Appraisal Of Talents

The children were quite nervous as they all looked at the Elder, waiting for his next words.

"Now then, we shall begin the process," Elder Nie Jing announced before picking up a jade slip.

He held it in his hand for a moment and scanned it, reading the names within.

"The first recruit to be appraised shall be... Jun Ruo!" the Elder declared. "Approach!"

"Go," the inner court disciple who had brought Jun Ruo said, giving him a gentle push forward.

The fourteen-year-old, sheepish-looking boy carefully approached the dais. He was sweating like he was trapped in a desert, and his legs wobbled like jelly left out in the sun. If the crushing pressure he felt weren't stronger than his desire to flee, he'd have already bolted halfway across the sect.

Step. Step. Step.

The boy climbed the dais and stood before the towering Talent Seeking Tablet.

"Draw blood," the Elder instructed.

Gulp.