wen’s gaze lingering on her, Mi Lu deliberately straightened her proud chest, waiting for his praise. Yet Mo Wen only offered a faint smile, “Aren’t you cold?”

Turning to walk up the mountain, Mi Lu, feeling deflated like a punctured balloon, pouted in grievance, “If it were Sister Lin, he’d surely be very pleased!”

On the mountain path, evolvers hurried eagerly toward the Golden Hall on Tianzhu Peak, each vying to be first. Mo Wen, however, walked unhurriedly, relaxed and at ease.

“Lecher!” came a cold snort nearby. As expected, the Red Bamboo Demon King was ahead, glaring fiercely down at Mo Wen. Mo Wen, unfazed, smiled as his gaze drifted to the tigers by her side. The two tigers roared in fury, ready to pounce, but the Red Bamboo Demon King held them back firmly.

“Sister, this scoundrel wants to make you his mount—how detestable! Let me teach him a lesson!” The voice was crisp, still carrying a hint of girlish innocence. Mo Wen clicked his tongue inwardly—what a den of tigresses!

Finding herself ignored, the Red Bamboo Demon King leapt away, disappearing within a few bounds.

Suddenly, a shadow covered the sky. It was the Little Roc King soaring overhead, his massive wings spanning several meters as he swept past with astonishing speed.

By the end of the morning hour, Mo Wen finally stood before the Golden Hall atop Tianzhu Peak. Taoist energy flowed around the hall, rainwater beading on the glazed tiles without leaving a mark. The enormous forecourt was packed with people.

A quick glance revealed the crowd split into two sides: on one, human evolvers; on the other, a host of demon beasts. The Red Bamboo Demon King stood among them, but at their forefront was the Little Roc King, who carried the air of a leader among the demon clans.

The forecourt was paved with flawless white marble. At its center stood a bronze pillar carved with a dragon, the dragon’s face fierce and arrogant.

Mo Wen surveyed his surroundings and walked straight to the front of the crowd. When people saw him, they instinctively stepped back, giving Mo Wen and his companion a wide berth.

His show of force on Qiongtai had produced immediate results—no one dared underestimate this seemingly harmless and handsome young man any longer.

They waited in silence. Before long, a Taoist in plain robes emerged from the Golden Hall and announced in a clear voice, “The Wudang Spring Gathering officially begins!”

After a pause, he continued, “The first trial: whoever can move the bronze dragon pillar shall be deemed worthy. Fail, and you must descend the mountain!”

As soon as these words fell, murmurs rippled through the crowd.

“This bronze pillar weighs at most five hundred jin—I could lift it with one hand! This is too easy!”

“Hmph, wishful thinking. If it were that simple, what would be the point of this first trial? There’s definitely more to it!”

Mo Wen closed his eyes, extending his spiritual sense toward the bronze dragon pillar, only to find an invisible barrier blocking his perception.

“Silence!” the plain-robed Taoist commanded, standing atop the steps of the Golden Hall and scanning the assembly. “Step forward in the order registered on the roll, one by one to attempt the trial!” When his eyes met Mo Wen’s, a trace of mockery flashed within them—Mo Wen caught it instantly.

An attendant priest held the registry and began to call names, “Xu Kun of Qilu, step forward!”

A youth with a nonconformist air emerged from the crowd, dressed in overalls and sporting a middle part. He strode briskly to the dragon pillar. Xu Kun, at the Divine Pivot realm and likely from a prominent family, gripped the pillar with both hands, summoned his inner strength, and shouted.

“Up!”

Yet, embarrassingly, the pillar did not budge, as if rooted to the marble floor. Xu Kun’s face turned crimson, his suspenders slipping from his shoulders. As he prepared to try again, the Taoist in plain robes stopped him. “You have failed. Descend the mountain.”

Xu Kun retreated, unwilling to accept defeat. Now, neither humans nor demons dared underestimate the dragon pillar. Under the supervision of the attendant priest, ten more attempted the trial and all failed without exception.

The plain-robed Taoist shook his head in disappointment as the attendant priest continued calling names.

“Tiger Yan!”

One of the tigers by the Red Bamboo Demon King leapt down and strode to the pillar. With a roar, the small tiger’s body swelled to several times its original size, becoming as large as a hill. Rising on its hind legs, it grasped the pillar with its front paws and pushed. The dragon pillar actually quivered!

“Tiger Yan of the Kunlun demon clan—success! Proceed to the next trial!”

An uproar erupted. No one expected the first success to come from the demon clan. The humans had lost face.

After shaking the pillar, Tiger Yan appeared exhausted yet exhilarated. Amid shouts of praise from the demon beasts, he raised his paw toward Mo Wen in a gesture of challenge, his eyes defiant.

Mo Wen paid him no mind. He had noticed that Tiger Yan’s strength had suddenly soared when moving the pillar, likely a bloodline ability.

With the first success, the others grew eager to try. Among the humans, only one elder at the Divine Pivot realm succeeded, while several among the demon clan managed it.

The plain-robed Taoist looked regretful but continued the proceedings. When the attendant priest called the next name, Mo Wen was surprised.

“Zhuo Xin of the Zhuo family, Beidu!”

From the back of the crowd, a chubby youth squeezed his way forward—it was indeed Zhuo Xin, whom Mo Wen had briefly met at Lin Tianci’s birthday banquet in Beidu.

Seeing Mo Wen, Zhuo Xin grinned widely, his already small eyes nearly vanishing into crescents.

Mo Wen smiled back. Zhuo Xin jogged up, his chubby manner amusing the crowd. On the demon side, the Little Roc King sneered, “Has the human race fallen so far? It seems the world is due for new masters.”

This provoked a wave of indignation. Zhuo Xin, not one to back down, countered sharply, “My human race has produced countless geniuses. The older generation suppressed your demon clan for thousands of years, and the younger generation is even more extraordinary. First there was Lin Yaoheng of the Lin family in Beidu, then my own clan’s Zhuo Yu of the third generation—who among them did not dominate their peers? Never mind those far away; right here, my human race’s newly risen talent, Mo Wen of the Magic City, once slew a false saint while still at the Divine Pivot realm—who can match that?”

As he spoke, Zhuo Xin winked at Mo Wen. For reasons unknown, though Zhuo Xin was of the Zhuo family, Mo Wen felt no dislike for this chubby youth.

The plain-robed Taoist reminded Zhuo Xin to begin. Zhuo Xin straightened, took a deep breath, and gripped the dragon pillar with both hands. With a mighty effort, his face flushed red, veins bulged on his arms, and his whole body quivered with exertion.

Mo Wen nearly laughed aloud. The chubby youth seemed to be relying solely on brute force, and Mo Wen doubted he could succeed. But to everyone’s astonishment, the next moment, the pillar actually lifted a full five centimeters off the ground in Zhuo Xin’s embrace.

Zhuo Xin, overjoyed by his success, accidentally lost his balance and plopped to the ground, but his face shone with excitement.

“Brother Mo, I did it! Amazing, right?”

Mo Wen observed silently, noting that in the instant Zhuo Xin exerted force, he seemed to employ some special secret technique related to strength, multiplying his power a hundredfold and thus managing to move the pillar.

“Zhuo Xin of the Zhuo family, Beidu—success! Proceed to the next trial!”

The chubby youth skipped over to Mo Wen, and when he saw Mi Lu, his eyes sparkled. “Well, Brother Mo, one Lin sister isn’t enough for you, and now you’ve charmed another beautiful lady! I look down on you!”

Mo Wen was left speechless and gently flicked Zhuo Xin’s forehead in playful rebuke.

The trial continued. As expected, when the Little Roc King was called, a single beat of his wings sent the pillar sliding half a meter—another innate ability of the great roc clan.

Finally, the attendant priest called Mo Wen’s name. “Mo Wen of the Magic City!”

Mo Wen strode forward, his gaze inadvertently sweeping over the plain-robed Taoist, who wore a mocking expression. Mo Wen’s heart sank.

The old Taoist had tampered with the pillar!