The first round of testing finally drew to a close.
From the initial ten thousand young cultivators gathered on the square, only eight hundred had been disqualified. The remaining nine thousand stood with mixed expressions—some confident, some anxious, and others simply overwhelmed.
For most of the Gui family, it was a time of immense pressure.
They hadn't come to the Profound Sword Sect just to chase personal glory. This journey was a matter of life and death for their clan.
Not far from the square, standing quietly, the Second Elder of the Gui family looked on, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. His gaze was distant, troubled. His thoughts weren't only on Gui Yiyi and Gui Lan—they were with the Gui family back in Half Moon City.
The situation back home was dire.
The Witherwood Gate, though not quite as powerful as the Profound Sword Sect, was still a major sect in the Southern Province. With a Nascent Soul Realm expert overseeing it, even the combined might of Half Moon City's clans wouldn't be able to resist their will.
But the danger didn't come from the sect itself—it came from Duan Li, the Duan clan's number one genius.
Duan Li had risen from Half Moon City just like Gui Yiyi and Gui Lan. But unlike them, he had already broken free from the confines of the city and reached unimaginable heights.
By some stroke of fate, Duan Li had been accepted into the Witherwood Gate. Not only that—he was now the personal disciple of a peak eighth-level Soul Condensation Realm elder.
That one fact alone turned the tide of power in Half Moon City.
Gui Tiancheng, the patriarch of the Gui clan, was only at the fifth level of Soul Condensation. The strongest figure in the city, the Wang Clan Patriarch, was barely at the sixth level.
To someone backed by a peak eighth-level Soul Condensation master, Half Moon City was nothing more than a toy.
The announcement that Duan Li would soon return to the city to take part in the annual Grand Competition sent shockwaves through the entire region.
But it wasn't the competition that worried the Gui family.
It was the master that would accompany him.
Everyone knew the truth—Duan Li's return would likely mark the destruction of the Gui Clan.
Unless…
Unless someone from the Gui family entered the Profound Sword Sect.
That's why the stakes were so high.
That's why Gui Yiyi, Gui Lan, and the rest of the Gui family disciples had traveled here, clinging to their last strand of hope.
Because the Profound Sword Sect had a reputation—overbearing, fiercely protective of its own.
If even one disciple from the Gui family joined their ranks, it could be enough to protect their entire clan from annihilation.
But as the test continued and more monstrous geniuses emerged, that hope began to flicker like a candle in the wind.
Back on the testing platform, Yang Hong stood as the unrivaled star of the first round.
Bone age: 16.Qi Condensation: Seventh level.Natural Talent: 91.
He was the only person aside from Gui Yiyi whose talent even grazed the number 90, and many already whispered he would be the next great figure of the Profound Sword Sect.
Even the usually aloof elders couldn't help but nod in approval when his test results were announced.
Xuan Yi, standing atop the platform, watched with narrowed eyes.
"Not bad... though I considered him for a while, I've changed my mind."
Yang Hong was undeniably gifted, but Xuan Yi had spent the entire first phase observing more than just numbers. He studied temperament, character, potential for growth.
Yang Hong… was too prideful, too arrogant. The kind who could easily lose himself in his own brilliance.
And Xuan Yi wasn't looking for blazing flames—he was looking for enduring stars.
The first part was over. The crowd began to stir as the elders moved to the front of the square once more.
The second phase of the disciple selection was about to begin.
Over 9,000 qualified participants were led by a group of Sword Profound Sect elders toward the nearby Demon Beast Forest—a wild and dangerous place where spirit beasts roamed freely.
This part wasn't about cultivation.
It was about combat strength.
Even a cultivator at the third level of Qi Condensation could beat someone at the sixth level—if they had better combat awareness, sharper instincts, or simply more real-world experience.
This was where the true rankings would emerge.
From the sky, a massive projection shimmered into view—hovering above the Sword Profound Sect like a living tapestry.
It was made up of thousands of smaller screens, each one displaying a participant's journey within the Demon Beast Forest in real time.
The higher-ups of the Profound Sword Sect, including Xuan Yi and Sect Master Jian Nantian, gathered to observe the spectacle.
"Yang Hong isn't bad,"Jian Nantian commented as his eyes locked onto one screen."Peak of the seventh level, and he's fighting four demon beasts at the eighth level alone. Impressive. He's even gaining the upper hand."
The others nodded in agreement.
"Fi Zhen's falling short, though," a deputy sect master murmured, his face souring as he looked at another participant. "I had high hopes. But he's at the same level as Yang Hong and can't even handle one eighth-level beast."
Another elder sneered, "He's just a medicinal pot stuffed with pills. No real strength. Yang Hong would crush him."
The second phase had only just begun, but the wheat was already being separated from the chaff.
This was where false geniuses fell.
As for Gui Yiyi, her performance was… lackluster at best.
She was unable to match even the weaker demon beasts. Her sword swings were unsteady. Her movement was clumsy. She clearly had no real battle experience.
None of the elders gave her a second look.
Except one.
Xuan Yi's gaze remained locked on her.
"She's struggling. But I expected this. Her Ice Spirit Physique hasn't awakened yet…"
"She's no match for the others right now—but if I can help her activate her bloodline…"
He saw what no one else could.
Beneath her fear, her hesitation, and her inexperience… was a spark.
And that spark could ignite into a blizzard that would shake the heavens.
Among the thousands of youths now fighting for their future, Gui Yiyi was just another shadow.
But Xuan Yi had already made his decision.
"She's the one."
"She just doesn't know it yet."