Shi Lei, who had been in seclusion, emerged as well. His cultivation had broken through to the late seventh stage of the martial vein, surpassing Hua Nongying.
This was likely due to his pure-hearted focus on cultivation. Hua Nongying, fond of scheming and trickery, had neglected his training. Once stronger than Shi Lei, he now lagged behind.
The night was cool, the moon bright overhead.
Ling Xiao paused his cultivation and invited Shi Lei, Yin Ran, Ling Yixue, and Leng Mei to sip tea and chat.
Everyone was a bit excited, Ling Xiao included.
Since acquiring the Mountain and River Martial Soul, his cultivation had skyrocketed, leaving many once-superior genius youths in the dust.
Yet he refused to miss any chance to improve.
His mind often flashed back to the blue-clad woman he encountered in the Fulong Mountains.
Back then, with his shallow cultivation and low-level Mountain and River Martial Soul, he couldn’t gauge her age.
Now, reflecting, he realised she was likely no older than twenty.
A twenty-year-old mortal martial artist!
The thought always unsettled him.
But it didn’t shake his confidence—it drove him to work harder, train more diligently, and seize every opportunity.
Now, with the chance to become a disciple of Master Baiyun, a possible mortal martial artist, how could he stay completely calm?
Most young martial artists didn’t sleep that night.
For them, it was no issue.
Those above the fourth stage could recover fully with just half an hour of meditation.
For a martial master like Ling Xiao, it was even easier.
At dawn, the camp’s horn sounded.
Ling Xiao and all Qianlong Camp disciples under sixteen followed General September to Baiyun Temple.
Located atop Baiyun Mountain, the temple had only one path up—a route easy to defend, hard to assault.
But that was merely the surface.
In truth, the path was laced with restrictions.
From the foot of the mountain, the selection had already begun in secret.
Most didn’t realise it.
For martial artists, perseverance and willpower were essential. This seemingly endless staircase became the first hurdle for all young hopefuls.
Normally, anyone above the fourth stage could reach the end with persistence.
But few truly endured to the finish.
Tens of thousands of martial artists gathered at the base.
By the time they reached Baiyun Temple, fewer than a thousand remained.
Most couldn’t handle even this small hardship.
It made sense—many young geniuses were pampered elites in their clans, enjoying the best food, drink, and resources.
They questioned the point of such suffering.
After all, being chosen by Master Baiyun wasn’t guaranteed.
Before Baiyun Temple lay the second test.
It assessed comprehension.
Taoist acolytes brought out a stone tablet inscribed with text containing a martial technique.
Only those who grasped it could enter the temple.
This test was even harsher, reducing a thousand to just over fifty.
From Qianlong Camp, Dai Yuling, Ling Xiao, Shi Lei, Ling Yixue, Hua Nongying, Yin Ran, and Leng Mei—seven in total—passed.
The remaining forty-plus were all from Tianren Academy.
Not a single outsider martial artist made it; all were eliminated.
And this was only the second test.
Baiyun Temple opened.
All fifty-two entered.
The moment they stepped inside, their breathing quickened.
A terrifying aura pervaded the temple.
No one announced it, but this was the third test—courage, boldness, and resilience.
Thud!
Thud!
Some collapsed to their knees upon entering, faces pale, drenched in cold sweat.
Kneeling didn’t mean elimination.
But those who fainted were carried out.
One, two, three…
Soon, the fifty-two dwindled to twenty-two.
From Qianlong Camp, Hua Nongying fainted and was eliminated.
The rest who fell were from Tianren Academy.
The count stood at six from Qianlong Camp, sixteen from Tianren Academy.
Finally, the crushing pressure lifted.
Three figures appeared before them.
Lin Ze, Wan Ben, and the master of Baiyun Temple, Yiran Zhenren.
All three were peak ninth-stage martial masters.
The fearsome aura had come from them.
“It’s them!”
“No wonder the pressure was so intense!”
“But the Governor, the General, and the Temple Master are peak ninth-stage martial masters, renowned and powerful. Why would they assist Master Baiyun?”
“Hmph, you don’t know? They’re barely considered Master Baiyun’s disciples,” a Tianren Academy disciple sneered.
“Barely?”
“Right. They’re not true disciples, just entry-level ones,” the disciple said smugly.
What!
Everyone, including Ling Xiao, was stunned.
In Baiyun Province, aside from Master Baiyun, these three were the most famous, all peak ninth-stage masters. Yet they were only entry-level disciples, not true ones?
No matter how you looked at it, entry-level disciples couldn’t compare to true disciples.
“Entry-level disciples only receive occasional guidance from the Master. True disciples train beside him, receiving his dedicated instruction, with far better resources and conditions,” the Tianren Academy disciple continued. “Our academy’s Zuo Leng and Ming Tian, supreme geniuses, are Master Baiyun’s true disciples.”
Zuo Leng?
Ming Tian?
Ling Xiao was hearing these names for the first time.
“You probably haven’t heard of them. Zuo Leng, only fifteen, can easily kill ninth-stage martial masters with his peak eighth-stage cultivation! And Ming Tian, sixteen, is Baiyun Province’s only ninth-stage martial master under sixteen!”
“Good heavens! There’s always someone stronger out there. Either Zuo Leng or Ming Tian could wipe out Tianfeng City single-handedly.”
Ling Xiao drew a sharp breath. The so-called geniuses of Tianfeng City, constantly bickering, were a joke compared to these two.
“Pity they’re both ninja clan martial artists,” someone sighed.
Ninja clan martial artists!
Ling Xiao clenched his jaw.
This was human territory, yet in Baiyun Province, human martial artists were overshadowed by ninja clan members—a humiliating reality.
Zuo Leng and Ming Tian leaned against a pillar nearby, chatting casually. One was icy, the other talkative.
But both exuded overwhelming strength.
Before them, other geniuses seemed to fade into insignificance.
Like specks of dust vying with the moon’s brilliance.
Many young martial artists lowered their heads, eyes filled with inferiority and despair.
