"Brother Gray, have you opened your spiritual apertures?" Dawn Fielding asked.

"Why do you say that?" Leaf Gray replied with a question instead of answering.

Dawn Fielding pointed at the storage bag at Leaf Gray's waist.

Understanding, Leaf Gray nodded, "Indeed." Then he asked in return, "And you?"

Dawn Fielding raised a hand, a faint glow emanating from her palm.

She had clearly also opened her spiritual apertures, though Leaf Gray didn't know how many. It wasn't something he could ask, as they weren't that familiar with each other.

Being fellow cultivators who had opened their apertures gave them much common ground. Although nearly a thousand people were gathered here, likely only a few had opened their apertures, and all probably had extremely low cultivation levels.

Those with any real cultivation strength had long been absorbed by The Lunar Blight, becoming its disciples. Their current fate was easy to imagine.

Dawn Fielding lowered her voice, "Tomorrow's opportunity is extremely important; you must not miss it. Brother Gray, if you have any special talents, display them fully. This concerns your future."

She seemed to know something.

Leaf Gray responded, "Understood."

That said, he didn't have any particularly special talents, just a talent tree that others couldn't see. But he definitely couldn't reveal that.

Staying amongst a group of women wasn't ideal after all. After exchanging a few more words with Dawn Fielding, Leaf Gray took his leave.

Many enslaved people were gathered here, with limited space to move. Leaf Gray looked around and headed straight for a corner.

Over there, the Reed brothers were hiding behind the crowd, trembling. Seeing Leaf Gray approach, their faces turned pale.

When Leaf Gray stood before them, their expressions grew even more fearful.

"Wh-what... what do you want?" the older Reed brother blustered, his voice fierce but weak, while constantly glancing towards the location of the fat cultivator as if seeking help.

His answer was a fist rapidly enlarging in his vision. With one punch, the older Reed brother's nose bridge broke, and he fell to the ground with a cry. Leaf Gray then kicked the younger Reed brother in the stomach, and before he could fall, grabbed his hair: "You seem to not recognize me anymore?"

The younger Reed brother was full of pain, seeing stars, how could he possibly answer?

Leaf Gray snorted coldly, exerted force with his large hand, and flung the younger Reed brother behind him, sending him face-first into the dirt, knocking out two teeth.

Taking the spot originally occupied by the Reed brothers, Leaf Gray sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes to rest.

Currently, his first aperture was full, but he couldn't find the location for the second aperture. It wasn't wise to continue cultivating lest he waste the Vermillion Dawn Pill.

By evening, people from the Haotian Alliance came to distribute food and bedding, and everyone received some. Leaf Gray wasn't full, but fortunately, there was also food in Ryan Carter's storage bag, which he took out and ate heartily.

Others nearby watched, swallowing their saliva, but no one dared to cause trouble.

After Leaf Gray taught the Reed brothers a lesson, he occupied a large area by himself, saving himself a lot of trouble.

After refining essence into Qi, his appetite grew day by day. He could even enjoy eating the air-dried beast meat.

The night passed without incident. On the second day, Leaf Gray, full of energy, waited for the so-called opportunity.

It wasn't until after breakfast that over ten cultivators in different attire arrived before the crowd. The leader was a middle-aged man who stood with his hands behind his back, scanned the crowd, and said with a slight smile, "You young people come from different sects and families, were captured and enslaved here, suffering many hardships. But those days are over. The various sects of The Firmament Palace are widely recruiting talent. If any among you have opened apertures or possess cultivation aptitude, you all have the opportunity to join the various sects. Remember to grasp this chance well. In the future, you might fight side by side with us, slaying demons and vanquishing evil."

After speaking, he gently waved his hand.

The more than ten cultivators behind him, each in different attire, stepped forward. The first one gestured with his hand, "You people, come with me."

With that gesture, a wave of spiritual power surged out, enveloping about a hundred people.

Once the group stepped forward, the cultivator led them to the side.

The second cultivator did the same...

There were about a thousand enslaved people, just enough for these ten cultivators to divide.

As Leaf Gray was located deep inside, he ended up with the last cultivator.

After following him not far, they arrived at a place where cultivators wearing the same attire came to maintain order, instructing everyone to form a single line.

Leaf Gray found himself in the middle of the line. Looking around, he saw the same situation with the groups led out before his.

He understood intuitively; this was probably to conduct some tests to see if any among the enslaved had opened apertures or were suitable for cultivation.

Judging from the words of the middle-aged man earlier, those who had opened their spiritual apertures likely had a greater advantage.

As for those who hadn't opened apertures and lacked cultivation aptitude, they probably wouldn't receive much attention.

Once the line was formed, the cultivator who led them there took out a table from his storage bag and sat behind it. He looked up and said, "Begin."

The first enslaved person, under his indication, walked up to him.

The cultivator asked, "Have you opened your apertures?"

The enslaved person shook his head, "No."

"Hmm." The questioning cultivator pushed a crystal ball, which he had taken out earlier, forward and instructed, "Cover it with both hands."

The enslaved person did as told, but the crystal ball showed no reaction.

The cultivator behind the table shook his head, "No cultivation aptitude. Next!"

The enslaved person immediately looked distraught and urgently said, "I wasn't ready, let me try again."

"Next!" The cultivator waved his sleeve, and the chattering enslaved person was swept aside, falling to the ground.

This scene made all the enslaved people still in line feel apprehensive. They understood that whether their fate could change depended on that crystal ball, and they all secretly resolved to do their best.

One by one, enslaved people stepped forward, all without cultivation aptitude.

It wasn't until the thirteenth person placed their hands on the crystal ball that the previously unresponsive ball suddenly emitted a faint cyan light.

"Finally, one!" The cultivator behind the table smiled, looked up at the enslaved person, and asked, "Name."

The enslaved person, flushed with excitement, answered truthfully.

The cultivator behind the table took out something resembling a jade tablet, channeled spiritual power into his hand, and soon, one side of the jade tablet displayed the person's name.

He handed the jade tablet to them and instructed, "Keep it carefully, you'll need it later. Now, go to that tent over there and find my third shixiong to check your aptitude."

"Yes, yes! Thank you, Sir." The enslaved person held the jade tablet as if it were the most precious treasure and jogged towards the back, where a simple tent stood.