Zhu Lan: ?
She felt offended.
“Your bone age is already 30. Even with a Triple-Spirit Root and a stage 4 Qi Condensation cultivation, the timing for you to step onto the path of immortality is simply too late.”
The Tianyan Sect disciple explained patiently.
“Why can trash with Five-Spirit Roots and stage 2 or 3 Qi Condensation pass?” a cultivator with stubble grumbled in dissatisfaction.
“Even if my Triple-Spirit Root doesn’t make me a genius, I’m at least of upper-middle talent. I’m a standout among rogue cultivators, right? Why can they go in, but I can’t?”
The Tianyan Sect disciple’s expression cooled significantly.
“Your bone age is already 30, which does not meet the standards for the Tianyan Sect’s recruitment. If you wish to express your dissatisfaction, feel free to speak with our Hall of Discipline Elder!”
“I refuse to accept this! You’re just — ah!”
The stubbled cultivator was about to continue his unreasonable behavior when his body suddenly flew into the air and was slammed behind the crowd.
“Who dares to make a scene here?”
An aged but majestic voice rang out, exploding in everyone’s ears.
The Tianyan Sect Elder, who had previously disappeared, appeared at the front of the crowd at some unknown moment.
The pressure emanating from him made everyone present feel as if they were about to suffocate.
Another Nascent Soul Realm cultivator!
It seemed every sect took recruitment quite seriously.
The Tianyan Sect Elder retracted his Nascent Soul Realm pressure at the right moment and spoke to the troublemaker.
“I have remembered you. You need not bother participating in the Tianyan Sect’s recruitment in the future.”
After leaving those words, the Elder vanished once more.
Having lost face, the cultivator could only leave quietly.
In less than 15 minutes, the effect was immediate.
After that, although some were still dissatisfied with their results, they did not dare to cause trouble and could only leave in silence.
The recruitment lasted for 1 entire day.
It wasn’t until nightfall that all the cultivators on the square finished their aptitude tests.
All the cultivators who passed this trial were arranged to stand on a five-colored auspicious cloud, awaiting further instructions.
“Congratulations on successfully passing the first trial. You are all outstanding individuals among the masses. However, do not be proud; this was merely the simplest test. Once I take you to the Tianyan Sect and you pass the final trial, only then will you be truly qualified to stay.”
The Elder’s majestic voice thundered in everyone’s ears again.
Then, he led the sun-blotting colorful cloud back toward the sect.
The Tianyan Sect was situated atop the treacherous and steep Tianqian Cliff.
It was surrounded by the sea, with a forest of towering ancient trees along the coast, shrouded in thick mist year-round.
Upon seeing the topography of the Tianyan Sect, Zhu Lan finally understood why the recruitment Elder and disciples had flown in on an auspicious cloud.
Perhaps it wasn’t for the sake of looking impressive, but purely for practicality.
Without the colorful cloud to fly them there, going up or down the mountain would be lethally difficult.
It was hard to imagine how the male lead would later fight his way up and tear through the Tianyan Sect.
“Look! The Elder and the others are back!”
“Our new Junior Brothers and Sisters are here!”
“Quick, see if there are any good-looking ones!”
The Tianyan Sect occupied a vast area.
Because the terrain was so high and shrouded in white mist, Zhu Lan couldn’t even see the edge of the sect from where she stood.
It was huge.
The Tianyan Sect also had a wide, flat area.
After landing the cloud, the Elder said, “You have 1 night to adjust your state here. The final round of selection will begin tomorrow at 8:00 AM.”
In the expansive clearing, countless cultivators rested.
Few people chatted; most did not know one another, and everyone was too preoccupied with their own safety to pay attention to others.
Zhu Lan couldn’t help but feel a bit nervous.
Exams were the most annoying thing.
She had feared exams back on Blue Star, and even in the cultivation world, she still had to take them.
Regardless of how everyone felt, at 8:00 AM the next day, four white-haired Elders stood suspended in the air, working together to control a hazy gray crystal ball.
“ARMILLARY SPHERE, ACTIVATE!”
Driven by powerful spiritual energy, the crystal ball began to glow and expand until it enveloped everyone on the grounds.
Zhu Lan felt as if the space around her had been stretched instantaneously.
Originally, she had been nearly touching those around her, but now that they were covered by the mysterious crystal ball in the sky, the distance between them widened instantly.
It felt to her as though the space she was in had been influenced and expanded.
The previously somewhat crowded flat square was stretched to be dozens of times larger.
If Zhu Lan were outside the Armillary Sphere, she would have seen a sight that would make her jaw drop: the area covered by the crystal ball seemed to have the very concept of “space” tampered with, stretching what was originally 1 meter wide into 10 meters.
Only an extraordinary magical treasure could achieve such a shocking feat.
Soon, a man with a spirited, middle-aged appearance arrived before the Armillary Sphere.
“On behalf of the Tianyan Sect, I welcome you all to the path of immortality!”
The people inside the Armillary Sphere immediately saw the rules for the final round of the examination: a lot-drawing duel.
Within a designated area, whichever cultivator was knocked out of bounds would be declared the loser.
Simple and crude; the winner takes all.
Because there were so many people, the Tianyan Sect disciples divided them into groups.
Each group had 120 people.
They would duel three times by drawing lots.
During the third duel, they would have two chances, and finally, the top fifteen winners would be selected.
A wooden plaque with a number carved on it appeared in Zhu Lan’s hand.
It was engraved with “49.”
Those with the same number would step onto the stage to decide the victor.
Based on the order, Zhu Lan would have to wait a long time.
Disciples had already begun going up to the stage to spar.
Not wanting to stay idle, she sat down on the spot to meditate and cultivate.
Every bit of spiritual energy she could absorb counted.
However, just as she sat down, a voice called out to her. “Kid!”
A fat man with a face full of flab walked toward Zhu Lan with a malicious smile.
“What is it?”
Zhu Lan’s expression was a bit subtle.
This person was ridiculously fat, looking very much like a “fatty of the cultivation world.”
However, the fat man’s actions were outrageous; he reached out directly to stroke Zhu Lan’s face.
“What are you doing!”
Zhu Lan instantly unsheathed her sword and pressed it against the fat man’s greasy hand.
Ugh!
‘I can’t use this sword anymore.’
“Yo! A spicy one, I see.”
The fat man wasn’t angry.
He wore a lecherous smile, rubbing his hands together.
His eyes, narrowed to the size of mung beans, showed unmasked appreciation.
“Kid, spend 3 days with me, and I guarantee I’ll get you into the Tianyan Sect. I’ll even give you 3 top-grade spirit stones. How about it? With your delicate skin and tender flesh, even the pretty boys I’ve played with before aren’t worth one-tenth of you!”
Zhu Lan: ?
‘Wait, this fat bastard hasn’t realized I’m a woman?’