20: The power of the Golden Elixir was unexpected and a pity.

Lu Xian squeezed into the crowd and saw Du Qinghong and Shen Nan, with an additional woman beside them.

Du Qinghong took the initiative to introduce, "Brother Han, this is Wang Man, Fairy Wang!"

This Fairy Wang was tall, sporting a neat high ponytail that revealed her smooth forehead.

She wore no makeup, had a straight nose, clearly defined lips, and was dressed in a simple black martial outfit, exuding a spirited aura.

"I am Han Feiyu, greetings to all Fellow Daoists."

As long as it did not harm his own interests, Lu Xian was quite willing to make friends.

"Hmph~" Wang Man casually cupped her hands in a salute, "Speak up, what do you need help with? I will definitely not refuse!"

Great... it felt like another one who hadn't experienced the harsh beatings of the Cultivation world.

Where did Du Qinghong find these "brothers and sisters"? Lu Xian had reason to suspect that the other party just found these people simple and easy to trick.

Her words sounded a bit awkward, but he could tell she was warm-hearted.

Lu Xian didn't say much, only stating, "Fellow Daoist Wang, I have no urgent matters for now; if I have need, I will trouble you then."

"Once I enter the Sect, I won't have this leisure time. Grandfather said that I, Wang Man, have the potential for a Golden Core! Next time we meet, you might have to call me 'Golden Core True Person'; how majestic that would be."

Wang Man lifted her chin proudly.

...People really do laugh when they are speechless, but Lu Xian forcefully held it in.

He looked at Du Qinghong.

The little fatty's gaze drifted, pretending not to see.

"Alright, Fellow Daoist Wang, Fellow Daoist Han, this recruitment assembly is about to begin, and they should be clearing the grounds soon."

Having not seen him for a few days, Shen Nan had become much more composed.

"Oh? Are there conditions for participating?" Lu Xian asked.

"Of course, otherwise the Cangye Sect probably wouldn't be able to finish testing in a day."

Du Qinghong took over, "According to the rules of previous years, the first is that those over sixty are immediately out of luck!"

No wonder Zhao Shouren never mentioned this; it turned out his age exceeded the limit... Lu Xian thought to himself.

"Second, all those with Spiritual Root strength below 40 are eliminated."

"Third, those without a legal quasi-immortal jade token are eliminated!"

Lu Xian became interested, "Are there legal and illegal Immortal tokens?"

"Of course. Brother Han, your token was bought on the black market, right? Did the person on duty trick you into using the blood of other Mortals to activate it? And charge you five hundred Spirit Stones?"

"Don't be fooled; those are illegal and can only be used for one year! The annual large-scale scanning Formation that sweeps through Qingyun County can spot them immediately, and if caught, it's a dead end!" Du Qinghong explained with a smile.

Hearing this, Lu Xian cursed inwardly... Thank goodness I was poor back then, otherwise I would already be a dead man!

This Cultivation world is full of traps; one wrong step and it's eternal damnation. I must find a chance to beat him up later.

The appearance of that Cultivator on duty flashed repeatedly in his mind.

"Many thanks for informing me, Brother Du! However, these conditions don't sound difficult; most people here should qualify, right?"

Du Qinghong nodded, "Indeed, those who don't meet the three basic requirements usually won't come to join the fun, but it can still screen out about thirty percent of the people."

"Also, participants need to pay a five Spirit Stone assessment fee, which is non-refundable. This can stop another batch of those who are tight on money."

"The rest is actually simple and crude; it mainly looks at talent, strength, and skills, with a comprehensive evaluation, and they are admitted sequentially into the Inner Sect, Outer Sect, or as a Utility Disciple based on their scores. It is rumored that they are recruiting three hundred people in total this year, which is quite a lot."

Less than 3%, truly competitive everywhere.

Lu Xian shook his head; he probably wouldn't meet the requirements this year.

Even if he barely managed to become a Utility Disciple, there would be many restrictions and heavy tasks; it would be better to Cultivate in his own small courtyard.

However, it's good to take a look today and see if this Cultivation world is truly filled with talent everywhere.

Just as the crowd was noisy and rowdy.

A emerald green stream of light broke through the air from a hundred zhang above!

Riding the Qi!

That person stopped in mid-air, circulated his magical power, and spoke slightly, "I am Xie Xuansong, presiding over today's Cangye Sect recruitment ceremony. Violators will be expelled from the plaza and barred from participating for ten years!"

His voice was like a booming bell, vibrating the eardrums and resounding in the ears of ten thousand people.

'The methods of a Golden Core True Person are truly profound; relying solely on this Sound Transmission Art, he can shake one's spirit, which is something I cannot do yet.'

Lu Xian's mindset was relaxed.

It wasn't directed at him, and that Golden Core up in the sky wouldn't just slap someone to death for no reason.

Just as he was thinking this, he suddenly saw Xie Xuansong reach out and grab a female Cultivator from the crowd.

"Ant from the Dream Imprisonment Sect, you don't stay honestly in your south, yet you dare to sneak into my Qingyun County, you are courting death!"

Before the woman could let out a scream, her body exploded in mid-air, turning into a sky full of blood mist and fragments!

Flesh and blood rained down onto the heads and bodies of many Cultivators below, but the entire scene was deathly silent; not a single person dared to make a sound.

"Recruitment begins! Those who do not meet the three rules still have a chance to leave now! The rest, proceed to the eight provided detection points and line up!"

After speaking, Xie Xuansong sat cross-legged in the air, closing his eyes to rest, but in reality, his Divine Sense had already enveloped the entire plaza, monitoring everything.

The might of a Golden Core... it is truly fascinating.

Lu Xian looked up, then withdrew his gaze.

As long as he kept working hard, plus the little help from the building, he believed he would reach it sooner or later.

The Cultivators understood clearly, and the expressions on their faces varied.

Some looked regretful, seemingly hoping that the rules this year would be relaxed.

Some had burning gazes and quickly found their places in line.

Others looked at the five Spirit Stones in their hands with pained expressions.

Du Qinghong said at the right time, "Brother Han, let's go line up."

The four of them walked towards a long line, occasionally exchanging a few words.

Only then did Lu Xian learn that these people were not simple.

Shen Nan was a Formation Master, Wang Man was a Talisman Maker, and the seemingly unremarkable Du Qinghong was actually a rare Spirit Chef.

Although their cultivation levels were not high and their skill levels were only at the First Rank Low Grade.

But their chances of entering the Sect as a Utility Disciple were high.

"My brother, I only live for two things in this life: eating good food and making big money!" Du Qinghong said, "However, the Cangye Sect doesn't have much demand for Spirit Chefs, so it doesn't add many points. I'm just here to go through the motions this year; anyway, I'm still young, only fourteen..."

Lu Xian looked at his round physique and mature face; you're telling me this damn guy is fourteen?

The other two were sixteen, and their families had let them out to try their luck.

If they actually entered the Sect, even as a Utility Disciple, their status would be vastly different.

As long as they were willing to work hard, Foundation Establishment was not completely hopeless.

In this way, their families might ascend to become a Foundation Establishment Family.

Developing step by step, it was not impossible to secure a position in the Immortal Dynasty and become a noble family in the future.

The Cangye Sect's entrance assessment process was fast.

Soon, it was their group's turn.

Shen Nan, Wang Man, and Du Qinghong were tested in turn, and finally, it was Lu Xian's turn.

"First round, talent test! Place your hand on the Formation Plate." The Cangye Sect Disciple in charge of testing said loudly.

Lu Xian did as instructed.

As expected, the Formation Plate instantly lit up with five rays of light, and the Spiritual Root strength value was clearly displayed on the side.

"All fifty?!" Not only the Disciple in charge of testing, but even the three of them—Shen, Wang, and Du—and even the people queuing nearby showed expressions of seeing a ghost; everyone felt surprised!

The testing Disciple was shocked for a moment, but shook his head and announced formulaically, "Five Elements Spiritual Root, taking the highest value, Medium Grade, totaling fifty points! Second round, strength test, infuse magical power into this stone pillar!"

Lu Xian looked at the black-gold stone pillar that was one zhang and two chi tall in front of him.

The pillar was made entirely of Xuanling Rock; the pillar body was as bright as jade, cool to the touch, and spiritual light flowed faintly inside.

His mind shifted slightly, and he circulated his magical power to his palms; suddenly, a faint five-colored light flickered.

He reached out and pressed his hand onto the stone pillar.

The light flowed inside the pillar, forming a flawless five-colored ring!

"Five Spirit Simultaneous Cultivation, Qi Refining Level 4?!"

The testing Disciple's expression was even more exaggerated than when he saw the all-fifty Spiritual Root just now.

Among Loose Cultivators, it was not that there were no Five Spirit Simultaneous Cultivation practitioners, but it was almost impossible to form such a perfect five-colored ring!

This could only explain one thing.

This person had been practicing Five Spirit Simultaneous Cultivation since drawing Qi into their body, and had maintained it throughout the process, which allowed the Five Elements magical power to reach such a perfect balance!

Loose Cultivators generally practiced the Primordial Art, and Lu Xian breaking through to the fourth level before the age of seventeen was also puzzling.

The Disciple in charge of testing was completely baffled and dared not make a decision on his own, so he had to say, "Wait a moment, I need to go ask the Junior Martial Uncle."

After speaking, he ran towards an inn near the plaza.

"Brother Han, this... what is this?" Du Qinghong said in a daze.

Lu Xian was silent for a moment; he hadn't expected such a big reaction. If he had known, he would have only drawn out one type of magical power.

"A stroke of luck, a stroke of luck to have succeeded; it's just something I practiced when bored." He said casually.

The three of them naturally didn't believe it, but their eyes had completely changed.

Five Spirit Simultaneous Cultivation, five times the magical power, Qi Refining Level 4, he could fight someone at the sixth level.

Du Qinghong felt a wave of lingering fear in his heart at this moment; cold sweat broke out on his back.

Fortunately, he had chosen to befriend this "Brother Han" back then, rather than harboring thoughts of killing him for his treasures. Otherwise, by now... the grass on his grave would probably be three zhang high.

"Brother Han, once you enter the Sect, you must take good care of your little brother!" He almost lunged forward to hug his thigh directly.

Shen Nan wanted to speak but stopped.

Wang Man was no longer looking down her nose; she looked at Lu Xian, her beautiful eyes flashing with an unusual brilliance, as if carrying a hint of adoration.

Not long after, the testing Disciple returned.

He announced with a serious expression, "The Junior Martial Uncle has said that although it is only Medium Grade talent, with Five Spirit Simultaneous Cultivation, the Foundation is solid, so the strength score can be doubled! Qi Refining Level 4, totaling eighty points!"

"Next round, skills!"