Emperor Qiankun

Chapter 469 Guo Shi'an's first stage of assessment begins!

Time flows like a gentle stream, passing by slowly and steadily.

The crowd waited anxiously for about the time it takes for three incense sticks to burn.

The once calm air suddenly stirred with an unusual ripple.

In the distance, a cultivator flew through the air, his robes fluttering like a shooting star streaking across the sky, exuding an aura that drew attention.

The sudden commotion startled everyone present.

Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to look.

There stood a middle-aged man in a Taoist robe, his face resolute and righteous, like a towering mountain, inspiring awe.

Behind him followed a large group of people, all hurrying towards him.

The middle-aged man soon arrived at a platform for ascending dragons.

The Rising Dragon Platform stood tall and imposing. He stood on the platform, looking down at the dense crowd below, his eyes revealing a sense of majesty and composure.

He glanced around briefly, then cleared his throat, his voice booming like a bell, echoing through the air:

"I am Guo Shi'an, the city lord of Tianji City and an elder of the Tianji Pavilion."

"Today, I will serve as the chief examiner for this Heavenly Pride Assembly, and the deacons of the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion behind me will be the proctors."

"This first stage of the assessment is very simple."

"All teenagers participating in the Heavenly Pride Tournament can ascend the Dragon Ascension Platform and touch the Soul Purification Stone."

"This Soul Purification Stone tests one's physical constitution and age, and two's innate talent and endowment, and is divided into seven levels: red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple."

"Anyone under the age of thirty who has reached the Yellow level of talent has passed and can proceed to the next stage."

"...But don't blame me for being blunt, if anyone is found to be a fraud, they will be expelled from Tianji City immediately!"

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As soon as he finished speaking, the previously quiet audience erupted into a cacophony of voices.

"I wonder how accurate the Soul Purification Stone is at testing talent. If it's wrong, I'll be wrongly accused."

A thin, young cultivator frowned and spoke with a worried expression.

"Hmph, how difficult could it be? I'm exceptionally talented, I'll definitely pass it easily, and I'll shine brightly at this Gathering of Prodigies, making everyone remember my name!"

A burly, confident-looking cultivator patted his chest and said loudly.

"Oh dear, I heard that the Soul Purification Stone is very strict. If you don't reach the Yellow-level talent, you won't even be able to pass the first stage. That would be too embarrassing."

A pretty female cultivator bit her lip, her eyes filled with nervousness.

"Whatever, let's go up and give it a try first. Maybe I'm the genius!"

A young man dressed in splendid clothes, fanning himself with a folding fan, spoke nonchalantly.

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Also at this moment.

As if a signal flare had exploded in the crowd, the young cultivators rushed toward the Dragon Ascension Platform.

The scene was like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea, or like ten thousand horses galloping.

Their eyes gleamed with excitement and anticipation, as if a broad road to glory lay ahead.

A young monk was the first to ascend to the Dragon Ascension Platform.

He took a deep breath, slowly extended his trembling hand, and gently touched the dark Soul Cleansing Stone.

In an instant, an orange light burst forth.

The light, though not dazzling, was still clearly visible.

However, the young cultivator's face instantly turned deathly pale, his eyes filled with sorrow.

It turned out that he was old enough, but his talent only reached the orange level, so he was unfortunately not selected and did not even pass the first stage.

He stood blankly on the stage, as if his soul had been ripped away, muttering to himself:

"How could this happen? I'm considered a genius back home. I came here hoping to make a name for myself, but I never expected this..."

As she spoke, two streams of tears slid down her cheeks.

And at the same time.

Another young monk also ascended the Dragon Ascension Platform.

He touched the Soul Cleansing Stone with equal nervousness.

When a yellow light appeared, a look of joy instantly appeared on his face.

He was old enough and had the talent to reach the Yellow level, so he barely passed the test.

He waved his arms excitedly and shouted:

"I passed! I passed!"

He looked as if he had won the lottery.

Although he barely passed, for him, taking this first step was already a great success.

After all, the second stage is the main event, and he still has the opportunity to shine even brighter on this stage!

The next moment, cultivators ascended from each of the three hundred Ascending Dragon Platforms.

They all stretched out their palms and touched the Soul Cleansing Stone.

In an instant, various colors rose and fell, lighting up one after another.

Like fireworks blooming in the night sky, dazzling and colorful.

Some cultivators left the stage looking dejected; their talents had not met the requirements, and they could only leave this stage full of hope with no choice.

Some cultivators, after passing the test, shouted excitedly and were extremely thrilled.

They waved their arms and hugged those around them in celebration, as if they could already see their glorious future ahead.

The entire assessment site was bustling with activity, filled with an atmosphere of tension and anticipation, joy and sorrow.

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Li Qingyuan and his group watched as the cultivators surged toward the Ascending Dragon Platform like a tidal wave.

Knowing that there would be little chance of cutting in line if I went forward now, I wasn't in a hurry.

They found a spacious and quiet open space, sat down leisurely, took a short rest, and quietly waited for their opportunity.

Time flows by like a gentle stream, passing by unnoticed.

Before we knew it, three hours had passed.

At this moment, nearly 30,000 cultivators have successively ascended the Ascending Dragon Platform, touched the Soul Purification Stone, and tested their own aptitude and talent.

During this period, a few cultivators, hoping to take advantage of the situation, attempted to muddy the waters and pass themselves off as experts.

The moment their hands touched the Soul Purification Stone, the stone instantly emitted a dazzling red light.

At the same time, a sharp and urgent warning sound was emitted, as if angrily rebuking the misconduct of these violators.

Guo Shi'an, the city lord of Tianji City, had keen eyesight and immediately noticed these anomalies.

His face darkened, a flash of anger crossing his eyes, and he immediately gave orders to the Heavenly Mystery Pavilion stewards around him:

"Quickly apprehend that violator and throw him out of Tianji City. Don't let them break the rules of this conference!"

Upon receiving the order, the deacons acted swiftly.

Like a tiger descending a mountain, they subdued those cultivators who tried to deceive them and dragged them out of Tianji City without any mercy.

This scene left many middle-aged and elderly people who harbored illusions speechless with astonishment.

They had initially thought they might be able to find a loophole...

Seeing that the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion was taking this so seriously and showing no mercy, he was so frightened that his face turned pale and he no longer dared to have any reckless thoughts.

They had no choice but to leave.

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Time passed, and another three hours went by.

at this time.

A young man, as tall as a small mountain, ascended the Rising Dragon Platform.

He was over two meters tall, with a robust and muscular build and a mature-looking face.

The moment he reached out his strong palm and touched the Soul Cleansing Stone.

The Soul Purification Stone instantly emitted a dazzling cyan light!

The light, like a brilliant blue sun, illuminated the entire venue, instantly causing a huge uproar.

It should be noted that before this, no one had ever been able to make the Soul Purifying Stone emit such a high level of cyan light.

The cultivators in the arena immediately erupted in a clamor, with discussions surging like a tidal wave.

"My God, a blue light! This proves that its talent is truly extraordinary! I've lived for so many years, and I've only seen this a handful of times!"

An elderly cultivator with white hair stared wide-eyed, his face filled with shock.

"Who exactly is this person? With such talent, he is bound to become a giant in the future!"

A young cultivator sighed with envy.

"Sigh, he truly deserves to be called a prodigy. Compared to him, we are like clouds and mud!"

The other cultivator shook his head helplessly, his eyes filled with disappointment.

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