Welcome to the Ability Shop!

Chapter 100 Entrance Examination
"Is there any taboo regarding this naming?" Chen Xuan was already used to these strange looks.

His initial goal was simply to attract attention, and the more eye-catching the name, the better.

"Not really, it's just that eight characters is a bit long, which might be inconvenient for engraving on a jade tablet." The historian chuckled as he wrote down the name. "And the sect affiliation?"

"Let's choose this manor."

Although it was rented, a year was more than enough time.

"I've noted it all down. If you wish to make any changes in the future, you can submit a change application at the Moon Gazing Tower." He then ordered his servants to bring ten jade tokens and place them on the table. "These ten identity tokens are a gift from the Immortal Alliance. As long as you infuse them with spiritual energy, you can have the characters you wish to inscribed on the tokens. Generally, the front is the disciple's name, and the back is the sect's name. Only with these jade tokens can you be considered a legitimate cultivator of the Immortal Alliance."

In other words, those who do not have this skill are considered independent cultivators.

"Thank you." Chen Xuan gathered them together. "What if there are more than ten people?"

"Naturally, we buy them from the Immortal Alliance; each piece costs only ten thousand jade coins."

Wow... that's expensive.

Chen Xuan silently twitched the corner of his mouth.

"Haha... With your abilities, as long as you can establish the sect, money will be a small matter," the other party said with a smile.

“I originally intended to give it to you after your application was approved, but unfortunately you haven’t come yet, so I had no choice but to bring it along.” Xu Yuanqing stood up. “Since the registration is complete, we’ll take our leave.”

"Governor, please wait a moment." Chen Xuan called out to him, "I also have a gift to present, please have a seat here for a while."

After saying that, he went straight out the door, leaving the group of people looking at each other in bewilderment.

Three minutes later, Chen Xuan returned to the main building lobby, carrying several bottles of wine.

"This is……"

“These are the fine wines I collected on my travels.” He handed the bottle to Xu Yuanqing, and to avoid giving himself away, he even tore off the labels from the bottle. “I bet you’ve never tasted these before.”

These are craft beer, Erguotou (a type of Chinese liquor), OIR (a type of liqueur), and champagne, all of which are retail items sold in the store.

Judging from his title, Xu Yuanqing was clearly a wine lover. While everyone else drank tea during the meeting with the delegation, he alone drank wine. Even now, the wine pot hanging from his waist was more conspicuous than the jade pendant.

Seeing that he hadn't registered, he even came to remind him. Chen Xuan definitely had to repay this courtesy.

"Is it all alcohol?"

Xu Yuanqing held the bottle in his hands and examined it carefully—it was the first time he had ever seen such a beautifully shaped bottle and such a variety of colors in liquor. In particular, the bottle of light blue liquor was so appealing that he couldn't put it down at first glance.

He originally didn't want to accept the gift from the younger generation, but the gift was just too tempting, and he couldn't bear to give it up.

"Well... I won't stand on ceremony." Xu Yuanqing finally put the bottle into his pocket.

"Don't be shy. If you find anything you particularly like, you can come back here for more."

Chen Xuan smiled and saw everyone off at the manor gate.

After the people from the Immortal Alliance left, he immediately put the matter out of his mind. As for going to other sects to recruit people and picking up a few leftovers, he never even considered it.

After all, the number of sects in Chang'an was already saturated. Everyone occupied a mountain stronghold or a prime location, each with their own reputation and advantages. It would be strange if anyone wanted to join a sect like his, which had no base on the outskirts of the city and was right next to farmland.

However, that very afternoon, a practitioner came to the door.

"You said you want to join my sect?" Chen Xuan looked at the newcomer with suspicion.

“Not bad.” The other party proactively pulled out a money pouch. “This is the eye-opening fee. I know the rules. Go ahead and test me!”

Chen Xuan couldn't help but laugh.

The person in front of me was clearly a girl of about ten years old, with round almond-shaped eyes and clear amber pupils; her bangs reached her eyebrows, and she had a pair of fluffy pigtails tied at the back of her head. When she grinned, she would reveal her canine teeth, making her look quite adorable. But when she spoke, she acted like a seasoned adult, showing no nervousness as a newcomer, and even exuding an aura of "this sect absolutely cannot miss me, otherwise you will be at a loss."

"name?"

"Lingdang, you've been sensing Qi for two years!"

This is clearly an alias.

How did you find out about this sect?

"Isn't it written at the bottom of the Moon Gazing Tower? New sects are established there, and old sects are recruiting. They post announcements there," the girl replied.

"I see," Chen Xuan thought to himself. "The Immortal Alliance has done quite a few practical things to strengthen its ranks."

"The bell, right? You saw it too... This sect is still in its early stages and has almost nothing. Why don't you try other sects?"

"Isn't this sect called the 'Supreme Ruler Under Heaven' sect? Since we're going to join a sect, we should naturally choose the strongest one." The girl put her hands on her hips. "Or is 'Supreme Ruler Under Heaven' just a gimmick, and this sect is just a name without substance?" Despite her young age, she had a big mouth, even resorting to provocation. Chen Xuan said with interest, "In that case, I'll test your strength first."

Bell confidently stretched out her hand.

What was she trying to do? Chen Xuan didn't understand her actions either, and simply pointed to the door, "Run three laps around Chang'an City and come back here. That's the test. Go on, I'm starting the timer."

"What?" The other person was stunned. "The entry test requires running?"

"That's right, how can you cultivate powerful magic without a healthy body? Hurry up, time is limited."

Bell looked puzzled, but she did as she was told. In the blink of an eye, the girl rushed out of the manor and ran towards the north city wall.

By the time she returned, it was almost dark.

"I...I...I'm done...I'm done." Lingdang walked breathlessly to the front of the main building. "Where's the examiner? Hurry up and come out to see me."

She ran quite fast. Chen Xuan came out of the door and handed her a glass of water. "Drink slowly." After several expansions, the circumference of Chang'an City may have exceeded 30 kilometers. She finished the run in 4 hours, which is a pace of 22.5 kilometers per hour, comparable to the marathon world record.

"How did it go...? Did I pass?" Bell asked impatiently.

"Too slow. The standard for passing is within one and a half hours," Chen Xuan said casually.

"How is that possible!?" Lingdang stared in disbelief. "This requirement is too demanding. Besides, don't other sects use the Six Harmonies Instrument to measure the degree of spiritual energy absorption? Spiritual energy is the foundation of cultivation. Once you can use magic, why bother running around on foot?"

So she reached out earlier to use the testing equipment?
Chen Xuan resorted to his previous excuse, "Is that so? But our sect is still in its infancy and doesn't have the money to buy these devices."

The bell stood frozen in place, staring at him for a long time before bowing and taking her leave.

I'll come again tomorrow!

The next day, the Grand Historian Hongli came to visit first. "I came in too much of a hurry yesterday and only gave you the jade tablet. I came today to complete some of the missing items."

"Is there anything else you want to give me?" Chen Xuan followed him to the carriage.

“Yes, it’s all here: a Six Harmonies Instrument, a Balance Platform, and some herbs that can be used to brew some medicine to restore physical strength.” Hongli pointed to the items on the cart and said, “With these things, your sect can recruit people without any hindrance.”

After seeing the Grand Historian off, Chen Xuan discovered that the other party had even prepared a letter of introduction.

For example, the Liuhe Yi (Six Harmonies Instrument) appears to be a rectangular stone sculpture with about ten stacked gear-shaped discs on top and jade handles on the sides. By grasping the jade handles and infusing spiritual energy, one can rotate the discs. The more discs that rotate at the same time, the stronger the effect of the spiritual energy.

It essentially converts spiritual energy into kinetic energy. Chen Xuan had seen a similar mechanism at the top of the Moon Gazing Tower, where the elevator was operated by cultivators.

However, those devices that pulled the hemp ropes were taller than a person, while the Liuheyi in front of us was only an arm's length and a palm's width. The stone carvings were also decorated with dragon and phoenix patterns, making it look quite exquisite and beautiful.

The balancing platform, on the other hand, is much larger. Once assembled, it is about the size of a standing wardrobe, with movable mechanisms on all sides, allowing cultivators to stand inside and test it.

Both of them are common detection devices used by various sects.

In the afternoon, the bell reappeared at the manor gate. After Chen Xuan appeared, she first handed over a bag of jade coins, saying, "This is the eye-opening fee. Can we test your spiritual energy today?"

Something's off about this person.

Yesterday he said that his sect didn't have a device to measure spiritual energy, and today the Immortal Alliance sent him one. To call it a coincidence would be too much of a coincidence.

Could she be someone in the Immortal Alliance with connections?

But why would someone with connections insist on joining a newly created sect?
Chen Xuan accepted the jade coins and said, "Then try using the Six Harmonies Instrument."

The items received this morning are now laid out in the open space in the center of the manor. Lingdang also saw these familiar objects and immediately stepped forward, reaching out to grasp the jade handle of the Six Harmonies Instrument.

After a few seconds of closed-eye meditation, she suddenly shouted, "Open!" The gears above immediately started moving, meshing and rotating with each other, becoming increasingly difficult to push as they went further out.

Chen Xuan counted, and there were a total of five roulette wheels that had rotated.

"How was it?" Bell asked excitedly.

"Failed. You need to be at least at level six to meet the entry requirements." He shook his head as usual.

"Six levels is too high!" Her joyful expression instantly turned into shock. "Other sects only need three levels to pass, and four levels are considered excellent!"

Chen Xuan was prepared for this. In fact, after receiving the equipment that morning, he had Fu Jiaolu, Ajiu, Ahua, and others try it out. Seeing that Lingdang didn't believe him, he immediately called over Ajiu, who had performed the best, and had the latter demonstrate it to her personally.

Ajiu did as instructed, and the roulette wheel on the sixth level immediately reacted, and even the seventh level began to tremble slightly.

Lingdang's heart shattered in an instant.

(End of this chapter)