Qingcheng Mansion was in the northern part of the Soaring Dragon Empire, not too far from Marriott City. The journey typically took two days, but since Lin Xuan had been cultivating in the mountains nearby, he made it in just one.
He arrived just in time for Qingcheng Mansion's external recruitment assessment. By the time he reached the mansion, the area outside was already teeming with people preparing to enter and take the exam.
'So this is Qingcheng Mansion...'
Lin Xuan was stunned by the magnificent scale of the building before him. The main gate alone, forged from the precious Profound Iron, was undoubtedly expensive.
This gate alone was a testament to Qingcheng Mansion's imposing presence. Within the Soaring Dragon Empire, Qingcheng Mansion was a Fourth Grade Sect, boasting countless powerful experts, including some at the Core Formation Stage! This was why it was said that Qingcheng Mansion could crush the Lin Family with a single finger.
Lin Xuan scanned his surroundings and saw that a massive number of people had come for the assessment—at least a thousand. Their cultivation levels varied. The lowest were at the fourth or fifth layer of the Body Refining Stage, while the highest had reached the eighth or ninth layer!
It was clear that the disciples recruited each year were all quite outstanding. This fresh blood constantly strengthened Qingcheng Mansion.
However, this was just a branch of Qingcheng Mansion. The true headquarters was not here but within the Vast Origin Secret Realm. The resources there were astonishing, allowing for a cultivation speed that far surpassed this place.
Only Inner Hall Disciples and Core Disciples were allowed to enter. As for the likes of them, they had no chance of getting in unless they truly stood out from the crowd.
'So this is just the beginning...'
Lin Xuan gazed at the scene and took a deep breath. The selection process would be grueling. Joining the Inner Hall at Qingcheng Mansion's headquarters would be impossible without an extraordinary performance. From the very beginning, his goal had been to join the Inner Hall, not just to languish in the outer sect!
"All of you, get in line! Anyone who doesn't, get lost!" A voice, thick with powerful Elemental Power, boomed from the front. It shook many of the cultivators with lower cultivation, making them sway and nearly collapse.
Lin Xuan looked up and saw that the one who had shouted was a Steward at the front. His cultivation wasn't considered high, but he was at the Peak of the Spirit Refining Stage. He could easily kill everyone here in an instant.
Not daring to disobey, the crowd quickly formed a long line. They had to register to enter; each person had to pay a fee, register, and receive their token.
Lin Xuan also got in line, ready to pay and get his token. Just as he joined the queue, a sudden uproar came from behind him.
Lin Xuan turned toward the noise. He saw a young man of about seventeen, holding a fan and wearing a refined smile, strolling over. His expression was nonchalant, as if he couldn't care less about the assessment. The two attendants following him were proof enough that his status was anything but ordinary.
"Isn't that Young Master Huang Ming of the Huang Family? What's he doing here for the assessment?"
"Yeah, I heard a while ago that Huang Ming was planning to join Qingcheng Mansion. I didn't expect him to actually show up. First place in the assessment is probably his for the taking!"
...
The crowd's murmurs grew loud, filled with resentment at Huang Ming's appearance. He'd been born with a silver spoon in his mouth; how could they possibly be happy to see him?
'Someone from the Huang Family?' A cold glint appeared in Lin Xuan's eyes. The Huang Family were the Eldest Prince's people.
He sized up Huang Ming. As expected of a young master from a great family, his cultivation had reached the Eighth Layer of the Body Refining Stage. And that was just his apparent strength; who knew how much more he was hiding. Furthermore, his weapon would also be a major advantage.
More importantly, Huang Ming didn't even have to queue. He walked straight to the front of the line. The Steward even stood up, beaming, and said, "Young Master Huang, you've arrived. Here is your token. Please wait over there for a moment."
This action drew even more dissatisfaction from the crowd. The disparity in treatment was just too blatant. He didn't have to wait in line and got his token immediately.
"This is so unfair! He doesn't even have to line up!"
"Yeah! Even if he's a young master of the Huang Family, they can't show such blatant favoritism!"
...
The crowd's grumbling grew louder, nearly boiling over. But Huang Ming just kept smiling, his eyes filled with contempt—naked, undisguised contempt!
"Fair?" the Steward scoffed. "If any of you have a Fifth-class Talent, you don't have to line up either. Feel free to come stand over here!"
As soon as he said that, the entire crowd fell silent!
Fairness? There was no such thing as absolute fairness in this world. Someone with a Fifth-class Talent deserved special privileges! With that single sentence, the entire crowd went quiet. It was for no other reason than the fact that none of them possessed a Fifth-class Talent. They could only shut up obediently. They were unhappy, but they knew they'd probably be kicked out if they said anything more.
After that little episode, everyone obediently went back to lining up for their tokens. The process was fast; they just had to pay the fee and receive a token.
"Two Primordial Stones." When it was Lin Xuan's turn, he took the Primordial Stones from his Storage Pouch and handed them over. 'That was a pretty steep price. A commoner's wages are only about half a Primordial Stone, and half a Primordial Stone is equal to one tael of gold.'
'However, the currency among cultivators is Primordial Stones, while commoners use gold and silver. That meant it cost four taels of gold to participate in this assessment. The price was indeed high.'
'Two Primordial Stones could also buy several Body Refining Pills. If he failed the assessment and couldn't join Qingcheng Mansion, the loss would really sting. Lin Feng hadn't given him many Primordial Stones, only about forty or fifty.'
After everyone had received their tokens, the Steward led them through the main gate. Meanwhile, Huang Ming was already sitting to the side, sipping tea. The contrast was infuriating.
"Next is the talent test. Anyone without a Third-class Talent or higher will be eliminated!" The Steward scanned the crowd, but no one chose to withdraw. They all knew this was a strict requirement; a Third-class Talent was mandatory to pass the initial assessment.
Anyone who didn't even know that would be a true fool, and would have wasted two Primordial Stones.
"Place your hand on the stone stele and wait for the test result," the Steward said, pointing to a stele up ahead. "Come up one by one, in order. No cutting in line."
One by one, they lined up to place their hands on the Stone Stele. As soon as the first person touched it, the color of the stele changed. It first turned from white to black, then stopped when it turned red.
"Third-class Talent. Pass. Next."
"Second-class Talent. Fail. Don't tell me you think this stone stele is inaccurate, or that the one you tested on before was wrong? Get lost and think it over!"
"Fourth-class Talent. Not bad. Next."
...
There really were fools with only Second-class Talent who came for the assessment, and quite a few of them at that. Just as the Steward had sarcastically implied, under normal circumstances, these talent-testing steles were never wrong.
After several dozen people, it was finally Lin Xuan's turn. He walked up to the Stone Stele, took a deep breath, and placed his hand on it. After a cycle of changing colors, it stopped on orange—Fourth-class Talent!
"Fourth-class Talent. Pass. Next," the Steward called out again.
"Young Master, it looks like first place in this assessment is yours for the taking," a servant said to Huang Ming, fawning and bowing. "The best talent they have is only Fourth-class, which is a far cry from your Fifth-class talent, Young Master."
Huang Ming waved his fan, clearly enjoying the flattery. "But of course. How could a Fifth-class Talent be so easy to come by?" His tone was haughty, highlighting the gap between nobles and commoners!
Lin Xuan stepped away from the Stone Stele, his mind in a daze. 'I've reached Fourth-class Talent. Could this be the evolution of my bloodline?'