Eastern Wasteland Domain, Tian Yong City.
Several warships hovered steadily in the sky, the Taotie statues carved at their prows swallowing and spitting Spiritual Energy waterfalls as they guarded the region.
Quite imposing.
It was just that those Taotie were a little ugly. Fake at a glance.
Today was Eastern Xuan Academy's once-in-a-decade admissions ceremony. Thousands of cultivators from clans across the Eastern Wasteland packed the front square, all rubbing their hands together, nervous yet expectant.
The Spirit Testing Stele in the southeast corner suddenly erupted with soaring violet light, startling the birds and beasts in the nearby mountains.
"Heaven Tier, lower grade!" Elder Steward's voice rang out, his praise impossible to conceal. "The Mu Family's innate sword body truly lives up to its reputation. No need to continue. You pass!"
The girl in white withdrew her jade-like hand, cold light glinting in her eyes. The jade pendant at her waist reflected the words "Mu Qingxue." After offering her thanks, she moved with lotus steps and followed the senior sister guiding her into the academy. The spectators automatically parted to make way, their gazes reluctant to leave her.
One glance was respect. Staring without end was endless respect.
"Fairy Qingxue is beautiful and powerful indeed. If I could marry her, I'd be willing even if it meant making me a Saint and an ancestor!"
"Brother, your words make great sense. I second them!"
"It's just a pity that the fairy seems to have an engagement with some great figure. Though somehow, that makes it even more exciting..."
"Do not speak recklessly!"
"..."
The Spirit Testing Stele was the first checkpoint for entering the academy. It could test a cultivator's Bloodline Talent.
Bloodline Talent was similar to physique talent; both were determined at birth. The two boosted cultivation in different ways, but both were undoubtedly important aids.
Most importantly, not everyone could awaken a physique, but Bloodline Talent was a true innate accompanying talent, differing only in strength.
Under normal circumstances, it could be divided into six tiers: Heaven, Earth, Profound, Yellow, Spirit, and Mortal. Heaven Tier stood at the top, while Mortal Tier lay at the bottom.
Those with Heaven Tier aptitude would, barring mishap, become Saints at the very least in the future!
Once a Heaven Tier aptitude appeared, it would undoubtedly become the treasure in the palms of major academies and sects, to be cultivated with all their strength. As for Mortal Tier, without a heaven-defying opportunity, living an ordinary life was actually happiness too.
But Heaven Tier was not the summit. Legend said that above Heaven stood Divine.
Divine Rank!
Unfortunately, such favored children of heaven generally existed only among the top clans of the Central Continent. Even within those clans, such monsters were rarely seen once in a thousand years.
And the pinnacle of Divine Rank...
Its upper limit was very, very high!
It might even become immortal!
In the past, every Divine Rank talent that had not perished young had gone to broader heavens and earth. Several legendary figures had even stirred the winds and clouds in the immortal regions of the Upper Realm. After achieving feats rivaling creation itself, they still remembered the Lower Realm, leaving heaven-defying opportunities everywhere and passing down tale after tale praised by the world.
That was beside the point.
"Next!"
A youth in coarse linen stepped forward, his cuffs stained with a little candy syrup. Though he looked young, he was exceptionally handsome, especially those eyes of his, as though they could gather all the stars and rivers of the nine heavens within them.
"Ordinary cultivators can only be tested after reaching adulthood at eighteen, once the meridians in their bodies have formed. Whose little brat is this? He's clearly underage. Is this a joke?!"
"Wow, what a handsome youth! Little fatty, are you jealous of him—"
"I am... No, I'm not! You woman are simply unreasonable! Hmph!"
"Xuanyuan Che, fourteen years old, Rogue Cultivator."
The youth had a pleasant voice. Though it was somewhat youthful, it was lovely to hear. Narrowing his eyes, he placed his palm on the Spirit Testing Stele.
The instant his palm touched the cold surface, Xuanyuan Che immediately felt the Chaos Qi within him grow somewhat uncontrollable. For a moment, he failed to suppress two bloodlines.
He inwardly cried out in alarm. Earlier, he had greedily eaten several pieces of the Ice Soul Candy his second sister had given him, and he had not had time to fully absorb them. A trace of Extreme Cold Dao Rhyme had actually remained within his body!
The Spirit Testing Stele shook violently, spiderweb cracks appearing across its surface. Seven-colored divine light flashed in turns, blazing red one moment and intertwining in five colors the next.
Then,
This was...
The Spirit Testing Stele exploded!
"Nani?!" Elder Steward, seated in the place of honor, sprang to his feet and flashed over.
He rubbed his eyes, clearly unable to accept the sight before him for a moment. It was not only him; the many cultivators who noticed the commotion also could not believe their eyes.
"Th-this... what is going on?"
"The Spirit Testing Stele exploded? Am I seeing things?"
"Who is this kid? He actually managed to blow up the Spirit Testing Stele?"
"Could it be... that his bloodline has surpassed Heaven Tier and reached the legendary... Divine Rank?"
"Impossible! Divine Rank appears only once in a century, and those peerless monsters are mostly children of great Central Continent families. How could Divine Rank appear in the Eastern Wasteland Domain?"
"Don't tell me he's the child some immortal from above left behind in the mortal world? That's way too absurd, hahaha."
"..."
The surrounding crowd buzzed with discussion, their eyes filled with shock, confusion, and incomprehension as they looked at Xuanyuan Che. When they noticed his appearance, their reactions became even more polarized.
One group beat their chests and stamped their feet in anguish, while the other had little stars shining straight out of their eyes.
Elder Steward looked completely bewildered. After presiding over admissions ceremonies for so many years, this was his first time encountering such a situation. He steadied himself, walked before Xuanyuan Che, looked him up and down, and asked again, "Hiss... what was your name again?"
"Xuanyuan Che." The youth blinked. He found this old man rather interesting, though somewhat muddleheaded. He was reminded of the Seventeenth Ancestor.
"Xuanyuan Che..." Elder Steward repeated the name several times, racking his brains but unable to recall which family this monster came from.
The surname Xuanyuan did sound rather formidable.
So he stopped dwelling on it and asked solemnly instead, "Where did you come from, and who is your master?"
Xuanyuan Che immediately put on a look of utter heartbreak. He was very calm. He considered his acting skills among the very best even in the immortal regions!
"I'm an orphan."
The elder's heart ached at those words, and he secretly sighed in regret. But then he immediately smiled.
An orphan was good! What did being an orphan mean? It meant no one stood behind him! If this youth truly possessed a Divine Rank bloodline, then Eastern Xuan Academy would at least get to bask in his glory later! If he really became immortal one day, just one sentence—there is an immortal in my academy—would be unbelievably awesome!
Elder Steward frantically suppressed the corners of his mouth. Taking a deep breath, he tried to make his tone sound calmer. "Try again."
"Huh?" Xuanyuan Che froze. "I still have to test?"
"Yes." Elder Steward nodded. "This time, we'll use another Spirit Testing Stele." He summoned a subordinate and muttered a few words. The subordinate hurried away with several others.
Half a quarter of an hour later, a brand-new Spirit Testing Stele was carried over. It just looked like... it was quite a bit larger than the previous one?
Spirit Testing Stele Pro Max version?
Elder Steward pointed at the new Spirit Testing Stele and said to Xuanyuan Che, "This one. Try again."
"Oh..." Xuanyuan Che nodded. Since that was the case, he might as well act the whole play to the end. It would be a fine opportunity to hone his acting skills, which would surely be useful when he returned in the future! He walked before the new Spirit Testing Stele and slowly placed his palm upon it again.
The instant his palm touched the stele, the Spirit Testing Stele began to shake violently once more.
"Not good!" Elder Steward's expression changed drastically. He cried out and instinctively retreated several steps.
Without the slightest suspense, the Spirit Testing Stele exploded again, turning into a heap of rubble!
"..."
The entire venue fell deathly silent.
Everyone stared at Xuanyuan Che with longing eyes, as though they wanted to see whether that gorgeous exterior truly wrapped an ancient monster within.
"How is this possible?!" Elder Steward could scarcely believe it. "Twice in a row... Both times, you blew up the Spirit Testing Stele?!"
"I'm not sure." Xuanyuan Che looked utterly innocent. "Perhaps this stone stele was too fragile."
"Too fragile?" The elder's mouth twitched.
Please! This was the Spirit Testing Stele Pro Max version forged from Outer Heavenly Meteorite Iron! Even Heaven Tier artifacts could scarcely shake it, yet he was calling it fragile?
"Forget it, forget it." Elder Steward coughed. "You don't need to test anymore. Come with me. I'll take you to meet the Academy Lord."
He increasingly felt that this youth possessed a Divine Rank bloodline, but since he had never seen one before, he could not make a firm judgment.
He had already sent the Academy Lord a voice transmission. If this worked out, it would be a great achievement, and the peak of his life would be within reach! His position as Elder Steward might even be promoted several ranks in one stroke.
Perhaps he could even snag a position as vice president or academy president someday. He would not 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! Even in their Eastern Wasteland, or throughout the entire Barren Heavenly Dao Continent, he was a great figure with status and face!
Surely there could not be a situation even the Academy Lord had never seen.
"Thank you, Elder." Xuanyuan Che cupped his hands in thanks and followed the elder away with a smile.
Before leaving, he cast an imperceptible glance in a certain direction.
"Guixu Sword Body, huh? Interesting."
Several miles away.
Within the academy, Mu Qingxue suddenly stopped. Her treasured sword had reacted to something and drawn itself three inches from its sheath—that was an aura that made the Sword Spirit tremble.
What was the reason?
She turned toward the direction from which the sword had emerged, which was precisely where the admissions ceremony had just been held. She could not help but grow curious. A sword also had spirit; someone had actually made the Dustless Sword Heart feel fear. This interested her and stirred her fighting intent. For the first time since entering the academy, ripples appeared on her frost-like face.
!!! Important !!! The realms are as follows: (Ling Shu Realm, Xuan Pin Realm, Jie Huo Realm, Dao Seed Realm, Xing Yuan Realm, Wu Xiang Realm, Tai Xu Realm, Saint Realm [Saint, Saint Lord, Saint Venerable, Saint King], Supreme Realm [seven grades in total]) (Xuan Xian Realm, Golden Immortal Realm, True Immortal Realm, Immortal Lord Realm, Immortal King Realm, Mortal Immortal, Immortal Emperor...)
Before you continue