The best age to start cultivating was considered to be around 14 years old. Still, that could be only applied to normal cultivation, one like in the low planes where everyone was a mortal at the moment. For higher tier planes, with practically everyone having some level of natural or even innate cultivation - it was just the age in which the youths would join a power to start their true training.

Bai Qi agreed with such an age, after all, before that age it could be too hard for the youngsters. After all, the cultivation world, and especially its martial path, was anything but nice.

And so, his overall scan of the almost hundred youngsters around made him wince while thinking that he was in a kindergarten. Indeed, even with all the resources and methods that a rich family could provide, they could not make the children mature quicker. Some were too excited, others hid nervousness, and only a few of them could maintain the required state of mind.

It wasn't like emotions were something bad, but any cultivator had to know how and when they could be given free rein.

On the other hand, thanks to the overall inexperience of everyone around, Bai Qi had an easy time discerning the ones that did have it.

Zhuan Min, his guide and probable charge inside were one of the inexperienced ones. Still, she had an uncanny mind, and not only could name but even share a few details about every youth that merited a look from Bai Qi.

Slightly shorter than five feet and with an extremely slender build, she appeared even younger than her 12 years. The only resemblance she shared with her tall and muscular father was the light reddish hair, collected in a twin ponytail that funnily flailed when she moved her hair.

A decently prepared 4th level Soul realm cultivation, which would probably make most of the 'Seven Islands Plane' faint on the spot, wasn't so impressive for this one. Not that Bai Qi could say anything, considering that he was just a minor realm over her while being four years older.

And for some reason, while he called her by her name, she had decided to call him big brother Chen.

***

"What about that one? The one with spiky hair and dressed in the Trade Hall robes?" Bai Qi carefully pointed to the 5th level Sage realm that had attracted his attention.

"Big brother is right, he is from one of the houses that run the Hall. His name is Mao Xun. I don't know him much, but his master drinks with my father sometimes" Zhuan Min replied after a glance and then inclined her head to the side before continuing "Uncle Lu once said that he is one of the mysteries of our city"

"Hoh, can you tell me more?" Bai Qi asked while sending a small and concealed wisp of mind power into the ground. A wisp that flowed underground and was supposed to latch on Mao Xun.

But the latter intercepted it with one of his own, just a few feet before it reached him. After which, he instantly began looking around for the one who sent it. Bai Qi had concealed it well, and without close contact, no one could say that it was his. Still, the small experiment confirmed his thoughts, Mao Xun was by far more experienced than most. "Mmm, he is the only one of the Sage realms that managed to sense it. Either his mind power is far above his cultivation or he has very keen senses. Probably the latter".

Zhuan Min had not noticed Bai Qi's actions while recalling everything that she knew to answer his last question.

"Aha!" She exclaimed after seemingly recalling what she needed and then began barraging Bai Qi with it.

Letting half of the words pass through, Bai Qi concentrated on the important details. Mao Xun wasn't a cultivator born in the city and even in the Mao House that he was part of. There were a lot of rumors about him, but no one truly knew from where did he appear about six years ago.

He was presented as a 10 years old boy without any visible cultivation, and his surname was already Mao. At 12, he had reached the initial Soul realm and participated in some event between the city youngsters. Winning all of the combats and managing to best the strongest of his age at that moment, a middle leveled Soul realm. Nothing was heard of him for another three years from there before he appeared last year as a 1st level Sage. And from there, he had won every challenge, duel, and event he participated in. Including beating a peak Saint Beast without using weapons as just a 3rd level Sage.

***

Zhuan Min turned out to have a lot of friends as well, and most of them had approached her while she was accompanying Bai Qi. Thus in less than an hour, Bai Qi had met thirty participants and managed to examine all the sages except one. Albeit it wasn't his fault, as she had simply not arrived yet.

Except for Mao Xun, his interest was piqued only twice. Although for reasons different than threat assessment.

The first one was a boy called Chang Kun. Being the same age as Zhuan Min, he was a peak Soul realm! Not only that, the small strands of aura that spread around him, as he had not yet learned to control it, were slightly hot. Showing an innate fire affinity.

As for the other one, it was a 14-year-old peak Soul realm. Named Tang Lei and coming from a small clan long affiliated to the City. With long and wavy hair of a strange verdant color, he showed total control over both emotions and aura. Even so, his hair color was enough for Bai Qi to inwardly exclaim in surprise "A wood element bloodline?!".

Affinities were rare in their own, but in truth, almost a tenth of the old cultivator clans or families had someone with one. And all of them, apart from the difference in the element, were the same. When cultivating with a correct method and using techniques and skills from that element, they would show enhanced prowess. Fighting an opponent a level or two above would be not impossible. And in turn, using an opposite element technique or skill would make the effect greatly diminish.

As for bloodlines, it all depends on the type.

The Wildlands Clans from his first plane had several of them. But they were simple beast bloodlines, which except for a small, short-timed boost in power would not serve for much.

Yuan Taotu had the bloodline of a sacred beast, the Peng. It was impressive and truly rare but it would never allow him to use a cultivation method other than the innate one. Not to mention that his elemental techniques were also limited to the Sacred Beast's ones. For example, if Yuan Taotu learned and used "Flaming Fist", it would be weaker than a simple qi infused punch.

Li Xia had a truly rare bloodline related to runes, but it would severely limit all of her other paths in turn. Thus, although she would have an absolute advantage over others with runes, she would never be able to become a true Master in anything else.

But an elemental bloodline was another matter. Depending on the level of purity and awakening, it can be used for anything. And without any limits. Granted, the main element techniques and skills will be always stronger, but there would be no disadvantage when using others.

Natural energies of the relevant element can be absorbed without stopping or fearing any disbalance. Not to mention that each element has a respective area in which the bloodline owner would excel without effort.

For example, the wood element is mainly known for the gift of life. And so any healing technique, healing pill, and so on will be improved by the inherent elemental qi effect.

So it is no wonder that Elemental Bloodlines are sometimes referred to as Heavenly Bloodlines. And the cultivators that have such blood as Heavenly Bodies.

Bai Qi did not truly participate in the small talk, concentrating on his thoughts. He simply answered when asked or laughed when it was required.

Grandmaster Li had explained that the formation would teleport them into the zone and that they would be randomly scattered. For this reason, Bai Qi had used a small amount of mind power to help him track the Sage realms. "I can not risk revealing my plan or task, so I will have to try and track Mao Xun inside on my own. Still, that leaves the unknown one. It will be problematic to search for her if I don't even know how she looks like" After thinking for several minutes, Bai Qi inwardly concluded.

He could set a tracking spell without any Mao Xun, no matter how keen his senses and intuition was, noticing, but there were simply too many Warrior Lords and Warrior Kings around.

***

Suddenly the qi around them became agitated, and the river began shining with a golden hue.

This was a sure signal that the gate formation for the 'Underground Land of the River' was about to appear.

And indeed, just a few moments after the changes in the surroundings, six enormous gates appeared from the thin air.

Three on one shore, and three on the other.

Each gate was a hundred feet tall and half of that in width, and if not for the golden radiance around it, no one could think of it as a formation. The intricately carved stones. Carved with men and women engrossed in combat and meditation. They looked so lifelike that anyone would expect them to begin truly moving.

It all made this look like the work of a master craftsman, not a creation of a formation.

Still, it was a formation alright. And one that was the work of a 7th level Formation Saint. "No wonder that the locals never managed to find anything about it. A 7th level Formation Saint demands Sky realm cultivation, and that would be impossible for this plane" Bai Qi thought after observing the small qi snakes moving inside the formation's radiance.

Any formation Saint-level has its unique mark.

For the 1st level, the radiance will have several specks of condensed qi floating inside.

For the 2nd one, the specks will turn into small wisps, and so on, until the 6th level that they reach the size of an apple.

But from that moment on, the mark becomes individual, and the Saint could make it assume the form of a living being. As for the manner to determine the exact level, it would be the thickness. For the 7th they would be almost transparent, like in this case.

After a few moments, an enormous number appeared and began floating around each gate. For the Shuomen City one, it was 97.

"Attention everyone, the gate will open in a few minutes" One of the older cultivators, either a family member or a guard shouted.

Bai Qi followed the flow, moving along with Zhuan Min and her friends while casually glancing around. He made his glances appear casual, but in truth, he was trying to locate the last Sage realm cultivator. From what he heard, it was a girl that no one knew.

But there was no sign of her for now.

*Swoosh*

Bai Qi noticed how one of the older cultivators suddenly flew into the flow and then left with a boy.

"There are 101 people on the list, so the weakest 4 will be not able to enter" Chang Kun who saw the scene and that Bai Qi was looking at it said while continuing to move forward.

"Oh, 101? I arrived here directly, so..." Bai Qi shrugged.

"Ah yes, there is always a list of participants made public in the City the day before" Chang Kun explained after hearing that Bai Qi simply did not know.

"Mmm, but we are missing one, don't we? I heard that there was some kind of mysterious Sage realm cultivator that no one has seen before" Bai Qi made a curious expression and continued looking around.

"You probably mean the new genius of the Zhen clan, Zhen Zexi. Indeed she will be participating and she is a Sage realm cultivator" Tang Lei turned his head while moving and shared what he knew with the others.

Zhen Zexi was a 1st level Sage realm cultivator and actually, some people that had relations with the Zhen clan knew of her from before. As for why no one had seen her, it was because she did not live in Shuomen City. She had only arrived a couple of days ago.

"Everyone, as you know, the 'Underground Land of the River' opens every five years for exactly 15 days. I will not bother you with long speeches but do know that I wish the best of luck to each of you. Surpass the challenges, obtain the rewards, and become stronger. But do not forget to help each other, as the most important thing for a cultivator is someone to share his path with..." Lord Sheng was standing two miles above the river, but his voice evenly entered the ears of the almost seven hundred cultivators present.

Even though he had said he would not make a long speech, it took him seven minutes to finish. And the gates opened, allowing the participants to see the black vortex inside right with his last word, "Go!".

***

Six columns of almost a hundred each moved forward as one.

And just before Bai Qi jumped into the vortex, which was just a foot from the shore he felt extremely powerful killing intent.

"Huh?!" He reacted instantly, turning his head around, and managed to take a glance at the source, just a moment before the tamed void absorbed him, sending him inside...