A young girl around twelve or thirteen years old, her short hair messy and face pale, stood there. Her appearance was like that of a malnourished child from a poor village. This sight was not uncommon among the crowd of over two thousand.
But to Jiang Hao, this young girl seemed pure in spirit, with a hidden strength in her body. Her breath surged with Vital Qi like a vast tide, but there was not a trace of spiritual energy.
This girl was definitely not ordinary. If he weren't concerned about other strange people appearing later, he would have appraised her on the spot.
Soon, the appraisal of ten individuals concluded, and there wasn't a single one with aptitude above the third level. This probability made the others frown slightly. The task required at least three hundred suitable individuals, and failing that, they'd have to search outside.
"No talent?" The little girl looked at the jade slip with some disappointment.
As Miao Xing was about to call the next group up, Jiang Hao interrupted him, "Wait a moment."
This interruption confused the others, unsure why Jiang Hao had suddenly stopped proceedings.
"What's your name?" Jiang Hao asked the young girl, ignoring the others' confused looks.
If she truly had exceptional talent, he would take her back to Broken Hearts Cliff. If not, he would return her from where she came.
"Me?" The little girl pointed at herself and, after Jiang Hao nodded, continued, "I'm Xiao Li."
Jiang Hao calmly instructed, "Stand aside and wait."
This puzzled Zheng Shijiu and the others; they couldn't understand Jiang Hao's intentions. Though puzzled, Miao Xing did not question further. Xiao Li, on the other hand, was pleasantly surprised and quickly stood aside.
"Is this Xiao Li special?" Xin Yuyue curiously asked.
Le You scrutinized Xiao Li and remarked, "She seems to have good bone structure, strong limbs, and balanced breathing, but without cultivation talent, she can only learn martial arts." Feng Baifei from Hundred Bone Forest also glanced at her before shaking his head. Each of them had three slots; they couldn't waste them casually.
The testing continued. Occasionally, someone with aptitude above the third level would appear, sometimes even reaching the fourth level. Still, so far, none had surpassed the fourth level among only a hundred tested.
Among the two thousand already tested, there had been nine with superior potential, but Zheng Shijiu told him not all could be taken. Each could only choose one to maintain balance among the sect's main branches.
At this point, another group of four stepped up. Three of them seemed to be from the same village: two boys and a girl. One boy had a decent demeanor, and the girl was pretty. The boy in the middle, however, was slender and a bit self-conscious.
Jiang Hao kept staring at the self-conscious boy. Unlike others, he could see many hidden things in people, and this boy seemed different. Yet, the two accompanying him also had some liveliness indicating decent talent.
Indeed, the jade slips in their hands lit up instantly—seven sections, marking them as top-tier talent. This shocked Zheng Shijiu and the others, making them rise to their feet in surprise. Jiang Hao also stood, not wanting to seem out of place. The excitement over two exceptional talents was palpable.
Compared to those two top talents, Jiang Hao was more intrigued by the self-conscious boy. His jade slip showed three sections, barely enough to enter.
Now Jiang Hao had another person he wanted to appraise, but he could only choose one. He decided to wait and see if any other exceptional talents appeared.
Zheng Shijiu and others gradually calmed down, recalling the two top talents over to ask for their names.
Watching his companions walk over, the self-conscious boy stood awkwardly. Jiang Hao remained silent, knowing the difference in talent would inevitably distance him from his companions. This was unavoidable, especially within a Demonic Sect. Being solitary could be advantageous, so long as one avoided trouble.
"I... I'm Zhao Qinxue," the girl said timidly.
"I'm Lin Mo," the boy added.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Shijiu glanced at Jiang Hao and the others, asking, "What do my fellow brothers and sisters think?"
"We aren't authorized to make such decisions. Better to take them inside first," Xin Yuyue from Thunder Fire Peak suggested.
"Hundred Bone Forest will take one," Feng Baifei declared.
"And what makes you so sure you'll get one?" Le You countered calmly, "Top talents are not decided by us. As Xin Yuyue said, bring them inside. I've heard White Moon Lake hasn't recruited for some time; they might take one. The rest will be contested by the eleven main branches before you even have a chance."
"And you think they’ll choose Horizontal Waterfall Sect over us?" Feng Baifei retorted without hesitation.
"What does Jiang Shidi think?" Zheng Shijiu asked Jiang Hao.
"I defer to Senior Brother," Jiang Hao replied politely.
Regardless, they couldn't make the decision. It required either notifying the contacts inside or taking them in for judgment. It would be up to those inside to decide.
"Let's wait a bit longer; perhaps more will turn up," Jiang Hao suggested.
The others weren’t concerned. It wasn’t that easy. Zheng Shijiu instructed the two top talents to wait behind them and resumed testing.
Indeed, no more top talents appeared, nor even superior ones. There were a few with slightly above-average talent.
As the testing continued, Jiang Hao's brow knitted, his expression growing serious. A rather beautiful woman stepped up as a candidate. With a single ponytail and a smile on her face, she addressed them, "Do I need to take a test?"
Jiang Hao was caught off guard, as were the others who sensed something unusual. Before they could respond, the jade slip in the woman's hand lit up all seven sections rapidly, surpassing even the top-tier level. However, she was already a cultivator at the Gold Core stage, making the test irrelevant.
They could manipulate the results secretly. Miao Xing began to sense something was amiss. This woman seemed quite powerful.
"Is anyone here from Broken Hearts Cliff?" she asked.
"I am," Jiang Hao replied, forcing himself to stand, "What does the fairy wish from us?"
"I want to join Broken Hearts Cliff," the woman said bluntly, "I hear you have three slots to bring people to your main branch. Take me there."
"May I know who the fairy is?" Jiang Hao inquired courteously.
"Miao Tinglian," she replied with a smile.
Jiang Hao was taken aback, surprised by her identity.