“Silence!”
The Outer Sect Elder entered with a roster, his resonant voice echoing through the hall.
Everyone immediately quieted down.
“Today, I am responsible for testing your Realm. Those who have reached the Spirit Aperture Realm can remain on Hundred Sword Mountain!”
“Those who have not, return to your residences to pack your belongings; Disciples will take you down the mountain!”
The Elder’s words caused some Disciple’s faces to turn pale.
“Those whose names are called, step forward for testing!”
The Elder scanned the crowd and said.
In front of him was a person-high obsidian stele.
This was a Spiritual Artifact, specifically used for testing one’s Realm.
There was a palm print on the stele.
As long as one placed their palm on the print and transferred the power from their Dantian into the stele, their Realm would be accurately displayed on the stele’s surface.
“Lin Wei!”
The Elder called out the first name.
Lin Wei, whose face was somewhat pale and whose brows were furrowed with worry, stepped forward.
He stretched out his hand and placed it on the palm print.
The next moment.
Several large characters appeared on the stele—Body Tempering Realm Ninth Stage!
“Disqualified!”
The Elder mercilessly announced the result.
Lin Wei’s face became even paler, and his expression turned dazed.
He recalled how spirited he had been when he successfully joined the Hundred Sword Mountain Outer Sect, thinking he had embarked on the broad Dao of cultivation.
Who would have thought that the gap in his talent would lead him to despair again and again?
Watching his fellow Disciples’ cultivation advance one by one, entering the Spirit Aperture Realm, breaking through the Qi vortex, and entering the Inner Sect.
While he himself remained stagnant in the Body Tempering Realm.
Always unable to break through that barrier.
The once spirited young man became increasingly silent.
Until today, the Elder’s words seemed to pronounce a death sentence.
He didn’t know where he should go.
With the strength of Body Tempering Realm Ninth Stage, what could he do after going down the mountain?
Perhaps die prematurely.
Perhaps live a life of mediocrity without Breakthrough.
Or perhaps find an Opportunity and luckily step into the Spirit Aperture Realm.
Regardless of the future, no one would care about such a Disciple.
The Elder continued to call the next name.
Looking at Lin Wei’s desolate figure, Li Xuanfeng remained silent.
If he hadn’t bound the System, he might also be in this state.
Lin Wei might still be able to go home, but he had no home in this world.
“No matter which world it is, it’s very realistic!”
Li Xuanfeng sighed in his heart.
Disciples went up one by one for testing.
After more than ten consecutive people, finally, one had broken through to the Spirit Aperture Realm and could continue to stay on Hundred Sword Mountain.
Some disqualified Disciples wanted to stay on Hundred Sword Mountain as Utility Disciples.
After obtaining the Elder’s permission, they returned to the crowd to wait.
“It should be my turn soon!”
Wang Jiu looked at another disqualified Disciple leaving with a dejected expression, extremely nervous.
He was very clear about his Realm—Body Tempering Realm Ninth Stage Peak.
Only one step away from the Spirit Aperture Realm.
But Body Tempering Realm was Body Tempering Realm; no matter how close it was to the Spirit Aperture Realm, it could not be treated as the Spirit Aperture Realm.
Disqualification was inevitable.
Coming here for testing was nothing more than hearing the Elder pronounce his result in person.
He didn’t want to be sent down the mountain.
But as an ordinary Disciple, the Elder would not make an exception for him.
“Why are you nervous? The result is already set!”
Ding Xian, who was beside him, glanced at him.
He was at Spirit Aperture Realm Second Stage, and had already registered half a year ago, so he didn’t need to be tested.
He was only here today to watch the show.
“That’s easy to say, but it’s hard to control the nervousness!”
Wang Jiu took a deep breath, trying to calm down.
“It’s alright, haven’t you decided to continue staying on Hundred Sword Mountain as a Utility Disciple?”
“Who knows, maybe an Opportunity will come one day, you’ll Breakthrough to the Spirit Aperture Realm, and you’ll have a chance to apply to regain your Outer Sect Disciple status.”
Ding Xian consoled him.
Although he was comforting him verbally, he felt a bit of schadenfreude in his heart.
Watching others be down on their luck was a very satisfying thing for him.
“And you’ll have someone familiar to accompany you!”
Ding Xian nudged Wang Jiu with his arm, signaling him to look at Li Xuanfeng.
“Didn’t he say he had a Breakthrough?”
Wang Jiu said.
“Hehe, we’ve been fellow Disciples for three years, don’t you and I know what his talent is like?”
“It’s just self-deception!”
Ding Xian scoffed in a low voice.
“That’s true!”
Wang Jiu’s brows finally relaxed.
It’s very uncomfortable to be unlucky alone, but if someone you know is just as unlucky as you, it feels much better!
“My talent is a bit better than Li Xuanfeng’s, so even if I become a Utility Disciple, my chances of Breakthrough later will be greater than his!”
Wang Jiu thought to himself, and his nervousness immediately disappeared by more than half, feeling much better.
“Wang Jiu!”
Soon, the Elder’s voice rang out.
Wang Jiu took a deep breath and walked to the stele.
The result was obvious: Body Tempering Realm Ninth Stage Peak.
“Disqualified!”
The Elder mercilessly pronounced.
“Elder, I want to stay on Hundred Sword Mountain as a Utility Disciple!”
Wang Jiu said.
“Then go wait over there!”
The Elder nodded, marking his name on the roster.
Only then did Wang Jiu walk back into the crowd.
Then more than ten people went up.
“Li Xuanfeng!”
Finally, the Elder called out the name Ding Xian and Wang Jiu had been waiting for.
“Here he comes! Here he comes!”
The two immediately perked up.
“I wonder if he’ll choose to continue staying on Hundred Sword Mountain as a Utility Disciple?”
Wang Jiu thought to himself, looking at Li Xuanfeng’s back as he walked towards the stele.
“It’s a pity Wei *Shimei* doesn’t seem to be here.”
“If only she could see Li Xuanfeng’s meager cultivation, it would definitely be interesting!”
Ding Xian thought.
Li Xuanfeng stretched out his hand and placed it on the palm print on the stele, mobilizing the power from his Dantian to transfer it.
The next moment.
Under the gaze of countless eyes, several large characters appeared on the stele—Spiritual Aperture Realm Ninth Stage Peak!
The entire hall suddenly fell into a strange silence.
Even the Elder was stunned in place.
“What?!”
“Spiritual Aperture Realm Ninth Stage Peak?!”
Exclamations broke the silence in the crowd.
Looking at the large characters on the stele, everyone couldn’t believe it.
Spiritual Aperture Realm Ninth Stage Peak!
This Realm was the Outer Sect’s ceiling!
Because one more step would be the Inner Sect!
With such cultivation, why come here for testing?
Four days ago, the Elder had instructed people to notify only those Disciples whose cultivation had not reached the Spirit Aperture Realm, as recorded in the register.
Most Disciples, after breaking through to the Spirit Aperture Realm, would proactively come to register, either sooner or later.
In previous tests, it wasn’t unheard of for cultivation to reach Spirit Aperture Realm Third or Fourth Stage.
But reaching Spiritual Aperture Realm Ninth Stage Peak was a first!
The Elder gave Li Xuanfeng a deep look, believing he was pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger!
“Qualified!”
The Elder’s voice was loud as he recorded Li Xuanfeng’s cultivation on the roster.
“Spiritual Aperture Realm Ninth Stage Peak?!”
“How is this possible?!”
“How could this be?”
“How could his Realm have reached this level?”
Ding Xian and Wang Jiu were in disbelief, feeling their entire heads were muddled.
Just now they were thinking of having company on their unlucky journey, but now the other party had transformed into the Outer Sect’s ceiling!
“I didn’t expect him to have been pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger all along!”
Ding Xian shrank his head.
Recalling some of his previous actions, he could only be glad he hadn’t openly offended Li Xuanfeng.
Otherwise, hitting him would be like hitting his son!
Some Disciples who wanted to see Li Xuanfeng make a fool of himself also completely fell silent, not daring to speak.
Li Xuanfeng walked away with a calm expression.
What pretending to be a pig to eat the tiger?
He had never pretended.
A month ago, he was indeed a good-for-nothing!
Not long after he walked out of True Martial Hall, a familiar graceful figure hurried over from not far away, seeming a bit anxious.
It was Wei Qingyan.
“Hoo~”
“I finally found you, Senior Brother Li, so you were here!”
Seeing Li Xuanfeng, Wei Qingyan seemed to suddenly let out a sigh of relief.