Chapter Six: The Testing Hall!

Before the commencement, the three elders instructed the candidates to ensure they were in their best condition.

At this moment, the leading elder looked down at the seven thousand disciples below, his brow furrowing slightly. He swept his gaze from side to side and finally heaved a low sigh. "There are only seven thousand two hundred or so this year, far fewer than last year. If this continues, our Sword Sect will lack successors!"

Beside him, Wanke nodded. "Indeed. I heard that the Martial Sect’s outer gate examination draws nearly one hundred thousand geniuses, and the Second Gate also attracts tens of thousands. The other two palaces are said to have tens of thousands as well. Yet we, the Sword Sect, have only a few thousand. If we don’t lower our recruitment standards, I fear our outer gate will soon face the embarrassment of being completely deserted!"

"Lowering standards is merely a stopgap measure, not a cure," Elder Yu interjected, shaking his head. "If we lower the standards, each generation will be worse than the last, and eventually, we will inevitably become a second-rate power. I believe we must focus on competing for resources. If any of our Sword Sect disciples can break into the Qin Martial Ranking, allowing us to secure a few more locations rich in spiritual energy, this situation will surely change!"

Hearing this, the other two elders gave a bitter smile. "How could we and the Sect Master not know this? Old Yu, how difficult it is to break into that ranking! Those monsters—they are all heaven-defying beings, especially those from the Martial Sect. Even if we went there ourselves, we might not gain any advantage!"

The lead elder sighed, "In my day, during my generation, once our swords were drawn, even the people from the Martial Sect had to show us respect. I never expected that after two hundred years, we would decline to such a state."

Elder Yu’s face also twisted with bitterness. "It is true. In the last few decades, since Wang Mumu broke into the Qin Martial Ranking, not a single person has managed to do so. This has led to the current state of our Sword Sect. Ultimately, it is because we, the older generation, were not competitive enough!"

"It was all because of the Blood Sect! Back then, they sent a Nascent Soul stage expert to secretly harm our geniuses. That year, not a single one of us made the list!" Hao Bo said, his voice filled with indignation.

Hao Bo then swept his gaze over the crowd below. "I heard that this time, a sixteen-year-old from Nianxue City who reached the fourth level of the Innate Realm has come to participate. Reaching the fourth level of the Innate Realm at sixteen—if he didn't use pills or other external means to boost his cultivation, this child will surely become another monster for our Sword Sect!"

Wanke nodded with a smile. "I heard of him as well. The boy’s name is Liu Shaoying, and he is said to be the most outstanding genius Nianxue City has seen in a century. If the rumors are true, once those fellows currently on the outer gate ranking move to the inner gate, this boy should become the number one person in the outer gate!"

"Alright, it is time. We should begin," Elder Yu reminded them.

"Now, I will release the pressure of the Core Condensation Realm. Those who can withstand it will pass!" Elder Hao Bo announced, unleashing his aura.

The pressure descended upon the crowd like a small mountain. Caught off guard, several youths collapsed to the ground instantly. Within two hours, half of the crowd had fallen, and the number was still rising.

Seeing this, the elder above frowned, his brows forming a "chuan" character. "The quality is too poor!" The two looked at each other and shook their heads helplessly.

On the field, Ye Chen kept his eyes fixed and his mind calm, completely unaffected by the Core Condensation Realm pressure. His foundation was incredibly stable, and having received the sword intent inheritance within the seal, he possessed second-tier sword intent. The pressure from Hao Bo—who was holding back—did not affect him in the slightest.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked to his right. A boy of about sixteen was watching him. The boy was dressed in a magnificent white robe and had handsome features. Although his face still held a touch of youth, he carried an air of nobility, though he made little effort to hide the arrogance in his expression. His eyes flickered with curiosity.

Most importantly, like Ye Chen, the boy remained completely unaffected by the pressure. This caused a flash of surprise in Ye Chen’s heart.

Noticing Ye Chen’s gaze, Liu Shaoying looked away and closed his eyes to meditate. "Interesting."

At that moment, someone slowly ran up to Ye Chen. "Brother, I am Liu Jinshui, a local from Qin Capital." He draped an arm around Ye Chen’s shoulders.

Ye Chen moved away quickly, cupping his hands. "I am Ye Chen, of the Ye clan. I assume you have a reason for approaching me? Pray tell."

Liu Jinshui leaned in close again. "Don't be so stiff! I saw you weren't affected by that pressure, so I figured you must be quite something. But you noticed that kid looking at you earlier, right? That’s Liu Shaoying. They say he’s the most outstanding genius of this batch. I don't buy it, though—there are still you and me, and we are quite monstrous ourselves."

Liu Jinshui curled his lip in defiance, then hooked his arm around Ye Chen again. "I think he’s got his eye on you. How about we team up to deal with him?"

"No need," Ye Chen replied, intending to move elsewhere.

Liu Jinshui hurriedly chased after him. "Don't be so cold, Brother Ye! Heh, I just want to make friends with you."

Hearing this, Ye Chen paused. "Fine, I’ll take you as a friend." He gave Liu Jinshui’s shoulder a thump.

"Ouch, take it easy," Liu Jinshui complained.

Half an hour later, Hao Bo retracted his aura and returned to the grand hall. Looking down at the sea of fallen youths, with only one thousand left standing, Feng Yu shook his head and sighed. He had held back, yet so many were still eliminated. The weight of that reality was clear.

Glancing at the fallen youths, Liu Shaoying curled his lip in disdain. "Trash, failing to withstand even such pathetic Core Condensation pressure!" He turned his gaze toward Ye Chen and his companion, offering a playful smirk.

Feeling Liu Shaoying’s gaze, Ye Chen frowned. Why were there so many idiots looking for trouble these days?

Beside him, Liu Jinshui remained unbothered, fiddling with the storage ring on his finger.

Elder Yu looked at the fallen youths and said, "Those who have fallen, go rest on the side. When the time comes, you may leave the Sword Sect, or stay and work as menial disciples at the Menial Peak. The next assessment begins in half an hour."

The half-hour passed in a flash. Once everyone had rested, Elder Yu opened his eyes and scanned the one thousand disciples standing ramrod straight before him. He nodded slightly and announced, "The second test will examine your cultivation talent. Follow me!" He turned and walked toward the back.

Inside the Test Hall, a half-person-tall test stone stood in the center, emitting a faint fluorescent glow as if it contained some mysterious power. Intricate, ancient-looking runes were carved into its surface, with profound energy fluctuations flowing faintly through them.

As Elder Yu entered, the crowd followed, their eyes fixed on the stone. Ye Chen and Liu Jinshui stood side by side, their expressions filled with curiosity and anticipation.

Liu Jinshui whispered to Ye Chen, "This stone can measure our cultivation talent. I wonder what we’ll get." Before he could finish his sentence, the test stone suddenly erupted with a brilliant light, illuminating the entire hall as if it were broad daylight.