Chapter 67
Zheng Fa noticed a boy who looked slightly younger than him suddenly turn his head when the Seventh Young Master called his name.
This boy seemed somewhat familiar, as if he was one of the few who had flown in from Jingzhou City.
...
At the Zhao residence, in the small courtyard of Sister Zhang.
Zheng Mu, who had been invited, tightly held her daughter Zheng Shan's hand, looking a bit nervous as she glanced at the people in the hall.
In the room, besides the host Sister Zhang, there were also the lady of the house and the eldest daughter.
"Madam Zheng, there's no need to be afraid. Zheng Fa is attending the Immortal Talent Conference just like my son. Master Zhang was worried you might be anxious, which is why he asked you to come," Sister Zhang said.
Although it was Sister Zhang who had invited Zheng Mu, her expression remained indifferent. She didn’t speak to Zheng Mu, merely nodding gently in her direction.
Zheng Mu took a deep breath, smoothing out the worry on her face. She straightened her back and performed a respectful bow to Sister Zhang. "Thank you, Master Zhang."
Sister Zhang's expression softened a bit.
Given her personality, she had looked down on Zheng Mu's somewhat timid demeanor, but Zheng Mu's earlier behavior showed that although she felt inferior, she didn’t want to lose face for her son in front of them.
This made Sister Zhang feel a hint of respect, prompting her to explain to Zheng Mu, "That Caiyun is the Ascension Platform, a treasure created by the Hundred Immortals Alliance a thousand years ago specifically for selecting talented immortals. As long as you hold the Immortal Token, you will ascend the platform. It’s not a bad thing."
Zheng Mu nodded gratefully.
Sister Zhang pointed her finger, and a golden talisman appeared in the air. The space before everyone rippled like the surface of water—a transparent "screen," about the size of half a wall, materialized before them, displaying the scene of Zheng Fa and others on the Ascension Platform.
"Brother!" Zheng Shan cheered.
Only upon seeing Zheng Fa safe and sound did Zheng Mu finally relax her grip on Zheng Shan's hand.
"Sister Zhang!" A male voice called from outside. Sister Zhang looked up to see Huang Daoyu, who had come the day before to request an Immortal Token.
Seeing the screen created by Sister Zhang's talisman, Huang Daoyu couldn’t help but exclaim, "Sister Zhang, this Shadow Pursuit Talisman is no less impressive than the Mirror Flower Water Moon technique of the Nascent Soul stage. No wonder you’re known as the foremost talisman master below the Nascent Soul level."
"Not even close; it’s just that the Ascension Platform is nearby," Sister Zhang replied, her expression flat, clearly not taking his compliment to heart. "What brings you here, Huang Shidi?"
Huang Daoyu chuckled awkwardly. "Well, the Immortal Talent Conference is a grand event for our Hundred Immortals Alliance, so I thought I’d come here to enjoy the excitement."
...
Sister Zhang stared at him, her face clearly saying: "I don’t believe you."
"Ahem... It’s my master who said, since Sister Zhang believes that Zheng Shidi’s talent surpasses my little Shidi’s, why not have a friendly wager based on their performances at the Immortal Talent Conference?"
"A wager?" Sister Zhang frowned. "What do you want?"
"The foundational talisman technique of your school," Huang Daoyu replied.
"... It seems Master Pang really has high hopes for that Shidi," Sister Zhang finally understood. "He’s already planning foundational techniques for him before he’s even entered the door."
"..." Huang Daoyu's face turned awkward, clearly caught off guard by her insight. He could only nod and say, "Sister Zhang, you set the record for the fastest foundational establishment in our Hundred Immortals Alliance with that talisman technique. Since my Shidi has excellent talent in talismans, my master naturally wants to find him the most suitable foundational technique."
Sister Zhang looked at Huang Daoyu, understanding Master Pang's intentions—though their masters had a history of discord, both were Nascent Soul cultivators, and neither could overpower the other, making them evenly matched.
However, in the next generation, she was the one leading the way, while Master Pang's faction had no one who could compare. Even if she didn’t care about face, she had snatched quite a few resources from them.
Naturally, Master Pang wanted to cultivate a promising talent, even going so far as to seek her out for a suitable foundational technique under the guise of a wager.
Huang Daoyu seemed to sense that she understood the underlying meaning, his expression anxious, as if he feared she would refuse.
"But!" Unexpectedly, Sister Zhang suddenly spoke up, "I want Master Pang’s technique for the洞虚灵眼 (Dongxu Lingyan, "Void Spirit Eye")."
This left Huang Daoyu stunned. He looked at Sister Zhang, seemingly not expecting her to agree so readily.
"Sister, you have such confidence in that Shidi?"
Sister Zhang smiled but didn’t answer, her gaze fixed on the screen.
In the image, Zheng Fa and the others were already walking toward the grand hall.
...
As they reached the entrance of the grand hall, the boy who had been watching Zheng Fa suddenly walked up beside him and the Seventh Young Master.
"What do you want?" the Seventh Young Master asked, noticing the boy's unfriendly demeanor.
The boy didn’t even glance at the Seventh Young Master, simply addressing Zheng Fa, "I am Zhou Qianyuan."
He seemed to think that just stating his name was enough, and without further ado, he walked past the two of them.
"What’s with the arrogance?" the Seventh Young Master muttered.
"Single spiritual root, Geng Metal body, a talent in talismans valued by a Nascent Soul master. Wouldn’t you be proud?" Zheng Fa chuckled lightly.
He understood why this boy had been staring at him. With such talent and opportunity, he had likely never faced setbacks since birth. The fact that Sister Zhang had refused to give him an Immortal Token probably left a mark on him.
"... He’s got his eyes on you?" The Seventh Young Master sounded a bit anxious.
"Got his eyes on me? He probably doesn’t even see me as a threat," Zheng Fa shook his head. "He thinks I took the Immortal Token that belongs to him. Maybe he’s just here to show off?"
"... Is there anyone more unreasonable than me?" The Seventh Young Master’s eyes widened, clearly unable to comprehend Zhou Qianyuan's mindset.
Zheng Fa didn’t pay much attention to him. The two followed the crowd into the grand hall, where a half-person-high mirror stood in the center facing them.
"This is the Immortal Mirror, which can determine your initial grade based on your spiritual root and body type," the Seventh Young Master explained, sharing what he had learned from his sister.
Zheng Fa observed that as each person passed by the mirror, a beam of light would flash from it, landing at their feet and forming a halo.
The halos came in three colors: purple, blue, and white. White was the most common, blue was less frequent, and purple was a rare sight.
This was likely what was meant by the initial grade.
Chapter 76: Profound Understanding
The rarity of purple indicated that there were only two individuals, one of whom was Zhou Qianyuan.
"This time, the Immortal Mirror's grading is stricter than before: those with dual spiritual roots receive a white grade; those with a single spiritual root or dual roots with a body type receive a blue grade; and those with a single spiritual root and a body type receive a purple grade."
Looking at the purple halo beneath Zhou Qianyuan, Sun Daoyu explained to the others with a hint of pride.
Zhou Qianyuan indeed deserved his pride—there were just over a thousand participants in this Immortal Talent Conference, and half had already been graded by the Immortal Mirror, with only two achieving a purple grade. By this ratio, a purple grade was one in a hundred.
This was still under the condition that all major families had sent their most talented offspring to participate in the conference.
In the image, the Seventh Young Master and Zheng Fa walked past the Immortal Mirror one after the other.
The Seventh Young Master’s halo was white.
However, beneath Zheng Fa, the halo was white with a hint of blue, though it was barely noticeable.
"This Shidi has actually mastered the entry-level martial arts?" Sun Daoyu, being a Nascent Soul disciple, was well-informed. "But the gap between entry-level martial arts and body types is not something that can be measured in terms of Dao. Thus, this Shidi’s initial grade can only be considered white."
"What does initial grade mean?"
Zheng Fa's younger sister, Zheng Shan, couldn’t help but ask.
"Initial grade indicates your cultivation talent. Those with a purple grade can directly enter the Immortal Gate without needing to undergo further assessments. They are the true talents our Hundred Immortals Alliance needs and will undoubtedly become the pillars of our alliance in the future. As for those with blue or white initial grades, they can only rely on craftsmanship to enter the Hundred Immortals Alliance," Sun Daoyu said, a mix of pride and exasperation on his face. "However, my Shidi... he aims to be on par with our Sister Zhang."
He turned to Sister Zhang. "Sister Zhang, our wager begins now."
...
Zheng Fa looked at the white halo beneath his feet, not surprised.
What surprised him was Zhou Qianyuan's choice.
After everyone had passed the Immortal Mirror, a voice that didn’t sound quite human echoed in the grand hall:
"Those with a purple grade may enter the Immortal Gate directly. Those with a blue grade or below must choose one of the five doors to proceed to the next assessment."
Zheng Fa and the others looked into the hall and discovered five small doors standing behind the Immortal Mirror, each labeled with one of the following words: "Talisman," "Elixir," "Artifact," "Formation," and "Miscellaneous."
Zhou Qianyuan, who was subtly regarded as the leader, surprisingly walked straight toward the door marked "Talisman."
"Aren't you a purple grade?" someone behind him asked.
"I'm not just a purple grade," he replied without looking back, stepping through the door.
Zheng Fa and the Seventh Young Master exchanged glances, feeling that this person was indeed quite arrogant.
The Seventh Young Master muttered under his breath, "I’ve never seen someone more insufferable than myself..."
The two followed the crowd into the door marked "Talisman."
After a short passage, they arrived at nine interconnected halls—one of the five buildings behind the grand hall.
A man in white was waiting for them there.
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