Chapter Eighteen: Chosen (Please Add to Favorites and Recommend)

Li Hu tugged at Lu Zhe’s sleeve and whispered, “You don’t know, do you? I heard that Shangguan Yijing is a rare talent of the Wind Dominion Sect, and she’s supposedly the only daughter of the Shangguan family, one of the four great houses of the Omega Empire. She’s stunning, they say, and managed to reach—what’s it called, oh yes—Spirit Master level in just a year.”

Lu Zhe was slightly taken aback by this, but said nothing. He thought to himself, “To break through to Spirit Master in a single year, it seems this Shangguan Yijing truly is extraordinary.”

Seeing Li Hu’s drooling expression, Lu Zhe said irritably, “With all that, do you really think someone with her background would ever look at two paupers like us?”

Li Hu sighed. “I never said I was going to compete for her hand.” Suddenly, his tone shifted and he chuckled, “But going to feast our eyes wouldn’t be so bad, would it?”

Lu Zhe shot him an annoyed look, but before he could speak, his arm suddenly felt heavy and his body was dragged toward the steps. Looking closely, he saw Li Hu was pulling him forward.

Just as Lu Zhe was about to protest, they had already arrived beside the steps. Two men stood nearby, looking like guards. Both wore white robes, swords at their waists, their faces stern—clearly members of the Wind Dominion Sect.

The guards glanced at Lu Zhe and Li Hu. Li Hu wore a plain blue cloth shirt today, not as elegant as silk or satin but with a rustic charm that suited his station. In contrast, Lu Zhe was clad in gray homespun, patches clearly visible, his messy black hair falling onto his shoulders—a look bordering on beggary.

One guard looked at Li Hu, then at Lu Zhe. Whether intentional or not, Lu Zhe felt a hint of contempt in the man’s eyes when he looked at him.

“Are you here to apply?” the guard asked, his voice booming.

“Mm,” Li Hu nodded.

“Take your numbers and queue up,” the guard said, his voice as loud as before. He picked up two wooden boards from the table nearby and tossed them to Lu Zhe and Li Hu.

After handing out the boards, he glanced at Lu Zhe before turning away to resume his watch.

Lu Zhe paid no mind to the guard’s gaze, reaching out to take the wooden token. He looked down and saw three large characters: One Six Seven.

Lu Zhe stared at the number, then glanced toward the queue. What he saw shocked him. He hadn’t noticed from afar, but up close, the line was astonishingly long—not only were people on the steps, but the crowd on the ground stretched as far as the eye could see.

“How can there be so many people in Qingxi Town?” Lu Zhe muttered in surprise.

“Heh, you don’t know? It’s not just folks from Qingxi. People from neighboring towns like Lvsong have come too,” Li Hu replied, somehow hearing every word Lu Zhe said. He turned and grinned.

Lu Zhe rolled his eyes, shook his head, and looked at his token with a wry smile. “How long will this take?”

Yet Li Hu seemed full of enthusiasm, dragging Lu Zhe toward the end of the line, saying as they walked, “Don’t worry about the length, it moves fast.”

They reached the end and quietly waited.

Dragged along, Lu Zhe was already full of complaints. Now, seeing the endless queue, he was even more frustrated. Were it not for his friendship with Li Hu, he would’ve tossed the token and gone back to work.

But Li Hu was right—the line moved rapidly. Not long after Lu Zhe joined, a new batch arrived behind them. Within just a short time, Lu Zhe had already moved forward several dozen steps. Peering ahead, he noticed that after people went up the stage, they soon left from the other side, all with mournful faces. Those leading them looked either angry or as miserable as children.

Lu Zhe was puzzled. Was the Wind Dominion Sect’s recruitment really so strict?

Looking closer, he realized that since he started watching, almost no one remained on the stage. Yet before long, a boy about his age stayed up there, grinning broadly, joined by a delighted companion—clearly someone who passed the screening.

Lu Zhe shook his head, folded his arms, closed his eyes, and hoped his turn would come quickly so he could be eliminated and leave.

While his eyes were closed, a few more candidates stayed on the stage. Among them were both boys and girls, but curiously, the boys scanned the area as if searching for something.

The speed of the queue was astonishing. During the time Lu Zhe had his eyes shut, the line advanced by a hundred steps, with at least sixty or seventy people eliminated. The Wind Dominion Sect’s standards were indeed harsh.

Feeling the pace, Lu Zhe opened his left eye and was amazed to find that what had once been more than a hundred people ahead of him had dwindled to barely twenty. The speed was dizzying.

As he watched, the line moved forward another dozen steps, more people eliminated. The stage now had more people than before, but still only about thirty.

Lu Zhe was quietly amazed. The Wind Dominion Sect truly deserved its reputation as the greatest sect in the Omega Empire—even its admissions were so rigorous.

While he marveled, another group was eliminated, and soon only a handful remained ahead. “It’s my turn,” Lu Zhe thought, feeling inexplicably nervous.

In a flash, the last of those ahead were dismissed, and it was Lu Zhe’s turn.

He stepped onto the stage, noting its size. On the left, an open area was filled with people his age, evidently those who passed. On the right was a table, behind which sat three people. The ones on the left and right were slightly younger, forty or fifty years old. The man in the center was an elder, with white hair and beard, appearing frail and aged.

Lu Zhe walked quickly to the table, handing his token to the man on the left. He stood there, unsure what to do.

“What’s your name?” the elder asked.

“Lu Zhe,” he replied.

“How old are you?” the elder in the center asked slowly.

“Fifteen,” Lu Zhe answered quickly.

“Are you a Spirit Adept?” the elder continued.

“Yes,” Lu Zhe nodded.

“How many stars?” the elder asked, his tone indifferent.

“I don’t know,” Lu Zhe shook his head.

“Oh?” The elder was briefly surprised, then smiled gently. “No matter. Give me your hand.”

Lu Zhe followed instructions, extending his hand. The elder reached out his dry right hand, grasped Lu Zhe’s wrist, stroked his beard with his left, closed his eyes, and seemed to ponder.

After a moment, he opened his eyes and said quietly, “Only one star.”

Lu Zhe didn’t dispute this. Ever since Old Liu had explained the Spirit levels to him, he hadn’t cultivated further, so he remained at one star. Still, the elder’s ability to discern his level with a mere touch surprised him.

“When did you become a Spirit Adept?” the elder asked.

“Three days ago,” Lu Zhe replied calmly.

“Oh?” The elder was again surprised, clearly not expecting that answer.

He scrutinized Lu Zhe, then said, “Show me your cultivation hand seal.”

Without speaking, Lu Zhe performed the seal Old Liu had taught him, closed his eyes, and felt the spiritual energy of heaven and earth flood into him.

“Stop,” the elder called after a moment.

Lu Zhe opened his eyes, looking at the elder, puzzled.

The elder laughed, “Good, you’re a promising one. Mark him down.”

As he spoke, the man on the right hurried to jot down notes in his booklet.

“Wait,” Lu Zhe interjected, raising his hand.

“What is it?” the elder asked.

“If you accept me into your sect, will you feed me?” Lu Zhe asked.

The elder paused, then he and the others burst into laughter. He said, “Rest assured, you’ll be well fed. Hahaha…”

Lu Zhe stuck out his tongue, turned to head left.

As he turned, Li Hu squeezed onto the stage, dropping his token onto the table and preparing for assessment.

Yet when the elder asked the second question, Li Hu froze. Though his life was better than Lu Zhe’s, he knew little about cultivation and was immediately stumped.

The elder’s face showed irritation and muttered to the man on the left, who nodded and said to Li Hu, “You may leave.”

Li Hu said nothing, only asked the examiner, “May I speak with my friend for a moment?”

The man waved him off and began screening the next candidate.

Li Hu strode to Lu Zhe’s side, threw an arm around him, and laughed, “You lucky dog! I know nothing about this spirit cultivation nonsense, so I was eliminated. But you, you passed!”

Lu Zhe gave a sheepish grin. “You flatter me, Brother Hu. I just got lucky.”

Li Hu shook his head. “Actually, I didn’t come for the exam. I just wanted to catch a glimpse of Shangguan Yijing. But…” He looked around and continued, “She’s not here.”

Lu Zhe was surprised, scanning the stage. Indeed, besides the examiners and those who passed, there was no one else—certainly no young woman.

Just as Lu Zhe turned to speak, he noticed Li Hu staring intently at the other side of the stage. Lu Zhe followed his gaze and saw a figure appearing.

A person walked slowly onto the stage, followed by a crowd.

The figure stepped onto the stage, and Lu Zhe saw her face clearly.

She was a girl of striking beauty, elegant and extraordinary. Her nose was delicate and straight, her eyebrows graceful, her eyes clear as water, lips like cherries, cheeks rosy, her hair coiled high with a phoenix hairpin, her figure slender and alluring, wrapped in a pale white robe that accentuated her form. At her waist hung a thin, long sword with a white hilt and two red tassels. At that moment, she was surrounded by admirers like stars around the moon.

Lu Zhe drew a deep breath. The girl was exquisitely beautiful, her charm rivaling that of Xue Ling’er. She must be the Shangguan Yijing Li Hu had spoken of.

(Apologies, everyone. Something came up and delayed this update. This is the last post for today. If you enjoyed it, please recommend or bookmark. Much appreciated!)