"Daoist Ling, please, spare them," Si Ruyi stepped in swiftly, blocking the path of the girl with bangs, her face full of helplessness. "If you keep going, they might be broken beyond repair."
"Since senior sister has spoken, I'll give you face," Ling Yun could tell Si Ruyi had the same status as Cui Huahua, so he didn't press further.
"But my friends here, with all their injuries..."
"I'll pay! I'll pay! Just don't hit me again!" the girl with bangs cried out in panic, clearly unwilling to endure more of this torment. She quickly handed over a storage pouch. "Here are 2,000 spirit stones for the injuries I caused your friends. And this additional 8,000 spirit stones are a personal apology to you."
Ling Yun was speechless. Even now, she was trying to seduce him.
"I'll accept the 2,000 for compensation. Keep the rest," Ling Yun replied coldly.
"Stop babbling and get lost!" Si Ruyi snapped, her frustration evident as she scolded the girl with bangs.
Realizing Si Ruyi's anger, the girl hurriedly limped away with her followers in tow.
Ling Yun tossed the spirit stones to Jian Mei, instructing her to distribute them among the group. He himself quickly booked a room to retreat into.
He was on the verge of a breakthrough.
After suppressing his cultivation for two months, the recent fight had unleashed a flood of spiritual energy, surging through his meridians like crashing waves.
Ling Yun activated the Eternal Sun Divine Art, calming the stormy energy.
Two minutes later, he smoothly broke through to the fifth level of Foundation Establishment.
"Finally, no more worries about an unstable foundation."
"Ding! Upon further assessment, the host actually reached the threshold for breakthrough a month ago."
Ling Yun's body stiffened. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"
"Ding! Host didn't ask."
Ling Yun cursed internally. This whole mess had happened because he lacked experience in cultivation. After all, he was still just a teenager, even though he stood at six feet tall.
...
Ten days later, a massive flying beast descended on a vast square, and Ling Yun, along with the others, disembarked.
As soon as he touched the ground, he was astonished.
The square seemed to stretch endlessly, with tens of thousands of flying beasts occupying it.
"Good luck with the trials," Cui Huahua said before hastily departing with her flying beast.
Around the square, countless experts in the Cave Heaven realm floated in midair, maintaining order and ensuring no one caused trouble.
Above them sat a dozen elders of the Sword Sect, deep in discussion.
"I wonder if there are any promising talents this year," Second Elder Gu Yan remarked.
"I've heard that at another recruitment site, a peerless prodigy with the Star-Moon Physique has appeared. At just over twenty, they've already reached the second level of the Cave Heaven realm," Fifth Elder chimed in.
"Hahaha, it seems our Sword Sect is destined to thrive," someone laughed.
"Third Elder, do you have any news?" Gu Yan asked, turning to a man in a white robe.
Ma Xuedong, the only male elder of the Sword Sect, was known for his deadly Ziwu Swallow Swords, which had claimed the lives of many enemies.
"No news, but I have made an interesting discovery. Look at that young man," Ma Xuedong said, pointing.
Following his gaze, the other elders saw a young man at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment.
"His cultivation level is decent, but I wonder about his talent," the tenth elder commented.
A fifth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator was impressive among the tens of thousands gathered, but not exactly a prodigy.
"Wait a moment. Why is this young man's Yang energy so overwhelming?" First Elder Mo Litian, known for her keen eyesight, immediately noticed something unusual.
"Hiss! Now that you mention it, I hadn't noticed before."
Ma Xuedong smiled. "If I'm not mistaken, this young man possesses an extremely rare Furnace Physique, with innate protections that shield him from being detected easily."
"An extreme Furnace Physique? Could it be the Falling Flower Yang Physique?"
"It doesn't seem like it. The Falling Flower Yang Physique would have been obvious from the start."
...
"Why do I feel like someone's watching me?" Ling Yun scanned the area but found nothing unusual.
"Silence!" A beautiful woman with flaming red hair floated above the square. Though her voice was soft, it resonated clearly in the minds of everyone present.
Immediately, the crowd fell silent.
"A Divine Soul expert!" Ling Yun was taken aback. The Sword Sect had sent such a high-level figure just for disciple recruitment.
"My name is Huo Yanyan. I am the elder in charge of recruitment this year. I will only say this once, so listen carefully," she declared.
'Huo Yanyan? What kind of ridiculous name is that? Why not just call yourself Xiao Yan?' Ling Yun mentally quipped.
"First, if you are over fifty years old and have not reached the first level of Foundation Establishment, leave now. Your travel expenses will be covered by the sect.
Second, those who remain will be tested using the Talent Stone. Those with special physiques may be directly promoted to inner or even elite disciple status.
Third, after the testing, those without special physiques will draw lots to compete in duels. The top 20,000 will remain."
"You have ten minutes to leave."
As soon as she finished speaking, murmurs filled the square, and people began to leave, albeit reluctantly. Some even tried to blend into the crowd, hoping to slip through unnoticed.
Ten minutes passed quickly.
Suddenly, a green light descended from the sky, scanning the crowd.
In that instant, a woman's body emitted a bright red glow, standing out sharply from those around her.
A Cave Heaven expert saw this and, without hesitation, grabbed the woman and threw her out of the square.
"Let me go! I just turned eighteen! You've made a mistake!"
"No! I came all this way. I won't accept this!"
"Don't touch me, or I'll scream harassment!"
...
Before long, only a few million people remained in the square.
"Now, everyone, line up and take turns touching this stone pillar," Huo Yanyan instructed, with a wave of her hand revealing several white pillars.
These were Talent Stones, made from rare materials found at the depths of the ocean, and the Sword Sect had only a handful of them.
Ling Yun found himself in the middle of the line, unable to see the front or the back. He had no idea when it would be his turn.
Suddenly, a burst of dazzling golden light erupted from one of the Talent Stones.
A dark-skinned woman stood next to it, looking utterly bewildered.
"A Battle God Physique!" Huo Yanyan flashed over to the girl, her face lighting up with joy as she examined her. "Hahaha! Little sister, what's your name?"
"My name is Tie Zhu," the girl answered.
"Good, Tie Zhu, why don't you go rest and have something to eat? You must be hungry," Huo Yanyan said, her tone suddenly as gentle as a mother's.
The Battle God Physique was every body cultivator's nightmare. Not only did it provide immense defense and regeneration, but it also increased speed and strength the longer the battle continued, with no upper limit.
The last time the Sword Sect had encountered someone with the Battle God Physique was thousands of years ago. Unfortunately, that individual had killed too many members of the Demonic Cult, drawing the ire of the cult's leaders. In the end, the Demonic Cult sent a group of top-tier experts to ambush and kill the wielder of the Battle God Physique in the Black Swamp, leaving no remains behind.
This incident had forever scarred the Sword Sect.