"We are here." The gazes of the crowd were fixed ahead. On the top of the stairways, countless experts had coronas of immortal light around them, it was an extremely dazzling sight.
However, the partic.i.p.ants discovered that there was another arched door behind these experts. The Eastern Sage Immortal Sect was incomparably vast, even larger than cities in the immortal realms. After all the distance they traveled, they merely just reached the entrance.
"We will leave these partic.i.p.ants in all your hands then." At this moment, the Prefecture Lord of the Eastern Prefecture stated. After which, the thirteen prefecture lords all headed to the front as the immortal-foundation experts on top of the stairway opened up a path for them as they respectfully greeted, "A warm welcome to all the immortal kings. Seniors, don’t worry about them, just leave the partic.i.p.ants to me."
"Mhm." The prefecture lords nodded as they entered, leaving the partic.i.p.ants behind.
"Since all of you could be here to attend this banquet, it meant that your talents are outstanding among your peers in your respective prefectures. However, our Eastern Sage Immortal Sect would never accept ordinary people. Through this selection test, you all will have an opportunity to join us but our quota this time around is only up till a 1,000 disciples. Next, you guys will contend against each other and the majority would be eliminated leaving behind the last thousand. And if the last remaining thousand are willing, you can join our Eastern Sage Immortal Sect as disciples, taking your first step into our sect."
On the stairs, an expert that was radiating with an intense immortal light stared at the partic.i.p.ants as he spoke. However, his words didn’t surprise any of them. The reason why the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect would organize this event was precisely because they wanted to build up their foundations more by recruiting and nurturing talents.
"The next event shall be the first test. The top 1,000 can become external disciples and those who pa.s.s gain the right to take the next test. For those who can walk all the way till the end and become the top three rankers, their fame would shake the world and become the nominated disciple of the Eastern Sage Immortal Emperor himself, gaining the opportunity to receive his guidance and there’s even a chance to become his personal disciple if your talent is high enough. All of you better cherish this chance."
From the way he was talking, it was as though this was a great boon to all of these partic.i.p.ants.
Even though there were over ten thousand geniuses that came from all thirteen prefectures, they still had to enter the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect as a matter of glory because the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect was the true hegemon of the thirteen prefectures.
These people might be the most outstanding talents in the thirteen prefectures but the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect itself was a place where all the most outstanding talents gathered. Hence, the elimination rate was very high and the vast majority would have to be eliminated.
Only a thousand would be able to join the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect.
"The first test will be at the sacred cultivation grounds within the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect, the Eastern Sage Cliff." That immortal-foundation expert continued. The Eastern Sage Cliff is the most optimal place for disciples under the immortal-foundation realm to cultivate in the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect. This time, that place will become the testing grounds for geniuses of the thirteen prefectures.
The Eastern Sage Immortal Sect regarded this recruitment event which occurred only once every hundred years with extreme importance.
"Eastern Sage Cliff." The partic.i.p.ants who heard about this place before couldn’t help but to mumble under their breaths as gleams of sharpness flashed in their eyes.
Naturally, there were people among them who already guessed. Because, the ten thousand plus geniuses from all thirteen prefectures had different level of cultivation bases ranging from the first-level of Celestial Phenomenon to the ninth-level. If one wanted to determine their talent, the Eastern Sage Cliff was undoubtedly the most suitable place to hold the test.
The Eastern Sage Cliff ignored the advantages of one’s cultivation base and focused on only the state of heart as well as comprehension ability of the cultivator.
"Now, follow me I will lead you over there. The current sect members have already left the area, vacating the s.p.a.ce for all of you. Let’s move out." That expert spoke as he moved towards the interior of the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect. The partic.i.p.ants followed after, and after which, all of them soared into the air, soaring towards the direction of the Eastern Sage Cliff.
Although the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect was a sect, a single glance couldn’t contain the boundlessness of it within one’s vision. It was more like an ancient majestic city with a countless number of imposing looking buildings.
"Isn’t this Eastern Sage Immortal Sect a little too big?" Many silently mused. The size was inconceivable and it was rumored that there were a hundred thousand direct disciples and millions of external disciples within it. If the troops of the Eastern Sage Immortal Emperor were counted within, the number of experts they had would reach a fearsome figure - over tens of millions.
This was precisely the makeup of a supreme-tier power in the immortal realms. They could effortlessly dominate any region and suppress and govern a countless number of particle worlds.
Before the Eastern Sage Cliff, the disciples from the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect were all standing nearby as they watched the 13,000 geniuses approaching. Their eyes were all flickering with sharpness, do they wish to become a member of the Eastern Sage Immortal Sect as well?
"I heard there are quite a few extremely powerful characters in this batch. Let’s hope they won’t disappoint us too much." A young man crossed his arms in front of his chest as he spoke with a smile.
The Eastern Sage Cliff was so vast that its boundaries couldn’t be seen. There were countless peaks near the area and all of them belonged to the Eastern Sage Cliff Mountain Range. It was currently enveloped by a screen of light that seemed akin to a supremely terrifying great formation. s.h.i.+mmering runes could be seen flowing around the light screen, exuding an air of mysteriousness that weaved unique law energy, permeating the air within the lightscreen.
The partic.i.p.ants stood in the air. That immortal-foundation expert who led them here turned and spoke to everyone, "There are some unique law enchantments within the Eastern Sage Cliff that would temporarily restrict some of your powers. This enchantment will grant you all equal levels of strength - That of a ninth-level of Celestial Phenomenon Ascendant, allowing you guys to clash madly if you so wish. However, your condensed constellations as well as your various innate techniques would all be locked down, unable to be used. What you can call upon is only your original strength, augmented by the power of your astral souls."
"Your astral souls won’t be bound as that’s a sign of your innate talent. Bloodline powers are something that belong to you, so it wouldn’t be restricted as well. But constellations are a different case."
That expert explained. Everyone naturally understood. Astral souls are a sign of their talents, if one"s astral soul is strong, it is strong! If it"s weak, then it will be weak. There’s no need to restrict it. But as for constellations, there"s a huge difference in terms of comprehension comparing first-level and nine-level ascendants. The disparity was too vast and although everyone’s base strength was set to the same level, constellations could easily tip the balance resulting in an inequality of strength. Hence, it will be restricted.
Bloodline powers are innate to the cultivators, so along with astral souls, it wouldn"t be locked down by the unique law enchantments.
Innate techniques would be restricted because there might be some who cultivated powerful immortal-ranked techniques before while the others haven"t. This wouldn"t be a fair test of talent if the lower-talent partic.i.p.ants could use powerful techniques to overwhelms high-talent partic.i.p.ants. Innate techniques are considered something external to the partic.i.p.ants, different from astral souls and bloodline power.
"Go on ahead. The Eastern Sage Cliff is a place where disciples of our sect gain insights on their martial paths. There is good fortune awaiting all of you provided that you are qualified to receive it. When you return from here, your strength would surely rise. Also, there are many small pockets of spatial formations within this place. If you wish to exit earlier, just walk into the spatial formations to activate them. The last 1,000 partic.i.p.ants remaining will be the ones to pa.s.s this selection test. You guys can enter now."
After speaking, that immortal stepped to the side, opening up a pathway for the partic.i.p.ants to enter.
"Forget oneself, regaining one’s strength through re-comprehension." That immortal murmured. After which the partic.i.p.ants all sped into the Eastern Sage Cliff as astral light flashed unceasingly.
The Eastern Sage Cliff, a path where one forgets everything that caused him to rise to this level of strength.
"Let"s enter." Qin Wentian and his companions stepped inside the mountain range, walking into the screen of light. Instantly, spatial fluctuations enveloped them as they re-appeared inside the Eastern Sage Cliff.
He was standing there alone with no one in his surroundings. The energy from the law enchantments bore down on him, tunnelling through his body and it felt like a gigantic hand of law was rewriting everything. After a moment, Qin Wentian felt a strange resonance with the energy in the atmosphere connecting them with something akin to an unbreakable thread as well as a towering strength within him.
"Is this the strength of a ninth-level of Celestial Phenomenon? Everyone will have this level of strength and the only differences will be one’s astral souls and bloodline power." Qin Wentian contemplated his surroundings as his perception gushed forth. He was actually completely alone. From this, it could be seen how vast this mountain range is.
"Is that…?" Qin Wentian saw a golden spatial diagram floating in the air. That should be the spatial pocket formation spoken of by that immortal earlier and one would instantly be able to exit this place by stepping into it. One could use it as a means of preserving their lives should they lose in combat.
Sounds of the wind whistling rang out as another person appeared near Qin Wentian. It was the only person his perception could sense and evidently, the other party had also sensed Qin Wentian’s existence.
"Someone from the Jing Prefecture." Qin Wentian glanced at the medallion pinned on the other party’s robes. His opponent was the 96th ranker of the Jing Prefecture.
"Bzz." A resplendent astral light flashed as the opponent’s astral soul manifested behind his back. It was a fearsome looking avian beast and a pair of wings also formed on his opponent’s back the instant the avian beast astral soul manifested. A baleful aura erupted out as he sped towards Qin Wentian, while launching an attack. A terrifying pressure burst out, his attack was akin to a talon swipe by a fearsome avian species.
Out of these 13,000 partic.i.p.ants, only 1,000 would remain. The meaning of this was extremely clear. For the excess 12,000 partic.i.p.ants, they can either choose to die in combat or escape via the spatial formations.
Qin Wentian blasted out with his palms, unconsciously utilizing his palm-type innate techniques. But at the instant before his energy erupted outwards, a marvelous law energy directly interrupted it. No gigantic palm imprints were formed, all attacks using innate techniques were sealed away by the power of the law enchantments in the area.
"BANG!" That fearsome talon swipe smashed over as Qin Wentian was forced backwards. b.l.o.o.d.y wounds opened on his arms because of the aftermath of that attack.
Both their strength was similar, at the ninth level of Celestial Phenomenon. They were all at the same starting point. However, his opponent attacked using the power of his astral soul while Qin Wentian executed an innate technique out of habit, without borrowing the power from his astral soul and was thus forced back.
‘This Eastern Sage Cliff is truly fair to all." A smile appeared on Qin Wentian’s face, yet he only saw a mocking light flas.h.i.+ng through his opponent’s eyes. "Ranked #27 within the Cloud Prefecture? Seems like you are nothing much after all."