With a wave of the Middle-aged Man's hand, a gigantic portal descended from the sky and landed in the center of the square.
The portal was ancient and weathered, adorned with countless wondrous and profound runes.
Above the portal hung two bronze mirrors: one with a surface as black as ink, and the other as white as snow.
"What! It seems the Sect has made a great decision this time. Senior Martial Uncle Yun Jizi is personally presiding, and they've even summoned the Gate of Xuanpin!" Many Xuan Yuan Sect Disciples surrounding the square were also shocked at this moment.
At this point, all the young boys and girls were already stunned, a gigantic portal descending from the sky—this was truly the work of an Immortal, simply unimaginable.
"All of you, pass through the Gate of Xuanpin!" The Middle-aged Man pointed at the gate, his voice cold.
Gate of Xuanpin?
Lin Ping'an muttered to himself, "Does this thing really exist?"
He still remembered the book saying, "The Spirit of the Valley never dies; it is called the Mysterious Female. The Gate of the Mysterious Female is called the Root of Heaven and Earth…"
At that time, when he asked the academy's master, even the master stammered and couldn't answer.
"What are you doing!" Just then, an angry shout came from the Middle-aged Man's mouth.
His figure transformed into a golden light and instantly appeared before a young boy.
The young boy's face was panicked, and his body was retreating repeatedly.
"I… I miss my mother, I don't want to Cultivate Immortality anymore!" The young boy's expression was flustered and helpless.
"I think you're a Yao Race spy!" The Middle-aged Man sneered, grabbing into the Void Realm and seizing the young boy.
"Roar!"
The young boy's body rapidly transformed, turning into a monster covered in long black fur, with fangs, a wide mouth, and chilling eyes.
"The Yao Race also wants to infiltrate my Xuan Yuan Sect!" The Middle-aged Man sneered, striking the monster's head with a palm, splattering red and white matter everywhere.
"Ugh!"
Seeing this scene, the young boys and girls couldn't help but start vomiting.
Even Lin Ping'an felt his chest and stomach churn at this moment.
"Alright! Cultivation is not child's play. This is your first lesson in Cultivation!" The Middle-aged Man's eyes were sharp as he scanned all the young boys present.
Under his authority, everyone, regardless of their previous status, obediently lined up.
When the first young boy passed through, two rays of light shot out from the bronze mirrors: the black light revealed his true form, while the white light showed an image of flesh and white bones.
The Gate of Xuanpin shimmered with seven-colored light, finally settling on a grayish-white.
"No Spiritual Root, disqualified!" The Middle-aged Man glanced at it and waved his hand indifferently.
"That's great, if I'm disqualified, I can go home!"
The young boy walked through the Gate of Xuanpin indifferently, as if he had let out a sigh of relief, with a hint of excitement in his eyes.
He didn't know what he had truly missed.
"Spiritual Root is the Foundation of Cultivation. Only those with a Spiritual Root can embark on the Dao of Cultivation. Spiritual Roots are divided into six grades: Chaos Spiritual Root, Variant Spiritual Root, Heavenly Spiritual Root, Earthly Spiritual Root, Mixed Spiritual Root, and Pseudo Spiritual Root, corresponding to purple, gold, red, blue, black, and white, respectively. Grayish-white means no Spiritual Root. Of course, the quality of a Spiritual Root does not represent the final Cultivation achievement; Acquired effort can also compensate for Innate deficiencies!"
The Middle-aged Man seemed to be talking to himself, but his voice reached everyone's ears.
"Next!"
A young girl walked into the Gate of Xuanpin, with some anticipation in her eyes.
The light flashed, but ultimately remained grayish-white.
Dozens of people in a row passed through the Gate of Xuanpin, all showing a grayish-white color.
Many young people present felt a little disappointed at this moment.
Lin Ping'an, however, was incredibly nervous. What he feared most was not having a Spiritual Root and thus missing out on Cultivation.
"Continue!"
This time, a familiar face walked in: the young eunuch beside the Ninth Prince.
The Gate of Xuanpin shimmered with light, finally turning black.
"Three-element Mixed Spiritual Root of Metal, Earth, and Wood, qualified!"
The young eunuch was first astonished, then ecstatic.
No one liked being a servant; to be able to Cultivate Immortal arts and rise above others naturally made the young eunuch overjoyed.
He secretly glanced at the Ninth Prince, and gradually, other thoughts began to form in his mind.
The Ninth Prince frowned slightly. This servant actually had a Spiritual Root. If he, the master, was inferior to him, wouldn't the royal dignity be completely lost?
"This Immortal Master, he is just a eunuch." The Ninth Prince spoke.
"What do you want to say?" The Middle-aged Man glanced at the Ninth Prince, his voice cold, "Cultivation does not distinguish by status; Spiritual Root is the key!"
The Ninth Prince wanted to say something more, but the Middle-aged Man no longer looked at him.
At this moment, a Xuan Yuan Sect Disciple had already led the young eunuch aside, evidently having passed the test.
The Ninth Prince's face was extremely gloomy.
"Next!"
"Disqualified!"
Another dozen people were tested consecutively, and all were still disqualified.
Finally, it was the Ninth Prince's turn, and everyone's gaze was focused on him.
The Ninth Prince was also a little nervous; royal dignity could not be lost on his account.
"I must succeed! I must succeed!" He cheered himself on in his heart.
The moment he walked through the Gate of Xuanpin, a blue light shot into the sky.
"Fire and Metal two-element Earthly Spiritual Root, seventy percent Fire, thirty percent Metal!" The Middle-aged Man was also slightly surprised, a hint of excitement appearing in his eyes.
Although there were three types of Spiritual Roots above the Earthly Spiritual Root, the first two were extremely rare, especially the Chaos Spiritual Root, which had not appeared in the Cultivation World for thousands of years.
While Heavenly Spiritual Root was occasionally seen, a Sect like Xuan Yuan Sect might not be able to retain it.
In comparison, Earthly Spiritual Root was the best choice. If it could grow, there was hope for the Nascent Soul Dao.
A Nascent Soul Lord was the pillar of a Sect; one more Nascent Soul Lord would raise its status in the Cultivation World by a notch.
The current Sect Master's True Disciple, Luo Su Su, was an Earthly Spiritual Root.
"You are the Ninth Prince of the Da Yu Dynasty, bearing Dragon Qi, and my Yellow Dragon Peak Cultivates the Dao of Dragon, which can make your Cultivation twice as effective!" A person walked out of the Void Realm, nine feet tall, with a tiger's back and a bear's waist, exuding a powerful aura of authority. His eyes gazed intently at the Ninth Prince.
"That's wrong! Your Yellow Dragon Peak is the Dao of Body Refining. You want a Prince to go Body Refining? That's completely unreasonable! My Yuan Imperial Peak has obtained the Legacy of the Ancient Yuan Emperor, and can Cultivate Imperial Dragon Qi, which is the most suitable!"
An old man in a yellow robe strode out of the Void Realm. Dragon Qi coiled around him, making him even more majestic and domineering than an earthly emperor.
When the Ninth Prince saw this old man, his body couldn't help but tremble slightly, his legs weakening as if he wanted to kneel. The other party exuded a powerful pressure of a superior.
"Two Senior Brothers, Cuiyun Peak has not had a True Disciple to this day. How about you let this Ninth Prince be my Junior Sister's Disciple?"
Another Woman in long dress appeared, her beauty unparalleled, capable of toppling kingdoms. Her figure was graceful and elegant, her demeanor enchanting and captivating. Her words seemed to carry a magical power, almost making the Ninth Prince immediately offer to become her Disciple.
The Ninth Prince finally realized at this moment that he was a hot commodity.
No matter how shrewd he was, he was still just a teenager, and his face immediately showed a look of wild joy.
"All three Immortal Lords wish to take me as a Disciple, how am I to choose!" The Ninth Prince's gaze swept over the three, clearly implying something.
The Middle-aged Man's face showed displeasure; this Ninth Prince was too bold.
"As long as you join my Yellow Dragon Peak, you will be a True Disciple, and Cultivation resources will be at your disposal!" The burly man with a tiger's back and bear's waist immediately patted his chest and said.
"Join my Yuan Imperial Peak, and I guarantee you'll reach Foundation Establishment in five years and Core Formation in a hundred years." The yellow-robed old man nodded slightly.
"My Cuiyun Peak can first offer a Nascent Embryo Pill to help you stabilize your Foundation." The Woman in long dress, holding a jade box, opened a crack, and immediately the entire square was filled with fragrance.
"What impropriety! You three, enough!" The Middle-aged Man snorted coldly, "This is a Aptitude test, it's not time to allocate Disciples yet!"
"Cough!"
A light cough came, and at some point, a solemn old man with white hair and a white beard appeared in the field.
His eyebrows were extremely long, his face was covered in wrinkles, and his eyes were full of vicissitudes.
"Senior Martial Uncle!" The Middle-aged Man saw this old man and immediately paused slightly.
"Greetings, Grand Elder!" All the people of Xuan Yuan Sect bowed to the old man.
The three Peak Lords were naturally included; their faces all showed helplessness. With him here, they would probably miss out on this Earthly Spiritual Root.
"Junior Nephew Yun Jizi, I wish to take this child as my Disciple, what do you think?" The old man looked at the Middle-aged Man, his words seemingly carrying an undeniable authority.
"Senior Martial Uncle, aren't you… not going to wait?" Yun Jizi glanced at the Ninth Prince and secretly transmitted, "Senior Martial Uncle, I think this child has a bad Heart-Nature and is not suitable for you!"
"Yun Jizi, I know what you mean! They are all young in Heart-Nature now, and being born into a royal family, they are naturally a bit unruly. In my opinion, these can all be slowly changed!" The Grand Elder also secretly transmitted.
"Since Senior Martial Uncle says so, then after the test, I will report to the Sect Master, and I will personally send him to your Immortal Cave then." Yun Jizi bowed slightly.
Born into a royal family, the Ninth Prince, accustomed to fierce internal struggles, naturally knew how to read expressions. He saw that the old man's identity was extraordinary, and becoming his Disciple would definitely bring greater benefits.
So he behaved exceptionally obediently, just standing there quietly.
The Grand Elder nodded slightly, his body gradually became ethereal, finally dissipating into the air.
Many young people gasped at such a display.
Immortals being able to fly was within their expectations, but this kind of display was beyond their expectations.
"You probably thought Cultivators could only fly, right? At the Qi Refining Realm, you can control a Flying Sword and travel thousands of miles in a day. At the Foundation Establishment Realm, your Lifespan can reach three hundred years; you can revert to youth, maintain eternal youth, and your magic power is like the sea, one person can withstand a nation. At the Golden Core Realm, your Lifespan reaches five hundred; you can fly to the sky and burrow into the ground, ride clouds and mists, and transform at will. If you reach that day, the mere Da Yu Dynasty will be nothing but weak ants in your eyes." The Middle-aged Man saw their expressions and spoke lightly.
Upon hearing this, everyone was stunned.
Their eyes all shone with excitement.
Especially the Ninth Prince's gaze was the most fervent.