Cultivation begins in Qingfeng Market.

Ten thousand cultivators instantly clashed with the cloud beast horde!

The brilliance of spells, the sharp sounds of magical artifacts, and the disintegration of cloud beasts, mixed with the roars of cultivators and cloud beasts, erupted in that sea of ​​clouds!

Each cultivator had a different strategy. Some specifically sought out weak cloud beasts and killed them easily.

The white light spots that floated out after the cloud beasts dissipated were the cloud spirit marks, clearly indicating a pursuit of speed.

Some, however, take a more cautious approach, specifically hunting down powerful cloud beasts. Although slower, they reap larger white light spots.

Some attempted to ambush others and steal the already formed marks, but often, the moment they made a move, a bolt of lightning struck.

The precise strike turned the attacker to ashes, startling the others into immediately abandoning their schemes.

"This is the first stage," Xu Chuan whispered from the side, his eyes equally focused. "We need to be fast, kill a lot, and kill strong enemies, while being careful of those Foundation Establishment level cloud beasts and avoiding them as much as possible!"

Lin Zhao nodded slowly, his gaze fixed on the illusory sea of ​​clouds, his mind already calculating what to do.

Achieve a good result in this first stage.

Under the Cloud Gate, batches of young cultivators entered the "Illusory Cloud Sea".

The assessment is not absolutely safe. Even with the monitoring array and strict prohibition against candidates fighting each other,

But when faced with those cloud beasts that materialized from clouds and varied in strength,

A misjudgment will come at a heavy price.

Lin Zhao witnessed a Qi Refining Level 9 cultivator rush into a sparsely populated area, only to be instantly surrounded and attacked by three Cloud Leopards at Level 10 hidden within, dying instantly.

Some cultivators could choose to give up the assessment using a token. They were then sent out of the arena by the white light, and the token shattered into pieces, causing their assessment qualification to disappear.

This first hurdle is clearly a test of a cultivator's eyesight, judgment, and wisdom; it cannot be overcome by simply charging in.

To Lin Zhao's slight surprise, the examiners were more complex than she had imagined.

Those whose cultivation levels clearly surpassed his, reaching the tenth level of Qi Refining or above, numbered in the first batch, numbering over a hundred; they were all obviously outstanding individuals.

However, in contrast, there were quite a few cultivators at the mid-stage of Qi Refining, and even a few middle-aged cultivators with weathered faces, whose cultivation was only at the sixth level of Qi Refining.

"It seems that sects don't solely select people based on cultivation level..." Lin Zhao pondered.

Considering that most sects prefer to cultivate disciples from a young age, the Yunhai Cangming Sect, a world-renowned holy sect, seems to be "unconventional".

Perhaps, in addition to talent and combat prowess, temperament, perseverance, and even certain special potential are also taken into consideration.

Batch after batch of candidates entered Yunhai.

There are countless strong individuals, and some of them have displayed such strength and skill that even Lin Zhao is secretly alarmed. A direct confrontation would be an unpredictable battle.

However, what attracted his attention even more were some "atypical" candidates.

One of them was particularly noticeable.

He was an elderly man who appeared to be around seventy years old. His face was thin and his wrinkles were deep and etched like they were carved by a knife. He wore an old black robe that had been washed until it was somewhat faded. His spiritual power was only at the third level of Qi Refining! With such cultivation and age, he would almost certainly be at the bottom in any assessment.

However, after he stepped into the sea of ​​clouds, he did not summon any magical artifacts. Instead, he waved his hands rapidly, his wide sleeves seemingly connecting with the endless void.

"Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish—!"

In an instant, countless talismans, shimmering with various colors of spiritual light, poured out from his sleeves like a flood bursting its banks!

Fire Serpent Talisman, Ice Cone Talisman, Golden Blade Talisman, Earth Spike Talisman, Entangling Talisman, Swiftness Talisman... most are of low to mid-grade first rank.

But the sheer number is staggering!

He moved with profound footwork, his figure weaving among the cloud beasts. His speed was not fast, but he always managed to narrowly avoid attacks.

With a few quick taps of his fingers, the talisman seemed to come alive, flying precisely towards its target.

Several binding talismans immobilized a cloud tiger, followed by three fire snake talismans that bypassed its attack and precisely struck its head in a triangular formation.

Facing a flock of low-level larks, a dozen or so Gale Golden Blade Talismans formed a net and swept past.

Even when a cloud bear at the tenth level of Qi Refining launched a sneak attack, he instantly unleashed dozens of Thick Earth Talismans and Golden Armor Talismans, layering them together to withstand the blow.

At the same time, dozens of Yin Thunder Talismans exploded from the ground, stunning Yun Xiong with lightning, followed by several Geng Metal Sword Qi Talismans.

The combined attack actually obliterated this powerful cloud beast!

The timing, placement, and attribute combinations of each of his talismans are all masterful and exquisite.

He carved out a path purely by relying on a massive number of talismans and incredible manipulation skills!

Wherever he passed, the cloud beasts scattered, leaving behind countless white light spots that disappeared into the token at his waist.

"This...this works?!" The surrounding examinees, including Xu Chuan next to Lin Zhao, were all dumbfounded.

A rough estimate suggests that in just this short time, the old man has probably used up no less than tens of thousands of spirit stones in talismans!

"This is only the first hurdle! There are more to come! If he can't pass, won't all those tens of thousands of spirit stones be wasted?" someone exclaimed in a low voice.

"Shh, keep your voice down. Did you see the stain on his clothes?"

"That's the emblem of the Li family of the Core Formation stage from Xuan Turtle Mountain!" A knowledgeable cultivator explained in a low voice, "I heard that their Core Formation ancestor doesn't have much lifespan left, and the family is looking for a new backer."

Over the years, we have sent dozens of cultivators to take the test, and we have tried all sorts of methods.

That person wasn't a member of the Li family, but rather came from a mortal dynasty named Pei Yue.

He was once the tutor of three emperors, possessing both literary and military talents, and led the dynasty to expand its territory.

After being discovered by the Li family, he underwent a year of intensive training, which resulted in his cultivation level of the third level of Qi Refining and his mastery of talisman techniques, all in an attempt to seize a chance…

Upon hearing this, Lin Zhao was filled with emotion.

The world is so big, it's amazing.

This elderly man, in his seventies, who started cultivating immortality halfway through his life, has managed to use talismans to such an extent.

His intelligence, mental arithmetic skills, and ability to adapt to changing circumstances are truly terrifying.

In just one year, he went from an ordinary person to someone capable of killing a cloud beast at the tenth level of Qi Refining... How terrifying is this talent?

Time passed, and nearly five hours went by.

Some people succeeded, while others failed and died inside. Most were teleported out with resentment.

"The twenty-third batch, enter the battle!" A loud voice rang out.

Lin Zhao took a deep breath, transformed into a streak of light, and entered the sea of ​​clouds!

Upon entering, the sounds of the outside world seemed to be shut out, and several cloud beasts resembling jackals, with an aura of about the fifth or sixth level of Qi Refining, immediately pounced out from the mist!

Lin Zhao's eyes instantly sharpened like swords, and the drop of liquid magic power in his dantian was instantly ignited.

A surge of spiritual energy, far purer than usual, erupted suddenly!

"Buzz!"

A brilliant light shone from behind him, and the Four Elements Pearls floated behind him.

"roar--!"

A series of resounding dragon roars echoed! The "Four Elements Sword Dragon," spanning nine zhang in length, was finally formed!

Its size and density far exceeded those of the previous one. It hovered above Lin Zhao's head, casting a large shadow, and the sharp sword energy it emitted silently cut through the surrounding clouds and mist.