Chapter 4, Testing
As my first small goal, this matter must succeed and must not fail
The thoughts that once occupied Ning Ye can finally be realized now
As the west wind brushed away the dust with a wave, the person vanished without a trace, and the world returned to its normal state
A familiar voice whispered:
... ...
This issue has become serious
Alas, you do not know that sometimes the simpler the matter, the more complex it becomes? Seeing them in such a hurry, Ning Ye remains unperturbed, leisurely following behind, being the last to step into the valley
If it were said that her talent is extraordinary, that would be one thing; the problem is that Ning Ye's aptitude is also quite ordinary
It is the West Wind Child
Who is Xifengzi
Retreating is a habit
This is the Hall of a Thousand Machines
In today's world, immortals serve the mortal realm
Qualifications are something that can be discerned. This means that even if Ning Ye performs better than anyone else in the selection process and secures the top position, it only indicates that his performance is commendable; ordinary qualifications remain ordinary qualifications, and one cannot feign them.
Three days later
He has disfigured his appearance, with a face full of blemishes, and even his body is not spared. The immortal seeks the way of heaven and knowledge, aligning with the will of others, pursuing all that is beautiful, thus his magical powers are also diverse and resplendent. This is precisely what is meant by having the demeanor of an immortal and the essence of Tao.
As the new academic year begins, when Ning Ye arrives at this place, he sees a bustling crowd in Zhi Zi City, with people jostling for space, everywhere filled with young individuals eager to participate in the selection process, their eyes brimming with hope. After all, as long as one can enter the Black and White Divine Palace, they can soar to great heights from that point onward
Everyone looked at each other, suddenly shouted, and rushed into the valley together
Do you not know this? The Western Wind Master is one of the Twelve Heavenly Generals of the Divine Palace, the Lord of the White Hall, whose status is second only to the Sect Leader, the three great elders, and the hand-holding master Yue Xinzhan, renowned alongside the Lord of the Black Hall as a peak power of the Immaculate Realm
This object was obtained by him inadvertently many years ago. At that time, he was merely an ordinary intelligence analyst. During an outdoor excursion, he witnessed something happening from the sky. Initially thinking it was a meteorite, he pursued it, only to unexpectedly see a magnificent palace descending from the heavens. Subsequently, he arrived in this world, and this palace came along with him.
One hundred thousand people gathered in this place, creating a magnificent scene
At the foot of Jiugong Mountain, it is crowded with seekers of immortality from all directions
In this way, with an unattractive appearance and ordinary qualifications, it is exceedingly difficult to gain the favor of the immortal master
Before everyone, a misty valley has appeared
As the crowd engaged in lively discussion, Xifengzi had already begun to speak
Due to the large number of visitors, the inns in Zhizicheng are fully booked. Fortunately, there are quite a few private accommodations available, allowing the common people of Zhizicheng to earn a small fortune from this every year
At noon, the sun hung high in the sky, its brilliance suddenly dimmed, the sky transformed into a monochrome of black and white, the firmament grew dim, and the earth remained in daylight, even the proud sun in the sky lost its luster.
Or rather, this is its original place; it has merely returned to its original location after wandering through countless worlds, and incidentally, it has brought someone along.
A celestial being from the Black and White Shrine flew out, holding a whisk, with an elongated face and a pair of prominent, flapping ears, stepping on a jade chessboard, soaring through the air.
Ink Island
Upon this thought, a strong sense of determination had already risen within Ning Ye's heart
Ning Ye deeply understands that his biggest problem right now is that he is too ugly
Then let's start by becoming an ordinary outer sect disciple, and then gradually climb up step by step
Creating a celestial being with a face full of acne truly tarnishes the image
I do not know how my senior brothers and sisters are doing now, but they have entered the Haotian Sect and the Taiyin Sect
It is not that the lineage of a teacher is of utmost importance, but rather that Ning Ye is acutely aware of how arduous the path he must tread in the future will be, fraught with countless difficulties and dangers. If he were to shrink back from this first challenge, how would he handle even greater troubles that lie ahead?
At this moment, the mind is entrusted to the Hall of a Thousand Mechanisms. With a casual wave of his hand, Ning Ye summoned the mysterious radiance of the ancient Kunlun mirror, which rose from within the hall. Countless marvelous runes shimmered in the air, refracting a bizarre and fantastical scene.
Soon, a line of text appeared on the Kunlun Mirror, detailing the assessment methods for recruiting disciples at the Black and White Divine Palace. This is not a core secret and can be easily learned with the help of the Kunlun Mirror
Holding the city with the child
The issue is that there is actually a person who can skip the level at the end
Is it really like this? Looking at the assessment methods above, Ning Ye fell into deep thought
A single act of giving up may lead to a pattern of giving up repeatedly
It is not evident how much effort is exerted, yet the sound has reverberated in all directions: "The recruitment of disciples this time is quite simple. All candidates are to enter the valley ahead, and upon sunset, they may exit the valley. The Divine Palace will make a judgment based on your performances."
It has been three months since Xingzi Lin and Qinglin Xin Xiaoye parted ways
Certainly, without a foundational level of cultivation, it is impossible to deduce any significant matters
For mortals, obtaining the qualification for cultivation is the greatest opportunity in life
Every spring, the Heibai Shrine conducts a disciple selection in Zhizi City, admitting only between 100 to 500 individuals each year, while the number of participants reaches into the hundreds of thousands
It is possible, but Ning Ye cannot accept it
The future is difficult to predict, but the past is known
At this moment, the Kunlun Mirror is activated, initiating the divination of hexagrams.
Although his cultivation has been lost, the Art of Inquiring Heaven emphasizes the essence rather than the technique. What has been lost is the cultivation, not the understanding of the Art of Inquiring Heaven. Therefore, Ning Ye can still manage to utilize it.
So simple
In other words, even if one passes all the levels in the end, the Heibai Shrine will still send someone to personally make a selection. Those who are chosen may have a mentor, while those who are not selected will be ordinary external disciples
Zhizicheng is the capital of the墨国, located in a relatively desolate area, which, in theory, is not suitable for a capital. However, who can argue against the fact that the headquarters of the Black and White Divine Palace is situated here
As a former monk, Ning Ye was not exactly short of money; however, his face, marred by numerous pits and blotches of red and white, truly frightened many people. Ning Ye had to raise the price by thirty percent just to find a relatively quiet residence.
The selection method of the Black and White Shrine is generally considered normal, at least for Ning Ye, as he has no problem passing it—he originally possessed sufficient talent and has practiced for three years. Although his cultivation has been completely lost, his experience remains, and his body has become accustomed to the nourishment of spiritual energy, making it much easier for him to start over.
The nation is merely a tool for the immortals to govern mortals. For this reason, the various countries across the nine continents do not possess significant military forces, only local officials. In the event of a true conflict, it is the immortals who step in to resolve it
At this moment, looking at his own ugly reflection in the mirror, Ning Ye sighed, lay on the bed, and as his mind stirred, although his body remained in the room, his spirit had already appeared before a vast palace.