My martial arts skill bar can be infinitely merged.

The testing method wasn't bone-crushing or tendon-feeling; as Lu Feng got closer, he could see the testing tools clearly.

It was a bead, a transparent round bead, without any frills, its only distinguishing feature being its size.

Even with the child at the very front placing his hands on it, it only covered less than half of the area. Lu Feng estimated that if he placed his own palm on it, it would cover nearly half of the area.

Standing beside the beads, Ke Xing was dressed in a purple robe with cloud patterns, his clothes flowing gracefully. He wore a crown on his long hair, and his eyes were gentle beneath his jade-like face. He looked at the children who had not yet developed any talent, but there was no impatience in his eyes.

This is all normal. If it were easy to find someone with good genes, the world would have been in chaos long ago.

Even though the children who hadn't sensed the innate talent were young, they knew what they had missed. Most of them cried quietly and left the courtyard wiping away their tears.

When no one was in front of him, Lu Feng stepped forward. Despite wearing a patched-up cloth robe, his posture was upright thanks to his talent, and his demeanor in this small courtyard was comparable only to that of a wealthy family.

Without delving too deeply into the beads on the shelf in front of him, he mimicked the actions of the person who had come forward before him, extending his hands and slowly placing them on the surface of the beads.

The moment I touched it, I felt a cool sensation in my palm. Then the bead immediately changed. Its transparency disappeared, and a faint blue light rose from the center, swirling within the bead and deepening in color.

Ke Xing's attention was also drawn to this change. He slowed his breathing, stared at the bead, and felt a faint sense of anticipation.

Eventually, the light blue turned into dark blue, but the color inside the bead did not change at all.

Ke Xing secretly regretted it; he was just a little short of reaching the middle grade in terms of innate talent, but...

He focused his gaze on Lu Feng, stepped forward, a gentle smile on his face, and nodded to him in a soft voice.

"Your innate talent is inferior, but you may enter the Daoist academy! What is your name? Where do you live?"

Even the lowest level of innate talent is still talent; reaching the clouds and mists is enough!

Lu Feng naturally dared not be too presumptuous and answered the other party's question respectfully.

"Replying to Senior Brother, my name is Lu Feng, and I live in the outer city."

Now it was Ke Xing's turn to be surprised. The outer city was not peaceful. If he left his junior brother in the outer city, wouldn't that be putting him under the nose of the evil spirits?

After a moment's hesitation, he said, "Stand behind me."

As soon as this comment was made, the remaining children all showed envious expressions, especially the children from the wealthy families who came every year. They were all over ten years old and had been exposed to the ways of the world at a young age.

As Lu Feng walked behind the disciples of the Dao Academy, a glint appeared in the eyes of the young men, who seemed to be thinking about how to make good relations with him.

Lu Feng stood aside, watching the remaining people step forward one by one for the test, and then one by one show their disappointment. Suddenly, he understood.

Innate talent is something that can only be encountered by chance; whether one possesses it or not is due to external factors.

Finally, the last person was tested. Of the nearly one hundred children tested, only Lu Feng had the aptitude for innate talent.

Ke Xing first put away the round bead, then took out a jade pendant, which was only the size of a palm, emerald green, and engraved with two lines of ancient characters.

The words above, written amidst clouds and mist, also convey a sharp and forceful quality.

"This is my Yunxia Daoist Academy's travel identification jade token, which allows you to stay at the Biyun Inn in the inner city indefinitely. Since you haven't officially joined yet, use mine first. The outer city is dangerous, so take care of things here first. I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow."

Lu Feng took the jade pendant, and only when the heavy pendant was in his hand did he feel its weight.

My second uncle worked hard for a long time to barely qualify for eight days of stay in the inner city. Now that I have a natural talent and have entered the Taoist academy, I can stay in the inner city without restrictions.

This situation is worlds apart.

Lu Feng took a half step back, bowed slightly, and said in a solemn voice, "Thank you for the gift, Senior Brother!"

Seeing that Lu Feng showed no arrogance or domineering attitude, Ke Xing's goodwill towards this junior brother who was about to join the sect increased considerably, and he immediately laughed heartily.

"Go ahead, it's just a little convenience. Get it done quickly and then go to the hospital with your senior brother."

Lu Feng took his leave, hanging the jade pendant on his side. The small jade pendant was easily visible to anyone with eyes.

As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard, the man who had been recording names and ignoring everything else had already stood up. Looking at Lu Feng, his cold expression had vanished, replaced by a smile as he clasped his hands in a gesture of flattery.

"Congratulations, esteemed disciple Lu, on your entry into the Dao! It is a cause for celebration. You see, when you came in just now, you dropped your money pouch, and I picked it up. Please take a look."

After saying that, he carefully handed over the money bag.

Lu Feng watched the other party's actions, smiled inwardly, but showed no change on the surface. He was just feeling sentimental, but he still had to accept the benefits that were offered.

No one would complain about having too much money, especially since this is a gesture of goodwill. If you don't accept it, the other party might not be able to sleep at night.

He took the money bag and estimated that there were at least ten taels of loose silver inside.

Lu Feng chuckled: "Indeed, it was me who lost it. Thank you for your help."

The man breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the money bag had been taken. He couldn't afford to offend him, he really couldn't afford to offend him. He never expected that such an inconspicuous boy from the outer city could actually enter the Taoist academy.

You rush to give money to refresh the impression you make in the other person's eyes, not expecting them to remember you, just hoping they won't cause you trouble.

Lu Feng took another twenty steps before being blocked again. The people waiting outside already knew about Lu Feng from the children being tested, so it was normal for them to attract attention.

The man who had been talking so loudly in Calabash Alley didn't dare linger and quietly left in fear. He only hoped that his words hadn't been heard; if they were, he could only pray that Lu Feng would just ignore them.

The person blocking the road was the only person riding in a sedan chair outside the courtyard. He was dressed in a brocade robe made of gold silk, had a round belly, a prosperous face, and small eyes that gave him a cheerful appearance at first glance.

Luo Houcheng, also with a smile, didn't waste any words and, after a brief analysis, stated his purpose.

"This is a highly skilled disciple of the Daoist Academy. It is quite an honor for my Luo family to witness the rise of such a disciple outside. Now that the outer city is in chaos, we have specially sent our best men to serve this disciple. We hope that this disciple will not refuse."

As he spoke, five guards from Luo Houcheng's side stepped forward. They were all strong and muscular, and each of them looked at Lu Feng respectfully.

Lu Feng hesitated for a moment before leading the person over, which seemed a bit hasty.

Then he watched as Luo Houcheng took out a stack of silver notes from his sleeve. These were valuables, and Lu Feng had only heard his family mention them before.

"Now that your esteemed disciple has entered the Taoist academy, he deserves a celebratory gift. Here are three hundred taels as a token of my congratulations!"

The other party's overtures have gone this far. Lu Feng isn't stupid; he needs help. Entering the Dao Academy is just the first step. He had heard people say that money flows like water inside.

Lu Feng calmly accepted the stack of silver notes, smiled, and nodded: "Master Luo, you're too kind. I have a lot of things at home and I'm short of servants. Let them come with me."

"Good, good, good!" Luo Houcheng was overjoyed.

The other party gave away both people and money; their decisiveness and speed in placing bets left even Lu Feng speechless.

Three hundred taels of silver was almost the limit that a person in the outer city could earn in a lifetime. It was enough for five capable servants. Some young masters didn't even have this kind of treatment; at most, they would only have one attendant.

After finishing his business here, he left the place with five strong servants.