The Six Martial Halls (3)

As soon as Elder Ouyang had announced that the selection was starting, all the protégés were looking at one another as they considered their first move. 

The big question that was in their mind now was that, which martial hall should they choose in order to have the biggest chance to be a core protégé?

Lu Qingyun took a quick glance around him and saw that besides the almost two hundred candidates that were presented, there were actually hundreds of curious protégés that were in the hall as well.

Many of the protégés were heard saying, "I wonder who will be the six new core protégés that will be selected."

 Tang Bufan lit a sly smile. It was inconceivable to him that he would not be selected as a core protégé. After all, he had a letter of recommendation from his powerful Tang Clan. 

This trial was but a facade so as to take him as a core protégé directly without breaking the rules of the Heavens Ridge Villa. 

 Everyone was also curious to know what the examination would be in order to be selected as a core protégé.

Eventually, everyone had queued up in six lines in front of the six grand elders in front of them. 

Lu Qingyun had picked the Yellow Hills Martial Hall as his choice and he had queued up behind a line of excited cultivators. 

Celestial Shi Guanyin was the first of the grand elders to speak, "Alright then. We shall start with the first candidate on my side, alright?"

 The rest of the grand elders nodded and they had no issue with the Celestial Shi Guanyin starting first. 

A young man who was first in the queue in front of the Celestial Shi Guanyin was grinning immediately. 

He had got to the first place by fighting to line up on front of the Celestial Shi Guanyin and he believed because of that, he had the biggest chance to become a core protégé.

Celestial Shi Guanyin gave a faint smile as she looked at the candidates, "During the choosing, you are actually free to switch the queues so don't be shy if you think that you are unable to perform better in a particular queue."

 Her voice was tender and affectionate, immediately giving many of the candidates a good feeling.

Immediately, there were many of the candidates that were wishing that they ought to switch to Celestial Shi Guanyin's Red Heaven Sword Hall instead. 

To be a core protégés of such a beautiful and amicable cultivation master was really such a good feeling! 

When she had said that, there were quite a number of candidates that had already regretted that they were among the first to be queued.

 The young man that was in front of Celestial Shi Guanyin was also regretting it when the young man behind him had whispered to him, "Thank you for being a guinea pig for all of us." 

"Of course," the Celestial Shi Guanyin smiled all of a sudden. "Once a candidate has already been chosen as a core protégé, the rest of the candidates in the queue won't be eligible for testing anymore and must join the other queues."

 Her voice was pleasant and had clarity. Many of the candidates were now paying close heeds to her words and some had switched queue to line up for her Red Heaven Sword Hall. These candidates had thought that it may be a good idea after all to choose a master that was pleasant and beautiful.

 Celestial Shi Guanyin smiled alluringly, "The grand elders of the six martial halls will take our turn to test the candidate. I am Celestial Shi, the grand elder of the Red Heaven Sword Hall. My martial hall specialized in swordplay. It is not to say that we are weaker in martial or energies techniques. Almost all the new protégés are actually trained in the outer courts of the sword hall for their foundational swordplay. To be a core protégé of the Red Heaven Sword Hall means that you get to train in the inner courts for the more advance swordplay as befitting of a core protégé. In the future, you may be an elder or even a master of one of the martial halls. Therefore, we are absolutely serious in only choosing the best candidate among you."

 With that, she pointed at the first candidate and said. "Show me a few strokes of the sword."

 The first candidate was a lean and young man. He eagerly unsheathed his sword and as soon as he had stepped forward, Celestial Shi Guanyin said with a lazy look. "Out you go. You've failed."

 The first candidate was shocked beyond words, "But I haven't even started…" He was almost in tears.

 All the candidates who were watching the first candidate were also shocked with disbelief.

 "What?! He has failed even before he has started?"

"He has only unsheathed his word..."

"How did he fail?" 

 Hundreds of protégés that were watching the selection were all laughing aloud. 

The failed young man mustered the courage to ask weakly, "I ought to know the reason why I've failed, am I right?"

Celestial Shi Guanyin merely said nonchalantly to the young man, "Who asks you to walk and draw your sword at the same time? You don't even know the basic martial foundation. Also, the way you have unsheathed your sword is too clumsy. Moreover your potential is too limited. You can never advance to a Fourth Realm Expert and that is the minimum criteria that I am looking for. What are you still waiting for? Out you go and stop wasting the time of the others." 

The young man immediately hung his head low in shame, not daring to say a word more and he had a bitter look as he walked away; he had indeed become a learning lesson for the others not to repeat his mistake. 

Elder Ouyang said sternly to him, "Those who have failed, come over to this side."

Celestial Shi Guanyin display a smile to the Celestial Kong Guxin from the Green Fields Martial Hall, "I believe that it is your turn now."

 Celestial Kong Guxin was a young looking man with a heavy build. He looked at the remaining candidates with a wryly smile, "Those who want to switch their queues can still do so."

 Many of the candidates were now freaked out by the selection and Lu Qingyun suddenly saw that there were many candidates that had suddenly joined his queue.

Many of the candidates were from the queue of the Red Heaven Sword Hall as they felt that Celestial Shi Guanyin was too strict in her selection. 

It was especially so when they had heard that she was only selecting a core protégé that has the potential to reach the minimun of the 4th realm cultivation. 

 Lu Qingyun was muttering weakly when he saw the sudden switch to his queue, "Actually, I don't mind becoming an ordinary protégé at all."

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Author Note:

1. Your spirit stones are crucial for motivations and releases. Thank you all in advance, many love! ლ(⌒▽⌒ლ)