["Today is the day the Saint Ceremony of the Free and Unfettered Holy Land's Saint begins! We welcome promising young talents from the human world to attend the grand event!"]

[Yunshu Island, the main island of the Free and Unfettered Holy Land archipelago, where the Holy Land's main mountain gate stands.]

[There is a towering peak on the island, also called Yunshu.]

[At the summit, the Free and Unfettered Holy Land's Chief Commissioner, named Dongfang Shuo, stood in midair, overseeing the ceremony's proceedings.]

[Young heroes and their elder family members from all sides gathered around the peak.]

[It was a sea of people, clouds and mist swirling like a descent of immortals.]

[You bought a small boat on another islet and came alone to Yunshu Island by yourself.]

[You have already used "Playing the Pig to Eat the Tiger" to adjust your cultivation aura to the Soul Tempering Realm.]

[Given your innate talent and age, you thought Soul Tempering was appropriate.]

["Everyone, to participate in this ceremony there is only one requirement: age must not exceed thirty years old!"]

[It sounded like a low bar.]

[In reality, few people actually qualify to take part.]

[Those who came were the geniuses personally cultivated by martial families across the human world.]

[Those with poor aptitude had already been eliminated at the family level.]

[You even saw people from the Shen Family.]

[From their clothing, they appeared to be from the Star Lineage.]

[The Shen Family has the Sun, Moon, and Star lineages; calling it one family is more like calling it a vast nation.]

[The resources the Star Lineage gets are limited, so they probably came hoping to try their luck.]

["Now, please let each of the heroes make their appearance, register, and take part in the selection!"]

["I'll go first!!"]

[Before Dongfang Shuo finished speaking, someone at the mountain foot shouted loudly, stepped upon auspicious clouds, and ascended to the summit.]

["I am Long Yang! From the Long family of the Mountain and Sea Holy Land, Heaven-Grade Bone Structure, Heavenly Gang Spirit Body, twenty-six years old, Spirit Sea Eighth Layer!!"]

[He was handsome and dashing, long hair flowing, clad in cyan robes that fluttered, drawing cheers from the crowd.]

["Well, the very first one up is this powerful?"]

["When I was twenty-six I was still worrying how to break Soul Tempering, and he's already at Spirit Sea Eighth Layer! What a freak!"]

["The Long family clearly intends to secure the next Saint position in the Free and Unfettered Holy Land!"]

["He set his aura so high right away; if the later male disciples aren't as good as him, they probably shouldn't even bother showing up."]

[Each of the Three Great Holy Lands has a Saint system; although called a Saint, it actually includes both a male and a female Saint, the Saint and the Saintess.]

[The Saint and Saintess hold lofty positions in the Holy Land and enjoy extensive privileges.]

[But they are not necessarily chosen as the Holy Land's next inheritor, though they may compete for that role.]

[The significance of the Saint and Saintess is the link and cooperation between the Holy Land and martial families.]

[Like marital ties between powerful clans.]

[As generations of Saints are replaced, the relationships among martial forces and the Holy Land grow tighter and more entangled, forming a shared interest network.]

"Ga—"

[An eagle's cry rang out across the venue, a youth rode in on an eagle, landed on the summit, and stood beside Long Yang.]

["Listen up, everyone, my name is Baili Su!

From the Baili clan of the Central Plains among the Five Regions, Heaven-Grade Bone Structure, Destiny Spring Overlord Body, seventeen years old, Spirit Gathering Twelfth Layer!

Hmph, if my family elders hadn't insisted I solidify my roots and open the extraordinary meridians, I would already be at Golden Body Realm!

Wait until I'm twenty-six, I'll be a hundred times stronger than this Long Yang!"]

[The young man was full of youthful arrogance.]

[But instead of ridicule, he drew admiration and envy.]

[Geniuses are allowed genius temperaments!]

[Even Long Yang, who had been boastfully loud earlier, wore only a big-brotherly, friendly expression, as if looking at his younger self.]

[Talents from various places took the stage one by one.]

[Each had their own special method, many ascending directly from the mountain foot to the summit—truly eight immortals crossing the sea, each showing their magic.]

[Not all later contestants were Heaven-Grade Bone Structures or possessed special physiques.]

[But the weakest bone structure among them was at least Earth-Grade.]

[In truth, individual aptitude was secondary.]

[The crucial point was the martial families behind them, each with considerable foundations.]

[For example, when comparing the Five Regions, the overall strength and scale of a top martial family still fell short of a top sect.]

[However, considering the difference in scale, families train far fewer people than sects.]

[Thus, martial families can concentrate resources on their geniuses; these individuals may receive even more support within their families than within a sect.]

["This Saint Ceremony of the Free and Unfettered Holy Land is really lively; it seems every family sent their hidden geniuses."]

["Indeed, the Shen Family sent three talents!"]

["It really proves the saying: the world never lacks geniuses!"]

[After waiting for a long time, everyone noticed the next contestant still had not appeared.]

[Dongfang Shuo stood at the summit and loudly called down to the mountain foot.]

["So far ninety-nine heroes have made their appearance. Are there any other promising youths who wish to take part in the ceremony?"]

["Yes!!"]

[A strong voice came from halfway up the mountain.]

[All eyes turned in that direction.]

[They saw you climbing the stone steps, ascending slowly step by step.]

["What? He's going to walk up?"]

["Ha! That's hilarious. Weren't all the ones before showing off some kind of trick to leap up? He's actually going to walk up?"]

["The Holy Land asked us to ascend from the foot of the mountain by our own ability as a metaphor for rising in rank; his walking up is so unbecoming."]

[The murmured remarks drifted to your ears.]

[You remained calm and unhurried, climbing the steps, even taking out a gourd and taking a sip of water.]

[Fly?]

[How could you fly?]

[You're currently a Soul Tempering Realm martial artist.]

[You can't reveal that pile of treasures you have.]

[You also don't have a family elder to push you up.]

[What else could you do but walk up?]

[The whole crowd waited for you for half an hour.]

[Many grew impatient and wanted you to go home and stop making a spectacle.]

[Luckily, the Free and Unfettered Holy Land was courteous enough not to drive you away, only asking everyone to give you a bit more time.]

[The final stretch to the summit was nearly vertical, almost ninety degrees; you literally climbed up with brute force.]

[Compared to other contestants' graceful arrivals, your appearance was indeed somewhat disheveled.]

"Pa..."

[One hand grabbed the cliff face, you hauled yourself up and leaped, finally reaching the summit.]

[Dongfang Shuo gestured for you and the other contestants to stand in a line and asked for self-introductions.]

["I, Chen Dong! High-Grade Bone Structure, no special physique, twenty-seven years old, Soul Tempering three temperings, individual trainee!"]

[Silence fell over the crowd.]

[Then uproarious laughter.]

["Hahaha! Individual trainee? Isn't that just a rogue cultivator? What's with calling yourself an individual trainee!"]

["What a disgrace for the Free and Unfettered Holy Land to have rogue cultivators attending their ceremony, are they not taking the Holy Land seriously?"]

["High-Grade Bone Structure, what trash is that, worthy to stand in line with our geniuses?"]

["This ceremony has no real threshold, it's just that participants should have some self-awareness!"]