The Entrance Test Begins
After tossing the Storage Bag in his hand, the tall and strong male cultivator bypassed the crowd and slowly walked into a teahouse not far from the Thousandfold Formation.
As soon as the waiter saw him, he eagerly led him to the best private room on the second floor.
The moment he stepped inside, the male cultivator's posture immediately became humble, and even his previously straight back bent down.
At first glance, I thought he was also a waiter in this teahouse.
He quickened his pace, and upon spotting the middle-aged man in black sitting by the window, he immediately forced a smile and respectfully presented the Storage Bag he had been playing with earlier.
"Elder Fu, as you instructed, we have placed ten thousand high-grade Spirit Stone on Young Master Jing He's betting pool."
The middle-aged man, referred to as Elder Fu, touched his Storage Bag and knew that the male cultivator was absolutely right.
He nodded and asked, "Do you think there are many people escorting Young Master Jing He?"
"More, of course more. After I spent a lot of Spirit Stone, even more people bet on the young master!" The male cultivator's name was Jing Yang, a member of a collateral branch of the Jing Household.
He was chosen as a follower of the direct descendant Jing He when he was young. Although he was also a member of the Jing Household, he was not even as good Elder Fu of the Jing Household.
Upon hearing Jing Yang's reply, Elder Fu's face showed a satisfied expression. "You should also know the purpose of our trip. Ten Thousand Daos Born has gone to great lengths to invite talents from all races. Our Jing Household is clearly also Aristocratic Clan of cultivators, yet Ten Thousand Daos Born hasn't sent a single person to visit us. It's obvious he doesn't take our Jing Household!"
With a slight exertion of force, the celadon cup containing the spiritual tea shattered instantly.
Jing Yang just listened without daring to speak.
"Since he doesn't respect the Jing Household, the Jing Household naturally doesn't need to respect him either!"
The Jing Household had long been a vassal of the Mara Gate, and all the younger members of the family had to be sent to the Mara Gate when they reached a certain age.
It just so happens that the several talented individuals that Mara Gate originally wanted to recruit had already been taken in by Ten Thousand Daos Born. Unable to swallow this insult, Mara Gate joined forces with the Jing Household and sent Jing He, the most outstanding member of the younger generation, to participate in the entrance test.
When he won first place and was noticed by Ten Thousand Daos Born, he refused to join the sect and instead became a disciple of the Mara Gate.
In this way, the reputation that Ten Thousand Daos Born had painstakingly salvaged would immediately plummet, and even if other talented individuals joined Ten Thousand Daos Born, they would likely harbor resentment.
Although this method is somewhat crude, it is very effective.
If successful, the blow to Ten Thousand Daos Born would be unimaginable.
For this, Mara Gate even gifted Jing He several powerful magical Law Artifact and promised the Jing Household a great deal of resources.
Jing Yang's current actions are also creating momentum for Jing He, making Jing He the most popular candidate to crush others.
Thinking of all this, Jing Yang took the opportunity to embellish his bet with the Gu cultivator before telling Elder Fu.
"I only realized afterwards that my actions were far too rash. But the other party was so disparaging of Young Master Jing He, I just couldn't help it..." Jing Yang glanced at Elder Fu's expression, and only after confirming that there was no anger on the other's face did he dare to continue.
Sure enough, after listening, Elder Fu not only didn't blame him, but even praised him, saying, "You did the right thing. Since we're here to promote Young Master Jing He, how can we tolerate those scoundrels climbing over Jing He to get ahead?"
The Gu cultivator's actions have been Elder Fu as an attempt to gain fame by taking advantage of the situation.
"These past few days you've been keeping an eye on that Rogue Cultivator. When Young Master Jing He wins first place, I'll bring in even more people to watch that Rogue Cultivator kneel before you. It'll also be a good opportunity to show those people that Jing He isn't a place anyone can just trample on!" Elder Fu's tone was firm and resolute, carrying the flavor of the Jing Household.
Upon hearing this, Jing Yang felt a sense of relief.
However, he quickly asked again, "But that Rogue Cultivator seemed quite confident. I wonder if Elder Fu knows that female cultivator named Sang Ying?"
"Sang Ying?" Elder Fu frowned. "That name... it sounds familiar..."
He racked his brains, but couldn't recall where he had heard the name before.
However, Elder Fu quickly gave up. "It's just the naive nonsense of ignorant people. This female cultivator has no reputation and is no match for Young Master Jing He. You don't need to worry!"
Having received Elder Fu's confirmation, Jing Yang's only remaining worry disappeared.
If Elder Fu could think about it a little longer, he would recall that he had seen the name "Sang Ying" in the list of scribes on the Heaven's Chosen Ranking.
The reason he didn't have a deep impression of Sang Ying, who was ranked fifteenth on the Heaven's Chosen Ranking, was because the young master Jing He he mentioned was only ranked twenty-third on the Heaven's Chosen Ranking.
Whether the two regretted it later or not is another matter, but at this moment, Sang Ying is about to enter the Thousandfold Formation.
She arrived too late and received the 1599th leaf card.
So, after everyone else had entered the Thousandfold Formation, Sang Ying was finally able to step into it.
That Thousandfold Formation truly lived up to its reputation as one of the most powerful arrays of High Antiquity. When the array was activated, almost all the Spiritual Qi of the entire Dujiu City was absorbed.
The overwhelming aura made it difficult for everyone to move an inch, and some rogue cultivators with low Rogue Cultivator were even forced to the ground on the spot.
On the contrary, those mortals without Spiritual Qi all remained calm and composed, as if they had not sensed anything at all.
"Wait patiently for the destined one to enter my Thousandfold Formation!"
A deep, resonant murmur, like the tolling of a bell, reached everyone's ears; it was the message left behind by Ten Thousand Daos Born, the first sect leader.
This Thousandfold Formation is not only designed for selecting disciples, but also for Ten Thousand Daos Born to find their destined ones.
With this, the grand formation was activated, and the introductory test officially began.
One group of cultivators after another entered the formation, including elderly people and children who had just reached the Qi Refinement.
This great formation seemed capable of encompassing hundreds of rivers, absorbing all of these more than a thousand people into it, and then there was no further movement.
Only those within the ranks know the true danger and horror of the situation.
Especially Sang Ying, whose cultivation was already high, and who also carried a powerful weapon like the Floating River. Almost as soon as she entered the formation, the Thousandfold Formation started to operate.
After the brief darkness passed, what came into Sang Ying's view again were countless wooden figures.
Before Sang Ying could even grasp the essence of the formation, a line of text appeared before her eyes. "Break through the Wooden Formation and defeat the wooden figures within to pass the level!"
The white text quickly disappeared. Sang Ying patted Gu Shu around her neck and Floating River at her waist, and whispered, "I haven't tested Floating River's power since it was reforged. Let's see it in this formation today!"
"Go! Break their formation!" Gu Shu shouted.
Then, with a soft sound, the female cultivator wielding the sword, exuding an aura of frost and snow, headed towards the wooden figures that had suddenly come to life.
Moreover, similar scenes played out in many places within the Thousandfold Formation.
These cultivators, each with their own unique appearance, brandished their magical Law Artifact as they faced their "enemies."
If they are defeated, the leaf cards at their waists will shatter instantly, teleporting them away.
The sight of everyone was also transmitted to the eyes of Ten Thousand Daos Born's elders through the smooth water curtain. They were gathered in the main hall of the sect at the moment, taking in the scene within the more than one thousand water curtains.
One of the female elders, dressed in a blue dress, removed a extinguished water curtain and turned to the middle-aged man beside her, whose brows were furrowed. "What has upset you so much, Senior Brother? Is there not a single one of these new disciples who satisfies you?"
The man who was asked the question turned his head, revealing Elder Xiao's face. He sighed softly, "That's not entirely true. It's just that the young lady I mentioned to you a few days ago didn't show up this time."
He placed high hopes on the young lady of the Jimo Household, thinking she would like Ten Thousand Daos Born, so he returned to the sect early to see how she would perform in the formation.
Unfortunately, he had just checked the registration list, and Jimo Zanxing was not on it.
He was just a little disappointed.
"Why is Senior Brother so concerned about this? Since the other party didn't come, it means they have no affinity with Ten Thousand Daos Born. If they have no affinity with Ten Thousand Daos Born, then even if they came, they wouldn't be able to join my sect." A lazy voice rang out, and the Hongyi youth lazily yawned, slouching in his chair.
Elder Xiao was quite displeased by his attitude, but considering the large number of people present, he barely suppressed his displeasure and replied perfunctorily, "Perhaps. Hopefully, this entrance test will find some who are destined to be part of our Ten Thousand Daos Born."
This last sentence revealed Elder Xiao's true feelings. After all, the patrol team was not enough disciples, and the new sect competition would begin soon.
Filled with endless worry for the sect, Elder Xiao turned his gaze back to the water curtain.
Suddenly, he spotted a figure, a figure with a very familiar aura but a completely unfamiliar appearance.
A note from the author:
Well, although there are only two chapters, both have more words than before. So, I guess I'm still a diligent sparrow!
See you tomorrow, love you all~