The suppression of Divine Soul dissipated, and Duan Rong’s body had returned to normal. He cupped his hands and said, "Greetings, Senior!"
Lin Youjian looked at Duan Rong’s obedient demeanor, nodded slightly, and said, "Your talent is good, just your appearance is a bit lacking."
Duan Rong was slightly taken aback and tugged at the corner of his mouth; he hadn’t expected this stern-faced female Elder to start evaluating his looks right at their first meeting.
Under the veil, Jiang Hanyan apparently looked at Duan Rong with interest and smiled faintly.
She stood up, cupped her hands towards Lin Youjian, and said: "Master."
"Hanyan, stand aside and watch closely," Lin Youjian said, then sat cross-legged in front of the black ancient zither that Jiang Hanyan had placed on the altar.
Lin Youjian’s fingers hovered above the zither, steady as a rock, fluid as water. This was Duan Rong’s true feeling at the moment; he didn’t know why those fingers gave him such an unusual sensation.
Duan Rong’s gaze suddenly jumped. Is it the Power of Law?
At that moment, Lin Youjian’s fingertips plucked the strings of the zither.
A short and high-pitched clear tune arose from the altar in the Deep Valley, soaring straight into the sky.
Everyone in the Deep Valley fell silent.
Their Divine Souls experienced a sense of joy.
And during this silence, Lin Youjian plucked a second note.
This second note was still brief, but it did not ascend; instead, it resonated within the Deep Valley...
It was like a stone being dropped on a still lake, creating ripples that spread in circles...
Everyone who heard this zither melody in the Deep Valley suddenly had clarity of mind.
And after the second note spread, the people who had previously fainted in the Deep Valley gradually regained consciousness.
Lin Youjian merely plucked twice; those two simple notes contained such immense power.
Duan Rong stood at the altar, watching the people awakening on both sides, his eyes filled with shock.
The Power of Law, its marvels are truly extraordinary!
On the altar, Jiang Hanyan looked at her master with eyes full of admiration.
Lin Youjian slowly stood up and looked at Jiang Hanyan, saying, "Hanyan, let’s go."
"Yes." Jiang Hanyan took the ancient zither from the ground and slung it over her back, taking advantage of the moment to glance at Duan Rong.
Lin Youjian embraced Jiang Hanyan, transformed into a streak of black light, and vanished like a meteor, exiting the valley from the southeastern sky.
Duan Rong stared blankly at the spot where the two vanished, his gaze filled with longing.
He wasn’t thinking about Jiang Hanyan’s beauty nor Lin Youjian’s elegance; he was pondering the black ancient zither, wondering what tier its Artifact Spirit might be. Could he devour it?
He was exceedingly curious about the Divine Soul Technique of that zither melody!
Soon, Yang Yi and the people from the Judgment and Rectification Department had divided the registered disciples in the Deep Valley into three groups.
Those like Duan Rong who crossed the red line formed one group and gathered at the altar, totaling only eleven people.
The second group, including Xiao Yu, Shen Mizi, and Ximen Kankan, who crossed the white line, stood surrounding the altar.
The rest, forming the third group, were gathered at the entry points of various canyons. These individuals had failed the first examination.
The third group was the largest, with nearly seventy percent of all registered disciples gathered at the canyon entrance.
The people from the Internal History Department stood on a large blue stone, calling out to tell them they had been eliminated and could leave the sect.
Many had defeated expressions and gray faces.
Duan Rong stood on the altar, observing the dense crowd assembled at the canyon entrance.
These people were merely cannon fodder, or just labor.
Because this first test could be administered upon their initial entry into the sect, the results hardly ever changed.
But in doing so, seventy percent of the people were retained to perform hard labor for the sect.
Of course, these people weren’t completely unrewarded; at least within the sect, they obtained Secret Martial Arts Manuals of the True Qi Realm. Through Contribution Points, they could also exchange for pills to assist in cultivation. Outside the sect, pills were not available in the Mortal World.
After these people left, within less than a month, another batch of registered disciples would gradually enter the mountains to fill the gap left by their departure.
Like harvesting green onions, one batch after another.