Chapter 100: All the World’s Geniuses Gather in the Central State!

Just as she had said, an earth spirit root tempered once was roughly equivalent to a top-grade spirit root.

Though top-grade was a little inferior, compared with a nine-tempered spirit root, it was the flawless spirit root of ordinary cultivators.

If one did not compare it with true prodigies, then among common folk, it was practically the flawless heavenly spirit root above a nine-tempered heavenly spirit root.

The people of Qingyun Gate in Cloud Province had not held high expectations for Cao Xuan’s spirit root. They had tested him long ago: nine-tempered.

But at this moment, when the aptitude pillar revealed a top-grade spirit root, everyone was mildly astonished.

Soon, however, it seemed reasonable enough. A nine-tempered spirit root and a top-grade spirit root were separated by only a hair’s breadth; an inaccurate test from Cloud Province was entirely possible.

Besides, Bai Tianxiang had already said earlier that aptitude was sometimes linked to talent.

For someone as “gifted” as Cao Xuan, whose spirit root was already stronger than they had expected, could his cultivation talent also reach the fourth rank, like Junior Uncle Xian Xiangqiu?

Cao Xuan walked expressionlessly to the pillar for testing cultivation talent and placed his hand upon it as well.

Light burst forth once more!

After seeing the result, Bai Tianxiang’s eyes lit up and she cried out, “Seventh-rank cultivation talent!”

Cao Xuan: “Seventh-rank cultivation talent!!”

The direct disciples: “Seventh-rank cultivation talent!!”

Senior Sister Li Yao and the four peak masters: “Seventh-rank cultivation talent??”

Cao Xuan and the direct disciples were stunned that it was so high.

Senior Sister Li Yao and the peak masters found it hard to believe it could be that low.

Cao Xuan did not know that while the Spirit-Cleansing Pill was refining his spirit-root aptitude, it was also raising his cultivation talent.

And that was not even the most important part. Because of several completed insights, he had accumulated a great deal of cultivation experience, equivalent to opening up more of his mind and increasing his aptitude by quite a bit.

One had to know that whether it was his cultivation method, the Heavenly Talisman Secret Canon, or techniques like the Azure Sky Dao Sword, all of them were top-tier arts. Without sufficient talent, he would never have been able to learn them.

Although Cao Xuan’s cultivation talent was ordinary, he studied and delved into things without ceasing. It was just like a great expert reborn and cultivating anew—how poor could his talent truly be?

Of course, compared with a prodigy like Xian Xiangqiu, who possessed fourth-rank cultivation talent, seventh-rank talent still counted as the lower tier.

But in Bai Tianxiang’s eyes, a top-grade spirit root combined with seventh-rank cultivation talent meant Cao Xuan would likely go farther than she would in the future, perhaps even with a chance at the Nascent Soul realm!

After exchanging glances, the four peak masters also felt somewhat relieved. So this was what seventh-rank cultivation talent looked like.

At this moment, Peak Master Li Zhiyun no longer wore the sharp expression she had shown days ago.

Xian Xiangqiu’s indifference had not only stirred the competitive spirit of the direct disciples, it had also secretly provoked the stubborn pride of Li Zhiyun.

But now, whatever talent Cao Xuan had, did they not all understand it clearly?

A monster among monsters, a terrifying existence who had reached the peak of Foundation Establishment in only one year.

And if such a monster was only seventh-rank in cultivation talent, then just how formidable must Junior Uncle Xian Xiangqiu, with heavenly spirit root and fourth-rank cultivation talent, be?

If one did not know the gap, one might wonder how much stronger the other person could possibly be.

But once one learned that another person had hundreds of millions in savings, one would instantly understand that the two did not even belong to the same world, and there was nothing to compare.

Cao Xuan then tested his bones and cultivation, and Bai Tianxiang finally announced the result.

“Cao Xuan, top-grade spirit root, seventh-rank cultivation talent, no special physique, age twenty, peak Foundation Establishment cultivation!”

“Twenty years old, peak Foundation Establishment,” Bai Tianxiang repeated silently to herself.

With a top-grade spirit root and seventh-rank cultivation talent, and having cultivated on the mountain since childhood, it was no wonder he had broken through to peak Foundation Establishment at the age of twenty.

Judging from Cao Xuan’s spirit root and cultivation talent, Bai Tianxiang roughly estimated that he had been cultivating for more than ten years, starting from childhood.

Meanwhile, the Cloud Province branch of Qingyun Gate inferred from Cao Xuan’s breakthrough speed that, after entering the sect for only three years, he had reached Foundation Establishment and then, in just one more year, advanced to peak Foundation Establishment. Truly, seventh-rank cultivation talent was terrifying indeed.

As for Junior Uncle Xian Xiangqiu’s fourth-rank cultivation talent, would that not be outrageously heaven-defying?

And so they suddenly understood just how monstrous the Holy Land ancestor’s first-rank cultivation talent must have been.

Cao Xuan did not know what they were thinking. He silently accepted his token, and in truth felt quite pleased inside.

Seventh-rank cultivation talent was far higher than he had expected.

It seemed his efforts had indeed been rewarded; the system had only provided a little bit of help.

“Now that you’ve all received your identity tokens, you may head to the Qingyun Grand Assembly venue. Then I’ll test the rest of you!”

The first remark was addressed to the direct disciples; the latter, to the four peak masters.

As a Golden Core cultivator, Bai Tianxiang could naturally make a rough judgment of age. The four peak masters were too old to participate even if they wished to compete.

For lower-sect cultivators, the Qingyun Grand Assembly was not only a chance to win rewards and cultivation resources; more importantly, it was effectively an admission examination for joining the sect.

Whether one could become a disciple of Qingyun Gate in Central Province and remain in Central Province depended on the Qingyun Grand Assembly.

As for people like Yu Wan and the other four peak masters, still at Foundation Establishment after a hundred years, Central Province saw no reason to cultivate them further.

It would be better to let them return to their respective provinces to hold the line there. In the future, they could continue gathering disciples from their home provinces, nurturing geniuses and sending them on to Central Province.

The Xuanhua Continent was divided into Eastern Wastelands, Southern Frontier, Northern Region, Western Sea Isles, and Central Province.

Why were the four outer regions always inferior to Central Province? Because all the geniuses gathered in Central Province, generation after generation.

Naturally, the offspring of geniuses had a greater chance of becoming geniuses themselves.

Central Province continuously produced talent, while the other four regions depended on once-in-a-century or once-in-a-millennium prodigies to produce any at all.

And even when such geniuses did appear, they were quickly drawn into Central Province by grand gatherings like the Qingyun Assembly.

Water flows downhill; people strive upward. If they could come to Central Province and gain better opportunities, of course no one would refuse.

Cao Xuan withdrew his divine sense from the token, and together with the direct disciples, his eyes also flashed.

“Outer disciples at Foundation Establishment, inner disciples at Golden Core, direct disciples at Nascent Soul—Central Province truly is generous!”

Lu Yu said softly, and everyone present was equally stirred.

“Entering the top hundred lets you choose whether to stay in Qingyun Gate of Central Province!”

“Entering the top ten not only grants a place in the Azure Cloud Roselight Cave, but also gives you the chance to take a God Transformation Grand Elder as your master!”

“Becoming first in the Qingyun Grand Assembly gives you the chance to meet the sect ancestor at the peak of the God Transformation stage, and you may even directly become a Foundation Establishment direct disciple!”

Seeing the various rewards listed on the token, Cao Xuan could not help feeling a little tempted.

Indeed, the Azure Cloud Roselight Cave was only one reward, and just happened to be related to breaking through to Golden Core.

There were many other rewards as well, such as techniques, elixirs, magical treasures, and the like, all equally tempting.

For those entering the top hundred, the option to stay in Qingyun Gate of Central Province was, in plain terms, something any sensible person would know how to choose.

But those with a particularly stubborn streak could also take their rewards and return to their own lower sect.

Still, for the top-hundred disciples, Qingyun Gate of Central Province had a rather casual attitude: stay if you want, leave if you want—they were not especially valued.

But reaching the top ten and becoming the disciple of a God Transformation Grand Elder meant, in effect, that you had no choice but to stay in Central Province.

Central Province would not let go of such talent.

As for becoming the champion and meeting the sect ancestor at the peak of God Transformation, that did not necessarily mean you would become the ancestor’s disciple. It still depended on talent!

“So Junior Uncle Xian Xiangqiu was kept in Central Province this way back then!”