Chapter Seventy-One: Selection Test

  When the Seventh Elder asked, Wang Lao nodded and said: "Among these disciples, Ning Fan Yu is the most promising. His martial arts talent is even better than that of Ning Zi Chou, the first disciple of the inner sect. In the hundred-year history of the Ning family, he is a rare martial arts genius."

  Elder Wang praised Ning Fan, and the seven elders nodded: "Ning Fan became famous at a young age, indeed with exceptional talent. Entering the inner sect is just a matter of whether he wants to or not. However, this child has been in the spotlight for a long time and has developed a proud and arrogant habit, looking down on others, which isn't a good thing..."

  Wang Changlao nodded in agreement, and continued: "Apart from Ning Fangyu, there are a few other exceptionally talented individuals among the outer disciples of this batch. For example, that little girl Ning Jing whom you took as your personal disciple. Old man, I must say, your eye for talent is quite sharp. You accepted her as a disciple five years ago, and now at just twelve years old, she has already reached the late stage of Wu Tu's fourth rank. She's even close to reaching Wu Tu's fifth rank! Just based on her potential and martial arts innate abilities, she might even surpass Ning Fangyu!"

  He had taken in Ning Jing as his personal disciple early on, and this was something that the Seventh Elder took great pride in. Just as Wang Long said, that little girl had indeed proven his eye for talent to be sharp, being clever and resourceful with an excellent innate talent for martial arts.

  The martial arts world acknowledges the truth of "it's easy to find a good teacher, but hard to find a good student", and apart from some young children being occasionally mischievous, Ning Jing is indeed a nearly perfect disciple.

  He smiled complacently, but the Seventh Elder feigned anger, glared at Wang Lao and said: "Old Wang, you're taking advantage of the situation and selling your cleverness! Why don't you talk about yourself? That little guy Ning Mofeng you took in four years ago, his martial arts talent is not inferior to Jing'er's either! You're praising me while also praising yourself, aren't you?"

  Wang Changlao smiled but did not speak, he was indeed proud of his own discerning eye, having snapped up Ning Mofeng a few years ago. A good disciple is the face of their master, and a talented one can increase that face value by a hundredfold, making him proud in front of others.

  "Jing'er is still too young and mischievous, this time she actually snuck into the Xuan Yuan Forest for an adventure without telling me! It's really too reckless! Fortunately, nothing bad happened... I just made her reflect on her actions, planning to temper her for a couple of years before letting her enter the inner sect. This time's grand competition won't be allowing her to participate. On the other hand, Old Wang, your disciple is already 16 years old, if he doesn't enter the inner sect soon it'll be too late. I heard three years ago you sent Ning Mo Feng out for training and he still hasn't returned. You're really heartless, aren't you afraid something unexpected will happen to your precious disciple? I wonder if he can make it back in time for this grand competition."

  "Haha, without experiencing wind and rain, how can one grow up; without being stained with blood, they will forever be just a greenhouse flower. I believe that kid will definitely make it back!"

  Upon hearing this, the seven elders said no more and burst into hearty laughter.

  At this time, the big drum in the center of the square was struck, and the "rumbling" sound of the drum spread to all sides. The seven elders stopped laughing and said: "The outer door disciple competition is about to officially begin, Old Wang, let's go down!"

  Wang Zhanglao nodded and then walked down from the high platform with Qi Zhanglao.

  After the third drumbeat, under the expectant gaze of the crowd, the seven elders and others slowly walked up to the main stage in front of the square. The area below immediately fell silent, with all eyes fixed on the family elders on the stage.

  The seven elders were the ones in charge, and he stepped forward a few steps among several people, loudly saying to the outer door disciples: "My Ning family's annual outer door disciple competition has begun again. Advocating martial virtue, cultivating martial arts, selecting the best and eliminating the worst, this is the ancestral training of my Ning family. My Ning family relies on martial arts to establish its foundation, can be passed down for hundreds of generations, and will not fall for thousands of years, just because it always remembers such an ancestral training. For those with talent and potential in the family, Ning's family will spare no effort to cultivate them vigorously. And everyone is clear in their hearts, right? If you want to get Ning's family's vigorous cultivation, then show your skills, prove yourself, prove your martial arts talent and potential...

  The voice of the seven elders was not loud, but under the infusion of internal yuan energy, it "hummed" and shook, spreading for hundreds of feet in all directions, each word clear as a bell.

  These words were very provocative, and for a time, the outer disciples of the family below the stage were all hot-blooded, clenching their fists and rubbing their palms, eager to try.

  Seeing this, the seven elders nodded in satisfaction. The young people had such vitality and drive. This generation of Ning family's outer disciples was indeed better than before, which was a delightful thing.

  As he thought so, the gaze of the seven elders slowly moved and finally fell on Ning Chong, who was unnoticeable in the crowd.

  Ning Chong finally chose to participate in the Family Outer Disciples' Grand Competition, and although the Seventh Elder had already expected this, he couldn't help but sigh.

  "This child is really too stubborn and doesn't know how to yield. And this child's innate energy aura on his body is still weak, although it has made a lot of progress compared to half a year ago, but it is still far behind other outer door disciples. This time's outer door grand competition, I'm afraid he will be humiliated again..."

  "I just hope this child can bear it and after this big comparison, thoroughly think it through and leave the martial way..."

  The seven elders thought so, mobilizing their inner yuan force to transmit a sound into the secret path: "Child, don't think too much, just do your best."

  The sudden sound in his ear made Ning Chong startled, he knew the auxiliary skill of "Transmission into Secret", but after all, he had not experienced it personally, and at this moment, he was naturally frightened.

  Raising his head, Ning Chong saw the seven elders casting encouraging glances at him, and he felt a slight sense of gratitude, nodding slightly to the seventh elder.

  On the podium, Ning Xing sat comfortably in a sandalwood chair, listening to the seven elders speak, his eyes occasionally sweeping towards Ning Chong in the crowd, while pondering and curling up the corners of his mouth with a cold smile.

  But he didn't know what was going on in his mind, only to see him getting more and more excited, his right hand tapping the armrest of the chair with his fingers, humming a little tune.

  The speech of the seven elders ended, and this time's family outer door disciple big comparison also formally began.

  Nearly a thousand people who participated in this competition, under the guidance of several judges, checked their identities. Then, Ning Fan Yu and other geniuses, as well as the outer disciples of the family who performed exceptionally well in the last competition, directly entered the rematch, while Ning Chong and others who were participating for the first time had to take a selection test.

  Elder Wang was in charge of this selection test. He found Ning Chong in the crowd, nodded and smiled at him, and Ning Chong hastily bowed respectfully.

  Wang Changlao was very satisfied with Ning Chong's respect for his elders and good manners, smiled, and then swept his eyes over the people who came to take the test again.

  These people who participated in the selection test are relatively poor in quality, and many of them still have true energy scattered, footsteps light and floating, and they must be using elixirs and other auxiliary resources recklessly to improve their cultivation.

  Martial arts cultivation is difficult. Among one hundred martial cultivators, only one genius is needed to emerge, and that's enough to guarantee the family's potential will never be extinguished.

  So, how these young men cultivate themselves and what means they use to achieve their goals are not of great concern to the elder. He only cares about the fairness of the assessment project, achieving the goal of survival of the fittest, if one's true strength cannot meet the standard, he will certainly not show mercy.