"Those with Heavenly Immortal cultivation stand here, follow me. Those with Divine Immortal cultivation over there, go with him. Mystic Immortals to the right, follow this Senior Brother. Honored Half-step Golden Immortal Almighties, please proceed directly up the steps and into the interior of the mountain gate to accept the Direct Disciple assessment!"
As soon as the Yuhua Sect disciples appeared, a young expert among them swept his gaze in all four directions, chilling to the bone. Everyone became dead silent, not even daring to emit their divine sense.
This was also a Half-step Golden Immortal Almighty. Fang Han's heart skipped a beat, because he discovered the Great Luo Laws contained in this expert's body actually exceeded two million.
This was already a terror that couldn't be described with language.
"It seems I am still using secular eyes to view geniuses. Actually, upon reaching the Heavenly Realm, geniuses truly become worthless." Fang Han said secretly in his heart, "Genius, genius, an exceptional talent born from heaven, but this is the Heavenly Realm. Everyone is outstanding, nurtured and born imbued with the spiritual qi of the Heavenly Realm. The Heavenly Realm is the largest stage; one absolutely must not underestimate the heroes of the Heavenly Realm."
"This is the Yuhua Sect's Lin Feiyu, nicknamed 'One Sword with No Tomorrow.' Rumor has it that three years ago, he went to the Ancient Demon Ruins with many Yuhua Sect disciples and encountered an evil path Peerless Golden Immortal. He actually severed the rear with a single sword, escorting countless Junior Brothers and Sisters to escape, while he himself fought that Peerless Golden Immortal, was heavily injured but did not die, and still managed to escape. This is circulated as a miracle in the Heavenly Realm. Even the Heavenly Court sent rewards."
"Escorting Junior Brothers and Sisters by severing the rear, alone with a single sword, actually able to be heavily injured without dying under the killing moves of a Peerless Golden Immortal, and still escape. What kind of strength is this? What kind of talent?"
"Indeed, I've heard this rumor too."
Seeing this speaking young expert, the Half-step Golden Immortal Almighties who came to participate in the "Direct Disciple" assessment all faintly fluctuated their divine sense.
Fang Han's heart jumped in surprise upon hearing these words. He originally thought he was the only one who could maintain contention under a Peerless Golden Immortal, which was already a miracle among miracles, yet unexpectedly, someone else could miraculously escape death from the hands of a Peerless Golden Immortal.
From this, it could be seen that he was not the only one possessing great destiny; in the major sects of the Heavenly Realm, they were everywhere.
"Alright, everyone line up in queues according to your respective cultivation." That "One Sword with No Tomorrow" Lin Feiyu swept his gaze over the crowd one by one, especially sweeping more over Fang Han's side, groups of Half-step Golden Immortal Almighties.
Because this group of people came to be assessed as Direct Disciples; if they could pass, they would represent competitors in the future like him. Every few decades or hundred years, the Yuhua Sect would produce a Supreme Disciple, standing out among numerous figures, and then receive nurturing to become a "seed."
This "seed" would naturally gain the favor of the sect, with resources piled onto their body, making the achievement of Peerless Golden Immortal just around the corner.
Fang Han was also very clear about this. Thirty Heavenly Realm years ago, the Yuhua Sect produced a "seed" named Xiang Yizhen, who successfully advanced into a Peerless Golden Immortal. Since then, many, many disciples of the Yuhua Sect once again competed for the position of a "seed" disciple. Talents emerged in large numbers, and countless experts with profound magical power fought among themselves, spanning thirty Heavenly Realm years.
That Shang Ziluo, although known as a genius, but among the numerous disciples, was merely upper-middle tier. It was just that behind him was a person from a mysterious family, the Shang family. Therefore, he received a bit more nurturing from the Yuhua Sect and even plotted to secure a position as a Heavenly Court Inspector Envoy.
The Yuhua Sect's assessment went according to cultivation. Heavenly Immortal level figures coming forward were the lowest rank odd-jobmen, Preparatory Disciples.
And those at the Divine Immortal level were Outer Sect Disciples.
Mystic Immortals could assess for Inner Sect Disciples.
As for Half-step Golden Immortal Almighties, they could directly assess for Direct Disciples.
Numerous "Direct Disciples," every set period of time, would once again vie for the glory of "Seed Disciple" to receive nurturing and stand out. This was just like the triennial imperial examinations in the secular world, competing for the top scholar.
If it was a Peerless Golden Immortal, they would however be an honored guest of the entire sect. Of course, Peerless Golden Immortals were each and every one supreme hegemons, feudal lords of the Heavenly Realm, figures commanding a state, sitting high above, yet they wouldn't come to be a disciple of the Yuhua Sect.
If a Peerless Golden Immortal wished, they could directly go to the Heavenly Court to seek a good position.
According to Shang Ziluo's memory, the gap in treatment between "Preparatory Disciples," "Outer Sect Disciples," "Inner Sect Disciples," and "Direct Disciples" in the Yuhua Sect could not be calculated with paths. Naturally, the difficulty of the assessment increased one by one. Especially for Direct Disciples, everyone had to undergo careful vetting; aside from a clean background, they also had to possess the genuine potential of a peerless genius. More importantly, they must be unfailingly loyal to the sect in the future to receive heavy responsibilities.
The crowd of people Fang Han currently entered were all Half-step Golden Immortal Almighties. The majority of them were exactly like the disciples of great families such as the Wang family of Quanzhou, every one with incomparably tyrannical magical power, hiding formidable magical treasures, possessing terrifying combat power, and overflowing with genius.
These figures all came to vie for the position of Yuhua Sect Direct Disciple. One could imagine that the upcoming struggles would be extremely fierce.
Before the mountain gate of the Yuhua Sect, the arriving immortals split into four torrents, following the disciples heading in their respective directions, plunging deep into the Yuhua Sect.
Fang Han and the other Half-step Golden Immortal Almighties walked on the highest steps, possessing a feeling of being positioned high above and looking down at the common living beings. With every step up, the entirety of the ancient city of Zhongzhou before them could be seen somewhat clearer.
The mountain gate of the Yuhua Sect was the highest point in the ancient city of Zhongzhou.
Fang Han stepped on the mountain gate steps, looking at the boundless and majestic ancient city of Zhongzhou, and a wave of heartfelt shock emanated from deep within him. In the rumors, the ancient city of Zhongzhou had a total of eighty-four thousand streets, and every street was a trillion li long. Equally infinitely distant. Above the ancient city of Zhongzhou, one could only fly up to a certain height and could not fly upward anymore, because the sky was covered by restriction laws, so it was fundamentally impossible to clearly see the complete appearance of the ancient city of Zhongzhou.
To clearly see the complete appearance of the ancient city of Zhongzhou, one could only see it by standing upon the mountain gate of the Yuhua Sect.
"Senior Brother Lin, the number of people coming to participate in the Direct Disciple assessment this time is quite a lot. Especially, look, even Eldest Young Master Xue Lie of the Xue family has come. Rumor has it that his strength has already entered the unfathomable realm of perfection. His Great Luo Laws are deeply hidden in his heart; with a random thought, they densely cover his entire body, and upon retracting his will, they entirely condense into fine dust. Our Yuhua Sect's triennial Seed Disciple election assembly is about to begin. It's highly likely he is aiming for this as well."
Fang Han and the others were walking on the steps, while the group of senior Direct Disciples of the Yuhua Sect leading the procession ahead were also in spirited discussion.
"This is the first time our Yuhua Sect is openly recruiting disciples to the outside since the God Race attacked the Heavenly Realm. Some great families all know the current chaos in the Heavenly Realm will presumably last for a very long period of time; next, feudal lords will rise together, kings will contend for the prize, and dragons and snakes will vie for hegemony. Therefore, sending their disciples into my Yuhua Sect, the first reason is to build a good relationship, and the second is to protect the kindling, so that if their family sect is wiped out, they can still reserve a seed for revenge. Only my Yuhua Sect is a kingly great sect, no one dares to touch us."
"One Sword with No Tomorrow" Lin Feiyu smiled coldly saying: "However, these people, wanting to vie with me for the position of seed, are still a bit too early. The seed for this term will surely be me. Only I can cultivate into a Peerless Golden Immortal and enter the deepest depths of the Yuhua Sect to cultivate within the King-Tier Spirit Vein, the Great Furnace Absolute Vein."
"Senior Brother, you still cannot take it lightly; did you see? The Young Master of the Xiao family, Xiao Shaoyun, is also among them. Rumor has it that in his early years, he had a fortuitous encounter and entered an ancient sage's cultivation cave dwelling, obtaining a sage's inherited bloodline. Now his physique has already been transformed into a Holy Body." A Yuhua Sect disciple muttered.
"It doesn't matter, it's always just a Half-step Golden Immortal. But later during the assessment, I want to see exactly how tyrannical the capabilities of these people possess." Lin Feiyu's gaze flickered.
Fang Han remained emotionally unmoved. He had long noticed that there were quite a few formidable characters among those coming to assess for Direct Disciples this time together, but he already had a well-thought-out plan and was not afraid of any slip-ups occurring.
He now actually wanted to know who the Headmaster of the Yuhua Sect truly was.
The Yuhua Sect was too large. As a kingly great sect, it managed all four directions and countless mysterious lands. Shang Ziluo had never even seen the Supreme Headmaster, nor did he even know the name.
In the rumors, the Supreme Headmaster of the Yuhua Sect was not within the sect, but in a mysterious land in the Heavenly Court, assisting some tycoon Heavenly Lords in administration. From this it could be seen that the Supreme Headmaster of the Yuhua Sect was evidently an existence far surpassing a Golden Immortal.
"Clang!"
Yet another sound of the bell. The clouds shrouding the high steps dispersed, and Fang Han found that he and the others had arrived at a heavenly square. This square utilized Heavenly Crystal Stones as square bricks, piece by piece, extremely solid. However, there were also deep footprints trampled by people upon it, and some sword qi ravines, plainly produced by certain experts fighting on top of it.
As soon as they arrived at the square, the gazes of numerous Half-step Golden Immortal Almighties simultaneously looked far into the depths of the square to the person sitting straight on the throne grandstand. Being completely covered in golden light, the Golden Immortal Law clouds were dense, condensing into clusters of clouds and mist above his head, among which visions of bright lamps, pearl necklaces, umbrellas… continually transformed in rapid succession.
This Peerless Golden Immortal was actually much more formidable than all the Golden Immortals Fang Han had encountered.
Wang Yan, Sun Kuidou, even the Evil Venerable, Hu Canghai, Gu Meng, Li Luowei, and Venerable Juexing, were all far inferior to this Peerless Golden Immortal before his eyes.
"Presumably this is the Venerable Changping hosting the Direct Disciple assessment this time." Fang Han had already received information from the Hongqi Hall and knew who the assessing person was.
"Everyone, I am exactly Venerable Changping hosting this Direct Disciple recruitment assessment." That Golden Immortal swished and opened his eyes, sweeping them over the many Half-step Golden Immortal Almighties present once. Everyone felt the gaze pierce into their hearts, seemingly unable to conceal any secrets: "Many of you present come from the great families and major sects of various states. I personally have had interactions with your fathers, or even grandfathers, but for this assessment, I will absolutely not bend the law for personal gain. Bring out your real skills, and right here, we shall contend to see who comes out on top."