55: Chapter 55 Are the Star Academy students also here for the assessment?

"To think you could ascend to godhood without any clan funding... impressive, truly impressive."

Looking at Yan Cang's excessively red, monkey-like face, Lin Xiao responded with a few smiles. If his clan didn't fund him, didn't that just mean he lacked talent?

However, to be able to ascend to a First-order Deity without talent or funding was indeed somewhat impressive.

"Every year at this time, great sects within the Nine Great Galaxies, like the Canglan Holy Sect, hold a grand Disciple Recruitment Ceremony. The content is basically the same each time.

Every recruitment ceremony attracts a large number of families, corporations, and other powers as spectators. If your High Godhood has good luck, you might even be able to recruit some deities that catch your eye."

Lin Xiao sat in a section of the stands with his two subordinates and the four members of foreign races he had just bought at auction. Lu Yan was dutifully explaining the situation.

"Recruit?"

This word made Lin Xiao think of those organizations waiting outside the Awakening Ceremony with contracts in hand.

"Yes, recruitment. Aside from innate talent, deities rely heavily on post-ascension growth. It's not impossible for a genius with an S-Rank Talent to be surpassed by someone with an A-grade talent if they don't work hard.

So, to prevent these people from being overlooked because of their talent, sects like the Canglan Holy Sect hold a recruitment ceremony every year.

Those whose talent doesn't test at S-grade but are confident in their strength or a specific aptitude can choose to undergo assessments for combat, alchemy, artifact forging, array formations, and the like.

If they pass the assessment, that's naturally good; even if they don't, an outstanding performance during the test might attract interest from other powers in the stands.

If the terms and benefits are good, working for such a power for a set number of years isn't necessarily a bad thing."

Lu Yan's words piqued Lin Xiao's interest.

"That sounds quite interesting, but there's one thing I don't quite understand. For a Divine Being like me, if I recruit a second-order or even third-order deity as a bodyguard...

How would I ensure my own safety then? After all, if these high-tier deities harbor ill intent, it seems a Divine Being wouldn't have the power to resist?

But if they aren't strong enough, there seems to be no point in hiring them as bodyguards?"

This question made Lu Yan's expression turn increasingly strange; fortunately, they were all currently shrouded in dark shadows, so it wasn't visible.

"For such bodyguard contracts, both parties can go to the notary office in any major city to sign a Blood Covenant.

Once a bodyguard violates the agreement and does something harmful to the employer, they will suffer a backlash from the Blood Covenant.

Depending on the signed covenant, the bodyguard will suffer different levels of backlash, ranging from severe injury to soul destruction. Therefore, incidents of security personnel turning on their masters are extremely rare."

While they were talking, teleportation lights flashed on the square below. In a matter of moments, thousands of examinees appeared.

Lin Xiao observed carefully; based on appearance alone, most of them looked like they had just reached adulthood, similar to himself.

A small portion looked like youths in their twenties, and there were even some examinees who appeared to be in their thirties mixed among them.

"The ages of these examinees seem to vary quite a bit?"

Asking about his confusion, Lu Yan spoke up to explain.

"This is a great sect within the Nine Great Galaxies, after all. Which deity with even a bit of confidence wouldn't want to come and try? If they're lucky enough to be admitted, it can change their fate.

So every year, some deities come to try their luck, including many who have gained opportunities and seen their strength suddenly skyrocket."

On the square, a third-order deity radiating a powerful aura spoke with a calm expression.

"Those aged 18 with S-Rank Talents, step forward for testing."

Following the examiner's words, over a dozen young people stepped forward with faces full of either pride or excitement.

Then they began to be tested one by one. The testing stones in the hands of the first nine examinees lit up with green light, and they passed smoothly; however, the testing stone in the hands of the tenth examinee glowed red.

Seeing this, the examinee's face went blank with confusion, not knowing what was happening. The examiner merely spared him a glance.

"Talent below S-grade. Step down."

"How can this be? When I awakened, my teacher clearly said it was S-grade. This testing stone must be broken!

Lord Examiner, could you please change the testing stone for me? Something definitely went wrong this time! I really have an S-Rank Talent!"

Answering this examinee was a large hand condensed from divine power, which directly tossed him into the teleportation array behind them, where he disappeared.

"Next."

The examiner's tone remained flat, with no intention of explaining. Seeing this, the excitement on the faces of some of the other S-grade examinees turned into apprehension.

Watching the scene below, Lu Yan explained without waiting for Lin Xiao to ask.

"Awakenings on remote county-level or city-level planets are very crude. There are sometimes certain deviations in the determination of talent...

Actually, it's not really a deviation; strictly speaking, it's a difference in perception. Normally, an S-Rank Talent can influence the Spirit Rank.

But some S-Rank Talents can only influence people or objects of a specific Spirit Rank; in small places, this is also recognized as S-grade.

However, within the system of the Nine Great Galaxies, this would be classified as A-grade. That examinee just now was likely in that situation."

Lin Xiao nodded upon hearing this. Beside him, Yan Cang let out a cold snort, his synthesized mechanical voice carrying a hint of emotion.

"So what if they have an S-Rank Talent? It's just faster growth. Once you reach the deity level, the influence of talent is actually just so-so.

It's not as if there aren't cases where A-grade or even B-grade talents kill S-Rank Talents. In the end, what matters for a deity is strength! Not some talent."

Clearly, this Fire Ape still harbored some resentment regarding talent.

Soon, the dozen or so examinees had all finished testing. Except for the previous one, everyone else passed smoothly.

They now stood obediently behind the examiner, their gazes toward the other examinees carrying a hint of superiority.

"Demigods aged 19 with S-Rank Talents, step forward."

This time, no one stepped forward. After waiting a moment, the examiner continued.

"Deities aged 22 and under with S-Rank Talents, step forward."

As the examiner's voice fell, over a thousand examinees stepped forward this time. Lin Xiao was incredibly surprised to see so many examinees this time.

Beside him, a look of complexity appeared on Lu Yan's face, which was blurred by the shadow outline. His synthesized mechanical voice sounded somewhat low.

"These deities with S-Rank Talents basically all come from the two top academies, Star and Taichu. They might be graduates, or they might be current students who can't afford the tuition."

"Graduates of Star and Taichu Academy?! They have to come for the assessment too? Don't the academies take care of them after graduation? And there are actually current students?!"

Su Xue couldn't help but blurt out this question. Star and Taichu Academy—being admitted was such a glorious achievement for one's family.

And yet now their graduates needed to come out and participate in assessments? And there were even current students? Lin Xiao's previous words had already shattered Su Xue's rose-tinted glasses.

Now, Lu Yan's words caused the image of these two incredibly sacred academies to completely collapse in the hearts of Wang Tao and Su Xue.

Lu Yan could only hear her surprise from the way Su Xue's voice rose a few octaves. If he could see her expression, he would have found it to be sheer shock!