Looking at the young woman’s actions before her, Ye Xinran asked in confusion, “You bought it to give to me? Is there really such a good thing?”
“Of course. A treasured sword belongs with Heaven’s Chosen.”
The young woman explained with a smile.
Facing the young woman’s explanation, Ye Xinran said nothing. Instead, she carefully sized her up.
Seeing this, the young woman continued, “All right, I just saw that your talent is very strong and wanted to make friends with you.”
Hearing this, Ye Xinran finally nodded. “Hmm... That reason is quite reasonable.”
“My name is Ye Xinran. What’s yours?”
“Jin Xiaoya.”
.....
On a woodland path outside the city.
“Are you sure there’s nothing you want? I took your sword, and I’ll feel bad if I don’t return the favor.”
Ye Xinran asked Jin Xiaoya.
She had already been asking all along the way.
“Xinran, I really don’t need anything.”
Jin Xiaoya replied with a wry smile.
She had been giving the same answer all along the way.
“How about this? If I ever need something in the future, you can help me. What do you think?”
To stop Ye Xinran from continuing to ask, Jin Xiaoya thought of this solution.
In her view, if she said this for now, Ye Xinran would naturally forget about it after some time.
“Hmm... That works, I suppose. Sister Xiaoya, how much farther is the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land? Will we make it in time for the recruitment ceremony?”
“Don’t worry. There’s still half a month before the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land’s recruitment ceremony. We’ll make it easily.”
And so, the two of them traveled toward the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land, chatting and laughing along the way.
.....
In the eastern region, inside a magnificent main hall.
A stern-looking, powerful and imposing middle-aged man was conversing with a star robe-clad young man who had sharp brows, bright eyes, and an extraordinary bearing.
“Tianci, are you sure you want to go to the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land? Our Lin Clan is an unparalleled imperial clan with profound foundations. If you Cultivate at home, we can guide you as well. It’s no worse than the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land.”
The middle-aged man earnestly tried to persuade him.
“Father, only fierce competition can help me grow faster and become stronger.”
Lin Tianci looked at the middle-aged man with a resolute gaze.
Seeing the battle intent radiating from Lin Tianci, Lin Chengtian knew that his son was going after holy son Xuanyuan Hao of the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land.
“All right. But if you need anything, just tell your father.”
Seeing Lin Tianci’s determined appearance and thinking of the Eastern Region Prodigy Ranking, Lin Chengtian said no more.
Soon, Lin Tianci bade farewell to Lin Chengtian and set off for the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land.
What he did not know was that, just after he left the Lin Clan, Lin Chengtian sent a dao protector to follow him in secret.
.....
Half a month later.
The Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land,
At this moment, the plaza outside the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land was packed with people. Countless Young Men and young women had gathered there for the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land’s once-in-a-decade recruitment ceremony.
Amid the crowd, Ye Xinran and Jin Xiaoya were especially conspicuous.
Everyone was excitedly discussing things. Each spirited young man and young woman had a gleam in their eyes, as if the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land before them were already their future glory.
“Sister Xiaoya, is the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land very strong? Why have so many people come to attend the recruitment ceremony?”
Looking at the bustling scene before her, Ye Xinran could not help asking.
Hearing this, Jin Xiaoya was stunned for a moment before explaining, “You may not know this, but the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land is the strongest faction in the eastern region. Quite a few emperor realm experts have emerged from it in the past.”
“Emperor realm?”
Upon hearing about the emperor realm, Ye Xinran became interested, but it was obvious that she did not understand it.
However, since they were called experts, she had to learn more about them.
After all, that was what she would become in the future.
Seeing that Ye Xinran looked as though she had never heard of it, Jin Xiaoya continued patiently, “The emperor realm is the highest realm on the Tianhuang Continent. However, the Great Era has not yet arrived, and there is currently not a single emperor realm expert on the Tianhuang Continent.”
“The highest realm? It’s that powerful? There isn’t even a single emperor realm expert right now?”
“That’s right. When the Great Era arrives and the Heaven’s Chosen compete for supremacy, emperor realm experts will be born.”
In the void.
After listening to their conversation, Ye Chang’an could not hold back and revealed the truth. “It’s clearly because the previous generation had such poor talent, all right? It has very little to do with the Great Era.”
“Hahaha, hall master, if those old men in the great saint realm heard you say that, they would probably be furious.”
Hearing this, Shangguan Shi could not help laughing as well.
As the two spoke, five figures suddenly appeared above the plaza of the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land.
At the very center of the five stood a middle-aged man dressed in purple ceremonial robes, carrying an imposing dignity befitting a person of high status.
“Saint peak. As the sacred land saint lord, that realm is barely acceptable.”
Glancing at the middle-aged man in purple ceremonial robes, Ye Chang’an said blandly.
Below, everyone in the plaza noticed the arrival of the five.
They all fell silent in an instant.
Because the pressure naturally emanating from the five was simply too powerful.
“Welcome, everyone, to the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land’s recruitment ceremony. I am Holy Lord Xuanyuan Chen of the Heavenly Extremity Sacred Land.
“As for accepting disciples, we have only one requirement: talent.”
As he spoke, he waved his hand, and a massive crystal pillar appeared at the front of the plaza. Nine stars were visibly engraved upon it.
“This is the Talent Crystal. As long as you place your hand on it and inject spiritual power, you can illuminate the stars and have your talent measured.”
“Six stars will make you an outer sect disciple, seven stars an inner sect disciple, eight stars an elder’s Personal disciple, and nine stars will make you my direct disciple.”
“The talent testing begins now.”
After he finished speaking, Xuanyuan Chen waved his hand, and the crystal pillar at the front of the plaza flashed with light, indicating that it had been activated and testing could begin.
Seeing this, nervous Young Men and young women lined up and walked toward the crystal pillar.
The testing proceeded quickly. Most people could illuminate only three or four stars.
Such talent would indeed be decent in a small sect, but this was the eastern region’s foremost major faction. Clearly, they were still far from meeting its threshold.
Watching one disappointed youngster after another leave after having their talent tested, the five people above the plaza, including Xuanyuan Chen, showed little sympathy.
Not only because they had seen too much of this, but also because this was a world where the strong were revered. Sympathy? It meant little.
Ye Chang’an and Shangguan Shi, who were concealed in the void, were different.
Looking at those dejected figures receding into the distance, Ye Chang’an could not help sighing. “This world is simply that cruel. The great waves wash away the sand, leaving only true gold.”
Although talent was not absolute and acquired effort could likewise lead to extraordinary achievements, how great were the odds? And how many could actually succeed?
Their talent alone was enough to keep them from entering even a sacred ground. On the path of cultivation ahead, they would have to take great pains to obtain cultivation resources.
Unless they possessed extraordinary fortune, this path would truly be far too difficult.
“Hall master, I have lived in the Primordial Divine Hall since I was young. The five elders are all top experts, and my senior brothers and sisters are all Heaven’s Proud Sons. So this is what the world laws outside are like...”
Because Shangguan Shi had lived in the Primordial Divine Hall since childhood, he did not understand much about the world outside.
Thus, seeing scene after scene on the plaza, he was also somewhat moved.
On the plaza, Ye Xinran and Jin Xiaoya reacted differently as well.
Jin Xiaoya had seen such things many times.
But Ye Xinran was different. She did not know much about this world.
Ye Xinran felt sympathy for those whose talent had been eliminated.
But it could only be sympathy. After all, there was nothing she could do.