Yang Qing immediately flashed to the mountain's peak after making the announcement.
"I hope there will be interesting surprises," said Dai Chen whilst pouring himself another cup.
The other judges all chimed in their thoughts as they stared at the participants who had already eagerly started the test.
Their guardians were all nervously monitoring them, hoping for the best. To some of them, this was the chance to leap over the dragon gate and transform from carp to dragons.
There was a saying, if an immortal ascended, even his cows, chickens, and dogs would get elevated with them. The same thing applied to the family and guardians of the participants.
Should the participants pass, it would be a grand opportunity not only for them but even for their family or guardians too, who would receive the Order's favor because of their relation to the successful participant.
They would get access to resources they would have never dreamed of, and having the halo of the Order above them wasn't bad either. Every now and then, there would be certain groups that would use the Order as a safe haven to escape something that was beyond them in the continent.
This happened more often than not. For those who failed, what waited for them at the end wasn't just rejection but certain doom from whatever they were running from. One could say the test was even a life-and-death battle for some.
…
Despite being given the go-ahead to begin the test, the participants all had different reactions to the announcement. A small group plunged into the waterfall without a second thought.
This group was made of the smallest number. It was made up of four people. Two of them were legacy, while one was another unique component. It was a six-year-old male kid who still had some baby fat on his cheeks. He was the youngest participant and had reached the bronze body of the refining stage despite his young age. As for the last member, it was Lai Rou, the thin cultivator who was the first to ask the question, when Yang Qing opened the floor to questions.
As for the rest, it was basically two groups. One group was calmly observing the first group to see if the was any trap in the waterfall, while the other group was perusing the booklet containing the 108 steps of the autumn leaves.
Each one of them had shining eyes as they went through the booklet. Two of the remaining legacies were in this group.
To avoid overwhelming their participants, the Order had kept a cup on how many legacies could be fielded in every test. The cap was six per test.
As for the test, the Order conducted an entrance examination once every two weeks. If it wasn't for the astronomical costs associated with it, the number of tests would have been increased to once a day if it was tenable in terms of resources expended or guarantee of quality.
However, due to the constraining factors, it was restricted to two tests a month, and the chief examiner would be different every time along with the type of test, which kept things relatively fair and unpredictable to all.
..
Zou Yi and Zou Liqin were part of the second group, that decided to go through the cultivation booklet before they began the test.
"What do you think?" eagerly asked Zou Yi.
Ever since they were kids he knew his sister had a higher aptitude than him when it came to cultivation, specifically formation arrays. She was more like their father in this regard. Sadly, with how things eventually evolved, she didn't have the opportunity to realize that potential. Cultivation was a costly endeavor, even in the early stages, were it not so, they would not have remained stuck in the bronze stage of the body refining realm for the few years they were at Purple City. They were even at risk of hidden injuries because they couldn't afford the diet requirements of their cultivation base.
But an opportunity had finally arrived. Zou Yi couldn't hide his excitement which wasn't for him but to see the heights his sister could reach.
While he didn't look down on his own potential, he knew his sister's odds were higher than his. He was already prepared for the potential that he might not make it through and if he didn't, he would be okay with it. He could work at the restaurant with the Wang couple. But he had resolved himself to do everything in his power to ensure his sister made it through, it was the least he could do as her brother.
…
"It's pretty profound, I can't believe big brother Yang Qing decided to share it with us. Even at the clan, it is rare to see something like this being handed out. Only the prized clan members, like father, would…" her voice trailed out as a melancholic look appeared on her face.
"This is a chance to make Mom and Dad proud, even Grandpa. Maybe when we are done with the exam, we can try and send him the good news," Zou Yi gently said as he tried to raise his sister's spirits.
"Mmh," Zou Liqin nodded as she clenched her fists and refocused back on the booklet.
"The 108 steps autumn cultivation art addresses everything at every stage, it even has different potion baths and recipes we need for each stage in the body refining realm.
I can't believe how expansive it is, especially the recipes of the silver body stage and the varied ways of achieving," Zou Liqin said with clear excitement in her tone.
"It even has accompanying techniques to help with the breakthroughs and understanding of the art. What do you think could be its grade, Zou Yi?" Zo Yi eagerly asked with her eyes and palms glued to the booklet the more she read it.
"I don't know, but considering how expansive it is, it should not be less than the blue grade," Zou Yi answered.
"Liqin, based on Brother Yang Qing's words, the special zones may very well have the resources and equipment to make the baths and the potion.
Since he said the test is wholesome and will allow the participants to display their different strengths across different subjects, I think alchemy is one of them. All these provided recipes prove that fact.." added Zou Yi as he sunk into further contemplation.
"I think we need to team up with other people," firmly said Zou Yi after a brief pause.
"But isn't that dangerous, what if…" her eyes darted to the yellow-haired lady who had asked Yang Qing whether attacking other participants is allowed.
Her insinuation was clear. She was worried they may get attacked or worse get used as fodder during the test.
