All Eyes on Me!

"Don't do this, Mo, this world needs you." Seeing Mo Shang look completely unimpressed, the young man grew somewhat anxious.

"I am no Heaven's Chosen, I don't have that kind of strength." Mo Shang spread his hands, still unmoved.

"This..." Seeing Mo Shang resolved to slack off to the end, the young man felt rather helpless.

"Besides, I don't even know your name, yet you're asking me to go save the world. Does that make any sense?" Mo Shang wore a helpless expression and spoke once more.

"Haha, that was my oversight. My name is Gu Qingzhou."

The young man gave an awkward laugh, stated his name, and then spoke again: "Forget it, let's not talk about that for now. Today is the day the Falling Cloud Sect recruits disciples, we had better hurry over."

"Hah, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten."

Hearing this, Mo Shang remembered that today truly was the day the Falling Cloud Sect recruited disciples. Without wasting any time, his figure flickered and vanished on the spot.

"Wait for me!"

Seeing Mo Shang leave, Gu Qingzhou quickly followed after him.

Skywatch City, central plaza.

Daylight spilled down, heads surged, and right in the center of the plaza, two long queues stood neatly arranged like two great rivers, splitting the massive plaza in two.

Everyone waiting in line was a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth, each wearing a nervous expression and holding their breath in anticipation.

Two middle-aged cultivators dressed in Falling Cloud Sect attire stood on either side, each holding a glowing white crystal ball whose brilliance swirled secretly as they tested the aptitudes of the youths on the field one by one.

"Wood, fire, earth, water. Mixed Spirit Root."

"Sir, is this spirit root of mine... very poor?"

"Your aptitude is indeed ordinary. The fact that you can cultivate to the Body Tempering Fifth Layer shows your diligence. I will make an exception and admit you to the Outer Sect."

The cultivator smiled as he spoke, then paused briefly before adding: "Even though you are a mixed spirit root, you need not give up on yourself. Our sect excels in alchemy, talismans, and artifact refining; there is always a path for you to establish yourself. Continue your diligent cultivation in the days ahead, and do not slack off."

"Yes! Thank you, sir! Thank you, sir!"

The youth was overjoyed, bowing repeatedly.

"Go on, wait to the side. Next."

"Good thing I made it."

Mo Shang walked briskly into the plaza, feeling somewhat more at ease when he saw that the Falling Cloud Sect's recruiting deacon had not yet left.

He had waited bitterly for a full year for this day. If he missed this time, he would have to wait another year.

"The place where dreams begin, I never expected I could return here..."

At this moment, Gu Qingzhou had also arrived. Gazing at the familiar scene before him, a trace of nostalgic sentiment akin to another lifetime flashed across the depths of his eyes.

"Alright, stop being sentimental, you should get in line first." Ignoring the other's exclamation, Mo Shang walked on his own accord to the end of the line.

Without waiting for long, Mo Shang soon arrived before the Falling Cloud Deacon.

"Place your hand on the crystal ball and channel your spiritual power into it." The Falling Cloud Deacon spoke with a faint smile.

Hearing this, Mo Shang nodded, extended his right hand to place it on the crystal ball, and channeled a wisp of spiritual power into it.

The next moment, a beam of light lit up upon the crystal ball. Different from the light of the five elemental attributes, this was a brilliant radiance akin to starlight.

Gazing at the starlight emitted by the crystal ball, a trace of confusion flashed through the deacon's eyes as he muttered aloud: "What attribute is this? I've never seen it before."

Hearing this, Mo Shang was also stunned. In his understanding, conventional spirit roots were divided into five types: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Beyond those, there were special spirit roots, such as ice spirit roots, lightning spirit roots...

Mo Shang asked in surprise: "Sir, what kind of spirit root is this of mine?"

"I don't know either, I've never seen this situation before."

"However, you don't need to worry. Since you were able to make the crystal ball shine with such brilliance, it means your talent is quite good. What is your name?" The deacon smiled and offered an explanation.

"Mo Shang."

The deacon nodded and raised his hand slightly. The writing brush on the table to the side moved without wind, dropping Mo Shang's name onto the paper.

"Alright, go wait over there first. Once the testing is finished, we will take you back to the sect and let the sect elders take a look."

"Thank you, sir."

Mo Shang offered thanks and walked toward the waiting area to the side.

"It's my turn, it's my turn. Everyone, all eyes on me!"

Following the conclusion of Mo Shang's test, Gu Qingzhou stepped forward and placed his hand on the crystal ball.

The next instant, a dazzling golden light abruptly soared into the sky. The crystal ball was now like a blazing sun, causing everyone present to involuntarily squint their eyes.

"This is, this is a Supreme Grade Gold Spirit Root!"

Gazing at the crystal ball bursting with blinding golden light, the deacon widened his eyes, his expression filled with shock.

Spirit roots were divided into grades, sequentially running through low grade, middle grade, high grade, and supreme grade. The higher the spirit root grade, the stronger the crystal ball's light.

Only a supreme grade spirit root could make the crystal ball erupt with such brilliance!

"Crack..."

Just as everyone was in shock, a crisp shattering sound quietly echoed beside everyone's ears.

The next moment, the crystal ball beneath Gu Qingzhou's palm abruptly split into two and shattered, and the golden light instantly came to a halt.

Seeing this sight, Gu Qingzhou was dumbfounded, looking somewhat awkwardly at the deacon as he asked: "I probably don't need to compensate for this, right?"

"What nonsense are you talking about, esteemed personal disciple." The deacon snapped back to his senses, the look in his eyes as he gazed at Gu Qingzhou carrying a hint of burning fervor.

With those words, the deacon quickly retrieved a jade talisman from his bosom and exerted slight force with his palm to crush it.

As the jade talisman shattered, a stream of light flew out from within it, instantly plunging into the void and vanishing.

"Crack, boom!"

Almost at the instant the light vanished, the surrounding space warped and shattered, and an imposing figure stepped forth from it, descending directly upon the plaza.

The newcomer was a young man with Dao Resonance swirling around his body. Although he did not deliberately unleash it, even the mere trace of aura emanating from him was enough to cause one's heart to palpitate involuntarily.

"Where is the Supreme Grade Gold Spirit Root?" The figure made not a single redundant motion, immediately looking toward the deacon to ask.

"It's this one." The deacon pointed at Gu Qingzhou and spoke.

As the deacon's voice fell, the young man's figure instantly appeared before Gu Qingzhou, speaking with a faint smile: "I am the Falling Cloud Sect Leader. Little fellow, would you be willing to join the Luo Cloud Sect?"

"I can, but I have one condition." Gu Qingzhou spoke with utter detachment.

Faced with such a scene, perhaps others would have already been at a loss, but Gu Qingzhou acted as if nothing was the matter, even raising a condition to the other party.

"Hahahaha, good, speak. As long as it is something this seat can do, I can satisfy you." Facing this, the Falling Cloud Sect Leader did not get angry either, laughing heartily and readily agreeing.

"That person over there is my brother. I hope your esteemed sect can give him a personal disciple quota." Seeing this, Gu Qingzhou did not beat around the bush, raising a hand to point at Mo Shang nearby.

As Gu Qingzhou spoke, everyone's gaze fell upon Mo Shang.

"Ah, me?" Mo Shang, who had been watching the spectacle, couldn't help but be stunned at this situation, pointing a finger at his own chest.

At this moment, even the Falling Cloud Sect Leader was somewhat taken aback. He had assumed the other party would raise some special demands, but he hadn't expected it to be this simple.