"Come, come, young fellow, don't be afraid. I was just joking with Xiao Jin. My ears aren't that bad."
Elder Jin, an old man, looked at Wan Lei with a smile.
"Hmm, your physique is quite robust, just a bit thin. I wonder about your aptitude?"
Wan Lei was somewhat bewildered. Did the Five Elements Hall recruit disciples based on whether they were fat or thin?
"Here, hand over your identification card so I can register you."
Wan Lei obediently handed it over.
After swiping the identification card, the old man saw the information appear on his computer.
"Hmm, no prior criminal record, that's good. You only ascended this year, not bad. What kind of plane did you ascend from?"
"Middle Spirit Plane."
"How old are you this year?"
"Uh..."
This stumped Wan Lei. After calculating for a while, he tentatively said,
"About twenty-eight or twenty-nine."
"When did you start cultivating?"
"Sixteen."
Wan Lei was certain about this.
"You became an immortal in just ten years? That's impressive, brother. I see you're at the peak of the Tai Xu realm now. You must have been an immortal for at least two years, amazing!"
The young man, Xiao Jin, looked with wide eyes.
"Yes, he's a good prospect. Come, step up to the stone monument here to test your aptitude."
The old man walked to the stone monument with a smile.
"Test aptitude?"
Wan Lei was a little confused. The spirit net hadn't mentioned this part.
Seeing his confusion, Xiao Jin explained,
"This stone monument is just for reference data, it's optional and doesn't count towards the score. Usually, when an exceptionally talented individual is encountered, Elder Jin gets interested and pulls them over for a test. It's nothing, it won't take long. Give it a try."
He'd try if they asked him to. Whatever the leader said, he'd do.
Wan Lei walked up to the stone monument.
"This stone monument was seen by the Immortal Venerable when he was in the Underworld Ancient Sect in the Ghost Realm. So, he made an identical one.
It has a total of one hundred grids. The first twenty grids represent very poor aptitude, twenty-one to forty represent average, forty-one to sixty represent good.
Sixty-one to eighty represent excellent, eighty-one to ninety-nine represent heaven-defying. It's easy to understand, right?"
"It's very easy to understand. What about the hundredth grid?"
"You don't need to think about that one. That's Origin-level aptitude."
The elder chuckled and stroked his beard, pointing to the top few grids.
"Although this stone monument is just reference data, it is quite useful. Let me give you an example.
Our four Immortal Venerables and the Ghost Emperor were tested when they were still in the Tai Xu realm. Each of them had ninety-seven, ninety-eight, or ninety-nine aptitude. They were considered top-tier among the heaven-defying, which is why they achieved such great accomplishments."
Wan Lei nodded upon hearing this, unfazed. After all, they were great beings, their aptitude couldn't possibly be poor.
Then, Wan Lei frowned.
"Four Immortal Venerables? What about the fifth one?"
"Hahaha, there's another one, our Water Immortal Venerable. The Water Immortal Venerable is the only person in all of existence throughout endless life who has Origin-level aptitude. He was the first drop of water that appeared at the very beginning of the Origin Plane's birth, when no other universe had formed.
After countless years of evolution, that drop of water gained sentience and became a disciple of Patriarch Bodhi. Later, in pursuit of the path to sainthood, he underwent countless cycles of reincarnation until he met the other Immortal Venerables and finally achieved sainthood...
Ah, no, he even became an Immortal Venerable."
"The first drop of water in the endless planes, tsk tsk tsk, amazing."
Wan Lei nodded sincerely, and at the same time, became even more curious about his own aptitude and which grid it would reach.
"Come, place your hand on it. Send a wisp of your divine sense into it. Don't force it. When the Water Immortal Venerable was tested, the stone monument couldn't withstand his aptitude. When it reached level one hundred, the stone monument exploded."
Wan Lei nodded, extended his hand, placed it on the stone monument, and simultaneously manipulated a wisp of his divine sense into it.
On the stone monument, grids quickly lit up from the bottom. Five grids per row, for a total of twenty rows. The speed at which the lights turned on was as if someone was rapidly flicking switches behind it.
Twenty, forty, sixty. When it reached sixty or seventy, Elder Jin and Xiao Jin didn't show much reaction. Their faces were as calm as still water. After all, for someone who ascended from the Middle Spirit Plane and became an immortal in ten years, their aptitude should be at least eighty, otherwise, it would be unacceptable.
As expected, the grids quickly lit up to eighty.
Now, it was a matter of whether Wan Lei's aptitude was in the eighties or nineties.
Both of them showed interest in their faces.
Soon, the grids lit up to ninety, but they were still increasing rapidly.
Their expressions changed slightly.
When it reached ninety-five, their faces changed drastically, and their breathing became rapid.
Ninety-six...
Ninety-seven...
Ninety-eight...
Ninety-nine...
They were dumbfounded, extremely shocked. Not only them, but the other staff members and applicants in the room were also stunned.
They remained silent, but their silence was deafening.
What were they hoping for...
Finally, after a few breaths, the hundredth grid suddenly lit up.
"Run! The stone monument is going to explode!"
Elder Jin roared and grabbed Xiao Jin, preparing to run outside.
Seeing this, Wan Lei wisely retracted his hand.
With that, the panicked crowd also quieted down.
"One hundred grids... one hundred grids... apart from the Water Immortal Venerable, it's unprecedented..."
Elder Jin muttered in disbelief, his eyes wide.
Wan Lei smiled shyly, feeling a bit embarrassed by Elder Jin's reaction.
What bad intentions could he have? He had merely infused a wisp of Origin Thunder and Origin Fire into it.
Well, two Origin energies corresponding to Origin-level aptitude, perfectly reasonable, right?
The reason he did this was to obtain better resources and a higher status in the Five Elements Hall, to gain sufficient attention, so that he could quickly obtain the position he desired.
Wan Lei glanced around at the stunned crowd and shook his head with a hint of regret.
What a pity. This scene should have featured a villainous supporting character who would mock his poor aptitude, saying things like "Don't you even pee to look at yourself, and you want to come to the Five Elements Hall? Go home and farm!" followed by provoking words. Then, after enduring humiliation, he would let out a cold sneer, his lips curling upwards, and proceed to test.
At that moment, the villain would turn ashen-faced, beg for mercy, and the surrounding people would be incredibly shocked, shouting praises.
Only in this way could the sense of satisfaction be maximized.
What a pity, what a pity. The people in the Five Elements Hall were too kind.
Such a good plot was wasted. What was the author thinking?
"Um, Elder Jin, can your junior proceed to the Seven-Colored Channel assessment now?"
Elder Jin nodded blankly, and Wan Lei walked straight towards the exit.
"No, such a major event, I must report it!"
Elder Jin took out a spirit tablet and was about to make a call.
Xiao Jin's brow furrowed slightly.
"Elder Jin, I think I sensed him channeling energy into the stone monument just now."
Elder Jin glared at him upon hearing this.
"You know nothing! The stone monument can only test aptitude; it cannot accept any form of energy. Even if he poured all his Origin energy into it, it would be useless!"
"This young fellow... has the demeanor of an Immortal Venerable."