Entrance examinations

The sect entrance examinations were held in the center area of the city which was big enough to hold thousands of people. Yet at this point it was packed to the brim with people. The nine great sects had set up in a semi circle shape taking up half the area that way. The other smaller sects were scattered in another quarter of the giant city center and the last quarter was mainly where people waited for their turn to be tested.

Fang Qiu was quite familiar with the rules since his old man explained it to him back when he was still trying to survive in the forest. All grand sects in this world were separated into their respective elements. After all fire cultivators couldn't use earth element skills so why not gather all experts and skills of a certain element together. That way they can mutually improve and strengthen eachother.

One only needed to be below eighteen years old and an awakened of the respective element they apply for. What the sects tested was mainly talent, so cultivation realms were of no importance for freshly awakened cultivators. Of course each sect had their own methods and standards for talents. You could still join a smaller hybrid sect If you were not accepted by the main sect of your element, but who would want that if the biggest nine sects in the kingdom were standing right in front of them. Yet, the facts showed that every year the smaller hybrid sects took in most of the disciples. This was not because of the hybrid sects but because of the strict criteria of the big eight. Most people that didn't get accepted joined one of the hybrid sects whilst the rest opted to become a mercenary or work for the city.

Fang Qiu had debated many times which sect to join over the last two months. Space and light element were both on the rarer side and had lower passing criteria since less cultivators possess these elements. Yet, going to one sect meant giving up on the other element for the time being.

So why not just try out both sect entrance examinations and see what happens.

While he was waiting with thousands of other youths plenty still arrived every minute. This city had many villages and towns below it and the yearly sect entrance examinations had youths from all over converging here to join one of the sects. So most of the youths here were in fact not from the city but from one of the affiliated towns or villages.

After a couple hours of waiting Fang Qiu started to get hungry so he casually took out a drumstick he prepared amongst the stares of many other youths. Who would be so shameless? Eating in the middle of the sect entrance examination grounds, did this kid have a death wish? Feeling the many angry stares from hundreds of youths Fang Qiu got angry aswell.

I can't even eat in peace, as if I would let myself be outdone by a bunch of kids. They don't even know what it's like to be starving most of your life." Fang Qiu thought to himself.

With that he took out a second even bigger drumstick, and gave it to...his core spirit?!!

Many people instantly froze on the spot. "Did that shameless kid just hand out food to his core spirit? Doesn't he know core spirits can only consume treasures of their respective elements in order to increase elemental comprehension? Is he trying to poison his core spirit?" one of the spectators said out loud, not trying to hide his voice. Even Fang Qiu could hear what he said but why would he care about what others said. Little black was even more of a glutton than he himself was. So how could he possibly poison it?

After a Few more minutes of painful torture for everyone in the vicinity of Fang Qiu...

"Hello everyone and welcome to the sect entrance examinations." An elderly woman spoke. Even youths in the back could very clearly hear every single word she said.

"We will now hold the yearly sect entrance examinations. Can everyone please make their way over to the area of the sect you wish to join." With that most people made way and moved over to their respective sect entrance examination areas which was previously a large empty area no one dared to enter. After everyone made their way over to their sects, the old lady noticed around a hundred cultivators still standing at the initial waiting area on the square.

"There's even more than last year, it seems the myriad elements sect is going to enter a period of growth again." She thought to herself whilst saying: "you all must be elemental cultivators of rare elements. The nine major sects cultivate their respective main element only." With that everyone's expression dulled. It was as if a hundred youth suddenly lost their will to live.

after all, didn't they come all the way over here in order to join one of the nine great sects, however slim their chances were as special element users. Some of then were even about to leave but noticed one youth in the back casually eating as if he had no worries in the world.

"Why are you just eating here as if nothing is going on, don't you see we are all failures that have no place in this world?" One of the more aggressive youths said to Fang Qiu.

Yet Fang Qiu continued eating while he replied: "does it look like the old woman is done speaking? You think she would just keep standing there like an old mangled scarecrow?"

Hearing what Fang Qiu said, the old woman had the urge to puke a litre of blood. She quickly composed herself and continued: "you all don't have to go through any entrance examinations." With that the over one hundred youths all paled again, except for one of course.

Then suddenly the old woman showed a very bright smile. "I think I should introduce myself, my fellow cultivators refer to me as sound spirit Fenglun. I do not belong to any of the eight great sects, Instead I am a sound element elder of the myriad elements sect. The myriad elements sect accepts any disciples of the rare elements that do not belong to the great nine. In a way the myriad elements sect even surpasses the eight great sects. If not for the special elements being rare thus our sect being way smaller we would have long since surpassed the big eight in power." By this point the over one hundred youths were nearly jumping from joy.

"Our sect does not hold any examinations, just show us your element and we will welcome you with open arms."Sound spirit Fenglun continued. The instant she said this sentence over a dozen elders walked forward from a corner of the plaza belonging to the myriad elements sect.

"These are our myriad elements elders that do not have disciples yet and have shown interest in accepting a disciple..."

___

In another part of the square Fang Qiu was looking at all of this like a spectator, all he needed was a comfy chair and some drinks and he would be able to stay here all day. Over at the nine elemental sects youths were being accepted and refused every second. Those that were accepted immediately joined their ranks and those that were refused made their way over to the hybrid sects where they were welcomed with open arms. In a way the hybrid sects were sometimes better because they treated their members like family and had no discimination based on talent or skill.

Fang Qiu was still debating which sect to go towards when hand suddenly tapped his shoulder. Upon turning around he noticed there were three individuals standing behind him. "How the hell did they get behind me without me noticing?" He said to himself whilst his face showed his shock. He was a seventh tier qi refining cultivator after all so his senses were heightened by quite a bit, yet he didn't sense these three at all.

The hand that tapped his shoulder belonged to an innocent looking eighteen year old girl. She had a gorgeous face and a perfect body. Fang Qiu felt like the luckiest man on earth just by looking at her, upon realising what he was thinking he instantly looked away from the gorgeous girl instead focusing on the other two individuals. this girl certainly had some sort of special ability or element to make him instantly give up on his one true love which was food. Not that he swung in a weird way, he obviously was straight but feeling like the luckiest man alive just from looking at her? This seemed a bit absurd so it certainly had to be a skill or core spirit ability.

The person on the left behind the girl was a fatty in the truest sense. He looked really friendly though and if he were to be skinny he'd probably be relatively handsome even. One striking feature about him had to be his eyes, one of them was gray whilst the other one was blue. Yet Fang Qiu noticed the fatty was looking right back at him, whilst licking his...lips?!!... "did the fatty actually swing that way?" Fang Qiu thought to himself, he couldn't help but shiver at the thought.

The fatty noticed Fang Qiu's weird look and instantly understood what the look meant so he quickly said "don't worry junior brother, I was merely looking at the eighth rank flaming hen drumstick you are holding, I must say it looks absolutely delicious. Do you have more? Where did you get it? Is it seasoned?" The Fatty spit out one question after another like a tsunami with spittle flying all over the place.

"Did this fatty never shut up the moment food comes up in a conversation? And how did he even know this belonged to an eighth tier flaming hen??"

Finally the gorgeous girl noticed Fang Qiu's precarious situation and interrupted the fatty by saying "hello there little brother, could you tell us if there are any dual element cultivators participating in the entrance examination?"