Maxing Out Proficiency, Grinding into a Mortal Sword Immortal: Part 9

These were the sect's reserve force of fresh blood.

They, too, liked geniuses—especially geniuses tested by their own hands.

The disciples recruited from outside would later have people specifically investigate their identities and backgrounds. If their records were clean, they would naturally become fresh blood for the sect.

Of course, it could not be ruled out that people with ulterior motives might slip in. That was why investigations were necessary.

The sect would not raise ungrateful wolves, either.

The next was still a Menial Disciple. Visible to the naked eye, Elder Yin's expression had already darkened somewhat.

Sure enough, there was no miracle. It was still a two-colored Spiritual Root, barely passing.

As the tests continued one after another, the disciples recruited from outside did indeed bring far more pleasant surprises. Still, those who qualified were ultimately few, and several with unsuitable Spiritual Roots were eliminated outright.

The standards for outside recruitment were age and cultivation, but Myriad Sword Pavilion was, after all, an Immortal Dao Sect. Whether one possessed an Immortal Root was even more important.

Such recruitment standards might overlook many disciples with aptitude. They might have talent, yet fail to reach the Body Refining Fourth Level.

However, such disciples could apply to become menial workers. They would serve as Menial Disciples for ten years. After those ten years, they could leave or remain. Those who remained would still be Menial Disciples, but the sect would nurture them to some extent until they reached the Body Refining Fourth Level and could apply for the Outer Sect Assessment.

This only applied to those with some aptitude but insufficient strength. If someone's talent truly defied the heavens, they would be dragged away on the very first day they applied to be assessed as a Menial Disciple.

In an Immortal Sect, aptitude was extremely important. Without an Immortal Root, no matter how strong one was at Body Tempering, one was merely a martial brute.

It had to be said that this process was already quite humane.

For such a vast Immortal Sect to assess several thousand Menial Disciples every month required immense manpower and resources. It was clear that the sect attached tremendous importance to these younger forces.

Very soon, it was the turn of a handsome young man standing before Yun Shu. Dressed in brocade, with refined features and a folding fan in hand, its surface painted with pale ink landscapes, he carried an indescribably elegant young master's charm.

Under the gazes of several Elders, he placed his hand upon it as well.

In an instant.

A violent tremor erupted from the jade stone. The next moment, gentle golden light burst forth like the sun, so dazzling that it was impossible to keep one's eyes open.

Standing behind him, Yun Shu narrowed his eyes. He had recalled who this person was.

Several Elders shot to their feet in excitement. Such a scene was almost unprecedented.

"A Single Spiritual Root of One Color, High-grade Gold Element! This can be called a Heavenly Spiritual Root, can it not?!" Elder Yin's voice trembled.

A Single Spiritual Root cultivated extremely quickly, because one only needed to tend to a single root.

With Dual Spiritual Roots, or even Triple Spiritual Roots and Quad Spiritual Roots, while cultivating the strongest root, one also had to take the others into account. At the very least, one had to maintain Five Elements Balance, lest flaws in cultivation lead to Qi Deviation.

A Single Spiritual Root was already something one could only dream of obtaining, much less a high-grade one.

Even among the top Immortal Sects of the Ten Provinces, someone of this caliber would receive the utmost attention.

And it was Metal Attribute at that—the makings of a natural Sword Cultivator!

At Myriad Sword Pavilion's height, even its Head Seat and Sect Master had possessed no greater aptitude than this, much less now.

"What is your name?"

"Qin Lingyu." The young man gave a slight bow as he spoke.

"Good, good, good!" The Great Elder said "good" three times in a row.

Yet the Elders still suppressed the excitement in their hearts. They exchanged glances and slowly sat back down. At the very least, this man's destination would have to wait until the assessment was over.

Moreover, it might no longer be something they could decide.

But at this moment, they could barely remain seated. They could not wait to send this news upward. The Great Elder had even sent a Communication Talisman to an Inner Sect powerhouse.

As fate would have it, Yun Shu was next.

Yun Shu, "..."

Was he here just to serve as a comparison for these people?

He looked exactly like cannon fodder.

Still, he gently placed his hand on it.

Three-colored light emerged softly.

The golden light was clearly somewhat stronger than the other two, but not by much.

Moreover, the Metal Attribute light sometimes shone more brightly and sometimes dimmed.

When it was bright, it seemed to be around mid-grade.

When it dimmed, it did not seem much stronger than the other two.

"Mid-grade Gold Element... uh, Low-grade? Low-grade Water Element, Low-grade Wood Element." Elder Yin seemed to fall silent for a moment, as though hesitating. "Triple Spiritual Root. The Metal Attribute is a little stronger, but a Triple Spiritual Root..."

With a Triple Spiritual Root, this aptitude could only be said to barely allow cultivation. If the Metal Attribute had not been just slightly stronger, he would not even have hesitated.

The Middle-aged Elder in Black beside him looked at the jade stone and frowned slightly as well.

But then Elder Yang in black said, "The Metal Attribute is on the lower end of mid-grade. I think he can still cultivate. He barely qualifies—let him pass."

"Alright." Elder Yin nodded.

There was no need for him to dwell on it. One more Outer Sect Disciple or one fewer made no difference to them. If someone had a little aptitude, it was fine to give them a hand, but with this aptitude, the path of cultivation would truly be rugged and arduous.

He could only wish him good luck.

He announced, "Qualified. Pass!"

After the test, Yun Shu stepped aside.

Although aptitude was no longer something that limited his advancement, it was still very important. He envied Qin Lingyu's top-tier talent.

If he possessed such aptitude, even without those external aids, he could still live quite comfortably.

He had already remembered who Qin Lingyu was.

Qin Lingyu, seventeen years old.

This man was the Third Young Master of a renowned Cultivation Family on the continent. Because the internal transfer of power was unstable, he had been sent out to cultivate here first.

Myriad Sword Pavilion had, at the very least, once been one of the great sects under heaven. It would neither draw too much attention like the current top Immortal Sects nor seem overly shabby and impoverished.

His family background could be set aside for now.

What mattered most was the course of his fate.

This young master from a great family was love-struck and exceedingly arrogant, seeing no one as worthy of his regard. The moment he entered the sect, he began madly pursuing the Female Protagonist. After being rejected several times, he finally could not endure it and tried to do something unspeakable to her outside the sect. Naturally, the Female Protagonist killed him in return, crippled his cultivation, and in the end, he turned demonic in a single thought.

His collusion with the Demon Sect was the root cause of Myriad Sword Pavilion's destruction.

Myriad Sword Pavilion had obtained these two Dragon and Phoenix Cubs, yet rather than flourishing, it would step by step descend into the abyss.

But for now, none of that had much to do with Yun Shu. He only needed to survive.

Thus, when he saw the smiles on those Elders' faces, he could only shake his head inwardly.

In this world, there were blessings that arrived unbidden, and calamities that came without cause.

The two always complemented one another.

So there was nothing worth celebrating. If Yun Shu were part of the High Level, he might have directly kicked both of them out.

Forget restoring the sect. A genius who had yet to grow might not be something the current Myriad Sword Pavilion could bear.

The greater the talent, the greater the disaster one could bring down.

With proper guidance, there might truly be hope of restoring the sect. It was a gamble—gambling on whether he could fully mature, with the fate of the entire sect as the stake.

But if that choice were truly made, Yun Shu felt that if he were at the very top, everyone present today except those two would have to die. Once news leaked, it could become an enormous calamity.

However, Myriad Sword Pavilion lacked such decisiveness. In the plot, the news had leaked almost as soon as the two entered the sect.

Thus, Yun Shu was not overly worried.

The testing continued.

Soon, a Young Girl stood before the testing jade stone.

She was the sort of girl who could be spotted at a glance even amid a crowd. She possessed a special air about her, an indescribable ethereality and distance, like a Divine Consort Immortal untouched by the smoke and fire of the Mortal World.

She looked sixteen or seventeen.

She extended a crystalline, jade-like hand and gently pressed it against the jade stone.

The jade stone shook even more violently than it had for Qin Lingyu. The Elders exchanged glances, and wild joy appeared in all their eyes.

Watching from behind, Yun Shu could not help pursing his lips lightly.

The Female Protagonist's entrance was always so domineering, arrogant, and sharp. She did not care what the occasion was.

She always had to be the best, had to make everyone turn their heads.

The only thing that puzzled Yun Shu was why, with such exceptional aptitude, the Female Protagonist had not directly chosen a Super Immortal Sect. Myriad Sword Pavilion might once have enjoyed great renown, but it had declined far too much.

After thinking it over and over, Yun Shu could only explain it by assuming that the Female Protagonist might have thought this place was closer.

Still, within the sect, she had indeed obtained countless inheritances, filling out her arsenal all at once. Even when she later faced top-tier experts, they would still prove useful.

Perhaps it was just the plot's design, Yun Shu thought.