Another Great Omen! Escaping Danger by a Hair's Breadth!

No such situation occurred in the teams behind them.

Lu Qing stood quietly at the back of the line, together with the two youths from before.

Even though the Old Man had not said it outright, everyone knew that Superior Aptitude was at least better than their Middle-grade Aptitude and Low-grade Aptitude.

They had clearly been separated out.

Lu Qing had no desire to stand out like a crane among chickens either, and remained utterly quiet.

At the very least, he could ensure that when someone swept their gaze over the crowd, he would not be the most conspicuous one.

As for aptitude, he did not care much about it. Yet it was obvious that once that Earth-grade Genius appeared, many people's eyes would be fixed upon them.

He had a cheat-like Golden Finger. As the saying went, only those who lived long had a future. Lu Qing did not consider himself a protagonist, nor did he possess any kingly aura, so he kept a low profile and acted with caution. He only wanted to cultivate in peace.

After the remaining line had finished, another person with Superior Aptitude appeared.

Lu Qing stood to the left behind the Old Man, where he could see and hear clearly. The Old Man looked radiant with joy. "There are more good seedlings this year. It seems Heaven has blessed our Profound Heaven Dao Academy."

The four with Superior Aptitude stood together, separated by a meter or so. None of them knew one another. Two of the youths were even quieter than Lu Qing, their heads lowered and never raised. They seemed unaccustomed to standing on a high platform under everyone's gaze.

"Trash Aptitude?"

"You may leave."

Lu Qing had been silently observing the line.

The Trash Aptitude belonged to a youth with resolute brows and an unwavering bearing.

The moment Lu Qing saw him, a thought suddenly arose in his heart. Starting with Trash Aptitude—had he just run into a Son of Providence?

He knew every trope from his previous life like the back of his hand. Seeing this scene now, he could not help feeling an eerie sense of familiarity.

The capable Old Man clearly did not wish to accept him.

Perhaps because he had already taken in quite a few promising seedlings, the capable Old Man rarely did not grow angry. He said, "Think this through. With aptitude like yours, even if you cultivate for your entire life, reaching the Qi Nourishment Realm from the Meridian Opening Realm and attaining the first or second layer of Qi Nourishment would already be considered good. More likely, you will never break through the Qi Nourishment Realm in your lifetime."

"No! Elder, I only beg you to give this junior a chance..."

The useless youth was exceptionally insistent, recounting how he had pursued the path of cultivation with bitter hardship all the way here.

After all, he had Trash Aptitude, not No Aptitude like those before him. There was certainly still a chance.

From Lu Qing's perspective, the capable Old Man still offered a suggestion. "Our Dao Academy has a Servant Academy. If you truly wish to cultivate, you must go to the Servant Academy."

"I am willing. I beg the Immortal Master to give me a chance."

Lu Qing withdrew his gaze and no longer looked at that existence who seemed to be a Son of Providence.

He refocused his mind. The capable Old Man had already finished testing everyone's aptitude.

"From today onward, you are probationary disciples of our Dao Academy. But this is only the first round of selection. Once you return to the Dao Academy, there will be another trial awaiting you. You had best not let down your guard. There have been precedents of those with aptitude falling at the second stage."

The capable Old Man's tone was stern.

"Yes, Immortal Master."

The crowd answered unevenly.

"If you have family members to speak with, I will now give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

The moment those words fell, many of the younger ones stirred.

Some had been brought here by their parents, who were still waiting outside the high platform. Others had family staying at inns.

Lu Qing had neither family nor friends, and nothing tying him down.

After asking for permission, several youths descended from the platform.

Lu Qing's expression did not change, but his heart stirred slightly.

Because Calamity Avoidance appeared at that moment.

[Greatly Ominous Hexagram: A tree standing tall in the forest will surely be felled by the wind. Leave the high platform alone and encounter a large-scale attack from an unfamiliar enemy. Within the attack's range, there is no life in the dead end. Ominous.]

[Greatly Ominous Hexagram: Leaning on a railing at a high place, a head falls to the ground. Remain on the high platform and be accidentally killed by a casual strike from an unfamiliar enemy. Ominous.]

[Calming Hexagram: Remain on the high platform, cup your hands and bow to ask Old Man Mo Youyu a question. There is no danger to your life. Calming.]

No matter how much flashed through his mind, before he chose a Divination, only an instant passed in the outside world.

At that moment, few people remained on the high platform.

Only the useless youth, Lu Qing, and the youth who had first tested as having Superior Aptitude were still there.

He could not spare attention for anything else. Cupping his hands and bowing, his face revealing the same hint of shyness, he asked as though he were a fledgling youth, "Immortal Master, I-I would like to ask, what kind of trial is the second test?"

"I-I want to prepare myself mentally."

The capable Old Man remembered those with Superior Aptitude, and his expression was fairly pleasant.

"Hm. Normally, I would not reveal the answer to this question. But for you..." The Old Man glanced toward the useless youth in the corner. The youth beside him also cupped his hands. Though he shrank back, he had not forgotten that there was still a second assessment.

"I will tell you, then. The second trial tests one's character and foundation. So long as your background is clean, you have committed no great evil or monstrous crime, and your character is upright, you may enter our Dao Academy."

"So long as there is no problem with yourselves, this test will merely be a formality for you."

So that was how it was.

Lu Qing had initially thought there was only an aptitude selection. Since there was no age restriction on those being selected, how could the Dao Academy ensure its disciples' sense of belonging?

Now it seemed that this second trial must contain some other mystery.

Lu Qing thought about his own background. It was very clean.

As for his previous life, he did not recall those details.

Who knew what methods this world possessed? Those memories had long since rarely been revisited.

But that was not the important part. The important thing was that Lu Qing was now absolutely certain he was within an ominous situation.

Just as the Old Man finished speaking, in the span of a single breath.

Once those words fell, his question had also been answered.

All of a sudden, a violent sound erupted from outside.

A BOOM also rang in his ears!

A chill rose above his head.

Only then did Lu Qing realize that an attack had indeed slashed through their direction just now.

He looked behind the high platform. There had been a wall there, but now its stones had shattered and collapsed into a heap.

A thread of coldness crept up his back.

He could not see that attack clearly, but he could distinctly feel a cold wind sweep over his head.

If he had not bowed as respectfully and lowered his head as far as possible, that strike would have taken his head.

The shrinking youth beside him turned deathly pale, trembling so hard that he could not speak.

He had merely copied Lu Qing's movement. Since he had been timid to begin with, he had kept his head lowered the entire time.

As for the corner, the useless youth had clearly been badly startled as well.

Lu Qing only felt that his head was still attached to his neck, yet the icy sensation of having it severed had not diminished in the slightest.

"Too dangerous. This ominous situation is utterly unreasonable."

It was so precise to the extreme that it gave him no room for even the slightest mistake.

One mistake, and his head would hit the ground.

Ominous. It was truly ominous.

At the same time, the capable Old Man soared into the air above the platform, his face grim as he roared, "Damn old thief of the Demonic Path!"

"Hahaha, Old Man Mo, you are nothing special after all!!"

A pitch-black figure emerged. Old Man Mo Youyu began fighting that unfamiliar enemy—the old thief of the Demonic Path.

Lu Qing was still a Mortal Body, unable to make out any profound mysteries.

Right now, he only wanted to calm down. As for that old thief of the Demonic Path in the sky, he made a note of him in his little ledger. With the skill effects enhancing his Lifespan, he would definitely live longer than the others. He refused to believe he would never find a chance for revenge.

You had better not fall into my hands.

No! Taking revenge overnight is far from satisfying. You had better die right now.

I hope Old Man Mo Youyu can pull his weight.

The thrill of having his head cut off the moment he looked up, with Life and Death hanging by a thread, was simply too absurd.

But on second thought, this ominous situation was not directed at him alone. He was merely a fish in the pond caught in the disaster when the city gate caught fire.

The others were the same.

Thinking of those who had left, Lu Qing did not dare guarantee how many of them could survive this terrifying Demonic Path attack.