Entrance Examination

Several days later, the Cloud Saint Sect indeed threw its gates wide open. By the time Sanbao arrived, a long line had already formed in front of the main entrance. After asking around, he learned that the Cloud Saint Sect was only recruiting one hundred disciples this time, a smaller number than in previous years. It was no wonder these people were so anxious, terrified of missing their chance. Sanbao, however, was not in a hurry; he simply joined the flow of the crowd and waited for the entrance examination.

"Listen up, everyone! Our Cloud Saint Sect only recruits disciples between the ages of twelve and eighteen. Those who are fifteen or older must have at least the strength of the ninth stage of Spirit Entry. This is the basic requirement. If you don't meet the criteria, don't waste everyone's time—go back home!"

In front of the mountain gate, a burly man in green robes from the Cloud Saint Sect shouted loudly.

As soon as he spoke, the crowd erupted into a commotion. Sounds of dissatisfaction rose one after another, though there were, of course, some cheers as well.

A young nobleman with handsome features said breezily, "It should be like this. Otherwise, any stray cat or dog would come to participate in the trials and waste our time."

The speaker was clearly a young aristocrat. As soon as he finished, he immediately drew glares from all around, many of which were hostile. With that one remark about "stray cats and dogs," he had managed to offend everyone in the vicinity.

Although his words were harsh, the reality was just as cruel. Within a short while, many people in the line left in dejection, clearly failing to meet the requirements.

Sanbao moved slowly forward with the line. Several hours passed in silence, and when only about a hundred people remained ahead of him, he finally saw the process of the entrance examination.

An elderly man with a calm and composed expression sat on a large chair, a round green stone table in front of him. The examinees took turns extending their left hands, placing them on the table to wait for the elder's assessment.

"Scoundrel! Your bones have already fused and your meridians are fully set; you are clearly over eighteen. Trying to fish in troubled waters and waste everyone's time? Throw him down the mountain!"

Following the examiner's roar, several experts from the Cloud Saint Sect who were waiting nearby immediately stepped forward, kicked an overage youth several times, and tossed him away.

A chorus of wails and howls caused the complexions of the various people waiting for the test to change drastically, secretly thinking that this Cloud Saint Sect was truly overbearing.

Immediately, dozens of people in the queue left on their own—these were the youths who did not meet the requirements but had hoped to slip through the cracks.

"Hmm, not bad. A one-star Spirit Scholar. How old are you?" After pressing his hand against a fair-skinned boy's, the elder asked, nodding his head.

"Thirteen..." the boy replied, his face full of excitement and joy.

"Not bad. Go to the back to register and receive your test token."

"Next."

"Eighth stage of Spirit Entry. How old are you?"

"Fourteen."

"Sigh, fine. Barely passing. Go to the back to register and receive your test token."

As the testing line moved slowly forward, Sanbao drew closer and closer to the examination. When only a dozen or so people remained in front of him, the sky had already begun to darken.

Just as Sanbao and the others were feeling slightly anxious, the elder suddenly raised both hands, let out a yawn, and mumbled, "Ah, that's all for today. We'll continue tomorrow."

"How unlucky. Just one person away, and now I have to spend the night here," the person at the front of the line muttered to himself, nearly fainting on the spot.

Sanbao naturally could only offer a bitter smile. Like most of the examinees in the front, he stayed where he was, sat down in meditation, and waited for tomorrow's test.

Fortunately, everyone had come prepared, and their packs naturally contained some water and dry rations.

Many of the examinees further back in the line chose to leave. The entrance exam would last for several days, so since they hadn't secured a good spot, they decided to go back to rest and recharge before returning another day.

The dew in the mountains at night was extremely heavy. If an ordinary person were soaked by it, they would likely fall ill, but for Spirit Cultivators with their robust vitality, it was not a problem. Aside from a few pampered noble youths who found it unbearable, most people sat in silence until dawn.

When the morning sun rose, the examiner arrived late, leaving the crowd of examinees waiting with bated breath.

The test finally began, and soon it was Sanbao's turn. The examiner gripped Sanbao's left arm with his five fingers and said, "Circulate your spirit power to the fullest."

"Yes."

Sanbao quietly circulated a portion of his spirit power. The elder's fingers vibrated, and he released his grip instantly. He then felt the bones in Sanbao's hand and smiled, saying, "Very good. How old are you?"

"Thirteen," Sanbao said truthfully.

"Two-star Spirit Scholar. Good, good. Go to the back to register and receive your test token."

As soon as the elder finished speaking, a gasp of surprise rippled through the scene.

In the eyes of these commoner disciples, a thirteen-year-old two-star Spirit Scholar was already an incredible genius. One had to know that most ordinary Spirit Cultivators only reached this achievement after the age of eighteen.

If they knew that Sanbao had only used seven or eight tenths of his strength, their jaws would likely have hit the floor.

Sanbao gave a simple, honest smile and jogged toward the registration point not far away. Keep it low-key, keep it low-key.

Because there were so many people participating in the test and their levels varied, the results were naturally a mix of joy and sorrow, which need not be detailed further.

The entire preliminary round of the entrance exam finally ended after seven days. According to the Cloud Saint Sect's statistics, over five hundred people had received test tokens. These five hundred people would participate in the final secondary test; those who passed would become entrance disciples of the Cloud Saint Sect, and their status and standing would naturally increase a hundredfold.

Soon, the Cloud Saint Sect brought the five hundred or so people, including Sanbao, to a small, compact valley. An elder named Zhao Youdao came before the crowd and said loudly:

"First, congratulations on obtaining your test tokens and participating in this trial. As long as you pass this test, you will become entrance disciples of our Cloud Saint Sect. The rules of the test are very simple: you must remain within this valley. The Second Sect Master will use a special Spirit Skill—the Pulse-Piercing Zither Sound—to attack all of you simultaneously. This is a powerful sound-based Spirit Skill. What you must do is hold on and not be knocked down by it. Of course, during the attack, those who feel they cannot endure it may leave the valley to avoid it. The one hundred examinees who remain in the valley at the end will be the final victors."

"Then, if I refuse to leave even if I die, and I just lie on the ground, does that count as passing?" one examinee asked with a smile.

"Of course not. As soon as anyone cannot hold on, whether they go mad from the pain or collapse, we will immediately send people to remove them from the valley."

"This kind of group attack is very unfair to those of us who are young. I only have the cultivation of the eighth stage of Spirit Entry, while some of the older ones are even three-star Spirit Scholars," a young boy asked timidly.

"That's right! If the intensity of the attack is the same, how could we possibly be a match for the three or four-star Spirit Scholars?" some of the Spirit Entry-level youths echoed.

"Rest assured, everyone. The Second Sect Master's Pulse-Piercing Zither Sound varies from person to person. The higher your cultivation, the greater the interference and the greater the pressure you must endure. It primarily tests an individual's potential and state of mind."

After Elder Zhao explained this, everyone finally understood.

"Alright, everyone has a quarter of an hour to prepare. The test will begin shortly. Those who cannot hold on need only lie down on the ground, and we will immediately send people to escort you out of the valley. Otherwise, you are responsible for your own life and death. One final reminder: during the test, you must not block your ear meridians, as doing so will only cause your heart and soul to suffer an even greater blow."

The crowd erupted into a commotion, everyone scrambling to find a spot to sit cross-legged, circulating their spirit power while awaiting the arrival of the Pulse-Piercing Zither Sound.

Ting...

A melodious and soothing zither note suddenly rang out, capturing everyone's attention, followed by a slightly aged voice that drifted slowly through the air: "Everyone, get ready. This old man is about to begin playing..."

Atop a high peak beside the valley, an old man with a white beard sat cross-legged at a zither stand. His slender fingers slowly brushed across the strings, and instantly, sounds resembling the myriad states of the world spread throughout the entire valley.

Hum-mi-do-re-mi...

Sanbao felt as if the blood in his entire body had been placed into a high-temperature steamer, constantly trying to surge outward. He secretly bit the tip of his tongue, forcibly mobilizing his spirit power to circulate throughout his body. A wave of coolness washed over him, and the scorching sensation immediately eased significantly.

Then, the zither music shifted, bringing a sensation of a frozen, snow-covered world. It was as if ice had seeped into every inch of his skin; it was bone-chillingly cold, and he felt as though his entire body was about to freeze stiff, to the point where even his soul seemed unable to think.

Thump, thump. In the blink of an eye, over a hundred people collapsed to the ground and were immediately dragged away by the responsible Cloud Saint Sect disciples, looking utterly wretched.

Sanbao guarded his heart tightly, keeping his spirit power flowing through his body, which finally allowed him to gradually dispel the cold. He thought to himself, To think such a Spirit Skill exists in this world; it is truly bizarre and unfathomable. If this were used on the battlefield to kill enemies, wouldn't it be like one man against a thousand, or even ten thousand?

Sanbao naturally did not know that while this zither sound was powerful, it was only because the person playing it had a cultivation level far higher than his own. If the difference in cultivation were not so great, the effect of this zither sound would naturally be quite limited.

"Ah..."

"I can't take it anymore, I give up~"

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