The next day.
Azure Jade Main Peak.
At this moment, the area was packed with people. After all, the Azure Jade Sect was one of the top sects within tens of thousands of kilometers—a sacred land for countless cultivators.
“Silence.”
A deep and resonant voice imbued with profound energy rang out. The previously noisy crowd immediately quieted.
An elder with an immortal aura stepped onto the main platform.
Behind him sat several imposing figures. The man in the center was the Sect Master of the Azure Jade Sect, Xuanyuan Hong, and the others were the Peak Masters of each major peak.
“Everyone, line up and begin the talent assessment one by one.”
The elder’s voice echoed again.
Below the stage, ten talent-testing stones had been set up. They glowed with spiritual light, forming ten channels to test the new disciples’ aptitude.
Very quickly, the disciples began stepping forward in turn to undergo testing. Each youthful face was filled with nervousness—because the strength of their talent determined how far they could go in the future.
The testing process was simple: one had to inject their profound energy into the testing stone, and the stone would respond with a corresponding color to reveal their talent level.
The stones would emit six colors—white, green, blue, red, purple, and gold. White was the most basic talent, with each color up indicating stronger aptitude.
As testing progressed, there were both cheers and disappointment.
Most disciples had white talent, a small number had green, and only a handful possessed blue.
The Azure Jade Sect had already divided areas for the disciples. After testing, they were grouped by aptitude.
“I wonder if there will be any surprises this year,” Xuanyuan Hong said from the top platform, chatting with the Peak Masters.
“Yes, it would be great if a purple-level talent appeared,” one Peak Master remarked.
“If a purple-level talent shows up, it would truly be a blessing for our Azure Jade Sect,” Xuanyuan Hong said with a hearty laugh. As for gold-level talent, he didn’t even dare dream of it!
Soon, someone with red-level talent appeared on the field.
This caused a wave of gasps from the crowd.
Xuanyuan Hong and the other leaders were visibly excited.
Red talent represented the future backbone of the sect. In fact, everyone sitting at the top right now possessed red talent.
Naturally, these red-talent disciples became the key targets for recruitment among the peaks.
As time passed, the talent testing neared its end.
Besides white, green, and blue, there had been six disciples with red-level talent.
That was already considered a good harvest.
Just as everyone thought the event was wrapping up, a burst of purple light suddenly erupted from the field.
The entire venue was stunned.
Even Xuanyuan Hong and the others stood up immediately, eyes widened.
“A… a purple-level talent actually appeared,” Xuanyuan Hong muttered in disbelief.
The one with the purple talent was a youth in ornate robes. At this moment, he was basking in the envious stares of the entire crowd, his expression slightly arrogant.
But he had every right to be arrogant.
The attention of all the high-level elders was focused on him. They were already thinking of ways to recruit this purple-talent disciple.
After that, no other surprises emerged from the remaining candidates.
Finally, the talent testing came to an end.
Next was the moment when the Peak Masters would take turns selecting disciples. By custom, each Peak Master had one chance to personally choose a core disciple.
“Let’s begin, Sect Master,” said Duan Feng, Peak Master of Divine Sword Peak, eager to act. Aside from the Main Peak, his Divine Sword Peak was the strongest, and he was traditionally the first to pick disciples.
He had the highest chance of securing the purple-talent youth!
The other Peak Masters suppressed their frustration. They knew very well it would be near impossible to compete for that disciple.
“Not yet. The representative from Grand Command Peak hasn’t arrived,” Xuanyuan Hong said, glancing at the empty seat beside him.
“Grand Command Peak?” Duan Feng couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Sect Master, Grand Command Peak only has one little good-for-nothing. What difference does it make if he shows up or not?”
“I really don’t understand why he was even invited. Are we seriously going to let that waste take in a disciple and ruin someone’s future?”
Just as he finished speaking, Zhong Qing’s figure appeared.
“Whether I ruin someone’s future or not is none of your business,” Zhong Qing said, walking over in white robes and cupping his hands in greeting, “Greetings, Sect Master.”
“Mm, you’ve had a long journey,” Xuanyuan Hong replied.
As Zhong Qing stepped onto the platform, the entire audience turned their attention to him.
It was clear.
Everyone had heard of the small Peak Master from Grand Command Peak.
Handsome, yes. But trash? Even more so. There wasn’t even a trace of cultivation fluctuation from him.
“Hmph, you still have the nerve to show up?” Duan Feng sneered. “That joke of a Grand Command Peak should’ve been delisted long ago.”
“If I have the nerve to come, why shouldn’t I?” Zhong Qing said with a faint smile. “Back then, my master saved your life, and you’ve never gotten over how he outshined you in every way. You’ve been nitpicking ever since. Compared to that, I think I’m far more noble than you.”
“You little piece of trash, you’re asking for death!” Duan Feng’s face contorted with anger. “It’s not like I begged him to save me! And now he’s dead, leaving just one waste like you. Shouldn’t Grand Command Peak be delisted?”
“Enough! No more nonsense,” Xuanyuan Hong’s voice thundered with authority. “Begin the disciple selection.”
“Yes!”
Zhong Qing gave a calm smile. He wasn’t in a rush as he glanced over the crowd, thinking to himself—just who was the one the system had specified?
Duan Feng snorted coldly, thinking about the purple-talent youth, then ignored Zhong Qing.
Just as Duan Feng was about to start picking disciples as expected, Xuanyuan Hong’s voice echoed again.
“In light of Daoist Nai’s outstanding contributions to the sect, and the current state of Grand Command Peak, the first selection will be given to Grand Command Peak.”
Xuanyuan Hong’s powerful voice spread across the arena.
Instantly, the entire place was thrown into an uproar.
Everyone showed disbelief on their faces.
Even the other Peak Masters stared wide-eyed, especially Duan Feng, whose face turned red with rage.
The first disciple pick… was given to Grand Command Peak?!
Why?!
“Sect Master, this can’t be!”
“Indeed! What qualifications does Grand Command Peak have? There’s only Zhong Qing left, and he’s a well-known waste. Letting him take in a disciple would just ruin them!”
“A useless Peak Master taking disciples from a dead peak—won’t that make us a laughingstock?!”
Voices of protest erupted all around. Duan Feng, in particular, was shouting with bloodshot eyes.
“Silence!”
“What, are my orders meaningless now?” Xuanyuan Hong’s gaze turned icy as he released a wave of terrifying pressure, instantly silencing the field.
“Do as I said!”
His tone allowed no room for argument.
Then he turned to Zhong Qing with a warm smile. “Go ahead, child. Whoever you choose will be yours.”
Since the founding of the Azure Jade Sect, it had always consisted of seven peaks.
Xuanyuan Hong’s intention was clear—he wanted to support Grand Command Peak and help it rebuild.
Of course, there was also a personal reason. He had been close to Daoist Nai since childhood. They were martial brothers, and his first visit to a brothel was thanks to Daoist Nai. It was then that the name Daoist Nai officially came into being.
The fact that Zhong Qing had no cultivation and couldn’t train disciples wasn’t a problem. Xuanyuan Hong could just visit Grand Command Peak occasionally and secretly teach the disciple himself. As long as the person belonged to Grand Command Peak, that was enough.
Zhong Qing hadn’t expected Xuanyuan Hong to give him the first pick.
His heart stirred.
“Thank you, Sect Master.”
After bowing in gratitude, he didn’t hold back. He scanned the entire crowd.