Time passed in the blink of an eye.
Chen Yan's current cultivation had already reached the early stage of the Body Forging Realm. The strength of his muscles, bones, and physique was not something ordinary martial artists from the mortal world could even hope to compare with.
Although he was still far from the realm of being impervious to swords and spears, if he were to take a few hits from waxwood sticks in the Xing family's training ground, it would feel little different from an itch.
Yesterday, the Immortal Masters from the Biqiu Sect had already arrived in Yunyang City and were personally received and feasted by the city lord.
Xing Ziang was among them.
This young talent who had broken through to the Qi Circulation Realm at twenty-three was held in high regard by the middle and upper echelons of the Biqiu Sect.
They believed that if everything went smoothly, Xing Ziang had a great chance of breaking through to the Martial Spring Realm before the age of fifty.
It was important to know that within the entire Biqiu Sect, the number of cultivators with a cultivation realm above the Martial Spring Realm totaled only about a dozen or so.
Therefore, Xing Ziang held a very high status among the younger generation of the Biqiu Sect.
Regarding this matter of the Biqiu Sect opening its doors to accept disciples, as long as the talents of the Xing family's younger generation could barely pass muster, he could put in a good word for them in front of the sect's managing elders.
...
Yunyang City, the hour of Chen.
Green Stone Plaza. At this moment, a faint, thin mist still lingered over this open space.
This place was where sacrifices or large-scale festival celebrations had historically been held within Yunyang City. On ordinary days, the city's common folk used it as a marketplace.
Since half a month ago, all the stalls in Green Stone Plaza had been cleared out to facilitate the Biqiu Sect's disciple acceptance ceremony here.
This, of course, was not the Biqiu Sect's intention, but rather the initiative of those few immortal cultivation families within Yunyang City.
At this moment, several thousand youths and maidens under the age of eighteen were gathered in this square named Green Stone Plaza.
Apart from the youths and maidens who wished to seek immortality and the Dao, hoping to join the Biqiu Sect, absolutely no one else was permitted to step into Green Stone Plaza.
Chen Yan stood among the Xing family's younger generation. The number of Xing family youths who had come to participate in the Biqiu Sect's disciple acceptance ceremony totaled over thirty. Almost all eligible Xing family youths had come.
Among them, only two were direct-line young masters of the Xing family: Xing Zimo and Xing Zihao from the eldest branch.
The Xing family naturally did not prevent the orphans, beggar children, or distant relatives living under their roof that they had taken in from participating in the Biqiu Sect's disciple acceptance ceremony. In fact, they even encouraged it, even though the Biqiu Sect's quota for accepting inner sect disciples was limited—one taken was one less available.
Because no matter who could join the Biqiu Sect and become an immortal in the future, it would undoubtedly be a favorable connection for the Xing family.
Compared to the mortal youths on Green Stone Plaza, which included the Xing family's younger generation—some anxious, some excited and expectant—the scions of those few immortal cultivation families in Yunyang City appeared much more relaxed.
Duan Ruijie was also among that group of family scions, exchanging pleasantries with the people beside him.
However, Chen Yan paid no attention to any of this.
After the time it took half an incense stick to burn, four cultivators appeared on the high platform at the front of Green Stone Plaza. They wore bluish-gray Daoist robes with white trim embroidered on the edges and corners.
The robes they wore were the standard uniform of the Biqiu Sect.
Among them, the leader was a white-bearded elder who looked about seventy-something years old. He had an immortal demeanor, held a horsetail whisk, and stood on the high platform with his eyes lightly closed, the very picture of an otherworldly master.
With a gentle wave of the whisk in his hand, the thin mist over the Green Stone Plaza open space was easily dispersed just like that.
Martial Spring Realm.
Very quickly, Chen Yan made a judgment about that elder's realm.
"Wow…"
The white-bearded elder's casual, gentle wave of his whisk that dispersed the mist just moments ago elicited waves of astonished exclamations from the youths and maidens in the venue.
Behind the white-bearded elder stood two men and one woman, all very young cultivators.
The male cultivator standing furthest forward among them looked slightly older, about twenty-three or twenty-four years old.
Moreover, the features between his brows and eyes actually bore some resemblance to Xing Zimo and Xing Zihao beside Chen Yan.
Without much thought, this one should be the Xing family's Xing Ziang.
Behind Xing Ziang, standing to his left and right respectively, were another man and woman. They looked slightly younger than Xing Ziang, both appearing to be around twenty years old.
However, compared to the composure of Xing Ziang at the very front, the two young cultivators behind him seemed much more flighty in temperament.
The corner of the young male cultivator's mouth was slightly downturned, wearing an expression that was half a smile, half a smirk. As he looked out from the high platform at the several thousand youths and maidens gathered on Green Stone Plaza, his eyes were full of disdain and contempt, as if he wanted to convey to the crowd that they were wishful thinkers, overestimating their own abilities.
Subsequently, his lips moved slightly, as if he said something to the young female cultivator beside him.
The female cultivator then gave the young male cultivator beside her a look that was half coquettish, half reproachful, her hands on her hips, displaying a very charming and lively manner. Then, she also cast a glance at the crowd on Green Stone Plaza, as if sweeping her eyes over a group of ants.
With the appearance of the several Immortal Masters from the Biqiu Sect, the youths and maidens on Green Stone Plaza first fell silent for a few breaths. Then, seeing that these Immortal Masters had no reaction, soon whispers and murmurs began to emerge from the crowd again.
"Quiet!"
The white-bearded elder standing at the very front spoke. He channeled true qi into his throat, amplifying the sound he could produce dozens of times over. His voice boomed like a great bell, instantly stunning all the youths and maidens in the venue completely.
"Next, I will announce the rules of this Biqiu Sect disciple acceptance ceremony. I hope all you young friends will listen carefully!"
The white-bearded elder continued.
However, from the very beginning, Chen Yan's attention had not been on the high platform within Green Stone Plaza at all. Instead, it was fixed on a teahouse on a nearby street, not far from his current standing position.
At the railing position by the window of that teahouse, a young man dressed in Daoist robes was also sitting, smiling as he looked towards the Biqiu Sect's disciple acceptance ceremony on Green Stone Plaza.
Chen Yan's attention was not on that young man's face or his Daoist robe, but on his waist.
A token hung there...
In the next instant, Chen Yan sensed that young man's gaze was also turning in his own direction.
Chen Yan and the young man locked eyes for a moment. He was certain he had never seen this young man before.
Immediately after, in the blink of an eye after Chen Yan blinked, the young man who had just been at the teahouse railing vanished without a trace in an instant, as if he had never appeared at all.
Chen Yan's expression began to turn grave.
He did not recognize that young man, and the token hanging at the young man's waist was also facing backwards, so the characters carved on its front side could not be seen.
But Chen Yan recognized the intricate pattern carved on the back of that token, because he had once seen this pattern on Heavenly Summit Mountain.
It was the token of a Star Heaven Sect disciple.