"Attention!" A loud voice echoed, and all the participants in the selection fell silent.
Qingyiâs eyes immediately focused on the Sectâs gates. They were made of red marble, bordered with threads of pure gold, rising almost twenty meters high.
At the top stood an aged-looking man, wearing golden robes and caressing a long white beard that reached down to his chest.
Hua Feiyan shyly stepped away from Qingyi as the old manâs eyes swept the crowd. This was a Sect elder and she didnât want to give him a bad impression.
"Iâm Elder Tian from the Sectâs recruitment pavilion..." He spoke, his voice deep and authoritative.
His aura was so profound that not even those at the foundation realm could sense it.
âIron body realm...â Qingyi thought. It was the first time he had seen someone of such high cultivation.
He couldnât feel the old manâs aura, but he could still perceive the air distorting around him, almost as if it were avoiding him.
"We have six hundred of you here today, those who have endured the auras of the inner disciples and proved themselves worthy of the next test." He paused, taking a deep breath before continuing.
"Of you, only fifty will be chosen. You will first take an affinity test and then a combat test against our outer disciples. The best will be selected."
He jumped from the top of the Sect gate. His fall speed was thunderous, but he landed without making a sound, his feet gently touching the ground.
Yet, in the next moment, the air around him was swept up in an explosion.
Dust rose, blowing off everyoneâs clothes. Qingyi felt Feiyanâs delicate hands gripping him tightly as she pressed her body against his, as if seeking protection.
An smile played on Feiyanâs full, red lips as she turned her face to stare at Tianming. The Young master looked like he was about to explode.
She hadnât managed to calm Tianming down yesterday and just ignored her words, but she wasnât discouraged - she knew Xu Tianming very well.
He was temperamental, arrogant, jealous and, above all, he believed that she already belonged to him, and that no man other than him would ever be able to take her.
And that helped her. She knew all she had to do was keep teasing him, using Qingyi until Tianming exploded with jealousy.
This would be her chance to get back on his good side and once again receive all the pampering she deserved, and even more than that.
To Feiyanâs surprise, Tianming closed his eyes, gritted his teeth and his aura calmed down. When he opened them again, he didnât even look at her, focusing his gaze on Elder Tian.
âSo youâre trying to resist... huh?â She smiled deviously.
"Senior Sister Feiyan... I donât think that this is appropriate..." Qingyi said.
Her breasts were pressed firmly against his chest, and he was really fighting the urge to grab those two huge, soft mountains of bronze flesh.
But he held back.
Elder Tian was watching everyone coldly, and although he might have been able to ignore this temporary contact, Qingyi knew full well that maintaining that state for too long would lead to trouble.
"Oh... Iâm sorry, Junior Brother Qingyi, I was just a little scared," she muttered, putting her fingers over her lips as she walked away.
Elder Tianâs loud voice caught their attention again.
"Line up behind the inner disciples. Weâll start the affinity test soon."
A group of inner disciples stopped in front of those who were there to take the test, and they all began to separate, forming a total of twelve rows of fifty each.
With everything organized, Elder Tian stepped onto the ground. A tremor spread before the ground broke, a towering pillar exploding from the earth, stretching more than ten meters high.
"This is a talent test pillar. It has a total of nine levels, the colors will display your spirit root and its level. Only those above level six will go on to the next part of the test."
Qingyi heard those words, but didnât worry too much. He knew well that the judgment was different in cases like his lightning sword root.
It was too rare and was in no way below roots one or even two levels above his. So he was confident.
"The tests begin," the elder said, as the inner disciples organized their groups. The first to be tested took a hesitant step forward.
He appeared to be in his thirties, and his cultivation of the seventh stage of the Qi Refinement Realm was unimpressive for his age.
"Press your hands against the pillar." Elder Tianâs aged voice roused him from his thoughts. The man obeyed, pressing his hands against the pillar, which immediately blazed with flames as a few lights began to light up.
"Oh..." The manâs eyes twinkled, thinking he had succeeded, but the world of cultivation was cruel.
"Third level fire spirit root, failure." The elderâs voice wiped all the happiness from his face. He cast a pleading look as he prostrated himself on the ground.
"N-no, it canât be! The oracle said Iâd have good luck, thereâs no way I can be-" The manâs voice ceased as Elder Tianâs aura fell over him. His knees gave way and he sank into the earth.
"You can question as much as you like," Elder Tianâs gaze swept over everyone there. His words were strong, but didnât carry anger or any sign of offense.
"But make sure they are questions that deserve to be heard. The pillar doesnât make mistakes. Keep quiet and simply leave if you fail," he concluded.
No one dared say a word.
Smiling, Elder Tian moved his hands and the manâs body was torn from the ground, flying for dozens of meters until it landed outside the testing zone.
No one knew if he was dead or alive, and no one dared to check it as long as Elder Tian was there.
"Next!" Elder Tian called out, his voice echoing through the tense silence that dominated the place.