Free Web NovelChapter 133: Chapter 128: Xingyun Sect
Yan Province, Yongning City.
Ten miles outside the city stood Xingyun Mountain, a branch of the Yanxing Mountain range, where the famed Xingyun Sect had established its gate.
The fifth of the seventh month. The sun was high in the sky.
Hundreds of people had gathered before the mountain gate, the line snaking down like a long serpent all the way to the foot of the mountain.
Yan Province had a strong martial tradition; nearly everyone, regardless of age or gender, knew a thing or two about fighting. Families with the means would send their children to train at martial sects or academies.
The Xingyun Sect recruited disciples on the fifth of every month.
Despite the strict entry requirements, an endless stream of young hopefuls would arrive on this day, many having made special journeys from other provinces.
Most of the people in line were between thirteen and eighteen, the prime age for martial arts training. The younger ones were accompanied by their elders.
There were also adult men and women applying, mostly with powerful builds and abundant Qi and Blood. A single glance was enough to tell they already possessed some level of cultivation.
Most of them came from minor sects and had hit a bottleneck in their cultivation, hoping to further their study of the martial way in a larger sect.
Three tables were set up in the plaza before the mountain gate. Behind each sat two people, one old and one young.
The younger ones were dressed as ordinary disciples, while the elders wore crimson robes. These elders were deacons of the Xingyun Sect, responsible for examining the applicants’ aptitude and cultivation level in a preliminary screening.
Those who qualified were led before the mountain gate to await the next round of selection. Those who did not were turned away on the spot.
’The Xingyun Sect’s standards really are high. Some of these people have enough talent to get into any sect back in Qinghe County, but here they can’t even pass the first round.’
Zhao Lin stood in the middle of the crowd, watching the dejected faces of the rejected applicants—some even weeping bitterly—and couldn’t help but think to himself.
He had arrived in Yongning City three days ago, where he had paid a hefty price for a residence to settle his family.
His father and Mrs. Zhao had been reluctant to leave Ying Province—it’s never easy to leave one’s home—but after much persuasion from Zhao Lin and Zhao Shan, they finally agreed. They made the long and arduous journey to this border city.
Zhu Huaishan had come with Zhao Lin to register, but a disciple from the Xingyun Sect had invited him to a lounge near the gate to rest.
The masters and elders accompanying the young applicants were mostly martial artists of the Qi Realm or even the Blood Realm. They were also advanced in years, and it would be beneath their dignity to stand baking in the sun.
Before leaving, Zhu Huaishan had reminded Zhao Lin, "Don’t be nervous. Just perform as you usually do. Even if you don’t get into the Wuxiang Institute, the outer court is still a good option."
"Just don’t be nervous!"
"I know, Master."
Zhao Lin saw the sweat beading on his master’s forehead. ’Between the two of us,’ he thought, ’who’s the one who’s really nervous?’
Still, he understood his master’s feelings. It was like parents seeing their child off to a major exam; the student might be calm, but the parents who came along were worried sick.
"Senior Brother, that guy up ahead is at the First Layer of the Qi Realm, isn’t he? He looks even younger than us. How did he manage that?"
"Why are you worried about his cultivation level? Besides, a major sect like Xingyun Sect prefers to recruit young people who are a blank slate. What’s really important is their innate aptitude!"
"As for cultivation, if their style doesn’t align with the sect’s, it’s actually a hindrance. Who knows? Maybe he just has a baby face and is actually twenty-five or twenty-six!"
Hearing the whispers from behind him, Zhao Lin knew they were talking about him without even needing to look. He paid them no mind.
’My style doesn’t align?’
’What I practice is an authentic Xingyun Sect Cultivation Technique!’
’Then again, most of the people here are just trying to get into the Xingyun Sect’s outer court. My goal is the Wuxiang Institute.’
About an hour later, it was finally Zhao Lin’s turn.
"You, come here. Stand still, and don’t circulate your energy to resist," the elder said, beckoning to Zhao Lin and pointing to the spot in front of him.
Zhao Lin knew the man was about to inspect his aptitude and cultivation. He calmly walked forward and stood before the elder.
The elder extended two fingers. Their tips glowed faintly red as he tapped lightly on Zhao Lin’s shoulder.
Zhao Lin immediately felt several hair-thin strands of energy rush into his body. They wove through his chest and abdomen before pausing for a moment at his ribs, then returned to his shoulder.
The elder’s brow twitched. He looked at Zhao Lin in shock and asked, "How old are you?"
"Seventeen," Zhao Lin answered honestly.
He had once asked his master how the Xingyun Sect verified an applicant’s age.
After all, there was a world of difference in talent between an eighteen-year-old and a twenty-eight-year-old who were both at the First Layer of the Qi Realm.
How would they identify someone who lied about their age?
They couldn’t possibly do a full background check on everyone—that would take a tremendous amount of effort.
Checking teeth or facial features probably wasn’t accurate, either.
Zhu Huaishan had simply laughed. "You think you can fake your age?"
"The Xingyun Sect has a Cultivation Technique called the Jade Illumination Skill. The ’jade’ in its name refers to a person’s bones."
"Only martial artists at the Primordial Realm can use this technique. It was originally meant for detecting hidden injuries and illnesses, but they later discovered it could also be used to determine age." freeweɓnovēl.coɱ
"The surface of a person’s bones has many fine lines, called growth lines. Every year a person ages, a new line appears, much like the rings of a tree."
"The Jade Illumination Skill can tell a person’s true age with a single probe. That’s why no one dares to lie. If they are found to have falsified their age upon entry, that person and their entire clan will be barred from the sect forever!"
Zhao Lin had been astounded. A Cultivation Technique like that was no longer a simple martial art, but something closer to the Magic of legends.
"You’re really seventeen?"
Still not quite convinced, the elder tapped Zhao Lin’s shoulder again, putting him through the exact same process a second time.
"Write it down," the elder said to the disciple taking notes beside him.
The disciple took out a rectangular wooden plaque, picked up a brush, and asked Zhao Lin, "Name, age, and martial lineage."
Zhao Lin answered without hesitation, "Zhao Lin, seventeen. My lineage is the Liuhe Sect from Qinghe County in Ying Province."
He made a small, respectful bow and added in a softer voice, "My master’s name is Zhu Huaishan."
The elder paused. "Zhu Huaishan is your master? He used to be a member of the Xingyun Sect, didn’t he?"
"He was," Zhao Lin confirmed calmly.
The elder was silent for a moment, his expression a mixture of emotion and envy. "He certainly taught a good disciple."
The disciple finished writing and looked to the elder.
The elder announced in a deep voice, "Cultivation: First Layer of the Qi Realm. Aptitude: Upper-Middle."
’Upper-Middle?’
Zhao Lin was slightly surprised. Aptitude was divided into nine grades, and Upper-Middle was the second-highest.
’My body was transformed by the Spirit Beast Scroll. It’s far superior to an ordinary person’s, yet here in the Xingyun Sect, it only ranks as the second-best grade? Is there really a grade higher than mine—an Upper-Upper?’
In truth, he didn’t know that while the Xingyun Sect had criteria for each grade, the assessment of aptitude was inherently subjective. Upper-Middle was already an excellent result.
Only someone who was as familiar with Zhao Lin’s cultivation progress as Zhu Huaishan would dare to give a verdict of Upper-Upper.
After recording Zhao Lin’s information, the young disciple looked up and said, "Your qualifications are excellent. You can be admitted directly into the outer court, no further tests required. If you agree, I’ll stamp your plaque now."
As he spoke, he reached for a red seal on the desk.
"Wait."
A hand pressed down on the seal. "I’m applying for the Wuxiang Institute."
