Chapter 255: Chapter 113 Average Aptitude
This elder, appearing to be in his sixties, clad in coarse hemp clothing with dust still upon him, seemed from a distance to be an ordinary old farmer with nothing extraordinary about him.
Yet wherever he went, the splendid and unmatched formation of Heaven Mandate Hall seemed like mere decoration and served no purpose.
“A master!”
Qian Yuhuan’s pupils suddenly contracted.
Without thinking, it was clear that the old man’s strength far exceeded imagination.
Galaxy Realm pinnacle? Or even… higher?
What was such a person doing here?
A surge of panic flooded his heart.
Knowing that facing such a master meant maintaining the formation was not only useless but also disdainful, Qian Yuhuan reached into the air and a token materialized, and with his power imbued, the magnificent formation gradually faded away.
By then the old man had already come within twenty meters of them, curiously inquiring about the people around.
Hesitating for a moment, Qian Yuhuan stepped forward, cupped his fist in the other hand, and bowed: “I am Qian Yuhuan, leader of Wanxiang Sect from Zouyi City. May I know the business of the elder?”
“I’m just looking around…”
The hemp-clothed elder did not pay him any heed but looked around instead, seemingly unable to find the person he was looking for, and then with a puzzled look asked, “Why has the neighboring Heaven Mandate Hall collapsed? I was thinking of looking for someone there, but I found it has become a pile of ruins!”
“You wanted to go to Heaven Mandate Hall?”
Qian Yuhuan breathed a sigh of relief, quickly pointing at Shi Yunjing next to him, “This is the Hall Master of Zouyi City Heaven Mandate Hall, Shi Yunjing!”
A friend in need is a friend indeed, it’s not me he’s looking for, so I’m safe.
His eyes brightened, and the hemp-clothed elder quickly looked over.
Seeing his old friend betray him, Shi Yunjing cursed inwardly and had no choice but to step forward, bowing and cupping his fists, “Junior Shi Yunjing greets the elder!”
“I have a question, about two hours ago, did someone undergo an assessment at your Heaven Mandate Hall?” Not bothering with small talk, the hemp-clothed elder directly asked.
This was none other than Elder Zhou Zhou Cang, who had not even bothered to eat the Seven-Section Worm.
After arriving in Zouyi City, he had wandered around the ruins of Heaven Mandate Hall several times, asked dozens of people, and still couldn’t find out anything, so he eventually came here.
But his cultivation was too strong, and before he even entered Wanxiang Sect, he had triggered the formation, thereby sounding the alarm.
Surprised by the question, Shi Yunjing paused and then nodded, “Indeed, some assessments took place…”
Had there been no assessments, Heaven Mandate Hall would still be intact…
With excitement, Zhou Cang asked, “Where did the ones tested go? Did an extraordinary super genius appear?”
Guessing his purpose from his manner, Shi Yunjing secretly relieved, quickly nodding, “Several geniuses appeared, all here…”
Then he pointed toward Zhang Xuan and the others.
“Everyone?”
Zhou Cang eagerly looked over, and soon his eyes landed on Yan Sansan.
Among the people here, he was the youngest yet had the highest cultivation; speaking of talent, he was undoubtedly second to none.
“Is it you?”
As if finding treasure, Zhou Cang nodded in satisfaction repeatedly.
Be it understanding the Cooking Dao Destiny, truly a towering figure, such a character not only demands taking him as a disciple but also making him my adopted son, imparting all of my skills to him!
“What is your name?”
Stroking his beard, he asked with a smile.
“Me?”
Caught by surprise that the elder had singled him out, Yan Sansan’s eyes flashed with excitement, “I am Yan Sansan…”
Knowing the strength of an elder like Qian and Shi, and given his influence, receiving his favor could benefit enormously.
Zhou Cang was momentarily taken aback, then satisfied, he nodded, “A good name, come here, let me see!”
Seeing the elder’s favorable attitude, seemingly looking for highly talented individuals, Qian Yuhuan spoke up to recommend, “Elder, just now this Young Master Zhang also underwent testing, and his talent is not weak either…”
Finishing, he pointed to Zhang Xuan.
Zhou Cang looked over, glanced once, and then shook his head, “So old, yet his cultivation is only at the Dharma Manifestation Realm Peak, mediocre talent…”
Zhang Xuan, probably about 26 or 27 years old, that age reaching Dharma Manifestation Realm Peak wasn’t weak in Han Yuan City, Baiyan City, or even Zouyi City, but in the eyes of someone strong like Zhou Cang, it was not impressive.
Many elite family offspring start practicing from a young age, reaching the Galaxy Realm by sixteen or seventeen.
Not breaking through to Galaxy Realm indicates not even understanding the second realm of the fragments of the heavens, his talent is just ordinary…
How could such talent be worthy of practicing his Cooking Dao Destiny?
“Ah…” Unexpectedly facing disdain for his talent, Zhang Xuan shook his head, not minding it.
He preferred being low-key, being underappreciated was best as it meant less trouble.
“Elder!”
At this moment, Yan Sansan approached and couldn’t help but speak out against demeaning Zhang Xuan, “This Young Master Zhang is extremely talented and strong, far surpassing me…”
Zhou Cang shook his head, “Alright, he’s so much older than you, shouldn’t he be stronger? Despite my age, I’m not muddled, my discernment is still sharp! The Young Master Zhang you mention, his aura is inconsistent, his strength flickers, maybe he has some talent, but compared to you, it’s still far too lacking.”
“He…”
Yan Sansan tried to argue but was interrupted by Zhou Cang before he could speak, “Alright, I didn’t come here to discuss this with you all; to speak frankly, I want to take a direct disciple here!”
“Direct disciple?”
“To be chosen by such a master, would it not be like ascending to the heavens…”
“Definitely! Being his disciple, reaching Galaxy Realm peak should be fairly simple…”
Hearing his words, everyone was visibly excited, each one abuzz with eagerness.
In cultivation, Wealth, Comrades, Dharma, and Land matter, having a good sect is like having wealth, dharma, land… making breakthroughs hard to avoid.
Not only were the people breathing rapidly, but Qian Yuhuan band Shi Yunjing’s faces also flushed red, “Elder, what about older candidates?”
Zhou Cang, polite as always, said, “Get lost!”
“Got it!”
Qian Yuhuan and Shi Yunjing embarrassed, it took a while before they finally asked, “May we know… what requirements does the elder have for taking disciples?”
Zhou Cang snorted, “Naturally, the younger the better, the stronger the better… I’m quite satisfied with this Yan Sansan!”
Turning to him he said, “Kid, show me your strength, and if convenient, what exactly is your destiny?”
Some inheritable fragments of the heavens can be talked about; non-inheritable ones, if spoken, are like revealing one’s vulnerabilities to others.
Just like Yan Sansan’s Gratitude Destiny, it’s better unknown, once known, others can purposely treat him well to make him indebted, in effect locking the causality between the two… It’s not necessarily a good thing for him.
Knowing this taboo, and not wanting too many to know he’s taken a super genius who can inherit his mantle, he hadn’t asked about everyone else’s understood fragments of the heavens but intended to quietly choose.
Of course, he also wanted to test the mental resilience of the disciple.