23: A gathering of talents, core disciples

A crowd of young boys and girls gathered in front of the Cloud Heaven Sect's mountain gate square.

The vast square actually became somewhat crowded due to the large number of people; they were all looking forward to the events that were about to take place.

Zhao Shu was one of the people in the vast crowd; he was an Immortal Seedlings chosen from a small rural area.

That day, he happened to encounter a lazy Cloud Heaven Sect Disciple landing in the countryside, and he luckily managed to follow along and secure a spot.

Zhao Shu's background was very ordinary, a typical example of the Mortal-Immortal Fate genre.

When he was ten years old, he accidentally ate a strange bird egg, and after waking up from a sleep, his strength had doubled.

It wasn't until that day that he realized he already possessed a cultivation level of Qi Refining Level One.

However, he was quite unlucky; on the way to the Cloud Heaven Sect, he was targeted by an Evil Cultivator and almost ended up inside a myriad souls banner.

Later, he was tricked by an unscrupulous Great Cultivator into working as a laborer at the Black Spirit Mine, where he dug for half a month.

Fortunately, he had been cautious since childhood and was tough enough to find an opportunity to escape from that Black Spirit Mine.

After traveling across mountains and rivers and enduring countless hardships, he finally arrived at the Cloud Heaven Sect.

With the path to immortality in sight, how could he remain calm?

Before long, several Cultivators with powerful auras descended from the sky one after another.

They were not very old, yet they all descended by riding swords and possessed cultivation levels in the Mid-to-Late Stage of Qi Refining, looking quite majestic.

This group of people was the previous generation of Cloud Heaven Sect Disciples from ten years ago, also on the path to immortality.

Leading them were three Cultivators with transcendent temperaments; they were the high-status Golden Core Elders of the Cloud Heaven Sect.

Among them, a kind-looking old man spoke first: "Congratulations to everyone for passing all the tests of my Cloud Heaven Sect."

"Over the course of three months, I believe you have all gained a great deal."

The Elder looked around at the various young boys and girls before him and couldn't help but feel emotional, remembering when he once stood where they were standing.

Back then, he also had many Senior and Junior Brothers by his side.

His talent wasn't particularly strong, and by now, there probably weren't many of those Senior and Junior Brothers still alive.

The secret to longevity is, indeed, loneliness.

"Although you have passed all the trials of my Cloud Heaven Sect, there is still one final assessment to be conducted."

This Elder stroked his beard, pointed into the Void Realm, and circulated the surging True Essence within his body.

In the distance, a massive stone tablet flew in from the sky.

With a thunderous boom, the stone tablet crashed into the center of the square, kicking up a cloud of dust that enveloped the entire square in a haze.

As the smoke gradually cleared, everyone's vision became clear, and what appeared before them was an even more towering and magnificent dao inquiry stone.

Not only was it huge, but it was also as tall as three people, standing on the square and emitting a mysterious and solemn aura.

The dao inquiry stone is a miraculous Materials that can test a Cultivator's Aptitude and potential.

It judges a Cultivator's future based on their Aptitude, cultivation, and Heart-Nature.

A dao inquiry stone of this size had even more exaggerated functions, even being able to detect the tester's hidden Physique.

Generally speaking, the deeper the color and the more complex the patterns on the dao inquiry stone, the higher the Cultivator's Aptitude and potential.

The Cloud Heaven Sect Elder looked at the dao inquiry stone before him, smiled slightly, and then said to the crowd:

"This dao inquiry stone, refined through special techniques, will directly determine your status and future within the Cloud Heaven Sect."

Upon hearing this, everyone was incredibly excited. They knew this was the final and most important step to becoming a Cloud Heaven Sect Disciple.

"Alright, let us begin now," the Cloud Heaven Sect Elder said.

"Groups of twenty, come forward to be tested."

Soon, twenty people stepped toward the massive dao inquiry stone and placed their hands upon it.

The dao inquiry stone immediately emitted a beam of light that shone upon each person.

The colors and patterns on the dao inquiry stone shifted constantly; some were as bright as stars, while others were as dim as dust.

Bang, bang, bang.

Twenty Disciple Tokens separated from the stone tablet and fell into their respective hands, among which there was actually one Inner Sect Token.

Seeing this, the three Cloud Heaven Sect Elders all nodded slightly in satisfaction.

Producing an Inner Sect Disciple in the first wave of testing was indeed a good omen.

Zhao Shu looked at the spirit token in his hand with the two words 'Handyman' on it, his heart filled with mixed emotions, but he could only silently retreat to the back.

A petite girl with a black spear on her back stepped forward resolutely; her eyes were clear and bright, as if they could see through all the hypocrisy in the world.

Her long hair flowed like a waterfall, drifting gently with the breeze, giving her a mysterious and inviolable aura.

Her pace was steady, every step filled with strength and determination.

A steadfast light flickered in her eyes, as if no matter what difficulties or challenges she faced, her resolve could not be shaken.

The black spear in her hand, though it looked ordinary, emitted a powerful aura.

It was an aura from a life-and-death battlefield, having experienced countless battles, making it impossible for anyone to underestimate her.

"A special Physique?!"

One of the Cloud Heaven Sect Elders raised an eyebrow, his expression full of joy.

Although the main target this time was that super Prodigy named Zhang Yizhi, it wasn't a bad thing to show off the Cloud Heaven Sect's new generation of future talent while so many factions were present.

"Little girl, what is your name?"

"Reporting to the Elder, this Disciple is Xu Qiaoqiao."

After giving a respectful salute, the girl stood before the dao inquiry stone.

The dao inquiry stone began to emit a soft light, as if welcoming the arrival of this girl.

Xu Qiaoqiao watched the changes in the dao inquiry stone, a flash of surprise crossing her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure.

She took a deep breath and then slowly walked toward the dao inquiry stone.

She reached out to touch the dao inquiry stone, and the light upon it grew brighter and brighter.

In this light, Xu Qiaoqiao's figure appeared even more petite, but her gaze grew even more determined.

At that moment, the dao inquiry stone suddenly took the initiative to emit a beam of light that shone directly on Xu Qiaoqiao.

Xu Qiaoqiao did not dodge; she closed her eyes tightly, allowing the light to wash over her.

In that instant, she felt as if her body were being pierced by a powerful force, a sensation that was both painful and exhilarating.

She knew that the dao inquiry stone was cleansing her body and also testing her will.

She did not shrink back or panic, but simply stood there quietly, letting that power permeate her body.

Boom!

A powerful force erupted from within the dao inquiry stone, startling everyone present; although this force was not aggressive, the majesty of the Great Dao contained within it was beyond words.

Following that, the surface of the dao inquiry stone glowed brilliantly, and the dazzling luster converged to display a scene on its surface.

A valiant female Cultivator held a spear, her combat power unparalleled as she slaughtered her way through a crowd of tens of thousands of Cultivators.

"It's actually a Future Image; this girl has the potential of a True Disciple."

The first ones unable to remain seated were the group of True Disciples within the Cloud Heaven Sect; seeing this scene, they all stood up, their eyes fixed intently on the dao inquiry stone.

One must know that entering as a Core Disciple meant the probability of being promoted to a True Disciple in the future was not small.

The more True Disciples there were, the fewer resources they would receive; they wished that no more potential True Disciples would appear in this session.

But reality disappointed them, because in the near future, many new True Disciples would inevitably be born.

Bang, bang, bang—nineteen Outer Sect Disciple Tokens appeared, followed by an ancient and heavy Core Disciple Token.

"Primordial Yellow Spirit Body."

the Cloud Heaven Sect Elder spoke, his eyes reflecting satisfaction; with a Future Image revealed by the dao inquiry stone and a special Physique...

It would not be difficult for this girl to be promoted to a True Disciple in the future!

Furthermore, this kind of Physique was quite rare and could significantly increase the possessor's comprehension and attainment in the Way of the Spear.

It was possible that a Spear Dao Great Power would emerge from their Cloud Heaven Sect in the future... After a while, the light gradually faded, and the dao inquiry stone returned to its original appearance.

Xu Qiaoqiao opened her eyes again and accepted the Core Disciple Token that floated before her, her pretty face beaming with joy.

"Welcome to the Cloud Heaven Sect."

"Thank you, Elder."

With Xu Qiaoqiao's feat as a precedent, the subsequent young boys and girls were also greatly encouraged and stepped forward one after another to be tested.

By the time half the day had passed, four Core Disciple Tokens had appeared, and the number of Inner Sect Disciple Tokens had reached one hundred.

Among them, there was even a King Physique!

A slightly plump boy wearing a white robe stood among the crowd.

He had a warm smile on his face, making those around him feel as comfortable as if they were bathed in a spring breeze; he was the one who possessed the King-level Physique.

"Is he the boy with the King-level Physique?"

"Li Kaiyan? This is the first time I've heard that name."

"I heard his Physique is extremely powerful; once he starts to Cultivate, his speed and results will far exceed ordinary people."

"It seems he will definitely be the biggest dark horse in this test."

The crowd buzzed with discussion, and many people around the boy showed expressions full of expectation and flattery.

Standing in the crowd, the boy tilted his head up slightly in satisfaction, clearly enjoying the words and looks.

"A King-level Physique? It's barely acceptable."

A Saint aboard a Spirit Boat commented in such a manner.

Although this King-level Physique was quite extraordinary and among the top of the younger generation, a King Physique alone was not enough to stand on equal footing with people like them.

The talent of these few individuals was not something a King-level Physique could bridge the gap to.

Indeed, the Seven Emperor Sword Sect Holy Son on the Seven Emperor Sword Sect Spirit Boat hadn't even opened his eyes.

Upon comparison, the difference in their standings was immediately clear.