Invincible Little School Doctor Chapter 2029: Only One Chosen?

Upon entering the sect's premises, Ye Haochuan's gaze landed upon an elder seated serenely behind a table crafted from copper-colored wood. The elder's temples were streaked with gray, and his attention was fixed intently on the newcomer.

"Though you have yet to transcend the mundane world, your aura suggests you are not to be underestimated!" the elder remarked after a thorough observation of Ye Haochuan.

A ripple of surprise coursed through Ye Haochuan. He had anticipated being dismissed, much like the young disciple who guarded the outer gate, given his current cultivation level.

To his astonishment, this elder, with a mere glance, perceived his distinctiveness from other cultivators at the Nascent Soul Peak. Such keen insight was truly exceptional.

"Place your hands upon it and slowly circulate your cultivation technique!" the elder instructed, gesturing towards a pale-yellow jade stone resting on the wooden table.

This jade stone, of indeterminate origin, bore an intricately carved formation. This particular array was documented in the Hundred Arrays Collection, specifically designed for assessing a cultivator's innate talent.

Understanding the purpose of the artifact, Ye Haochuan felt a sense of reassurance. He placed his hands on the jade and began to gently channel the energy from the recently acquired Manual of Returning to the Origin of Wondrous Flowers.

Shortly after, the jade stone emanated a soft, warm luminescence.

"Indeed, you possess the Hidden Divine Physique, haha!" the elder exclaimed with hearty laughter. "Not bad, not bad at all! Aside from the young prodigy of the Ju Family, your physique ranks as the best!"

"What? There is someone with a superior physique to mine?"

Ye Haochuan's surprise was evident.

Ever since discovering his Hidden Divine Physique, he had encountered no one with a comparable or better constitution. The revelation that another possessed a superior physique was unexpected.

Sensing Ye Haochuan's astonishment, the elder offered a smile. "In this vast world, individuals with extraordinary physiques are not uncommon. However, your Hidden Divine Physique is certainly among the elite. It is simply that your cultivation journey has evidently been brief, and your foundation lacks the solidity to allow you to shine as brightly as that young fellow from the Ju Family."

Ye Haochuan was taken aback, marveling that a single test could reveal so much about him, including the relatively short duration of his cultivation.

In truth, Ye Haochuan had only been cultivating for two years. Furthermore, the spiritual energy available on Earth paled in comparison to that of the Immortal Realm. While his foundation might have appeared robust on Earth, it seemed less substantial when contemplated within the context of the Immortal Realm.

"Your name?" the elder inquired once more.

Ye Haochuan noticed that the elder had already meticulously recorded his cultivation level, age, and physique details, along with preliminary assessments of his current cultivation state.

It was clear that this registration process also served as an initial assessment. The elder's request for his name signified his successful passage through this preliminary selection.

After Ye Haochuan stated his name, the elder presented him with a blue token. Pointing towards a modest doorway, he instructed, "Proceed straight for about a hundred meters; you will find a small building. Present this token there to secure lodging. Rest there, and tomorrow, an attendant will guide you to partake in the subsequent trials!"

Accepting the token, Ye Haochuan followed the elder's directions and located the small building. In front of it stood a stone platform where a woman, seemingly in her thirties, sat engrossed in sketching the courtyard's scenery with a delicate sandalwood brush.

The woman was petite, with a delicate build. While not strikingly beautiful, her presence was quite pleasing.

Noticing Ye Haochuan's approach, she gestured for him to remain still. She then unfurled a fresh sheet of rice paper and, with remarkable speed, captured his likeness in approximately two minutes.

Ye Haochuan was impressed by the sketch, which bore an eighty percent resemblance to himself. The remaining twenty percent discrepancy was attributed to the absence of color, with the drawing rendered solely in shades of black and white.

Upon completing the portrait, the woman directed Ye Haochuan to occupy the second room on the third floor. She inscribed his name onto the drawing, placed it aside, and resumed her detailed rendering of the courtyard.

Ye Haochuan discreetly observed the woman, a sense of contemplation stirring within him.

From the mountain's outer gate to this current location, he had encountered a total of three individuals. Each of them possessed an extraordinary presence, with the young disciple at the gate being the least formidable.

The elder responsible for the aptitude evaluation exhibited formidable cultivation, and his discerning eye for talent, capable of identifying potential across the realm, was truly remarkable.

As for the woman, she exuded an aura of detachment from worldly matters, her focus solely on her art. Her formidable cultivation was veiled by an elegant demeanor, yet every movement betrayed a composure characteristic of seasoned experts.

Beyond these three, Ye Haochuan had not spotted a single servant or attendant within the courtyard, a fact that greatly intrigued him.

Even from his initial encounter with the youth at the main gate, Ye Haochuan had sensed the exceptional nature of the Half-Mountain Residence. Meeting the other two individuals only served to solidify his suspicions.

With that thought in mind, Ye Haochuan proceeded into the chamber the woman had indicated.

The chamber itself was not expansive, containing only two beds, yet it possessed an air of tidiness and comfort.

Within, a young man clad in grey was already seated cross-legged upon one of the beds, deeply engrossed in cultivation.

This young man appeared to be around twenty years of age, his face still bearing a youthful cast. Astonishingly, his cultivation had already ascended to the Early Stage of Immortal Transformation. To achieve such a realm at this tender age was truly remarkable.

"Ah, I have been anticipating your arrival! Finally, another has appeared!" the young man exclaimed with evident pleasure as Ye Haochuan entered.

"Anticipating my arrival?" Ye Haochuan inquired, a touch of surprise in his voice.

"Indeed!" the young man beamed. "I was eager to discover who my roommate would be, hence my wait. However, the selection process here is exceedingly stringent; it has been quite some time since anyone else arrived. Just as registration was drawing to a close, I began to believe I would have no roommate after all!"

Ye Haochuan recognized that while a multitude participated in this Disciple Selection Meeting, a significant number were politely turned away after failing the initial round.

"Is it not advantageous when fewer individuals are present? This would logically increase one's probability of being selected. Should you not be hoping for fewer competitors rather than an additional roommate?" Ye Haochuan posed with a gentle smile.

"Incorrect, incorrect, entirely incorrect!" the young man countered, shaking his head. "Firstly, the number of participants here is not insignificant. Including yourself, there should be forty-eight in total."

"Forty-eight is hardly a large number!" Ye Haochuan remarked with practiced indifference.

Back at the Greenstone Society, tens of thousands vied for attention, a true throng. In comparison, forty-eight was a mere handful.

"You believe forty-eight is a small number from which to choose?" the young man questioned, a hint of disdain coloring his tone. "Furthermore, all forty-eight are considered top-tier elites!"

"Only one is to be chosen? Unthinkable!" Ye Haochuan expressed heightened surprise.

"You were unaware of this fact?" The young man regarded Ye Haochuan as if he were from another realm, his expression dripping with disdain. "The selection for the Half-Mountain Residence is of unparalleled strictness. They choose but one individual every five years, selecting only super geniuses and unequivocally rejecting all others!"

Good heavens, such a rigorous standard for disciple selection was indeed unmatched!

Ye Haochuan found himself profoundly taken aback.

To select a single outstanding talent from tens of thousands meant that the chosen individual would undoubtedly possess the qualities of a super genius.

However, this also implied that the scale of such selections would inherently remain limited.

It was only at this moment that Ye Haochuan grasped why the Half-Mountain Residence had felt so remarkably deserted upon his entry; they cultivated an aura of deliberate exclusivity.