Chapter 1622: Chapter 1622: Fated Encounter

Chen Ziyu didn’t take Mu Hanyan’s indifferent attitude to heart, as Mu Hanyan had always been this way towards him. Yet, even so, his feelings for her had never changed.

The selection soon began. An elder with white hair and beard waved his large hand, and all the disciples participating in the selection found an extra piece of paper in their hands, or more precisely, a talisman paper. The crowd looked at their talisman paper in wonder, as the paper in their hands bore writing, while those in others’ hands were blank.

"Answer the question on your paper. Don’t bother looking around, as everyone can only see the question on their own talisman paper. Once answered, crush it. Those who pass the preliminary round will have a white glow and can proceed to the second round of selection by climbing this staircase." The elder’s voice reached everyone’s ears.

Mu Hanyan scanned the crowd below, pondering how many disciples Fuhua Peak might receive this time. The first round of the selection involved answering a series of questions, which was the hallmark of the Canglan Sect. These questions varied but were all designed to assess character. For the Canglan Sect, character was the primary criterion for accepting disciples, followed by aptitude. What use was extraordinary talent if one’s heart was not upright?

If a sect were to accept disciples with crooked hearts, it would surely bring disaster, potentially even catastrophic destruction. If the sect fell into danger, and everyone fled like birds and beasts to save themselves, who would protect the sect and its legacy? The founder of the Canglan Sect understood this clearly and had thus set the content of the first test. This was one of the key reasons why the Canglan Sect had become the preeminent sect of the day.

Soon, the questions were answered, and the talisman paper was crushed. Beams of white light flashed among the crowd. Those enveloped in the white glow beamed with joy, while those without showed expressions of understanding, dissatisfaction, or dejection. Disciples then led those with the white glow toward the staircase.

Ye Yanran watched the scene with great interest, as it was her first time witnessing such a grand selection process. So this is how they select disciples...

At this moment, Mu Hanyan suddenly felt a gaze settle upon her. She initially paid little mind, as she was used to attracting attention whenever she appeared before others. However, this time something stirred within her, prompting her to turn and look in the direction of the gaze. There, she saw a pair of eyes that seemed familiar.

As soon as she met those eyes, she found it difficult to look away. The person was dressed in white, though not the pure white of Chen Ziyu, but a silvery white that made the individual appear even more distinguished. The person’s features were ordinary, yet the eyes were strikingly vivid. When the person noticed Mu Hanyan’s gaze, rather than avoid it, he held her gaze, staring intently at her.

Mu Hanyan instinctively turned away, avoiding his gaze. A moment later, she chanced another glance only to find the person still watching her, startling her into quickly averting her eyes again. Her heart beat faster as she swore she caught a fleeting trace of amusement in his eyes.

This time, Mu Hanyan dared not look at him again, inexplicably feeling a bit guilty...

Mu Hanyan, using the Wind Control Skill, took Ye Yanran and Mu Hanfeng to the final step of the staircase, waiting for those capable of climbing on their own. This staircase was designed with mystery, inflicting greater pressure the higher the participants climbed, forcing them to rely on their own strength. Only those who reached the top could be considered to have truly passed the test. The first round tested character, and the second tested one’s determination. Only those with sufficiently resolute wills could pass the second round.

As Mu Hanyan flew in the air, another person caught her attention. The individual’s steadfast posture and unwavering strides were remarkable. As Mu Hanyan flew ahead to see the person’s face, she noticed that while the features were ordinary, the gaze was extraordinarily resolute. It seemed the person sensed Mu Hanyan’s gaze, and he looked up, offering her a gentle smile. Startled, Mu Hanyan swiftly flew away with Ye Yanran.

Upon landing, Mu Hanfeng noticed Mu Hanyan’s expression and furrowed his brow slightly before asking, "Junior Sister Han Yan, is something amiss?"

"Ah?" Mu Hanyan snapped back to reality, lightly shaking her head, "It’s nothing. I just saw two promising prospects earlier."

"Is that so? Then I’ll have to keep a close watch on them to see if they can join our Fuhua Peak." Mu Hanfeng’s eyes lit up. He had long wished for more junior disciples; after all, junior disciples were meant to be subordinates. He once considered subjugating Xiang Baizhe, but that guy was as lazy as could be, only engrossed in alchemy and array research. However, since Xiang had fortified Fuhua Peak’s defensive array many times over, he let go of his grievance. Recruiting new junior disciples to command sounded like an excellent plan. The affairs at Fuhua Peak were indeed numerous, and his unreliable Master – well, he just didn’t want to talk about it.

Mu Hanyan remained where she was, pondering other matters. She had a lingering feeling that those two ordinary-looking individuals were different somehow, but she couldn’t quite put her finger on what made them different. There was even a sense of familiarity, although she was certain she had never met them before.

The time allocated for completing the second round was two days. Disciples stationed there would lead those who passed to the square where the third round would take place. The third round was straightforward, being the final test: an evaluation of aptitude.

A large stone tablet stood in the square’s center. Participants merely needed to place their palm on it and focus their mind, allowing their aptitude to be measured. The results were recorded and instantly transmitted. The names and aptitudes of those who passed would be displayed on a wall in the Canglan Sect’s main hall, visible to the sect’s elders and core figures, who could thus clearly assess the disciples’ aptitudes. Once all who passed the test entered the hall, they could begin selecting disciples.

Mu Hanyan observed that the two individuals also easily passed the second round and proceeded directly to the stone tablet in the square. Upon seeing their aptitude, she was somewhat surprised. The two possessed remarkably similar and exceptionally good aptitudes. Meanwhile, Mu Hanfeng’s eyes sparkled as he watched them; he thought to himself, Great, it’s settled then. They both appear very honest, which is perfect. They’ll be tasked with assignments in the future. Mu Hanfeng relished the thought. He didn’t consider that the supposed honesty might be entirely illusory, completely fake, fake indeed.

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