Chapter Two: The Reason for Choosing Talent

“Oh? And why is that?” Tang Yi asked in puzzlement.

“To put it simply, the power of the heavenly tribulation is tied to the cultivation technique one practices. The more advanced the technique, the more formidable the tribulation. Six hundred years ago, a senior cultivator who had trained in the Sun and Moon Divine Art—hailed as the foremost technique in the cultivation world—attempted to withstand the tribulation with his body’s technique without proper preparation. The result? He was struck down by the tribulation so thoroughly that he lost every shred of his cultivation and died of old age just a few years later. Truly, the heavens were jealous of such talent!”

“Sun and Moon Divine Art? That sounds so familiar. Never mind, let’s not talk about that. Actually, I’ve been meaning to ask—this Talent Selection Assembly, what is its real purpose?”

“That’s a long story. But first—come, let’s have some tea. Now tell me, have my tea-brewing skills improved?” Lu Chang said to Tang Yi.

“Ah, yes, yes, a great improvement indeed. Next time, when we have more time, I’ll teach you another method of brewing tea. But for now, tell me about this assembly!” Tang Yi took a sip, set down his cup, and gave his praise.

“Very well, but after I tell you, you must teach me more tea-brewing skills!” Ever since Tang Yi had shared some tricks and knowledge about the art of tea during one of their conversations, Old Lu had found every excuse to invite Tang Yi for tea, always eager for new lessons.

“No problem! Go on, tell me!” Tang Yi agreed readily. Back in the day, he had read all manner of books, including hundreds on tea culture and the way of tea. Though much of it was redundant, it was enough to impress Old Lu, who knew little yet fancied himself a connoisseur.

“Alright, listen closely—this all began long ago…” Old Lu began his tale at a leisurely pace.

Nearly eighteen hundred years ago, Earth’s cultivators underwent a population explosion, depleting resources at an alarming rate. The rare treasures of heaven and earth were over-harvested, pushed to the brink of extinction, and as these treasures vanished, so too did the spiritual energy of the world. To restore Earth’s spiritual energy and ensure future cultivators had resources, several dozen cultivators at the Grand Ascension stage convened and decided, after much deliberation, to use ancient teleportation arrays left by their forebears to search the solar system for new resources. After years of searching, they finally found fresh troves—rare treasures and spirit stone veins—on two moons of Jupiter and one of Saturn. These elders transferred some of the treasures to Earth, cultivating and protecting certain herbs, while others were sequestered in special locations for safekeeping. Thus, the Earth’s spiritual energy gradually recovered, and the three celestial bodies were preserved as resource worlds.

But good fortune was fleeting. Barely decades had passed before invaders appeared. They hailed from the nearest star system, Pegasus, and were also cultivators seeking resources. In fact, these cultivators shared a common origin with those of Earth.

Legend has it that in ancient times, there were two centers of cultivation: Earth and another world called Yinghuo—what we know as Mars. It’s said that Mars was discovered by a great cultivator named Kuafu, who, with the power of the Grand Ascension stage, traveled ten days and nights without rest to reach Mars. There, he found an environment akin to Earth, rich with treasures.

Kuafu built a teleportation array on Mars and hurried back to Earth, but for reasons unknown, he constructed a Mars-bound array on the Moon rather than on Earth itself. After revealing his discovery to his trusted friends, he began the monumental task of array-building. Kuafu was a true giant among men; it was he who, single-handedly, constructed the ancient teleportation arrays, the farthest stretching all the way to the Andromeda galaxy, not just Pegasus.

The discovery and development of Mars sparked fierce resource wars. Initially, many factions vied for supremacy, but after prolonged conflict, two main powers emerged. Their endless war ultimately reduced Mars to its current desolation of wind and sand. In the end, one faction was defeated and, using Kuafu’s array, migrated with their plundered resources to Pegasus. The victors sealed the array to Pegasus, and so peace was maintained.

Unexpectedly, about seventeen hundred years ago, cultivators from Pegasus constructed a new array on Neptune, using it as a stepping stone to plunder resources. Both sides, driven by the same need, clashed once more, reigniting a war that had lain dormant for eons.

Caught unprepared, the Saturnian resource moon fell to the Pegasus cultivators. At that time, the solar system’s own cultivators barely had enough manpower to hold Jupiter’s nearer resource moon, while the other became a contested prize. Thus was born the Talent Selection Assembly, held every ten years to choose a new cohort. The purpose: to contest that resource world. These chosen elites fight for control of the resource moon.

Over the centuries, an unspoken agreement formed: to protect the resource moon from destruction, battles would be fought on a barren satellite of Jupiter, devoid of resources, and both sides would cap their cultivation at the Nascent Soul stage. In this way, each side’s fighters gained real combat experience while minimizing losses. And so it became a regular decennial war—the victors would control the resource moon, mining and using it for ten years, after which the contest would begin anew.

Upon hearing all this, Tang Yi asked, “Doesn’t the Talent Selection Assembly amount to a draft for soldiers? War means death. Don’t they know that?”

“Of course they do. Only you, a greenhorn, would ask such a thing,” Old Lu said with obvious disdain.

“If everyone knows, why are they all so eager to join?” Tang Yi persisted.

“Why else? Fortune favors the bold. Being selected means you immediately receive support from the Assembly. With those resources, your cultivation speed doubles. Not only that—participate in the decennial war, and regardless of victory or defeat, so long as you survive, you’ll receive another round of support.”

“Support? What exactly do they provide?” Tang Yi’s interest was piqued. His supply of spirit stones was running low, and he had little else. Desperate times called for desperate measures—he was keen on any opportunity to acquire cultivation resources.

“So, you’re interested in the Assembly?” Old Lu asked, already scheming how to string Tang Yi along.

“I’m interested in the support. Tell me already—what do they give?” Tang Yi pressed, unable to contain his impatience.

“I’ll tell you, but—heh, you’ll have to teach this old man a few more tea rituals,” Old Lu chuckled slyly.

“Ugh… Fine, you win. I promise. Now hurry up and tell me!” Tang Yi said in resignation.

“Heh, excellent! I’ll tell you—the support includes…”