"The importance of making the right choice, all of you should know it by now, shouldn't you? Each one of you, show the strength you were born with, let the main lineage of our Zhu Family from Nanli City witness the prowess of our side branch. Boys, are you ready?" Zhu Zichu's appearance is quite rugged, and his voice is tremendously loud and hoarse, his opening speech simple and direct.

"Ready!" The descendants of the Zhu Family all blushed, responding in unison, their voices echoing through the square, shaking the accumulated snow at the edges to tremble.

"Alright, let me introduce to you, this is Elder Zhu Yuheng who has specially come from our clan for this test. After passing the test, Elder Yuheng will lead you to the clan in You State. Everyone, come quickly and meet Elder Yuheng!" Zhu Zichu stood up, pointing to the black-robed figure seated on the high platform, introducing him to everyone.

"Greetings to the Elder!" All the descendants of the Zhu Family bowed, looking at the black-robed elder with a hint of curiosity.

The elder had a face full of wrinkles and sallow skin, with a pair of sword eyebrows thrusting into his temples, giving him a very stern appearance. He did not speak but nodded slightly to Zhu Zichu.

"Now, I will start calling out names, those who are called should step up to the stone platform to take the test!" Behind Zhu Yuheng stood a middle-aged burly man, someone very familiar to Zhu Bufan, who took care of the daily operations of the Zhu Mansion, named Zhu Rong, a slick and experienced individual.

"Zhu Yunyan!" The robust voice of Zhu Rong rang out in the training field.

As his words fell, a girl dressed in a purple robe stood out from the crowd, with a calm appearance yet exuding a hint of fierceness.

Zhu Bufan's vision was remarkable now, he could tell that the girl practiced a Gold Attribute Technique.

Zhu Ruyan, under the gaze of everyone, lightly stomped her feet, and her whole body shot out like an arrow. Along the way, she used the stone platform to lightly touch with her feet, gracefully flipping in the air, and landed steadily on the stone platform.

"Good!" Seeing Zhu Ruyan arriving at the stone platform so effortlessly, the crowd below burst into a high-pitched cheer.

Zhu Rong also cast an appreciative gaze, but the elder, with his eyes slightly closed, showed no change in expression, as if he hadn't witnessed the scene before.

"Alright, see this stone wall? Do not hold back, circulate all your Inner Qi, gather it in your palm, and press it onto this Jade Ink stone slab," Zhu Rong instructed softly.

"Yes!" Zhu Ruyan responded quietly, gave a respectful bow to the elder, then raised her palm, striking the Jade Ink stone slab slowly yet swiftly.

Pop...

A clear slapping sound emitted, feeling as if striking dough.

This loud collision sound didn't make Zhu Ruyan feel much pain in her palm. Contacting the Jade Ink stone felt like hitting a sponge, extremely soft, a cool sensation passing through her palm directly imprinting in her heart.

"Fifth Rank Late Stage, fifteen years old, passed!"

The dry voice like sawing wood came out from the elder's mouth.

But to Zhu Ruyan's ears, this raspy voice was as melodious as music from the heavens, her tense face showing an expression of ecstatic joy as she flipped off the stone platform.

Close friends who were on good terms with Zhu Ruyan immediately came forward to congratulate her.

"Next, Zhu Qiang!"

Zhu Qiang was a young man practicing the Fire Element Technique, always low-key. Zhu Bufan had only heard of his name, never seen his face.

Following the procedure, Zhu Qiang struck the stone slab with his palm full force.

"Ninth Rank Early Stage, seventeen years old, disqualified!" The elder scanned with his gaze and coldly stated.

Upon hearing the news, Zhu Qiang felt as though struck by lightning, his face turned deathly pale in an instant, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably. He leaped off the stone platform, his soul seemingly lost, and left the training ground, staggering like a drunkard, as his parents hurriedly chased after him.

...

"Next up, Zhu Wu!"

Zhu Wu has always been a prominent figure in Zhu Mansion. Unlike Zhu Bufan, he possesses top-tier cultivation talent. Zhu Zichu, his uncle, shows him great affection.

Zhu Wu clearly exhibited first-class movement techniques; his figure soared through the air like a butterfly, with elegant and captivating poses, occasionally performing high-risk movements that elicited waves of gasps from the audience.

"Hmph, all flash and no substance!"

While Zhu Wu was showing off on the stone platform, a hoarse voice came from somewhere close by—low and soft, yet in Zhu Wu's ears, it was like thunder, making his head buzz and instantly wiping the smug look off his face.

"What are you dawdling for? Get ready for the test!" Zhu Rong picked up the urgency in the elder's voice and promptly scolded, though he was actually helping Zhu Wu discreetly.

"Yes!" Zhu Wu dared not delay; he might be considered a spoiled young master, but he was certainly no fool. He knew that the elder before him was not someone he could afford to offend.

"Fifteen years old, Ninth Rank Middle Stage, passed!"

Looking at the deep palm print, a gleam flashed through the elder's eyes, and his tone somewhat softened—apparently quite satisfied with Zhu Wu's performance.

...

Afterward, of the hundred or so participants, the vast majority were eliminated, with only twenty-five passing the selection.

"Elder Yuheng, these are the participants for this year's selection! What do you think..." Zhu Rong respectfully addressed the elder.

"Oh? Is that so? Something seems off. Did we miss someone?" The elder raised his eyebrows and asked strangely.

"Uh?" Zhu Rong flipped through the register in his hand, and soon said, "Elder, it shouldn't be; no one was missed."

"Is that so? What about Zhu Bufan? Isn't there such a person? He's only thirteen and qualifies to participate in the selection!" Zhu Yuheng remarked indifferently.

Though the elder's voice was soft, it resonated in everyone's ears.

Upon hearing the elder's words, the expressions of everyone present varied—some in disbelief, some contemptuous, some blank, while others narrowed their eyes pensively.

Similarly, this statement rang in Zhu Bufan's ears. On the surface, he appeared unchanged, yet inside, a storm raged through his mind.

"This old man actually knows of my existence! And he seems so concerned, what's going on? After all these years, someone still keeps tabs on me—is it someone who bears me ill will or someone who cares?"

Though Zhu Bufan thought this, he was more inclined to believe the former; if it were someone who cared about him, they would not have been silent for so many years.

At this moment, Zhu Bufan's sense of vigilance intensified, unsure of the intentions of those lurking in the shadows.

Originally, the slight impatience brought on by his increased strength vanished completely. Zhu Bufan had planned to make a remarkable impact in this selection, showcasing the peak strength of the Ninth Rank. However, the sudden appearance of this elder made Zhu Bufan abandon that idea.

Naturally, it wasn't that Zhu Bufan was showing fear in the selection but merely adjusting his strategy a bit, likely showing strength around the Fifth Rank.

"Initially, I was going to surprise you all with a gift—a thirteen-year-old Ninth Rank genius martial artist, enough to shock the entire Zhu Family. Now, a thirteen-year-old Fifth Rank martial artist should still make quite a stir!" Zhu Bufan went over the plan carefully in his mind.

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