Aptitude Determines Treatment

The two suicide notes had both arrived just as Chen Guan was about to make decisions that could affect his future path. If his guess was correct, their greatest use was helping him avoid pitfalls.

He meditated cross-legged while pondering matters, and less than half a day passed in the blink of an eye.

It was not until dusk, after everyone had made over a hundred attempts, that a little boy finally rose to his feet in excitement.

"I succeeded! I sensed Dou Qi Energy! I succeeded!"

The little boy was so excited that he lost control, startling everyone around him awake. If not for the man watching from the front, he would probably have started dancing with joy.

The man did not blame him. Instead, the stern look on his face melted into a satisfied smile.

"What is your name?"

"Z-Zhao Gang."

"Mm, very good. Step out of the line first and memorize the cultivation route well. I am Yan Hongtao, Captain of the Royal Guard's Third Squad, a Six-Star Great Dou Master. If there is anything you do not understand over the next few days, you may ask me."

"Yes!"

Hearing their exchange, all the children revealed envious expressions.

This was the first time Yan Hongtao had asked for any of their names. Without sufficiently outstanding talent, one was not even worthy of having one's name remembered.

Chen Guan sat among the crowd, his heart undisturbed. He waited for nearly One Hour more, until night had fallen, before copying Zhao Gang's manner and excitedly informing Yan Hongtao that he had sensed Dou Qi Energy.

"Very good. What is your name?"

"Chen Guan."

After a brief inquiry, Chen Guan stepped out of the line and stood beside Zhao Gang.

The facts proved that in a remote place like the Jia Ma Empire, geniuses truly were scarce. Over the entire day, apart from Chen Guan and Zhao Gang, no one else succeeded.

Yan Hongtao was fairly satisfied with this result. Two little geniuses, if properly nurtured, had a great chance of breaking through to Dou Ling in the future. They would become pillars of the Jia Ma Empire! "All right, we'll stop here for today. After dinner, someone will arrange your lodgings. Rest well, and we'll continue tomorrow."

Seeing the disappointment on the faces of the dozens of children and the envy in their eyes, Chen Guan was unaffected, but Zhao Gang was immensely satisfied. His bean-sized little body stood ramrod straight, his face brimming with pride.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, a soldier arranged their lodgings. Unlike the other children, who were packed seven or eight to a room, Chen Guan and Zhao Gang received special treatment and were each assigned a private room.

Aptitude determined treatment. This world was too damn realistic! Chen Guan sighed faintly. Just as he finished washing up and was about to get into bed to begin cultivating, Zhao Gang from next door suddenly knocked on his door.

"You're called Chen Guan, right? I'm Zhao Gang, the first person to sense Dou Qi Energy today. You remember that, right? If there's anything you don't understand in the future, you can ask me. I'll definitely cultivate very quickly."

Zhao Gang rambled on and on, unable to conceal the smugness on his face.

The past had become little more than drifting smoke. After coming into contact with Dou Qi today, he had already branded himself in his heart as the number one genius among this batch of children. Those who could not even sense Dou Qi Energy were unworthy of playing with him. Only Chen Guan barely met the standard, though he was still inferior to Zhao Gang.

A child's vanity was simple and laughable.

Chen Guan gave him a vague response and saw him out. He had no intention of competing with some brat; that would be far too childish. They were not even mentally in the same age group, so it would be difficult for them to get along anyway.

Returning to his bed, Chen Guan took out the cultivation technique he had received today, the Spirit Crossing Art, from his robes. His eyes burned with desire, but he ultimately put it down helplessly. For him, advancing to Dou Zhe sooner was what mattered most! He put away the cultivation technique and began cultivating according to the pointers Yan Hongtao had taught him, absorbing the Dou Qi Energy between heaven and earth into his body.

Though this was tedious and dull, he firmly believed that one reaped what one sowed.

His curiosity toward this new thing, along with his urgent desire to grow stronger, gave him more than enough motivation to persist through the entire night.

Yet strangely, despite not sleeping all night, Chen Guan did not feel particularly tired. The benefits of cultivation seemed to have already begun showing themselves.

Or perhaps it was merely a psychological effect.

Today was the same as yesterday. All the children sat in the square, sensing Dou Qi Energy, while Yan Hongtao openly gave Chen Guan and Zhao Gang private instruction off to one side, explaining how to absorb it and what they needed to watch out for. Among other things, he mentioned that they should not place too much emphasis on cultivation techniques.

Perhaps stimulated by the two of them, the children were more serious today. Another four sensed Dou Qi Energy and joined the group receiving private instruction.

On the third day, another six succeeded.

On the fourth day, eight succeeded.

On the fifth day, two succeeded.

On the sixth day, eleven succeeded.

In the blink of an eye, Chen Guan had been at this "secret base" for a full month. Of the nearly fifty children in the same batch, only seven still had not sensed Dou Qi Energy.

Chen Guan keenly noticed that Yan Hongtao's gaze toward those seven held a trace of sympathy. Barring any surprises, there was only one possible outcome for them in the future: they would be trained into deathsworn soldiers.

Chen Guan once again sighed. In a world like this, talent truly was important! He then cast the matter aside.

He himself had to live cautiously. How could he possibly have the ability to worry about others?

Still, over this past month, Chen Guan had cultivated tirelessly and wasted no time. Every night, he rested for only Two Hours, and his gains were considerable.

He had now reached One Segment of Dou Qi!

He had discovered this seven days ago, when Yan Hongtao had asked him and Zhao Gang to carry the Magic Stone Tablet for Testing that would be used to test their Dou Qi in half a year, and Chen Guan had secretly tested himself.

Starting from nothing and reaching One Segment of Dou Qi in less than a month was already extremely fast.

After all, he was still in the stage of tempering his foundation. By common understanding, only after reaching Dou Zhe could one use medicinal pills and all kinds of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, greatly accelerating the rate at which one's cultivation advanced.

Besides the increase in strength, Chen Guan had made progress in other areas as well. For instance, when it came to communication, he could now converse normally with others, though his speaking speed was slightly slow.

Recently, Zhao Gang had also come to him less often to seek a sense of superiority. He had probably noticed that Chen Guan did not treat him with the same respect as the other children their age, leaving him somewhat dissatisfied.

Chen Guan was extremely pleased by this. Nothing could have been better. He wished no one would bother him so that he could spend all his time cultivating.

Time flew like an arrow, passing swiftly amid cultivation. In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.

The assessment Yan Hongtao had once mentioned had finally arrived!