Since he had already left the Chenping Continent and arrived in an entirely new and unknown world.
Then for Chen Yan, the most important thing was undoubtedly to gather all kinds of intelligence, and to be cautious in everything.
Through the Li Er Niu incident, he could roughly infer that the Qingxuan Immortal Sect was not as orderly as he had originally imagined it to be—at least the Outer Court was like that.
This time, the Qingxuan Immortal Sect sent Immortal Masters to Nanfeng to select disciples. The number of spots to enter the Immortal Sect was still ten.
But the current Changtian Prefecture was already packed with people. In recent days, the total number of young men and women who had surged into the capital from all over Nanfeng, seeking to pursue immortality and the Dao, had already exceeded one hundred thousand.
Among these one hundred thousand people, those qualified to step onto the path of immortality—meaning their talent was sufficient to cultivate to the Qi Circulation Realm—totaled only about a hundred or so.
The Qingxuan Immortal Sect would pick only ten.
Looking at it this way, Chen Yan’s talent back then could indeed be called one in ten thousand.
After all, in his first life, if everything had gone smoothly, he would have had the chance to touch the threshold of the Martial Spring Realm.
...
Ten days later.
It was the day when the Immortal Masters of the Qingxuan Immortal Sect arrived at Changtian Prefecture to conduct the examination for those seeking immortality and the Dao.
Chen Yan blended into the sea of people, his gaze fixed on the high platform erected in the center of the square. On the platform were two wooden tables, each bearing several jade tokens, as well as brushes, ink, and other items.
Behind the two wooden tables on the high platform sat two middle-aged cultivators dressed in azure-black daoist robes. Behind them stood eight young disciples, also clad in the same azure-black daoist robes.
It seemed that there was no difference in the style of daoist robes between the Inner Court and Outer Court disciples of the Qingxuan Immortal Sect.
Responsible for maintaining order at the scene was the capital's Imperial Guard of Changtian Prefecture. About a thousand heavily armored soldiers holding long spears had completely surrounded the square. Occasionally, a few cavalry riders carrying banners would gallop past the outer perimeter.
Chen Yan's gaze fell on the several Qingxuan Immortal Sect cultivators on the high platform.
The two Inner Court cultivators sitting behind the wooden tables had cultivation bases at the early stage of the Qi Sea Realm and the peak of the Martial Spring Realm, respectively. From their expressions, one could clearly discern the difference in their statuses.
As for the eight young disciples standing behind them, seven had cultivation bases ranging from the early stage to the late stage of the Qi Circulation Realm. Only the young cultivator standing at the front, who looked a few years older, had a cultivation base at the early stage of the Martial Spring Realm.
At the same time, Chen Yan could see faint threads of cause and effect behind the cultivators on the platform.
Although he currently had no understanding of what those threads of cause and effect represented, he knew that being able to perceive them with his spiritual sense was likely due to the Emptiness Annihilation Art.
From the current situation, it seemed the gap between the Qingxuan Immortal Sect and the cultivation sects of the Chenping Continent was not too absurd.
The two middle-aged cultivators sitting behind the wooden tables seemed to exchange a few words. Then, the middle-aged cultivator at the peak of the Martial Spring Realm gave a look to the Outer Court cultivator at the early stage of the Martial Spring Realm standing closest behind him.
That Outer Court cultivator immediately understood. He stepped forward two paces, gathered true qi in his throat, and declared in a clear voice:
"The Qingxuan Immortal Sect's disciple recruitment examination begins now!"
Instantly, a commotion erupted from the crowd.
"Silence!"
Then, the Qingxuan Immortal Sect's Outer Court cultivator shouted again.
With his shout of "Silence," the many soldiers surrounding the square stepped in unison and struck the ground with their long spears.
A murderous atmosphere immediately enveloped the air above the square.
The Outer Court cultivator at the early stage of the Martial Spring Realm swept his gaze over the crowded sea of one hundred thousand people below the high platform and continued:
"Next, the first round of the examination will begin. Everyone, slow your breathing as much as possible and stay relaxed. After every three breaths, take a deep inhale, then slow your breathing again. Repeat this cycle!"
The crowd below the platform all followed the instructions of the Qingxuan Immortal Sect's early-stage Martial Spring Realm cultivator.
Chen Yan knew what this breathing method was for.
This breathing method allowed one to maintain resonance with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. The Qingxuan Immortal Sect could use this to initially screen out those who could communicate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth—at the very least, those who could use it to wash their tendons and bones.
Chen Yan also began breathing according to the method described by the early-stage Martial Spring Realm cultivator, easily achieving resonance with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
But he was very restrained.
With Chen Yan's current cultivation at the peak of the Unity Realm, he could naturally easily stir all the spiritual energy of heaven and earth in the entire Changtian Prefecture.
Immediately after, the eight Outer Court disciples of the Qingxuan Immortal Sect standing on the high platform each picked up a jade token from the wooden tables, descended the platform, and walked into the crowd.
Holding the jade tokens in both hands, they weaved through the crowd.
"Go to the side of the high platform."
The Outer Court cultivators of the Qingxuan Immortal Sect would say this to the young men and women they passed who could resonate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
Those young men and women naturally understood what this meant, immediately showing expressions of joy, and then made their way through the crowd toward the high platform.
As for the early-stage Martial Spring Realm cultivator, he seemed to be responsible for the area of the crowd where Chen Yan was. At this moment, his distance from Chen Yan was getting closer and closer.
Finally, the Qingxuan Immortal Sect's Outer Court disciple at the early stage of the Martial Spring Realm stopped beside this handsome young man, who was wearing a short shirt, had wheat-colored skin, and well-proportioned muscles. He glanced a couple more times in Chen Yan's direction and said:
"Go up."
"Thank you, Immortal Master!"
Chen Yan also showed an expression of joy, and amid the envious and jealous gazes of the crowd, he walked toward the high platform.
At this moment, about fifty or so people had already gathered beside the high platform. After another half an hour, when the Outer Court disciples of the Qingxuan Immortal Sect had tested everyone present, the final count standing beside the high platform was, as Chen Yan had predicted, about a hundred people.
Then, the Qingxuan Immortal Sect's Outer Court disciple at the early stage of the Martial Spring Realm returned to the high platform, turned to face the crowd in the square, and announced:
"Those who were not called can leave now."
Instantly, wails of lamentation rose from the square.
Under the guidance of the capital's soldiers around the square, the one hundred thousand people in the square began to exit in an orderly manner.
Among the crowd were young men and women who had traveled thousands of miles, enduring countless hardships, just to make it here in time for the examination, spending a great deal of time and effort.
Yet the vast majority of them were dismissed without even receiving a single glance from the examining Immortal Masters.