A flash of understanding crossed Ling Xue's eyes, and she nodded gently: "I understand, this is leveraging power. We don't have to worry about exposing our identities, and we can also use the power of the Four Directions Sect to slowly plan how to deal with the Mo Ze Sect."
She was only worried about Mo Zezong's strength before, but she didn't expect that he could come up with such a roundabout plan. Xiao Chen's thoughts were more comprehensive than she had thought.
"Moreover, I just inquired outside the restaurant and found out that today is the day the Four Directions Sect recruits outer disciples. If we miss this opportunity, we'll have to wait another six months."
As Xiao Chen spoke, he stood up, straightened his gray cloth clothes, and put the Dragon Spear into his storage bag.
His disguise revealed him to be just an ordinary cultivator, and carrying a spear would be too conspicuous.
Ling Xue also got up, subconsciously touching her cheek to make sure her disguise was flawless, before following Xiao Chen out of the private room and joining the crowd heading towards the Four Directions Sect on the street.
Half an hour later, the two stood outside the gate of the Four Directions Sect.
The sight before her made Ling Xue slightly lose her composure: four majestic mountain peaks were arranged in the shape of the Chinese character "四" (four), their ridges soaring into the clouds, and shrouded in mist.
You can vaguely see pavilions and walkways halfway up the mountain, with ancient stone steps winding upwards from the foot of the mountain.
Extending deep into the clouds, the stone steps are flanked by several towering stone beast statues, which, despite weathering the elements, still exude majesty.
This is the foundation of the Four Directions Sect, "Four Directions Peak". Even in its current decline, the grandeur of this thousand-year-old sect is far beyond the reach of ordinary forces.
The square at the foot of the mountain was already crowded with cultivators who had come to take the assessment. There were hundreds of them, most of them young people around twenty years old, their faces full of tension and anticipation.
Xiao Chen and Ling Xue blended into the crowd, inconspicuous, just as they expected.
Just then, several streaks of light flashed across the sky at great speed, causing the cultivators below to look up.
The light fell on the center of the plaza, then dissipated, revealing five cultivators dressed in cyan sect robes.
The cuffs of the sect robes are embroidered with the silver character "方" (fang), which is the symbol of the inner disciples of the Four Directions Sect.
The man leading the group was tall and handsome, with a hint of arrogance in his eyes.
His gaze swept over the crowd below, and he announced loudly, "I am Huang Kai, an inner disciple of the Four Directions Sect, and I am in charge of the outer disciple assessment this time."
"Without further ado, the first test will assess bone age and cultivation level. Those with a bone age exceeding thirty will be eliminated; those whose cultivation level has not reached the Dao Inquiry Realm will also be eliminated."
"Now, proceed to the front of the queue in order of your queue number!"
As soon as he finished speaking, two inner disciples carried over a bronze mirror about half a person's height and a ten-foot-tall blue stone pillar. The bronze mirror was a "bone age mirror."
Simply place your hand on the mirror to see your true bone age; the stone pillar is a "spiritual energy pillar," which, when infused with spiritual energy...
The pillar will light up with a spiritual light corresponding to the cultivation level: cyan for the Dao Seeking Realm, blue for the Creation Realm, and purple for the Dao Proving Realm.
The cultivators below immediately stirred and quickly formed a long queue.
Some people nervously rubbed their hands, some prayed softly, and others confidently straightened their clothes.
Xiao Chen pulled Ling Xue along and quietly moved to the back of the line. Ling Xue leaned closer to him and whispered, "Will my cultivation level... be exposed?"
She is now at the Creation Realm, a whole realm higher than the Inquiry Realm required for the assessment. Being too outstanding makes her more likely to attract attention.
Xiao Chen shook his head slightly and transmitted his voice, "It's alright. We're just trying to showcase our talents and attract the attention of the higher-ups."
Soon, it was the turn of the cultivators at the front of the line. Someone placed their hand on the bone age mirror; the mirror glowed with a pale white light, displaying the number "28," and they passed smoothly.
Some people's mirrors lit up with "32", and they were politely asked to leave the square by the inner disciples, their faces full of disappointment.
The same applies to the spiritual power test. After someone injects spiritual power, the spiritual power pillar only lights up with a faint white light, indicating that they have not reached the Dao Inquiry Realm and can only leave with regret.
The group moved forward slowly and soon arrived in front of Xiao Chen and Ling Xue.
Huang Kai stood beside the testing platform, his gaze sweeping over the two men indifferently, paying them little attention.
These two look ordinary, and their cultivation level is probably only at the level of just meeting the standard.
As Huang Kai watched Xiao Chen turn away, he suddenly remembered that he hadn't asked Xiao Chen's name yet, and quickly called out, "Fellow Daoist, I haven't told you your name yet? It will be needed for the subsequent registration for joining the sect."
Xiao Chen paused, turned around, and said calmly, "Xiao Chen."
This was a pseudonym he temporarily chose. It sounded similar to his real name and was not easy to evoke associations, making it perfect for concealing his identity.
Huang Kai nodded, and was about to let the next person step forward when he saw that Xiao Chen had not left the testing platform. Instead, he walked straight to the bone age mirror, raised his hand, and pressed it.
Not only was Huang Kai stunned, but the cultivators queuing around him also turned their heads to look at him. Even Ling Xue, who had just walked to the side, looked at him with some confusion.
The next second, the bone age mirror suddenly burst out with a dazzling white light, so bright that it made people instinctively squint.
Two lines of text clearly appeared on the mirror: "Xiao Chen, bone age 22 years old".
Before anyone could react to the youthful appearance of "22 years old," Xiao Chen had already moved his hand to the spiritual energy pillar beside him. This time, he did not suppress his cultivation in the slightest.
A powerful surge of spiritual energy suddenly poured into the pillar, and the pillar, which had previously only shone with cyan and blue hues, instantly burst forth with a deep purple light.
Moreover, the light grew brighter and brighter, almost solidifying, and the spiritual energy fluctuations of the "Peak of Creation" faintly appeared on the pillar!
"hiss--!"
A collective gasp rippled through the square. Even Huang Kai was so shocked he took a half-step back, his eyes wide with disbelief: "22 years old...the peak of the Creation Realm?!"
It should be noted that although he is now an inner disciple, he is only at the early stage of the Creation Realm, and his bone age is nearly 38 years old.
At the peak of the Creation Realm at the age of 22, such talent is enough to rank among the top three of the entire younger generation of the Four Directions Sect. It is no exaggeration to call him a "monster"!
Huang Kai's arrogance vanished instantly, replaced by an eager smile, and he quickly stepped forward.
His tone was unusually respectful: "Junior Brother Chen... Xiao Chen! Your talent is simply extraordinary!"
"You not only passed the first test, but you far exceeded the standard! Quick, go rest for a bit, I'll make special arrangements for the subsequent tests!"
Xiao Chen nodded slightly, said nothing more, and turned to walk towards Ling Xue.
His sudden revelation of his true cultivation level was not impulsive. Although the Four Directions Sect had declined, it still valued geniuses.
Only by demonstrating sufficient value can one gain a voice more quickly, which is far more efficient than hiding one's strength and slowly waiting for the right moment to emerge.
Ling Xue looked at Xiao Chen approaching, her eyes full of understanding. Just as she was about to speak, she heard Huang Kai's voice: "Next one, come forward for the test!"
She composed herself, quickly walked to the testing table, and gently placed her hand on the bone age mirror.
At first, the mirror only emitted a faint white light, revealing the words "Lin Xue, bone age 20 years old." Huang Kai was about to nod and say "Pass."
The white light from the mirror suddenly surged, becoming incredibly dazzling, several times more intense than the light Xiao Chen had emitted during his test.
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