I gain ten years' worth of cultivation every day, and even geniuses will only see my doorstep!

"Buzz—"

Space trembled, and the rosy glow faded.

Five figures descended slowly from the heavens above the training ground.

They didn't deliberately exude pressure, but the aura they naturally revealed instantly silenced the entire boiling martial arts arena. Everyone felt as if a huge rock had been pressed on their hearts, giving rise to an urge to worship them.

They are the true decision-makers of the five major sects who have come to observe the ceremony and select talents, and at the very least, they are powerful elders at the Void Refinement stage!

Their gazes, without prior agreement, all fell upon Qin Yuan, who had just won the championship and was about to leave.

In their eyes, there was appreciation, inquiry, eagerness, and an indescribable depth.

The selection, or rather—the competition—is about to begin. And Qin Yuan is undoubtedly the sole and absolute focus of attention in the entire arena at this moment.

Five figures stood in mid-air, their auras profound and imposing. Though they did not deliberately exert pressure, the entire arena was so quiet you could hear a pin drop. Hundreds of thousands of eyes were focused on them, and even more so on the common destination of their gazes—the figure in blue robes on the arena.

After a brief silence, the elderly man in the center, dressed in a Yin-Yang Daoist robe and wearing a seven-star crown, spoke first. His face was lean, his gaze gentle yet possessing a penetrating power; he was Zhou Qingxuan, the oversight elder from the Taiyi Immortal Sect. He looked at Qin Yuan, a hint of undisguised approval on his face, his voice calm yet clear, resonating throughout the entire hall:

"Young friend Qin Yuan," Zhou Qingxuan said with a smile, "I, Zhou Qingxuan, on behalf of the Taiyi Sect, sincerely invite you to join our sect. The Taiyi Immortal Sect is the number one sect in Qingzhou, with top-notch resources, cultivation techniques, and guidance from senior disciples. With your talent, upon joining our sect, you can directly enter the 'Taiyi True Disciple' sequence, enjoying the highest treatment of core disciples, free access to the first six floors of the Scripture Pavilion, and the personal supervision of a Void Refinement stage elder in your cultivation. If you can reach the Void Refinement stage within a hundred years, you will even be qualified to compete for the position of Dao Child."

These words caused an uproar in the room.

The true teachings of Taiyi! The highest level of treatment among core disciples! The attention of the Refinement Elder! Even the qualification of a Dao Child is vaguely mentioned! These conditions are undeniably generous, almost the limit that Taiyi Sect can offer to a new disciple, demonstrating its high regard for them.

As soon as Zhou Qingxuan finished speaking, a middle-aged man in white robes to his left, carrying a long sword and surrounded by an invisible sword aura, spoke up in a deep voice: "The Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion also welcomes young friend Qin. I observe that your spiritual power is pure and your will is resolute, making you excellent material for sword cultivation. By joining our Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, you can become a disciple of the Pavilion Master's lineage, receive a portion of the true meaning of the 'Nine Heavens Sword Canon,' and even have the opportunity to enter the 'Sword Tomb' secret realm to find your natal sword embryo. We dare not boast of anything else, but in terms of combat and protection techniques, no one in Qingzhou can surpass us." This man was an elder of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion, his sword aura sharp, and his words went straight to the point, emphasizing offensive advantages.

Immediately afterwards, an old man in black robes (from the Xuan Tian Sect), a middle-aged woman in a green robe with a smile (originally from the Qing Mu Sect, but whose expression was somewhat complicated at the moment and who did not speak in a hurry), and a black-robed man with an aura that was difficult to discern (from the You Ming Palace) also spoke one after another, putting forward their respective conditions.

The Xuantian Sect promised to open a spot in the ancient "Immortal Cleansing Pool" secret realm, which could help solidify one's foundation and purify spiritual energy. The Youming Palace, on the other hand, offered to provide a "Nine Nether Profound Fiend Vein" as a cave dwelling, along with the top-grade Earth-rank cultivation technique "Nether Spring True Method" and its accompanying supernatural powers, with equally enticing conditions.

Of the five major sects, apart from Elder Mu Sangzi of the Qingmu Sect who merely smiled and observed without making a hasty statement, the other four sects immediately extended enviable olive branches to Qin Yuan! Such treatment was rarely seen even by the top-ranked contestant in previous years' prodigies tournaments, attracting such fierce competition from four sects, let alone with such generous terms.

Countless young cultivators in the audience were mesmerized, their eyes reddening with envy. Was this the treatment afforded to a peerless genius?

After the elders finished speaking, they exchanged glances, a hint of tension emanating from them. Zhou Qingxuan stroked his beard and spoke again, his voice tinged with a helpless smile: "It seems we can't reach an agreement. Very well, as is customary, since several are interested, young friend Qin will make the final decision. Until then, we will select other qualified candidates, shall we?"

The suggestion was reasonable, and the other elders, including Mu Sangzi from the Qingmu Sect, all nodded slightly.

The process that followed was much faster. Based on their performance in the previous rounds, especially their cultivation level in the Jade Platform Manifestation and the results of the arena battles, the four sect elders began to select the chosen talents.

Chu Wuyue's fighting spirit was pure, and she was chosen by an elder of the Ten Thousand Swords Pavilion. Yun Qingyao's Dao of Clouds and Mist was unique and she was selected by the Xuantian Sect. Liaochen's Buddhist teachings were profound, and he was introduced to Buddhism by a monk from the Great Compassion Temple who came from a Western Buddhist country.

Fairy Miaoyin joined the Upper Sect of Tianyin Valley. Although Liu Mubai was defeated by Li Han, his profound knowledge and skills led to him being taken in by Zhou Qingxuan of the Taiyi Sect. Chen Xingzi joined the Xuantian Sect. Other outstanding geniuses also found their respective affiliations.

Interestingly, Li Han, who was seriously injured and unconscious with his cultivation future uncertain, was also taken away without a word by the black-robed elder of the Netherworld Palace. It's unclear what his considerations were. Meanwhile, You Wuying, whose Dao heart was shattered and whose cultivation had plummeted, was ignored and discarded like a discarded shoe.

Soon, only a handful of people remained unselected, and Qin Yuan was undoubtedly the most dazzling among them, and the only one that all the elders were waiting for.

All eyes were once again focused on the scene.

Zhou Qingxuan looked at Qin Yuan, his smile gentle yet firm: "Young friend Qin, what have you decided? If you join my Taiyi Sect, I can add another promise: within a hundred years, I will strive to secure for you an opportunity to enter the 'Taiyi Secret Realm' to comprehend the innate Yin-Yang Great Dao!"

The white-robed elder of the Myriad Swords Pavilion raised his sword: "My Myriad Swords Pavilion can add another top-grade Earth-rank sword technique, and allow you to challenge the 'Sword Forest' at any time to hone your sword intent!"

The old man in black robes from the Xuantian Sect retorted, "The number of slots for the Immortal Cleansing Pool can be increased to two! We'll also give you a rare celestial treasure of the stellar type!"

The black-robed man from the Netherworld Palace spoke in a hoarse voice: "The Nine Nether Profound Fiend Vein can be replaced with the purer 'Yellow Spring Nether Vein,' and three life-saving talismans will be given as a bonus."

The conditions were raised again, each more astonishing than the last, eliciting gasps of surprise from below. Many of these resources would be extremely useful to cultivators in the Void Refinement stage!

After the elders finished speaking, they seemed to feel it wasn't enough, so they each took out a specially made communication jade talisman and immersed their divine sense into it, clearly communicating with the higher-ups of the sect to request higher-level permissions and resource promises! In order to compete for a prodigy like Qin Yuan, who had never been seen before, they did not hesitate to alarm the sect's true high-level decision-makers!

A moment later, a glint flashed in Zhou Qingxuan's eyes, and he spoke first, his voice filled with excitement: "The sect has sent word that if young friend Qin is willing to join the Taiyi Sect, he can be directly granted the status of 'Prospective Dao Child,' enjoying some of the privileges of an elder. Upon entering, he can command a 'Taiyi Guard' squad and can consult any Void Refinement stage elder within the sect at any time!"