"The little girl has a very resolute will. Take this Qi Gathering Pill!" the deacon praised.
As he spoke, he even produced a medicinal pill and handed it to Yun Xiaoya.
Yun Xiaoya looked toward Yun Chen.
"Swallow it, lass, otherwise you won't have the strength to keep striking the bronze bell," Yun Chen said hastily, understanding what Yun Xiaoya meant.
Having held the bronze bell for so long, her internal spiritual energy was bound to be somewhat depleted. If she failed to ring the bell, she might not even make it into the Dayan Mountain outer gate, which would truly be a loss outweighing the gain.
"Hmph, it's just sheer luck. A mere Mid Spirit-Guiding Realm cultivator, I refuse to believe she can actually ring the bell," Yun Zhongfei said coldly.
Yun Shanshan also nodded slightly, agreeing with Yun Zhongfei's words.
Once the Qi Gathering Pill was in her stomach, the turbulent spiritual energy within Yun Xiaoya instantly calmed down, even showing signs of advancing a step further.
She walked up to the giant bronze bell, and without another word, she threw a punch straight out.
"Dong! Dong! Dong..."
Three consecutive bell tolls brought immense joy to the face of the deacon guarding the bell.
"Good, very good! Three bell tolls, little lass, you're doing very well. Go take part in the third round of testing!" the deacon said the word "good" three times in a row, clearly extremely satisfied with Yun Xiaoya.
Zhang Tao, not far away, recognized Yun Xiaoya. Seeing her cause the bell to toll three times right now, jealousy instantly surged across his face.
*These two are fine; it looks like it's all thanks to that black-robed woman!*
Zhang Tao thought to himself secretly.
At this moment, Yun Xiaoya had already arrived in front of the spiritual root testing pillar.
The testing pillar was very tall, at least a hundred meters high.
The purer your spiritual root, the brighter the pillar would glow; the higher your talent, the higher the pillar's light would climb.
"Place your hand on it, and then channel your spiritual energy into the testing pillar!" A female deacon dressed in white beside the testing pillar spoke, looking at Yun Xiaoya with a hint of anticipation.
Yun Xiaoya's performance in the first two tests had been quite good, which meant her spiritual root was definitely far from ordinary, hence her high expectations.
The disciple recruitment assembly had already been running for two days. While there were geniuses, none had been the sort of breathtaking prodigy that made people's eyes light up.
Yun Xiaoya gently placed her hand on it.
Then, she channeled her spiritual energy.
Instantly, the testing pillar lit up in a flash. A cyan beam of light surged abruptly from the bottom of the pillar and shot straight toward the top. But that was not the end of it; upon reaching the top, the beam showed no sign of stopping, continuing to erupt upward and shooting straight into the firmament.
Chapter 31: A Sensation in Yancheng Square
Silence. A deathly silence.
For a moment, the entire square fell completely still.
As for the deacon, it took him a long time to snap back to his senses.
The pillar of light remained condensed and unscattered; even though Yun Xiaoya had already withdrawn her hand, the beam was still there—so dazzling, so eye-catching.
Who knew how much time passed before the beam of light slowly dissipated.
Then, the entire square erupted into towering ripples, like a massive mountain peak crashing down into a calm lake.
"Am I seeing things? Cyan light like a pillar, condensed and unscattered—this is the sign of a Saint-grade spiritual root!"
"Heavens! A cyan light pillar represents a pure wood spiritual root. As long as the light on the testing pillar is bright and reaches a height of three meters, it's a Heaven-grade spiritual root. To think this girl's light pillar shot straight out of the testing pillar... What, what else could this be if not a Saint-grade wood spiritual root?!"
"Such talent is truly peerless through the ages, unseen in ten thousand years!"
With a "swish," a white-haired old woman abruptly appeared right in front of Yun Xiaoya.
Immediately afterward, figure after figure descended onto the square, all gazing with burning intensity at Yun Xiaoya, who stood before the testing pillar with a slightly dazed expression.
As for Yun Chen, he was dumbfounded at this moment as well.
He had expected Yun Xiaoya's talent to be good, but he had never imagined her talent would be so terrifying!
This was far beyond merely "good"; it was downright heaven-defying!
She was not a whit inferior even to Xiaoqing.
Figures whistled through the air. In the blink of an eye, no fewer than a dozen people in the entire square had completely surrounded Yun Xiaoya.
Such peerless talent was a rarity in ten thousand years, and it had already startled every single powerhouse in Yancheng.
"That's Yancheng City Lord Liu Canglan, a Half Soul Realm expert!"
"That's Ouyang Ming, the vice president of the Blacksmiths Guild, also a Half Soul Realm expert."
"The Alchemists Guild..."
"The Formation Masters Alliance!"
"People from so many major factions have arrived in person."
For a moment, everyone wore shocked expressions, staring dumbfounded at those dozen-odd people.
Each of those dozen people possessed a formidable aura; merely standing there, they gave off a feeling of looking up at towering mountains, completely out of reach.
"Little lass, what is your name? I am Zhu Hanyan, an inner gate elder of Dayan Mountain. If you are willing, you can become my personal disciple right now," the white-haired old woman who had arrived first said, looking at Yun Xiaoya with a hint of nervousness.
"Little lass, I am Ouyang Ming, vice president of the Yancheng branch of the Blacksmiths Guild. If you are willing, starting today, you will be my personal disciple!"
"I am Feng Han of the Alchemists Guild. If you are willing, from now on you will be my personal disciple, Feng Han!"
In an instant, representatives from various major factions all spoke up.
How could they possibly give up such a proud talent?
A Saint-grade spiritual root!
Once they matured, such a person might even lead their respective factions out of Daxia, out of Nanzhou, and dominate an entire domain.
"I... I want to ask my brother!"
Yun Xiaoya was extremely nervous, speaking only after a long pause.
"Of course, of course. Who is your brother? Go ask him right away!" Zhu Hanyan said hastily.
Not far away, Yun Chen let out an inner sigh, feeling even more resentful toward Lu Yun, the woman who had snatched Xiaoqing away.
With Xiaoqing's talent, she was bound to be contested by all the major factions, yet that woman had directly knocked her out and dragged her away, not even giving her a shred of choice.
"Lass, join Dayan Mountain!" Seeing Yun Xiaoya look toward him, Yun Chen walked straight out and spoke.
They had come here in the first place to join Dayan Mountain.
The Alchemists Guild, the Blacksmiths Guild, and the Formation Masters Alliance were all behemoths within the Daxia Nation, but Yun Chen did not want Yun Xiaoya to join these factions. Because these factions generally excelled only in alchemy, blacksmithing, or formations, wanting Yun Xiaoya to develop in a well-rounded manner meant joining a faction that was relatively comprehensive.
The Alchemists Guild was composed almost entirely of alchemists. No matter how highly they regarded Yun Xiaoya, if she did not become an alchemist, her status within the Alchemists Guild would not be very high.
Dayan Mountain was different.
With her talent, she would sooner or later shine brilliantly and radiate dazzling light.
"Okay!" Without the slightest hesitation, Yun Xiaoya nodded in agreement.
Whatever her brother said, she would listen to.
The people from the other major factions flickered their gazes, no one knowing what they were thinking.
Yet they knew very well that for the days to come, Dayan Mountain was probably not going to be peaceful.
The emergence of a Saint-grade spiritual root genius would definitely provoke various major factions into coming to snatch her away.
If they could not snatch her, those factions would undoubtedly spare no cost to eliminate Yun Xiaoya.
"Good, very good! Little lass, from now on you are my, Zhu Hanyan's, disciple!" Seeing this, Zhu Hanyan was instantly overjoyed.
A Saint-grade spiritual root genius—even the Mountain Master would probably fight to take her as a personal disciple.
"Congratulations, Elder Zhu, on harvesting a peerless talent."
"Elder Zhu, if you have time in the future, you must come sit at our Blacksmiths Guild."
"Elder Zhu..."
All sorts of flattery and polite pleasantries emerged endlessly, making Zhu Hanyan more and more satisfied, the more she looked at Yun Xiaoya, the more pleasing she found her.
Chapter 32: Dazzling the Entire Audience
On Yancheng Square, seeing Zhu Hanyan take Yun Xiaoya as her disciple, Yun Ziyue and the others were all stunned for a moment.
They had never expected Yun Xiaoya's talent to be so powerful—a Saint-grade spiritual root, even stronger than Yuan Feiyang's Heaven-grade spiritual root.
Unbelievable as it was, they had no choice but to believe it at this moment.
They knew that before long, the name Yun Xiaoya would likely resound throughout the entire Daxia Nation, and even across the Seven Nations of Nanzhou, truly making her famous throughout the world.
At the thought of Yun Xiaoya becoming world-famous, the expressions of Yun Ziyue, Yun Zhongfei, and Yun Shanshan all turned somewhat ugly.
Especially Yun Ziyue; the mere thought of Yun Xiaoya becoming a supreme powerhouse in the future filled him with a trace of dread.
It could be said that their family had inflicted the most harm upon Yun Xiaoya. Once Yun Xiaoya gained power, would she ever let their family off?
*However, as long as she hasn't become a supreme powerhouse yet, I have nothing to fear. A genius is not yet a powerhouse. If you want to become a true powerhouse, Yun Xiaoya, you still have a very long road ahead. I just wonder if you'll live long enough to reach that day!*
Thinking this, Yun Ziyue felt a good deal more relaxed.
Yun Mengchen, on the other hand, was overjoyed.
No matter what, Yun Xiaoya was also a member of the Yun family. Now that she had become Zhu Hanyan's personal disciple and gained the heavy regard of Dayan Mountain, her future achievements would be immeasurable.
"You must be Xiaoya's brother, right? If you're willing, you can become an outer gate disciple of Dayan Mountain right now!"
Zhu Hanyan walked over with Yun Xiaoya, speaking with immense delight, her aged face practically creasing into a chrysanthemum.
Once a Saint-grade spiritual root genius matured, she would probably lead Dayan Mountain to an unprecedented height.
Taking on such a disciple and tossing an outer gate disciple slot to Yun Chen was something Zhu Hanyan naturally wouldn't care about.
Yun Ziyue and the others sighed inwardly; this Yun Feiyang really had dog-shit luck.
His younger sister actually possessed such high talent.
Just when everyone thought Yun Chen would agree, they saw him shake his head slightly and say, "Many thanks to this senior, but I think I'd rather join Dayan Mountain through my own strength!"
This remark caught Zhu Hanyan somewhat off guard, instantly arousing her interest as she said, "Good, very good, you have backbone! Since that's the case, go take the test! I'd very much like to know what your talent is!"
Yun Ziyue and the others knew Yun Chen's talent; it was the world-rare Heaven-grade spiritual root.
However, Yun Chen had already been crippled once, his dantian shattered. Logically speaking, it was almost impossible for him to recover in this lifetime. Yet, this fellow had appeared here, safe and sound.
They just didn't know whether he was now as dazzling as he had been in the past.
"Eighteen years old, Qi Cyclone Realm Layer 1. This talent couldn't possibly be any worse!"
A voice drifted over from the side.
It was Yancheng City Lord Liu Canglan.
Liu Canglan's words caused many people to nod instinctively.
Indeed, Yun Chen looked to be seventeen or eighteen years old, yet his cultivation was merely at Qi Cyclone Realm Layer 1. While this talent couldn't be called the absolute worst, it was already considered part of the very bottom tier.
How could they know that the young man before them, with only Qi Cyclone Realm Layer 1 cultivation, had once almost triggered a sect war?
Shaking her head slightly, Zhu Hanyan also sighed.
How could she not know that Yun Chen's talent was weak? That was why she had wanted to give Yun Chen a helping hand, never expecting him to refuse her and insist on joining Dayan Mountain with his own strength.
The bell's resistance varied according to a person's cultivation level, which better tested the talent standard of those participating in the selection.
At this moment, Yun Chen was already standing before the bronze bell.
Yun Mengchen secretly clenched his fists, cheering Yun Chen on.
As for Yun Xiaoya, her gaze was fixed intently on her brother; she believed her brother would definitely succeed.
"Rise for me!"
Yun Chen did not use his hands. Instead, with a single stomp of his foot, the Earth-grade low-tier martial skill, Earth-Shattering Tremor, was unleashed directly. A peerless, surging wave of spiritual energy violently burst forth from the soles of his feet and slammed viciously into the bronze bell. Accompanied by a loud "boom," the bronze bell actually flew up, soaring several dozen meters high before crashing heavily down.
Before the bronze bell could even land, the surrounding crowd was already pale with shock.
Yet Yun Chen acted as though he were oblivious to the danger. When the bell was about to crash down, he thrust out a hand, swooped upward, and grabbed one of the bell's legs.
With a "bang," the ground beneath his feet cracked open and caved inward.
Despite this, Yun Chen's posture remained unshakable, standing like an ancient pine defying the wind and rain.
On Yancheng Square, everyone stared dumbfounded at this scene.
The mouths of both Zhu Hanyan and Liu Canglan gaped open instinctively, unable to close for a long time.
Sending the bronze bell flying with a strike, and then catching it with a single hand.
One had to know that the downward force of the falling bronze bell was many times stronger than the bell's own weight. Yet even so, that seemingly arrogant youth had caught it with just one hand.
How soul-stirring and shocking was this scene?
Chapter 33: Looking Down on the Sun and Moon, Embracing the Stars
Gale winds blew in ripples, and the azure sky was washed clean.
Beneath the dome of heaven, the youth held up one hand, lifting a bronze bell more than twice his size as he stood proudly upright.
The rock-hard ground beneath his feet now featured two small pits, surrounded by dense webs of cracks.
"Good fellow, it looks like I, Liu Canglan, misjudged him!" Liu Canglan's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help praising him.
"Decent strength!" Zhu Hanyan also chimed in.
As for Yun Ziyue, his expression was far beyond merely ugly.
Because Yun Chen's strength had exceeded his expectations.
Even he wouldn't dream of pulling off such a feat with ease.
No, not with ease—he couldn't do it at all.
To pull off such a feat probably required at least the cultivation of the Origin Opening Realm, right?
Seeing this, Yun Xiaoya's face bloomed with a brilliant smile.
This was her brother.
The brother she took so much pride in.
He had once been so dazzling, his name echoing throughout the Daxia Nation.
With a "boom," Yun Chen set down the bronze bell and walked up to the second bronze bell.
"How many rings do you suppose he can make the bell toll?" someone asked out loud.
"With his strength, he can probably make the bell toll five times consecutively!"
"Right, five times should be about it. With five rings, no matter how poor his spiritual root is, he'll still be able to join the Dayan Mountain outer gate."
The crowd discussed animatedly, all guessing how many consecutive tolls Yun Chen could produce.
Yun Chen knew that if he wanted to gain the attention of Dayan Mountain, he had to go all out.
Therefore, he had no intention of keeping a low profile.
If he wanted to acquire more resources, he had to pull out more tricks to earn them.
In this world, the strong were revered.
Without strength, there was nothing.
Yun Chen adjusted his state, and the battle intent within him surged directly into the sky.
The moment this wave of battle intent soared heavenward, everyone couldn't help trembling.
What kind of battle intent was this?
It was as if, even when facing the vault of heaven, he would absolutely never bow his head.
"In this life I shall harbor lofty ambitions, looking down on the sun and moon, embracing the stars in my arms!"
Yun Chen took a step forward, and then threw a punch.
Without using any martial skill, he simply mobilized the energy within his body, transforming it into a single punch that he blasted outward, as if he wanted to vent all the pent-up frustration in his chest and all the grievances since his rebirth into this very punch.
Being driven out of the Tianyang Sect and becoming an abandoned disciple of the sect.
The woman he had once held so dear in his heart had looked upon him with utter disdain.
Xiaoqing had been snatched away as well.
His younger sister had also been sold off.
On the beast-drawn carriage, he had been blackmailed by Deacon Huang, spending several days in jittery anxiety.
Yun Chen thought of many things.
Inside his body, the Primordial Divine Thunder Pearl suddenly trembled slightly.
At that moment, an invisible wave visible only to the eye actually gathered upon Yun Chen's body.
"Momentum!"
Feeling this scene, a single word slipped from Zhu Hanyan's lips.
Beside her, Liu Canglan's body also trembled.
Yun Chen had actually comprehended momentum?
What kind of peerless comprehension ability was this!
Momentum was everywhere, yet illusory and formless. Anyone who could comprehend momentum was a peerless genius. To Liu Canglan's knowledge, across the entire Dayan Mountain, there were only a handful of disciples who had comprehended momentum, yet right now, a mere youth had comprehended momentum right before his eyes.
Finally, Yun Chen's punch blasted completely outward.
At that moment, he developed an illusion: with this single punch of his, even the entire heaven and earth would shatter beneath it.
I possess a single punch that can shake the firmament!
"Crack, bang, rumble!"
Three consecutive sounds rang out. Under Yun Chen's punch, the giant bronze bell first sprouted cracks, and then shattered with a loud explosion, turning into countless fragments that scattered all around. The massive roar sounded like a thunderclap, hurting the eardrums of countless people.
Others took pride in ringing the bronze bell, but the youth before them had blown the bronze bell apart with a single punch.
Just how tough that bronze bell was, others might not know, but as an elder of Dayan Mountain, Zhu Hanyan knew better than anyone. Even if some inner gate disciples or core disciples came, they wouldn't dream of blowing the bronze bell apart so effortlessly.
This fellow's strength was simply terrifying to the extreme, reaching at least over a hundred thousand jin.
"Good, good lad!" Although the bronze bell had been blown to pieces, the deacon not only didn't blame him, but instead looked quite pleased. "Lad, I think very highly of you. Now, go test your spiritual root!"
Yun Chen nodded indifferently and walked over to the spiritual root testing pillar.
The gazes of the crowd were filled with anticipation as they watched Yun Chen.
Yun Chen's performance in the previous two rounds had been so heaven-defying that they desperately wanted to know whether his spiritual root surpassed the Earth-grade spiritual root, reaching the level of a Heaven-grade spiritual root, or perhaps even a Saint-grade spiritual root?
Yun Chen himself held a trace of anticipation as well.
He walked up to the testing pillar and directly channeled his spiritual energy into it.
His spiritual energy was exceptionally pure; to say he had no spiritual root within him was something even he wouldn't believe.
Besides, he had even cultivated the Spirit-Guiding Realm all the way to Spirit-Guiding Realm Layer 18, reaching the legendary Extreme Spirit-Guiding Realm.
The moment his spiritual energy entered the testing pillar, a sudden mutation occurred.
With the sound of successive "crack, crack" noises, cracks actually began to spread across the testing pillar. Then, right before the ghost-like stares of the crowd, it shattered with a loud bang, turning into dust.
Chapter 34: Flying Ship
Seeing the testing pillar shatter, the deacon guarding it remained unresponsive for a long time.
What had happened?
The testing pillar... had shattered?
How could this be?
The testing pillar had never once exhibited any phenomenon of shattering!
It was said that even a full-strength strike from a True Deity Realm Expert couldn't shake the testing pillar in the slightest, yet now, it had actually blown straight apart?