Gu Qinghe's expression stiffened without him realizing it.
Not because of the pressure from the surrounding auras, nor because of the gaze of the Song Emperor or the palace elders standing within the grand hall, but because of something far more cruel than all of that combined.
He was looking at himself, standing once more in the past.
I have returned.
The realization came quietly, yet its impact crashed into his mind like a massive wave, merciless and overwhelming.
This was the moment before the summoning ritual took place. The starting point of everything.
The point where the wheel of fate began to turn and dragged him onto a long, lonely path soaked in blood.
Because his primordial soul had not descended as Yun Tian, there was no dual existence. No overlapping souls. No conflict between two consciousnesses within a single body.
There was a very high chance, almost a certainty, that the Yun Tian standing there was Yun Tian with his original soul.
While he himself was Yun Tian from the future. Yun Tian who had already walked this far, crossed thousands of years of time, challenged the Heavenly Dao, and finally stood at the peak as an Immortal.
Gu Qinghe slowly clenched his fists.
Memories from his previous life surged forth one after another, not as scattered flashes, but as an orderly and brutal torrent.
Every face before him, the young people standing with hope, anxiety, or nervous anticipation, were faces that would eventually remain only in memory.
Some would die young.
Some would be eliminated.
Some would vanish without a trace.
And in the end, only he would be reckless enough, stubborn enough, insane enough to challenge the Heavenly Dao and step toward immortality.
Gu Yanxue, standing beside him, noticed the subtle change in Gu Qinghe's expression. The furrow in his brow was too deep, too heavy, as if he was not merely thinking.
"Is something wrong?" Gu Yanxue asked in a low voice.
Gu Qinghe did not answer. His gaze remained fixed ahead.
Before him stood Yun Tian and his classmates, young people who still did not understand what the world of cultivation truly meant.
They stood neatly as the thirty three sacred envoys, symbols of honor, but also symbols of the beginning of a merciless competition.
Yun Tian appeared to be speaking with a young man beside him. That face felt painfully familiar.
Li Feng.
His former close friend.
Gu Qinghe knew him very well. Too well.
Memories of Li Feng were still vivid. Ambition, talent, and warmth that were slowly worn away by the reality of the cultivation world.
In the end, Li Feng was unable to walk as far as Yun Tian.
Time erodes everything.
A heavy voice echoed through the hall.
One of the palace elders flew down and landed firmly at the center of the open hall. His cultivation aura spread effortlessly, pressing down on the air and forcing the sacred envoys to hold their breath.
Gu Qinghe immediately knew this elder was different from the one who had escorted the Gu Clan representatives earlier.
This man's aura was purer, sharper, and far more stable.
The elder began to speak, explaining the Song Kingdom, the balance between sects and clans, and the importance of the new generation to the future of the realm.
His words were long, methodical, and filled with authority. The faces of the thirty three sacred envoys tightened with seriousness.
Some trembled.
Some swallowed nervously.
Others tried to maintain their composure, yet their eyes moved restlessly.
Gu Qinghe saw everything clearly.
When the palace elder raised his hand and formed a seal, Gu Qinghe knew what would happen even before the light appeared.
A red light shot into the sky.
Crimson formation runes formed in the air, slowly rotating like a wheel of fate beginning to move.
The Qi Essence Formation.
A basic formation, yet a crucial one. It was used to activate and test the qi potential within a person's body. Sects often used it to select new disciples.
Nothing had changed.
A rain of red particles descended from the formation runes, absorbing into the bodies of the thirty three sacred envoys.
They stared at their own hands in disbelief, some whispering to the companions beside them.
Yun Tian spoke again with Li Feng, his face showing a mixture of nervousness and excitement.
Gu Qinghe activated his cultivation vision.
Within his sight, different auras became visible. Some were weak, some steady, and some bright enough to draw attention.
"A strong aura usually means good qualifications," Gu Yanxue murmured.
"Now we can see what kind of qualifications they have," Gu Yanxue said softly.
"Yes," Gu Qinghe replied briefly. "This is the most important moment for clans and sects."
The formation slowly faded.
A blue glow lit up from the bodies of the sacred envoys, the color indicating that their qi had been properly activated.
"It is time to determine talent," the palace elder announced.
The sacred envoys were instructed to sit cross legged and meditate. The hall immediately fell silent, leaving only steady breathing and the slowly rising pressure of qi.
Cheers echoed from the spectators.
Gu Qinghe swept his gaze across the surroundings. It was not only sect representatives who were excited, but clan representatives as well. Everyone wanted their share.
Thirty three tokens flew out and hovered above the heads of each sacred envoy.
Gu Qinghe recognized those tokens.
He had possessed one before.
The function of the tokens was simple. They absorbed qi and displayed a qualification number.
"One is the lowest, ten is the highest," Gu Yanxue explained.
One by one, numbers appeared. They varied widely, yet quite a few were above five. Yun Tian had six.
Quite good. Above the threshold.
Gu Qinghe was not surprised. His gaze then shifted to another figure. Xiao Mei.
Three.
Below the threshold.
Eight people received numbers below five. Xiao Mei was one of them.
"Your qualifications have been determined," the palace elder said. "We invite sect and clan representatives to take responsibility for them."
Just as Gu Qinghe expected, representatives from mid level and high level sects began descending into the hall. Tian Jian Sect moved quickly. Yun Tian and Li Feng chose to join them.
Still the same.
There was nothing he could do. Yun Tian's qualifications were indeed worth competing over. Gu Qinghe shifted his attention completely.
Xiao Mei stood stiffly, her eyes darting around. Not a single sect showed interest in her.
Finally, it was the clans' turn.
"Please proceed," the palace elder said.
Gu Qinghe acted immediately. Two fingers lifted as his flying sword shot forward. Gu Yanxue was startled, but followed at once.
He stopped directly in front of Xiao Mei. The girl was shocked, her face turning pale.
"Are you going to take me?" Her voice trembled.
Gu Qinghe looked at her deeply. Others only saw a number, but he saw the future.
"Yes," he answered briefly.
"You will come with me to the Gu Clan."
Xiao Mei froze for a moment, then nodded rapidly.
"Yes, sir."
There was a definite reason why Gu Qinghe wanted Xiao Mei.
He remembered that Xiao Mei was intelligent and quick to understand things.
Gu Qinghe knew this because he had known Xiao Mei ever since they were classmates back on Earth.
Do not be afraid, Xiao Mei.
With my understanding… I will make you the greatest alchemist on the entire Yangguan Continent.