Lu Wei said, "The preliminary selection will be held tomorrow."
"The first round of selection will last a total of seven days, and after seven days, there will be a further selection."
"As far as I know, the number of geniuses participating in this selection to become outer disciples exceeds one hundred thousand, which is a new high in recent years. However, among these one hundred thousand people, only about three thousand can become outer disciples, and only about three hundred can become inner disciples. As for true disciples, there is no specific quota. If your strength is not enough, even if you rank first, you cannot become a true disciple."
Ling Fan nodded.
He had also collected some intelligence.
The true disciples of the Qing Xuan Sect needed at least a fifth-tier Xuan Emperor. If their hard strength was not enough, even if their performance in the selection was excellent, it would be useless.
"Those eligible to participate in the selection must have at least the cultivation of a first-tier Yuan Emperor. This is the absolute lowest threshold. One hundred thousand geniuses above Yuan Emperor... and only three thousand can become outer disciples, even fewer can become inner disciples, only three hundred. True disciples are even rarer. This competition is too damn fierce."
Guo Gui patted his chubby face, sighing with emotion, "I only recently advanced to the fourth-tier Xuan Emperor. In previous years, I would have definitely entered the inner sect. This year... it's a bit uncertain!"
"Fatty Guo, if you can't even get into the inner sect then, don't disgrace us," Chen Tao said without hesitation, striking him down.
"I definitely will!"
Guo Gui's face turned red, and he held his breath, saying.
"Heh heh."
Chen Tao shook his head and said nothing, looking down on Fatty Guo a bit.
"It's a sure thing for me to enter the inner sect. It's just too difficult to directly challenge for true disciple status. It might take a few more years after entering the Qing Xuan Sect to truly qualify to challenge for a true disciple position," Chen Tao said proudly.
"Brother Tao is amazing."
"Of course, who do you think Brother Tao is? He's from the Chen family of Jinling! With this talent and strength, how could it not be good?"
Several people nearby chimed in with timely flattery.
A woman even cast an admiring glance at Chen Tao.
Chen Tao's demeanor became even more smug.
He glanced at Ling Fan.
Finally, with a hint of ambition, his gaze fell on Lu Wei.
Unfortunately.
Lu Wei seemed to not have felt his fiery gaze and offered no response.
"Brother Fan Lin, what about you? Do you have confidence in entering the inner sect this time?"
Guo Gui sidled up to Ling Fan and asked.
Ling Fan retorted, "In this selection, can one only become a true disciple at most, and not directly advance to become a seed disciple?"
Upon hearing Ling Fan's words.
Everyone else was suddenly stunned.
They put down their bowls and chopsticks and looked at him.
Chen Tao scoffed, "What's up with that? Judging by your tone, you want to soar to the sky in this selection and directly become a seed disciple? Based on you? Hahahaha!"
Chen Tao burst into laughter.
Lu Wei also secretly shook her head.
She felt that the person Guo Gui invited was too ambitious.
He wasn't even sure about becoming an inner disciple.
Yet he was dreaming of a meteoric rise to become a seed disciple.
However, she still kindly advised, "There is no such precedent, nor has there ever been such an outstanding genius. I estimate there won't be in the future either. I suggest Brother Fan should first steadily enter the inner sect."
Ling Fan nodded and said, "Since I cannot directly become a seed disciple, then I have no need to use my full strength. It's enough to get the status of a true disciple."
Saying that.
Ling Fan greeted Guo Gui.
Then he left on his own to register for the selection.
After a while.
The handsome young men and beautiful women in the private room finally reacted.
Immediately.
A burst of sharp, mocking laughter erupted.
"Holy crap, what kind of freak did we meet today? Did you hear what he said? With his pathetic appearance, he still wants to become a seed disciple? He's bragging to the heavens!"
"Damn, my stomach hurts from laughing at him. His last sentence, it's as if he has the strength to become a seed disciple, and becoming a true disciple is just a casual matter."
"I've truly broadened my horizons! To think there's someone so arrogant to this extent, I'm truly impressed."
"Hmph, if he can't even get into the inner sect then and becomes the lowest-level outer disciple, I will definitely humiliate him without restraint."
Chen Tao and the others burst into laughter.
Lu Wei, however, did not laugh.
Ling Fan's calm, unruffled gaze flashed through her mind.
She suddenly felt that this person was truly unfathomable.
If you say he's frivolous, he's indeed talking nonsense and is out of touch, and he's thick-skinned.
If you say he's rough, he's completely unkempt, like a wild man from the mountains.
However.
The calm, unruffled gaze he offered after hearing about the Qing family's plight was something Lu Wei couldn't forget. This gaze draped a mysterious veil over him.
"Who exactly are you, and why do you care so much about the Qing family? The Qing family... is not something you can save."
Lu Wei shook her head.
She stopped thinking about these matters.
Guo Gui, hearing Chen Tao and the others' laughter, couldn't stand it anymore and said, "You should know that I have an ability to be very sensitive to others' strength. I suddenly ran out of the private room just now to invite this Fan Lin because I sensed that this person's strength is not to be underestimated. He is also a fourth-tier Xuan Emperor, and his power is unfathomable!"
"So what if he's a fourth-tier Xuan Emperor? He himself said he's a lone cultivator. Can someone with no status or background compare to us?" Chen Tao sneered.
Fourth-tier Xuan Emperor.
He, Chen Tao, was also a leader among fourth-tier Xuan Emperor geniuses.
"That's natural. How can this person compare to Brother Tao? He can't even compare to Brother Tao's finger."
"You guys..."
Guo Gui was furious.
"Hmph, just wait and regret it. Anyway, I'm definitely going to build a good relationship with Fan Lin. I have a premonition that this person is definitely not ordinary!" Guo Gui thought to himself.
...
The next day.
The preliminary selection began.
Ling Fan was scheduled for the fifth day.
Without any suspense.
With Ling Fan's strength, he didn't even need to prepare. He directly crushed the competition with his raw strength and easily entered the final selection.
In fact, anyone with a cultivation above the third-tier Yuan Emperor could pass easily.
Guo Gui, Lu Wei, Chen Tao, and their small circle of geniuses, all fourth-tier Xuan Emperors, also passed without exception.
Seven days later.
The final selection officially kicked off in a massive square at the deepest part of Qing Xuan City, near the Qing Xuan Sect's mountain gate.
A total of nine thousand geniuses entered the final selection.
These nine thousand people were arranged in various combat platforms, fighting against each other. The winners advanced, and the losers were eliminated.
Soon.
After one or two rounds of elimination battles, only over three thousand geniuses remained.
They were guaranteed to become outer disciples of the Qing Xuan Sect.
At this stage.
The elimination battles became somewhat intense, even a bit brutal.
Because there were particularly many geniuses this year, and the competition was particularly fierce.
The number of fourth-tier Xuan Emperor geniuses who could reliably enter the inner sect in previous years had nearly doubled this year, meaning that half of the fourth-tier Xuan Emperor geniuses would still be screened out and could only become outer disciples.
No one wanted to be a failure as an outer disciple.
Everyone wanted to squeeze into the inner sect.