Chapter 2: The Chosen One

Regardless of the circumstances, the process of coming here can be considered a tenuous connection.

It is indeed remarkable that Jiu Wenyan has also encountered something unusual. The river that submerged this body in the fragmented images that faintly flashed in my mind is called Xianyuan River, and I was actually brought here by an old turtle? This is truly strange and intriguing

Behind the old man, more than ten attendants quickly stepped forward, arriving in front of the many young men and women. With a gesture of his hand, several hundred square black boxes, each about a foot in size, appeared on the floor of the grand hall

The assessment of the soul aspect will take some time to determine. Blood samples have already been collected and tested for the physical aspect, and those remaining all possess the qualifications for physical cultivation. Only he has the weakest physique, just barely passing, but his potential is quite good.

Behind the old man stood a servant who appeared to be elderly, dressed in a black long gown. He hunched forward a few steps, as if performing a magic trick, raised his hand to take out a booklet, glanced at it, and then slowly spoke in a low, aged voice

Zhu Jiu did not hastily seize the jade tablet like others, but calmly examined the remaining items in the box

Although Zhu Jiu is reckless and audacious, he has not lost his sanity in this terrifying place, akin to a ghostly lair, due to his prior cultivation of the ancient art of corpse guiding in Xiangxi before his reincarnation

So it turns out that I am one of the Chosen Ones, hey! When I first heard the title of the Chosen One, I thought it referred to someone with exceptional qualifications, like a remarkable expert. I didn't expect that the true meaning is simply that anyone who arrives here by chance is considered a Chosen One. The people in this world are truly superstitious; they call those who arrive without knowing the reason the Chosen Ones, as if they believe it is heaven that has chosen them.

How did you all come to my divine sect? Please elaborate in detail

This time, there were more than 4,200 initial selected disciples from various regions who were captured and offered. Among them, over 3,400 were found to have insufficient cultivation qualifications. At this moment, there are still 843 remaining here, among which eight are the chosen ones who have stepped forward voluntarily

The old servant cast a glance at Zhu Jiu Yi and saw that seven youths had emerged: five males and two females, with one still missing. He flipped through the ledger in his hand and then turned to step back, returning to stand behind the old man in the green robe.

The old servant slightly bent over and respectfully replied

Pointing at Zhu Jiu, the old man indicated towards him. Upon seeing the elder pointing at himself, Zhu Jiu was taken aback and muttered to himself in surprise

The box is lined with black cloth, and in the center lies a thumb-sized piece of pure white jade, subtly shimmering with a pearly luster, which should be the talismanic jade tablet.

The reason these pests have come here is truly strange, as some were even swept in by a gust of wind, hey

The old man in the green robe glanced at Zhu Jiu with the direction indicated by the old servant, waved his hand, and instructed

The old man in the green robe had eyes like lightning, slowly surveying the faces of the seven youths before him. Each youth who was met with his gaze felt a distinct chill throughout their bodies, as if the deepest secrets of their souls could not be concealed, laid bare before this eerie old creature.

Among the more than ten attendants, a middle-aged woman with an unusually pale complexion and a hint of blue luminescence in her hair was the first to speak. She pointed at the hundreds of boxes on the ground and addressed the group of young men and women.

An unusually steady and crisp sound slowly reverberated and spread throughout the grand hall, drawing the slight attention of several attendants behind the old man. Despite the unexpected arrival of this youth in such a strange environment, he remained completely unafraid, demonstrating a commendable temperament and courage.

Have these seven individuals undergone physical fitness assessments

As the voice of the old servant in the black robe faded, no one emerged from the crowd for a long time. The old servant remained unhurried and spoke again slowly:

I have heard that among the new disciples entering the sect this time, there are several chosen ones. Let them come out so that I may meet them.

These boxes contain the relevant tools for your second round of assessment, including important items such as talismans and jade slips. The usage methods are clearly written inside the boxes, and your ability to quickly comprehend them is also one of the assessment criteria. From the moment you receive this box, the assessment officially begins, so I hope you make the most of your time. Now, please come up one by one to collect a box.

As Zhu Jiu stood in the midst of the crowd, he watched six young boys and girls reluctantly and timidly step out from the throng, and he couldn't help but think:

Let the assessment begin!

I was gravely ill and, according to custom, was water-buried in a great river to pray for blessings. After that, I fainted and when I awoke, I was brought by attendants to this grand hall. My surname is Zhu, my given name is Jiu, my courtesy name is Tianhe, and I am ten years old this year

Old Ancestor, this young man has a rather unusual background. He was discovered by the river patrol spirit beast, the Swallowing Sky Turtle, while drifting in the Immortal Abyss River above our Abyss and brought to the sect. According to the rules, any mortal who enters the territory of our Divine Sect within five years of the disciple selection ceremony, regardless of the reason, is granted one opportunity to participate in the talent selection ceremony, which is why he stands here. Originally, there was another chosen one who kept crying and causing a scene, unable to be cultivated, and he has already been killed.

As he wished, with countless thoughts swirling in his mind, his steps did not falter. Like the other six youths, he walked out from the crowd. Taking advantage of his small stature, he skillfully used the bodies of those in front of him to create a certain degree of concealment, subtly forming a simple protection for himself.

This place is quite strange. According to the memories I have absorbed, this world should resemble ancient China. However, judging by the words of the two young men earlier and looking at the old fellow sitting in front, who possesses the ability to control and detain ghostly beings, could it be that I have struck gold and this is actually a world where one can cultivate immortality and learn magic

Zhu Jiu thought that important figures usually do not like others to gaze directly at them, so he slightly lowered his head, yet his eyelids were straining to lift as he secretly observed the old man in the green robe sitting about ten feet away. Unbeknownst to him, the old man in the green robe was also scrutinizing them, and their gazes coincidentally met.

As Zhu Jiu stood at the end, being the last to speak, he listened to the trembling voices of the six young men in front as they each introduced their reasons for being here, and he thought to himself:

After the old man finished reading, he slowly closed his eyes. After a long while, he hoarsely said

Zhu carefully read the introduction on the item description, reached out with utmost determination to pick up the jade slip in the center of the box, gently pressed the jade slip against the center of his forehead as described on the paper, closed his eyes to clear his mind, and attempted to receive the mysterious content within the jade slip

The elderly man in the green robe finished speaking, fell silent for a moment, and then asked in a deep voice again

The so-called chosen ones are those who have arrived here due to various unforeseen circumstances, some of whom are even uncertain about why they are here

Inside the box, there is also a piece of copper-green metal about the size of two fingers, a slip of paper with item instructions, and a blood-red brush.

At the moment when I was discovered by an old turtle, my soul had just entered this body and was in the process of taking control. I vaguely remember that the original soul of this body had not yet completely dissipated, as if it had been devoured and absorbed by me

The old man in the green robe glanced at Zhu Jiu and then asked the old servant behind him in a deep voice

Having introduced the first six young men and women, it was now Zhu Jiu's turn. This fellow stepped forward with great reluctance, relying on the faint memories of this body in his mind. He organized his words slightly and spoke in a concise, clear, and respectful manner:

Upon hearing about the assessment, Zhu Jiu's expression changed, and he gathered all his focus, his demeanor serious as he took a box. He went alone to a corner of the main hall, sat down on the ground, and opened the box to hang the clasp.

I am truly unfortunate; my resurrected physical condition resulted in me coming in last among the seven who stood up, even worse than two girls. This is indeed an inauspicious start. For the sake of my own life, it seems I must put in extra effort in the upcoming assessments

However, the sudden encounter with the gaze of the old man in the green robe, without any preparation, still startled him, causing his heart to race uncontrollably and a chill to run down his spine. This was solely due to the old man's gaze, which was strangely sharp, icy, and sinister, something he had rarely seen in over twenty years of his previous life, plus the day since his reincarnation and awakening.

Whenever a young man introduced himself, the old servant in the black robe would flip through the ledger in his hand, meticulously checking and matching each entry. This was no exception when it came to Zhu Jiu. After Zhu Jiu finished speaking, the old servant, with a voice that was both aged and deep, added:

After listening to the old servant's explanation, Zhu Jiu hesitated and thought: