At this moment, Lin Xuan was copying the talent of the Black Feather Eagle below. Lin Shiyun's departure had made Lin Xuan keenly aware of his own lack of strength. His urgent desire for greater power had reached its limit. The Black Feather Eagle carried many treasures that could enhance his strength. Lin Xuan naturally wouldn't let them slip by. With sufficient energy points for now, aside from the bloodline talent, he copied everything else. As for the bloodline talent, it seemed unique to demon beasts, akin to a human's cultivation talent. If he copied it, he couldn't predict what unforeseen changes might occur. So Lin Xuan refrained from copying it. Then, he chose to use them. His current talents were already considerable; these were merely enhancements, unlikely to cause any fluctuations in aura. He didn't worry about attracting Zhao Quxin's attention. Thus, he used them directly. "Ding, congratulations, host has advanced to mid-grade Gale Attribute Talent!" "Ding, congratulations, host has advanced to low-grade Blade Dao Talent!" "..." Soon, a faint warm current flowed through him. Lin Xuan glanced at the slightly altered attribute panel in the void before him and nodded slightly. Then, he closed his eyes and began cultivating the *Jade Purification Art*. Time passed slowly. The Black Feather Eagle streaked across the sky like a black blur. Two hours later. They finally arrived at their destination: Flowing Cloud Sect. As everyone looked down, a wave of awe surged in their hearts. Below, within the mountain range, endless palaces sprawled densely. Each one was at least ten times more luxurious than the City Lord's Mansion of Qingyu City. Mist swirled around them, and crowds moved about, as if they had stepped into a legendary celestial realm. Zhao Quxin guided the Black Feather Eagle to land in a vast, open square. Only then did Lin Xuan and the other nine snap back to reality and follow him off the eagle. "Come with me." Zhao Quxin led the group toward a nearby grand hall. Along the way, he explained: "Don't think that just because you've earned the qualification, you're in Flowing Cloud Sect. You still have to undergo a talent test. Of course, everyone's talent is their own secret, and the sect won't pry too deeply. We'll only roughly assess the grade of your talent and awaken your attribute talent. If your talent doesn't meet the standard or you lack an attribute talent, you'll have to go back." Hearing this, the others, who had been full of curiosity and looking around, stiffened, their excitement fading. Their expressions grew tense. Only Lin Xuan remained calm. Among the nine here, he had the highest talent. If he didn't qualify, the others stood no chance. So there was no need to worry. At that moment, he was scanning the area, looking for suitable targets to copy. Unfortunately, most of those passing by seemed to be new disciples arriving today, and none of their attribute panels matched his. None were worth copying. Soon, Zhao Quxin led them into the hall. He arranged for Lin Xuan and the other nine to line up at the back and wait. Zhao Quxin then stood to the side, observing. On the side of the hall, there were several other stewards like Zhao Quxin, who had also just returned from recruitment duties. "Old Zhao, how did it go? Find any good prospects?" A middle-aged steward asked Zhao Quxin with a smile. "Liu Quan, isn't that a pointless question? Qingyu City is a small town—what good prospects could it yield?" Another steward in gray robes sneered. "Not necessarily. This time, I actually found a good one." Zhao Quxin chuckled lightly, speaking calmly. But he didn't elaborate. "Oh? Then I'll be watching closely." Liu Quan smiled, his gaze sweeping over Lin Xuan and the others. The gray-robed steward snorted coldly, also shifting his attention to them. Though Zhao Quxin was average in strength among the stewards, his eye for talent was sharp. If he considered someone a good prospect, they likely weren't bad. This piqued the curiosity of both men. The other stewards felt the same. Lin Xuan was unaware that, because of Zhao Quxin's few words, several stewards had turned their attention toward him. At that moment, he was surveying the hall. The hall was spacious, with little decoration. At the front were three tables. On the left two sat crystal balls the size of a human head, each with a person seated behind them, dressed like Zhao Quxin. They were likely the stewards responsible for testing talent strength and awakening attribute talents. The one on the far right handled record-keeping. There were plenty of things worth copying in the hall. For instance, the three stewards at the front and some new disciples undergoing testing. Lin Xuan's eyes flickered as he focused his mind. "Ding, consumed 500 energy points, copy successful. Obtained [low-grade Green Wood Attribute Talent]." "Ding, consumed 500 energy points, copy successful. Obtained [inferior-grade Sword Dao Talent]." "..." After spending tens of thousands of energy points, he copied all the talents in the hall that caught his interest. Choosing to use them, a faint warm current flowed through him. He then looked at the attribute panel in the void before him. "Complete set of five-element attribute talents, plus blade and sword talents—that's enough." Lin Xuan nodded with satisfaction. Ahead, the tests proceeded one by one. "Talent strength: two and a half degrees—unqualified!" "No attribute talent!" "Eliminated!" "..." After copying the talents, Lin Xuan observed the ongoing tests. Soon, he noticed a pattern. At least a talent strength of three degrees, combined with a low-grade attribute talent, was required to pass. These were no small hurdles. At most, only about thirty percent of people could pass the test. It was clear. Flowing Cloud Sect governed twelve prefectures, each recruiting thirty people. Each prefecture had twenty small cities, each recruiting ten people. That added up to nearly three thousand people in total. No matter how strong Flowing Cloud Sect was, it didn't need that many outer disciples. So naturally, most would be eliminated. Thinking this over, Lin Xuan understood. Just then, a commotion arose from the front. Lin Xuan looked over. He saw a young man in brocade robes, wearing a proud expression, pressing his palm against the first crystal ball. Inside the ball, five ripples spread outward. Stepping forward, he placed his palm on the next crystal ball. A flame, a gust of wind, and a gleam of gold appeared inside—three dazzling phenomena. The hall erupted in noise. "Wow, five degrees of talent strength? That's impressive!" "And three attribute talents, all with decent grades?" "He might be one of the strongest new disciples this year!" "..." The crowd buzzed with discussion, staring at the brocade-clad youth in awe. "Zhang Tao, talent strength: five degrees. Attribute talents: mid-grade Crimson Fire, mid-grade Gale, low-grade Sharp Metal—qualified!" The steward in charge of testing announced. "Not bad. Step aside for now. Your test results should earn you a spot as a potential outer disciple." Another steward praised him. "Thank you, Steward." The brocade-clad youth replied, his face haughty as he walked to the side, chin slightly raised. It was as if none of the other disciples present were worth a second glance.