The Science of Cultivation

Chapter 167: Testing the Candidates

Just outside Mu Xia Village, on the grassy plains at the settlement’s footsteps, a small crowd gathered around three young men. A majority of them consisted of women and young children, but they were still somehow eerily quiet as they stood there, staring at the three men.

The largest of the three young men was currently swinging a sword around. Even if that was all there was to it, the children would still be entertained, but sword swings weren’t all that was happening. After every slash, a crescent-shaped stone was sent flying out of the blade. It traveled with such force that it made the onlookers break out into a cold sweat. They instinctively knew it would be trouble for them to be anywhere near the powerful attack.

Beside this tall man was a man of much shorter stature. He wore a strange wooden mask while he swiftly darted all over the place, performing one incredible acrobatic movement after the other.

And if the flashy flips and somersaults still weren’t enough, there was also a bluish-silver fire burning before the last remaining man. It was not only a visual spectacle, but the fumes also managed to reach the villagers. A sweet and exotic scent could be detected around the area. It was the result of the candy-like exterior of the pill being caramelized during the final steps of refining.

It didn’t fail to stir the appetite for sweets from the children, but they were too overwhelmed by everything happening before their eyes to do anything more than stare.

Before the crowd had to wait too long, the three cultivators quickly finished their respective matters and called out to them.

“Thank you to those who have come. I won’t waste any more of your time than needed, so we’ll begin with our tests right away. Can all the children who will be participating please step forth?”

Instantly, the children who had parents glanced up at them for permission, while those who didn’t, sprinted out toward the three cultivators. They varied widely in height due to the age range Li Lang had set. They accepted anyone between the ages of eight and twelve.

This was because Li Lang had always been skeptical of the practice of only recruiting when a child reached the age of ten. He didn’t believe the spiritual roots and meridians magically appeared when they turned ten years old.

Instead, he believed it was just an arbitrary age people set that made it convenient for management. It was just like the age of adulthood that kept changing over history. There likely wasn’t any complex thought put into deciding this number, picking an age where it seemed likely for the children to be capable enough to listen to instructions and endure the vigors of cultivation.

In order to put this to the test, Li Lang didn’t hesitate to widen the age range of those he wished to accept. Combined with the fact they weren’t looking for those who had high aptitude, their pool of candidates theoretically encapsulated everyone willing to participate.

Once the trio counted a total of twenty people assembled before them, it became apparent no one else would be joining. Wei Ping then gave out the next instructions.

“Our f-first test is to simply run laps a-around the village. Everyone, f-follow me!”

Before any kids could ask questions, Wei Ping turned and began jogging away. Long Yi followed after a split-second delay and then came the sharp-witted among the candidates.

Of course, the two cultivators ran at a pace that the children could follow. The point of the tests was to examine their prospects, and for that, they had to be able to observe them. That was why Li Lang waited so he could bring up the rear.

This simple exercise was thought up by him, so it fell to him to be in the best position to monitor the test.

The kids soon managed to finish an entire lap without anyone dropping out. It was both thanks to the lenient pace Wei Ping set and the ample exercise the children had every day. Without the many toys to play with, it was normal for kids their age to be playing outside all the time. Plus, many of them dreamed of becoming a powerful cultivator from an early age, so they would condition themselves over the years.

However, no matter how much they had prepared, they were still kids at the end of the day. Only a few of the older children were even in the first stage of Energy Gathering. They likely set foot on the path of cultivating haphazardly without proper guidance, after failing to be recruited by any sect. It was all too common for those who passed the age of ten.

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Even when some kids started to fall behind, Li refused to overtake them until they gave up. He continued to watch their struggles without batting an eye.

This lasted for an entire ten laps before they stopped.

As soon as the last kid completed the task, Li Lang immediately declared the start of the next test.

“Good work. Next, we will be doing a written test. Those who don’t know how to read and write, please raise your hands.”

After a moment, he found only two hands raised among the dozen children before him. It wasn’t surprising that the two were the ones who were poorly dressed compared to the others.

“You two, come to me. The rest of you go to my friend with the mask over there. He will hand you the papers and writing instruments.”

As the two kids approached Li Lang, he carefully examined them. The two boys with short hair timidly approached. Every time they made eye contact with each other, they would gain some courage and quicken their steps, but it quickly faded as they instinctively avoided taking the lead.

If Li Lang hadn’t watched them desperately running around despite their fatigue earlier, he may have eliminated them from the test already based on their demeanor. He didn’t need disciples who were too timid to speak their minds. Re