[Talent Test And Lu Chen]

After a few minutes of walking, the group finally arrived at their destination.

They found themselves in front of a giant portal embedded with mysterious stones. Respectively, there were seven transparent precious stones on the right side of the door and nine on the left side.

"The current test is very simple. The only thing to do is to pass through this portal. Anyone who manages to light up three or more stones on the right side can enter the sect as an outer disciple. If you can illuminate even more stones, you might even be noticed by the elders and directly enter the inner sect," declared Elder Tan, quickly presenting the test without explaining in detail the significance of the stones on the right and left.

No one dared to ask out of fear of offending Elder Tan.

"We will start with number 500 in the ranking and go up," said Elder Tan.

"Participant number 500, pass through the portal," ordered Elder Xiang.

Participant number 500 stepped out of the crowd, much to the astonishment of the other participants. It was a girl of about 16 years old with no bloodstains on her. She had snow-white skin, a graceful body, an elegant figure, and hypnotic violet eyes, along with an aura filled with arrogance, as if she was superior to the entire world.

It seemed as though she hadn't participated in any battles. One could even doubt how she managed to rank among the top 500.

Jian Ning quickly understood the reason when he saw a participant ranked number 19 waving affectionately at her. The saddest part was that the girl completely ignored him, as if they were strangers.

Instead, she cast glances at the men ranked in the top 10, but seeing that no one responded, she threw a seductive look filled with temptation towards the inner disciple Yuan Dan. Yuan Dan, being a young man full of energy, responded with an avid gaze filled with lust.

This quick interaction between the two did not go unnoticed by the other participants and the two elders, which attracted looks of hatred and disdain.

Even Jian Ning couldn't help but feel disdain, but it wasn't for the two of them, but rather for number 19.

'How can someone be so blind? If this person had hunted alone, he might have made it into the top 10. He just wasted a chance to enter the top 10 for a girl like her,' Jian Ning thought with disdain.

In fact, Jian Ning didn't despise the number 500, no! He despised all those idiots who used love for their own benefit or those who sacrificed so much for fleeting love.

Jian Ning was not the type of person who thought with the lower part of his body, nor did he have a deep respect for human life. To him, there was no difference between men, women, and animals in a fight, except that women could use their bodies as a last resort to survive.

This is also one of the reasons why the female population on the continent is larger than that of the males.

Seeing more and more disdainful looks directed at her, number 500 quickened her pace and quickly arrived at the giant portal.

Number 500 looked at the portal with eyes filled with almost euphoric surprise.

It's true! The portal was majestic, with a beautiful design and mysterious runes, giving the impression of an invaluable work of art.

"Enter quickly and stay under the portal for a few seconds," urged Elder Tan, clearly a bit impatient.

It's not like he had all the time in the world!

After all, it should not be forgotten that this girl was ranked only 500th, so it was likely that her cultivation qualifications were not high.

And as Elder Tan had predicted, after the girl, with an arrogant air, stayed a few seconds under the portal, eight stones on the left side lit up with a dull yellow color, while two stones on the right side lit up with a pale white color, indicating she had no talent for any element.

"Participant number 500, insufficient talent, does not pass!" declared Elder Tan mercilessly.

"Next..."

A group of participants cast looks of contempt and disdain towards the arrogant girl.

Meanwhile, the girl cast pleading glances at Yuan Dan, her eyes filled with a plea very different from her previous arrogance.

Yuan Dan hesitated for a moment before regaining his composure.

Although he was greedy and perverted, he knew that if he spoke for this girl, he could lose his position as an inner disciple, or even be completely expelled from the sect!

It should be noted that his talent was not the highest, and he had only lit up four lights, which happens about ten times in general at each selection. Moreover, his combat talent was atrocious, and he had made no effort to cultivate, usually wasting his monthly salary to flirt with other female disciples.

'Yuan Dan, calm down, this girl is not worth it. Besides, with all the gifts I have given to Xiaoqing, she might agree to become my Daoist partner,' Yuan Dan thought silently as he calmed his emotions.

Yuan Dan's eyes gradually cooled, and he gave an indifferent look to the arrogant girl, which made her cry all the more.

... Unfortunately, no one was going to comfort her. On the contrary, people despised her even more!

To be so devastated by a minor setback showed that this girl was not cut out for cultivation!

Because cultivation is above all about swimming against the current, facing the waves head-on but continuing and persevering on the chosen path.

"Participant number 499, pass under the portal."

"Talent two stars. Insufficient, next."

"Participant number 498, pass under the portal."

"Talent three stars. Sufficient, next."

...

Time passed, and the participants went one by one, with the highest result being four stones lit.

The participants who managed to light four stones were respectively number 378, number 231, number 217, and number 68, who was Jian Ning's sister.

Over time, the participants understood the function of the stones on the right and left.

The stones on the right show your cultivation talent and light up in a different color if you have talent for an element.

For example, a high yellow rank cultivation talent without any element will light up three white stones on the right side, which is also the threshold to pass the evaluation.

Whereas a low mysterious rank talent with a wind element talent will light up four silver stones, and the stronger the element talent, the brighter it will shine.

"Participant number 19, pass under the portal," mechanically called Elder Tan, before participant number 19, a young man of about 15 or 16 years old, stepped forward. He had unremarkable black hair, blazing red eyes, thick eyebrows, a prominent nose in the middle of his face, and rather coarse features, which did not make him a handsome man by the standards of the cultivation world, where cultivators' beauty far surpassed that of mortals.

After participant number 19 passed under the portal, all nine stones on the left side lit up in yellow, then went out, and a single stone lit up in orange. The participants could easily understand that this indicated his cultivation level was rank 1 Qi Gathering.

Whoosh!

The stones on the right began to light up, one, two, three... five!

Five stones on the right lit up with a fiery red color, emanating astonishing heat.

A mid-rank black talent for cultivation with a fire element talent!

"Talent five stars. Sufficient, next, you pass" Elder Tan's voice resounded with surprise and appreciation. There was a note of gentleness in his tone.

"Haha, brother Tan, you also have a talent for fire. Who would have thought this little guy would have such a talent? You might have gained a good apprentice today," laughed Elder Xiang beside him.

"We will see after the evaluation. Participant number 18, pass under the portal..." said Elder Tan without changing his expression, though his tone grew more satisfied, showing his appreciation for participant number 19.

A five-star talent without even being in the top 10!?

No, it shouldn't be forgotten that if this participant had used all his points for himself instead of wasting them on a girl like the arrogant one, he could have easily made it into the top 10, maybe even the top 5.

"Ling, show me this participant's status."

[Ding]

— — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

[Displaying status of participant number 19: Lu Chen]

[Name: Lu Chen]

[Cultivation: rank 1 Qi Gathering]

[Age: 16 years]

[Body: Celestial Flame Body (dormant)]

[Talent: mid-rank black cultivation talent // high-rank earth fire element talent // high-rank black spear talent]

[Cultivation technique: low-rank black technique]

[Martial skills: 5 yellow-rank martial techniques, and three black-rank techniques]

[Artistic conception: semi-intent of the spear (10%), semi-artistic conception of fire (30%)]

[Luck: King rank luck]

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