Eastern Xuan Academy, the Spirit Testing Stele Exploded!

Eastern Wasteland Domain, Tian Yong City.

Several war vessels hung steadily in the sky, Taotie statues carved at their prows breathing waterfalls of Spiritual Energy, guarding the region.

Quite impressive.

Except those Taotie were a bit ugly, obviously fake.

Today marked the Eastern Xuan Academy's decennial enrollment ceremony. Thousands of cultivators from various clans across the Eastern Wasteland packed the front plaza, all rubbing their hands together, nervous and expectant.

The Spirit Testing Stele at the southeast corner suddenly erupted with sky-piercing purple light, startling the birds and beasts in the nearby mountains.

"Heaven Tier, lower grade!" The Elder Steward's voice boomed, praise overflowing. "The Mu Family's innate Sword Body lives up to its reputation. No need to continue—you pass!"

The white-clad girl withdrew her jade hand, her eyes shimmering with cold light. The jade pendant at her waist bore the name "Mu Qingxue." She offered a word of thanks, moved with lotus-like steps, and followed a senior sister into the academy. The onlookers parted a path automatically, unable to tear their gazes away.

One look was respect. Constant looks were constant respect.

"Fairy Qingxue is both beautiful and powerful. If I could marry her, I'd be willing to become a saint or an ancestor!"

"My friend speaks great reason—I second that motion!"

"It's just a pity the fairy seems to be betrothed to some big shot, but that somehow makes it more exciting..."

"Speak not recklessly!"

"..."

The Spirit Testing Stele was the first checkpoint for entering the academy, capable of examining a cultivator's bloodline talent.

So-called bloodline talent was similar to physique talent—both were fated at birth. The two enhanced cultivation in different ways, but both were undoubtedly important aids.

Most importantly, not everyone could awaken a physique, but bloodline talent was truly a birth-accompanying trait—the only difference was in strength or weakness.

Typically, it could be divided into six tiers: Heaven, Earth, Xuan, Yellow, Spirit, and Mortal. Heaven Tier was the highest, Mortal Tier the lowest.

Those with Heaven Tier aptitude, barring accidents, would at least become saints in the future!

Once Heaven Tier appeared, they would undoubtedly become the treasures of every academy and sect, nurtured with full effort. As for Mortal Tier, without heaven-defying fortune, an ordinary life was still a happy one.

But Heaven Tier was not the peak. Legend held that above Heaven was Divinity.

Divine Tier!

Unfortunately, such favored children of heaven generally only existed in the top clans of the Central Continent. Even among those clans, such prodigies appeared only once in a millennium.

And the peak of Divine Tier...

The ceiling was very, very high!

They might even become immortals!

Every Divine Tier who hadn't died young had gone on to broader horizons. A few legendary figures had even stirred up storms in the Upper Realm's Immortal Domain, and after reaching profound cultivation, still remembered the Lower Realm, leaving behind heaven-defying opportunities in various places, passing down tales sung by the world.

That was a digression.

"Next!"

A youth in coarse linen stepped forward, his sleeve cuffs stained with a bit of sugar residue. Though he looked young, he was extremely handsome, especially his eyes, as if they could gather all the stars of the nine heavens.

"Most cultivators wait until they're at least eighteen, after their meridians have formed, to test. Whose little brat is this? Clearly underage—what a joke!"

"Wow, what a good-looking youth! Little fatty, are you jealous—"

"I am... No way! You woman are utterly unreasonable! Hmph!"

"..."

"Xuanyuan Che, fourteen years old, rogue cultivator."

The youth's voice was pleasant, though a bit young, it was melodious. He narrowed his eyes and placed his palm on the Spirit Testing Stele.

The moment his palm touched the cold stele surface, Xuanyuan Che felt the Chaos Qi inside him go slightly out of control, failing to suppress two bloodlines at once.

He silently cursed—he'd been greedy earlier, eating several pieces of Ice Soul Candy his second sister had given him, and hadn't fully absorbed them. A trace of Extreme Cold Dao Rhyme remained in his body!

The Spirit Testing Stele trembled violently, spiderweb cracks spreading across its surface. Seven-colored divine light flickered alternately, blazing red one moment and interweaving five colors the next.

Then, This was...

The Spirit Testing Stele exploded!

"Nani?!" The Elder Steward on the main seat launched himself like a spring, flashing over.

He rubbed his eyes, clearly struggling to accept the scene before him. Not just him—many cultivators who noticed the commotion couldn't believe their eyes either.

"This... what's going on?"

"The Spirit Testing Stele exploded? Am I seeing things?"

"What background does this kid have, to actually blow up the Spirit Testing Stele?"

"Could it be... his bloodline has surpassed Heaven Tier, reaching the legendary... Divine Tier?"

"Impossible! Divine Tier appears once in a century, and those peerless prodigies are mostly from the Central Continent's noble families. How could the Eastern Wasteland Domain produce a Divine Tier?"

"It can't be that he's some immortal's child left behind in the mortal world, can it? That's too ridiculous, hahaha."

"..."

The surrounding crowd buzzed with discussion, their gazes at Xuanyuan Che filled with shock, doubt, and confusion. When they noticed the youth's appearance, their reactions split sharply into two extremes.

One group was utterly pained and distressed, while the other's eyes practically sparkled with stars.

The Elder Steward looked completely dumbfounded. Having presided over the enrollment ceremony for so many years, this was the first time he'd encountered such a situation. He steadied himself, walked up to Xuanyuan Che, looked him up and down, and asked again: "Sigh... what was your name again?"

"Xuanyuan Che." The boy blinked. He found this old man quite amusing, just a bit scatterbrained. It reminded him of the Seventeenth Ancestor.

"Xuanyuan Che..." The Elder Steward muttered the name several times, racking his brains but failing to recall which monstrous prodigy it belonged to.

The surname Xuanyuan did sound rather impressive.

So he stopped dwelling on it and instead asked seriously, "Where do you come from, and who is your master?"

Xuanyuan Che immediately put on a heartbroken expression, though he remained perfectly calm. He prided himself on his acting skills—top-notch even in the Immortal Domain!

"I'm an orphan."

The Elder Steward's heart ached at this, and he silently lamented. But then he quickly smiled.

An orphan was good! An orphan meant no backing! If this kid had a Divine Tier bloodline, then the Eastern Xuan Academy would bask in reflected glory! If he really became an immortal someday, being able to say "There's an immortal from our academy" would be incredibly impressive!

The Elder Steward desperately suppressed the corners of his mouth. He took a deep breath, trying to make his tone sound as calm as possible. "Try again."

"Huh?" Xuanyuan Che was taken aback. "Again?"

"Yes." The Elder Steward nodded. "This time, use a different Spirit Testing Stele." He summoned a subordinate, muttered a few instructions, and the man hurried off with several others.

Half an hour later, a brand-new Spirit Testing Stele was brought over. It looked... somewhat larger than the previous one?

A Spirit Testing Stele Pro Max?

The Elder Steward pointed at the new stele and said to Xuanyuan Che, "This one. Try again."

"Oh..." Xuanyuan Che nodded. Since that was the case, he might as well play along with the whole act. It was good practice for his acting skills, which would come in handy when he returned! He walked up to the new stele and slowly placed his palm on it again.

The moment his palm touched the stele's surface, it began to tremble violently once more.

"Not good!" The Elder Steward's face changed drastically. He cried out in alarm and instinctively stepped back a few paces.

Without any suspense, the Spirit Testing Stele exploded again, crumbling into a pile of rubble!

"..."

The entire scene fell into dead silence.

Everyone stared wide-eyed at Xuanyuan Che, as if trying to see whether such a handsome exterior actually housed some ancient monster.

"How is this possible!" The Elder Steward couldn't believe it. "Twice in a row... twice, and both times you blew up the Spirit Testing Stele?!"

"I don't know," Xuanyuan Che said innocently. "Maybe this stele was too fragile."

"Too fragile?" The Elder Steward's mouth twitched.

Come on! This was a Spirit Testing Stele Pro Max forged from Outer Heavenly Meteorite Iron! Even a Heaven Tier magical artifact could barely scratch it, and you're calling it fragile?

"Forget it, forget it." The Elder Steward coughed. "You don't need to test anymore. Come with me; I'll take you to see the Academy Lord."

He was increasingly convinced the youth had a Divine Tier bloodline, but since he'd never seen one before, he couldn't be certain.

He had already sent a voice transmission to the Academy Lord. If this worked out, it would be a major achievement, and the peak of his career would be within reach! With this, his position as Elder Steward might even jump several ranks.

And if he could somehow land a role like Vice Dean or Dean, where he wouldn't have to teach every day or compete with colleagues over student grades, that would be absolutely wonderful!

Besides, the Academy Lord was a Saint King! That was a figure of great renown across the Eastern Barren and even the entire Barren Heavenly Dao Continent!

Surely even the Academy Lord couldn't have seen everything.

"Thank you, Elder." Xuanyuan Che cupped his hands in thanks and followed the Elder Steward with a smile.

Before leaving, he cast a subtle glance in a certain direction.

"A Guixu Sword Body... how interesting."

Several li away.

Within the academy, Mu Qingxue suddenly halted. Her treasured sword, responding to some resonance, unsheathed itself by three inches—an aura that made even the Sword Spirit tremble.

What was the cause?

She turned her gaze toward the direction the sword had pointed, which was precisely where the enrollment ceremony was being held. Curiosity stirred within her. A sword had its spirit, and someone had actually made her Dustless Sword feel fear. This piqued her interest and ignited her battle intent. For the first time since entering the academy, her ice-cold expression showed a ripple.