The Invincible Sect Leader

Aftermath of the War. The battlefield was quiet. The Celestial invaders had been repelled, their forces scattered like leaves in the wind.

The Heavenly Mystical Sect stood victorious.

However, the damage was immense.

Entire mountains had been obliterated, the spiritual veins of the land shaken, and even the sky still bore scars from the battle.

But amidst the destruction, there was an opportunity.

The Birth of a Legend

The war against the Celestial Armies had been witnessed by countless cultivators across the Mortal Realm.

Rumors spread like wildfire

"A single sect defied the heavens and won!"

"Chan Li, the Invincible Sect Leader, toyed with Celestial Emperors like they were mere insects!"

"The Heavenly Mystical Sect is the future of cultivation!"

The legend of Chan Li was solidified.

And with it

Every cultivator across the land wanted to join his sect.

The Flood of New Disciples

Bai Yun, standing at the gates of the sect, was on the verge of a breakdown.

Before him stood thousands of hopeful cultivators, stretching as far as the eye could see.

"Sect Master! What do we do? There's too many of them!" Bai Yun panicked.

Chan Li sipped his tea lazily.

"Too many? This is just the beginning."

He gazed at the massive crowd.

Some were rogue cultivators looking for shelter.

Some were disciples from fallen sects seeking revenge.

Some were pill refiners, formation masters, and martial geniuses looking for a place to grow.

Among them, Chan Li could already see a few hidden dragons potential disciples who could one day become monsters in their own right.

But

"We can't just accept everyone," Chan Li said, standing up.

"Let's make things interesting."

The Trials of the Heavenly Mystical Sect

Instead of a simple recruitment process, Chan Li announced a grand event

The Trials of the Heavenly Mystical Sect!

Only those worthy would be accepted.

The trials consisted of:

1. The Thousand-Step Staircase – A towering stairway infused with pressure formation arrays. Only those with strong willpower could climb it.

2. The Illusionary Battlefield – A test of battle instincts and mental fortitude inside a powerful illusion realm.

3. The Pill Refining Test – For alchemists, a challenge to refine a pill under impossible conditions.

4. The Treasure Forging Challenge – For blacksmiths and artifact refiners, a test of their craftsmanship.

The Comedy Begins

Bai Yun watched as the first batch of hopeful disciples attempted the trials.

First, the Thousand-Step Staircase.

A cocky young genius from a fallen sect stepped up.

"Hmph! This is just a staircase! How hard can it be?"

He confidently stepped onto the first step.

BAM!

His knees hit the ground instantly.

"W-what is this pressure?!" he gasped, struggling to move.

By the tenth step, he was crawling.

By the twentieth step, he passed out cold.

Chan Li yawned. "Next."

The Chaos Continues

Inside the Illusionary Battlefield, disciples were screaming.

One disciple, trapped in an illusion, thought he was fighting a demon king.

In reality

He was swinging his sword wildly at thin air, screaming, "Die, demon! I won't let you take my soul!"

Meanwhile, another disciple was having an emotional breakdown, convinced that his father had abandoned him (despite his father being alive and well).

Bai Yun sighed. "Sect Master... are these tests too much?"

Chan Li chuckled. "If they can't handle this, they aren't worthy."

Hidden Gems

Despite the failures, some cultivators showed true potential.

1. A mute alchemist girl who refined a Heavenly Flame Pill under extreme pressure.

2. A rogue sword cultivator who survived the Illusionary Battlefield without flinching once.

3. A mysterious boy with no cultivation base, yet somehow reached the top of the Thousand-Step Staircase through sheer willpower.

Chan Li's eyes shone with interest.

"These ones... might be fun to train."

The Sect Grows Stronger!

After three days of trials, only a few hundred out of thousands were accepted.

The Heavenly Mystical Sect had expanded massively.

New disciples.

New talents.

New potential.

And, most importantly

New opportunities to make money.

Chan Li smirked as he gazed at the massive crowd of new disciples.

"Welcome to the Heavenly Mystical Sect. Now, pay your entrance fee."

Bai Yun nearly fainted again.