"Hey, Xiao! Over here!" As Xiao stood in the middle of the gathering, where all the other kids were staying away from him, he heard a cheerful, young girl's voice calling out to him. Hearing the girl's voice, Xiao sighed inwardly and looked towards the girl who was running towards him, waving.
"What do you want, Yun Yurou?" Xiao replied with an unenthusiastic voice. The girl, Yun Yurou, who was his cousin and the daughter of one of his uncles, pouted in displeasure. Like the rest of the kids, she was seven years old with black eyes, black hair, and a cute face. Her hair was braided on the sides, making her look even cuter.
"Mou~~ Don't be such a spoilsport! You know today's the day we get a chance to be chosen for cultivation, right!?" Yun Yurou said, coming closer to Xiao and shaking his shoulders with an excited expression. Xiao's head started to ache upon seeing her enthusiasm. Most of the time, Xiao preferred to stay away from other kids because he found it annoying, but this girl kept disturbing him. Even if he told her to go away or shouted at her, she still insisted on playing with him.
It all started after he accidentally saved her from bullying. He didn't know the reason or care, but he ended up saving her when he went to find the kids who had hurt his sister. Now, he wished he could change that moment if he could. Xiao rubbed his head in frustration as he responded to Yun Yurou.
"Yun Yurou, don't you have someone else to go and bother?"
"Nope, only you," she replied with a cute smile. Xiao started to avoid her while she continued to pursue him. Meanwhile, a discussion was taking place among the powerful elders and family members gathered at the table. Yun Qing, Xiao's father, spoke to his father, the head of the family.
"Father, who do you think will show us a good performance this year?"
Hearing Yun Qing's question, Yun Hao, Xiao's grandfather, remained silent as he keenly observed the kids gathered on the grounds. His gaze briefly flashed to Xiao before he calmly spoke.
"I think your eldest son might show something interesting this year."
"My son?" Yun Qing turned his head towards Xiao, who was currently trying to escape from the persistent Yun Yurou. He looked at his son intently for a moment before turning back to his father.
"Is there a specific reason, Father?"
"Just call it a hunch."
Upon hearing that it was a hunch, many of the people who were listening lost interest. However, some still remained vigilant, curious to see if Xiao would demonstrate anything special. The family continued discussing matters as time flew by.
As soon as the half-hour mark ended, one of the elders stood up and clapped his hands, causing a wave of sound to travel. This startled many of the kids, making them step back or fall. The surroundings grew quiet, and the elder nodded his head, preparing to speak.
"Greetings, everyone. My name is Yun Lie, and I hope you all are ready for your tests."
Upon hearing the elder's words, all the kids nodded their heads. Xiao inwardly shook his head at the scene. While he knew the full truth due to his second chance, the others did not. To truly feel powerlessness, true fear was required. He pitied the kids, but at the same time, it wasn't his concern right now.
Meanwhile, a man entered the gathering with an air of arrogance. He was middle-aged, rather handsome, wearing a beautiful blue robe with a symbol pinned to his chest—a picture of a globe protected by two wings. Seeing this person, many of the elders stood up and bowed.
The middle-aged man haughtily nodded in response, despite having less true strength than the elders. This was because he was a World Spirit Master. Seeing the symbol on the middle-aged man, many felt envy, including Xiao. However, his envy quickly turned into determination as a resolute expression filled his face.
'This time, I will succeed,' Xiao swore to himself. World Spirit Masters were different from cultivators. They possessed a World Spirit Core within them and could harness World Spirit Energy. They could connect to the spirit world and use that energy to grow stronger. World Spirit Masters were an amazing branch of cultivation, with their energy being beautiful and focused on causing miracles. They could perform extraordinary feats with World Spirit Energy.
World Spirit Masters were highly respected wherever they went, and no one dared to insult them as long as the World Spirit Association existed. Xiao deepened his gaze as he observed the middle-aged man, who walked haughtily towards Yun Hao. However, upon reaching him, the middle-aged man respectfully bowed.
Yun Hao nodded in acknowledgment. World Spirit Masters were very rare, and even in the Yun family, there were only two of them. The one before him had only reached the Spirit Fusion level. As for the cultivation levels of World Spirit Masters, they were as follows:
World Sensing
World Spiritual Movement
World Spiritual Rotation
World Spirit
World Spirit Fusion
World Spirit Transformation
World Spirit Completion
It was said that one could only be a true World Spirit Master after reaching World Spirit Completion. Of course, there were many further steps even after that. Xiao kept his eyes fixed on the World Spirit Master, knowing that he had to seize this opportunity.
Taking his seat next to Yun Hao, the middle-aged man attracted the attention of the other elders. The elder who introduced himself as Yun Lie then spoke.
"Let's begin."
Before the kids could fully comprehend, the World Spirit Master snapped his fingers, and a gentle and soothing blue light emitted from his hands. He skillfully moved his hands, and the blue light surrounded the kids. Many of them felt panic, but the blue light seemed to calm their worries.
With a click, a formation appeared beneath the kids. The older people watched enviously as the middle-aged man created the formation. Suddenly, a bright light enveloped all the kids, and they vanished, leaving no trace behind.
In a series of blue flashes, the kids started appearing in different parts of the forest. As the blue light dissipated, Xiao opened his eyes, feeling the scent of the forest and the gentle wind brushing against his face. One might even mistake it for being a real world, but the formation in place ensured that even if one died, they would be expelled from the illusion alive. Only after passing the test would the truth of fear and death become apparent. However, at this moment, it wasn't Xiao's concern.
With quick and nimble movements, he headed towards the nearby shrubs. Getting closer, he took sniffs but didn't detect any particular scent. He rejoiced inwardly.
'Good, this place doesn't seem to be marked by any animals.'
First, he needed to find a place to hide and locate a clean water source for drinking. He also needed to map out the area to identify any dangerous beasts. Xiao didn't hesitate as he picked up some dirt and rubbed it all over his body to mask his scent. Once he made sure he would be invisible within the trees, he began to move.
It was time to hunt!