"Everyone, we will call you by number, so please step forward and follow our instructions," he added. "Now, let us begin with number 1," Examiner Bingwen announced.

A nervous-looking boy stepped forward. "Why am I shaking? It will be all right, it will be all right, stop shaking… damn it," the boy muttered to himself, trying to boost his confidence.

"Stop shaking, boy, or you will only make matters worse. Without any further delay, place your hand on the Orb," Examiner Bingwen said warmly.

As soon as the boy touched the Orb, it started to emit a radiant glow. After a brief moment, it revealed a number.

"Um... you have a spiritual root level of 4. Congratulations, you have passed."

"YES!" the boy exclaimed, tightly clenching his fist in excitement.

"Go stand there," Bingwen instructed.

"As you can see, whoever is qualified, please gather there. For those disqualified, you can leave or watch the show."

"Next person, step forward," he called.

Just as before, the examination continued:

"Spiritual level 1, disqualified."

"Spiritual level 3, disqualified."

"Spiritual level 1, disqualified."

"Spiritual level 2, disqualified."

"Spiritual level 4, passed."

...

After 20 minutes, nearly 55 participants had moved forward, yet none with a spiritual root of 5 or higher appeared. Some were sad to be disqualified, while others were quite excited to be qualified

...,

"This time, not many prodigies emerged, correct, Sister Xiang?" Ling Fai inquired, glancing over at Xinli. "By the way, what was so remarkable about that boy earlier?"

Seated and appearing disinterested, Xiang responded casually, "Nothing extraordinary, I simply found him quite interesting."

Whatever Ling Fai was saying, she paid no mind to it. If he attempted anything foolish, his legs would surely be broken.

Ignoring Xiang's aloof demeanor, Ling Fai continued attempting to engage her in conversation, but she ignored him completely, focusing instead on the test, especially on Xinli. She wanted to see what qualifications he had.

'This woman is trying to ignore me. If she were not stronger than me, she would have lost her virtue long ago,' Ling Fai thought….. but kept his thoughts to himself.

He knew that if she overheard him, he would be at the mercy of her icy sword.

…..,

After the 60th participant, Mo Gu's turn was to step forward.

"Participant number 61, please come forward," announced the examiner.

Mo Gu confidently walked towards the stage.

"Isn't that Brother Gu? Despite his bad temper, his talent is exceptional," someone whispered.

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"Yes, if you're a big shot, you have the right to be arrogant," another person added.

As the test continued, people started commenting and expressing their thoughts. The orb began to glow, but this time, it was much brighter than before.

"Congratulations, boy! You have awakened a level 6 spiritual root," Examiner Bingwen congratulated.

"Thank you, sir," Mo Gu replied proudly, but he looked towards me mockingly.

'Is he dumb? Or retarded?.....trying to play with fire?' I thought, trying to understand his disdain.

"Wow, Brother Gu awakened a level 6 spiritual root? I'm so envious," someone exclaimed.

"Finally, someone with a level 6 spiritual root has appeared," another person remarked. With this, the test became lively once again.

"The next participant, please step forward," Examiner Bingwen called.

The next participant was Mo Shi.

"Finally, it's our idol's turn," someone said.

"Good luck, Brother Shi! Give it your all! Hip hip, hurray!" the girls began cheering. Despite the excitement, Mo Shi maintained a calm expression.

Unlike Mo Gu, he possessed a contrasting personality—calm and analytical. With that, he confidently moved forward and placed his hand on the orb, just like the others.

To everyone's surprise, the orb shone even brighter than it did for Mo Gu.

"Congratulations, Mo Shi. You have level 7 spiritual roots," Examiner Bingwen announced.

"Well done," Tang Bingwen praised.

"Didn't I tell you that our Brother Shi is the genius of geniuses... Hahaha," someone boasted.

"Hmm, wait for Brother Long; he will surely surpass your idol," another retorted.

Just like that, Mo Shi stepped down, and another participant took the stage. The cycle continued, with mixed emotions all stepping up to the orb, their fates determined by its glow.

This process went on, and only a few people managed to have spiritual roots higher than 5. Xu An from the Xu Clan had a level 7 spiritual root, Sha Nuo from the Sha Clan also had a level 7 spiritual root, and Huang Bo, with a level 6 spiritual root, managed to make a name for himself. A few other geniuses had level 5 and 6 spiritual roots.

But Cao Long managed to surprise everyone. He had level 9 spiritual roots, higher than anyone.

"Hahaha, see our Brother Long? He is the sole genius within a million. You should kowtow to him," one person exclaimed, and others joined in, praising Cao Long as he had just won a great war.

"Hahaha, good, good. You have quite a talent, boy, unlike someone who only has good looks," Ling Fai complimented Cao Long openly, while simultaneously criticizing me, Xinli.

"Thank you, Examiner Fai," Cao Long thanked Ling Fai while cupping his fist.

"…"

'Does everyone have….. brain damage?' I thought, feeling both irritated and amused by the situation.

But wow, he has an even higher level of spiritual root than me, which made me quite surprised. Let's see….

[Name: Cao Long

Race: Human

Bone age: 16

bloodline: not awakened

physique: Water-type elemental body (Red-Mid tier)

Spiritual root: 9

Comprehensiveness: 9

Innate Talent: high-level water manipulation

Cultivation realm: Qi gathering realm 8th layer

skills: water-dance sword art, swift-body movement art....]

'Wow, finally within participation, I saw someone with a physique. He even has high-level water manipulation innate talent,' I thought, observing Cao Long's panel

'Damn, even his cultivation realm is higher than mine by two steps… what a rich and talented kid.'

I realized that this world is full of wonder, and there will always be dragons and phoenixes roaming around. I made a mental note: I need to improve myself fast.

"Yang Gang, level 7 spiritual root... Passed."

"Wow, another level 7 spiritual root emerges," someone exclaimed.

Finally, my turn came.

"Phew, finally! I was starting to get incredibly bored," I exclaimed. Despite being aware of my level 8 spiritual root, I still needed to undergo this test in order to progress to the next stage.

"Now, participant 340, please come forward," Instructor Bingwen announced. Upon hearing these words, I confidently moved towards the designated area.

"Good luck, Brother Xinli," Yang Gang said, giving me a thumbs up.

I nodded with a smile.

"Is this the boy who managed to capture the attention of our goddess? He must possess some extraordinary qualities," one of the boys whispered.

"Yes, at first glance, he appears quite unique with his long white hair and white pupil eyes. However, appearances alone won't suffice.

Without the ability to defend oneself or any form of support, if he has low talent, then he will only be a burden to himself," another boy remarked.

"Let us wait and observe. The results will speak for themselves, not our personal opinions," someone wisely stated.

I approached the orb, took a deep breath, and placed my hand on it. The room fell silent as everyone awaited the result.

Amidst the various opinions being thrown my way, I focused on my goal and confidently made my way towards the platform.