Registration successful

In Anping County town stood a courtyard residence that was usually secluded and quiet.

Its gates were ordinarily shut tight, with only the occasional birdsong breaking the silence. Today, however, it buzzed with voices and bustle.

As the temporary registration site for the Dao Academy Selection, a short queue had formed outside its gates, stretching all the way to the mouth of the alley.

A dozen or so youths had gathered inside. Some came from the town's academies, while others were scions of Aristocratic Clans with generations of family learning behind them.

Some wore sumptuous clothing, attended by pageboys and servants, waving folding fans with haughty expressions; others were plainly, even shabbily dressed, standing alone and clutching the corners of their clothes, their eyes betraying nervousness and unease.

But regardless of their backgrounds, their faces now bore the same tension and anticipation. This gate marked the beginning of the divide between immortals and mortals.

Chu Bai stood in line, calmly observing his surroundings in silence.

Anping County had thousands of students of eligible age each year, yet perhaps only these few dozen had both the courage and the qualifications to register.

This first threshold alone weeded out ninety-nine percent of them, brutally and realistically.

A broad red sandalwood desk stood in the center of the courtyard, with a middle-aged man seated behind it in the Dao Academy's standard blue robes.

His face was stern, his eyes bright and piercing, his expression grave. An oppressive spiritual pressure radiated from him. He was clearly an accomplished cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm, perhaps even an Instructor at the Dao Academy.

"Next," the middle-aged man said evenly. His voice was quiet, yet carried an unquestionable authority.

A youth in brocade standing ahead of Chu Bai stepped forward. He looked about eighteen or nineteen and wore expensive silk, but at that moment he seemed particularly ill at ease. His hands trembled slightly as he presented his seal of credentials, his gaze flickering as he avoided the examiner's eyes.

The middle-aged man took the seal and glanced at it. Instead of verifying it immediately, he raised his head and gave the youth a searching look, his eyes seeming capable of seeing into the human heart, his gaze sharp as lightning.

"In the Dao Academy Selection, Bone Age and foundation come first. Under the laws of Great Zhou, anyone entering the Dao Academy must have a Bone Age no greater than eighteen."

The middle-aged man spoke steadily, but his words reached everyone present with perfect clarity, sounding like a warning bell. "Anyone found committing fraud will not only be disqualified on the spot, but will also have the offense recorded, announced throughout the county, and be placed on the dishonesty blacklist. Your future path to immortality will effectively be severed, and your Lineage may even be implicated."

"Have you thought this through?"

At those words, the brocade-clad youth shuddered violently, as though struck by lightning. Fine beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on his forehead and slid down his cheeks. Under the pressure of this true cultivator, his little scheme to slip through had nowhere to hide, and his mental defenses crumbled in an instant.

"I... I..."

The youth reached out with a trembling hand and frantically snatched his seal back from the desk. Stammering, he said, "I... I just remembered there's something urgent at home. I... I won't register! I withdraw!"

With that, he did not even dare meet the gazes around him. Covering his face with his sleeve, he hurried away in disgrace, his retreating figure looking utterly panic-stricken.

A murmur immediately rose around them. Some mocked him; others sighed.

Chu Bai sighed softly, feeling no urge to ridicule him.

Bone Age was an absolute obstacle, and irreversible.

The youth had clearly refused to resign himself to his fate and wanted to gamble on slipping through. But the screening at this first hurdle was that ruthless, leaving no room for wishful thinking.

Fortunately, he had heeded the warning. Otherwise, he would have landed himself in a truly humiliating situation.

"Next." The middle-aged man remained expressionless, as though he had long since grown accustomed to such scenes. He did not even lift his eyelids.

It was Chu Bai's turn.

He took a deep breath and stepped forward, his expression composed, presenting the Azure Cloud Academy's seal of credentials and the wooden token identifying him as an Inner Gate disciple with both hands.

"Chu Bai of the Azure Cloud Academy pays his respects to you, Senior."

The middle-aged man accepted the documents and verified them. Then he glanced up at Chu Bai, a hint of surprise flashing through his eyes at the youth's steady bearing.

He then extended a slender finger and placed it against Chu Bai's wrist.

A gentle yet irresistible current of spiritual power entered Chu Bai's body and swiftly made a circuit through his meridians.

A moment later, the middle-aged man withdrew his finger. The faintest smile appeared on his previously stern face, and a trace of approval flickered in his eyes.

"Qi Refining First Layer. Your spiritual power is pure and concentrated, and your foundation exceptionally solid. You cultivated using Pure-Origin Spiritual Qi, without the slightest admixture of killing intent or demonic power. Clearly, you have painstakingly honed it."

To break through to Qi Refining at this age with such a pure foundation, showing no trace of having taken savage, dangerous drugs, was truly rare.

The middle-aged man nodded slightly, picked up a vermilion brush, and drew a firm check beside Chu Bai's name in the register. He then handed Chu Bai an iron waist token engraved with a number.

"You meet the requirements. Your registration is approved. Present this token to enter tomorrow at the hour of the dragon. Do not be late."

"Thank you, Senior."

Chu Bai accepted the examination credential with both hands, and the great stone weighing on his heart finally settled. This waist token was his ticket to a wider world.

As he walked out through the courtyard gates, the sunlight outside was a little dazzling. Traffic streamed along the street, and the clamor washed over him.

Chu Bai was weighing the silver in his clothes, considering what gift would be suitable to buy before visiting Second Uncle's home. After all, he would be staying there for several days, so he could hardly neglect the courtesies. Just as he stepped down from the stairs, he collided head-on with someone hurrying toward him.

"Sorry, sorry..."

The newcomer had his head lowered as he began to apologize. When he looked up and saw Chu Bai, he froze, then broke into a delighted smile—the joy of meeting an old acquaintance far from home.

"Brother Chu! You're here too!"

It was Gu Qinghe.

He was travel-worn, his clothes somewhat disheveled and even his shoes flecked with mud. Clearly, he had rushed all the way here.

Yet he radiated a vigor he had never possessed before. The gloom that had once lingered between his brows had lifted, replaced by the confidence and sharp spirit that shone from within after a breakthrough.

"Brother Gu?" Chu Bai was a little surprised, then sensed the aura that the other young man had not yet fully reined in. Although his spiritual power fluctuations were still somewhat unstable, they were unmistakably those of the Qi Refining stage.

He smiled. "You broke through?"

"Yes!" Gu Qinghe nodded emphatically, excitement shining in his eyes, which were even brimming with tears. "Just last night, I finally managed to pierce that last paper-thin barrier! I rushed here to register right away. I almost thought I wouldn't make it."

Half a year of grueling cultivation, the determination to get back up after being knocked down time and again at the Zhao Residence, the days when he could not bear to eat even a bite of meat because he was saving money—all of it had finally blossomed and borne fruit at the very last moment.

"Wonderful! I knew you were no mere fish confined to a pond, Brother Gu. Heaven rewards diligence—the ancients truly did not deceive us." Chu Bai was sincerely happy for his fellow student. They both came from poor families, and reaching this point had been anything but easy.

Gu Qinghe seemed to have a bellyful of things he wanted to share with Chu Bai: the dangers of his breakthrough, his hopes for the future. But Chu Bai glanced at the sundial inside the courtyard. Its shadow had already grown long.

He patted Gu Qinghe on the shoulder and reminded him, "There's no hurry to catch up. Registration is about to close, and that senior is a stickler for rules. Don't let the important business slip."

Gu Qinghe came to his senses and smiled gratefully. "Thanks for reminding me, Brother Chu! I'll head in first, then. See you at the examination tomorrow!"

With that, he hurried into the courtyard, his steps so light he seemed ready to take flight.