The number of candidates was quickly eliminated.
"Show me a few basic strokes."
"Do you know how to brew the heavenly lotus tea?"
"What is the White Spirit Hall renowned of?"
"Tell me the history of the six martial halls."
"Who is Fairy Jade Light? What is her background?"
Some of the questions asked were simply too ridiculous. It was suddenly obvious to many of the candidates that the grand elders were not particularly interested in selecting anyone of them as a core protégé.
A candidate replied eagerly, "Fairy Jade Light is the founder of the Heavens Ridge Villa." This was too easy for him. It seemed that he had a high chance of being a core protégé…
"No, she is the matriarch. You are out." This was the reply.
Another candidate was asked the same question and he answered confidently, "She is the matriarch of the Heavens Ridge Villa…"
"How dare you address our matriarch as just 'she'. This is too disrespectful. Out you go."
Everyone: …
In just a short while, nearly a hundred candidates had already been eliminated!
When it was Tang Bufan turn to face Celestial Shi Guanyin, he was told to display a sword stroke by a smiling Celestial Shi Guanyin who said. "Finally a decent one. He is a Third Realm Expert already. Not bad."
Tang Bufan immediately displayed a sword stroke that was imbued with sword energies enveloping around his sword.
Many of the candidates and even protégés were gasping, "He has grasped the principles of the sword energies already."
Celestial Bai Laoxiong from the White Spirit Hall turned to smile at Celestial Shi Guanyin, "If you don't want him, I want him."
Celestial Shi Guanyin chuckled softly, "Too bad, I do want him." She raised a flag, indicating that she had selected a core protégé and that she was no longer accepting any core protégés.
Elder Ouyang said aloud, "Protégé Tang Bufan, you are now a core protégé of the Red Heaven Sword Hall."
Tang Bufan was smiling with pride when he saw that he was now in the limelight. He bowed respectfully to Celestial Shi Guanyin, "Master, your Protégé Tang Bufan pays my humble respect to you."
Celestial Shi Guanyin was pleased and said, "Good, good. Go stand at that corner first with the other core protégés."
With a haughty air, Tang Bufan began to walk to the corner where the other core protégés were. He even had the mood to cast a glance at Lu Qingyun as he curved his lips at him.
Lu Qingyun smiled bitterly when he saw that. He was only a First Realm Expert and compared to Tang Bufan who was a Third Realm Expert, he was really nothing at all. But this was something that he did not mind.
By now, he had already known that getting to be a core protégé was really such a difficult thing. He was forced to throw his dreams away. Even if he had known that Qin Keqin was in one of the six martial halls, it was quite impossible for him to be selected.
Another candidate was soon selected. This candidate was a young man who was a Second Realm Expert. The grand elder of the Crystal Cloud Spirit Hall, Immortal Celestial Wang Ming had chosen him as he said, "This lad does have some potential. I am willing to use the resources of my hall to groom him."
Soon it was Lu Qingyun turned to face the grand elder of the Yellow Hills Martial Hall, Immortal Celestial Yun Xing. She did not even glance as him as she asked, "Why do you want to join the Heavens Ridge Villa?"
Lu Qingyun replied politely, "Before my old master had passed away, he hoped that I can join a sect so that I can have a proper three meals a day and a place to cultivate."
When everyone had heard him, they were all laughing nonstop.
"Well…" Immortal Celestial Yun Xing had suddenly taken a curious glance at him as she said lazily, "That isn't a good reason. Therefore you've failed the examination."
Lu Qingyun was not surprised by the result but he could not help saying, "I have given an honest reply. Do you rather want to hear some fantastic stories that aren't true?"
Everyone was startled by his remarks and they were muttering, "He is courting his own death by speaking so rudely to Immortal Celestial Yun Xing…"
"He actually dared to be rude to a grand elder…"
"Tsk, tsk. Immortal Celestial Yun Xing is actually very petty. He is in serious trouble…"
Immortal Celestial Yun Xing was clearly offended by his audacity and said coldly, "Elder Ouyang, I want him to be in quiet confinement for a month. After that, he will be assigned to some heavy chores…"
"And what if I don't agree?" A maiden with a slim waist who was dressed in black, was standing at the entrance all of a sudden, surprising everyone by her sudden presence. She had a curtain veil over her headdress and only her beautiful small pink lips could be seen.
"Who is she?"
"How dare she interrupt the examination?"
"Is she courting trouble?"
"Should we seize her?"
Lu Qingyun was startled and was suddenly excited. It was because he had recognized Qin Keqin's voice and her beautiful form!
All the elders were startled and some had even turned ashen as they all quickly greeted, "Celestial Qin…" It seemed that they had recognized the maiden in black.
All the protégés were startled why their elders were all so polite and afraid of her…
Elder Ouyang quickly shouted to everyone, "Hurry up and greet Celestial Qin…"
Qin Keqin faint smile could be seen as she said, "Please disperse with all formalities. I am just curious who the candidates are."
Then she pointed at Lu Qingyun, "I think that this young fellow here seems impressive enough. Moreover he seems to have a wisp of a ninth rank spirit flame. If I'm not wrong, he has a wisp of the Golden Roc Flame within him."
Everyone was startled when they heard that Lu Qingyun had a wisp of a ninth rank spirit flame and moreover it was a Golden Roc Flame!
Lu Qingyun was thinking, "She can't be wrong because she already known."
Qin Keqin purposely asked him, "What is your name?"
Lu Qingyun replied politely, "Lu Qingyun is this protégé's name."
"Good. Protégé Qingyun, why don't you show everyone your spirit flame?"
Lu Qingyun nodded quietly as he displayed his palm to muster a wisp of fire.
When the wisp of fire was shown, all the elders were in awe…
"He really has a ninth rank spirit flame…"
"What a monstrous genius…"
"If it is not for Celestial Qin, we would have missed such a talent…"
Qin Keqin smiled alluringly, "Good! I want him to be my core protégé then."
When she had said that, all the elders were stunned and some had even dropped their jaws.
"Erm Celestial Qin…" Immortal Celestial Yun Xing protested weakly, "We don't want to trouble you. Why don't I take him in? Since he is already in my queue…"
Qin Keqin smiled and said gently, "This won't do. I must have him as my core protégé. My decision is final. Please help me to make the necessary arrangements."
She seemed to cast Lu Qingyun with a smile before she walked off.
When she was gone, all the protégés were muttering. "Who is she?"
"How come we have never seen her before?"
"She can accept a core protégé?"
"Which martial hall does she belong to?"
Elder Ouyang was stammering as he said to Lu Qingyun, "Senior, please take a seat with the elders…"
When all the protégés heard Elder Ouyang, they almost fell down flat on the floor. Did Elder Ouyang just call Lu Qingyun his senior and had just offered him a seat with the rest of the elders?!
Even Tang Bufan was staring at Lu Qingyun with disbelief. Did he hear right? What was going on?"
Even Lu Qingyun could not believe his very ears!
Celestial Shi Guanyin saw the confusion among the protégés, she said, "Next time when everyone see Celestial Qin, you ought to pay your humble respect to her. She has only arrived lately and told us to be discreet about it. She is actually the direct disciple of Fairy Jade Light and is also her successor. In short, while she is here, she is also our acting sect leader."
Everyone, including Lu Qingyun was startled. She was actually their sect leader!
Celestial Kong Guxin added with a bitter smile, "She is also the only daughter of Fairy Jade Light."
All the protégés were stunned by this revelation!
Lu Qingyun was smiling bitterly as he thought, "I've almost wrong her a third time. She really did not lie to me. But I've never expected her to be the sect leader and also the daughter of Fairy Jade Light…"
All of a sudden Lu Qingyun was feeling the stares of everyone on him…
It was because by now all the protégés had realized that Lu Qingyun was not only a core protégé but he was also a direct disciple of the sect leader!
In short, his sect ranking was even higher than the elders!
It was no wonder why Elder Ouyang was suddenly very polite to him and had even offered a seat with the elders!
Tang Bufan simply could not believe that he had already offended such a powerful figure and he was rueing already.
As for Lu Qingyun, his thoughts were filled with Qin Keqin. It seemed to him that he had known her for a very long time. Even when he had not seen her face, he was already drawn to her…