Chapter 2: High-Grade Talent (Please add to favorites and follow for updates)

In the capital of Bianjing, the Pingnan Marquis Mansion.

A woman in a pale green dress wore a snow-white mink cloak over her shoulders. Her hair was free of elaborate jewelry, held in place only by a white jade lotus hairpin.

With delicate features and a smile on her face, she tugged at the tall, thin young man beside her and said, "Brother Shaojia, the immortal sects are recruiting disciples. Anyone under the age of thirty can go and test their aptitude. Let’s quickly call Brother Shaojing and go try it together."

Everyone in the Pingnan Marquis Mansion was blessed with striking looks, and Lu Shaojia was no exception.

He smiled and said, "You can still think of Shaojing even when faced with such a good opportunity. If it were her..."

The smile on Lu Shaojia’s face vanished completely, replaced by a look of utter disgust.

"Brother Shaojia, don't say that. Shaoheng, she..."

Jiang Yunjang furrowed her brows, saying worriedly, "She is just young and ignorant. You have already driven her out of the mansion for over a month; that is punishment enough. Let us quickly send someone to find her so she doesn't miss this grand opportunity for the immortal sect recruitment."

"Sigh, why do you bother worrying about her?"

Lu Shaojia waved his sleeve, dismissing the matter, and ordered the servants nearby to prepare the carriage.

Jiang Yunjang could not argue further, her face clouded with concern.

Just then, a young man in red ran over. With thick brows and starry eyes, he laughed aloud, "Sister Yunjang, let’s hurry and test our aptitude. If we are outstanding enough to be chosen as disciples and become cultivators, that would be a supreme stroke of fortune."

Jiang Yunjang reached out with a handkerchief to wipe the light sweat from his forehead and replied softly, "Although it is said that everyone can cultivate, this aptitude is tested by the immortal sects. Aside from the ordinary 'mud-born,' it is divided into three grades: low, middle, and high.

"We are incredibly lucky this time. It is said that the sect coming to Bianjing is the Zhenyi Yuan Sect, one of the thirteen great sects of the Upper Qian. However, their requirements are correspondingly harsh. Unlike ordinary sects of the past that would take anyone with decent bones, we must test into these three grades to have a chance at being accepted as disciples by the Zhenyi Yuan Sect."

Lu Shaojing said with a grin, "We have to try regardless. Besides, the Zhenyi Yuan Sect isn't the only cultivation sect that has come. Every province and prefecture of the Great Yan Dynasty has different sects arriving. Sister Yunjang, let’s hurry. Even if we aren't accepted, if we rush to the neighboring provinces, there will still be opportunities to cultivate!"

Despite his words, his eyes were bright with confidence; he was clearly very sure of himself.

The three exchanged glances, understanding each other's intent. Without further ado, they stepped out of the mansion, boarded the carriage, and headed toward the recruitment site.

The crowds were dense, but as the Pingnan Marquis had held his title for three generations, his status remained high. They were allowed to pass by many along the way and arrived at the testing site quite smoothly.

Lu Shaojia was the first to lift the carriage curtain, then let Jiang Yunjang step on the stool to disembark.

Once all three were on solid ground, they joined the orderly line of people waiting for the test.

Though they were packed shoulder to shoulder, no one dared to make a scene here.

Many cultivators hovered high in the clouds, hidden within the mist, while only a few young disciples with youthful faces handled the affairs below.

In the center of the grounds stood a massive, snow-white jade pillar, square in shape. One only needed to press their hand against it to have their aptitude measured.

The crowd was divided into four lines, and the testing proceeded rapidly. In about two quarters of an hour, three hundred people had been tested, yet only one woman in plain clothes had measured as having low-grade aptitude.

"Yunjang."

Suddenly, a young man’s voice rang out in surprise. Though he tried to keep it low, it was still quite audible.

The yellow-robed disciple maintaining order looked over at the sound, his brows furrowed.

When Jiang Yunjang heard Qin Ji’s call, she bit her lower lip, looked up at the handsome young man at the source of the voice, and silently nodded in acknowledgment.

Seeing this, Qin Ji immediately felt he had been presumptuous. With an apologetic expression, he lowered his head again.

His grandfather was a second-rank official in the imperial court; though he held no title, he was a man of prominent status.

The Qin family and the Pingnan Marquis Mansion had long been on good terms, and Qin Ji had previously been engaged to the mansion's legitimate daughter. However, not long ago, that engagement had been annulled.

Lu Shaojia and Lu Shaojing swept their gazes over him, their expressions scrutinizing, but they said nothing.

The line moved quickly, and batch after batch of people completed their tests.

Jiang Yunjang looked ahead, murmuring with a frown.

"Counting it all up, nearly twelve hundred people, yet only two have tested as low-grade aptitude, eligible to be accepted as outer disciples by the Zhenyi Yuan Sect."

"But on the day I was born, pink clouds and mist rose over the courtyard. According to ancient texts, those born with omens must have extraordinary qualities. I must possess aptitude."

Thinking of this, Jiang Yunjang’s furrowed brows relaxed.

After all, because of this 'extraordinary quality,' she had already received too many benefits.

A moment later, it was Lu Shaojia’s turn.

He took a deep breath and pressed his palm against the jade wall.

Lu Shaojia felt an inexplicable force like a needle pierce directly into his palm, drawing a drop or two of his blood before seeping into the jade.

The immortal sect disciple nearby saw this, his eyes brightening slightly.

The bloodstains spread and diffused, quickly painting a flame-like shape on the snow-white surface, though it only occupied a corner of the jade wall.

"Low-grade aptitude, Five Elements leaning toward Fire."

Cultivators absorb the spiritual energy of the Five Elements between heaven and earth to increase their cultivation, but since everyone's bone structure and constitution differ, it is impossible to achieve a perfect balance of the Five Elements.

Understanding one's own aptitude and foundation is the most important thing in subsequent cultivation.

Generally, testing objects can only measure the grade of aptitude; only great sects can bring out treasures like the 'Source-Identifying Wall' to trace the origin of one's aptitude.

"Wait to the side," the yellow-robed youth said, his tone much gentler.

Lu Shaojia tried his best to suppress the corners of his mouth, his face flushed red. He nodded and walked to the area indicated.

Lu Shaojing, who was behind him, looked even more excited. He immediately pressed his palm against the jade wall.

A pale light emerged, and green, vine-like patterns crawled across the surface.

The four yellow-robed disciples were each maintaining order for a line. The disciple in charge of this line, named 'Xiao Qiu,' looked slightly surprised.

"Low-grade aptitude, Five Elements belonging to Wood."

Seeing that the two looked similar, they must be brothers by blood; he hadn't expected both to possess aptitude.

However, although there was joy on the young man in red's face, there was a hint of gloom hidden in his eyes.

Jiang Yunjang, standing behind Lu Shaojing, knew he was unsatisfied. After all, those who fantasize about being martial arts prodigies always tend to think too highly of themselves.

Once Lu Shaojia had joined the line, it was finally the turn of the woman in the pale green dress.

Jiang Yunjang no longer paid attention to anyone or anything else; she only looked at the jade wall before her.

She took a deep breath and pressed her hand against it.

The blood seeped in, spreading rapidly, and finally transformed into a massive, snow-white tiger that occupied almost the entire surface of the wall. Its body was covered in faint, shimmering gold patterns, and its tiger eyes were fierce, as if it could swallow mountains and rivers.

"High-grade aptitude, White Tiger True Embryo, Five Elements belonging to Metal."

Aptitude has grades; low-grade is already one in a hundred among ordinary people.

The major sects with long histories had used records from the past thousand years to measure it, and even when selecting from the many who possessed aptitude, middle-grade was still one in a thousand.

As for high-grade aptitude, it was a once-in-a-century occurrence even in regions rich with spiritual energy. To think it had appeared in the mortal realm!

Xiao Qiu’s tone was almost humble as he said softly, "Please wait to the side."

The white tiger on the jade wall was truly majestic. Even as it gradually faded, it was enough to capture the eyes of everyone present. For a moment, all gazes turned toward her.

Surprise, doubt, admiration, envy, jealousy...

Under the gaze of the masses, not a hint of panic appeared on Jiang Yunjang’s face. With a calm expression, she nodded to Xiao Qiu and walked into the designated line.

She looked up toward the clouds. The sect elders, who had been waiting calmly, were now clearly arguing, though they could not be seen clearly through the distant mist.

Jiang Yunjang lowered her head, the corners of her lips curling up imperceptibly.

Mortals chase gold and jewelry.

Cultivators crave superior aptitude.

This feeling of being the center of attention was truly intoxicating.

As the four lines continued their testing, Jiang Yunjang cast a casual glance and saw a figure both familiar and strange.

Just then, their eyes met.

The luxurious noblewoman, who in Jiang Yunjang’s memory was always arrogant and pampered, was now covered in filth. Her hair was matted into clumps from grease and grime, piled haphazardly behind her head.

The young person’s clothes were so tattered that they were held together only by strips of yellowed, broken rags.

"Lu Shaoheng?"

"Interesting."