The Assessment Begins

A month passed in the blink of an eye.

The day of the Immortal Academy assessment finally arrived.

All the students who had entered the academy last year gathered today on the Immortal Academy plaza, waiting for the assessment to begin.

"He's here—it's Yuwen Yue!"

A burst of cheers erupted from the crowd, showing just how popular Yuwen Yue was among his peers.

After all, Yuwen Yue was handsome, friendly to others, and at the fourth level of the Qi Condensation Realm—talented and good-looking, naturally attracting many admirers.

Yuwen Yue waved and smiled at the crowd, then found a quiet spot to wait on his own.

"Another one's coming—that sword looks familiar, it's Wu Liujian!"

"I heard he's the sixth-generation heir of the Wu Family Sword Pavilion from another prefecture, hence the name Liujian."

Wu Liujian carried a long sword on his back, his posture straight, with an expression that said "keep your distance." From afar, he looked like a sword himself, exuding a cold, sharp aura.

A wave of scorching heat swept toward the crowd, and everyone quickly cleared a path, afraid of being burned by it.

"Meng Qing!"

"Heavens, I can't believe he's already cultivated the Blazing Sun Cultivation Method to the True Flame Manifestation stage. He's definitely going to place in the top five of this Grand Competition."

"Six or seven of the top ten from this year's Class A have already arrived. Only Jiang Miaoyi is still missing. I wonder if the Green Robe Fairy will spare me a glance this time."

"Dream on!"

That person's fantasy was mercilessly cut short by his companion, and he slumped in dejection. Suddenly, a gentle breeze brushed past, and a flash of green robes swept by.

"The Green Robe Fairy!"

The newcomer was none other than Jiang Miaoyi. Her steps were light, and in a few flickers she reached the spot opposite Yuwen Yue, leaving behind faint afterimages of green lotuses. The two nodded in greeting and each began to regulate their breathing.

"What exquisite footwork!"

Shen Yi, mingling in the crowd, also caught Jiang Miaoyi's movement and couldn't help but praise it.

"Shen Yi! I, Li Yue, challenge you here and now today, and I swear to wash away my past shame!"

Li Yue instantly recognized Shen Yi among the crowd, and a fighting spirit blazed in his eyes as he fixed his gaze on Shen Yi's direction.

The sudden challenge sent ripples through the crowd, and even Jiang Miaoyi and Yuwen Yue couldn't help but glance over.

"That's right—how could we forget Shen Yi? He was the top of Class A!"

"Why isn't he showing himself? Could it be his cultivation is lacking and he can't face reality?"

Shen Yi had spent most of the past year outside the academy, so most people didn't know what he looked like, and no one recognized him in the crowd.

"Li Yue has now broken through to the Qi Condensation Realm and wants to avenge his defeat. It really fits that saying: 'Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—don't bully a youth for being poor.' Let's see how Shen Yi handles it."

"Fine! I accept!"

Shen Yi spoke, his face calm, his tone utterly unruffled. He met Li Yue's gaze without a trace of panic.

"This Shen Yi—I can't see through his cultivation!"

"Oh, come on. You're only at the third level of the Body Forging stage, and you think you can see through someone else's cultivation?"

A wave of laughter rippled through the crowd, easing the tense atmosphere.

Feng Yang and Chen Chong suddenly appeared in the air. Looking down at the sea of people on the plaza, they waved a hand, releasing a streak of light. With a flash, a stone stele appeared at the front of the plaza. They then signaled that the assessment could begin.

"The assessment begins. Everyone will test their cultivation in order of their entrance ranking. If your cultivation reaches the Qi Condensation Realm, the stele will turn gold. Above the fifth level of the Body Forging stage, it turns blue. Below the fifth level of the Body Forging stage, it turns black."

Shen Yi stood at the very front, with a long, winding line stretching out behind him—a truly impressive sight.

"Gold!"

Shen Yi stepped forward first, placed both hands on the stone stele, and wrote his name. The stele immediately burst into a blue glow.

The crowd stirred, all marveling that Shen Yi truly deserved to be called "the top of Class A, with extraordinary talent"!

Shen Yi walked calmly to the side and looked down. A number, "one," appeared on his palm—presumably for the upcoming competition for Grotto-Heaven slots.

Jiang Miaoyi indeed received a gold rating. As she passed by Shen Yi, he clearly saw the character "two" on her hand.

Next came Yuwen Yue, also with a gold rating. Smiling, he showed the two of them the character "three" on his hand. This gesture made many male cultivators in the crowd burn with jealousy—Yuwen Yue had actually smiled at Shen Yi.

The testing continued in an orderly fashion on the plaza, with occasional flashes of golden light stirring up commotion.

Feng Yang and Chen Chong looked at the cultivations of the disciples with great satisfaction. In this Golden Age, the more talent there was, the better it was for the academy's development.

This went on for over a full day. Finally, as the last person flashed a black light, the first step of the assessment was complete.

"This assessment had thirty thousand disciples. Thirteen thousand are below the fifth level of the Body Forging stage, seventeen thousand are at or above the fifth level of the Body Forging stage, and five hundred and one are at the Qi Condensation Realm. Those participating in the Immortal Academy Grand Competition to vie for Grotto-Heaven Qualifications number one thousand two hundred and one."

The crowd sighed. The path of cultivation was truly brutal—like sifting gold from sand. And this was only the Qi Condensation Realm. It showed just how difficult the road ahead would be.

"Now for the Immortal Academy Grand Competition. The match order will also be decided by the Spirit Stele!"

As soon as the instructor finished speaking, the Spirit Stele flashed with light, then scattered across the plaza, forming structures that looked like arenas. Slowly, two columns of golden text appeared on the stele.

"The first round matchups are now displayed. Please prepare yourselves!"

Then streaks of golden light descended. The students whose names had appeared on the stone tablet felt a dizzying blur, and when they opened their eyes again, they found themselves standing on a martial platform, facing their opponent for this round.

Six hundred platforms were already surrounded by crowds of spectators. Whether out of support for the goddesses or a desire to watch others make fools of themselves, every platform was packed to overflowing.

"Fairy Jiang's opponent is just a kid at the seventh level of Body Tempering—she'll have no trouble at all."

"Lady Yuwen will surely win without breaking a sweat."

"Shen Yi's opponent is Chu Xiong, a peak ninth-level Body Tempering cultivator. Shen Yi won't lose to him, will he?"

On the platform, Chu Xiong's expression was grim. He stared at Shen Yi, who looked completely at ease, and deep in his heart, a sense of dread began to stir.

It must be an illusion!

Chu Xiong was powerfully built, his muscles bursting with explosive strength. The technique he cultivated was called the "Savage Beast Art," which suited his physique well.

Yet now, facing Shen Yi—an ordinary-looking man who posed no obvious threat—he actually felt a flicker of fear.

"Senior Brother Shen, watch out!"

Chu Xiong let out a loud shout, suppressing the fear in his heart, and charged at Shen Yi like a wild bull.

"Good build, decent strength. But unfortunately, it's not enough."

Shen Yi neither dodged nor retreated. Only when Chu Xiong had closed in did he raise his hand and catch Chu Xiong's raised fist.

The wind from the punch stirred Shen Yi's hair, but Chu Xiong could advance no further. His fist was caught in Shen Yi's grip, and for a moment, he couldn't move at all.