The auspicious day had arrived. The central square of Heishui Commandery was buzzing with activity, and the highly anticipated final selection of the sects had officially begun.
Ye Ling looked up and scanned her surroundings. The entire square was incredibly vast, roughly the size of a dozen football fields.
Over a hundred groups were lined up neatly in the square, each representing one of the hundred-plus cities under the jurisdiction of Heishui Commandery. Young martial artists from all sides stood in formation, creating a grand spectacle.
Uncle Qin led Ye Ling and the others to the designated area for Baiyun City and stood still.
Just as they settled in, a middle-aged man approached them from the side, followed by his own group of participating disciples.
This man was Zhou Kun, the manager leading the group from Qingshi City.
Zhou Kun looked at Uncle Qin, cupped his hands with a smile, and said, “Brother Qin, are you leading the team again this time?”
Uncle Qin nodded slightly. “Aren't you doing the same, Brother Zhou? We are both just running errands for our master.”
Zhou Kun laughed heartily. His gaze swept over the Baiyun City group, and his tone carried a hint of self-satisfaction.
“I wonder what the standard of this year's disciples from your Baiyun City is? The prospects from my Qingshi City are quite strong; we even have a skilled youth at the Houtian Tenth Layer.”
As soon as those words left his mouth, the youth at the very front of Zhou Kun's group immediately raised his head slightly. With his chin tilted up and pride written all over his face, his arrogance was completely undisguised.
Seeing this, the people from Baiyun City couldn't help but curl their lips in secret. Just a Houtian Tenth Layer, what's there to show off about? We have Ye Ling on our side.
Uncle Qin narrowed his eyes slightly at his words. His tone was humble, yet it carried an underlying meaning.
“How impressive. To my shame, the one who took first place on our side, Ye Ling, is only a fifteen-year-old youth, with a cultivation of just the Houtian Eighth Layer.”
“What?” The smile vanished from Zhou Kun's face, replaced by utter astonishment.
“Reaching the Houtian Eighth Layer at fifteen and even taking first place in the city? It seems your Baiyun City has truly produced a genius.”
The Qingshi City youth, who had been smug just a moment ago, instantly froze. His eyes widened in complete disbelief.
Reaching the Houtian Eighth Layer at fifteen was a talent far exceeding ordinary people. It was simply not something he could compare to.
Seeing his expression, the people from Baiyun City couldn't help but laugh inwardly.
Just as the two were about to converse further, a majestic and steady voice suddenly echoed across the entire square via a voice-transmission formation. The noisy crowd instantly fell dead silent.
On the high platform, the Heishui Commandery Lord swept his gaze over the dense crowds below, his voice booming like a great bell.
“Fellow Daoists, young talents from all sides, the triennial sect selection officially begins today.”
“Gathered here today are the outstanding talents from the hundred-plus cities of our commandery, as well as our local geniuses.”
“All of you are leaders in your own right. Today, you will compete on the same stage, relying on your strength to fight for the chance to enter the four major sects. I hope you will give your all and not let down your years of hard cultivation.”
Pausing for a moment, the Commandery Lord raised his hand in a welcoming gesture. “Next, let us welcome the arrival of the elder representatives from the four major sects with warm applause.”
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue as thousands of gazes shot toward the sky in unison.
Four streaks of light pierced through the clouds. Four spirit boats of different designs hovered in the air, slowly descending toward the high platform.
The first to arrive was the Qinglan Sword Sect. A sword-shaped spirit boat, pure white all over, tore through the sky.
The vessel resembled a simple and ancient sword dozens of feet long. Cold light rippled along its blade, and wisps of sword qi drifted outward, causing the surrounding air to tremble slightly from being sliced.
Standing upon the spirit boat was an elder in plain robes. A sword hung at her waist, her posture as upright as a pine tree, and her sword intent was condensed but unreleased.
The spirit boat landed steadily on one side of the high platform. She leaped down and sat, closing her eyes to concentrate.
Following closely behind was Xuanling Valley. A lotus-throne spirit boat shrouded in clouds and mist drifted over leisurely.
The hull was carved from the roots of a thousand-year-old spiritual lotus, covered in a faint green mist. Spiritual light curled around it, diffusing a dense and rich worldly spiritual energy.
An elder with half-white hair and beard sat cross-legged in the center of the lotus throne, gently spinning a string of spiritual wooden beads in his hand. His expression was leisurely and tranquil, and his aura was gentle and otherworldly.
As the spirit boat landed, the mist slowly dispersed. He stepped down with slow strides, looking at the crowd below with a smile.
The third to appear was Jingshui Yaotai. A jade barge spirit boat materialized in midair.
The vessel was crafted from warm jade, crystal clear throughout. Wisps of water-colored rosy light wrapped around the hull, with the shimmering reflection of water flowing gently across its surface.
A female cultivator dressed in a water-colored long dress stood quietly at the bow. Her steps were light, and her temperament was as elegant and pure as a cold pool under the moonlight.
The spirit boat settled down gently. She moved slowly to her seat, her entire aura quiet and gentle.
Finally, the Burning Heaven Martial Academy appeared. A crimson fire cloud came howling over, enveloping a war-drum spirit boat.
The spirit boat's design was rugged and domineering, with flames and battle patterns engraved on its hull. Raging flames surged around it, sending waves of heat rushing over.
A burly, robust elder stood at the bow. Dressed in red martial arts attire, his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, and his entire body erupted with the fierce and domineering aura of a martial cultivator.
The spirit boat landed heavily on the high platform, causing the ground to shake slightly. He strode down, filled with a cold, fighting spirit.
The spirit boats of the four major sects docked one by one. The four elders took their respective seats, and four completely different auras interweaved and clashed on the high platform.
The atmosphere in the square instantly grew tense, and everyone held their breath.
The Commandery Lord raised his voice again. “The rules for this year's final selection will still follow the old system, consisting of three assessments.”
“First, verifying age and testing cultivation to determine natural talent and bone structure.”
“Second, observing martial arts and performing martial techniques to determine comprehension.”
“Third, climbing the heavenly stairs to test perseverance, willpower, and mental fortitude under pressure.”
“The results of these three assessments will be combined to evaluate your performance, and the best will be selected for admission into the four major sects.”
“The assessment process will be conducted in stages. First, everyone will complete the age and cultivation test. Then, we will verify everyone's comprehension. Finally, everyone will climb the heavenly stairs together.”
“Now, based on the order of the cities, the first to be tested is Heishan City.”
As soon as he finished speaking, the group from Heishan City immediately marched toward the testing platform, and the cultivation test officially began.
Ye Ling looked up. The ten geniuses of Heishan City were lined up in an orderly fashion, walking one by one toward the cultivation testing platform.
Floating in the center of the platform was a translucent, pure white orb emitting a warm glow. It was the Spirit-Testing Orb.
At the front of the line was a young girl in red, carrying a spear on her back, her expression cold and aloof.
She stepped forward slowly and pressed her palm firmly against the surface of the Spirit-Testing Orb. A moment later, light rippled within the orb, and the relevant information was clearly displayed.
The deacon in charge of recording announced in a loud voice, “Heishan City, Liang Xue, nineteen years old, Houtian Tenth Layer, talent rating: upper-middle.”
The remaining disciples stepped forward one by one, pressing their palms against the Spirit-Testing Orb. The orb's spiritual light flashed continuously, revealing their cultivations, ages, and natural talents in succession.
Most of their cultivations were at the Houtian Ninth Layer, with a few being slightly weaker. None of the others received an upper-middle talent rating; most were rated as average, and a few were rated as lower-middle.
With Heishan City's testing complete, the group withdrew to the side of the field to wait quietly. The people from the next city stepped forward to be tested.
According to the city rankings, Baiyun City was considered an upper-tier city in Heishui Commandery, so they were positioned near the front.
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