The whole plaza was bustling with activity, brightly lit by lanterns. Chen Xuan and Xi Yunsheng found a secluded corner and meditated through the night, recovering from a month of continuous travel to bring themselves back to their best condition.

As the first rays of sunlight illuminated the square, the entire place came alive with excitement and chatter.

"It's been a year, and I can participate in the Danxuan Sect's apprentice selection ceremony again. I wasn't chosen last year, but this year, I must be selected!" Various voices echoed around, some excited, some nervous, and some filled with a sense of determination.

"Look, here comes the examiner from the Danxuan Sect!" A shout came from the crowd.

Chen Xuan looked up and saw about twenty people flying towards the square. They could fly in the air, indicating they possessed at least the strength of the True Martial Realm.

The group landed on a high platform in the square, instantly changing the atmosphere and inspiring a sense of reverence among the crowd.

The entire square fell silent.

"Welcome to the Danxuan Sect." An old Daoist with an otherworldly demeanor stepped forward.

"I am Xuan Yu Zi, the host of this selection event."

"Do you know who Xuan Yu Zi is? He's an elder of the Elders' Hall in the Four Halls, with strength reaching the peak of the Earthly Spirit realm. Fifty years ago, he single-handedly raided the Qimen Mountain Stronghold, beheading five leaders. At that time, Xuan Yu Zi was only at the initial stage of the Yuan Wu realm. It's said that the five leaders of the Qimen Mountain Stronghold were all at the Yuan Wu realm, with the head leader even at the later stage. At that time, Qimen Mountain Stronghold was notorious for its atrocities, but Xuan Yu Zi wiped them all out single-handedly, causing a sensation."

A murmur of discussion arose below.

Chen Xuan also observed Xuan Yu Zi, his aura restrained, definitely not as amiable as he appeared on the surface.

"Why are the Elders' Hall participating this year? In previous years, only some junior elders from the Sixteen Peaks and the Four Halls would come out for the assessment. This year is unusual." Various voices murmured below.

"I heard that four geniuses who reached the Spirit Martial Realm are participating in the selection this year. Perhaps the Elders' Hall also wants to recruit these four disciples to their hall. Eighteen-year-old Spirit Martial Realm talents are truly rare geniuses. Envy could be heard in the voices below."

"Everyone, quiet down."

At this moment, an old man standing next to Xuan Yu Zi spoke.

The entire square fell silent once again.

"Next, let me introduce the rules of this selection event to you. Although it's the same every year, I still have to repeat it. In the past, we only accepted one thousand disciples each year. This year, we plan to add another thousand on top of that, so that more disciples can join our Danxuan Sect."

Upon hearing that there would be an additional thousand disciples accepted this year, excited smiles appeared on the faces of the youths below. This meant at least a higher chance for themselves.

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The old man looked at the reactions below and nodded before continuing.

"Same as previous years, those at the Seventh Grade will stand on the left, those at the Eighth Grade on the right, and those at the Ninth Grade in the middle. Some have asked why we don't just select those at the Eighth and Ninth Grade, why bother with the Seventh Grade."

The old man paused for a moment. In fact, Chen Xuan was also wondering why they insisted on selecting all three grades. "You probably have the same doubts today. Let me explain it to you again."

"Balance, resources, and luck. That's the reason. A sect cannot be entirely composed of Ninth Grade disciples, as it would cause imbalance. Luck is also one of the factors in each selection, and good luck is a major factor for cultivators. Without it, it's difficult to go far on the path of cultivation. Therefore, we evenly distribute disciples every year. The rules are the same as before: Seventh Grade on the left platform, Eighth Grade on the right platform, and Ninth Grade in the middle. Only by defeating the puppet on the platform can you advance. The losers will be eliminated. Each puppet corresponds to your grade. Now, let's form the groups, and everyone should stand in their corresponding positions."

After listening to the old man's explanation, Chen Xuan roughly understood why the sect evenly accepted disciples. It was necessary for fair competition.

Chen Xuan came to the center of the square and saw the arranged platforms, each with a puppet. There were over a hundred in total, with about five thousand people on the left, roughly half of them at the Seventh Grade, and about three to three thousand five hundred on the right.

There were only over a thousand at the Ninth Grade, and Chen Xuan was surprised. In Hongling Town, an eighteen-year-old at the Eighth Grade was extremely rare, but here, there were plenty at the Ninth Grade. Just one of them could be a rare genius in his family. It seemed he had made the right choice by coming here.

Chen Xuan's perspective broadened as he realized that what he thought was genius back in Hongling Town was just average here. It seemed he needed to work harder.

Half an hour passed, and everyone was sorted.

The dozen or so people on each platform nodded at each other, and at this moment, the old man stepped forward again.

"The four disciples who have reached the Spirit Martial Realm will pass this round directly. Passed disciples, proceed to the back of the square and wait for the next round of testing."

As soon as the old man finished speaking, Chen Xuan saw four young men and women walk out from in front of him. Three boys and one girl, none older than eighteen, walked towards the back of the square with an air of arrogance.

"Do you know who these people are?" A young man next to him asked.

"No idea," another replied.

"Let me tell you. The boy in blue is Han Jiang from the Han Family in Tongcheng. The girl in purple is Wind Chime, the daughter of the lord of Lishui City. The gray-clothed boy seems to be a wandering cultivator who has had a stroke of luck and is participating in the selection. As for the last one in black, I don't know his background."

The young man who introduced them spoke proudly.

"My older brother is an inner disciple of the Rehai Peak of the Danxuan Sect, and he told me all this. That's why the Elders' Hall and Xuan Yu Zi are here. They all want to recruit these few into their halls."

After saying that, the young man looked around.

At this point, the others began to flatter him.

"Take care of us when we enter the sect, Senior Brother."

"Sure thing."

The young man waved his hand.

Chen Xuan roughly understood the backgrounds of these people from their conversation. Each one was a genius among geniuses. The Han Family in Tongcheng was also a large clan, as he had heard from several senior brothers on the way. Their strength was very formidable.

"Alright, let's start the competition. The old man watched the four young men and women walk towards the back of the square."

"Elder Xuan, which one of the four do you favor?" A red-haired elder standing beside Xuan Yu Zi asked.

Xuan Yu Zi did not answer the question but instead asked, "Elder Ye, which one of the four do you favor?"

"Old Fox." Elder Ye secretly sneered, but he still smiled and replied, "I favor the boy in blue. After all, he comes from a large family, with a solid foundation."

After hearing Elder Ye's words, Xuan Yu Zi smiled. It seemed that the Law Enforcement Hall had also come prepared. They had thoroughly investigated these four individuals. This time, both the Pill Hall and the Universe Hall had sent people. It seemed they also wanted to recruit these four disciples into their halls.

"Well, there are more talented disciples participating in this selection than in previous years. It seems that our Danxuan Sect is going to flourish in our generation. Let these four Spirit Martial Realm disciples choose their halls by themselves this time, and others should not interfere." Xuan Yu Zi said to the others beside him, including several elders from the Pill Hall and the Universe Hall. It seemed that Xuan Yu Zi had a significant influence in the Danxuan Sect. After he finished speaking, the others all nodded, including the elders from the Sixteen Peaks who did not dare to speak.

Of course, Chen Xuan was unaware of the discussions among the elder representatives. At this moment, he was already standing on the platform, looking at the puppet in front of him. Apart from being made of wood, its movements and martial arts techniques were no less inferior to those of a real person. It was even more fluid than when a person performed them and superior to those of the same level of strength.

There were about thirty platforms for the Ninth Grade, and Chen Xuan waited until the second round before he took his turn. It was better not to reveal his strength too early. Chen Xuan didn't choose to defeat the puppet directly. Instead, he chose to spar, using the Phantom Nine Changes. After more than twenty moves, the puppet couldn't even touch Chen Xuan. After about twenty moves, Chen Xuan's Thunderous Fist hit the puppet's chest, and it stopped moving. Chen Xuan knew he had passed the test and stepped down from the platform.