Recruitment 1

After Travis was done selecting his cultivation technique, he decided to start cultivating the sutra immediately. 

Following that, he saw a surge of mist gushing out of the surrounding space and embracing his body. 

It was an energy that was much purer and more nourishing than Qi, something he had never sensed before, flowing into his body.

Is this the primordial origin of Qi mentioned in the sutra?

He could feel his body and energy pathways being transformed by the primordial Qi entering him.

He felt as though he was immersed in molten lava, occasionally experiencing a sharp tearing sensation like being sawn apart. It was fortunate that the pain receded swiftly, and there was a relaxing feeling of improvement after each burst of pain. 

By the time the tempering came to an end, his body was overflowing with energy, and he felt stronger than ever.

He began looking around the palace, hoping to see the resources Lionheart was talking about, but found nothing.

He assumed the resources must be on the upper floor but found no entrance when he searched for them.

Palace spirit, can you guide me to the next floor, please? Master can only access the next floor when your cultivation meets the floor requirement. Upon hearing this, he could only depart with a sense of disappointment.

He inquired of the palace spirit, 'How can I store this palace?'

You just need to think about retrieving the palace, and it will return to your sea of consciousness. 

A smile of joy spread across his face, realizing he could take the palace with him. Realizing it was time to return to the academy after three days, Travis panicked as the recruitment period was approaching. 

Using his cultivated skills, Travis activated the transportation formation, allowing him to swiftly depart from the abyss.

He teleported to the outer zone of the mystical forest, known for its ancient energy, where he immediately set off for the academy.

Travis arrived outside a grand arena specifically designated for the annual recruitment event, strategically located at the heart of the academy to facilitate the selection of students.

Stepping into the expansive arena, Travis marveled at its seemingly larger interior, bustling with tens of thousands of eager students eagerly awaiting the recruitment proceedings.

They were all excited about the prospect of joining a mountain and eager to access the resources, training, and opportunities for growth that each mountain offered.

Travis walked into a crowd, standing beside some students, when he heard them talking about the mountain they would like to join.

He was also intrigued by my topic, thinking about what mountain he should join.

When some female students noticed him standing there, they were immediately charmed by his dazzling appearance.

The dedicated practice of the Primordial Origin Essence Harmonization Sutra has not only refined Travis's physique but also imbued him with an aura akin to that of a dragon among men.

They immediately surrounded him, trying to know him. It's important to note that the majority of them were girls.

As they witnessed this, the male disciples in the section gazed at him with a mix of envy and jealousy on their faces.

That was when a middle-aged man in green robes went to the arena and raised his hand to stop people from making any noise.

The arena fell silent, enveloped in a blanket of quiet. Everyone turned their attention to the distinguished middle-aged man.

Travis looked at the elder and recalled him being the one who was in charge of the awakening process for the students.

"Greetings everyone! I'm Daoist Rufus, an elder of the Rising Dragon Mountain. I'll be your host for this year's recruitment events." 

He introduced himself. His voice resounded throughout the arena.

As his voice fell, a group of five people walked into the arena.

The five people attracted attention as they were envoys from four mountains and one palace. 

The Rising Dragon Mountain, the Wisdom Dragon Mountain, the Creation Dragon Mountain, the Sensual Dragon Palace, and the Hidden Dragon Mountain.

There were three women among the group of envoys. Two of them appeared to be in their twenties, while the last one was middle-aged, and both men were also middle-aged.

They were here to scout for talented students before selection day.

Everyone in the audience stood up to show respect as a sign of reverence for the envoys. 

The envoys gave a slight nod to the audience before taking their designated seats.

Their seating also signified the mountains' ranks in the academy. In the middle sat one of the two young women in golden robes. She represented Hidden Dragon Mountain. 

The other four envoys from the three mountains and one palace sat beside her.

Daoist Rufus clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention and stated, "Most of you may be familiar with the rules from past recruitments. 

However, let me repeat those rules once more so that everyone who isn't familiar with them will know."

"First of all, those of you who aren't in the spirit awakening realm or above, and those who are more than 20 years old, aren't eligible to participate in this recruitment. 

Anyone who comes down for recruitment will be punished severely." A few people who were proud of their talent despite not being eligible shrank their necks. 

Not daring to entertain the thought of trying their luck, clearly afraid of punishment.

"The recruitment will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase, candidates will be tested to gauge their affinity for natural mana.

Those who don't have third-grade affinity are ineligible and will not proceed to the next phase of recruitment. Only those with third-grade or higher affinity will move on to the second phase for additional evaluations.

The second phase is the most important aspect of this recruitment in a sense, which is battle.

Having high-affinity grades or strength is not enough if you cannot demonstrate effective combat skills and emerge victorious in real battles.

As we cultivate and struggle to become strong, we want to become strong so that we can survive and live today without fear.

Let's begin with the first test. I expect all of you to come out in an orderly manner. Each student walks out calmly from their sitting position.

People kept passing and failing. 

Their ratio was almost equal. From this, it can be seen that although the number of students who wanted to join the academy was around two hundred thousand, only half of them would qualify to proceed to the second phase.

Each candidate completed their testing in just a few seconds. However, five hours were gone quickly, and there were still ten percent of candidates yet to be tested.

"Stimulate the mana inside the crystal." The elder instructed.

Ebas focused on stimulating the mana inside the crystal. A moment later, the crystal reacted, and an invisible mana wave was propelled outward from the crystal that only dispersed after traveling seven inches from the crystal.

The instructor nodded towards Ebas approvingly and announced loudly, "Grade seven mana affinity. Pass!"

Just like that, more students tested their affinities. Some left happy, while some could only leave disappointed.

Soon enough, it was time for Travis to make his way to the stage.

As he emerged from the crowd, Travis captured everyone's attention. His lustrous black hair cascaded elegantly, complementing his flawless white complexion. His silver eyes seemed to hold cosmic truths, framed by sharp brows, a slender nose, and a defined jawline that exuded an immortal-like aura, enchanting all the onlookers as he confidently strode toward the stage.