Chapter 5: The Immortal Appraisal on the Spirit Manifestation Platform

The boys climbed onto the beds. In the cold wind, they had no choice but to accept the hard, dirty communal platforms and the thin, damp, musty quilts. They all hoped to get a good night’s rest to recover from the exhausting journey and prepare for the final test the next day, which would mark a new chapter in their lives.

Xu Yu lay down right next to Qin Haoxuan, her lips already turning purple from the cold under the thin quilt. It wasn’t just Xu Yu; all the other new disciples, including the physically strong Qin Haoxuan, felt a bone-chilling cold.

In the dim candlelight, a dark hand reached out towards Xu Yu and snatched away the quilt she was wrapped in.

Xu Yu cried out in alarm. It was a powerfully built boy from a nearby bunk. After stealing the quilt, he glared and cursed, “What are you shouting for! If you’ve got the guts, take it back!”

At his roar, tears of grievance welled up in Xu Yu’s eyes. Small and weak, she didn’t dare to argue. At a time like this, reasoning was useless. Might made right.

Qin Haoxuan, who was right beside Xu Yu, saw everything. The thief’s brazen attitude ignited his fury. If not for his desire to keep a low profile on his first day, he would have already thrown a punch.

“Come on, let’s share. It’ll be warmer,” Qin Haoxuan said, pulling the shivering Xu Yu, who was curled into a ball, towards him. He gave her half of his own quilt to cover up, but the quilt was so small that he had to hold Xu Yu in his arms to share it.

Xu Yu’s pale face instantly flushed a burning red. Held in Qin Haoxuan’s embrace, she didn’t dare to move a muscle.

Qin Haoxuan felt no awkwardness. There was nothing wrong with two men sharing a quilt. A faint, pleasant scent from Xu Yu’s body drifted to his nose, which helped to mask the unpleasant, musty smell of the quilt.

With the precedent set, the other shivering boys had an epiphany. Several who considered themselves strong began to openly rob others of their quilts. The victims fought back desperately, and soon, several brawls broke out.

Not far from Qin Haoxuan, Li Jing was also getting restless. At a nod from him, the noble youths by his side swaggered out to steal quilts.

These young nobles had practiced martial arts since childhood and were much stronger than the other boys. They easily snatched several quilts, and those who resisted were beaten until their faces were bruised and swollen. After that, no one dared to fight back.

Stealing quilts soon turned into simply collecting them, and they quickly made their way to Qin Haoxuan.

The noble youth named Murong Chao grabbed Qin Haoxuan’s quilt and yanked it away. The warmth that had just begun to build around Qin Haoxuan was instantly gone. Xu Yu shivered, and tears of cold and fear streamed down her face.

Without a word, Qin Haoxuan shot up from the bed like a striking carp, a low growl rumbling in his throat.

Smack!

He threw a single punch that landed squarely on Murong Chao’s face.

Murong Chao’s body was sent flying sideways like a leaf in the wind, crashing to the floor a couple of meters away. He lay there for a long moment, unable to get up.

It was only when Murong Chao let out a pained groan that the others snapped out of their shock, all of them stunned by the power of Qin Haoxuan’s punch.

Murong Chao came from a family of generals and had practiced military combat techniques since he was a child. His reaction speed was the fastest among them.

With their strongest companion taken down by a single punch, the other noble youths were about to charge forward together when Li Jing, who had remained silent until now, spoke up. “Insolence! Who told you to disturb Brother Qin’s rest?”

The noble youths immediately backed down, partly out of fear of Li Jing, but mostly out of fear of the beast-like ferocity of Qin Haoxuan.

However, Murong Chao, who had just struggled to his feet, paid them no mind. With a strange cry, he drew a dagger from his waist and lunged at Qin Haoxuan. The short distance and his incredible speed caused the dagger to whistle through the air.

As if he had eyes on the side of his head, Qin Haoxuan was clearly no amateur. He instantly grabbed Murong Chao’s wrist, his fingers locking onto his artery. The dagger, which was likely sharp enough to cut iron, fell from Murong Chao’s grasp and embedded itself deep into the floor, leaving only the hilt visible.

Still holding Murong Chao, Qin Haoxuan kicked him in the rear, sending him stumbling away, then fixed his cold, angry gaze on the mastermind, Li Jing.

Qin Haoxuan’s ruthless skill had truly shaken Li Jing. This man has some real ability, he thought. If I can bring him into my faction, he would be a good asset.

He walked over and sternly reprimanded Murong Chao and the others. Then, he picked up the quilt from the floor and handed it back to Qin Haoxuan, making a gesture of goodwill. “The final test is tomorrow morning. Brother Qin, you should get some rest.”

Qin Haoxuan went back to sleep, holding Xu Yu. Although there were a few more scuffles over quilts, no one dared to bother him again.

Seeing that Qin Haoxuan had offended the third prince on his first day, Zhang Kuang felt a sense of schadenfreude. Does he think he can afford to offend the third prince?

Considering the importance of the next day’s test, Qin Haoxuan suppressed his urge to go treasure hunting in the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley. A good night’s sleep was crucial.

The next day, just as the sky began to lighten, three clear bell chimes rang out. The two hundred-odd boys immediately jumped out of bed and straightened their clothes before gathering in the open space in front of the building.

Under the guidance of the same disciple from the previous night, they had breakfast and then walked through the exquisite buildings towards the site of the final test.

After about half an hour’s walk, the guide led them to an open-air plaza. The senior members of the Taichu Sect responsible for the final test were already waiting. In their midst, surrounded by them, was an old man with the air of an immortal Daoist. He was the Sect Master of the Taichu Sect, Perfected Man Huanglong.

The final test for new disciples was a major event for any sect, and the Taichu Sect was no exception. This year, even Perfected Man Huanglong, who had been in seclusion for a long time, was personally present.

After burning incense and offering prayers to the heavens, amidst ethereal immortal music, Perfected Man Huanglong personally announced the start of the test. An elder stepped forward to announce the details.

“This test is to determine the level of your innate talent, the quality of your aptitude!”

Some of the existing Taichu disciples recognized the elder on the high platform. With his white hair and beard, dressed in an azure Daoist robe, he was Perfected Man Luoye, who had an air of transcendent immortality. He was the Sect Master’s martial uncle, a figure of extremely high seniority in the Taichu Sect who was rarely seen in public.

His presence, along with that of the Sect Master and the numerous elders in the stands, showed how much importance they placed on this final test.

Perfected Man Luoye spoke. “Immortal Seeds are divided into Colored and Uncolored Seeds based on their strength. Uncolored Seeds are further divided into full and not full. Colored Seeds are divided into seven colors: Gray, Brown, Azure, Orange, Crimson, Gold, and Purple.”

After explaining the ranks of the Immortal Seeds, he paused. “After the test, regardless of the strength of your Immortal Seed, I hope you will neither be arrogant nor disheartened. A cultivator’s ultimate achievement is not solely determined by their innate aptitude. Hard work can make up for natural deficiencies!”

The test began. As Perfected Man Luoye called out the names, dozens of new disciples were tested in succession. However, all of them were found to have uncolored and not-full weak seeds.

The sect’s upper echelons remained composed. It was normal for all new disciples to have weak seeds. A colored, strong seed was a matter of luck, and they would be content if even one or two of the two hundred disciples had a full Uncolored Seed.

“Next, Zhang Yang from Datian Town!”

Zhang Yang walked onto the testing platform and placed his hand on the “Clear Appraisal Immortal Eye.”

As Perfected Man Luoye infused a stream of immortal spiritual energy, the artifact instantly shone with a gray light.

“A Gray Seed!”

Perfected Man Huanglong shot to his feet, his eyes shining with disbelief. His dignified face could not hide the wild joy in his heart. A Gray Seed! It was a Gray Seed! A sect might not see a single Gray Seed in a hundred years of recruiting!

With just this one Gray Seed, the Taichu Sect’s future for the next two hundred years, or even longer, was secure. As long as he could mature, he could even become the next Sect Master of the Taichu Sect! The current Sect Master himself had also tested as a Gray Seed back in his day!

Although one’s personal opportunities might vary in the future, this Gray Seed would undoubtedly become a pillar of the Taichu Sect!

The elders in the stands also stood up in excitement, their faces a mixture of joy, excitement, and shock, along with a hint of rivalry.

With such an outstanding Gray Seed, who wouldn’t want him as a disciple? In the future, their own lineage could very well be the one to lead the Taichu Sect.

“Martial Uncle Huanglong, our Ancient Cloud Hall has not taken in a disciple for a long time. I see that the boy named Zhang Yang has a master-disciple affinity with our hall. Why don’t you decide, Martial Uncle, to have him join our Ancient Cloud Hall after he reaches the Spirit Sprout Realm?”

The other elders all turned their gazes to the plump immortal master who had spoken. He was not tall, rather portly, with a kind smile on his face. His goatee bobbed up and down as he spoke, giving him a very immortal-like air.

The plump immortal master felt the gazes upon him and smiled, clasping his hands in a salute to the others. “My dear senior brothers, junior brothers, and junior sister, since you are all looking at me, you must agree with me? In that case, Master Guyun thanks you all here…”

“Master Guyun, since when did you learn physiognomy and divination? How do you know this boy has an affinity with you? From what I can see, this boy has more of a master-disciple affinity with my Summer Cloud Hall. In our Taichu Sect, our hall’s Six Divinatory Trigrams are second to none.”

Master Guyun’s plump eyes rolled as he looked at the speaker, a skinny Daoist in a purple robe who looked more like a red envelope than a cultivator. “Senior Brother Xiayunzi, for the past ten years, you have snatched every new talent that has come through our gates. Five years ago, you took that full-seed disciple, Chiming. You can’t take all the good seedlings for your Summer Cloud Hall, can you?”

“I agree with Master Guyun’s words… Your Summer Cloud Hall already has many good seedlings. It would be against heavenly principles to give you more!”

A scholar-like figure with a transcendent air, Master Bizhu, chimed in. “Sect Master, Grand Ancestor Luoye, my Jade Bamboo Hall has always been detached from worldly affairs, and my disciples are pure of heart, dedicated to cultivating outstanding talents for the glory of our Taichu Sect. This disciple, Zhang Yang, has great spiritual roots. If he can enter my Jade Bamboo Hall, he is bound to shine brightly!”

Master Guyun and Master Xiayunzi rolled their eyes. They now knew that Master Bizhu’s usual detached and aloof demeanor was all an act. Under the temptation of a Gray Seed, he had finally shown his true colors.

“Ahem.” A clear voice, like the song of an oriole, rang out. “Senior brothers, my Hundred Flowers Hall has always only accepted female disciples. Our yin energy is too heavy, and we lack a bit of yang energy. I’m sure that with your generous hearts, you will all let me have this Zhang Yang for my Hundred Flowers Hall, won’t you?”

Su Baihua’s Hundred Flowers Hall was unique in the Taichu Sect, with an all-female roster of disciples that was the object of much longing from the other halls. It was an unwritten rule that they only accepted female disciples, but now, Su Baihua was unexpectedly trying to break it.

“Unacceptable, unacceptable!” Master Guyun shook his head and took out a white jade bottle from his robes.

The moment the bottle appeared, a rich immortal aura filled the entire platform.