Election of Disciples in the Sword Sea of the Azure Sky

The first disciple recruitment by the Blue Sky Sword Sea was truly a momentous event.

It signified that the Blue Sky Sword Sea would no longer consist of just those old-timers, but also represented the rise of a new generation of power.

For a sect to remain eternally glorious, or even to resurrect itself after near-extinction, it must have sufficiently strong new blood.

Take Chen Xia's restoration of the Blue Sky Sword Sea, for example.

The Blue Sky Sword Sea's disciple selection process was traditionally very strict. In the past, only those of the Ancient Race were barely qualified to join the Blue Sky Sword Sea as probationary disciples.

But now, the Blue Sky Sword Sea was different. They adopted a method of paired combat, with Saints serving as judges, to conduct elimination matches and ultimately select three thousand probationary disciples.

The benefits for these three thousand probationary disciples were unprecedented and unparalleled.

The Blue Sky Sword Sea made a direct statement: these three thousand probationary disciples would be personally taught by the Eight Saints of Azure Sky!

Regardless of your race or cultivation path, with a Saint personally teaching you, you'd be able to reach the Heaven Mending Realm at the very least.

This promise of a guaranteed position in the Heaven Mending Realm was enough to drive the numerous prodigies in the star realm into a frenzy.

The second benefit offered by the Blue Sky Sword Sea was even more outrageously generous: every probationary disciple who joined would receive a low-grade celestial medicine of their choice.

This announcement nearly tempted some old cultivators at the Heaven Mending Realm in the star realm to come and apply as probationary disciples.

A low-grade celestial medicine, and one of their choosing? What kind of concept was this?!

Personal instruction from Saints, and a low-grade celestial medicine.

This wasn't joining as a disciple; this was becoming a lord!

The veteran Heaven Mending Realm cultivators in the star realm indeed wanted to participate, until the Blue Sky Sword Sea issued one condition.

Cultivation age must not exceed one thousand years, and upon joining the sect, one must swear an oath of death, willing to risk life and limb for the Blue Sky Sword Sea once they've grown strong.

These were the conditions for the Blue Sky Sword Sea's disciple recruitment. The recruitment would begin after sixty years, allowing cultivators from distant stars to prepare in advance.

In the Li Family territory.

Li Yue personally returned to the Li Family, gathering the prodigies from the sect. With a solemn expression, she said:

"For this Blue Sky Sword Sea disciple recruitment, you must strive with all your might to secure a position. Even if you end up as just a probationary disciple, your achievements will be no less than reaching the Heaven Mending Realm!"

"If you become a true disciple, with personal guidance from the Sect Master, even the Saint Realm is within sight."

"In cultivation, first look at talent, then look at opportunity. Now the opportunity has come, it's up to you whether you can seize it!"

After speaking, Li Yue looked at the young cultivators before her and added with a light smile:

"Of course, the path of cultivation is long. While you should strive with all your might for this opportunity, human strength has its limits. So don't be disheartened if you don't secure a position. Your time will come."

The young cultivators of the Li Family were enthusiastic. Hearing these words, an outgoing prodigy couldn't help but ask with a smile:

"Vice Family Head, you're a big shot in the Blue Sky Sword Sea. Can you give us some inside information about what the Blue Sky Sword Sea is like, and how the competition will be?"

Li Yue smiled and shook her head, replying:

"You'll know when you enter the Blue Sky Sword Sea yourselves. As for the competition, I'm not sure either. All I know is that prodigies from across the entire star realm will be coming."

"There's still sixty years. Just prepare well, and try to get as many of our Li Family cultivators in as possible. It'll help me gain some face in the Blue Sky Sword Sea too!"

"Certainly!"

"Our Li Family will definitely be the strongest!"

"..."

The young cultivators shouted their determined promises, full of vigor and vitality.

Similar scenes were playing out in other families and sects.

Emperor Capital and Qiu Li had both returned to their respective sects, gathering their prodigies and emphasizing the importance of this Blue Sky Sword Sea disciple recruitment.

Emperor Capital was particularly urgent:

"Fight! Fight with all you've got! Especially against the Li Family, the Qiu Li Sect, and those cultivators from the ancestral star. Fight them all fiercely, show our style, demonstrate our spirit!"

"As long as you can secure a position in the Blue Sky Sword Sea, I'll reward you with a hundred thousand spirit stones. If you outperform disciples from other Saint-level sects, I'll add another fifty thousand."

"If you can't beat the Qiu Li Sect's cultivators, you'll owe me ten thousand spirit stones for making me lose face in front of Qiu Li!"

"In short, just fight with everything you've got!"

Qiu Li's words were much simpler. He just told the cultivators to fight well and explained the significance of the low-grade celestial medicine:

"A low-grade celestial medicine is something even Heaven Mending Realm cultivators dream of. If you can secure a position, it's best to choose the Heaven-Mending Pill. This pill can increase your chances of reaching the Heaven Mending Realm by forty percent."

Chi Yu didn't say much. He was naturally of a quiet disposition, and as he aged, he spoke even less. So he just had the Grand Elder of the Three Thousand Flame Feather Sect spread the word.

With sixty years until the Blue Sky Sword Sea selection, prodigies from distant stars had already begun to set off on ships. They were all top-tier prodigies from various stars, full of vigor and ambition.

These prodigies wanted to see the greater world. Even if they didn't become disciples of the Blue Sky Sword Sea, they would at least have experienced a grand occasion.

Sixty years wasn't really that long.

The outskirts of the Blue Sky Sword Sea became bustling with activity.

To provide accommodation for the cultivators participating in the selection, Chen Xia allowed the sects of the Eight Saints of Azure Sky to build residences on the outskirts of the Blue Sky Sword Sea.

This was another big source of income, able to earn quite a lot of spirit stones.

The Eight Saints of Azure Sky divided the territory equally among themselves. Huang Can, being a lone cultivator, naturally rented his territory to the Li Family, with whom he was on good terms, only taking a commission for himself.

Hu Linye was also a lone cultivator, so he naturally attracted the favor of other Saints who wanted to rent his territory.

In the end, Hu Linye rented to Chi Yu, because Chi Yu offered the most money, demonstrating his wealth and generosity.

As the Saints' accommodations were built, other facilities naturally followed, such as pill refineries and equipment forges.

Several venues sprang up around the Blue Sky Sword Sea.

Sixty years wasn't long.

Young cultivators from major sects had already arrived by ship at the outskirts of the Blue Sky Sword Sea, moving into the accommodations built by the Eight Saints of Azure Sky, and even beginning to cultivate intensively.

This was the advantage of being from a major sect, having the benefits of timing, geography, and support.

Cultivators from distant stars probably only had their personal strength to rely on.

As ships from distant stars arrived, the sixty-year period was almost over, and the Blue Sky Sword Sea's disciple selection was about to begin.

The prodigies resided around the Blue Sky Sword Sea, waiting for the final countdown.

Exactly sixty years.

With a sword chime from the Blue Sky Sword Sea.

The figures of the Eight Saints of Azure Sky appeared at the highest point of the Blue Sky Sword Sea, announcing in a clear voice:

"The Blue Sky Sword Sea disciple selection..."

"Begins!"