Chapter 134: Chapter 129: Selection (Part 1)

"Wuxiang Institute?"

Both the old man and the disciple were stunned. The former lifted his eyelids and glanced at Zhao Lin. "Your root and bone are indeed excellent, but if you want to enter the Wuxiang Institute, your cultivation must be at least at the Second Layer of the Qi Realm. Unless..."

"Unless I defeat two outer court disciples at the Third Layer of the Qi Realm," Zhao Lin calmly finished the sentence.

"So you knew."

The old man stroked his beard a few times, his eyes narrowing. "Is this your master’s idea? He might not be aware, but the assessment for the Wuxiang Institute is even stricter now than it was in his day."

"The disciples you’re tested against aren’t just chosen randomly. They’re all top-ranking outer court disciples from the monthly and quarterly competitions. Their strength isn’t necessarily that much different from the Wuxiang Institute’s own disciples."

"With your aptitude, spending a year or so cultivating in the outer court would make entering the Wuxiang Institute no problem. Why the rush?"

Zhao Lin didn’t argue directly, simply stating calmly, "I’ve heard that everyone who enters the Wuxiang Institute is a genius. I want to see if I measure up."

"Your youthful courage is commendable, but this old man must still remind you: fists and feet have no eyes. If you get injured, it won’t be worth the risk."

"Thank you for your concern, Senior. This junior would still like to try."

The old man shook his head and said no more.

With a few quick strokes—SWISH SWISH—the young disciple wrote a line of text on a wooden tablet.

Zhao Lin glanced over and saw what was written on the tablet:

Name: Zhao Lin

Age: Seventeen

Applying for: Wuxiang Institute

Root and Bone: Upper-Middle

Cultivation: First Layer of the Qi Realm

Origin: Ying Province, Qinghe County, Liuhe Sect, under the tutelage of Zhu Huaishan.

"Junior Brother Chen, this person is applying for the Wuxiang Institute. Please take him over."

The young disciple called someone over, who then led Zhao Lin to a pavilion in front of the mountain gate to wait.

Six men and one woman were sitting in the pavilion, all appearing to be around eighteen or nineteen years old.

As Zhao Lin stepped into the pavilion, he immediately sensed the potent Qi and Blood emanating from each person. All of them had cultivation at the Second Layer of the Qi Realm or higher.

The square-faced, powerfully built man sitting opposite him had a particularly heavy aura, not much different from the bandit second-in-command, Xu Mabang. He was likely on the verge of breaking through to the Third Layer of the Qi Realm.

He understood instantly. ’These people are just like me. They’ve also applied for the Wuxiang Institute.’

When the seven of them saw Zhao Lin, looks of astonishment crossed their faces. They all thought the same thing: ’This person is only at the First Layer of the Qi Realm. How can he be applying for the Wuxiang Institute too?’

Zhao Lin naturally knew what they were thinking, but he saw no need to explain himself and simply found a place to sit down.

A short while later, a man in his thirties with a scholarly appearance and gentle expression walked into the pavilion, holding a stack of wooden tablets.

Zhao Lin noticed a black bird embroidered on the man’s clothes. His master had told him that this was the emblem of an inner court disciple.

The man glanced around at the group, gave a casual salute, and said, "Everyone applying for the Wuxiang Institute is here. Follow me."

Everyone quickly stood up and followed the man up the mountain.

"May I ask how we should address Senior Brother?" the lone woman among the eight applicants asked.

The man glanced back with a slight nod and replied politely, "My name is Hu Xuancheng. I’m an inner court disciple. You can just call me Senior Brother Hu."

"Thank you for guiding us, Senior Brother Hu," the group said in unison.

Whether or not the eight of them could enter the Wuxiang Institute, they were certainly qualified to enter the outer court, so addressing him as "Senior Brother" was perfectly normal.

Of course, if they failed to get into the Wuxiang Institute, it was also possible they would choose to withdraw entirely. After all, the Xingyun Sect wasn’t the only major sect in Yan Province.

The eight of them barely spoke to one another along the way. For one, they were nervous about the upcoming selection and weren’t in the mood to chat.

For another, before being accepted into the sect, they were all competitors. There was nothing much to say. It wouldn’t be too late to build camaraderie after passing the assessment.

Hu Xuancheng led the group to a courtyard halfway up the mountain. On the plaque of the main hall inside were written the three words: Seven Stars Pavilion.

"Everyone, please wait here for a moment. I’ll go inside to announce your arrival."

With that, Hu Xuancheng went into the Seven Stars Pavilion.

In the hall of the pavilion sat five composed, elderly men dressed in wide-sleeved robes.

The Xingyun Sect’s inner court was divided into five academies: Gold, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. The cultivation techniques and energy methods of each academy were different.

For this reason, the Wuxiang Institute was also divided into five departments, and the cultivation techniques practiced by the disciples of each department were inherited from their corresponding inner court academy.

These five elders were the Wuxiang Institute’s Instruction Elders, responsible for teaching cultivation techniques to the disciples of each department.

"Elders, a total of eight disciples are applying for the Wuxiang Institute today. Here are the details of their root and bone and origins."

Hu Xuancheng entered the hall, bowed to the five elders seated at the head of the room, and then presented the wooden tablets to the gaunt-faced elder in the center.

The gaunt-faced elder was the Instruction Elder of the Gold Department. His surname was Wu, but he went by the title Gold Stone and was the head of the five departments.

For convenience, all five elders used the names of their respective departments as their titles. The other four elders’ titles were Cyan Wood, Water Mirror, Fire Jade, and Lutu.

"Eight? That’s three more than last month."

Elder Gold Stone said with interest. He unfurled the wooden tablets and examined them one by one, then suddenly let out a sound of surprise. "Eh? This one’s master is named Zhu Huaishan."

Elder Lutu took the tablet, saying with some uncertainty, "Senior Brother Zhu? Could it be someone with the same name?"

Elder Gold Stone shook his head. "It’s hard to say. However, the inner affairs office keeps records of any Sect members who establish their own schools and take on disciples outside. We can find out with a simple check."

Elder Huoyu, who was sitting to the side, said bluntly, "What’s there to check? Later, when this... Zhao Lin demonstrates his cultivation technique, we’ll know with one look."

The other elders all nodded in agreement. Elder Gold Stone said, "Xuancheng, call them in."

"Yes."

Hu Xuancheng complied and went out to bring the eight people from the courtyard into the hall.

"Greetings, Elders."

As Zhao Lin bowed, he covertly observed his surroundings. The hall was spacious and bright, with no unnecessary decorations. In the center was an open area, about half the size of a training ground, clearly a space for practicing fist skills and sparring.

Opposite the open area were five low tables, with one of the wide-robed elders seated behind each. They didn’t appear lofty or imposing; instead, they seemed quite approachable.

A smile appeared on Elder Gold Stone’s face as he began to speak. "All of you have passed the initial selection, which proves your cultivation and aptitude are top-notch. However, to enter the Wuxiang Institute, we must conduct a further examination."

"Now, state the names of your primary cultivation technique and fist style, and then demonstrate them for us."

"There’s no need to be nervous. Just show us what you’ve learned. Try to keep your demonstration under twenty breaths."

As he spoke, he casually picked up a wooden tablet and read from it, "Let’s start with Kong Cang."

Kong Cang was the square-faced man. He walked to the center of the open area and announced loudly, "Disciple Kong Cang. I primarily cultivate the Heavy Cloud Skill. My techniques are the Pure Yang Fist and the Falling Leaves Leg."

After speaking, he let out a sharp cry, surged his Qi and Blood, and launched into a Fist Skill routine. His fists moved like the wind, his legs struck like lightning, and the sound of air being split apart instantly filled the hall.

The five elders all nodded unconsciously.

Having been immersed in their respective martial paths for many years, their judgment and experience were unparalleled. A quick glance was all they needed to tell that Kong Cang was a promising talent, more than qualified to enter the Wuxiang Institute. The only point of discussion was which department he should join.

A dozen or so breaths later, Kong Cang abruptly stopped, his face not flushed and his breathing steady. He gave a bow and exited the open area.