Chapter 18: The Battle for Talent, The Finals

“Guanglang... Guanglang... Guanglang...”

The testing formation activated.

Subsequently, the stone tablet used for testing began to tremble.

As the trembling intensified, no spiritual root grade or attribute appeared on the tablet; instead, irregular, spiderweb-like cracks began to emerge.

"What is happening!"

The elder in charge of the testing frowned.

He had been doing this job since the founding of the Falling Immortal Sect.

He had never seen anything like this!

Was this going to cost him his job?

The elder immediately performed hand seals—*pa, pa, pa*—striking three streaks of white light into the stone tablet.

Instead of stabilizing the tablet, this only caused the cracks on the surface to spread even faster.

This...

I won't be fired, will I?

The elder panicked.

He could no longer control the situation before him and could only watch helplessly as a thick layer of the tablet's outer skin peeled away.

The originally grayish-brown stone tablet shed its outer layer, revealing a core with a hallucinogenic, mystical hue.

The moment its core was exposed to the air, the entire sky above the Falling Immortal Sect was filled with ten thousand rays of auspicious light and radiant splendor.

It was as if a true immortal had descended from the Nine Heavens.

An aura of tranquility and peace enveloped the entire sect.

Even more astonishingly, the area surrounding the stone tablet, which had previously been barren, was now transformed.

At this moment, emerald-green grass could be seen growing visibly before one's eyes, and multicolored flowers bloomed everywhere.

The spiritual energy reached an unprecedented concentration at this very instant.

The testing elder was stunned!

What stunned him even more was that a chronic, incurable ailment within his own body was instantly cured under the nourishment of that auspicious light and spiritual energy.

It was healed!

An injury or illness that would make even a Nascent Soul stage cultivator shake their head had actually been cured.

A strange brilliance burst forth from the elder's eyes as he stared at the still-rotating testing formation.

*Swish!*

Yun Yangzi appeared, accompanied by Hong Niang.

"What kind of stone is this? Just by coming into the world, it possesses the power to change heaven and earth. And if one examines this auspicious light closely, it is several times purer than my own spiritual energy."

Hong Niang could not hide her astonishment.

Her spiritual energy had been refined seven times, reaching an extreme that was rare in the world.

Now, there was spiritual energy even purer than her own.

It was simply inconceivable to her.

Yun Yangzi shook his head, searching his memories.

In his memory, this stone had tested their spiritual roots hundreds of years ago.

If the Sect Master or the Eldest Senior Brother were here, perhaps they would know more.

"Senior Brother, if it isn't to invite the Great Elder..."

Hong Niang thought of the oldest existence in the Falling Immortal Sect, who might know the origin of this stone.

"The Great Elder has been in seclusion for several hundred years; it is best not to disturb him lightly. Although this matter is strange, it does not seem overly dangerous."

As Yun Yangzi spoke, he struck a streak of white light, attempting to suppress the glowing stone.

But the stone seemed to possess sentience.

It struggled to break free from the ground and, with a *whoosh*, dove into the operating testing formation and vanished.

"Could it be related to this person!"

Yun Yangzi seemed to have captured a certain detail.

He raised his hand and sent another streak of white light into the testing formation.

Subsequently, Zheng Tuo stepped out from the formation.

Before Zheng Tuo could even react, Yun Yangzi waved his wide sleeve, sweeping him away along with the testing elder.

Inside the Falling Immortal Great Hall.

Yun Yangzi, the testing elder, Hong Niang, and even Wu Dao, all looked at Zheng Tuo with astonishment.

Reacting instinctively, Zheng Tuo had a Wind-Chasing Talisman stuck to each thigh, a stack of Exploding Talismans clutched in his hand, one foot raised as if to stomp a smoke bomb, and the other foot tensed to push off for a sprint.

Everything about his posture indicated he was prepared to flee.

"Ahem..."

Zheng Tuo gave a dry cough, attempting to ease the awkward atmosphere.

"Disciple Zheng Tuo greets the Sect Master, the two Peak Masters, and... this unnamed elder immortal."

Zheng Tuo appeared very polite.

He knew he would be staying here for a very long time, so he wanted to leave a good impression on the higher-ups.

Yun Yangzi nodded and looked toward the testing elder.

"Uncle-Master, what are this boy's spiritual root grade and attributes?"

The elder's name was Jin Hou, and he was the martial uncle of Yun Yangzi and the others.

"Let me take a look."

Jin Hou produced a ruler-like magical treasure from somewhere.

"Little friend, do not be afraid. Come, grasp the bottom of the ruler, and I shall test your spiritual root grade and attributes."

Zheng Tuo looked at the people present.

He clearly felt that the atmosphere was off.

To be cautious, he extended a single finger and placed it upon the ruler treasure.

Then, the ruler began to change colors like a chameleon.

Red, orange, yellow, green...

After the ruler cycled through over a dozen colors...

*Crack!*

With a crisp sound, the ruler actually split down the middle.

Startled, Zheng Tuo immediately withdrew his finger.

He thought to himself: *Don't blame me; it broke on its own. Besides, isn't this treasure a bit too fragile? It breaks just from a touch. Is it a fake?*

"Impossible!"

Jin Hou found it hard to believe that his Second-Grade Spirit-Testing Ruler had cracked.

It must have been weathered because it hadn't been nourished by spiritual energy for too long.

"Again!"

Jin Hou was incredibly stubborn.

He produced an even more brilliant ruler from somewhere else.

A Third-Grade Spirit-Testing Ruler.

"Boy, put your hand on it."

This time, Jin Hou was full of confidence.

Zheng Tuo was extremely careful.

This time, he only extended his pinky finger, striving not to break anyone's treasure.

He had heard that refining magical treasures was very difficult—*Crack!*

The crisp sound rang out in the quiet hall like a sudden clap of thunder.

The Third-Grade Spirit-Testing Ruler had exploded.

"It must be the work of that strange stone just now," Jin Hou insisted.

He was certain it wasn't due to the quality of his treasure.

"Let me try."

Hong Niang pulled a red silk ribbon from her bosom.

"Catch it."

The red silk flew toward him, and Zheng Tuo reached out to grab it.

Then, just like the Spirit-Testing Ruler, the silk began to cycle through various colors.

"Hmm! With Little Girl's Red Brocade, we should be able to measure Young Friend Zheng Tuo's spir—"

Jin Hou's final words failed to leave his mouth.

The reason was simple: Hong Niang's treasure, the Red Brocade, actually caught fire and instantly turned to ash.

"What a powerful stone; even my Red Brocade cannot measure its depth."

As Hong Niang spoke, dozens of red silk ribbons flew out from around her.

"Junior Sister, let me handle this."

Yun Yangzi stopped Hong Niang.

"Zheng Tuo..."

Yun Yangzi explained what had just happened to Zheng Tuo.

Zheng Tuo then pulled a thumb-sized, seven-colored strange stone from his pocket.

The seven-colored stone looked unremarkable, merely being somewhat pretty.

Zheng Tuo had specifically bitten it; the texture was like an ordinary stone, just harder.

"Put down the seven-colored stone and place your hand on the Ancient Bronze Treasure Mirror. I will personally test your spiritual root grade and attributes."

The Ancient Bronze Treasure Mirror was a supreme treasure of the Falling Immortal Sect, second only to the sect's guardian treasure, the Falling Immortal Twin Swords.

This was only because the Ancient Bronze Treasure Mirror was a support-type magical treasure.

If it were an offensive treasure, the status of the Falling Immortal Sect would likely be even higher.

Zheng Tuo hesitated!

He had already broken three of their treasures.

Although it was unintentional, he felt it wasn't quite right.

This large mirror looked incredibly expensive.

What if he broke it?

As if sensing Zheng Tuo's doubt, Yun Yangzi spoke.

"Rest assured, the Ancient Bronze Treasure Mirror is a unique treasure of our Falling Immortal Sect. If you can break it, I shall give it to you, hahaha..."

Yun Yangzi had absolute confidence in the Ancient Bronze Treasure Mirror.

As a dignified Post-Natal Spiritual Treasure of the support type, if it could be broken by an ordinary person, wouldn't it... *Crack!*

The crisp sound came so unexpectedly.

The moment Zheng Tuo's palm pressed against it, a crack split the Ancient Bronze Treasure Mirror down the middle.

Then!

The mirror erupted with unparalleled brilliance, like a flashbulb.

Amidst the blinding light, the four large characters for "Top-Grade Spiritual Root" appeared, as if afraid others wouldn't see them.

The characters were inlaid with gold and silver, carrying an infinite magical power that firmly captured the gaze of the four people.

Hong Niang's eyes widened, her beautiful face filled with disbelief.

Jin Hou's mouth hung open, speechless.

Yun Yangzi instinctively released the terrifying power of the Nascent Soul stage.

Even Wu Dao, who had remained motionless, opened his eyes.

Within his narrow slits of eyes, it seemed as though two divine swords were hidden, ready to shoot forth.

"Top-grade spiritual root! It is actually a top-grade spiritual root! Hahaha... My Falling Immortal Sect has waited a thousand years; the day of our rise has finally arrived!"

Yun Yangzi laughed loudly, descending into a state of madness.