The reason why the Zhao Kingdom is so powerful in terms of military strength is largely due to its connection with the Tianjian Sect. The Tianjian Sect is a top-tier faction in the Lingwu Continent, and its influence is far beyond ordinary people's imagination.
Every four years, the Tianjian Sect announces an open recruitment of disciples in the city of Wu'an, lasting for three days. These disciples become the reserves of the Tianjian Sect, known as outer disciples in the eyes of the world. They undergo rigorous selection by the Tianjian Sect and strive to become outer disciples, a source of great pride.
Therefore, every time the Tianjian Sect publicly recruits disciples, Wu'an City becomes extremely crowded. At this moment, Jiang Yun has already deeply felt the bustling scene, which reminds him of the Spring Festival travel rush in his past life.
The recruitment process of the Tianjian Sect consists of three tests: strength, intelligence, and swordsmanship.
The strength test is straightforward and brutal. Within the Tianjian Sect, there is a peak called Giant Stone Peak, which produces a type of stone known as Leadstone. The quality of Leadstone is tens of times larger than that of ordinary stones. A single stone can weigh thousands of kilograms, and if someone cannot lift it with one hand, they will be eliminated.
However, this strength test is likely to eliminate most warriors, as the ability to single-handedly lift a stone weighing thousands of kilograms requires a cultivation level of at least Qi Martial Fifth Layer.
The intelligence test revolves around the understanding of the Tianjian Sect's swordsmanship. A sword expert from the sect will personally ask questions, and if one cannot provide a reasonable answer, they will be eliminated. This test is likely to eliminate even more candidates.
The sword test is the core of the Tianjian Sect, which holds swordsmanship in high regard. All disciples of the sect excel in swordsmanship. The final test involves combat using swordsmanship. To pass, one must withstand ten moves from an inner disciple.
Although the Tianjian Sect only recruits outer disciples every four years, people from the Zhao Kingdom eagerly flock to join, and even individuals from other countries undertake long journeys to seize a chance to become an outer disciple.
At this moment, Jiang Yun arrives at the square where the Tianjian Sect is recruiting disciples. The place is bustling with people, illustrating its popularity.
There are three young people sitting at the registration desk. Jiang Yun joins a long queue before finally reaching the desk. One of the young men, dressed in white and exuding an elegant demeanor, asks, "What's your name?"
"Jiang Yun."
Upon hearing this name, all three at the registration desk cast their gaze on him, leaving Jiang Yun puzzled.
"You're Jiang Yun?" the young man in white asks in astonishment. His gaze seems somewhat skeptical because Jiang Yun's current cultivation level is only at Body Martial Third Layer. This doesn't match the legendary Jiang Yun he has heard about.
"It's true. Could there be others with the same name?" Jiang Yun asks in confusion. In theory, these lofty inner disciples of the Tianjian Sect shouldn't know about an unknown person like him.
"From Yan Kingdom?" the young man in white seems to confirm Jiang Yun's identity.
"Yes, from Yan Kingdom," Jiang Yun nods.
The three young men now confirm Jiang Yun's identity and exchange some whispered words before casting a strange look at him. The young man in white hands Jiang Yun a wooden number plate.
"Testing platform three."
Jiang Yun receives the number plate with confusion and follows the instructions to Testing Platform Three. Due to the large number of candidates, he can only sit at the back and wait for those ahead to finish their challenges.
"Brother, how's the situation ahead? How many people have passed the first test so far?"
Some latecomers begin asking those who arrived earlier for updates.
"There were over sixty people who went up to challenge the first test ahead of me. But only four or five managed to pass it, the rest were eliminated. You seem familiar to me, by the way."
"The competition is still this tough, only one in ten passes. Hehe, I participated in the disciple selection four years ago. Though I was eliminated in the first test, I believe I can pass it this year."
"Oh, no wonder I found you familiar. Turns out we're in the same boat. I also came four years ago and got eliminated in the first test. Let's encourage each other."
Listening to the discussions among the candidates ahead, Jiang Yun gains some information. It's indeed strict to eliminate one-tenth of the candidates in just the first test, reflecting the rigorous nature of this challenge.
After about an hour, it was finally Jiang Yun's turn to step onto the stage. The two people ahead of him did not advance past the first test. However, they seemed accustomed to it, as there was no trace of disappointment on their faces.
As he stepped onto the stage, Jiang Yun saw two enormous stones, each requiring one person to lift. Considering that the previous ten or so participants hadn't made it, it was evident that these stones were quite extraordinary.
"Are you Jiang Yun? From Yan Kingdom?" The Tianjian Sect disciple in front of the testing platform took Jiang Yun's wooden number plate, which bore his name and number. Looking at it, the disciple asked in surprise.
Jiang Yun wasn't the first person to be asked this question, so he nodded without much thought, saying, "Yes."
The disciple looked at him sternly for a moment, then said, "Follow me. Your testing point is not here."
Jiang Yun felt puzzled. Everyone else had been tested on this platform, so why was he being treated differently? However, as he reached the so-called "different" testing point, anger surged within him.
The giant stone placed before Jiang Yun was obviously much larger than the one he had seen earlier. The disciple gave him a sidelong glance and impatiently said, "Lift this giant stone with one hand. That's the requirement to pass."
This special testing point wasn't far from Testing Platform Three, and many had already noticed that this stone was bigger. However, nobody else had attempted to lift it, and many didn't pay much attention to it.
Jiang Yun was the first person brought to this spot, and those waiting for their turn to test couldn't help but take pleasure in his misfortune.
"Haha, did that guy offend the assessors of the Tianjian Sect? It seems like his stone is much larger than ours. Looks like we'll have one less competitor."
"It's a sight to behold. But considering his strength is only at Body Martial Third Layer, I doubt he could lift even a normal testing stone with one hand. This is clearly intentional. He must have really pissed someone off."
Amidst the malicious remarks of the onlookers, Jiang Yun suppressed his inner anger. He approached the massive stone slowly, even though he was aware that someone was deliberately setting him up. He had no choice; rules were set by others, and if he didn't comply, he might not even get a chance.
Jiang Yun squatted down slowly, activating the Nine Li Divine Art. He inserted one hand into the bottom of the stone and channeled his entire spiritual energy, causing the stone to lift a few centimeters. However, even lifting it by this small margin made his face flush.
This stone weighed at least several thousand jin, and despite Jiang Yun's exertion of spiritual energy, he could only manage to lift it a mere five centimeters. To advance, the requirement was to lift the stone to chest level and hold it for five seconds.