Heavenly Ascension True God

After Travis was done selecting the cultivation technique, he decided to start cultivating the sutra immediately. 

He knew that starting to practice sooner would lead to quicker progress in his cultivation.

Travis cleared his mind and focused on directing his energy to master the sutra.

After that, he witnessed a surge of mist flowing from the surrounding space and enveloping his body. 

It was an energy that was much purer and more nourishing than Qi, something he had never sensed before, flowing into his body.

Could this be the primordial origin of Qi as mentioned in the sutra?

He could feel his body and energy pathways being transformed by primordial Qi entering him.

He felt like he was in molten lava, sometimes feeling a sharp tearing sensation as if being cut apart. Fortunately, the pain quickly faded, followed by a soothing sense of improvement after each painful episode. 

By the time the tempering came to an end, his body was overflowing with energy, and he felt stronger than ever.

He began looking around the palace, hoping to see the resources Lionheart was talking about, but found nothing.

He assumed the resources must be on the upper floor but found no entrance when he searched for the entrance to them.

"Palace spirit, could you please guide me to the next floor?" he called out, hoping for a response.

"Master can only access the next floor when your cultivation meets the floor requirement." Upon hearing this, he could only depart with a sense of disappointment.

He inquired of the palace spirit about the process of storing the palace, seeking guidance on how to effectively bring it back to his sea of consciousness.

"You just need to think about retrieving the palace, and it will return to your sea of consciousness."

A smile of joy spread across his face, realizing he could take the palace with him. As he realized it was time to return to the academy after three days, Travis panicked upon realizing he had only one day left before the recruitment period started. 

Using his cultivated skills, Travis activated the transportation formation, allowing him to swiftly depart from the abyss.

He teleported to the outer zone of the mystical forest, surrounded by towering ancient trees emitting a mystical aura, where he immediately set off for the academy.

Travis arrived outside a grand arena, the central location for the annual recruitment event where students from various mountains gather for selection, strategically positioned in the heart of the academy to ensure easy access for student selection.

Upon entering the vast arena, Travis marveled at its expansive interior, bustling with tens of thousands of eager students eagerly anticipating the commencement of the recruitment proceedings.

Each student brimmed with excitement at the thought of joining a mountain, yearning for the resources, training, and growth opportunities unique to each mountain.

Travis walked into a crowd, standing beside some students, when he heard them talking about the mountain they would like to join.

He was also intrigued by my topic, thinking about what mountain he should join.

When some female students noticed him standing there, they were immediately charmed by his dazzling appearance.

The dedicated practice of the Primordial Origin Essence Harmonization Sutra has not only refined Travis's physique but also imbued him with an aura akin to that of a dragon among men, radiating a presence that commanded attention.

They immediately surrounded him, trying to get to know him. It's important to note that the majority of them were girls.

As they engaged in conversation, Travis effortlessly charmed them with his quick wit, captivating storytelling, and genuine charisma, leaving a lasting impression on each of them. The group of girls eagerly exchanged their Ascension ID contact information with him, hoping to continue their interaction beyond that moment.

As they witnessed this, the male disciples in the section gazed at him with a mix of envy and jealousy on their faces.

That was when a middle-aged man in green robes went to the arena and raised his hand to stop people from making any noise.

The arena fell silent, enveloped in a blanket of quiet. Everyone turned their attention to the distinguished middle-aged man in green robes, a figure of authority who oversaw the awakening process for the students.

Travis looked at the elder and recalled him being the one who was in charge of the awakening process for the students.

"Greetings everyone! I'm Daoist Rufus, an elder of the Rising Dragon Mountain. I'll be your host for this year's recruitment events." He introduced himself, his voice echoing throughout the arena.

As his voice fell, a group of five people walked into the arena.

The five people attracted attention as they were envoys from four mountains and one palace. 

The Rising Dragon Mountain, the Wisdom Dragon Mountain, the Creation Dragon Mountain, the Sensual Dragon Palace, and the Hidden Dragon Mountain.

There were three women among the group of envoys. Two of them appeared to be in their twenties, while the last one was middle-aged. Both men also seemed to be in their middle years.

They were here to scout for talented students before selection day.

Everyone in the audience stood up to show respect as a sign of reverence for the envoys. 

The envoys gave a slight nod to the audience, exuding an air of confidence and authority, before gracefully taking their designated seats.

Their seating also signified the mountains' ranks in the academy. In the middle sat one of the two young women in golden robes. She represented Hidden Dragon Mountain. 

The other four envoys from the three mountains and one palace sat beside her.

Daoist Rufus clapped his hands to gather everyone's attention and stated, "Most of you may be familiar with the rules from past recruitments.

However, let me repeat those rules once more so that everyone who isn't familiar with them will know."

"First of all, those of you who aren't in the spirit awakening realm or above, and those who are more than 20 years old, aren't eligible to participate in this recruitment. 

Anyone who comes down for recruitment will be punished severely." A few people who were proud of their talent despite not being eligible shrank their necks. 

Not daring to entertain the thought of trying their luck, clearly afraid of punishment.

"The recruitment will be conducted in two phases. In the first phase, candidates will be tested to gauge their affinity for natural mana.

Those who don't have third-grade affinity are ineligible and will not proceed to the next phase of recruitment. Only those with third-grade or higher affinity will move on to the second phase for additional evaluations.

The second phase is the most important aspect of this recruitment in a sense, which is battle.

Having high-affinity grades or strength is not enough if you cannot demonstrate effective combat skills and emerge victorious in real battles.

As we cultivate and struggle to become strong, we want to become strong so that we can survive and live today without fear.

Let's begin with the first test. I expect all of you to come out in an orderly manner." Each student walks out calmly from their sitting position.

People keep passing and failing. 

The ratio of passing and failing candidates was nearly equal, indicating a competitive selection process. From this, it can be seen that although the number of students who wanted to join the academy was around two hundred thousand, only half of them would qualify to proceed to the second phase.

Each candidate completed their testing in just a few seconds. However, as five hours swiftly passed, there remained ten percent of candidates yet to undergo testing, intensifying the pressure and time constraints of the recruitment evaluations.

"Stimulate the mana inside the crystal." The elder instructed.

Ebas focused on stimulating the mana inside the crystal, which then emitted an invisible mana wave that dissipated after traveling seven inches.

The instructor nodded towards Ebas approvingly and announced loudly, "Grade seven mana affinity. Pass!"

In a similar manner, additional students proceeded to test their affinities, each hoping to showcase their capabilities and qualifications for selection. Some left happy, while some could only leave disappointed.

Before long, the moment arrived for Travis to step forward onto the stage, marking a significant turning point in the recruitment proceedings.

Emerging from the crowd, Travis commanded the attention of all present. His lustrous black hair cascaded elegantly, harmonizing with his flawless white complexion. His silver eyes exuded profound wisdom, accentuated by sharp features and an aura of immortality, captivating every onlooker as he strode confidently towards the stage.