Chapter 621. Restarting the recruitment.

After her voice spread around, Yasenia waited a few seconds and continued. "As I've explained before, we'll do the Heart Demon test and then the Star Test. The heart demon test doesn't take into account cultivation level and will affect everyone equally."

Then, Yasenia taped the ground with her tail, inserting energy into the town-wide formation. "Prepare your minds, relax your thoughts. Remember, the word for stopping is "Sky." If you don't say that, the formation will continue attacking you. There is a good chance that if you force yourself, you will eventually be unable even to talk and maybe be crippled, so do not act brave. There are other years and more opportunities."

Yasenia then waved her long sleeve. "Begin!"

The area was immediately shrouded in a thin fog, and every cultivator's mind was attacked.

After two seconds, there were a few that shouted the safety word, and Yasenia controlled the formation to stop attacking them.

The fifty Dantian Spiritualization Realm maids around Yasenia moved quickly and picked up those who failed, placing them on the edge of the formation. 

Ghana and the others were startled by their speed, and their foreheads gained a few creases as they frowned in confusion.

Yasenia didn't answer the questioning eyes from them. She had to be serious and focused during the trial. 

In the first five seconds, about one hundred thousand cultivators failed. At the ten-second mark, three hundred thousand.

The number near one and a half million dropped exceptionally quickly as the Demon Heart array weeded out most of the bad seeds. 

The test lasted just thirty seconds. However, the previously crowded city plaza felt empty after the formation was deactivated.

Around one hundred and fifty thousand remained from the one-and-a-half million participants, cutting the numbers by approximately ninety percent.

The multiple powers silently spectating were dumbfounded. 'So ruthless.' 

Yasenia nodded and commented. "Better than I expected." 

Those words made the people listening sweat. 'How many did you expect to eliminate!?' 

Yasenia smiled and spoke. "Congratulations to all the people who passed this test. All of you have a powerful heart that is appropriate for cultivation and reaching heights as long as you are diligent and hardworking." 

She was about to continue talking, but somebody from the eliminated crowd jumped forward with an indignant shout. "I lasted twenty-nine seconds! Isn't this unfair? It is just one second!" 

Yasenia turned toward the large crowd and focused on the woman who spoke. Then, she asked. "Name and clan?"

The woman blinked and got a bit flustered, not expecting Yasenia to address her directly. She tried to calm down and stated. "I'm Luo Min! From the [Seven Rivers Snake] clan!" 

Yasenia nodded. "Good. From now on, the Seven River Snake clan is banned from participating in my sect trials."

Then, under the stunned eyes of the woman, Yasenia turned toward the crowd and said coldly. "Those of the same clan as that woman, please leave the group."

The woman didn't expect something like this and stuttered. "S-Sect Master, there is no need to go this far. I-I was just asking you to reconsider!"

Yasenia looked at her coldly, and her aura spread around that woman. "Do you think you can speak over the one million cultivators behind you that failed and the tens of thousands that failed the test after you because of a few milliseconds? Do you think that I'm someone easy to push around?"

The snake woman trembled and stammered. "N-Not at all, Lady. That wasn't my intention!" 

Yasenia was ruthless. "That wasn't your intention? Even the five leading clans gave me face after our friendly spar. What makes you think that you can act arrogantly and protest like this in my face, disrespecting my authority as you have? Do you think that if you come forward as if you own the place, you are not disrespecting me? Grow some brains before you speak the next time."

Yasenia turned toward the rest that failed and stated. "I don't care about your background, family, strength, or wealth. You are applying to become a member of MY sect. Regardless of what you are outside, an emperor or a commoner, you have to abide by my rules if you want to join my power. My power is not a charity that will grow ungrateful beasts that bite their owner's hand. Therefore, if you can't stay the minimum of thirty seconds, you are not worthy of entering my sect, and that's that. Twenty-nine seconds with nine hundred and ninety-nine milliseconds is a failure all the same!"

Yasenia then squinted toward those who passed. "If you dare betray me in the future, or you are entering my sect with the intention of stealing from me, you will die. So, if you are here not to join my sect with honesty, I will give you five minutes to leave the plaza." 

After her words echoed for a few seconds, she stood still and waited a few seconds. 

Ultimately, the number of people went from one hundred and fifty thousand to one hundred and forty-five thousand.

Our dragoness didn't even bat an eye when those people left. 

After looking at the remaining cultivators, she spoke calmly again. "Now that everything has fallen into place, please maintain an orderly queue behind each of the posts and be evaluated by our Star System. The tests measure Bloodline, Constitution, Soul, Potential, and Comprehension to remind all of you. You can score a maximum of twenty stars in each test. Finally, forty-five is approved, above sixty will be considered a genius, above eighty will be given the chance to be accepted by the Supreme Elders, and with one hundred stars, you will become my personal disciple."

"If you are in the Ethereal Soul Body realm or above and have over a hundred years after you overcome the test, you can come directly toward me as you will enter directly as an elder and need additional tests. We have age measuring devices, so lying about the age is useless."

"Those who are less than a hundred and already in the Ethereal Soul Body realm, you'll be treated as exceptional disciples for now, and a Supreme Elder will be able to become your master as long as you overcome the forty-five stars. I'll explain more in-depth once you pass the tests and join the Sect."

Yasenia finished by saying. "If you are peak-level Ethereal Soul or inside the Epoch Core Realm, the Heart Demon test is enough to be accepted as you will form part of the core forces even if you never increase your strength again. Therefore, you can directly fly before me." 

About seventy people floated upward from the one hundred and forty-five thousand and landed in front of Yasenia. 

Between those seventy, two were in the Epoch Core realm. 

Yasenia smiled. "Let's start with the two Epoch Core Seniors."

The man with a pair of phoenix wings spoke. "I'm Chen Qing Huang. At first, I wanted to just observe, but the Phoenix's strength has impressed me. I want to join your power."

Yasenia nodded and commented. "For people of your strength, we take things seriously. However, I want you to know that although we are happy to receive a strong person, we are not desperate. So, if you want to join thinking that you'll be able to do as you please, you are very mistaken."

The man nodded and grinned. "Good! Having values is very important."

The other man in the Epoch Core realm nodded indifferently and asked. "Is there a place to practice sword skills?"

Yasenia looked at the lean and aloof man with cat-like features and nodded. "Yes. You'll probably be able to break through the next level of intent with half the effort and double the results in that place."

The man's eyes flashed with a sharp light. "I hope you are not lying."

Yasenia smiled. "I would never lie to people about to join us."

The two of them walked and stood behind Yasenia, showing that they were willing to join.

Just accepting these two was already a win for our dragoness. However, she wanted not only present power but also future power. 

"For peak-level Ethereal Soul Cultivators, we have a similar test to the one they are doing. However, the conditions are harsher. As an Ethereal Soul senior, accepting you is almost guaranteed, but there are many different positions that people at your rank fulfill. Hence, those talented and those who have hit a ceiling will have different treatments."

They all nodded. 

Yasenia added. "Of course, even if you've hit a ceiling, don't worry. You will be able to live comfortably and get enough resources that might allow you to break that bottleneck."

"Stand in three lines. One with those who do professions, another with those who have been stuck at the same level for over a century, and the rest. There are truth-discerning formations of the heaven-ranked, so I wouldn't try to lie."

A few had their faces twitch, and then they sighed. 

They honestly moved and made the three lines. 

The cultivators who did professions were ten, the stuck ones were forty, and the rest were in a line of eighteen people. 

Yasenia expected this, so she smiled. "In our sect, there are pills to enhance bloodline, soul, constitution, and expel impurities, strengthen meridians, and much more. We even have places to understand the soul and secrets of the world better. Being stuck now doesn't mean being stuck forever. I hope you all work hard and try to break free of your original fate."

She added while she saw their excitement, doubts, skepticism, and many other emotions. "To gain these benefits, you must collect Astral Sky Points. You can earn them by doing many things, but it all comes down to contributing to the sect. Speak with your seniors who have been part of my clan for years, and you will understand."

Yasenia turned around and looked at the juniors taking tests. She said seriously. "Juniors are also the future of any power. Hence, teaching properly is also a way to earn Astral Sky Points. I don't want to hear an elder abusing their power to intimidate or force juniors. I'm not afraid of cleaning the house if something makes me annoyed."

They all trembled after feeling the hint of killing intent in Yasenia's words. 

Yasenia looked back at them and smiled. "This is all for now. Meiren."

A blue-scaled lamia, Drasha's daughter, approached. "Yes, Lady Yasenia."

"Act as a guide for the seniors and present the sect facilities and where they will live in the future. Call your mother to explain the Astral Sky Point system and other things. There will be rewards upon completion."

Meiren eyes glowed with eagerness. 'This task will reward a lot of Astral Sky Points!'

With her best smile, she presented herself. "My name is Meiren, and I'm delighted to welcome you. Come with me, and I'll give you a tour around the sect."

Then, the high-level seniors left with Meiren and Drasha. Yasenia gave an eye signal to five of her maids, and they bowed, following behind to make sure nothing went wrong.

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Author: How many will Yasenia accept? Any guesses? 

Tatyana: I would be happy if twenty thousand got accepted.

Yasenia: I agree. I lowered the requirements to forty-five stars because a sect is built not only upon seniors but also needs to have a bunch of juniors.

Andrea: Why not pick the best of the best?

Yasenia: In a varied environment, geniuses can grow by stepping on untalented disciples, and untalented disciples with a powerful drive to improve can turn around and become geniuses, becoming rising stars. It builds an environment where potential is naturally pushed by competitiveness. 

Evelyn: Woah, that's a ruthless way of seeing it.

Yasenia: Ruthless but appropriate. We do not live in a fair world, Evelyn. A sect like this is just a preparation for the real World. 

Evelyn: Humu, I see. 

Author: Anyway, I summon you!

Dante: Hello!

Kali: Hello, Dante.

Dante: So, girls, what would you teach your future children that they are forbidden to do no matter under any circumstances? And how would you educate them in general? Virtues and such.

Author: Let's go one by one; do not answer too widely. Just a general idea.

Yasenia: Sure, I would forbid them from disrespecting family members. My education method would be with plenty of love! 

Angel: I don't want my child not to know things, so I would forbid not learning anything! How to educate them… maybe giving them tasty food when they do something good?

Evelyn: Are you raising a dog or a child? Hahaha. In my opinion, there is not much to forbid besides killing for fun and other similar things. A way to educate them is by giving them time to hug Yasenia when they do something good. 

Andrea: I never thought of what to forbid, but what Evelyn said makes sense. Discipline goes a long way in educating them.

Cecile: Being weak is something I want to avoid for my children. But… I don't want to force things, so I'll see what happens. I will show them how weak things perish and are devoured to give them a better drive to improve.

Kali: I wouldn't like my child to be sexually promiscuous, so I want to limit them in that aspect. Teaching them the way to love and how important relationships are should be a good way to educate them. 

Tatyana: Well, their views are still immature, and many things will change, so take their comments with a pinch of salt. For my part, the only thing I will forbid my children will be disrespecting their mothers. For the rest, they can do as they please. Educating them with love and teaching them appropriate knowledge with fun interactions is best, according to my experience.

Dante: I see.

Author: And that's that. Thanks for reading, little lurker. Remember, these are just general ideas that will most likely change~.