Book 2 Chapter 2: The Selection Begins
"Those who will be taking part in this selection, step forward and register your real name right now."
The voice of the blue-robed man echoed throughout the enormous open space, causing the previously noisy crowd to gradually become quiet. For a brief moment, none of the young cultivators moved as they looked toward one another, their expressions carrying different emotions. Some stood with their backs straight, their faces filled with confidence as if they had already imagined themselves being chosen by one of the powerful sects present. Others appeared considerably more nervous, especially when their eyes fell upon the figures sitting on the elevated platforms.
The people seated there were not ordinary cultivators. Behind them stood some of the most powerful sects and organizations within the Guan Region. The Supreme Sword Sect, Red Phoenix Sect, Black Jade Sect, Purple Blossom Sect, Golden Sun Academy, and several other powerful forces had all sent representatives to the Northern Region. For many of the young cultivators gathered there, being noticed by even one of those forces could completely change their future.
Feng Li stood calmly among the crowd with his hands behind his back as his eyes swept across the people gathered around him. Feng Xue stood beside him, her beautiful eyes also observing the situation before them. Unlike many of the other participants, neither of them appeared nervous about the selection. Feng Li's attention was instead focused on the powerful figures seated on the platforms as he continued searching for something he had yet to find since arriving.
The Myriad Dao Sect.
Even after carefully looking through the representatives of the different powers present, Feng Li still could not find the symbol of the Myriad Dao Sect. His brows furrowed slightly as he thought about Mei Yao. She had personally told him about the sect selection and had spoken about the Myriad Dao Sect, yet the sect had not appeared while Mei Yao herself was also nowhere to be seen.
'They truly haven't arrived,' Feng Li thought inwardly, finding the situation increasingly strange. However, before he could continue thinking about it, movement finally appeared within the crowd as a young man stepped forward toward the registration area. Another soon followed, then several more, and within a short period of time, the participants began moving forward in an orderly manner.
Several long tables had been placed beneath the platform, with people responsible for recording the names of the participants seated behind them. Feng Li glanced toward Feng Xue before calmly saying, "Let's go."
Feng Xue nodded, and the two followed the crowd forward.
As they waited for their turn, Feng Li carefully observed the people around him. There were far more young cultivators participating than he had initially expected. Some clearly came from Emerald City, while others had travelled from different cities and territories throughout the Northern Region. Several possessed stable and powerful auras, making it obvious that they had received considerable cultivation resources from their families or clans.
A faint smile appeared on Feng Li's face as he watched them. This was precisely why he wanted to leave Emerald City. The city had become too small for him. Although the younger generation of the Feng Family possessed talented individuals, Feng Li had already surpassed most of them. The wider cultivation world was different. There would be countless geniuses, powerful sects, hidden opportunities, and naturally, powerful enemies.
That was the path he wanted.
The line slowly moved forward as one participant after another registered their name. The process itself was simple. Each participant would announce their real name before it was recorded onto a jade slip. However, the atmosphere remained tense because none of them knew exactly what would happen after the registration process was completed.
Some young cultivators announced their names proudly, clearly hoping that the sect representatives above would recognize them. Feng Li also noticed that several participants attracted the attention of the powerful figures the moment they revealed their identities, making it obvious that some of the younger generation already possessed considerable reputations within the Northern Region.
Soon, Feng Li and Feng Xue arrived before one of the registration tables. A middle-aged man sitting behind it raised his head and briefly looked at the two of them before speaking in an indifferent voice. "Name."
"Feng Li," Feng Li replied calmly.
The man's hand paused for a brief moment as he raised his eyes toward Feng Li before recording the name onto the jade slip. "Age?"
"Eleven."
The middle-aged man's expression changed slightly as he looked at Feng Li once again. "Eleven?"
Feng Li simply nodded, causing the man to record his age before turning his attention toward Feng Xue. "Next."
"Feng Xue."
"Age?"
"Eleven."
After recording her information, the middle-aged man waved his hand, signaling for them to move aside. Feng Li and Feng Xue calmly left the table as the registration continued behind them.
The process lasted for a considerable amount of time due to the large number of participants. Feng Li did not find it particularly boring, however, as he continued observing the people who stepped forward. Every now and then, whispers would rise from the crowd when someone with a well-known identity announced their name.
Nearly two hours passed before the final participant completed their registration.
The blue-robed man standing on the elevated platform slowly rose to his feet, immediately causing the entire gathering to become quiet. His gaze swept across the crowd before he spoke. "Now that everyone has registered, the first examination will begin."
The young cultivators immediately became attentive.
"The first examination is age."
Confused expressions appeared on several faces. Their ages had already been recorded, so many wondered why they needed to undergo another examination. The blue-robed man seemed to understand their thoughts and continued, "The information you provided means nothing without verification."
As his voice fell, he waved his hand, causing the ground before the participants to tremble slightly. A large dark stone pillar slowly rose from beneath the ground, and ancient markings covered its entire surface. The moment the pillar appeared, many of the young cultivators felt an unusual pressure coming from it.
"This is an Age Measuring Stone," the blue-robed man explained. "Place your hand upon it, and the stone will reveal your true age. Those who have exceeded the age requirement will immediately be eliminated."
Several expressions within the crowd changed immediately.
"The age limit for this selection is fifteen."
A commotion spread throughout the participants as some people sighed in relief while others became noticeably pale. Feng Li remained calm as he looked toward the Age Measuring Stone. Such treasures were not unfamiliar to him. In his previous life, there had been numerous methods capable of determining a cultivator's true age. Although some people possessed techniques capable of changing their appearance, concealing one's actual age from a powerful treasure was considerably more difficult.
"The examination will begin now."
One participant after another stepped forward and placed their hands upon the Age Measuring Stone. Ancient markings would light up across its surface before revealing their ages. A thirteen-year-old participant passed, followed by another who was twelve, then another who was fourteen.
The examination continued steadily as the crowd watched.
However, not everyone was fortunate.
A young man stepped forward and confidently placed his hand upon the stone. Several markings illuminated before the stone released a bright light.
"Sixteen."
The blue-robed man's expression remained indifferent. "Eliminated."
The young man's face immediately turned pale. "What? There must be some mistake!"
"The Age Measuring Stone does not make mistakes," the blue-robed man replied coldly.
The young man's expression became ugly, but after noticing the powerful figures watching from above, he did not dare continue arguing. He could only clench his fists before leaving the examination area.
Several more participants were eliminated as the test continued. Some had clearly attempted to conceal their true ages, while others had simply exceeded the requirement.
By the time Feng Li's turn arrived, the sun had already risen considerably higher in the sky.
He calmly stepped forward and placed his hand upon the surface of the Age Measuring Stone. For a brief moment, nothing happened, but soon a faint light appeared as the ancient markings began illuminating one after another.
"Eleven."
The blue-robed man's voice echoed clearly.
Several people immediately turned toward Feng Li with surprised expressions. Although there were younger participants, an eleven-year-old appearing in such a large selection was still enough to attract attention.
Feng Li calmly removed his hand and walked aside without paying attention to the gazes around him.
Feng Xue soon followed, and the Age Measuring Stone once again revealed the same number.
"Eleven."
This caused even more whispers to spread throughout the crowd. Two eleven-year-olds participating together naturally attracted attention, but neither Feng Li nor Feng Xue cared about the reactions around them.
After another long period of examination, the age test finally came to an end. A considerable number of participants had already been eliminated, leaving far fewer people standing within the open space than before.
The blue-robed man looked toward the remaining young cultivators. "Those who remain have passed the first examination, but do not celebrate yet. The second examination will determine whether you possess sufficient cultivation."
As he waved his hand, another formation appeared in the center of the open space. A large circular platform emerged from the ground, surrounded by several jade pillars that released faint spiritual light.
"The formation will determine your cultivation level," the blue-robed man explained. "The minimum cultivation required to pass is Rank 3 of the Soul Transformation Realm."
A loud commotion immediately spread throughout the crowd.
The requirement was not low, particularly for the younger generation of the Northern Region. Several participants who had appeared confident during the age examination now had considerably uglier expressions.
"The cultivation examination will begin now."
The first participant stepped onto the formation, and the jade pillars around him immediately began glowing. After several breaths, the lights stabilized.
"Rank 4 Soul Transformation Realm. Passed."
The young man immediately smiled before leaving the platform.
Another participant stepped forward.
"Rank 2 Soul Transformation Realm. Eliminated."
His face became pale as he slowly left the formation.
One after another, the remaining participants entered the formation as their cultivation levels were revealed. Rank 3, Rank 4, Rank 5, and occasionally even higher cultivation levels appeared. Each time someone with considerable cultivation was revealed, the crowd would react while the sect representatives above quietly observed.
Feng Li remained calm as he watched everything.
Several powerful geniuses had already appeared. Rank 5 Soul Transformation Realm cultivators were not uncommon, while Rank 6 cultivators occasionally appeared and attracted the attention of the crowd. Eventually, a Rank 7 Soul Transformation Realm cultivator stepped onto the platform, causing a wave of discussion to spread throughout the participants.
It was at that moment that a cold and disdainful voice sounded from nearby.
"So these are the geniuses of Emerald City?"
Feng Li slowly turned his head.
Not far from him stood several young cultivators dressed in black robes. The symbol on their clothing immediately caught Feng Li's attention. It was a piece of dark jade.
The Black Jade Sect.
The young man who had spoken looked around the gathering with a faint sneer on his face. "I expected more."
Several participants immediately revealed ugly expressions. The Northern Region might not be the strongest region within the Guan Region, but being openly looked down upon in front of so many people naturally made them angry.
However, none of them immediately responded.
The young man was dressed in the robes of the Black Jade Sect, and several other disciples stood beside him. More importantly, a powerful elder from the sect sat on the platform above. Provoking them was not something ordinary people dared to do.
The young man noticed the silence and smiled coldly. "It seems I was right."
Feng Xue frowned slightly as she looked toward him before quietly speaking to Feng Li. "Brother Li, these people are really arrogant."
"There's no need to pay attention to them," Feng Li replied calmly.
Unfortunately, the Black Jade Sect disciple had already noticed the two of them.
Perhaps it was because they were considerably younger than most of the participants, or perhaps Feng Li's calm expression simply irritated him. His gaze fell upon Feng Li as his eyes narrowed slightly.
"You. Where are you from?"
Feng Li slowly turned toward him. "Does it matter?"
The atmosphere around them immediately became quieter.
The Black Jade Sect disciple's expression darkened. "What did you say?"
Feng Li looked at him calmly. "I asked whether it matters where I am from."
The young man's eyes became cold. "You really don't understand your situation."
Feng Li's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "And you seem to think wearing a sect robe makes you important."
The expressions of the Black Jade Sect disciples immediately changed.
"What did you say?" the young man asked, his voice now filled with anger.
Feng Xue looked toward Feng Li and immediately understood from his expression that he was not angry. Feng Li simply found the person before him irritating.
"You heard me," Feng Li said calmly.
The surrounding crowd became completely silent. No one had expected an eleven-year-old child to speak to a disciple of the Black Jade Sect in such a manner.
"You are courting death," the young man said as a powerful aura erupted from his body.
Several nearby participants immediately stepped backward. Feng Li's eyes narrowed slightly as he felt the aura.
Rank 6 Soul Transformation Realm.
For someone participating in the selection, such cultivation was indeed enough to make him arrogant. However, Feng Li remained standing where he was as if he had not felt the pressure at all.
The Black Jade Sect disciple's expression became even darker.
"Do you think I wouldn't dare attack you because of the selection?"
Before Feng Li could respond, a powerful voice suddenly descended from the elevated platform.
"Enough."
The pressure contained within that single word caused the young man to stiffen immediately. He turned toward the platform, where one of the Black Jade Sect elders was looking down at them with cold eyes.
"Elder," the young man immediately said as he lowered his head.
The elder ignored him and instead turned his attention toward Feng Li.
For a brief moment, Feng Li felt an invisible pressure descend upon his body. It was subtle enough that the ordinary participants around him did not notice it, but Feng Li immediately understood that the elder was testing him.
His expression remained calm.
The pressure continued for several breaths before disappearing.
The Black Jade Sect elder narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at Feng Li. "Young man, this is a selection organized by several major powers. Control your words."
Feng Li looked toward him. "Senior, I merely responded to someone who insulted me and the people around me."
The elder's expression became colder. "So you believe you are justified?"
"I believe respect should be given when respect is shown."
Several nearby people became surprised by Feng Li's response.
The Black Jade Sect elder stared at him for several moments before finally speaking. "You are bold."
A faint smile appeared on Feng Li's face. "Thank you for the praise, Senior."
The elder's expression immediately darkened while several people within the crowd struggled to suppress their laughter.
However, the elder did not say anything further. After staring at Feng Li for a few moments, he looked away and said, "Continue the selection."
The blue-robed man nodded, and the examination resumed.
Although the confrontation had ended, the atmosphere was no longer the same. The disciples of the Black Jade Sect continued looking toward Feng Li with cold expressions, especially the young man who had confronted him. Feng Li ignored them completely, but he had already remembered their faces.
He had not intended to create enemies immediately after stepping into the wider cultivation world, but Feng Li had never been someone who would lower his head simply because another person possessed a powerful background. If the Black Jade Sect wanted trouble, then he would deal with them when the time came.
The cultivation examination continued for some time before Feng Xue's name was called.
She calmly stepped into the formation.
The jade pillars around her immediately began glowing as the surrounding participants watched with curiosity. One light appeared, followed by another, and the lights continued rising.
Finally, they stopped.
"Rank 7 Soul Transformation Realm."
The entire gathering immediately erupted.
A Rank 7 Soul Transformation Realm cultivator at only eleven years old was enough to shock everyone present. Even several sect representatives who had remained indifferent throughout the examination revealed changes in their expressions.
The Black Jade Sect disciple who had previously confronted Feng Li stared at Feng Xue with an ugly expression. He had looked down upon the younger generation of Emerald City, yet the young girl before him had already reached Rank 7 Soul Transformation Realm at only eleven years old.
Feng Xue calmly stepped down from the platform and returned to Feng Li's side.
"Not bad," Feng Li said with a faint smile.
Feng Xue smiled happily at his words.
The Black Jade Sect disciple clenched his fists as his gaze shifted toward Feng Li. If the young girl beside him had already reached Rank 7, then what about the boy who appeared even calmer than she did?
It was not long before Feng Li's name was called.
He calmly walked toward the formation and stepped onto the circular platform.
The surrounding people gradually became quiet.
The jade pillars began glowing.
The lights continued rising.
Rank 1.
Rank 2.
Rank 3.
Rank 4.
Rank 5.
Rank 6.
Rank 7.
The expressions of the surrounding people slowly changed as they watched the final jade pillar continue glowing.
Then the formation released a brilliant light.
"Rank 8 Soul Transformation Realm."
For several moments, the entire gathering became completely silent.
An eleven-year-old Rank 8 Soul Transformation Realm cultivator.
The powerful figures sitting on the elevated platforms finally revealed obvious changes in their expressions as they stared toward Feng Li. Even the Black Jade Sect elder looked at him with narrowed eyes.
The young disciple who had confronted Feng Li earlier had an extremely ugly expression.
Feng Li calmly stepped out of the formation and briefly glanced in his direction. Their eyes met, but Feng Li did not say anything.
He did not need to.
The expression on the young man's face already said everything.
From that moment onward, the hostility between Feng Li and the Black Jade Sect was no longer something that could simply disappear. The Black Jade Sect had come to Emerald City believing that the younger generation of the Northern Region was beneath them, yet before their very eyes, two eleven-year-old children had appeared, one at Rank 7 Soul Transformation Realm and the other at Rank 8.
Feng Li returned to Feng Xue's side as his expression remained calm. The wider cultivation world had finally opened its doors before him, and on the very first day, he had already gained the attention of one of the powerful sects within the Guan Region.
Whether that attention would eventually become an opportunity or turn into something else remained unknown.
However, Feng Li knew one thing.
The selection had only just begun.
And the truly interesting part was still ahead.