The Piao Miao Sect’s new recruitment event was underway.
As the strongest Cultivation Sect within a radius of ten million li, the Piao Miao Sect once had a Great Emperor-level expert in ancient times, but after he fell, the Piao Miao Sect’s strength gradually weakened.
However, even weakened, it was still like a starved camel being bigger than a horse. The prestige accumulated over many years deterred numerous minor villains, preventing many Cultivators from acting rashly.
Each year, nearly one hundred thousand Disciples would be recruited into the Piao Miao Sect for several years of Cultivation.
After a few years, Disciples who did not meet the standards would be expelled from the Piao Miao Sect, leaving only the outstanding Disciples.
Qi Hao had also failed to meet the standards in the past, but he was forcibly kept by the former Mountain Lord of Wu Feng Mountain, who also took him in as a Disciple, which allowed him to stay.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
At the Piao Miao Sect venue, over a million people had gathered. These were all individuals from within a radius of ten million li who possessed the Aptitude for Cultivation.
Next, the Piao Miao Sect would select qualified individuals from these millions to enter the Piao Miao Sect for Cultivation.
At the same time, within the Piao Miao Sect, mountain peaks began to stir, the entire Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi rolled, and space began to shake.
Streaks of light flew out from the mountain peaks, arriving at the Piao Miao Sect’s new recruitment event. The streaks of light converged into figures, who sat directly in their seats.
And these were precisely the various Mountain Lords of the Piao Miao Sect.
The Piao Miao Sect had a total of Nine Mountains and one hundred and eight peaks.
The strength of each mountain peak varied, with some being strong and others weak.
Among them, the Nine Mountains were the strongest, followed by the Thirty-Six Heavenly Peaks and Seventy-Two Earthly Peaks, together forming the current Piao Miao Sect.
The Nine Mountains were Body Mountain, Dan Mountain, Fu Mountain, Array Mountain, Soul Mountain, Wu Mountain, Sword Mountain, Dao Mountain, and Wu Feng Mountain.
At this moment, eight of the Nine Mountain Lords had already arrived.
Except for Wu Feng Mountain, the Mountain Lords of the other eight mountains sat side by side, each possessing powerful Cultivation and surging aura. Their gazes, even without anger, exuded authority, deterring everyone present.
And Qi Hao was also among them, but compared to the other eight Mountain Lords, he seemed utterly inconspicuous.
According to normal logic, Qi Hao would not have been qualified to sit alongside the eight Mountain Lords. If not for the reason of Wu Feng Mountain, Qi Hao probably wouldn't even have a seat.
Wu Feng Mountain had been without a Mountain Lord for many years, and now only Qi Hao remained.
Qi Hao automatically became the acting Mountain Lord of Wu Feng Mountain.
“Junior Brother Qi, I didn’t expect you to return to the Sect this year. It’s been almost twenty years, hasn’t it?” The eight Mountain Lords looked over, seemingly surprised by Qi Hao’s appearance.
Qi Hao smiled and replied, “All Mountain Lords, you jest. This Disciple has Cultivated outside for many years, always remembering the Sect. And now, I just happened to return and encountered the new recruitment.”
A Mountain Lord suddenly said, “Junior Brother Qi, if I remember correctly, your Wu Feng Mountain only has one Disciple left.”
Qi Hao nodded, “That’s right, only this Disciple remains.”
There was nothing he could do about this. Twenty years had passed, and with the old man’s death, the Disciple resources originally on Wu Feng Mountain were suppressed. Gradually, these Disciples went to other mountain peaks to Cultivate, leaving only Qi Hao.
Another Mountain Lord continued, “Junior Brother Qi, don’t blame this Senior Brother for speaking too much, but if Wu Feng Mountain doesn’t get new Disciples, the title of Mountain Lord might be revoked, and it will only be able to become a Peak Lord.”
Upon hearing this, Qi Hao naturally understood. Back then, it was because the old man was there, and his strength alone secured the title of Mountain Lord.
If he couldn’t keep the title of Mountain Lord, it would eventually fall to a Heavenly Peak, or even an Earthly Peak, which wouldn’t be surprising.
Seeing Qi Hao’s silence, the eight Mountain Lords all secretly shook their heads.
After twenty years, in their perception, Qi Hao’s strength had not changed much; he was still in the Qi Refining Realm. It seemed Wu Feng Mountain had truly declined.
While the few of them were talking, the competition below had already begun.
Numerous Disciples whispered to each other, with constant discussions, clamor, and noise.
From the sky, the dense crowd looked like ants.
As an Elder announced the start of the new recruitment test, young faces began to excitedly undergo the Cultivation Aptitude test.
Some were happy, some were sad.
Most people didn’t have much Aptitude; their Spiritual Roots were too weak to Cultivate at all.
But there were also many who possessed Cultivation Aptitude. After passing the test, they were ecstatic.
Some Peak Lords also nodded, beginning to scout for candidates.
“This child is so strong! It is said he is a prince of the Immortal King Dynasty. This must be a top-grade Fire Spiritual Root!”
“Who is this strong man? He’s tall and burly, with a powerful and surging Qi and Blood. He’s probably not weak either.”
“Look, that girl, she’s so beautiful! I can’t imagine how beautiful she’ll be when she grows up. She’s also strong; they say her name is Leng Yanzhu, from a Cultivation family.”
Qi Hao looked down at the many young faces, sighing with emotion, as if seeing his younger self.
Qi Hao watched for a long time, and three Disciples stood out.
One was named Huang Tianfeng, the Third Prince of the Immortal King Dynasty, possessing a top-grade Spiritual Root, with the potential to Cultivate to the Great Ancestor Realm.
Another was named Di Longhu, said to be a member of a hidden tribe, whose Qi and Blood were like a Dragon and Tiger, and whose powerful Physical Body made people tremble. He also possessed excellent potential.
The last one was a young girl. The girl was extremely beautiful, with a one hundred percent Return rate among the many testing Disciples, all drawn by her temperament and appearance.
At the same time, the girl’s Cultivation Aptitude was also excellent; she was suspected of possessing the Phoenix Bloodline. This was the Aptitude to become a Saint, instantly attracting the attention of the Nine Mountain Lords and the one hundred and eight Peak Lords.
“Silence!”
After a day, all tests were over, and those who passed were exceptionally excited.
Those who didn’t pass were all dejected, expelled from the Sect, and sent back to their homes and mothers.
As an Elder’s voice rang out, the Disciples who passed the test and remained looked over.
“Next is the apprenticeship segment. The various Mountain Peak Lords will begin to invite Disciples they favor. Disciples can choose to join or refuse.”
“But remember, if a Disciple refuses the Peak Lord or Mountain Lord who invited you to join, and there are no other Peak Lords inviting you, then you will be listed as a Utility Disciple. I hope all Disciples consider this carefully when making your choice.”
“Alright, now, I invite all Mountain Lords and Peak Lords to select suitable Disciples.”
As the Elder’s words fell, the entire recruitment venue immediately became a hive of activity, bustling with excitement.
Seeing this, Qi Hao also felt a bit impatient. He had taken a liking to a few people. His current task was to recruit Disciples. Whether or not to take them as apprentices was another matter; he first wanted to add some vitality to Wu Feng Mountain.
Just as Qi Hao was about to speak, an irritating voice rang out.
“Yo, isn’t this Senior Brother Qi? I didn’t notice Senior Brother Qi just now, my apologies.”
“After twenty years, Wu Feng Mountain is left with only Senior Brother Qi. With Senior Brother Qi’s Qi Refining Cultivation, unchanged for twenty years, he still came to recruit for Wu Feng Mountain. This truly deserves the respect of all Disciples in the Sect.”
“Senior Brother Qi is truly my role model.”
Qi Hao froze, his mouth twitching as he looked at Yang Wei not far away.
What was this annoying fellow trying to do?