Riotous, feverish sentiment continued to grow. Unperturbed by the crowd around him, Jiang Chen became more cool-headed despite the heated atmosphere. Heâd always followed his own heart and done things at his own tempo.
Rank and wealth werenât why heâd decided to participate. A two million sky spirit stones stipend and a fancy title? None of that was of any consequence. His only goal was to get closer to the city lord manor so that he might grasp more vital information in order to escape Winterdraw. He had no desire to be involved in anything else.
After a long wait, the day of the selection finally arrived. It took place in a wide, spacious area.
The place was jam-packed with candidates, yet their numbers were dwarfed by the ocean of spectators.
The intense promotional campaign launched through various channels had raised the event to new heights and galvanized the entire city. It had been a great success and attracted many geniuses.
Standing in the candidate area, Jiang Chen stayed immersed in his own world, turning a deaf ear to the outside noise.
City Lord Xie Wushang appeared in a presiding tribune, accompanied by his advisors. Forbidding guards maintained the order, clad in their distinctive armor.
Cheers rose as soon as the crowd spotted him. He was rather popular in Sin City, and the spectators were delighted to witness his glory in person.
âCity Lord Xie, City Lord Xie!â Wave after wave of jubilation crashed atop one another. With a slight smile, the city lord waved back.
A piercing glint shone in Jiang Chenâs eyes as he gazed at the city lord. The man wasnât very tall, yet his average stature brimmed with the bearing unique to those with great authority. His aura immediately dominated the scene.
He canât be much weaker than the Savagesâ Forefather Bamboo.
Worthy of Myriad Abyss fame, the leader of a simple island of exile was as strong as the forefather of an entire tribe on Divine Abyss Continent. It was a sign of the enormous gap between the two areas in this respect.
Jiang Chen closed his eyes after stealing a quick glance.
âLadies and gentlemen, please be quiet so I can say a few simple words.â The city lord gestured for silence with both his hands. As if petrified, the crowd turned deathly still. Not even loud breathing was audible. It was as if the myriad of people had become air.
Jiang Chenâs eyes narrowed. Xie Wushang had silenced the spectators with a simple hand gesture and one sentence, a sure sign of his considerable authority.
âOur city ranks as one of the three great powers on Winterdraw. Why is that so? Is it thanks to my individual strength?
âOf course not! Iâm only doing my duty. You are our greatest boon and support. Nothing can stop us when we work as one! Today, as is our cityâs wont, Iâve set high standards so the greatest talents may shine brightest! Isnât that what weâre all here for?
âTo all the young talents here today, I hope you can set aside all burden and display your gifts to the fullest! Remember that those qualified will become the city lord manorâs future pillars and will receive a treatment to match!â
Skilled as he was at agitating the masses, heâd inflamed the atmosphere with a short yet rousing speech. Many of participants were champing at the bit, eager to prove themselves.
Winterdraw boasted of a high population. Case in point, when Jiang Chen had first arrived on the island, the area had been extremely remote, yet still inhabited. And on top of the high population density, almost every local was a cultivator. That made for a high average cultivation level, leading to many prodigies being overlooked.
Todayâs selection was a chance for these forgotten geniuses to shine and stand out.
There were many factions on the island, but none as celebrated as the three major ones. For any young prospects, joining the city lord manor would be a dream.
On Winterdraw, a factionâs backing was always desirable. Almost every lone soul who went it alone truly ended up becoming a departed soul, hence why todayâs occasion had garnered such attention. For many, it was an occasion to turn their fortunes for the better.
âAlright, I donât like to be long winded. Youâre the stars today, so show me what youâve got.â True to his word, he cut the speech short and left the rest to the supervisor.
Said supervisor proclaimed loudly, âLadies and gentlemen, in the name of the city lord, Iâll be presiding over todayâs selection. It will be split into qualifiers and an elite round. You can join the city lordâs banner as long as you pass the qualifiers, while those who pass the elite round will be granted a dignitary title and an annual salary of two million sky spirit stones.â
A qualifying round and an elite round? Were many going to be chosen then?
Sensing the crowdâs bafflement, the supervisor smiled. âDonât think itâll be easy simply because there are only two rounds. In fact, the first one alone will be a challenge. At a guess, less than five hundred will pass, and no more than ten will remain after the elite round.â
The crowd gasped. The elimination rate was too high! More than ten thousand had registered, yet no more than five hundred would qualify?
And no more than ten would successfully pass the elite examination?
Even Jiang Chen was surprised. But he immediately composed himself. Since the standards had been set so high this time, harsh trials were to be expected. On the contrary, a casual examination wouldnât be worthy of a grand occasion.
âAlright, everyone please prepare yourselves. Remember, the elimination phase will start as soon as we begin. So I hope youâve prepared yourselves properly. You only have yourselves to blame if youâre out,â the supervisor warned sternly.
âThe first round is comprised of three different tests. The first is a martial trial of fighting. Failure means disqualification! As for the specifics, youâll find out very soon.
âAll of you have a registration number. Youâll form groups of one hundred based on your number. Remember to keep to the order. First group, number one to number one hundred. The others wait here!â
Jiang Chenâs number was three thousand something, so he had a while to wait. But he wasnât anxious. He closed his eyes, patiently saving his energy. There was little pressure on him, especially after heâd seen the preconditions of participation. Empyrean realm cultivators and above were excluded.
He was confident no one under empyrean realm was his match. In fact, even first or second level empyrean didnât scare him.
So the proceedings were a mere formality for him. If not, he should forget about going to the Eternal Divine Nation and just return to Veluriyam.
Xing Tong and her father were in the crowd. Theyâd arrived early in the morning, worried as they were for Jiang Chen. They were two spectators drowning in an ocean of people.
âDaddy, do you think Big Brother Jiang will succeed?â The anxiety in Xing Tongâs pure eyes betrayed her worries and innocent hope.
Xing Hui chuckled. âOf course he will.â
He was strangely confident in the young man. With his experience, he could see Jiang Chen was an uncommon man who would shock the crowd if he were to let loose his enormous power. The gentleman was certain to pass with flying colors despite the harsh requirements.
âThatâs right, he will definitely succeed.â Her fatherâs reassurance renewed Xing Tongâs faith.
The first trial seemed to proceed very quickly. A group was called away every quarter hour. Jiang Chenâs turn came merely four hours later.
Along with his group, Jiang Chen followed the stewards to a restricted area. They soon arrived at a training field.
âEveryone, the first test will take place here. Youâll face numerous great emperor mechanical constructs with destructive power and sturdy defenses. You have to stay on your feet for a quarter hour. If youâre defeated, youâve failed and will be sent away on the spot!
âThose who pass this test will be escorted to the second!â
It was a most primitive way to fight. The rules were simple enough. Of course, martial prowess wasnât the only factor, but also personal judgment. The field would turn into a chaotic battlefield when everyone waded in, putting many aspects of a candidate to the test!