Recruitment
Most of the Ruan family disciples in room A breathed a sigh of relief after realizing that their companions were just as confused as they were.
Those with more connections might have somber or anxious expressions. They were clearly aware that this was all part of the Xuan Tian Sect's selection process, but they didn't know what their outcome would be.
Now I can only wait for news in this room, and I'm just afraid that I won't want to hear it.
Only Ruan Linglan's expression darkened. Why was this year's method different from previous years? In the past, it was mostly a ring duel, or a test of talent and aptitude by drawing qi into the body on the spot.
This year, it turned out that everyone was being led into an illusion, and she almost fell for it herself.
Immediately, she glanced discreetly to the side, wanting to gauge the others' reactions. To her surprise, she saw the exceptionally talented Ruan Qingyu remain calm, showing neither curiosity nor panic about what had just happened.
Seeing this, Ruan Linglan leaned closer to her and said, "Did your illusion end very early just now? I was so scared just now, I almost thought I had been dragged into some dangerous place by some ancestor or powerful monster."
Unexpectedly, Ruan Linglan came to ask her something at this time. Ruan Qingyu took a half step back and shook her head: "Liang Ke and I woke up at about the same time, and at first we didn't realize it was an illusion. Later, I encountered a lot of things that didn't exist in the Immortal City, and that's when I realized something was wrong."
Hearing his name called, Lü Liangke, though not understanding, still chimed in, "Yes, Qingyu and I woke up together just now. Luckily, we both woke up. I saw some disciples still with their eyes closed and in a daze. Could it be that they weren't selected?"
After listening to their conversation, Ruan Linglan, though still somewhat suspicious, didn't press further. She simply stood aside and remained silent.
Not far away, Ruan Nanhe's face was rather pale. Just a moment ago, he had some time to observe and scrutinize Ruan Qingyu. Now, however, he was too preoccupied to care for himself. It was simply because he was unlucky; the illusionary test given by the array plate far exceeded what he had prepared at home.
But seeing that many people around him were still in a daze, he also breathed a sigh of relief. However, when his eyes swept over Ruan Qingyu, his face darkened again.
He wasn't blind. Ruan Qingyu looked refreshed and calm, clearly having handled the illusion well; otherwise, she wouldn't have acted this way.
Immediately, Ruan Nanhe clenched his fists, a hint of jealousy rising in his eyes towards Ruan Qingyu.
Just as the disciples were becoming increasingly uneasy, the tightly closed door suddenly opened. Several cultivators walked out in an orderly fashion, their bearing clearly extraordinary.
All the disciples looked on with envy and amazement, but Ruan Qingyu, mixed in with the crowd, showed a hint of hatred towards Zhang Zitao.
Fortunately, she lowered her head quickly, and no one noticed her emotions. The moment she saw Zhang Zitao, she could hardly suppress the urge to go forward.
However, upon realizing that the other party's cultivation level was far above her own, and seeing the familiar Foundation Establishment stage fluctuations, she instantly calmed down.
Now is not the time for revenge. When she enters the sect and has the opportunity to conceal her cultivation techniques, that will be the time for her to seek revenge.
Ruan Qingyu took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. Subconsciously, "Little Phoenix Heaven" began to absorb spiritual energy with a faint breath, and instantly the surrounding fire spiritual energy was quietly drawn into her body.
A strange feeling came over my chest, but this time it wasn't a strong palpitation; instead, it gave me a sense of comfort.
Ruan Qingyu, who was initially a little impatient, became increasingly calm and controlled her facial emotions before raising her eyes to look at the Xuan Tian Sect members at the doorway.
Clearly, these disciples of the Ruan family have passed the test. They're here to select people, but they don't know where they'll be placed.
But seeing that Zhang Zitao had come along, she figured she would be able to get in no matter what. Thinking this, Ruan Qingyu felt increasingly at ease.
As expected, Zhang Zitao didn't even look at the disciples of the Ruan family, and coldly said, "You may not know who we are now, but just know that we are your senior brothers and sisters who joined the sect later."
Then his tone became even colder: "If it weren't for the fact that the Ruan family has elders in our Xuantian Sect, we wouldn't have come to a small place like Immortal City. Therefore, you selected disciples must act cautiously after entering the sect and strive to contribute to the sect."
Although the disciples of the Ruan family didn't know how to contribute, they knew from the implication that they had succeeded. They immediately replied, "We will obey Senior Brother's command!"
Mixed in with the crowd, Ruan Qingyu's lips moved slightly, making it impossible for anyone to notice that she was taking advantage of the situation.
Zhang Zitao's lips curled slightly, his face full of smugness. Every year, these new disciples were the easiest to fool, their flattery was so pleasing to him.
As he spoke, his palm flashed with spiritual light. As the storage bags distributed by the sect were opened one after another, more than a dozen halo-like circles of light landed in the hands of the disciples in room A.
"This three-foot square storage bag is an essential item for all disciples of the sect. It contains the method of Qi Induction for our Xuantian Sect. In seven days, I will bring back the disciples who have successfully incorporated Qi into their bodies to the sect. If they have not succeeded..."
After a pause, seeing the tense expressions on the faces of the disciples below, Zhang Zitang nodded in satisfaction: "If the Qi induction fails, the inner disciple will be demoted to an outer disciple and taken away. If they were already an outer disciple, they will remain and not be taken back."
The disciples were immediately in an uproar, never expecting that after passing the aptitude test, they would then have to undergo the illusion test.
It's astonishing that there's still this test of drawing qi into the body, but considering that drawing qi into the body is the first step in cultivating immortality, if one can't even do this, one's future cultivation will be hindered.
"What's the panic? Even that old man in his forties has a way to guide Qi into the body. Only by learning the basics of Qi guidance on your own can you prove that you are not hopeless. Otherwise, if you all need my Xuantian Sect to teach you, you must be dreaming."
As he spoke, Zhang Zitao glanced at the elder of the Ruan family beside him, his eyelids drooping. He then led the Xuantian Sect disciples beside him back to the courtyard arranged by the Ruan family.
The remaining disciples of the Ruan family, numbered A, looked at each other in bewilderment. Just as they were hesitating, the head of the Ruan family stepped forward.
The head of the Ruan family looked somewhat pleased, after all, the number and quality of disciples from their Ruan family who entered the sect this year were much higher than in previous years, and the resources and rewards allocated by the Xuantian Sect would be more.
"I am very pleased that so many disciples have been able to enter the sect today. I hope you can concentrate on your cultivation. This Qi-introduction technique requires a combination of fate and enlightenment. If it is still not working before seven days, you can discuss it with the elders of the clan."
Upon hearing this, the previously somewhat confused disciples of the Ruan family suddenly brightened up. This was a clear indication from the Ruan family head; surely he couldn't prevent the disciples from entering the sect simply because they possessed the necessary aptitude and spiritual roots?
With the head of the family speaking up, their hopes naturally increased.
"Thank you, Patriarch," the disciples said one after another, overjoyed.
As the crowd gradually dispersed, they quickly returned to their own courtyards to prepare for Qi cultivation. Some disciples who were supposed to live outside went directly with the Ruan family elders to find a small room for closed-door Qi cultivation.
Lü Liangke glanced at Ruan Qingyu, her lips moving slightly. Before she could speak, she heard Ruan Qingyu say, "I'm close to you, so you can try to feel it for yourself first. If you don't feel anything the next day, come find me."
In her memory, Lü Liangke had quickly mastered Qi cultivation, and now that he had obtained the Xuan Tian Sect's method, he should be able to succeed with almost certainty. However, considering that the two were closer than others, Ruan Qingyu still spoke up.
Unexpectedly, she took the initiative to speak, and Lü Liangke's eyes lit up.
"Thanks in advance, but I might succeed on the first day. Don't underestimate me!" Lü Liangke said in a low voice.
Upon hearing this, Ruan Qingyu simply smiled faintly and remained silent.
Meanwhile, Ruan Linglan, who had other thoughts on her mind, didn't have time for them. She hurriedly returned to her courtyard with the method for guiding qi into the body.
As Ruan Nanhe passed by Ruan Qingyu, he snorted coldly. He had seen the inner disciple quota in the storage bag. His initial slight wariness of Ruan Qingyu turned into contempt.
After all, he had connections within the inner sect, while Ruan Qingyu was merely a disciple from a collateral branch. With fewer resources and connections, Ruan Qingyu would undoubtedly lag behind in cultivation.
Today's performance being inferior to hers will certainly not happen again after he becomes a disciple. Ruan Qingyu was unaware of his secret comparison.
But just by looking at the other person with a hint of hostility, he could roughly guess what was going on.
On the way back, Lü Liangke was preoccupied with the technique of guiding qi into the body.
They overlooked Ruan Qingyu's slightly unusual expression, simply because her heart palpitations from the first absorption of spiritual energy had calmed her down after her emotional turmoil.
She had been hesitant at first, but this time she had to find a way to go there and find out what was going on.
What exactly is it that keeps calling to her, causing her such great excitement? As things stand, it's definitely beneficial to her.
If we don't go, and then go to the Xuantian Sect, we don't know when we'll be able to return to the Ruan family. If we miss this opportunity, we might never be able to come back.
Thinking of her enemies within the Xuantian Sect, Ruan Qingyu's eyes darkened.
On Ruan Nanhe's side, he quickly found a few people: "Find some people to harass that Ruan Qingyu outside her house, and don't let her enter the Qi body too early."
He must become the number one in the Ruan family; only then will he have his glorious days.
In the middle of the night, the Ruan family fell silent once more. The large number of Foundation Establishment cultivators who were still awake were arranged by the Ruan family head to be located in a more distant part of the disciples' quarters.
This made it easier for Ruan Qingyu to move around. She also suddenly realized that there was a technique called "The Art of Concealing the Breath of All Things" within her inherited bloodline.
Practicing this technique allows one to reduce their aura to the level of a speck of dust. As Ruan Qingyu's cultivation level increased, she became undetectable to those of the same level, and even high-level cultivators struggled to detect her immediately.
However, she is only at the second level of Qi Refining, which is enough for her to barely evade the Ruan family's night watch disciples.
She walked cautiously, and thankfully, her black night clothes and the technique to conceal her aura allowed her to reach her destination smoothly. At the same time, the unusual aura she could sense became increasingly obvious.
The seven-story building where the Ruan family's forbidden area is located is usually unguarded by cultivators, simply because the formation inside is powerful enough.
If it weren't for the presence of someone of the Ruan family bloodline, a warning would have been issued immediately, summoning the family head and the guarding elders. In that case, we would be attacked from both sides and would have no chance of escape.
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