Chapter 4: Classic: Dou Zhi Qi, Stage Three! Trash Yan Xiao?
Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, three days had passed.
Yunlan Sacred Mountain.
At this time, Yunlan Sacred Mountain was already filled with various Family forces, large and small, from across the Empire.
Naturally, the prime spots belonged to the major families, while the smaller ones could only huddle in the corners.
"Master, you brought me here... you don't want me to participate in this Disciple Recruitment Convention, do you?"
"Of course. Otherwise, would I have brought you here just for fun?"
Ye Changge's group of three arrived at the entrance of Yunlan Sacred Mountain. Besides the two of them, they were accompanied by Outer Gate Steward Ye Cheng.
A bewildered Shi Hao looked completely dazed; he had been Cultivating frantically in the cultivation room before being ruthlessly dragged out by Ye Changge.
At the entrance of Yunlan Sacred Mountain, the three of them were stopped by Outer Sect Disciples of the Cloud Mist Sect.
"Halt. Do you have an invitation?"
"An invitation??"
"My Ye Emperor Hall goes wherever it pleases!!"
"Since when have we ever needed an invitation??"
At that moment, Ye Cheng stepped forward, fully unleashing his Peak Dou Zong cultivation.
When had the Cloud Mist Sect's Outer Sect Disciples ever seen such a scene?
They were instantly terrified, trembling under the powerful pressure.
They thought to themselves:
"We've kicked a steel plate. Ye Emperor Hall?"
"I've never heard of it! Could it be some hidden Sect!"
"We wouldn't dare, we wouldn't dare. Please, come in."
After the small interlude, the Disciple Recruitment Convention was about to begin.
Outside Yunlan Sacred Mountain.
Massive martial arts arenas rose from the ground, spanning several acres.
The surrounding area was also dotted with pavilions and towers for spectators.
"Everyone, today, the Cloud Mist Sect's triennial Disciple Recruitment Convention officially begins."
"The first round of selection is a talent test. Those under twenty years old with a Dou Zhi Qi level of Stage Eight or higher may participate."
There were countless black stone pillars on the periphery; the higher the talent, the more light would emanate from them.
The minimum talent for Dou Qi cultivation must not be lower than Stage Eight Dou Zhi Qi, or else one will fail.
"Those who pass the talent test can enter the second round, the competition selection, to determine the top fifty."
"The first-place winner can join the Sect Master's tutelage and become the Young Sect Leader of our Cloud Mist Sect!"
"The second to fifth place winners can join the Sect's Dou Wang Elders' tutelage and become the new generation of Elder Personal Disciples for our Cloud Mist Sect!"
"As for the others, they may join our Cloud Mist Sect's Inner Sect."
"Now, those whose names are called, step forward for testing."
"Stone Desert City, Wang Xiong of the Wang Family, sixteen years old, Stage Eight Dou Zhi Qi, pass. Next."
"Qingshan Town, Ji Taichang, seventeen years old, One-star Dou Practitioner, pass. Next."
"Mo City, Zhao Liu, eighteen years old, Stage Seven Dou Zhi Qi, fail. Next."
"Qingshan Town, Li Xuan, twenty years old, Stage Seven Dou Zhi Qi, fail. Next."
...Below the stage, a hundred black stone pillars began testing simultaneously... "Imperial Capital, Nalan Family, Nalan Yanran, fifteen years old, Three-star Dou Practitioner, pass!"
"Blackrock City, Shi Hao, seventeen years old, Nine-star Great Dou Master! Pass!!"
"What!!"
"A seventeen-year-old Great Dou Master! And a Nine-star Great Dou Master at that!!"
"Such a young Great Dou Master..."
On the spectator stand, a woman dressed in a long green dress stared intently at Shi Hao in front of the testing pillar and said:
"Could he be from that mysterious and unpredictable Central Plains?"
"Who!"
While still immersed in the shock Shi Hao had given her, she suddenly felt a sharp gaze upon her, giving her the sensation of being seen through.
Sure enough, when she looked toward a pavilion, a picturesque youth was smiling at her. The youth was as handsome as a demon, with sword-like eyebrows and starry eyes; a flickering purple light danced in his deep pupils, making him look like a transcendent immortal.
The woman in green hastily averted her gaze, and the youth followed suit, looking elsewhere. The feeling of being seen through vanished as if it were an illusion.
She concluded that the youth was extremely extraordinary and might, like Shi Hao, be from the Central Plains. She shook her head and stopped thinking about it.
"Interesting. So she is Yun Yun?"
Ye Changge examined the System panel.
[Yun Yun: Sect Master of the Cloud Mist Sect, twenty-five years old, cultivation: Three-star Dou Huang.]
Just then.
[Ding! The Child of Destiny from the Battle Through the Heavens Plane has been detected. Please recruit them promptly, host.]
"He's here!"
"System, view the Child of Destiny's panel."
[Xiao Yan, descendant of the ancient Xiao Clan, cultivation: Stage Three Dou Zhi Qi.]
The Disciple Recruitment Convention was in full swing.
"Wutan City, Yan Xiao, fifteen years old, Stage Three Dou Zhi Qi, fail!"
"Is it still like this..."
A man in black left the field dejectedly, accompanied, of course, by the ridicule of those around him!
"Brother Xiao Yan, don't be sad."
"Sigh, Xun'er, am I still not good enough?"
"I believe in you, Brother Xiao Yan. One day, you will rise again!"
"Clearly, I had already cultivated to Stage Eight some time ago..."
The speaker was a youth dressed in black, with a sharp, chiseled face—the face of a novel's male protagonist.
His name was Xiao Yan, the third son of the Xiao Family Clan Chief in Wutan City, and the nominal Young Clan Leader of the Xiao Family.
He began practicing Qi at four, and by ten, he had reached Stage Nine Dou Zhi Qi and successfully condensed a Qi Cyclone to break through to Dou Practitioner, becoming famous throughout Wutan City!
But heaven does not always grant what humans wish. His cultivation stopped there. For five years, not only did he fail to make any Breakthroughs, but his original cultivation also regressed year by year, eventually making him the laughingstock of all Wutan City.
For five years, his Dou Qi cultivation had not progressed at all. Even if he tried to Cultivate Dou Zhi Qi repeatedly, it would dissipate by the next day!
He happened to encounter the Cloud Mist Sect's triennial Disciple Recruitment Convention, so he wanted to try his luck and see if he could find a way to help his cultivation.
It was just to no avail... "Yeah, thank you, Xun'er. I'm glad I've had you with me these past five years."
"Since what Brother Xiao Yan needs isn't here, shall we go back?"
"We've been out for quite a while; I'm afraid Uncle Xiao is getting worried..."
Beside Xiao Yan was his childhood friend, Xiao Xun'er.
Hearing this, Xiao Yan looked at Nalan Yanran on the platform and at the focus of the entire venue, the Nine-star Great Dou Master, Shi Hao!
A trace of blood-shot resentment gradually appeared in his eyes.
"Why!"
"Just why is this happening!!"
With that, Xiao Yan walked aimlessly behind Xiao Xun'er, lost in thought and muttering to himself.
"A fifteen-year-old Three-star Dou Practitioner."
"Heh, with such talent, she'll at least be a Personal Disciple of a Cloud Mist Sect Dou Wang Elder, right?"
"It seems the gap between me and my fiancée... she'll probably be coming to the Xiao Family soon..."
"Yo, young man!"
"Are you troubled by something?"
"This Sect Leader loves helping others the most. Why not tell me about it?"
Xiao Yan, who had been walking with his head down, heard someone calling him. He stopped and sized up the man in front of him.
Three people had arrived!
The Youth in Black Robe, who called himself "this Sect Leader," stood in the center. His jet-black hair fell like a waterfall, and his purple eyes were particularly eerie.
The youth beside him had an overflowing Aura, and his eight-foot height carried an immense sense of pressure; it was none other than Shi Hao!
At the same time, a middle-aged man followed closely behind them. His Aura seemed non-existent, but upon closer reflection, he was even more profound and terrifying than the Dou Wang and Dou Huang level experts on the stands!