Chapter 282: Chapter 165: Grow Bigger and Stronger, Create New Glories

Jiang Huai, however, held an official post. In the martial world, he was known as both a Wandering Grand Celestial Master and a Spirit Binder.

Jiang Huai was quite the versatile individual.

Right now, Jiang Huai and his subordinates were scattered among the different teams.

The reason Lu Yuan had divided everyone into four teams was to get a rough idea of their respective abilities.

Depending on their role, the monthly stipend of silver taels would also differ.

Lu Yuan had the Mansion Guards distribute numbered tags to everyone standing in the courtyard.

The tags came in four colors—red, yellow, green, and blue—to make it easier to identify individuals during the subsequent tests.

Holding a megaphone, Lu Yuan continued, "The content of the tests will vary based on your role, and the difficulty will gradually increase.

The first round for Travelers is archery.

The first round for Spirit Binders is to identify the number and cultivation level of the Xingzi they hold.

The first round for Celestial Masters is the application of Techniques.

The first round for Grand Celestial Masters is to draw a Talisman."

The Travelers’ First Round!

The Travelers who came to apply looked at the targets 150 paces away, all wearing relaxed expressions.

’So this is all there is to the Zhao Mansion’s test? Isn’t drawing a bow and shooting an arrow a basic skill for Travelers?’

’Is the master of the Zhao Mansion some kind of amateur? Archery is a fundamental skill for any Traveler.’

’For anyone who can become a Traveler, isn’t hitting a target from several hundred paces away child’s play?’

Lu Yuan had the Mansion Guards bring out specially made bows and arrows.

The bows were forged from an alloy mixed with heavy metals refined from Spirit Stone Slag.

Each bow weighed seventy to eighty pounds, and the arrowheads were also forged from a heavy metal alloy.

As the Travelers took the bows, many were caught off guard and nearly dropped them, unable to get a firm grip.

One even failed to catch the bow with one hand, and its tip smashed down onto his own foot.

Taken out of the running before he even started, his cry of pain sent the crowd into roaring laughter.

"This bow is so heavy! There’s no way anyone can shoot this."

"Yeah, it’s a fine bow, but what’s the point if you can’t even draw it!"

Some Travelers, unable to lift or draw the bow, gave up and left the field without even firing a single arrow.

Many of the Travelers shook so violently while trying to raise the bow and nock an arrow, it was as if they had Parkinson’s. They couldn’t possibly hit the target.

Of course, there were still those who managed to fire three arrows, all three hitting the bullseye.

The Spirit Binders’ First Round!

Any Spirit Binder who had detained fewer than three Xingzi, or whose Xingzi each had less than two hundred years of cultivation, was immediately eliminated.

Some Xingzi were of ordinary quality; even if their cultivation exceeded two hundred years, they still didn’t meet the standard to advance to the second round.

For all other cases, only the best were selected to advance.

The Celestial Masters’ First Round! 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Celestial Masters who were not proficient in applying their Techniques or whose demonstrations contained errors were also eliminated.

Some Celestial Masters performed their Techniques with impressive, fearsome power, yet Lu Yuan still eliminated them with a wave of his hand.

From each and every move, Lu Yuan could discern a person’s potential and whether or not they came from an orthodox Taoist School.

The Grand Celestial Masters’ First Round!

Lu Yuan inspected every single Talisman drawn by the Grand Celestial Masters, one by one.

Having cultivated *The Celestial Master*, Lu Yuan could naturally perceive the power contained within the Talismans.

Some Talismans were beautifully drawn, but that didn’t necessarily mean they were potent.

A common, minor, wild Xingzi could tear such a Talisman to shreds and eat it.

Other Talismans, though crudely drawn, had the potential to channel a sliver of the Power of Heaven and Earth.

This kind of Talisman was most effective for the Suppression of evil spirits.

The quality of a drawn Talisman was the ultimate test of a Grand Celestial Master’s skill and their perceptiveness toward the workings of the universe.

In the first round of tests alone, Lu Yuan had already eliminated nearly half of the applicants.

As far as Lu Yuan was concerned, he wanted an elite team. Quality far outweighed quantity.

If their abilities were lacking, numbers were useless.

Even among those who had been eliminated, a large portion chose to remain in the courtyard.

The Mansion Guards had told them they would receive some form of compensation.

By the time the first round of tests concluded, an entire day had passed, and the sky was growing dark.

Spirit Stone Lamps on the walls of the Martial Hall flared to life, bathing the courtyard in bright light so that everyone could see one another.

Seeing the walls lined with Spirit Stone Lamps, the crowd couldn’t help but marvel once more at the Zhao Mansion’s immense wealth.

Lu Yuan stood on the high platform with the megaphone and shouted, "Once again, thank you all for coming to apply for a position with the Zhao Mansion.

Those who did not pass the first round, do not complain. The Zhao Mansion will give each of you two taels of silver as compensation.

As for those who passed, it is already late. Please return to the Post House and rest well. The second round of tests will be held tomorrow."

After speaking, Lu Yuan descended from the high platform and slipped back into the main mansion through a side door, away from the crowd.

He could leave the rest to be handled by the Mansion Guards.

Regardless of whether they had passed the first round or failed, everyone left in high spirits...