I Disagree

On the plain, Fang Wang maintained his own pace. He had already been overtaken by seven people, but he wasn't in a hurry; he even wanted to see if Zhou Xue could catch up. ☞💔 ☠🌷

Of the eight people remaining in the Fang family, it is estimated that only Zhou Xue can catch up. Although Fang Hanyu has cultivated spiritual power, he is still just a martial artist. Just crossing that high mountain would be difficult enough for him, so how could he possibly catch up here?

Just as Zhou Xue said, the assessment here is for people with a certain foundation in cultivation, and is by no means something that ordinary people can participate in.

Time continued to pass.

Half an hour later, Fang Wang saw a thick fog appear on the horizon, and the outlines of mountains could be vaguely seen, majestic and mysterious. Compared to these mountains, the high mountains on both sides of the plain were nothing.

Fang Wang immediately thought of Taiyuan Sect at first glance.

Could it be that the Taiyuan Sect's headquarters are just ahead?

Fang Wang was filled with anticipation when he saw a number of people stopped at the edge of the cliff. Just as he was about to stop, he heard someone shout, "I give up!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a beam of azure light descended from the sky, passing by the man. A wisp of azure light separated, wrapped around the man, and carried him into the air, quickly disappearing into the vast fog in front of the cliff.

Is that a magical artifact?

Even with Fang Wang's keen eyesight, he couldn't make out what it was.

Fang Wang walked to a secluded spot, stood on the edge of the cliff, and looked down. The bottom was unfathomably dark, and both sides were shrouded in thick fog. He looked up and estimated that it would be at least ten miles to reach the mountains behind the fog.

We have to fly there!

Fang Wang turned his head and saw that some of the people who had used the sword control technique earlier were also helpless. Judging from their tired expressions, they were probably exhausted. Some of them even sat down to meditate and take pills.

Can you do this?

Fang Wang wasn't unconvinced, but he couldn't help but think to himself that scions of prominent families were indeed different.

"What are you looking at? Have you run out of spiritual energy?"

A familiar voice came from behind him. Fang Wang turned around and saw Zhou Xue landing in front of him on a flying sword.

Fang Wang was curious: Where did this flying sword come from?

Zhou Xue did not jump off the flying sword. Instead, she raised her hand and waved it. A slender flying sword flew out of her storage bag, and Fang Wang reached out and grabbed it.

The moment he grasped the sword, he could feel the spiritual power within it. This was no ordinary sword; it was a magical sword.

Fang Wang looked at Zhou Xue in surprise and asked, "Where did you come from?"

Zhou Xue raised the corner of her mouth, waved her hand, turned around and flew away, disappearing into the thick fog in the blink of an eye.

Fang Wang inexplicably thought of the two figures who had fought earlier. Could it be that Zhou Xue was stolen?

That's right, it's quite reasonable for demonic cultivators to act this way.

Without further thought, Fang Wang directly connected his spiritual power with the sword, then leaped up, the flying sword landing at his feet and carrying him into the thick fog.

His perfected sword control technique allowed him to easily wield the sword. Of course, this was also because the sword was not a particularly powerful magical artifact. According to Zhou Xue, powerful magical artifacts were difficult to subdue, and cultivators needed to create their own natal spirit to control them.

woohoo-

Despite the howling wind on his face, Fang Wang smiled, for he still had to fly on his sword.

Riding on a flying sword, moving forward against the wind, he felt relaxed and proud. Standing tall in the sky, a sense of pride rose in his heart. No wonder everyone wants to pursue the path of immortality.

As he entered the thick fog, Fang Wang suddenly heard some strange sounds, and he immediately drew his sword from his waist.

Suddenly, a black eagle swooped out, its claws slashing fiercely at him. Its speed was so fast that it surpassed that of even the top martial arts masters. Fang Wang raised his hand and swung his sword, his spiritual energy condensing into sword energy, and slashed out, annihilating the eagle.

The black eagle vanished into thin air, causing Fang Wang to raise an eyebrow.

It's not a living thing!

Looks like it's an assessment!

As Fang Wang traveled on his sword, he was careful to avoid danger. Black eagles would fly out from all directions along the way, but he managed to evade them one by one.

It's not too difficult.

As he continued his journey, he passed through a thick fog and saw a majestic mountain range that seemed to stand above the clouds. Peaks rose behind the mountains, with the highest peaks soaring into the clouds, their height impossible to estimate.

Above Fang Wang's head, white cranes guided his way. Following the line of cranes, he landed on a vast open space where Zhou Xue was already waiting.

After landing, Fang Wang gripped his flying sword in the back of his hand and glanced around. Apart from the Taiyuan Sect disciples guarding the front, there were a total of sixteen examinees present, each of whom looked extraordinary.

Gu Li glanced at Fang Wang but didn't pay much attention. She remembered this kid; he was running on foot, so his family wasn't well-off. At least he wouldn't pose a threat to her next goal.

Zhou Xue walked to Fang Wang's side and exclaimed, "So fast! I thought you'd need a while to adjust."

Fang Wang smiled and said, "It did take a little time."

The two stood together, talking in hushed tones, while the others scattered and did not approach each other.

Time continued to pass.

One by one, cultivators passed through the thick fog and landed on this open space. Fang Wang noticed that even the weakest one had the cultivation aura of the fifth level of the Qi Nourishing Realm, which made him sigh with emotion.

No wonder the treatment here is better; everyone here is a top student.

One hour later.

The number of disciples here has exceeded fifty, which secretly alarmed Fang Wang.

There are fifty people here alone, and with those who came before, there are at least five hundred people who have passed the entrance exam. And this is only in Taiyuan Town. Taiyuan City must recruit even more disciples, recruiting thousands of disciples every five years.

"This is why I chose Taiyuan Sect. A hundred years from now, Taiyuan Sect will become the strongest sect in the Great Qi region."

Zhou Xue's voice came through, using a telepathic technique, causing Fang Wang to turn his head to look at her.

The strongest cult?

Fang Wang believed it. After all, Zhou Xue was a reborn person, and he looked forward to his cultivation years in Taiyuan Sect even more.

A while later, a white crane descended from the sky, and on its back lay a short, stout old man. Fang Wang had noticed the white crane before but hadn't seen anyone on its back.

The white crane landed, and the short, stout old man slowly sat up. Although he was wearing the Taoist robe of the Taiyuan Sect, he looked out of place, very lazy, and had no air of immortality whatsoever.

Upon seeing the other person's demeanor, Fang Wang immediately labeled him as a highly accomplished individual.

This person must be very strong!

The short, stout old man stroked his beard, scanned everyone present, and then laughed, "Not bad, not bad. There are fifty-two people in total. It seems that my Taiyuan Sect is about to be revived. The fact that you can come here means you can become branch disciples of the Taiyuan Sect."

"Within the Taiyuan Sect, the treatment and status are divided into outer disciples, inner disciples, branch disciples, sword-wielding disciples, and personal disciples, from low to high. Outer and inner disciples can also choose a branch to cultivate, but they have to start from menial tasks. Branch disciples can directly choose a master on the branch peak they choose."

Everyone listened intently, which made the short, stout old man smile with satisfaction.

"Let me introduce myself first. I am an elder of this lineage. You can call me the Sleepy Immortal. Don't look at my ridiculous name. In the cultivation world, I have a very prestigious reputation."

The short, stout old man, also known as the Sleepy Immortal, laughed smugly.

A young man in blue, with an expression of admiration and worship, bowed and said, "I have heard of the reputation of the Sleepy Immortal. Legend has it that during the great war between the righteous and the demonic a hundred years ago, you, alone with your sword, stormed into the Ancient Demon Mountain and killed more than a thousand demons. That battle greatly demoralized the demonic forces, which allowed peace to arrive sooner."

Upon hearing this, the Sleepy Immortal raised his chin and looked down at the person with his nostrils.

Gu Li glanced at the young man in blue. Although her face was veiled, her eyes still revealed obvious disdain.

Most people looked on with admiration, clearly hearing the legend for the first time.

Fang Wang thought to himself, "As expected, he's truly a master!"

He's probably one of the top members of the Taiyuan Sect. He may seem carefree most of the time, but he'll definitely be fierce when it matters.

"Alright, let's get back to business. You've now become disciples of a branch lineage, and you can now compete for the titles of sword-wielding disciple and personal disciple," said the Sleepy Immortal with a fake cough, his expression serious.

One woman couldn't help but ask, "Can one directly compete for a personal disciple position? None of the nine major sects have such a precedent."

The other scions of prominent families whispered amongst themselves, all appearing quite excited.

The Sleepy Immortal said proudly, "It was like that before, but it will be different from now on. Taiyuan Sect is breaking with tradition in order to help geniuses grow better. You are all at the Qi Nourishing Realm. You can compete now. Those who want to become personal disciples can stand up and fight all the others alone. If you win, you can become a personal disciple. The five who perform the best can become sword-wielding disciples."

Fighting everyone alone!

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Fang Wang glanced at Zhou Xue, asking with his eyes whether she wanted to fight for it.

Zhou Xue nodded slowly, but her brows furrowed slightly, clearly taken aback.

Could it be that this fellow wasn't a disciple of the Taiyuan Sect in his previous life?

Fang Wang couldn't help but complain in his heart, and he began to suspect that Zhou Xue had ulterior motives towards Taiyuan Sect.

Gu Li asked, "May I ask, Elder, if more than one person wants to become a personal disciple, who will fight all of them alone?"

These words drew nods from a dozen or so people, and those who dared to nod were all full of confidence.

The Sleepy Immortal said with a half-smile, "That depends on you. Direct disciples have the power to enforce the law and manage their fellow disciples, so they must have the ability to command respect."

Gu Li immediately stepped forward and said, "My name is Gu Li, from the Gu family of Luobei. I have been cultivating for twelve years and have reached the ninth level of the Qi Nourishing Realm. I have learned my father Gu Tianxiong's Five Saints Sword Technique. I want to become his personal disciple. Who disagrees?"

Luo Bei Gu Family!

Most of the people present were moved, which made Fang Wang curious: just how powerful was the Gu family in Luobei?

The man in black wearing a bamboo hat crossed his arms and snorted, "The Gu family of Luobei is indeed qualified. Then I'll give you this opportunity. I want to see if the Five Saints Sword Technique can overpower all enemies of the same realm."

After he said that, no one dared to stand up.

Fang Wang sighed inwardly, wondering when the Fang family of Nanqiu would ever have such prestige.

"Hurry up! Being a direct disciple has benefits you can't even imagine. My physical aptitude is not as good as yours, and I have many opportunities to compete for. But you are different. You can't rely on me for your path of cultivation forever, unless you also want to become a demon. As for the Luo Bei Gu family, they will be destroyed in at most twenty years. They can't threaten you!" Zhou Xue's voice transmission arrived.

Fang Wang was already prepared, and he would have stepped forward without Zhou Xue urging him. However, Zhou Xue's words made him feel even less burdened.

After thinking it over, Fang Wang stepped forward and said, "I disagree!"

Instantly, all eyes fell on him, making his heart tremble, but he still pretended to be calm and stared at Gu Li.