With the sun’s light shining on the campus, the calling of birds announced the start of a new day. One by one Zhou Yan’s roommates woke up.
“Zhou Yan, you sure are early today.”
“Yeah, I couldn’t sleep with the test coming up ahead.”
“Don’t worry, I saw myself being tested as a genius in my dreams.”
“Yeah in your dreams you idiot.”
As students exited their dormitories in an organized fashion. They all quietly lined up outside the campus. They had to wait for the officials inside the sect to pick them up and bring them inside, as they were currently stationed outside the sect’s city.
As all the students finished lining up. A loud noise that split the air caught their attention. A young cultivator was sitting atop his sword, flying in the sky.
“An Immortal, a real-life Immortal.”
As the students excitedly talked, the cultivator silenced their conversations with a swing of his hand.
A fierce gale hit the students, almost taking them off their feet.
“Be quiet.”
“All of you will soon be escorted by the sect into the city.”
“Don’t say anything and don’t do anything that you’ll regret.”
As the cultivator stopped talking, all the students stared at him in fear and trepidation. Only Zhou Yan stared at the cultivator in curiosity.
‘He’s a Qi Soldier, whose element is wind. The fact that he’s mediating this test means the sect takes the aptitude test seriously. There will probably be some big shots watching the test. This would be perfect for my plan.’
5 minutes didn’t even pass until the students heard the sound of horses. Black steeds were ridden by people in blue robes. The coachmen all got up and bowed to the cultivator. They were all mortal, but still worked under the sect.
All the horses carried a caravan. As the leader of the caravan shouted to the students.
“All of you will get inside the caravans, don’t cause any trouble or you’ll be thrown out.”
With his announcement, all the students were loaded up into the caravans. Zhou Yan was separated from his roommates as he got onto a random caravan. Inside the caravan was pitch black.
Zhou Yan’s eyes studied the inside of the caravan. He knew there was an array somewhere that caused them to be unable to see the outside of the caravan. Not only that but the space inside the caravan was bigger than outside.
Eventually, he found where the array was, it was atop the caravan. Surrounded by multiple nodes and inside those nodes was the eye of the array. It was a very simple array, clearly not trying to hide.
“Zhou Yan.”
A sweet voice shifted his attention as a little girl called out his name. She had brown hair with blue hazel eyes, staring at him in confusion. The girl’s name was Bai Luo. Zhou Yan already noticed her. He was just busy studying the array.
She was adorable but in Zhou Yan’s eyes beneath that flesh and bones was just a white and ghastly soul. The only thing that mattered in his eyes.
“What are you looking at Zhou Yan?”
“Nothing, I was just curious about something.”
“Oh, what was it then?”
“The reason behind the strange things in the caravan.”
“You’ll never be able to understand Zhou Yan, these are creations by the immortals.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
With the conversation ending, Zhou Yan just closed his eyes in silence. He no longer perceived through his eyes. Instead, he was perceiving through the vibration of everybody’s souls.
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
Each soul had a frequency that constantly sent out signals. He was virtually mapping where the caravan was going through these signals.
The strongest signal was obviously from the cultivator flying in the air. Zhou Yan had already masked the frequency of his soul, matching it with the other students.
It wasn’t until the frequency started to drastically increase did Zhou Yan knew that they were at their destination. Zhou Yan could feel the power behind these signals, and they were countless times stronger than that cultivator.
“All of you can now leave your respective caravans.”
As the students exited the dark caravans, what greeted them was a luxurious building. The building had the name ‘Cultivation Testing Center’ plastered on the front of the building. The building was larger than the school, and it exuded a strong presence.
“Go inside the building, you’ll be instructed on what to do next.”
With the final message, the cultivator flew off somewhere else. Not interested in observing the students anymore.
Walking inside the building, a deep voice interrupted the students' thoughts.
“Min Feng, fire element, B- aptitude, age 12.”
It seems like they weren’t the first batch of students that were getting their aptitude tested. In front of them seated other students, all excitedly staring at the child at the front.
The child was holding onto a crystal ball that housed a burning flame inside. The child’s expression changed from nervousness to excitement as the cultivator next to him read out his aptitude.
Not only were the students watching the testing but there were also different powers from the sect observing it too.
“Not bad, a B- aptitude, would allow him to easily reach the rank of a Qi Apprentice in 1 year.”
“Try to recruit that seed if possible.”
As different powers discussed, more and more students were called up to the stage. When it was Zhou Yan’s turn to walk up the stage, there were only 3 students before him that he took notice of.
Tian Tao, dark element, A- aptitude.
Su Yu, blood elemental, A- aptitude.
Mu Yu, water elemental, A aptitude.
All 3 of them have been approached already, as different powers vied over them. Causing immense envy among the students. But though they were envious, they never showed it on their face.
All have flattering smiles on their faces. They all knew how to suck up to someone at a young age.
As Zhou Yan walked up to the stage, countless people stared at him, in return he flashed a charming smile, not at all pressured by them. Zhou Yan could be considered a bit handsome, a bit because his skin was deathly pale caused of the special physique. Guided by the middle-aged cultivator, Zhou Yan placed his palms on the crystal ball.
This crystal ball was a treasure that was used to measure aptitude, it was quite common in the Immortal Lands too. Not all beings. living in the land were immortals, some immortals had mortal offspring. While the natives in the Immortal Lands weren’t all immortals too.
“Focus and channel your essence into the crystal ball.”
The middle-aged cultivator guided him while Zhou Yan put on a struggling face. It would be too suspicious if he immediately activated treasure. So he might as well put on an act to avoid less trouble.
As everyone watched, the crystal ball made movements that had never occurred before. It started to shake. Not only that but a blinding light was being released from it. The light was a ghastly purple, capable of shaking the soul of anyone who stared at it.
The voice that had been calmly announcing the aptitudes the entire time finally seemed to have a fluctuation.
“Z-Zhou Yan, spiritual element, S+ aptitude, age 14.”
Before the major powers had the time to realize what happened the roof of the building collapsed. As 3 elderly figures appeared in front of Zhou Yan.
“Youngster, are you interested in being my disciple?”
An elderly man wearing a red Daoist outfit asked Zhou Yan, his hands calmly stroking his white beard.
“Don't listen to him, youngster, his element doesn’t suit you, it would be better to be my disciple.”
Another elderly man pushed the red Daoist who was stroking his beard. This one was wearing a scholar’s outfit. While stroking his last few remaining hairs.
Only the last elder didn’t say anything, just staring at Zhou Yan with an appreciative smile. Having no desire to ask him to be his disciple.
These 3 were the strongest in the sect, Zhou Yan knew this because their souls were the signals he was picking up the most. In most sects, it was run by one sect leader, he usually wasn’t the strongest, but he took care of most of the sect’s daily activities.
While the sect elders were the ones that protected the sect from any enemies. They were the ones who truly held up the sky for the sect.
“Esteemed elders, Zhou Yan is honored to meet your presence.”
Zhou Yan nervously took a deep bow before the elders, displaying the act of a clueless genius. This was part of his plan to rise in the sect, getting affiliated with these old farts would allow him to easily rise and have enough say in the sect where he could cause chaos.
In the end, Zhou Yan chose Elder Wang to be his master. Elder Wang was the Daoist in the red outfit. Although his element didn’t match him, he had something that he desperately needed money and resources.
And the other elder’s element wasn’t a perfect match with his anyway. As his element was law. Although it was better than Elder Wang’s earth element. Elder Wang took Zhou Yan with him, flying back to his dao cave.
As the students and powers watched the exchange happen in front of them, all of them knew that this student, Zhou Yan, would cause massive changes in the sect.