The moment the middle-aged man appeared, the three men and the woman in the pocket world greeted him with deference.
"Martial Uncle Mo!"
"Martial Uncle Mo!"
The Myriad God Ridge's test was held very frequently, so it was sufficient for the personal disciples to preside over it. But if the sect's divine item was being taken out, an expert at the Elder level was needed.
When the middle-aged man appeared, Yi Yun sensed an aura as vast as the seas. He immediately withdrew his perception.
"Oh?" Mo Shanqing looked up, seemingly sensing something.
"Master Uncle, what's the matter?"
"Nothing…" Mo Shanqing shook his head. "Maybe there's some old fellow interested in our Myriad God Ridge's test. It doesn't matter. There’s no point in coveting our Myriad God Ridge's divine item."
Mo Shanqing didn't bother over who was there. Although his presiding over the test involved the sect's divine item, he could not influence the divine item at all. It was even more impossible for others.
"I'll be staying in this pocket world and not going out. All of you can go out and continue the procedure as usual," Mo Shanqing said indifferently.
He had no interest towards such a test. The candidates that registered were of too low a standard and it was basically a waste of his time. Trying to find someone that could stir the divine item in a test was too difficult.
"Yes, Martial Uncle Mo!"
The four acceded to the order and stepped out of the stone gateway.
The warriors on the square saw a light membrane appear out of thin air from the stone gateway. Following that, four Myriad God Ridge disciples dressed in purple stepped out of the void.
"Purple clothes and golden words. They are personal disciples of the Myriad God Ridge!"
Many of those that had come numerous times were not surprised by this scene. Only the candidates that were there for the first time were astonished.
However, be it a newcomer or an experienced candidate, all of them showed pangs of envy towards the four Myriad God Ridge personal disciples.
They were personal disciples after all. Most of these candidates, even if they managed to become Myriad God Ridge disciples, would very likely be outer sect disciples, which was a glorified way of saying they did miscellaneous chores. There was a huge gap between them and personal disciples.
The quartet was already accustomed to being the object of envy. Their purple clothes made them the highlight of wherever they were.
"Welcome, fellow warriors participating in our Myriad God Ridge's recruitment test. Our Myriad God Ridge selects disciples primarily based on their wisdom roots! If one possesses a wisdom root, regardless of how bad their cultivation level is, they would be able to enter our Myriad God Ridge and become at least an inner sect disciple!"
"We feel sorry for those that do not have the wisdom root. But then, at least, we can consider you based on bone age and talent. However, we do not consider anyone that has not entered the Dao Manifestation realm before the age of hundred. Even if they have entered the Dao Palace realm, we would need to ascertain their nomological insights."
The person who introduced the recruitment rules was Senior Brother Ji.
There were three aspects of the Myriad God Ridge's recruitment test. The first aspect evaluated one's wisdom root, the second tested their cultivation level and bone age, while the third tested one's laws.
In fact, with so many people gathered, a large number of the candidates did not even meet the second aspect's standards. They pinned all their hopes on the first aspect.
No one knew what the wisdom root was. Only the Myriad God Ridge paid attention to it. For many, it was their only chance to make a meteoric rise.
However, over the many years of testing, the number of people with wisdom roots were few and far between.
"Alright, without further ado, let's begin now!"
Senior Brother Ji waved his hand as he spoke. The stone gateway's light screen flashed as a gray mist flew out from it.
The moment the mist appeared, the atmosphere changed immediately. What was once a bustling square turned into a gray and fuzzy scene. A strong repressive feeling made people unable to speak. The warriors with weaker cultivation levels had to stop themselves from kneeling towards the gray mist.
The gray mist gradually rose into the sky, fusing with the layer of clouds. Finally, it formed a gigantic gray vortex that spun slowly. In its black core, lightning spewed out as though it was connected to another world.
"This is…"
Yi Yun squinted his eyes as he could see a bronze cauldron through the black vortex. The cauldron had three feet and two handles. The walls of the cauldron were thick and unadorned. There was a swirling black divine dragon engraved on it and, as wisps of black gases spewed out of the cauldron, the divine dragon seemed to come to life as it was immersed in the black gases.
"This is the Ascending Dragon Cauldron, which is also the cornerstone item of the Myriad God Ridge," Senior Brother Ji said proudly. Although the cauldron was claimed to be the cornerstone item of the Myriad God Ridge, even the Patriarch could not refine and control it.
They could only conjure it, but there was no worry that someone might snatch it up. The cauldron was sentient, so no one would be able to take it.
"Now, produce a drop of your blood and cast it into the cauldron. If you can cause the Ascending Dragon Cauldron to resonate, it's considered a pass! You will become our sect's inner-sect disciple!"
"If you can cause the Ascending Dragon Cauldron to produce a sliver of divine light, you can become a core disciple of our Myriad God Ridge!"
"If you can stir the Ascending Dragon Cauldron, as long as you do not have atrocious talent, you can even become a personal disciple!"
Senior Brother Ji did not continue after saying that. In fact, stirring the Ascending Dragon Cauldron might even produce treasures. That was what the Patriarch was truly looking out for.
However, that was a secret of the Myriad God Ridge. Only personal disciples were allowed to know of it, so there was no need for him to announce it in public.
"Then, let's begin now! All you need to do is to cast a drop of blood!"
"A drop of blood?"
Yi Yun frowned slightly. He did not mind if it were only his perception, but if he needed to cast his blood, which contained his lifeblood mark, he had a nagging feeling that it wasn't safe.
Yet at that very moment, there were examinees beside Yi Yun who had already bitten their fingers and flicked a drop of their blood from their fingertips.
They naturally did not consider things as much as Yi Yun. The Myriad God Ridge's recruitment test had been held numerous times and, every time, nearly ten thousand people cast their blood into the Ascending Dragon Cauldron.
They watched as their blood flew into the vortex, but most of the blood droplets were instantly dissipated by the violent Yuan Qi when they flew into the vortex. They became blood mists that eventually vanished.
Less than ten percent of the remaining blood drops reached the Ascending Dragon Cauldron.
However, they directly disappeared upon contact with the Ascending Dragon Cauldron as though they had been absorbed.
The Ascending Dragon Cauldron did not undergo any changes. It remained floating amid the huge vortex as its massive and majestic stance repressed the heaven and earth.
Many people were unwilling to admit defeat. They continued watching the blood that had been splattered elsewhere, hoping that a miracle would happen. However, the Ascending Dragon Cauldron remained unyielding like a mountain. They had ultimately failed.
"It's too difficult."
Some people shook their heads. What exactly was this 'wisdom root?' How was it possible to stir the Ascending Dragon Cauldron?
Yi Yun watched all of this silently. After the first batch of people failed, another batch of people bit open their fingers and flicked their blood.
The cauldron was odd! Just as Yi Yun was pondering over the matter, he suddenly saw that, in a corner of the square, Old Snake also looked up at the floating Ascending Dragon Cauldron. Within his tiny eyes, there was an inadvertent glint.
Oh? This old man…
Was he interested in the Ascending Dragon Cauldron?
Yi Yun's impression of Old Snake was that of a jolly old scammer. It was rare to see him looking so serious.
Could it be…
Yi Yun suddenly realized a possibility. Perhaps the old man was spending his days in the Myriad God Ridge because of the Ascending Dragon Cauldron?
Recalling the conversation between the four Myriad God Ridge personal disciples beyond the gateway, and how Old Snake was scalping tickets at the recruitment line, Yi Yun felt that it was not an impossible conclusion.