Volume 1, Chapter 45 – The First Day of Aptitude Testing

When the crowd arrived outside the gates of the Liu residence and saw the Yaochi Immortal Palace’s disciple recruitment standards and testing procedure written on the notice, their reactions varied greatly.

Some frowned in thought, some scratched their heads in confusion, and others looked from side to side.

Quite a few people began whispering among themselves.

“Five to six stars for the outer sect? Six to eight stars for the inner sect? Nine stars for core disciples? I’ve never heard of standards like these!”

“What exactly is a ‘star’? Haven’t other sects always selected disciples according to their spiritual roots? Could this be a new aptitude-testing method?”

“The Yaochi Immortal Palace… Just what kind of force is it? How dare it recruit disciples so openly in Qingyang City?”

“What kind of luck did the Liu family stumble into? They actually managed to establish ties with such a mysterious sect!”

Doubt, curiosity, shock, jealousy, longing… All kinds of emotions fermented in every corner of Qingyang City.

Whether they were unaffiliated cultivators, children of minor clans, or ordinary people, anyone with children of a suitable age in their family was eager to try.

Many people did not even understand what the “star” rating system represented.

However, words like “Immortal Palace” and “disciple recruitment” were enough to ignite the deepest desires in everyone’s heart.

After all, who would not want to enter a cultivation sect and pursue the path of the Dao and immortality?

Moreover, the name Yaochi Immortal Palace alone made it sound anything but ordinary.

This time, the Liu family had truly been thrust into the center of the storm.

Meanwhile, in the council hall of the Lin residence, the atmosphere was so oppressive that it seemed almost tangible.

The Lin family’s ancestor, Lin Zhentian, was a sinister-looking old man with a hooked nose and late-stage Nascent Soul cultivation.

At that moment, he sat upright in the seat of honor, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest.

Several core elders of the Lin family sat below him, along with a handsome young man named Lin Fan.

Rеаԁ on КаtReаdіոgСαfe

He was around twenty years old and had already reached the early stage of Foundation Establishment, placing him among the best of the Lin family’s younger generation.

However, compared with Liu Ruyan, who had now reached the peak of the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, he still fell far behind.

“The Liu family… the Yaochi Immortal Palace…”

Lin Zhentian’s voice was hoarse.

“Have you investigated them thoroughly?”

“What exactly is the cultivation level of the woman Liu Ruyan brought back?”

“And what is the origin of this Yaochi Immortal Palace?”

A middle-aged man slowly rose to his feet. He was Lin Hai, the current head of the Lin family and Lin Feng’s father.

With an ugly expression, he shook his head.

“Father, that woman’s aura is unfathomable. My cultivation is far too weak to probe her. I estimate that she is at least in the Spirit Transformation realm.”

“As for the Yaochi Immortal Palace, none of the known top forces in the Southern Region bear that name.”

“It is highly likely… that they are a hidden sect that has remained isolated from the world, or perhaps a force from another region.”

“A hidden sect? A force from another region?”

Another elder at the late stage of Golden Core frowned.

“Then why would they suddenly appear in the Southern Region and choose a small place like Qingyang City? And why did they just happen to become involved with the Liu family?”

“It’s because of Liu Ruyan!”

Lin Fan could not help speaking. His tone carried a trace of bitterness and unease that even he himself had not noticed.

Reаⅾ oո КαtRеaⅾіոgСafе

“That woman must have joined that so-called Immortal Palace. Now she has returned to show off and suppress our Lin family while she is at it!”

Lin Zhentian glanced at his grandson, and a trace of disappointment flashed through his eyes.

“Suppress us?”

Lin Zhentian sighed softly before speaking in a measured tone.

“Even a single elder accompanying her possesses a cultivation level none of us can see through. They may not even consider the Lin family worth their attention.”

“This move of theirs seems more like… casually placing a piece on the board and casting a wide net.”

He saw the situation more clearly than the others, but that only made him feel even more powerless.

Before absolute strength, every scheme appeared pale and feeble.

He had originally planned to use Liu Ruyan’s rejection of the marriage as a pretext to make trouble, then gradually swallow up the Liu family.

Now, however, that plan would most likely come to nothing.

“Father, how should we respond now?”

“Are we supposed to simply stand by and watch the Liu family ride this wave of fortune until they are completely above us?”

Lin Hai asked unwillingly.

Lin Zhentian remained silent for a long time before letting out a sigh.

“I will personally take Fan’er to the aptitude test tomorrow.”

“First, I want to see what is so extraordinary about this Heaven-Observing Stone and whether it can truly measure the so-called star-rated aptitude. Second…”

He turned his gaze toward Lin Fan, his eyes carrying both expectation and scrutiny.

Reaԁ oո ΚаtRеаⅾіոgСаfе

“Fan’er, you will take the test as well!”

“If you are selected, you can use the opportunity to investigate the true strength of the Yaochi Immortal Palace.”

Lin Fan’s heart tightened upon hearing this, but a strong determination not to admit defeat quickly surged within him.

If Liu Ruyan could do it, then he, Lin Fan, might be able to do it as well!

He nodded firmly.

“This grandson understands!”

The Zhao family and the other small and medium-sized forces were also observing from the shadows, each making their own calculations.

Some wanted to befriend the Liu family, while others wanted to test the depth of the Yaochi Immortal Palace.

Most, however, clung to a slim hope that one of their own younger generation might be selected and soar to the heavens in a single step.

Amid the unrest that gripped the entire city, three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The Liu family worked with astonishing efficiency. Under Liu Beichuan’s personal supervision, an aptitude-testing platform rose from the ground.

At dawn on the fourth day, the sky had only just begun to brighten, yet the square before the Liu residence was already packed so tightly with people that not even water could pass through.

The dense crowd included children of five or six, elderly men in their seventies or eighties, cultivators who had come to watch the excitement, and scouts from various forces. Altogether, there were several thousand people!

The sounds of shouting, discussion, and crying children blended together, creating an extraordinarily lively scene.

On a raised platform before the aptitude-testing stage, Yun Yun sat in the seat of honor. Her expression was calm and unruffled, as though the vast sea of people before her had nothing to do with her.

She wore a plain white dress. Her dark hair cascaded like a waterfall, with only part of it gathered by a white jade hairpin while the rest fell over her shoulders.

The faint morning light fell across her breathtaking profile, outlining features that were exquisite yet coolly aloof.

Reаԁ οn KаtRеаԁіnɡСаfе

Her eyes were as clear as autumn waters, yet so profound that they seemed capable of containing all phenomena. Every subtle movement of her gaze carried the graceful dignity of one long accustomed to standing above others.

Below the platform, countless gazes were involuntarily drawn toward her.

“That senior… Is she the one the Liu family’s eldest young lady brought back? She’s… she’s so beautiful!”

Someone exclaimed softly, their voice filled with incredulous amazement.

“She’s more than merely beautiful! That presence of hers… She looks exactly like an immortal maiden who stepped out of a painting!”

An elderly unaffiliated cultivator murmured, his eyes filled with reverence.

“Look at her. She is clearly sitting right there, yet she seems to have merged completely with her surroundings. A realm like that must be at least Spirit Transformation.”

“The Liu family really has… attached themselves to a mighty backer this time.”

Someone made the remark sourly, but most people felt only burning excitement and anticipation.

Liu Beihai, Liu Beichuan, and the other senior members of the Liu family sat on either side. Their expressions were both excited and nervous, their chests rising and falling slightly.

Today, Liu Ruyan had changed into the standard disciple attire of the Yaochi Immortal Palace. Faint cloud patterns were embroidered along the lapels and cuffs.

She looked elegant and otherworldly, with an exceptional bearing that made her seem like an entirely different person from before.

She stood quietly beside the aptitude-testing platform, maintaining order together with several Liu family stewards. Her calm gaze swept across the dense crowd below.

“The appointed time has arrived!”

Liu Ruyan drew a deep breath and circulated her spiritual power. Her voice rang clearly across the entire square.

“The aptitude test begins now!”

“Anyone who wishes to participate, step forward in order and place your hand upon the Heaven-Observing Stone!”