Year-End Assessment (Part One)

After hearing Xu Chunniang's words, several stewards began discussing in low voices.

"Are there dormitories at the back mountain? Why do I remember there being none?"

"I remember there was a dormitory on the mountaintop, but it was abandoned twenty years ago."

"Could they have marked out a new dormitory area over there?"

"Not sure. Zhang Donglai handles all the dormitories. If she rushed over from there, then it is understandable that this disciple nearly arrived late."

There had been disciples who arrived late for assessments before, but none had ever been expelled from the sect for it. They had merely been fined half a year's worth of spirit stones.

After exchanging their opinions, the stewards all turned their gazes toward the female cultivator steward in the middle. Zhang Donglai had a guilty conscience and did not dare raise his head to look at her.

This female cultivator was none other than the female steward from the Merit Pavilion!

She had been resting with her eyes closed all along. Only now did she slowly open them. Her gaze swept across the entire venue, lingering for a moment on Zhang Donglai and Xu Chunniang. To everyone's surprise, she passed over the matter and directly announced, "The time has come. The assessment begins!"

Xu Chunniang let out a quiet breath. It seemed she had cleared this hurdle.

The first stage of the assessment was quite simple. The disciples merely needed to release their spiritual pressure. Anyone whose cultivation had not reached the first level of Qi Condensation would be sent straight down the mountain.

Quite a number of underqualified disciples were immediately singled out. Every one of them looked dejected. Seeing this, the others who had passed secretly took warning. Being sent down the mountain was the fate of those who failed to cultivate diligently.

Several disciples at the first level of Qi Condensation were also pulled out. Panic flashed across their faces. "Stewards, my cultivation has already met the standard. Why are you sending me away?"

"That's right! I am clearly at the first level of Qi Condensation already. You can't drive me out!"

The one who had pulled them out was Cui Li, Steward Cui from the Lecture Hall. Hearing this, he sneered. "Your cultivation is indeed at the first level of Qi Condensation, but you forcefully raised it by taking Vitality Pills!"

It turned out that, with the assessment approaching, these disciples' cultivation had fallen short. Knowing they could not pass, they had put their minds to finding connections and exchanging for pills that could raise cultivation. That was how they had reached the first level of Qi Condensation, only for Cui Li to see through them at a glance.

The Carefree Disciple Rules clearly stated that disciples in the early stages of Qi Condensation were forbidden from using pills to raise their cultivation. Any pill, especially one that could improve cultivation, contained not only abundant spiritual energy but also many impurities harmful to the body. These impurities were known as Pill Toxin.

In the Cultivation World, pills that could raise cultivation—even the lowest-grade Vitality Pills—required one to be at least in mid Qi Condensation.

After disciples in the early stages of Qi Condensation took Vitality Pills, their cultivation could indeed increase, but the Pill Toxin could not be metabolized. It would even spread throughout the body along with their spiritual energy. Thus, taking Vitality Pills during early Qi Condensation was tantamount to drinking poison and cutting off one's own immortal path. Anyone with even a little sense would not do such a thing.

This was common knowledge throughout the Carefree Sect, yet these people knowingly broke the rule, harboring the lucky hope that no one would discover it. But the Carefree Sect had stood for so many years—how could it be so easily fooled?

As for Grain Abstinence Pills, they were refined from spirit rice and contained barely any spiritual energy, so naturally they also contained no Pill Toxin.

Cui Li looked coldly at the disciples. "All Outer Sect Disciples of the Carefree Sect are strictly forbidden from using pills to improve their cultivation before reaching the third level of Qi Condensation. If I discover anyone taking medicine without authorization during early Qi Condensation again, do not blame me for disregarding the bonds between fellow disciples."

The assessment continued. Under the strict inspection of the many stewards, several more disciples who had secretly taken pills were thrown out.

Watching this scene, all the disciples wore expressions of taking it as a warning.

The first round of assessment soon ended. Ninety percent of the disciples passed. Before long, the second round began.

The new disciples stepped forward one by one and began casting spells. If they failed to cast their spell in both attempts, then no matter how high their cultivation was, they still could not escape the fate of being sent down the mountain.

After all, cultivation was indeed the foundation, but spells were also the basis for standing on one's own feet.

The first disciple took a deep breath, suppressing the tension in his heart. After stepping onto the assessment platform, he cupped his hands in salute. "This disciple is Qian Shuang. The spell I cultivate is the Fireball Technique."

After saying this, Qian Shuang began circulating the Fireball Technique. A bright orange fireball roughly the size of a fist appeared before him.

"Fireball Technique, explode!"

Under his control, the fireball slowly flew forward for several yards before exploding with a thunderous boom!

A dark-faced steward nodded. "For someone at the first level of Qi Condensation to control the Fireball Technique to this extent is quite rare. Pass!"

At the word "pass," excitement appeared in Qian Shuang's eyes. After saluting again, he stepped down.

A trace of excitement appeared on Xu Chunniang's face. This was the first time she had personally seen someone else cast a spell.

The Fireball Technique truly had impressive power. Something only the size of a fist could unleash such might.

Xu Chunniang secretly compared her own Spirit Blast Technique with the Fireball Technique. The destructive force of spiritual power split three times was roughly comparable to this Fireball Technique.

But after her Spirit Blast Technique underwent three divisions, she had eight portions of explosive spirit power. Moreover, the speed at which she controlled explosive spirit power was who knew how much faster than this sluggish Fireball Technique.

Seeing another person take the stage, Xu Chunniang gathered her thoughts and watched attentively.

The second disciple chose a shield spell called the Golden Light Shield. With a soft shout from the female disciple, a layer of pale golden radiance enveloped her body. Only after it lasted for around ten breaths did the light shield slowly fade away.

With this Golden Light Shield alone, the female disciple passed smoothly.

Xu Chunniang nodded to herself. "This is a metal-element defensive spell. It forms a shield from spiritual energy that can reduce the damage received. I just wonder whether it could block that Fireball Technique from before."

As the new disciples went up one after another to demonstrate, all sorts of strange and varied spells emerged in rapid succession. Overall, however, offensive spells were the most common, followed by defensive spells and movement techniques. Support-type spells were comparatively scarce. Whenever someone failed, the stewards immediately eliminated them with iron-faced impartiality.

Xu Chunniang watched without blinking, only to see that the person taking the stage the next moment was actually an acquaintance.

Qi Haozhi.

Compared to a year ago, Qi Haozhi had grown much taller. He had already been handsome, but after a year of cultivation, his face was now like polished jade.

Looking completely at ease, he stepped onto the platform and directly took a flying sword from his Storage Bag!

"Heavens, what did I just see? A flying sword! Could he be demonstrating a sword technique?"

"That is a spiritual artifact. Who is this person? He actually has the money to buy one?"

"His name is Qi Haozhi. I heard he has an Inner Sect Disciple backing him. We had better be careful around him in the future."

Listening to the discussions around him, a trace of pride flashed through Qi Haozhi's eyes. "This disciple is Qi Haozhi. What I will demonstrate next is the Spirit Sword Technique!"

As his voice fell, the flying sword shot forward, flying several yards before turning around and returning.

The stewards nodded in satisfaction. "He has raised his cultivation to the second level of Qi Condensation, can wield a spiritual artifact, and controls the flying sword with such steadiness. His result is—excellent!"

Upon receiving Fellow Daoist Wow's first precious monthly ticket, as well as the encouragement and requests for more updates from fellow daoists in the comments, this author decided at the last minute to add an extra chapter! Wishing all fellow daoists a happy read!