Xu Xian wanted to ride Lu Yuan there; it would certainly give him a lot of prestige.
Lu Yuan had a fierce temperament and would rather die than submit.
If he were to be ridden by Xu Xian, he didn't know if Xu Xian would gain any face, but he certainly knew he would lose all of his.
Xu Xian said Lu Yuan was petty and lacked vision.
Lu Yuan cursed Xu Xian for being thick-skinned and a jerk.
The argument was a bit unpleasant.
This minor interlude, of course, did not affect the Disciple Recruitment Assembly from proceeding as scheduled.
Everything had already been prepared by the subordinates, leaving Xu Xian with a life of leisure.
The Personnel Hall's intention was for Xu Xian to simply make an appearance, and that would be enough to seal the deal.
After passing through One Sword Gorge.
Following the path for a certain distance, they arrived at the recruitment plaza outside the mountain gate.
At this time.
The plaza was separated by a barrier, with disciples from the Sword Suppression Hall standing guard within.
Outside the plaza, there was a sea of people, and Cloud Boats blotted out the sky. Youngsters of the appropriate age who had traveled over mountains and rivers had already formed long queues outside the plaza.
There were hundreds of lines, stretching all the way to the horizon.
The scene was truly spectacular.
Even Lu Yuan couldn't help but remark that the Wendao Sword Sect was putting on quite a grand show for this recruitment.
He also wondered how many they would actually take and if they could even manage to teach them all.
Xu Xian pursed his lips and smiled without saying a word.
One in a thousand.
One in ten thousand.
Despite the massive crowd, how many would actually remain?
Those who knew, knew.
Inside the plaza.
Hundreds of spirit-testing formations were ready, their spirit stones fully charged. They only awaited the command to begin the first trial of recruitment at high speed.
Spirit Inquiry!
On a high platform a short distance away, the Elders representing various peaks and halls had already arrived ahead of Xu Xian and had been waiting for a long time.
There was an unwritten tradition for the Wendao Sword Sect's recruitment.
On the day of recruitment.
Each peak and hall would send an Elder to observe the entire process.
This was so they could understand the character and talent of the selected disciples through the Three Inquiries.
This allowed them to dangle carrots before their favored disciples when it came time for the final allocation.
This year was no exception.
Seeing Xu Xian arrive, before he even touched the ground, a disciple from the Personnel Hall shouted at the top of his lungs, "The Little Grand-Uncle has arrived!"
Hearing this.
Everyone inside and outside the mountain, as well as the Elders on the high platform, stood up to welcome him.
The mortals outside the mountain craned their necks and jumped up, looking toward him from afar.
The disciples in the plaza paid their respects with their eyes and a slight nod, while the Elders cupped their hands and bowed in unison.
"Greetings, Little Grand-Uncle!"
"Greetings, Little Grand-Uncle!!"
The noise outside the mountain grew even louder, filled with heated discussions and clamor.
Who was the Little Grand-Uncle of the Wendao Sword Sect?
Xu Xian.
And who was Xu Xian?
He was an existence that had become famous throughout the world in recent years. Especially in the Central Plains, the rumors about Xu Xian were incredibly mysterious and profound.
Setting aside the previous stories—reaching the nascent soul stage at eighteen, solving the remnant game, comprehending the sword stele, obtaining the immortal sword, the Half-Step Human Realm, and being on three ranks simultaneously.
Those were already old news.
What people talked about now was the battle at the Demon Suppression Abyss.
Under the heavens, who didn't know that at the Demon Suppression Abyss, Xu Xian alone had slaughtered his way through three thousand miles of territory and flattened Spirit Elixir City?
Who didn't know that on the walls of Spirit Elixir City, by the banks of the Wild River, Xu Xian had summoned a Sword Tower and sacrificed two divine swords in succession?
The whole world had heard of it.
The name of the youth.
The tower came from the heavens, and the youth was like an immortal.
In fact.
Among those who came to participate in the Disciple Recruitment Assembly this year, the vast majority had come specifically for Xu Xian.
Xu Xian's words—'Step back, the swords of the Wendao Sword Sect will protect you for another ten thousand years'—were still a popular topic of conversation in the streets.
Which youth in the world wouldn't want to be like Xu Xian, wielding a sword of the Wendao Sword Sect to protect the entire human realm and becoming a peerless sword cultivator?
And so they came.
Creating the current scene of a sea of people.
Amidst the waves of noise and clamor, Xu Xian led Lu Yuan onto the high platform. After exchanging a few pleasantries with the Elders, he took his seat at the head.
Seeing that there was still some time left, he poured himself some tea and chatted with the nearby Elders.
"Looking at this setup, it seems the number of people who came this year is quite a bit more than in previous years?"
An Elder said with a smile, "Indeed. Intelligence from the Shadow Hall says there are thirty percent more children of the appropriate age compared to last time. You see, in previous years, we only had dozens of spirit-testing formations, but this year we prepared over a hundred in advance."
Xu Xian took a small sip of tea and said with narrowed eyes, "Things must be done ahead of time. The Personnel Hall has done a very good job on this point and deserves praise."
The representative from the Personnel Hall hurriedly smiled and said, "This is all thanks to your wise leadership, Little Grand-Uncle."
The others also chimed in with a few compliments.
Xu Xian waved his hand and said modestly, "Ai... I just did some talking. All the work was done by everyone. If we're talking about hard work and merit, everyone has worked harder than me, and your merits exceed mine."
"Little Grand-Uncle, you overstate it!"
"Little Grand-Uncle, you are too humble!!!"
While they talked and laughed on the platform, people were busy below, and the noise outside the mountain was like a rising tide.
The children were all impatient and anxious, not forgetting to discuss things among themselves.
"Was that youth in white just now the Little Grand-Uncle, Xu Xian?"
"Most likely."
"He's so handsome, just like an immortal."
"Young and promising!"
"Heh... give me time, and I, Niu Batian, will surely become like him and even surpass him."
"Can you stop bragging for once?"
Time passed minute by minute, and the auspicious hour arrived in the blink of an eye. A Deacon from the Personnel Hall whispered a reminder, "Grand-Uncle, the time is about right. Do you think..."
Xu Xian set down his teacup and smiled. "Then let's begin."
"For such a major event, it's better if you are the one to announce it."
Xu Xian glanced at Lu Yuan, who was sitting nearby picking his ears, and gave him a kick.
Lu Yuan said lazily, "What now?"
"You go in my place."
Lu Yuan turned his head away and remained silent.
Xu Xian said with feigned anger, "I'm telling you to go, so go. Don't you know who's the boss here?"
Lu Yuan pursed his lips and, with great reluctance, stood up. He stepped into the air and drifted slowly from the high platform toward the center of the plaza.
Xu Xian smiled apologetically to the people around him. "This child has a stubborn temper and is shy around strangers. The Sect Master insisted that I bring him out to see more of the world."
The Elders quickly laughed along.
In their words, they couldn't help but praise Lu Yuan a few times, and by extension, they praised Xu Xian as well.
They said he was very thoughtful.
They said he was very caring toward his juniors.
After four years, Lu Yuan's appearance hadn't changed much, and his body hadn't grown; he was still the same as when they first met.
Standing less than seven feet tall, he was somewhat thin...
Xu Xian thought this might be related to the frequent bloodletting, which was why he hadn't grown up.
However.
While his body didn't grow, his hair certainly did. The hair that was once an inch long was now over two feet long.
But his head was different from others, so the hair that grew out was also different. It was very light, as if weightless, and drifted upward in a mass.
When there was a breeze, it swayed faster; when there was no wind, it swayed slower.
It also saved him the trouble of tying it up.
A silk ribbon was tied over his eyes. From a distance, he looked quite rebellious and a bit cool.
As soon as he appeared, his unique look naturally drew the gaze of the entire crowd, and the whispering grew even louder.
The disciples in the mountains were fine; they could recognize that he was Lu Yuan, the only outlier in the sect, the auspicious beast.
The people outside the mountain, however, couldn't tell. They were completely bewildered and extremely curious.
"Who is this person?"
"His hair is so red and it's floating, like seaweed in water."
"Why is he blindfolded? Is he blind?"
"..."
Lu Yuan didn't waste any words. He stood in the air right above the center of the plaza. Following Xu Xian's instructions, he infused his beast king power and said loudly:
"I announce!"
"The Disciple Recruitment Assembly has officially begun!"
"Next..."
"Begin the Spirit Inquiry!!"
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