Haori Ring Test, Who Is the Real One

【“Uncle Chen! You finally came to see me! I’ve missed you to death!”】

【The booming voice charged toward you and roared like thunder, instantly bringing back memories of the Prince Kanjiji you had met on Lingwei Star.】

【“A-Dou, you’ve really grown. You’re even taller than me now.”】

【Standing beside A-Dou, you discovered that you had to tilt your head back just to look at his face.】

【The fellow was at least two meters tall.】

【More importantly, he was powerfully built, with a large frame that kept his proportions looking balanced rather than making him resemble a walking bamboo pole.】

【Ji Wuqing remarked from the side,】

【“Some Chosen Ones are blessed with extraordinary bones. Growing tall and powerfully built is perfectly normal!”】

【A-Dou draped an arm around your shoulders and cheerfully led you toward the northern gate of the underground city. Today’s Chosen One test would be held in the open area outside the gate.】

【“Uncle Chen, take a look. Can you tell what level I’ve reached?”】

【You swept him with the spiritual sense ability from Signal Lights.】

【“The ninth revolution of Qi Transformation? That’s impressively fast.”】

【In truth, you came to visit A-Dou several times every year.】

【His cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds each year.】

【In just over a decade, he had gone from an ordinary mortal to the ninth revolution of Qi Transformation. Such a cultivation speed completely overturned all conventional understanding.】

【One had to understand that in the Void Realm, the ninth revolution of Qi Transformation was equivalent to the peak of the Martial God realm!】

【Just imagine someone in the Void Realm reaching the Martial God realm in their early twenties—and not merely reaching it, but standing at its very peak!】

【Was that even possible?】

【Although the cultivation environments of the two worlds differed greatly, one could still see the unique aptitude of the Chosen Ones.】

【Moreover, A-Dou was not even the fastest cultivator among the Chosen Ones. Just look at his physique and you could tell that his strength lay in physical damage.】

【“President Zhou came to visit us a while ago. He said that after reaching Qi Transformation, talent alone won’t be enough to break through further. We’ll have to comprehend more, experience more, and gain more insight.”】

【The President Zhou A-Dou mentioned was the Immortal King, King Zhou, who had appeared at the end of your previous simulation.】

【Although King Zhou was the president of the Torch Society on Vermilion Purple Star, he hardly managed any affairs. Instead, He Xiangdong, the military strategist of the base garrison, handled most of the major and minor matters.】

【“He’s right. Cultivation cannot be pursued by shutting oneself away from the world.”】

【You had considerable experience in this regard.】

【Although your cultivation had advanced very little during those years on Lingwei Star and Blazing Light Star,】

【you had been accumulating strength all along.】

【The years you had spent fighting and struggling would all be transformed into nourishment after you arrived on Vermilion Purple Star and cultivated on the Ji Family’s Ancient Firmament Mountain.】

【A-Dou and the others had lived in the base year-round. No matter how large the place was, after spending ten or twenty years there, they would have explored every corner—even every mouse hole.】

【When their realms were low, their talent could overcome every obstacle and allow their cultivation to rise at astonishing speed.】

【But once their realms reached a certain height, talent alone was no longer enough. Even geniuses had to face the towering mountains on the path to immortality.】

【“Uncle Chen, that’s why I want to return to the Eclosion Star System and visit my hometown. My parents should still be alive. I want to see them.”】

【You patted A-Dou’s sturdy shoulder.】

【“Very well. I’ll take you there.”】

【“Won’t that delay your cultivation?”】

【“The road to immortality is long. There’s no need to rush over a little time. My starship is faster and more convenient, and I’d also like to see how things are going there.”】

【“Great! We’ll return together in glory!”】

【“Ha-ha, you silly boy. What glory is this? At the very least, you’ll have to reach the Immortal Lord realm before it can barely count as a triumphant return.”】

【Quite a few townspeople had gathered in the city.】

【Most of them might not have known what was happening today, but they knew there would be something interesting to watch, so they had all come over.】

【Today, you met the other two Chosen Ones in the base.】

【Bao Hongyi, male, twenty-eight years old. Compared with A-Dou, his appearance was much more refined, though he too had sharp brows, bright eyes, and an outstanding bearing.】

【He had a crescent-shaped birthmark between his brows, much like Judge Bao.】

【He was indeed as brilliant as Judge Bao as well.】

【Whenever anything complicated happened in the base, as long as he assisted the city authorities with the investigation, the truth would inevitably come to light within three days.】

【Li Wanqing, female, twenty-six years old. She was graceful and tall, with a heroic air about her.】

【She was capable in both literary and martial pursuits. In addition to cultivating, she wrote poetry and lyrics, and her works circulated widely throughout the city. Even the elderly and children could recite a few lines.】

【Unlike A-Dou, who had golden characters on his palm, or Bao Hongyi, who had a crescent moon between his brows, Li Wanqing had no distinctive mark of her own.】

【However, it was said that unusual phenomena of heaven and earth had appeared when she was born.】

【Otherwise, she would never have attracted the attention of the Torch Society.】

【Three Chosen Ones, three different temperaments. Every one of them possessed the bearing of a remarkable hero. At a glance, it was as if a line of text floated above their heads:】

【I’m the protagonist!】

【“Each of them really does look like the protagonist of their own story…”】

【You could not help but sigh in admiration.】

【“Everyone, please move farther back. What we’re about to do may affect you, so be sure to keep yourselves safe!”】

【Garrison soldiers carrying spears pushed the watching crowd far toward the outskirts.】

【A group of formation masters from the Torch Society raised several layers of protective barriers around the area, preventing any effects from reaching the townspeople or the city.】

【Once everything was ready, He Xiangdong came over to you.】

【You took out the genuine Haori Ring and handed it to him.】

【He Xiangdong accepted it with both hands.】

【“Thank you, Mr. Chen.”】

【“You’re welcome.”】

【All three Chosen Ones were in the Qi Transformation realm.】

【The reason they had waited until today to test the Haori Ring was so they would possess sufficient cultivation and ability.】

【That way, if anything unexpected happened, they would at least have the means to respond.】

【As part of the Heavenly Emperor’s Immortal Weapons, the Haori Ring demanded caution even from its user.】

【The test began under the watchful eyes of the many townspeople and numerous members of the Torch Society.】

【The first to step forward was the famous detective, Bao Hongyi. He attempted to control the ring with his qi, but could only make the Haori Ring sway slightly.】

【He then gave up.】

【He Xiangdong urged him,】

【“Try again. See whether you can activate this ring’s power.”】

【Bao Hongyi, however, displayed the concise and decisive style of a man of wisdom.】

【“There’s no need. Although this object is incomplete, it isn’t damaged or defective. If it were my personal weapon, it should have come to me automatically.”】

【He Xiangdong had no choice but to arrange for Li Wanqing to try next.】

【Li Wanqing put the Haori Ring around her wrist. The ring, which had originally been enormous, automatically adjusted to the size of her wrist and shrank down into a bracelet.】

【The members of the Torch Society immediately brightened with excitement.】

【“Is this the Heavenly Emperor’s Immortal Weapon corresponding to Wanqing?”】

【“Even across the entire universe, the Heavenly Emperor’s Immortal Weapons in our possession are few and far between. I never expected us to find one that matched her.”】

【“Though somehow, its aura doesn’t seem to suit her…”】

【Before everyone could celebrate, Li Wanqing removed the Haori Ring. It instantly returned to its original size.】

【“It isn’t mine.”】

【He Xiangdong was puzzled.】

【“But didn’t the ring respond to you when you put it on?”】

【Li Wanqing smiled gently.】

[“It’s only showing me respect. If I use it against an enemy, I’m afraid it’ll drain my life force.”]

[“Now, only A-Dou is left.”]