Attacked by the Female Demon at the Beginning - Chapter 95

Chapter 95: Screening Outer Disciples

“Junior Brother, your cultivation has improved recently.”

While waiting for the other two, Zheng Shijiu was very polite.

“Not compared to Senior Brother Zheng,” Jiang Hao replied politely.

In the past, Zheng Shijiu would be calm and elegant when facing someone like Jiang Hao at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

But after the incident in the demon cave, he felt somewhat unconfident.

He didn’t dare to underestimate the person in front of him.

“Did Jiang Junior Brother end up winning the mid-stage Foundation Establishment prize?” Xin Yuyue asked.

“Yes, I’m taking the seed with me,” Jiang Hao nodded in response.

“Junior Brother Jiang is really cautious,” Zheng Shijiu couldn’t help but remark.

Xin Yuyue felt it was a pity; if it were the Tianchen Spirit Technique, she would have liked to buy it at a high price.

But she heard that the Tianchen Spirit Technique was taken by Ning Wanping of the Enforcement Peak, and it would be too difficult to exchange for it.

The fact that Ning Wanping got the Tianchen Spirit Technique surprised many people.

He was actually the fifth person to choose a treasure.

And Jiang Hao’s victory reaffirmed for Xin Yuyue and Zheng Shijiu that this person was definitely not to be provoked.

After chatting for a while, a woman carrying a giant sword came from a distance.

She was not tall, but the sword on her back was particularly eye-catching.

She recognized Zheng Shijiu at a glance and came over politely.

“I’m sorry to have kept the three of you waiting, I’m Le You from Hengliu Waterfall.”

“We’ve just arrived as well,” Zheng Shijiu said with a smile.

“Isn’t it tiring for Junior Sister Le You to carry a sword like that?”

“It’s just part of my training,” Le You replied.

Jiang Hao glanced at her and then paid no further attention.

The other party had a calm demeanor, not seeming like someone fond of talking.

From their aura, they appeared to be at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.

Soon after, a bald man with well-developed muscles, prominent brow bones, and a somewhat fierce complexion approached from a distance.

He was Hundred Bones Forest Feng Baifei at the late stage of the Foundation Establishment.

When Jiang Hao looked at him, he also glanced back with a hint of provocation.

“…”

Once everyone had arrived, the five of them flew on their swords to recruit new disciples.

The recruitment was taking place at the base of another peak.

On their way, they would pass over an abyss surrounded by clouds and mist.

At this moment, four of them were flying over the abyss on their swords.

The sea of clouds and mist below was churning, making them all somewhat vigilant.

“It’s said that the sect’s spirit beast, the Sky-Swallowing Giant Crocodile, is kept below. Falling in would be extremely dangerous,” Zheng Shijiu said with apprehension as he looked down at the clouds and mist.

Jiang Hao had also heard of it but had never seen the giant crocodile himself.

Nor had he heard of the crocodile coming up from below.

There were those who had gone down, but no one seemed to have seen the crocodile.

“I heard someone was accidentally eaten by the senior crocodile, which caused a stir in the Hall of Enforcement,” Hengliu Waterfall said leisurely.

Being accidentally eaten was no small matter; even if the Hall of Enforcement would intervene, it was still extremely dangerous.

The five of them sped up, quickly crossing the cloud-wreathed abyss.

Shortly after.

The five arrived at a plaza on the mountain peak, which was empty at the moment.

Only one person at the early stage of Foundation Establishment was waiting.

“Greetings to the five Senior Brothers,” Miao Xing said respectfully.

Miao Xing looked to be in his thirties or forties. He had no hope of advancement and was doing some outer sect work.

It was a respectable position.

“Junior Brother Miao is too polite. Are all the people here?”

Zheng Shijiu asked with a smile, seeming familiar with the process of recruiting disciples.

“Yes, we’re just waiting for the five Senior Brothers to take charge,” Miao Xing nodded.

Even the weakest among Jiang Hao and the others was at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, and each was very young, beyond comparison for him.

Miao Xing was well aware of this fact.

“It seems Junior Brother Jiang is not quite familiar with the procedure.”

Zheng Shijiu said, turning to Jiang Hao and explaining, “Normally, the outer sect Junior Brothers handle the preliminary arrangements. We only need to be present on the day of the assessment to make the final decisions.”

“There are generally two types of disciples we recruit: those we test for talent and those we test for perseverance. If their talent is sufficient, we accept them. If not, we test their perseverance, and if it’s acceptable, they can join the outer sect.”

“Of course, if Junior Brother feels someone is suitable, they can also be allowed into the outer sect. Right now, the candidates are gathered at the base of the mountain, and we need to go down to test their aptitude. As long as it’s not a fraud, they can be accepted.”

“I see,” Jiang Hao nodded.

“I wonder what the quality is like this year,” Hundred Bones Forest Feng Baifei said curiously.

The others were curious as well.

Selecting new disciples was always exciting.

If there were any exceptionally talented disciples, they would be the first to bring them back to their own lineage.

This was considered a significant merit.

Thus, the task of recruiting disciples was a good thing for many.

The only fear was bringing back trouble.

Looking down from the mountain peak, Jiang Hao saw quite a few people below.

“There are a total of 2,656 applicants, with 2,632 present,” Miao Xing explained.

With over two thousand people, Jiang Hao couldn’t immediately tell who had exceptional talent.

But most seemed quite ordinary, even less so than himself.

His above-average talent was already considered quite good.

“Let’s go down and test their aptitude,” Hengliu Waterfall’s Le You said, now interested.

Jiang Hao also thought it was a good idea.

Aside from the Senior Brother from Hundred Bones Forest occasionally casting fierce glances, the process was going smoothly.

He believed no one would cause trouble during the disciple recruitment process, as they all must have been instructed by their masters to bring back recruits.

Any mishap would be regrettable upon return.

So everyone hoped for a smooth and trouble-free process.

Any existing grudges had to be set aside for the time being, not to mention that there were no significant grudges among them.

As for the people from Hundred Bones Forest, it was likely because the Hall of Enforcement couldn’t find the culprit, so they were suspicious of the most suspicious-looking one.

And Jiang Hao was that person.

In truth, the death of Ming Zuo Quan was simply because they had gone too far, but unfortunately, it seemed the people from Hundred Bones Forest were not inclined to self-reflect.

The six flew down on their swords, landing at the forefront of the plaza.

This caused an uproar among the people below.

Most of them looked on with longing.

Jiang Hao could understand; he too had aspired to fly on a sword when he first joined.

But to reach that level, one had to first strive to survive.

……

Testing aptitude was divided into two parts: the first was to use a jade slip to test the compatibility with spiritual energy.

The better the compatibility, the faster the absorption of spiritual energy.

This was an inherent talent, difficult to improve, while the second part was to recite the Heart Sutra.

This was to test comprehension.

This way, they could assess normal talent and preliminarily determine suitability for cultivation.

Jiang Hao and the others, with Zheng Shijiu at the lead, sat to one side, waiting for the people below to come up and test their compatibility with spiritual energy.

There were only ten jade slips, so they had to test in groups of ten.

With over two thousand people, they could finish by the morning.

The jade slip is divided into seven sections, and reaching the third section qualifies one to enter the outer sect.

The first and second sections only indicate subsequent comprehension and perseverance.

If not even one section lights up, then there is no fate with immortality.

Following Miao Xing’s order, the people lined up below began to come forward in groups of ten.

All they had to do was hold the slip without moving.

Out of the first ten people, only one reached the third section.

Afterward, Xin Yuyue asked for his name and recorded it.

Jiang Hao could see the joy in the man’s eyes; for these people, it didn’t matter whether the Tianyin Sect was a Demon Sect or not.

“Next group,” Miao Xing continued.

At this moment, a little girl walked up, looking somewhat clumsy, but the moment Jiang Hao saw her, his pupils contracted.

It wasn’t that he recognized her, but under his comprehensive assessment, she was somewhat extraordinary.