Chapter 431 - 233: The Assessment Begins! A Peerless Demon Fiend Appears! Jiang Che Shocks Everyone

That was a clash of Divine Thoughts between Great Powers of the True Mastery Realm!

The red-robed official wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and quickly continued:

"Ahem... Venerable Ones, please calm yourselves. Please. Besides those two peerless prodigies, there are several other promising prospects in this selection. Though they may be a step behind, they are all still dragons among men."

"For example, there’s Lei Kuang, the Young Sect Leader of the Desert Mad Saber Sect. At thirty-one, he is already at the peak of the Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm! His Mad Thunder Saber Technique is ferocious and unmatched!"

"And then there’s the successor from East Sea Penglai Island, Long Yu’er. At twenty-eight, she’s at the late-stage of the Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm. She excels in Illusion Techniques and Body Techniques, and possesses a sharp and perceptive mind."

"None of them are very old, and their potential is equally astonishing."

Listening to the official’s introductions, the three Elders finally retracted their auras and settled back onto their thrones.

But when their gazes met, sparks still flew between them.

On the surface, they were amicable and venerable masters.

In reality, however, each was secretly scheming, planning what conditions to offer to snatch these true Seed candidates—especially Xiong Tong and Nalan Ruoshui—for their own Sects!

After all, a genius of this caliber was a rarity seen only once every few decades, even for the Three Top Sects!

Whoever managed to recruit them would be adding a future top-tier combatant to their Sect!

Nominally, this assessment was to select members for His Majesty’s Celestial Strategy Guard, who would then be fostered by the Three Major Sects.

But on the path of cultivation, lineage was paramount.

Once they learned a Sect’s core Cultivation Technique and formed a master-disciple bond, they would forever be branded with the Sect’s mark!

For the rest of their lives, they would be a person of the Sect, and in death, a ghost of the Sect!

What’s more, the political winds of the imperial court were fickle and unpredictable.

To put it bluntly, if His Majesty were to meet an unfortunate demise one day...

...it would be questionable whether this so-called "Celestial Strategy Guard" would even continue to exist!

At that point, wouldn’t these prodigies, already deeply bound to their Sects, have no choice but to obediently return and serve their Sect?

...

Below the high platform, the assessment was in full swing.

As time went on, teams from one State Mansion after another took to the stage.

Although most participants were still in the Refining Organ Realm, a few geniuses who had just entered the True Master Realm would occasionally appear, drawing gasps of surprise from the crowd.

However, to the true experts, these "geniuses" were utterly unremarkable.

Suddenly, a commotion rippled through the crowd.

A young man in gray robes with an indifferent expression walked slowly onto the high platform.

He wasted no words, simply raising a hand and pressing his palm against the Heaven-Reaching Stele.

HUMMM—

A brilliant light erupted!

EARLY-STAGE THIRD LAYER OF THE TRUE MASTER REALM

The entire arena was instantly in an uproar!

He was the contestant with the highest Realm to appear so far!

However, the four great personages on the high platform merely gave a passing glance and a slight nod, their expressions showing little reaction.

"Acceptable," Elder Su Wuming commented casually. "His foundation is solid enough. Barely worth a second glance."

Clearly, this level of talent was not enough to impress them.

After the tests for several more State Mansions concluded, a shout rose from the crowd.

"Look! It’s the successor from Penglai Island, Long Yu’er!"

Accompanied by a wave of gasps, a graceful figure drifted onto the stage.

The woman was clad in light silks, her figure enchanting, as if she had arrived by treading on the waves.

She walked to the front of the Heaven-Reaching Stele, extended her hand, and gently placed her palm upon its surface.

BOOM!!!

An azure light surged, shooting straight into the sky!

The writing on the stele’s surface instantly became crystal clear.

LATE-STAGE FOURTH LAYER OF THE TRUE MASTER REALM

This time, the entire arena went wild!

"My God! Late-stage Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm?!"

"That... that’s more than a whole Great Realm stronger than the previous guy at the Third Layer!"

"So this is the power of Penglai Island? It’s terrifying!"

On the high platform, the three previously listless Elders all nodded, their faces finally showing satisfaction.

"Not bad, not bad," Daoist Wu Wei said with a smile, stroking his beard. "To have such a high Cultivation at her age, and with True Qi as pure as water... she is a fine prospect."

「In the Cangyun Sect’s preparation area.」

Jiang Che’s eyes narrowed slightly as he stared at the graceful figure on the stage.

’Late-stage Fourth Layer of the True Master Realm...’

’Finally... I’ve met a peer who can actually put some pressure on me.’

He could sense that the True Qi in Long Yu’er’s body was profound and enduring, not the hollow facade of someone who had relied on Elixir Pills to advance.

If they were to fight, even he would have difficulty winning if he didn’t get serious.

Not far away, the expressions of the two brothers, Qin Xuange and Qin Wuya, also grew grim.

They had originally thought that after breaking through to the True Master Realm, they would be considered among the best in the land.

But now it seemed...

...that the advantage of their Realm, in front of these true monsters, seemed...

...not nearly as great as they had imagined!

Not long after.

Before the crowd’s shock could subside, an incredibly violent and savage aura suddenly enveloped the entire plaza!

THUD! THUD! THUD!

The heavy footsteps sounded like beating war drums. With every step, the entire plaza seemed to tremble!

A giant of a man, built like an iron tower, strode onto the high platform. He was bare-chested, his muscles bulging like rocks, and he exuded the savage aura of a Fierce Beast!

The successor from Northic Divine Beast Mountain.

Xiong Tong!

With no wasted motion, he walked to the Heaven-Reaching Stele, let out a low growl from deep in his throat, and slammed his massive, fan-like hand onto the stele with the force of a collapsing mountain!

RUMBLE!!!

The entire Heaven-Reaching Stele trembled violently. A pillar of azure light so dense it was almost tangible shot into the heavens, dyeing half the sky its color!