The Legend of Fangren

As it turned out, Fang Shi's decision to change into nice clothes was the right one. Even if the business deal fell through, it wouldn't make him unpleasant to look at; people would just think he had a bit of a problem.

The disciples couldn't understand it. Didn't this guy feel any tension at all?

This is the first preliminary examination, which not only determines whether one can be accepted as a disciple by the elders, but also means that there will be changes among the disciples at all levels.

Let alone Earth-rank disciples, even Heaven-rank disciples who are defeated in a challenge may be demoted.

A fair competition won't listen to your excuses. If a new disciple is demoted, it will be seen by outsiders as the disciple being complacent and neglecting their cultivation. No matter how much you explain, it will just be sophistry.

This affects not only reputation, but also the elders' choices.

It should be noted that disciples at different levels are different, as are the elders who accept them.

Within the Longhe Sect, cultivators of the fourth rank are called Junior Elders, those of the fifth rank are called Senior Elders, and those of the sixth rank are called Lecture Elders.

These three types of elders correspond to the three levels of disciples, each with their own needs.

For Heavenly Rank disciples, the hope is naturally to become disciples of the Elder who gives lectures. However, in front of Sixth Rank cultivators, no matter how dazzling their so-called genius talent is, it is useless. Everything depends on actual performance.

This apprenticeship is with a guiding master. In addition to daily practice, preaching, and answering questions, the disciple can also do chores with the master. The rewards from these chores are several times higher than those from miscellaneous tasks the disciple finds on his own, and the disciple can also build connections.

After all, disciples who are favored by high-ranking elders are all quite capable, and such connections will surely make things easier in the future.

Furthermore, some elders cherish talent and are generous in providing their disciples with what they need for cultivation, which greatly benefits the disciples.

Who wouldn't want a rich mentor who's willing to help them out? Nobody would.

After Elder Liu Yiyuan finished speaking on the stage, amidst the expectant gazes of the disciples, the elders made a dazzling appearance.

Among them, Elder Liu Yiyuan, himself a sixth-level cultivator, will also be accepting disciples during this preliminary examination.

As the head of the pharmacy, being accepted as a disciple by him means, aside from everything else, plenty of medicine for bruises and sprains, and you don't have to be afraid of fighting.

Who doesn't get hurt on the path of cultivating immortality? Who wouldn't be tempted by it?

However, the other elders were no ordinary people either. Among the streaks of light falling from the higher buildings on the inner mountain, there were several elders with extraordinary bearing.

"Elder of the Kitchen Hall, Zhu Sanmu."

(applaud)

"Elder of Qingxiufang, Qian Guan."

(applaud)

"Elder of the Heaven and Earth Pavilion, Qu Yang."

(applaud)

"Zhang Gongchang, the Hall Master of Xuanbing Pavilion."

(applaud)

……

Once all the elders had taken their places on the platform, Liu Yiyuan announced loudly, "Next, several hall elders will randomly select disciples of the same rank for sparring. Please remember, all disciples, that sparring should be conducted in moderation, stopping when you've made your point. Winning or losing is not important; what matters is demonstrating the results of your cultivation..."

He went on and on, rambling on and on, until the disciples were practically falling asleep standing up.

Fang Shi listened with great interest. Since no one was in the mood to buy anything for the time being, he might as well reminisce about the endless ramblings of the school leaders in his previous life. Compared to that, Elder Liu was truly concise in his speech.

In short, the initial test will first involve sparring among the elders, and then any disciple who wishes to advance in rank can step forward to take on the challenge.

The higher-level disciples who are usually challenged are those who have lost in previous sparring matches with their peers. You only need to defeat three of them to advance in rank, which shows that it is quite difficult.

Such a rule is good. Fang Shi just waited for those defeated disciples to be disheartened, and then he would appear at that moment, which would be the perfect time to sell the spirit fruits.

However, he also cares about the Luo River.

Originally, the lotus seeds and lotus roots were meant to be given to her, but since the first exam came first, it was a bit of a belated attempt to salvage the situation.

I only hope that today will turn bad luck into good, and that I will make sure to nourish Hezi properly in the future.

"Luohe, Qumei, come to the stage."

Hmm? I didn't expect the first elder to point to Luo He. Fang Shi felt that the name sounded familiar. He looked up and saw that it was indeed Elder Qu Yang.

He still looked lazy, and somehow he flew up to the pillar, looking down from above.

The surrounding disciples stirred, especially the male disciples who were very excited. This was understandable, as most of the new disciples were teenagers of fifteen, sixteen, or seventeen, both young and old, just beginning to experience romantic feelings.

Let alone two female disciples, if two handsome male disciples went up instead, the surrounding senior and junior sisters would definitely be amazed.

But Fang Shi said it was a group of teenagers.

While those guys were still daydreaming, he had already started thinking about how to make money.

On stage, the zodiac signs of the two people were introduced. The girl named Qu Mei was born under the Yin Wood sign.

Fang Shi almost misunderstood, then remembered what Zhang Kongming had said: this form is fundamentally different from the Yin Wood form.

In the mystical realm, the quality of an individual's aptitude is extremely important and determined by a specific correspondence.

Like the Luo River, if a person is born as a woman, then the person is yin; if the earth nourishes them as metal, then the earth is yin; if the heaven favors them as the extreme metal, then the heaven is yin. This correspondence of the three yin aspects of heaven, earth, and man is called the heavenly ladder or the heavenly pride.

Qu Mei, being the original form of Yin Wood, also corresponds to the Three Yin, and is called the Heavenly Rank.

So what am I then?

Fang Shi pondered for a moment and decided to give up, because a fight broke out on stage.

Logically and emotionally, Fang Shi hoped that Luohe would win so that he could sell his goods to the loser.

But it seems that this junior sister named Qu Mei is full of fighting spirit, even though she knows that Jin Keming is not willing to be outdone.

On the stage, both men were seen making gestures with their hands and feet in place, drawing circles to begin their movements and channeling their energy.

In an instant, the two started moving with a roar, dozens of meters apart, leaning forward and rushing forward at a speed like a galloping horse, which was beyond the realm of ordinary people.

In the blink of an eye, the two clashed, their fists and arms striking each other, creating a whistling sound as they broke apart, before separating instantly.

The brief but intense collision disrupted their connection to their inner energy channels. Amidst the chaos, they moved with composure and martial prowess, quickly regaining their inner energy and unleashing their power to strike their opponent's vital points.

"Hmm, not bad, not bad. Luo He had a difficult childhood, but since joining the sect, he has been diligent in his studies and cultivation. In just one month, he has entered the stable stage of the Body Cultivation Realm and found the Qi pathways in his hands, arms, legs and feet. He is among the top in the Heavenly Rank disciples, and he is not inferior to the two boys from the Crane City Lord's family."

Liu Yiyuan landed on the dragon pillar at some point and began talking with Elder Qu Yang.

"You immediately targeted her and Qu Mei, and the two of them are evenly matched, which is really putting your little sister in a difficult position."

"not necessarily."

Qu Yang casually poured wine into his gourd, but his eyes never left the two people below the stage: "The Qi of the Body Cultivation Realm is not outwardly revealed. It is a contest of fist and foot skills. Even though the body of the Metal Element is tough and resilient, the Qi of the Zhou Qi is very tight. It is not as orderly and smooth as the internal Qi of the Wood Element. When the two meet for the first time, Luo He may have some advantages, but I expect the situation will change within three moves."

As expected, just as Qu Yang finished speaking, after exchanging three moves on the stage, Luo He and Qu Mei clashed fists again. Luo He tried to retreat but then slowed down. However, Qu Mei reversed her previous stance, turning her fist into a palm and advancing instead of retreating. She grabbed Luo He's wrist and then pulled him close into her arms. Her limbs spread out like branches and leaves, enveloping Luo He's body and restricting his movements.