Chapter 828: Selecting the Best Among the Best

Tianyuan Cave Heaven, a small floating island located on the periphery.

This place appears somewhat remote, and the concentration of Genesis Qi here is not as rich as in the areas where the Four Pavilions—Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain—are located. Nevertheless, it holds great appeal for many in the Tianyuan Region, with many willing to pay a high price to settle here.

Today, however, the island's center is exceptionally lively. Countless people from across the island have flocked here, gathering on the outskirts, their gazes filled with envy as they observe the hundreds of figures assembled in the central area.

These are the newcomers who, after multiple rounds of selection, are set to enter the Four Pavilions—Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain—today.

Once they enter the Four Pavilions, they will immediately shed their rogue cultivator status. They will not only gain significant backing for protection but also have the opportunity to cultivate on the four islands where Genesis Qi is exceptionally rich. From then on, their future prospects will be boundless.

"Time flies, it's already the season for the Four Pavilions to recruit new members again."

"However, this year will likely be no different from previous ones; most of the promising talents will be recruited by the Fire Pavilion."

"There's no helping it; the Fire Pavilion is inherently the strongest of the four. Lu Xiao, the Fire Pavilion Master, is widely regarded as the most prominent figure among the younger generation in the Tianyuan Region; his appeal is undeniable."

"Hmph, what charisma? It's simply because they offer generous Origin Returning Treasure Coins. Which of these newcomers, having passed the rigorous selection to get here, would be easily swayed? If it were the top three on the Divine Dwelling List, they might be able to impress them, but Lu Xiao, being ninth, probably isn't quite enough."

A flurry of whispers rose from the outskirts. The Four Pavilions' annual selection of new members always takes place here, making it an anticipated yearly event.

Shortly after these murmurs began, streaks of light suddenly tore through the distant sky, descending one after another to land in the center of the island.

These were members of the Four Pavilions. They arrived first to prepare the venue, and soon, four massive flags rose from stone platforms at each of the four corners.

Shortly after the flags were raised, four impressive figures, radiating powerful auras, swept in from a distance and slowly descended.

When the hundreds of newcomers, whose eyes held a hint of arrogance, looked at these four figures, their expressions became somewhat more restrained. After all, they had thoroughly investigated the Four Pavilion Masters and understood their formidable strength. Furthermore, even upon seeing Zhou Yuan, the Wind Pavilion Master, who was only at the mid-stage Divine Dwelling Realm, they showed no trace of disdain.

This was because they were also aware of the news of Zhou Yuan defeating Chen Beifeng some time ago.

Zhou Yuan landed on the stone platform adorned with the Wind Pavilion's large green flag, where Ye Bingling and Yi Qiushui came forward to greet him.

He nodded gently to the two women, then his gaze swept over the hundreds of densely packed figures in the field. Most of these individuals exuded a fierce aura, which was not surprising. Coming from various parts of Hunyuan Heaven, the majority were rogue cultivators, and to have cultivated to this level as such, they must have endured countless life-and-death struggles.

While some among them might have had inherent talent deficiencies, their personalities were undoubtedly more tenacious.

Zhou Yuan's gaze swept over the crowd, finally resting on the very front, where thirty-four figures stood distinctly, poised and ready.

Subtle yet powerful Genesis Qi fluctuations emanated from their bodies, clearly indicating that all of them had entered the late-stage Divine Dwelling Realm.

Furthermore, every one of them had appeared on the Hunyuan Heaven Divine Dwelling List, albeit with lower rankings.

These individuals were all talented with considerable potential. If they could be recruited and utilize the cultivation resources of the Wind Pavilion, they would undoubtedly climb the rankings on the Divine Dwelling List in the future.

Zhou Yuan's gaze swept around, eventually settling on four figures at the very front of the thirty-four. These four—three men and one woman—exuded Genesis Qi fluctuations that Zhou Yuan could sense were even stronger than those of the others.

"These four are the strongest among this year's newcomers: Ling Feng, Feng Si, Yuan Tiegang, and the woman named Shang Xiaoling," Yi Qiushui whispered beside Zhou Yuan.

Zhou Yuan nodded. The strength of these four would be no less than that of a commander in the Wind Pavilion.

This recruitment ceremony for the Four Pavilions—Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain—certainly held significant prospects. No wonder even Lu Xiao regarded it with such importance.

As Zhou Yuan and the other three Pavilion Masters observed the newcomers, the newcomers were likewise observing them.

Some glances swept over Zhou Yuan, likely curious as to how he, with only mid-stage Divine Dwelling Realm strength, could hold the position of Pavilion Master.

Amidst this mutual observation, Lu Xiao of the Fire Pavilion slowly stepped forward, his demeanor calm and composed. He spoke softly, "Everyone, let the newcomer ceremony begin. There's no need to elaborate on the rules. Each pavilion will now announce its conditions and benefits. Any interested newcomer may choose freely."

"Furthermore, newcomers' choices are entirely voluntary and must not be coerced! Any violation will result in the forfeiture of recruitment quotas."

As he finished speaking, he subtly glanced at Zhou Yuan, who was not far away.

Hearing this, Zhou Yuan merely smiled faintly and paid no attention.

As Lu Xiao's words fell silent, the atmosphere immediately grew lively. Many newcomers continuously surveyed the Four Pavilions, though generally, the Fire Pavilion was the most popular, while the Wind Pavilion seemed somewhat overlooked.

However, no one made an immediate choice, as everyone was waiting to hear about the benefits offered by each of the Four Pavilions.

Han Yuan, the Mountain Pavilion Master, stepped forward first. He smiled faintly and said, "Members of my Mountain Pavilion will receive thirty Origin Returning Treasure Coins and sixty portions of high-grade Divine Dwelling Elixirs per month. Our recruitment condition is to accept those ranked among the top 250."

There were approximately five hundred newcomers present, each of whom had been ranked based on previous tests.

The Mountain Pavilion only recruited the top 250, meaning almost half of those present would not qualify. Of course, if their quota wasn't filled, they would naturally relax the criteria somewhat.

Consequently, when Han Yuan finished speaking, several individuals who didn't meet the criteria showed disappointment in their eyes.

As Han Yuan's voice faded, Mu Liu, the Forest Pavilion Master, stepped forward and announced, "Members of my Forest Pavilion will receive twenty-eight Origin Returning Treasure Coins and fifty-five portions of high-grade Divine Dwelling Elixirs per month. We will recruit those among the top 300."

The Forest Pavilion's benefits were slightly less generous than the Mountain Pavilion's, but they broadened the recruitment by fifty spots.

Lu Xiao looked at Zhou Yuan and smiled, "Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan, would you like to go first? I wouldn't want my announcement to negatively impact your Wind Pavilion afterward."

His demeanor held a hint of playful mockery.

Hearing this, Zhou Yuan shook his head and replied, "Pavilion Master Lu Xiao, there's no need to go easy on me. I'm curious to see how generous the Fire Pavilion can be."

He had no intention of going first; he planned to base his strategy on Lu Xiao's announcement.

Lu Xiao chuckled softly and said, "In that case, Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan, don't blame me for not leaving you any room to maneuver."

He surveyed the entire scene, meeting many expectant gazes, and stated calmly, "In previous years, members of my Fire Pavilion received forty Origin Returning Treasure Coins per month."

As soon as these words were uttered, the eyes of many newcomers immediately glowed with excitement.

However, Lu Xiao's tone shifted, "But that was in the past. Starting today, my Fire Pavilion has resolved to increase the Origin Returning Treasure Coins received by each Fire Pavilion member by another ten, raising the total to fifty coins per month!"

The field instantly erupted in an uproar; even the thirty-four powerful newcomers on the Divine Dwelling List showed expressions of profound surprise.

Some members from the Fire Pavilion cheered loudly at this moment, casting proud and triumphant glances across the field.

"Of course, while my Fire Pavilion offers excellent benefits, our recruitment is also highly selective. Therefore, for this recruitment drive, we will only accept those ranked within the top 180."

The buzzing field immediately fell silent. Many people's expressions instantly dimmed; out of five hundred individuals, only recruiting the top 180 was an incredibly stringent condition.

Lu Xiao's voice fell, and then he looked at Zhou Yuan, saying with a half-smile, "Pavilion Master Zhou Yuan, it's your turn."

Zhou Yuan smiled and slowly walked forward.

At this moment, however, everyone in the field was still reeling from the shock of Lu Xiao's announcement. For a time, few paid much attention to Zhou Yuan, the Wind Pavilion Master. Moreover, based on the information they had, the Wind Pavilion's benefits were considered the worst among the four, presumably holding no appeal.

Zhou Yuan took a few steps forward, unfazed by the distracted newcomers. He simply stated in a calm tone, "First, let's discuss the Wind Pavilion's recruitment conditions. This year, our Wind Pavilion aims to select the cream of the crop, so we will only recruit those ranked within the top 150."

As his voice fell, the area instantly became dead silent.

Even the three Pavilion Masters—Lu Xiao, Han Yuan, and Mu Liu—looked over with astonished expressions.

Lu Xiao and Han Yuan, in particular, almost couldn't help but burst into laughter.

What had they just heard?

The Wind Pavilion only recruiting the top 150? The Wind Pavilion, historically considered a dumping ground for newcomers, was now aiming to select the best of the best?

Many newcomers also wore peculiar expressions.

This new Wind Pavilion Master... could he possibly be insane?!