Chapter 61: Panda

Chapter 61: PandaWhile the others merely saw an elder seated in meditation, calm and composed, what Yu Xuan felt was something entirely different.

The old man before them wore an amicable expression, yet to Yu Xuan, it was like standing before a boundless abyss.

He had a gut-deep certainty: if he so much as disagreed with this man — let alone challenged him, even a casual sneeze from the elder could erase him from existence.

Worse, he sensed that if he dared harbor even a single ill thought... the old man would know.

He didn’t understand why he felt this way. Was it his system? His unique physique or bloodline? Or simply an awakened intuition?

Whatever it was — he trusted it.

After all, a bud crushed before bloom would never grow into a tree.

And he wanted to be a Universal tree.

Oblivious to Yu Xuan’s inner turmoil, the elder slowly opened his eyes — and in that moment, twin galaxies seemed to shimmer within them.

If someone saw him meditating peacefully in a remote countryside hut, they’d probably argue over who should inherit his property after he passed away.

But Yu Xuan knew better. Appearances could be deceiving.



Even on Earth, makeup held the power to rewrite a person’s impression — and this was a literal cultivation world, where someone could alter their appearance, age, or sometimes even gender at a whim.

If some lunatic ever introduced the concept of personality changing makeup to add "extra charm" here, it would be a true calamity.

"Alright," the elder spoke, his voice calm but firm. "One by one, place your hand and medallion on this."

With a flick of his sleeve, a small transparent orb floated into existence, levitating gently in the air before him.

The first in line stepped forward — a youth with sky-blue hair.

Yu Xuan had long abandoned the idea that cultivators followed Earth-like standards for appearance.

Here, hair came in every color imaginable and some that defied description altogether. His Earth-based logic about "natural colors" had been rendered obsolete on day one.

The blue-haired youth placed his medallion into the orb, which swallowed it silently, then rested his palm on the glowing sphere.

At once, the orb pulsed with a cool blue light, and a translucent screen hovered above it, displaying clear text like a hologram:

[Spiritual Root: Sacred Grade]

[Affinity: Water]

The elder glanced at the result and gave a brief nod. "You may join the Water Minor Peak. Collect your uniform afterward."

With that, the medallion popped back out of the orb, now marked with the crest of the Water Minor Peak.

The disciple caught it with both hands, bowed respectfully, and stepped aside to stand at the back of the hall.

Things continued at a steady pace — one disciple after another stepping up, placing their medallion and palm on the crystal, having their results evaluated, and being assigned accordingly.

It was then.

A large, rock-like man stepped forward. His skin resembled polished stone, and his heavy steps echoed in the hall. When he placed his hand and medallion on the crystal, the result was different this time:

[Spiritual Root: Heaven Grade]

[Affinity: Earth]

[Physique: Heavy Earth Physique (Sacred Grade)]

"Oh?" the elder raised a brow slightly. "A Sacred Grade physique. Some will be interested."

Though not every cultivator possessed a heavenly physique, those who did often held a significant advantage over their peers.

Still, while the elder’s comment showed mild interest, he didn’t elaborate. This evaluation system was linked directly to the sect’s administrative system — meaning other elders had likely already been notified.



The registration process continued smoothly, the glow of the crystal repeating itself again and again.

However, with each result, the elder’s expression remained neutral — even as disappointment faintly crept into his eyes. There had been no truly shocking talent so far.

Then came the final two.

One was Yu Xuan.

The other... was a panda.

Or at least, something very close.

A plump, black and white, panda like creature stood in line, belly slightly rounded, dressed in a pristine white robe that somehow complimented his belly and made him look even rounder.

Despite his cuddly appearance, he carried himself with an air of utter arrogance — chin tilted high, as if he were royalty surveying peasants.

Yu Xuan glanced at him. At the same moment, the panda glanced back.

Their eyes met.

Then they both looked away. Casually. Naturally. As if uninterested.

Only to sneak another glance the very next second.

It was ridiculous — the silent exchange of few more gazes, each trying to size the other up without being obvious.

A bizarre little showdown of "who’s more mysterious" happened.

The atmosphere grew strangely comedic, until—

"Next," the elder called out, snapping them both from their mutual staring contest.

The panda huffed proudly, his round belly wobbling slightly, and waddled forward. With practiced flair, he placed his medallion on the orb and rested his paw atop it.

The crystal pulsed — and then the holographic screen lit up.

[Spiritual Root: Immortal Grade]

[Affinity: Yin and Yang]

[Physique: Yin-Yang Physique (Immortal Grade)]

The elder’s eyes widened, genuine surprise flickering in their depths. He knew something interesting would happen.

"Oh! Now this is some enter—"



Before he could finish the sentence, what he hoped for happened—

Boom—!

Two powerful auras collided in the air like clashing storms. Pressure rolled across the room like tidal waves.

The people fighting weren’t physically present — more like spiritual projections — but the oppressive force was very real.

Phantom-like figures emerged in the air, one radiating yin energy and the other yang, swirling and surging toward one another.

The elder moved instantly, raising his palm.

A shimmering protective shield of qi enveloped the disciples — particularly Yu Xuan and the panda cutting off the overwhelming pressure.

’Hmph... greedy old fossils,’ the elder grumbled in his mind, he didn’t have the courage to say that in front of them.

Apparently, the panda’s evaluation had drawn too much attention.

Yu Xuan, meanwhile, watched the chaos calmly.

But inside, he had one thought:

’...I really just got outdone by a panda.’