C11 Nine Thousand Nine Hundred and Ninetynine Disciples

Woo Zhengyang was unaware of Zhang Tia's anger and didn't care.

Climbing the stone steps, Woo Zhengyang arrived at another grand hall located halfway up the mountain, known as the Outer Gate Hall. The full name is the Outer Gate Affairs Hall, where miscellaneous tasks for outer disciples are handled, and where new outer disciples register. Since it's the place outer disciples frequent the most, it's simply called the Outer Gate Hall.

After passing the assessment and receiving his clothes and badge, registering here officially made him an outer disciple. Compared to the hall for handling chores for service disciples, the Outer Gate Hall was several times larger, supported by eighteen wooden pillars, each thick enough for two people to wrap their arms around. Its grandeur was impressive both inside and out.

Outer disciples in gray robes moved in and out of the hall, and Woo Zhengyang's arrival went unnoticed. Entering the hall, he headed straight to the registration desk on the left side.

The two stewards responsible for registration were idly exchanging cultivation insights, only noticing Woo Zhengyang when he approached, prompting them to look up.

"Didn't expect someone to pass the assessment on the first day this year," the steward on the left remarked with a chuckle to the one on the right.

The steward on the right glanced at Woo Zhengyang's heavy-footed walk and couldn't help but laugh, "He looks like he's been through the wringer. I wonder how far he got in the trials."

"Since you're brave enough to take on the challenge today, you should be able to get through the first three levels, right? Otherwise, it would be reckless!"

While the two stewards were talking, some of the outer disciples gathered in the main hall noticed Woo Zhengyang and started gathering around to watch the excitement.

"This year's disciples seem promising. Someone's already passed the test by the first evening."

"Isn't that Yue Liqing? If it's him, it's not surprising. He's related to Elder Yue from the inner circle."

"That makes sense, but he doesn't look too relaxed!"

As the crowd chatted, Woo Zhengyang approached the registration desk and respectfully greeted the stewards, "Sirs, I've passed the test and am here to report."

"Alright, your name?" asked the steward on the left, pen in hand.

"Woo Zhengyang!"

"What... not Yue Liqing? What's going on?" The outer disciple who had guessed earlier muttered in confusion upon hearing Woo Zhengyang's name.

The steward was also momentarily taken aback. Remembering the earlier discussions, he recalled that there was indeed a relative of Elder Yue among the new disciples and assumed it was Yue Liqing. But it wasn't.

Despite his confusion, the steward wrote down Woo Zhengyang's name and then looked up, saying, "Which level did you pass? Let me see your badge."

Faced with this question, Woo Zhengyang was in a bit of a bind. He couldn't show the special badge he had, and claiming to have passed the ninth level would be unbelievable. Reluctantly, he handed over a regular badge he had picked up and replied, "The first level."

"Haha... just the first level!"

"Is this guy a bit reckless? Doesn't he know that if you pass the third level, you get a special elixir as a reward? He's rushing through the first level when he could wait a few days, stabilize, and give it a real shot. Even without the elixir, he could get a better ranking."

"I think this Woo Zhengyang must be feeling overconfident after tapping into his core energy. He probably thought passing the test would be as easy as pie, aiming to be the first to clear the third level. But he got knocked back to the first level as soon as he entered the second, and now he can't get back in."

"Woo Zhengyang, I'll remember him. It's been ages since anyone in our Profound Heaven Sect only made it through the first level, haha..."

The surrounding outer disciples were all amused. Clearing just the first level was more intriguing to them than someone passing the sixth.

"Hey... you were too hasty. You shouldn't have rushed like that," said the steward sitting on the right, feeling sorry for Woo Zhengyang. Since he could tap into his core energy today, waiting a few days for a chance at the elixir would have been wise.

Regardless, business is business. The steward on the left took the badge, recording as he spoke, "Woo Zhengyang, from today, you're officially an outer disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect. Based on your badge number... it's 9,999."

"9,999? Did I hear that right?"

"This guy is something else. Our Profound Heaven Sect has over 3,000 outer disciples, and those higher numbers have never been used. Not only did he use one, but he also snagged the last one..."

"No matter how you look at it, this guy's famous now. Maybe he did it on purpose, knowing he couldn't get number one, so he went for the lowest instead. Haha... at least he doesn't have to worry about being challenged!" The outer disciples burst into laughter again.

Woo Zhengyang didn't care at all. His inner strength was so formidable that he wouldn't bother to explain himself because of their laughter. As for the number 9,999 badge, he had picked it up casually, not realizing it was also an extreme. Now, he had both the highest and lowest numbers.

"Alright, come with me and hang your badge on the ranking wall," said the steward sitting on the right. He carved Woo Zhengyang's name onto a wooden plaque and handed it over.

Led by the steward, Woo Zhengyang approached the wall facing the main hall entrance. The entire outer hall was built against a mountain, and this wall was part of the mountain itself. The stone wall was divided into 9,999 small slots, each holding a wooden plaque engraved with a name, corresponding to the badge numbers.

These plaques weren't fixed. If you could defeat an opponent and get a better number, your name would move up. The ranking wall was a way to classify the outer disciples of the Profound Heaven Sect, a symbol of honor, and a method to motivate the disciples.

Above the small compartments, not a single space was left empty. Each one was filled with a plaque, right up until the numbers reached into the three thousands. Beyond that, as the number of outer disciples dwindled, gaps began to appear. The spot numbered 9,999 was tucked away in the most inconspicuous corner on the bottom right.

"Number 9,999, what a prime location!"

"Absolutely, couldn't be better. New disciples used to struggle to find a spot for their plaques and had to ask for help. But this guy's plaque fits just fine—just a little bend and it's in."

"Go ahead and place it. Train hard, and one day you might surpass one of the outer disciples!" The steward who brought Woo Zhengyang here had a kind heart and offered him some encouragement.

"Alright!" Zhengyang replied, placing his wooden plaque in the last compartment before looking up.

In the center of the top row of these compartments, there was only one slot. Instead of a wooden plaque, it held a pristine jade plate. The three characters on the jade plate were known to every outer disciple of the Profound Heaven Sect: Zhongli Huo!

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