A boy walked towards the glass ball, causing a new wave of whispers to ripple through the crowd.

"Isn't that Xiao Tian? Why is he here? I thought he was a cripple?"

"Yeah, what's he doing here? He's just wasting everyone's time."

"There's no point in testing him. He's just a cripple."

As soon as the boy stepped out from the crowd, a barrage of insults was thrown at him. I was taken aback by the sudden change, as no such comments were made when even beggars came to take the test.

The boy appeared unfazed by the hate from the crowd. He had a determined look in his eyes and a firm expression.

The moment I look at him, I was convinced that he was one of the six protagonists in the game. "Cultivation Online" had six chosen protagonists, and Xiao Tian was described as being determined, which I could now see firsthand.

In this world, temperament was pronounced, and just by looking at the boy from a distance, I could feel his determination. The only thing left to confirm was...

"Low-grade spiritual root. Qualified." The elder declared with authority.

The green light from the glass ball was purer than that of previous contestants, even catching the dignified elder off guard. But he kept quiet as it was only a low-grade spiritual root.

"He's a cripple, though," someone remarked.

"Maybe the pills from the Xiao family finally worked and healed his spiritual root."

"Lucky bastard! If I had those pills, I could probably improve my spiritual root."

"Yeah, but he's nothing compared to Xiao Han."

"He'll always be a loser."

My smile couldn't help but twitch as I listened to the comments from the crowd. At least I was certain that Xiao Tian was the protagonist.

All protagonists were equipped with a "Hate Halo" and "Mocking Halo" to make the crowd hate and mock them. For what, you say?

This was for the sole purpose of "Face slapping."

I glanced at the genius of the Xiao family, Xiao Han, whose face was twisted in anger and whose fist was clenched as if he couldn't wait to attack Xiao Tian. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the arrogant bastard, as he would only ever be a stepping stone for the protagonist.

Soon, it was my turn. I approached the center of the crowd and heard murmurs surrounding me.

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"She's so pretty."

"Who is she?"

"I wish I had a girlfriend like her."

"Ha! A toad wants to eat swan's meat."

"You! Are you calling me a toad? Bastard."

"Bastard? Come fight me, you toad."

I ignored the whispers and reached for the ball. A red light shone from it.

Suddenly, the crowd became silent, the silence was so palpable that it was unsettling. Just when the silence was becoming too long, a burst of laughter broke the silence.

"Hahaha! A top-grade talent! Congratulations, you have a top-grade spiritual root."

The crowd erupted into an uproar.

"Top-grade spiritual root?"

"Isn't that rare in a century?"

"Yes! I've never seen a top-grade talent in my life."

I was also shocked by my spiritual root level. That means the modifications I made in the game had applied to this life. If that's the case, then is my unique talent applicable too?

I decided not to rush to test it, as it might draw the elder's attention. I resolved to try it when I was alone.

The elder cleared his throat and regained his composure, then turned to me and asked, "What's your name?"

I put on a polite expression and answered respectfully, "Elder, my name is Bai Yu."

The elder seemed pleased with my manners and said, "Bai Yu, pure and unblemished. Good name. You may stand behind me."

I followed the elder's orders and stood behind him. I noticed that most of the other participants who had passed the recruitment were also staring at me with surprised expressions.

Despite my efforts to maintain a low profile, my "handsome" appearance and talent made it difficult. I couldn't help but attract attention. It was a plight, I am sure many couldn't help but be envious of.

Finally, after about an hour, the recruitment was over. In addition to the young master, there were three other high-grade talent participants, who seemed to be from other prominent families. I made a mental note of their faces for future reference.

"The annual sect recruitment has come to an end. Those who passed, follow me," the elder said as he strode up the stairs with his hand clasped behind his back. I and the other successful participants quickly followed him.