Tang Yu

"The cultivation trial is over!"

"It seems more people passed the cultivation trial this year than in previous years!"

"Yes, it looks like there were actually over a hundred!"

"Hehe, we're really in for a show this year!"

The cultivators watching clicked their tongues in wonder. The Qianyuan Sect was truly bustling today!

"Lin Yu! Is that really you?"

Lin Yu and Xiaobai had just reached the trial grounds when a young woman excitedly ran over to them.

It was none other than Ling Yiran, whom he had met once at the Sea Heart Auction House two years ago!

Ling Yiran had been searching the crowd for Lin Yu and spotted the two of them the moment they entered the cultivation grounds.

"Are you here to take part in the sect admission assembly too?"

Ling Yiran asked with delight, though she was somewhat puzzled. With Lin Yu's strength, he should have had absolutely no need to take part in this so-called trial.

But regardless, being able to see Lin Yu here was already more than enough for her.

At this moment, her tireless cultivation, day and night over the past two years, had all gained meaning!

"That's right." Lin Yu nodded with a smile.

"And this young lady is..."

Ling Yiran's eyes shifted, and she still could not resist asking Lin Yu this question.

Ling Yiran had noticed Xiaobai beside Lin Yu from the very beginning, but had been too embarrassed to ask outright.

"This is my friend, Xiaobai."

Lin Yu smiled, but Xiaobai beside him looked rather uninterested.

She did not greet Ling Yiran, and there was something inscrutable in her eyes.

"Hello!"

Although she found the name Xiaobai a little strange, Ling Yiran still waved to her cheerfully.

Ling Yiran had always been a lively, mischievous girl. To her, it was perfectly normal for an outstanding man like Lin Yu to have many outstanding women around him.

Xiaobai merely nodded lightly in response to Ling Yiran.

Her gaze shifted, and there seemed to be something more in the way she looked at Lin Yu.

"Haha, Young Master Tang, you really did come to take part in this sect admission assembly!"

"Yes, with Young Master Tang taking part, the championship of this year's sect admission assembly is as good as settled!"

"Hehe, Young Master Tang, once you become number one on the Qianyuan Heaven Ranking, don't forget to give us brothers a few pointers!"

"Yes, exactly..."

At that moment, a young man entered the trial grounds, surrounded by a crowd.

Tang Yu was hailed as a peerless genius seen only once in thirty years in the Great Yan Empire Eastern Region!

At twenty-two, his cultivation had already reached the terrifying Golden Core Fourth Tier!

He was a full three years younger than the previous champion!

He came from the Tang Household of Spirit Ice City. Ever since he began cultivating, his family had placed great hopes on him and spared no effort in nurturing him!

Although his temperament was somewhat unruly, his formidable strength was genuine!

"You flatter me." Hearing the onlookers' compliments, Tang Yu revealed a smug, satisfied smile.

Though outwardly very modest, inwardly, he was unquestionably determined to claim the championship!

Meanwhile, Yun Nianshan, Yun Tianci, and the others also arrived at the cultivation grounds.

"Father, why did you come to watch in person today?"

Yun Nianshan asked in some confusion. Although this year's sect admission assembly had more participants, there did not seem to be anything particularly special about it.

"Let's watch. This assembly might not be as simple as you imagine..."

Yun Tianci sighed softly, his gaze unconsciously sweeping toward Lin Yu and Xiaobai.

Lin Yu seemed to sense Yun Tianci's gaze as well and looked up with a smile.

The confusion in Yun Nianshan's eyes deepened as she looked into the grounds, unable to make sense of it.

"That young man beside the girl in white looks rather handsome."

"..."

"Attention, all cultivators. The aptitude test is about to begin!"

Just as the number of people on the grounds continued to grow and things began to look somewhat chaotic, an aged yet powerful voice rang out!

"Look, that's the Qianyuan Sect's Fifth Elder! A supreme expert at the Nascent Soul Peak Stage!"

Someone in the crowd cried out upon getting a clear look at the old man.

"The Fifth Elder is at the Nascent Soul Peak Stage? Then wouldn't the four elders above him be..."

"Of course they're at least Soul Transformation Realm experts! But those people truly are divine dragons whose heads are seen, but never their tails..."

"And I've heard that every one of the Qianyuan Sect's four Peak Masters has surpassed Soul Transformation. They're genuine Spirit Transformation Realm experts!"

"Heavens, I've never even seen a Soul Transformation Realm expert, let alone one at Spirit Transformation!"

The onlookers clicked their tongues in wonder. They had not expected to see these legendary figures right at the start today!

"Please channel your spiritual power into this Qianyuan Spirit Stone. The color it displays will indicate your aptitude grade!"

"Aptitude is divided into five grades: heaven, earth, profound, yellow, and human!"

"The corresponding colors displayed by the Qianyuan Spirit Stone are white, yellow, black, red, and gold!"

"Only cultivators with yellow-grade aptitude or above are qualified to join our Qianyuan Sect!"

"Those with earth-grade aptitude or above may enter our Qianyuan Sect's inner sect directly!"

The Fifth Elder's resonant voice carried throughout the cultivation grounds, and every cultivator looked excited!

The Qianyuan Spirit Stone used for this test had been separated from the Qianyuan Sect's supreme treasure, the Qianyuan Sacred Stone!

Each separation took a full twenty years and consumed a considerable amount of the Qianyuan Sacred Stone's power!

Thus, the entire Qianyuan Sect possessed only three Qianyuan Spirit Stones!

As such, the Qianyuan Spirit Stone itself was also an extremely precious treasure!

Its function was also incomparably powerful, for things capable of measuring a cultivator's aptitude were exceedingly rare in this world!

A cultivator's current spiritual power level could determine their lower limit.

Their aptitude grade, however, determined the upper limit of their future!

According to legend, cultivators with Heaven Rank aptitude possessed the terrifying potential to break through to the Spirit Transformation Realm, or even the Body Integration Realm, simply by cultivating normally!

One had to know that even Yun Tianci, the Qianyuan Sect's current sect master, was only at the Spirit Transformation Realm Eighth Stage!

Unfortunately, however, no cultivator with Heaven Rank aptitude had appeared for several thousand years.

The last time one appeared, that mighty cultivator reached the Integrated Body Peak Stage and led the Qianyuan Sect into an era of unparalleled prosperity!

The champion of the previous sect admission assembly had possessed only Low-Grade Earth Rank aptitude.

Even so, not a second cultivator with Earth Grade aptitude could be found in the previous sect admission assembly!

One of the greatest points of interest in this sect admission assembly was whether Tang Yu, upon whom such high hopes had been placed, could also attain Earth Grade aptitude!

"Will the first cultivator please step forward for the test!"

Under everyone's watchful eyes, the aptitude test officially began!