The early morning mist washed everything clean while carrying a sweet cotton-candy like smell.
The Wanxiang Market was like a huge city situated in the middle of an old forest, and the entrance to the Wanxiang PaG.o.da was three hundred miles away between two peaks. Today was the day for the monthly examination; only by pa.s.sing this exam would one be able to enter the number one sacred learning ground in this world.
This was the dream for all cultivators.
The paG.o.da had the best cultivation manuals, and low-level, intermediate, advanced, heavenly practice manuals were numerous as well.
At this moment, most of the cultivation manuals that circulated in the cultivation world were mainly low-level manuals. A few immortal gates capable of ruling over one direction had one or two intermediate manuals at most.
Only the clans capable of claiming sovereignty over a county like the Feng Clan would have incomplete copies of advanced manuals. If one wished for a complete version, they would only be able to find it at the Wanxiang PaG.o.da.
Of course, it was not as if there were no advanced manuals in the cultivation world. For example, the number one cultivation manual, the Northern Profound Divine Art of the Beiming Clan, was the first half of an advanced manual.
Just by relying on half of this advanced manual, the Beiming Clan became one of the four great clans of the G.o.dly Jin Dynasty. Heaven-defying geniuses from the Beiming Clan had always wanted to go to the Wanxiang PaG.o.da in order to cultivate the second half of the Northern Profound Divine Art, but they all failed. Only those with the greatest talents and cultivation were accepted to cultivate the more sophisticated manuals.
As long as one was capable, they could obtain all the spirit treasures that others yearned for. The paG.o.da was a sacred ground that was always open to the strong.
Because of this special characteristic, many young disciples from all the powers gathered at this place.
The examination location was at the Primal Beginning Tower.
The so-called Primal Beginning meant the beginning of all existences, the starting point of reaching Wanxiang. [1. Myriad Forms.]
The Primal Beginning Tower was very majestic with ninety-nine levels; it was even higher than the Meteor Tower. It also loomed into the clouds with cranes flying everywhere. Those who stood on top of this tower would feel as if they were on top of the nine heavens and had entered the immortal world.
Once the group of Feng Feiyun reached the Primal Beginning Tower, they found that this place was already filled with people. Only moving heads could be seen at a glance; this place was packed without a single gap. A quick estimate would be that there was at least a couple ten thousand people here, not to mention that even more cultivators were arriving.
This scene could be described as a grand army trying to pa.s.s a single log bridge.
There was a huge square paved with white pebbles under the tower that could accommodate more than ten thousand people. However, this square was completely flooded from the crowd squeezing together.
“Martial Tower, Physique Branch!”
“Death Tower, a.s.sa.s.sin Branch!”
“Witchcraft Tower, Witchcraft Branch!”
“Dan Tower, Alchemy Branch!”
“Wisdom Tower, Wisdom Master Branch!”
“Dao Tower, Dao Cultivation Branch!”
“Buddhist Tower, Buddhist Cultivation Branch!”
“Technique Tower, Spirit Technique Branch!”
***
There were dozens of blocks of monuments at this place that conducted examinations. Before each monument was a revered master, followed by a long line of people.
Only by pa.s.sing the first examination of the revered master would one be qualified to enter the second examination inside the Primal Beginning Tower.
Only those who pa.s.s the second examination would be eligible for the third one inside the Wanxiang PaG.o.da.
Among them, ninety percent would be eliminated during the first elimination.
Although there were a lot of partic.i.p.ants, the majority of them were concentrated at the Martial Tower, the Dao Tower, the Death Tower, and the Technique Tower… These sacred training grounds were quite popular.
It could be said that each of these towers was a school, a unique sacred cultivation ground.
Behind the stone monument of the Martial Tower, one would find 30,000 people in a line that spanned all the way to the horizon. These cultivators came from all over the world, and all of them were geniuses back at their homes. But after coming to this place, many of them wouldn’t even be able to pa.s.s the first examination.
Although the Martial Tower had the longest line, the rate of failure was also the highest. The revered master slightly opened his eyes to peer at the long line before he stated: “Those who have not reached peak Immortal Foundation, leave.”
A series of disappointed groans appeared as nearly half of the young cultivators all turned around to leave, leaving behind lonely shadows as they disappeared from sight.
Those who remained were secretly pleased since they felt a sense of superiority.
“Those who are twenty-five and have not reached early G.o.d Base, leave. Those who are thirty and have not reached peak G.o.d Base, leave. Those who are sixty and have not reached grand achievement G.o.d Base, leave!” The revered master said again.
After these words came out, those who were previously laughing in their minds could no longer laugh.
The Wanxiang PaG.o.da only recruited real geniuses. Those who could not reach early G.o.d Base before twenty-five were not considered geniuses. Those who did not reach peak G.o.d Base by thirty could only be considered ordinary geniuses. The grand achievement G.o.d Base was an unsurpa.s.sable threshold; not being able to reach it at thirty or forty years of age was a common thing. However, if one still couldn’t do so at sixty, then it could only be said that their potential was exhausted and that they could not reach grand achievement without meeting a great fortune.
These conditions were truly too stringent! The vast majority of people left while being dejected. The lineup that originally consisted of more than 30,000 people was currently a little under one thousand. Now, the real examination could begin.
Seeing this scene, Feng Feiyun had to nod his head. The rumors were right, the paG.o.da only took in the best of the best; experts as numerous as the clouds, hidden dragons and crouching tigers, as many geniuses as there are dogs on the streets... An early G.o.d Base could become an elder at a different place, but they were too common here.
“Boss, I’m afraid we have to separate now.” A glimmer of excitement appeared in w.a.n.g Meng’s eyes as he stared towards the Martial Tower’s stone monument. He exuded a surging will to fight.
The reason w.a.n.g Meng came to the paG.o.da with Feng Feiyun was because he wanted to cultivate in the Martial Tower where all the experts gathered. Only under such conditions would one be able to train to their utmost potential.
Recklessly fighting followed by even more fighting along the thin line of life and death, then finally trampling all your opponents beneath your feet. Only then would one be able to reach the apex.
This was w.a.n.g Meng’s lifelong aspiration.
Feng Feiyun seemed to have guessed why he wanted to leave, so he smiled and said: “Don’t call me boss anymore. From beginning to end, I have always treated you as a brother. Based on our ages, I should be the one calling you big brother.”
w.a.n.g Meng suddenly became a bit fl.u.s.tered like a shy young miss as he whispered: “The truth is, I am only thirteen years old this year, I’m still only a kid.”
“Poof!” Not only did Feng Feiyun almost fall to the ground, but even Ji Xiaonu and Ji Xinnu right behind him had their mouths wide open as their jaws almost dropped to the floor. They all thought that they had misheard.
w.a.n.g Meng was at least two meter tall with a body as stout as an ox. His muscles bulged out wildly, so how could this person be thirteen years old?
However, his face was very stoic; it didn’t seem to be a joke. He continued on: “I am actually an Ancient Jiang. After growing up, members of our Ancient Jiang tribe will all be over three meters tall. Those who develop early would all be taller than me by the age of eight or nine. My development could already be considered as stunted.”
Feng Feiyun was suddenly confused. Motherf.u.c.ker, this brat can’t actually be thirteen years old, right?
A peak G.o.d Base at thirteen years old?
How could Feng Feiyun, a fourteen year old early G.o.d Base, handle this sudden revelation?