ROAR!!!
Following a roar from the crowd, all the competing Spirit Selectors walked out of the great gate, their heads held high with a dignified air.
Although it was the annual Spirit Selection Conference, there were no requirents for the contestants’ formation. Under the watchful eyes of the large crowd, Mu Chen, guided by a woman, followed the other contestants out of the gate.
Since most of the contestants had ordinary black hair, Mu Chen’s rare, ice-blue hair made him easy to spot, even though he was just walking in the middle of the crowd. Of course, it only earned him a few extra glances.
Before long, the one thousand competing Spirit Selectors had all stepped onto the high platform. As for why there were a thousand of them, Xu Fei had ntioned it when he told Mu Chen about the history of the Fenglan Empire. Since the Empire had exactly one thousand towns, and each town could only select its single most outstanding Spirit Selector to participate in the annual Spirit Selection Conference, there were precisely one thousand contestants.
Seeing that all the contestants were on the high platform, Lin Xiao stroked his beard. "Residents of the Imperial Capital, our competitors have all arrived! There are quite a few new faces this year. It seems so up-and-coming youngsters have displayed their extraordinary talents! This is a wonderful thing! However, it also forces to take back what I said earlier; it looks like I’ll have to explain the rules after all. But before I do, would all contestants please look at the table in front of ."
At his words, Mu Chen looked up. He saw a luxurious Jade Table, upon which sat ten Jade Boxes crafted from Spirit Crystals. Each box was open, which ant they weren’t for drawing lots.
Lin Xiao smiled at the many confused faces. "It seems none of you know what these are. In fact, these boxes simply hold one thousand Storage Rings. And surely you veteran contestants have noticed that this year’s platform is a bit different from previous years?"
Hearing Lin Xiao’s words, soone exclaid in surprise, "So that’s why the setup felt so awkward this year! In the past, there were a thousand long tables arranged on the platform, but now they’re gone!"
Lin Xiao’s hearing was incredibly sharp, and he heard the murmurs from below perfectly. "Haha, correct! This year, we have indeed prepared no equipnt on the platform, nor have we laid out any Original Stones. That’s because all the equipnt and Original Stones are inside these rings."
"Rings?" Many people looked confused. ’Why make things so complicated?’
Lin Xiao seed to read the question in their eyes and laughed heartily. "Thinking this is all a bit much?" Seeing their stunned expressions, he continued, "I can assure you, this year’s competition is vastly different from the past, so this is by no ans an unnecessary step. Now, let explain the rules for the first round."
"First, each of you will co forward and select one ring. Inside each ring is a table and a number of Original Stones. I say ’a number’ because the quantity of Original Stones differs in every ring. So may contain dozens of stones, so may have more than ten, so will have just a few, and so may even have only a single Original Stone."
"The first trial you will face is to find all the Original Stones containing Spirit Crystals from your ring within one minute. This will test your luck as well as your skill. As you know, a Spirit Selector relies on seven parts experience and three parts luck. Soone who is lucky might only need to be a Third Grade Spirit Selector to find a Rare Attribute Spirit Crystal, while a high-grade Spirit Selector with bad luck could very well pick a Waste Stone. Even I make mistakes sotis. So items are far better disguised than Spirit Crystals."
"That’s... How is that possible? Elder Lin Xiao makes mistakes too!"
Many of the contestants wore expressions of disbelief, but Lin Xiao just shook his head and continued, "I knew you wouldn’t believe it. That’s why I’ve deliberately increased the difficulty for this year’s competition. This first round tests not only your luck but also your foundational skills. Co on, then. Rely on your luck, choose your ’exam paper,’ and stand in the circles drawn at your feet. That’s where you will place your tables."
As he finished speaking, Lin Xiao waved his hand. The ten Spirit Crystal boxes erupted in a dazzling light, drawing the eyes of every contestant. As his voice faded, the contestants surged forward to choose their Storage Rings, and Mu Chen was no exception. However, as he drew close to the ten boxes, a ring that was subtly different from the others caught his eye. The faint difference was in its engraved pattern; a less observant person would never have noticed it. But Mu Chen was an exceptionally observant person. Without a second thought, he snatched that ring and returned to his spot.
What Mu Chen didn’t know was that the mont he turned away, a flicker of interest appeared in Lin Xiao’s eyes. In a voice only he could hear, he murmured, ’This kid’s luck isn’t bad. And he’s already a Third Grade Spirit Selector at such a young age... Truly impressive. I wonder how he’ll perform from here.’
Once the final contestant had taken the last ring and was in position, Lin Xiao spoke again. "Now, take out the contents of your Storage Rings."
Everyone complied without hesitation, Mu Chen included. After quickly placing a Spiritual Mark on the Storage Ring, he emptied its contents onto the floor with a single thought. The mont his items appeared, the contestants around him stared with envy and jealousy.
"Damn it! This kid’s luck is insane. His ring only had two Original Stones! And look at mine! Fourteen, for fuck’s sake!"
"You think fourteen is bad? If you were this guy next to , you’d be crying," a young man said, pointing to a portly man beside him.
Mu Chen and the others followed the young man’s gesture and were left speechless. In front of the portly man was a pile of Original Stones that resembled a small hill. A quick glance was enough to tell there were at least fifty. As for the man himself, his expression was darker than the bottom of a pot.
"My condolences, man!"
The surrounding contestants all shot the portly man looks of pity. Fifty Original Stones, and he had to find all the Spirit Crystals within one minute? What a joke. Unless you were a Fifth Grade Spirit Selector, even thirty stones would be nearly impossible, let alone fifty. Glancing from Mu Chen to the unlucky man, everyone finally understood the true aning of luck.
Once everyone had taken out their Original Stones, Lin Xiao looked over their varied expressions with a smile. "Contestants, before you lies the first challenge you must overco. Within one minute, you must use your Pupil Techniques and your experience to select all the stones that contain Spirit Crystals. To increase the difficulty of this year’s challenge, I and the other Elders have spent the last year cultivating a certain number of Fake Original Stones."
"Perhaps you aren’t familiar with Fake Original Stones, so allow to say a few more words as a hint. These so-called Fake Original Stones are not genuine. They are stones created by Martial Artists who have analyzed the composition of Original Stones containing Spirit Crystals and Rare Spirit Crystals, then used Attribute Elental Power to cultivate these replicas. The internal aura, patterns, and texture of these fakes are extrely similar to genuine Original Stones hiding Spirit Crystals and Rare Attribute Spirit Crystals. It would be no exaggeration to say they are practically identical. Mixed in with the stones you must now judge are a number of these Fake Original Stones. This is an added difficulty for this year’s Spirit Selection Conference, so you must be extrely careful. The slightest oversight could lead to eternal regret."
Upon hearing this, every contestant’s expression turned grim. ’Holy shit, if the first round is this hard, how are we supposed to pass the rest?!’ First a test of luck, now a test of ticulousness. Mu Chen glanced at the portly man beside him again, only to find the poor guy’s face was already streaming with tears.
Lin Xiao swept his gaze over the crowd and announced loudly, "Since there are no objections, I declare the first round of the Spirit Selection Conference... begins... NOW!"
As his voice fell, a unified blast of horns sounded from the edge of the platform. Almost simultaneously, every contestant activated their Pupil Technique, instantly flooding the stage with a kaleidoscope of colorful lights. Mu Chen, however, remained unhurried. For him, one minute was more than enough ti. ’Fake Original Stones? Under the penetrating gaze of my Purple Sky Demon Pupils, no stone can hide from my sight.’
With a single thought, Mu Chen’s eyes snapped open. A purple light shot from his pupils as a demonic, sinister aura emanated from his body, causing many nearby contestants to look over. But when they saw the strange black markings around his eyes and his cold, rciless Snake Pupils, they couldn’t help but shiver.
"What the hell, what kind of Pupil Technique is he cultivating? One glance and it feels like I’m being targeted by a powerful Magical Beast!"
"He’s terrifying. That gaze makes want to flee."
"I’d better stay far away from that kid in the future. This feeling is just too creepy."
Mu Chen’s Pupil Technique also caught Elder Lin Xiao’s attention. He was surprised for only a mont before his expression relaxed. Pupil Techniques that resembled those of Magical Beasts had appeared in past Spirit Selection Conferences. They were the result of a mutation. ’At least, that’s what I believe,’ Lin Xiao thought to himself.
While the others were still gripped by fear, Mu Chen’s eyes had already closed. A confident smile touched the corners of his lips. "I have the answer..."
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