Chapter Sixty-One: The Assessment Begins!

"Whoosh!"

With the successful breakthrough, Yang Yan's sea of energy filled once more, and a terrifying storm of spiritual power erupted from within, sweeping up the swirling snow and hurling it skyward in a spectacular display.

"Next, let me see just how powerful my spiritual force has become after reaching the third layer of the Sensing Spirit Realm!"

With his mind made up, Yang Yan directed the surging water-attribute spiritual power in his energy sea to flood along his arm’s meridians, gathering in his palm to sketch out a mysterious rune.

"Seal of Destruction!"

With a thunderous shout, Yang Yan brought his palm down upon a tree so thick it would take two people to encircle it.

A crystalline, translucent seal spun and expanded in the snowy white world, like a piece of exquisite art, yet carrying a terrifying force utterly at odds with its appearance, and crashed heavily into the trunk.

With a deafening boom, the seal exploded upon contact, unleashing a violent storm of energy. In the same instant, under Yang Yan’s expectant gaze, the tree snapped with a loud crack and toppled to the ground.

Wood chips flew, snow swirled, and Yang Yan gazed excitedly at the devastation his strike had wrought; alongside his joy was a hint of astonishment.

"So this is the might of a martial technique unleashed with the spiritual power of the third layer of the Sensing Spirit Realm? Compared to before, it’s a transformation in quality!"

Yang Yan couldn't help but exclaim in awe.

Previously, due to his own limited strength, Yang Yan had to rely on that blue spiritual power within him to use the Seal of Destruction. Now, with his breakthrough, he could wield the martial technique with just the water-attribute power in his energy sea—and its might surpassed even that of the blue spiritual power.

With his power advanced, Yang Yan was delighted to discover that his Nine Nether Lunar Art had seemingly evolved into a mid-grade Yellow-tier cultivation method.

The difference between mid-grade and low-grade was just one word, but the gap was vast. Now, the total amount of spiritual power in his energy sea had more than doubled, and the energy contained within the same quantity of spiritual power had also qualitatively improved.

This meant that in future battles, Yang Yan would no longer need to worry so much about running out of spiritual power, nor would he have to rely so heavily on that risk-laden blue power—best avoided unless absolutely necessary.

...

Shengwu City, connected to Jinhua City, both nestled at the foot of the Duanyun Mountains. But in terms of prosperity and the flourishing of cultivation sects and clans, even two Jinhua Cities could not match a single Shengwu City—for Shengwu was home to the giant of Jinzhou's cultivation world: the Azure Profound Sect.

Yesterday, Yang Yan had arrived with Zhang Tai's group and settled at the city’s inn. Besides Yang Yan, two others from the Zhang family would also participate in the Azure Profound Sect disciple selection: Zhang Lin and Zhang Fei, both of whom had taken part in the previous clan tournament.

Naturally, the ever-curious, always-clinging Zi Ling had come along as well.

The Azure Profound Sect placed no limit on the number of candidates each clan could send, but that didn’t mean just anyone could participate.

First, entrants could not be older than fifteen and had to have reached at least the Sensing Spirit Realm. Second, they had to pass an on-site test and possess at least a second-grade innate spiritual body.

Only those meeting both criteria would be sent to the outer periphery of the Duanyun Mountains—to the "Hundred Hunts Grounds"—for a cruel trial. Only the last fifty survivors would qualify to become outer disciples of the Azure Profound Sect.

Such strict requirements were enough to deter those harboring wishful thinking. The first criterion was easy for most, but the second—possessing at least a second-grade innate spiritual body—would eliminate at least sixty percent of participants.

For a cultivator, innate talent was of utmost importance. Sometimes, fate was simply unfair—some people were born with extraordinary gifts and advanced with half the effort, while others, less fortunate, struggled every step of the way.

It's said that Heaven rewards diligence, but mortals have only a few short decades. If you take ten years to achieve what others do in one, then no matter how hard you strive, training day and night, after a hundred years, all you gain is a handful of dust.

As the largest sect in Jinzhou’s cultivation world, the Azure Profound Sect understood this well. They would not waste resources on someone destined to get nowhere on the path of cultivation.

As for the final stage—the Hundred Hunts Grounds trial—that alone was enough to strike fear into many hearts. Because there, the competition was a matter of life and death; a single misstep and not only would you fail to become a disciple, you might well lose your life. Compared to this, Jinhua City's clan tournaments were mere child's play.

That morning, Yang Yan and his companions set out for Azure Profound Mountain, home of the Azure Profound Sect, to undergo the test for innate spiritual bodies.

Their inn was not far from Azure Profound Mountain, and before long, they arrived at the mountain’s foot.

Mist wreathed the peaks, with grand halls looming indistinctly among the clouds, lending the place an air of the heavens themselves.

Yang Yan’s eyes lowered, and he saw an enormous gatehouse, several stories tall, standing before the mountain. A massive plaque hung above, the words "Azure Profound Sect" written in bold, awe-inspiring calligraphy. Streams of light flowed around the mountain gate, surely the sect’s protective array.

Though still early, many of Jinzhou’s cultivation clans had already gathered, sitting in small groups conversing, old friends meeting after long separations and discussing the upcoming selection with excitement.