Chapter 20

Zhang Xiaopang raised the Tiger Eagle King in his hand, just about to praise it, but then noticed that Wang Meng's gaze was as piercing as lightning.

When Wang Meng stood up, the light disappeared.

"Good job!" Wang Meng nodded. Zhang Xiaopang's elemental attribute is Earth, and his body weight doesn't change much, but he will only awaken at a certain level of cultivation.

"Haha, Brother Meng, you're finally done. We need to hurry up."

"Let's go. We still have half a day. If we hurry, we can make it." Wang Meng smiled. After such a long period of intense cultivation, he had only solidified his foundation. He couldn't rush to advance. Given Wang Meng's physical condition, he needed to bring his two innate life marks to the Perfect Realm.

Zhang Xiajiang put the ball away and placed the Tiger Eagle King in his Qiankun bag. The two of them stuck a divine movement talisman on themselves and sprinted towards the Thunderlight Hall.

It was the last day to submit the task. The Thunderlight Hall had been weak for many years, with no outstanding talents emerging, and its status in the Holy Hall had become increasingly low. The few elders were not well-regarded. If it were the Lingyin Hall, someone like Ma Wanliang would be like a lapdog.

This time, the Thunderlight Hall recruited so many new disciples to cast a wide net and catch as many fish as possible, hoping to catch at least a few.

The talisman cultivators were doing well. Zhao Ya was very happy. Hu Jing's performance was both expected and surprisingly delightful. It was expected that her talent would be qualified, but unexpectedly, she showed extraordinary talent in alchemy. Talisman cultivation includes talisman making, weapon forging, alchemy, and array formation. Mastering one of these is already quite good, and alchemy is the most important. At the right opportunity, she would take Hu Jing to the main hall.

Including Hu Jing, five people passed the talisman cultivation test.

On the physical cultivation side, Wang Bo was barely satisfied. Eleven disciples passed, but none were outstanding.

Eight people passed the archery cultivation test.

On the sword cultivation side, Xu Huang had a different feeling. Seven people passed this year, but unfortunately, none showed any talent, only meeting the basic standards.

The Holy Hall is different from other sects. It widely recruits disciples and fosters good relationships. Having many disciples is one of the main characteristics of the Holy Hall in the Small Thousand World. Although quantity is not the standard for strength in the cultivation world, the main hall as the foundation and the branch halls as the branches indeed bring many unexpected benefits.

Time passed bit by bit. Whether they had completed the task or not, the disciples gradually gathered, except for Wang Meng and Zhang Xiajiang.

"Junior Sister Zhao, what task did you assign to Zhang Xiajiang?" Wan Jing asked.

"Tiger Eagle," Zhao Ya said.

Hu Jing felt a bit disheartened. She already knew this. Wang Meng and Zhang Xiajiang's tasks were the most difficult because they were not suitable for cultivation. Cultivation is cruel, and sometimes giving up is a blessing. This was Zhao Ya's true intention. Forcing cultivation would only lead to a worse outcome.

Zhao Guang, of course, understood this. After all, she was his aunt. Leaving the spirit stones to a waste would be a waste, so it was better to use them to enhance his own cultivation.

Wan Jing shook his head. Among the elders of the Thunderlight Hall, Zhao Ya was the youngest and the most gentle, but she was also the most principled. She was responsible for the selection. Zhang Xiajiang had talent, but his flexibility was too poor, not meeting the requirements for archery cultivation.

"Zhao Guang, who is still missing?" Wang Bo shouted.

Elder Wang's patience was notoriously bad.

"Reporting to the elder, Wang Meng and Zhang Xiajiang are still missing. Should we wait?" Zhao Guang said respectfully.

"What nonsense. I'm done here. You decide what to do."

Wang Bo waved his hand. This time, the Thunderlight Hall had gains in the talisman cultivation and his side.

"Zhao Guang, do you know where they are?" Zhao Ya asked.

"Reporting to the elder, I heard they went to complete the Tiger Eagle task."

Zhao Ya looked at Xu Huang and Wan Jing. Since it was their matter, she couldn't interfere too much, and there was still some time left.

Xu Huang and Wan Jing exchanged glances. Both had a strange feeling. When Wan Jing selected the little fat guy, he couldn't explain why, but he felt the little guy had bright eyes and was suitable for archery. Xu Huang sensed a unique passion in Wang Meng.

But this wasn't everything in cultivation.

"Let's wait a bit longer. There's still some time," Xu Huang said. "I haven't congratulated Junior Sister Zhao on such an excellent disciple. I hope she can bring glory to the Thunderlight Hall in the grand competition."

Many third-generation disciples looked at Hu Jing with envy. For a new disciple to pass was like a stroke of luck. After all, cultivators are considered immortals in the eyes of mortals.

Becoming a direct disciple of an elder was like a dream. Either they had to perform exceptionally well in the grand competition or have a deep family background. Hu Jing's luck was truly astonishing.

Hu Jing remained calm and composed. She had seen such looks many times, but now they were from cultivators. She was worried about Wang Meng and Zhang Xiajiang. What were these two up to? How could they drop the ball at such a crucial moment?

"Senior Uncle Xu, you flatter me. I am dull and clumsy, but I will do my best to bring glory to the Thunderlight Hall," Hu Jing said, neither humble nor arrogant, showing a true master's demeanor. Zhao Guang couldn't hide his admiration. As a direct disciple of his aunt, his chances were very high.

As for the other third-generation disciples, they could only envy. Although Hu Jing was a new disciple, she had a presence that commanded respect, making it hard for others to look down on her.

"Haha, Junior Sister Zhao, she really does resemble you," Wan Jing and Wang Bo nodded. Zhao Ya smiled slightly. Finding a suitable disciple at their level of cultivation was not easy. It was rare for Hu Jing to have not only good talent but also a graceful and pleasant personality.

Zhao Guang also had to admit it. Many third-generation disciples who had been cultivating for years still felt nervous when speaking to the elders, but Hu Jing could face them calmly, becoming more beautiful the more he looked at her. Not only was she beautiful, but her figure was also perfect, especially her long legs, which, paired with the white robe of the Holy Hall, made her look ethereal and otherworldly. No other female disciples could compare.

"Senior Uncle Xu, Senior Uncle Wan, I am familiar with Wang Meng and Zhang Xiajiang. I believe in your judgment. They will complete the task," Hu Jing said.

Xu Huang and Wan Jing smiled. This child was thoughtful, noticing their impatience and willing to speak up for his friends, at least showing he wasn't ungrateful.

"Don't speak rashly," Zhao Ya said, but without any intention to punish.

"Junior Sister Hu, cultivation is very harsh. Forcing it can have the opposite effect," Zhao Guang tried to appear casual. In his view, with his shining presence, a two-layer life mark waste and that stupid fat guy were just extras.

He believed that in terms of appearance, demeanor, ability, and background, he far exceeded them, and attracting Hu Jing's attention was inevitable.

"Senior Brother Zhao, how do you know it's forced before the results are out?" Hu Jing said calmly.

Such pretentious behavior seemed shallow to her.

Zhao Guang, who had been embarrassed, maintained his composure and smiled without a word. Even without the Thunder Pool, the two of them wouldn't have a chance to pass.

As the sun was about to set, hurried footsteps were heard outside. Wang Meng and Zhang Xiajiang arrived, almost bursting in.