Chapter 482 480: Bone Age

They didn't need to test for talent, only Bone Age and Cultivation. These were the most important factors. Meeting the Cultivation requirement was useless if one's age didn't qualify.

For some high-level Cultivators, it was impossible to tell their age by their appearance, making it essential to test their Bone Age. While Cultivation could be perceived, Bone Age could not.

Although Elder De was dissatisfied with their numbers, he didn't say much. He knew something had happened in the Soaring Dragon Empire, but that had nothing to do with him. A shortfall was a shortfall. Regardless of the reason, all he cared about was the result.

"Who's first?" Elder De said.

"I'll go first." Zi Yanqian placed his hand on the Crystal Stone, which lit up with a dazzling light and displayed a number: twenty-seven!

"Twenty-seven years old, Second Layer Spirit Pill Stage. Not bad, but that doesn't give him much of an edge." Elder De shook his head, still somewhat disappointed.

'Are Spirit Pill Stage experts strong? Of course. The problem is, the minimum requirement for the Empire War is the Spirit Pill Stage. If someone at the Sixth or Seventh Layer shows up, what use would this Second Layer cultivator be?'

However, reaching the Sixth or Seventh Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage was truly Heaven-Defying. Most were at the Fifth Layer or below. Reaching the Spirit Pill Stage before thirty was already terrifying; to push to the Sixth or Seventh Layer by that age would make one a prodigy among prodigies.

"Next!" Elder De gestured for Lin Xuan to test his Bone Age.

As soon as Lin Xuan placed his hand on it, the crystal instantly lit up with a brilliant light, and a number appeared: twenty!

"Twenty years old and already at the Third Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage!?" Elder De's eyes widened. He hadn't expected Lin Xuan to be only twenty. Reaching the Third Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage at that age was simply Heaven-Defying.

Then, he shook his head and sighed, "What a pity. If you had been born a few years earlier, you might have placed in the top ten of this Empire War!"

'This result is a pleasant surprise, but also a disappointment. Lin Xuan is only twenty. If he had another four or five years to cultivate, or even seven or eight, he'd be twenty-eight or twenty-nine. By then, his Cultivation would likely be at the Sixth or Seventh Layer of the Spirit Pill Stage, maybe even higher!'

'In that case, he'd definitely secure a spot in the top ten. The problem is, his timing is off. If only he'd been born earlier.'

Lin Xuan just smiled calmly, saying nothing. 'That's just how it is. Even if I can't break into the top ten, I can still join the Bu Family. The requirement for joining is to rank within the top fifty, so the conditions aren't overly harsh.'

'Anyone ranked outside the top fifty would be rejected and could go home to rest and recuperate. There would be no second chances. Since the event is held only once every thirty years, another opportunity is out of the question.'

'This was my only chance as well. If the event were held every ten years, I'd have another shot. But it's held every thirty years!'

The age limit of thirty was set because, after thirty years, the Super Races needed to inject new blood, as a large number of their people would have aged considerably.

Qing Deyun and the others simply smiled without saying much. It would be a huge mistake to judge Lin Xuan's strength based on his Third Layer Spirit Pill Stage.

They had all seen what Lin Xuan was capable of. Not to mention his ability to fight opponents of a higher level, he could summon puppets like the Phoenix. Once inside, he wouldn't have to fight alone.

"Alright, time is tight. You'll be entering the Teleportation Array soon. Here are your Identity Tokens." Elder De handed a Token to each of them.

Lin Xuan took the metal Token and saw the character for "Soaring" carved on it, signifying that they were from the Soaring Dragon Empire.

"This Identity Token represents your right to participate, but it is also your Protective Talisman. If you wish to surrender, just throw the Token away. You will be teleported to safety, but you will be disqualified. I trust you will keep them safe. However, I believe that with the strength the two of you possess, passing the preliminary round shouldn't be a problem."

Elder De added, "However, the first priority is to find your allies within the Alliance Empire. That will make things safer and increase your chances of success."

On the way here, Qing Deyun had already explained the preliminary round that Elder De mentioned. The Empire War was divided into preliminaries, semi-finals, and finals—three stages in total. The preliminary round was a screening process designed to filter out the unqualified, with a staggering fifty percent elimination rate!

That meant out of a thousand participants, only five hundred would remain! There were hundreds of Empires, large and small, participating in the Empire War, each sending several competitors for a total of nearly a thousand participants. At this rate, only a few hundred people would be left for the later stages.

The culling was absolutely ruthless, reducing about a thousand participants to a few hundred for the semi-finals, with even fewer advancing to the finals. Thinking about it, the ratio made sense. They were looking for the elite of the elite, not the worst of the worst!

The preliminary round itself was brutally simple and had never changed: it was a slaughter. Participants had to kill each other and seize their opponent's Token. Collecting two Tokens was enough to advance.

Of course, the one-half ratio was actually a generous estimate. If a particularly dominant Empire collected ten or twenty Tokens, far fewer people would end up advancing to the semi-finals.

After everything was ready, Elder De led them to the Teleportation Array. Spirit Crystals were already being placed to activate it, giving them no time to rest at all. 'No wonder we took a carriage,' Lin Xuan thought. 'If we'd rushed all the way here, we'd be exhausted. How could we possibly compete then?'

"Brother Lin, you must stay safe..." Lin Xue looked at Lin Xuan, her gaze filled with emotion. In the blink of an eye, he had grown so much, leaving everyone—herself included—in the dust.

But she was mostly happy for him. She just hoped Lin Xuan would be safe; his rank didn't matter. She couldn't participate in the Empire War and could only wait here for the final result.

"I will. I'll be safe..." Lin Xuan smiled calmly, while adding in his heart, '...and I'll come back with a top-ten finish!'

'I wouldn't dare claim I can definitely take first place. The world is full of countless experts. There are likely many Cultivators who've had opportunities like Tong Yulong's possession, or who've experienced other astonishing lucky breaks.'

'For people like them, this Empire War is probably just the beginning. It gathers all the geniuses together. This continent is filled with endless opportunities, and I'm not the only one to have found them. Everything will come down to the final results.'

"It's getting late. Step into the Teleportation Array," Elder De said gravely. "Remember, the moment you enter, the preliminary round begins... Be wary of everyone who isn't one of your own!"

Whether Lin Xuan and the others lived or died was very much his concern, as his rewards were tied to their performance. He had no desire to end up at the bottom.

"It's starting so soon? Isn't there still half a month left?" Lin Xuan asked, confused.

"Yes. After you go in, you'll still have half a month to prepare. You'll understand once you're inside." Elder De didn't elaborate, implying that entering the Teleportation Array would explain everything.

Lin Xuan and Zi Yanqian exchanged a glance, and the two of them stepped into the Teleportation Array, disappearing from everyone's sight in the blink of an eye.

Qing Deyun sighed. "I hope they can achieve good results and change the Soaring Dragon Empire's current situation..."