Today, a major event that had captured the attention of the entire Southern Domain began.
Tianren Sect was recruiting disciples.
In the past, Tianren Sect recruiting disciples would not have been anything particularly significant.
But now, Tianren Sect was beginning to look like the foremost sect in the Southern Domain, and rumors claimed that a reclusive expert stood behind it!
As a result, countless people from across the Southern Domain came to take Tianren Sect's test.
There were more than twice as many as in previous years.
At the foot of Tianren Mountain, outside Tianren Sect, hundreds of Tianren Sect disciples were in charge of testing the applicants' cultivation talents.
Several elders were stretched out behind them, fast asleep. With disciples handling the tests, the elders were only there for show, in case anything unexpected happened.
"No talent for cultivation. Next!"
The disciple in charge of testing held a crystal ball. Seeing the white light it had produced for the youth before him, he called out.
These crystal balls were treasures used to test cultivation talent. All one had to do was place a hand on the ball, making the test simple and convenient.
If the crystal ball emitted white light, it meant the person had no cultivation talent.
Green light meant they had low-grade cultivation talent.
Blue light meant they had intermediate-grade cultivation talent.
Purple light meant they had high-grade cultivation talent.
Tianren Sect was one of the top sects in the Southern Domain and had high standards for its disciples' cultivation talent. Only those with intermediate-grade talent or above could enter the sect to cultivate.
Xu Yan and Jiang Li had come too. Looking at the hundreds of long lines, both of them were a little stunned.
Then they marveled that Tianren Sect truly deserved its reputation as a top sect in the Southern Domain. So many people wanted to enter and cultivate there!
Even so, it would be impressive if as many as one percent of them managed to join Tianren Sect.
Xu Yan looked toward the shortest line and said to Jiang Li, "Good luck. Go get in line!"
He had come with Jiang Li, and seeing so many people taking the test made him feel a little uncertain too.
But then he remembered that he had spoken with Qin Yudie, which reassured him somewhat.
Now, it all depended on whether Jiang Li had any cultivation talent!
Jiang Li nodded to Xu Yan and went to the end of the shortest line.
He took a deep breath, forcing himself to relax.
Xu Yan sat on a nearby rock and waited. Half an hour later, it was finally Jiang Li's turn, and a long line had already formed behind him.
Xu Yan silently cheered him on, his eyes fixed on Jiang Li.
Please don't disappoint me!
The disciple in charge of testing sat in his chair, barely bothering to look at Jiang Li. In an utterly bored voice, he said, "Put your hand on the ball."
The crystal ball was already on the table. There was nothing for him to do except call out a few instructions.
The job wasn't tiring, but it was incredibly dull. If not for the contribution points, he wouldn't have wanted this thankless task.
"Okay!"
Jiang Li answered and placed both hands on the crystal ball.
He felt a cool energy flow from the ball into his body through his hands, then return to the ball the same way.
At that moment, the crystal ball lit up.
Boom!
A dazzling orange radiance burst from the crystal ball, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
Even the elders, who had been dozing off, opened their eyes at once and followed the light to Jiang Li and the crystal ball he was touching.
"My goodness! Orange light—supreme cultivation talent!"
A portly elder rushed over and stood beside Jiang Li, looking him up and down as if he were a priceless treasure.
The disciple in charge of testing stared at the brilliant orange light from the crystal ball, utterly astonished.
Had he really just tested a super genius with supreme cultivation talent?
Yang Wei looked up at Jiang Li and smiled. In a gentle voice, he said, "Hello, Junior Brother. My name is Yang Wei, and I'm your senior brother. We're fellow disciples from now on. If you ever need help, you can come to me."
What should one do when meeting a super genius? Obviously, one had to find a way to build a good relationship with him, preferably becoming close friends. That way, he'd have someone to look out for him in the future.
"Get out of the way," the portly elder said to Yang Wei. Then he looked at Jiang Li with deep fondness and asked with a smile, "What's your name? Where are you from?"
Finding a super genius with supreme cultivation talent out of the blue was certainly cause for celebration, but they still needed to learn where he came from, just in case he was a spy sent by some other faction.
Jiang Li was a little confused, but answered honestly, "My name is Jiang Li. I live in Tianren City."
Then he cautiously added, "Um, can I take my hands off the crystal ball now?"
The crystal ball's dazzling orange radiance was far too conspicuous, and he didn't like drawing attention to himself.
His mother had taught him since childhood that he should always keep a low profile and never grow proud or complacent.
He had always remembered her advice, and he had followed it faithfully.
"Of course!" the portly elder said, unable to hide his smile.
He was practically bursting with joy. This super genius was from Tianren City—what wonderful news!
Tianren City was already under Tianren Sect's jurisdiction, so the boy had come to exactly the right place.
Then the portly elder asked, "How old are you?"
Cultivation talent was important, but so was a cultivator's age. A solid foundation built early would make cultivation easier later on.
"Sixteen," Jiang Li replied.
He didn't know why the portly man was so happy, but since no one was telling him to leave, he figured he must have passed the test.
That made him happy too, and he looked delightedly toward Xu Yan, who was sitting on a nearby rock.
"Excellent! Truly excellent! Wonderful!" the portly elder praised. Sixteen wasn't old, and with supreme cultivation talent, Jiang Li would soon be able to catch up with the ordinary disciples in the sect.
The thought that Tianren Sect had recruited a super genius filled him with joy.
Then he glanced to the side and was startled.
People were standing all around Jiang Li, each with a smile on their face.
Even the man beside him was grinning foolishly and drooling, nearly scaring him to death.
"Uncles, may I ask if I passed the test?" Seeing them all staring at him like wolves eyeing a lamb, Jiang Li began to feel as if he were in danger. He asked timidly.
What he cared about most now was whether he had passed. If he had, he could share the good news with Senior Xu, who was waiting nearby.
The portly elder replied, "Of course you passed. What's more, I can take you on as my personal disciple right now!"
Taking a super genius as his disciple would bring him tremendous prestige. After all, the super geniuses of the entire Southern Domain could be counted on one hand; they were exceedingly rare.
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