Unnamed Region Arc Chapter Four: The Recruitment of Disciples by the Immortal Sect

The next morning, Xiaona was awakened by Zhou Xuanhong patting her on the bottom and calling her name. She opened her sleepy eyes and let out a lazy yawn. She had slept soundly, after all, this was the most luxurious inn in Luoshui City—far better than a dilapidated temple, and more importantly, it was filled with his lingering presence.

“Wife, breakfast is ready.”

Xiaona sniffed him, frowning. “You’ve killed again, haven’t you? Was it someone from the Wang family?”

Zhou Xuanhong tapped her nose. “Caught by you again. You’ll know soon enough—let’s eat first, before it gets cold.”

After a hearty breakfast, they left the inn and headed for the Dragon Gate Platform in front of the City Lord’s Mansion, the main venue for today’s Immortal Sect recruitment. Every large city had such a platform to make it convenient for the Immortal Sects to select disciples.

The streets thronged with people and carriages, but what everyone discussed most was not whose son or daughter might be chosen by the Immortal Sect, but the monumental event of the night before—the annihilation of the Wang family!

“I was fast asleep and was jolted awake by a massive explosion—it turned out to be the Wang residence being blown apart.”

“Did you hear? It seems the Wang family, like the Zhou family before them, angered a powerful immortal and their house was smashed to pieces with a single palm strike!”

“I live nearby. Got up late last night to relieve myself and saw the Wang residence blazing with legendary immortal runes, then came an earth-shattering blast that left my ears ringing.”

The chatter was endless. Xiaona shot a questioning look at Zhou Xuanhong, as if to ask, Was that you?

He nodded. “Some things are best left unsaid. Just know what you need to.”

Luckily, Xiaona didn’t seem to care much—her goal was to join the Immortal Sect. The fall of a mortal family meant nothing to her.

“Just be careful, then.”

Zhou Xuanhong nodded again. “Thank you for worrying about me, wife!”

The inn was only half a street away from the City Lord’s Mansion, and soon they arrived at the Dragon Gate Platform. Luoshui City, being a medium-to-large city, had an imposing platform, covering a vast area. Normally closed to the public, it opened only for this annual event.

The place was packed, even with its generous space—people squeezed shoulder to shoulder, yet no one dared to step onto the platform first.

Dragon Gate Platform, as the name suggests, was inspired by the legend of carp leaping over the dragon gate. Once chosen by the Immortal Sect, an ordinary carp in the pond might transform into a dragon soaring through the skies. But the prerequisite was to be a carp, not a shrimp or crab. Only those with the potential—the “dragon bones”—could be selected; the rest stood no chance.

The hopefuls gathered were not just from Luoshui City but also from nearby villages and towns, all with a single dream: to become immortals.

Most were sons and daughters of officials and wealthy families; a few had trekked here on foot, displaying great determination. Those who managed to arrive alone stood a decent chance—after all, the world was perilous, and not everyone had the ability to come so far.

Around the platform, young people crowded together, from those just walking to some in their thirties. Most looked anxious, except for a handful whose eyes gleamed with confidence, certain of their success—including the young lady from the Chen family.

At noon, streaks of light slashed across the sky, falling like meteors and coming to a steady halt in midair above the platform before settling gently down.

Three figures arrived—two women and a man, all dressed in white and blue robes. The women were beautiful, with an ethereal air that set them apart; both appeared to be in their twenties. The man, about thirty, stood behind one of the women, holding an ancient tome, quietly observing as though he were an outsider.

“Greetings, immortals!”

Those watching from afar—all commoners who had failed to be chosen before—fell to their knees. Destined to remain mortals, they had to show reverence to these exalted beings.

The young people at the front of the platform were exempt from kneeling. They were the “carp” with a chance to leap the dragon gate—potentially to surpass even the three immortals present—so the immortals themselves did not demand they kneel.

The leading woman flipped her hand, and a formation disk appeared in her palm. Injecting spiritual power, she activated it, transforming it into a five-meter-tall, two-meter-wide cylindrical space, inscribed with complex runes far more intricate than the ones on the Wang family residence the night before. Staring too long would cause dizziness, even nausea.

She spoke, her lips tinged with red, “This is Luoshui City’s exclusive aptitude-testing formation, designed to detect and record talent for cultivation. There are seven levels of aptitude, from weakest to strongest: white, yellow, green, blue, pink, red, black, and purple. When you enter the formation, its color will change to reveal your level. If it remains white, you have no talent for cultivation.

“There are a few already qualified to join our Forming Transformation Sect, said to have reached the mid-stage of Qi Refinement. Step forward.”

As she finished, the young lady of the Chen family and two others leaped out from the crowd, bowing respectfully before the immortal woman.

She smiled. “No need for formality. From now on, we are brothers and sisters in the sect. Stand behind me.”

“Yes!”

She then addressed the rest. “We are not heartless. Those under fifteen with talent may join our sect directly. Those above may still be taught our Qi Refinement arts, and if you reach mid-stage before thirty, you may formally enter our sect.”

The testing began. It was the most crucial moment in these young lives—a pass meant rising above all, a failure meant remaining a shrimp or crab in the pond.

But true talent was rare—out of hundreds tested, only a handful showed any, and all were yellow level. Not a single green appeared, for one with green talent might one day reach the Golden Core stage!

Soon, it was Zhou Xuanhong and Xiaona’s turn, but neither looked nervous. Three more waited ahead. A boy stepped up, trembling with nerves.

After several breaths, nothing happened. Sweating profusely, his face drained of color, he muttered, “Change, please change—even yellow is fine!”

The woman’s voice was cold and indifferent. “Leave. You have no talent for cultivation.”

The boy collapsed, face ashen, then suddenly let out a heart-wrenching scream. “Impossible! Impossible! How could I have no talent? There must be something wrong with your damned formation!”

The crowd below fell silent, watching with morbid curiosity. Scenes like this happened every year; some could not bear such devastating news and sought to defy fate.

The immortal woman sighed and, with a wave of her hand, swept the fourteen-year-old boy from the platform. He crashed heavily to the ground, spat a mouthful of blood, and passed out, to be carried away by guards.

Someone whispered, “This year’s not so bad. I remember two years ago a rich kid tried to kill an immortal and was slapped into a bloody pulp. Tsk tsk!”

“Understandable. When we found out we had no talent, we too clung to a sliver of hope. Sigh, best to accept fate.”

“Being a mortal isn’t so bad. At least it’s safer than being a cultivator. Many who joined the sect never even left a whole corpse behind.”

“Careful with your words!”

The immortal woman ignored the murmurs. To her, anyone below the Qi Refinement stage was an ant.

“Next!”

A man in his twenties stepped up, visibly anxious, and was immediately ejected from the formation.

She shook her head. “This isn’t your first time. Stop wasting my time. One arm as a warning.”

With a casual flick of her finger, a wind blade sliced off his left arm. Strangely, there was no blood, a testament to immortal methods.

“Next.”

This time, it was a snot-nosed little boy, arrogant and unruly. Earlier, he'd tried to touch Xiaona’s long, fair legs, only to be kicked away by Zhou Xuanhong, whom he now glared at with resentment.

“You just wait! Once I’m in the Immortal Sect, I’ll fix this big sister’s face and make her my child bride.” That was his parting threat as he climbed the platform.

Zhou Xuanhong paid him no mind; after all, he was just a mischievous child. But perhaps, with such spirit, he might truly have talent.

Moments later, the formation glowed green. The crowd erupted in astonishment—even the three immortals took notice.

“Heavens! Another green talent? This is a great fortune for Luoshui City!”

“I remember last year, the Wang family’s young master had green, didn’t he?”

“See that? That’s my Jiang family’s child! We’ve produced a cultivation genius! Our house is destined to soar, hahahaha!”

“Damn, did their ancestors pick the luckiest burial spot?”

The little boy laughed triumphantly. “I knew it—I'm a genius! Forget about Little Hong as my bride, I want her as my bride!”

As he pointed at Xiaona, Zhou Xuanhong’s smile didn’t falter, but a flicker of murderous intent flashed deep in his eyes. If he hadn’t cared before, he did now—a green-talent disciple of the Forming Transformation Sect was a potential threat.

The immortal woman smiled gently. “Congratulations, little brother. Come stand by me. Here, have a candy!”

She handed him a pill, her way of favoring one who might one day reach the Golden Core stage.

The boy accepted it spiritedly. “Thank you, sister!” He knew to be polite before immortals, earning her further approval.

“Next!”

“Wife, it’s your turn!”