Cultivation Assessment

Han Yuan craned his neck through the crowd, listening closely to the hushed conversations around him.

"I heard that Yang Yuanyang, the genius from Courtyard C-1, has already reached the Qi Refining Third Layer Peak. If he weren't strengthening his foundation, he probably would have broken through long ago. Looks like he'll be this year's champion!"

Han Yuan looked over. The so-called Yang Yuanyang wore fiery red robes, and even his hair was red. Standing beneath the sunlight, his clothes seemed ready to burst into flame. Like a Flame Sovereign, he was the very picture of grandeur.

Han Yuan thought to himself, Amazing, amazing. So this is a genius! Truly extraordinary!

"What's Yang Yuanyang worth? You know Nangong Zhuiyue, right? I heard she's the descendant of some big shot in the sect. She's also at the Qi Refining Third Layer Peak, and she's even mastered a Yellow-grade High-rank wind-attributed offensive spell."

Han Yuan looked in another direction and saw a young woman of breathtaking beauty, cold as frost. Azure wind swirled around her, forming ring after ring of Wind Rings. She was like a sprite dancing in the wind, leaving Han Yuan secretly clicking his tongue in amazement.

He listened to more discussions and discovered over a dozen more powerful Outer Sect Disciples in succession. Every one of them was a genius from Courtyard C-1, all at the Qi Refining Third Layer Peak, each with their own distinct traits.

Qin Feng stood beside Han Yuan. Seeing those Outer Sect Disciples with their extraordinary bearing, he could not help saying jealously, "These so-called geniuses are only one step ahead because they have powerful backgrounds and abundant resources. Give me the same resources, and I'd have broken through to the fifth or sixth layer of Qi Refining long ago!"

Han Yuan nodded in wholehearted agreement.

Qin Feng noticed his reaction and said disdainfully, "Forget it. Your aptitude is too poor. Even with the same resources, you might not even reach the Qi Refining Third Layer."

Han Yuan shrugged. Once the assessment began, Qin Feng would shut his mouth. He was a genuine Qi Refining Third Layer Early Stage cultivator, practically on par with Qin Feng. The pot had no right to laugh at the kettle!

"Him?" Hu Yifan snorted disdainfully.

Han Yuan shot him a sidelong glance and said quietly, "Shut up!"

Seeing Han Yuan's calm gaze, Hu Yifan found the taunts on the tip of his tongue suddenly lodged in his throat. He did not dare say another word.

After Han Yuan turned away.

Only then did Hu Yifan come to his senses. Han Yuan had actually frightened him? Humiliation turned to rage in his heart, and he found Han Yuan even more unbearable! Han Yuan had made Wu Chao dislike him before, and now he had embarrassed him again. If he did not get revenge, then his surname was not Hu!

Just as he was about to retaliate, a figure suddenly appeared on the stone platform ahead.

A middle-aged man appeared on the stone platform with his hands clasped behind his back. He swept a stern gaze over all the disciples and said, "Everyone, silence!"

His voice spread across the entire square. It suppressed every other sound and left everyone feeling as though they could barely breathe.

In an instant, everyone fell silent and looked at the middle-aged man with awe.

"I am Lei Jiuxiao, Outer Affairs Peak Master, and I am fully responsible for this annual cultivation assessment of the Outer Sect Disciples. All disciples shall come forward for testing according to the names of their outer courtyards, in order!"

"The first group to be tested: Courtyard D-24! Come onstage immediately!"

Han Yuan looked to the right. Under the guidance of a steward, the disciples of Courtyard D-24 walked onto the platform in neat formation.

All twenty Outer Sect Disciples had their heads lowered, looking utterly dejected.

Han Yuan could understand. Courtyard D-24 ranked dead last among the outer sect. There was probably not a single person there who had reached the Qi Refining Third Layer.

The twenty Outer Sect Disciples arrived before Lei Jiuxiao and bowed one by one.

"Greetings, Peak Lord Lei!"

"Mhm. Step before the Testing Artifact one at a time, insert your Identity Token into it, and remain there for three breaths before leaving," Lei Jiuxiao instructed.

"Yes!"

"Begin!"

Thus, beneath countless watching eyes, the lowest-ranked person began the test first. With gritted teeth, he walked up to a mirror-like Magic Tool and inserted his Identity Token into the slot beside the mirror.

He then stood before the mirror for a brief moment.

When a white light lit up on the mirror, several lines of text appeared.

Name: Yan Guangming

Identity: Outer Sect Disciple

Affiliation: Courtyard D-24

Cultivation Realm: Qi Refining First Layer Mid-Upper

Spiritual Power Quality: Mid-Lower

(Grades are divided into: Lower-Lower, Lower-Mid, Lower-Upper, Mid-Lower, Mid-Mid, Mid-Upper, Upper-Lower, Upper-Mid, Upper-Upper. This detailed grading system is used specifically for this assessment.)

Lei Jiuxiao's face darkened. "Only the Qi Refining First Layer? You needn't return to the outer courtyard next year. Go to the Miscellaneous Courtyard!"

The disciple named Yan Guangming immediately pulled out his token, covered his face, and fled the platform.

A burst of laughter rose from the stands on both sides and from below the platform.

"Haha! There's actually an Outer Sect Disciple who's spent two years stuck at the Qi Refining First Layer! And he's only at Qi Refining First Layer Mid-Upper—not even Upper-Upper!"

"Forget his cultivation; his spiritual power quality is even more outrageous. It's only Mid-Lower! Who knows how many pills he swallowed! And even then, he still failed to break through to the Qi Refining Second Layer. What a supreme deadweight!"

There was no shortage of mocking voices around Han Yuan.

What they said did make sense. Those admitted into the outer sect early all possessed mid-grade aptitude. Han Yuan himself had the worst of the mid-grade aptitudes, a Mid-grade Five Elements Spiritual Root, yet before taking any pills, he had already broken through to the Qi Refining Second Layer on his own. Had this man spent the past two years playing around?

After that supreme bottom-feeder, the remaining disciples at least all reached the Qi Refining Second Layer.

Yet throughout all of Courtyard D-24, not a single person reached the Qi Refining Third Layer. There was not even anyone at Qi Refining Second Layer Upper-Lower!

Courtyard D-24 was utterly wiped out, but everyone had expected it.

From the two nearby stands, some experienced disciples who had seen this before commented, "There's no need to watch too closely at the start of these annual assessments. It only gets interesting around Courtyard D-10. Everything after that is trash!"

Thus, quite a few people ignored the tests onstage and instead searched through the crowd for gifted disciples to inspect.

Liu Sisi casually swept her gaze through the crowd as well, when she unexpectedly spotted a familiar person.

"Hm? That's Little Wangcai's owner. He even brought over a whole pile of straw a couple days ago. What was his name again?"

Liu Sisi stared carefully at Han Yuan for a moment, but still could not remember. "I wonder whether Little Wangcai has gotten fatter again!"

Liu Sisi seemed to think of something, and her throat moved as she swallowed.

The junior sister beside her saw Senior Sister Liu staring at a man while swallowing, and her eyes lit up. As though she had discovered some earth-shattering gossip, she could not help secretly studying Han Yuan.

Han Yuan stood in the corner, bored out of his mind as he waited for the cultivation assessment, completely out of place amid the tense atmosphere around him.

"What do I do? My spiritual power should be Upper-Lower now, but I'm afraid its quality has dropped to Mid-Mid. That'll definitely lower my evaluation!"

"I regret it so much. Since I couldn't reach the Qi Refining Third Layer, I really shouldn't have used so many pills. They affect spiritual power quality. A higher quality can improve the evaluation too!"

"I originally wanted to make a push for the Qi Refining Third Layer. Cultivation is the most important basis for the evaluation, while spiritual power quality is secondary. But I failed to break through to the Qi Refining Third Layer, so now spiritual power quality has become important again."

The people beside him were all lamenting. Zhao Donglai even sat cross-legged as though he were circulating his cultivation to purify his spiritual power. He was not afraid that the noise around him would disturb him and send his cultivation into deviation.

Han Yuan shook his head lightly. What use was clutching at the Buddha's feet at the last minute?

He was at the Qi Refining Third Layer Early Stage. No matter what, he had passed the bar!

Time flew by in the blink of an eye.

Testing cultivation was actually very quick.

Before long, they had reached Courtyard D-18 and were about to proceed to Courtyard D-17.

Up to this point, there had not been a single disciple at the Qi Refining Third Layer. Six courtyards had been wiped out completely.

It was truly a field of wailing misery.

Han Yuan could not help sighing. Cultivation was difficult indeed.

"Those from Courtyard D-17, prepare to take the stage!"

A booming voice carried into Han Yuan's group. Zhao Donglai, who had been cultivating, seemed to have circulated his qi incorrectly due to the disturbance. He suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, making the people around him stare at him in astonishment.

Zhao Donglai hurriedly stopped his cultivation, his face dark as the bottom of a pot, yet he did not dare say anything to Peak Lord Lei on the platform.

"Just a little more, just a little more! If I'd had just a little more time, I could have broken through to the Qi Refining Third Layer! One step slow, every step slow. I refuse to accept this—I truly refuse!" Zhao Donglai bit down hard on his lip, his gaze gloomy as he looked toward Han Yuan and Hu Yifan. Neither of these two was any good.

Han Yuan noticed the look Zhao Donglai cast his way and was speechless. Why was Zhao Donglai looking at him? He had not stolen anything from him.

Hu Yifan showed no sign of nervousness, as though victory were already in his grasp.

Qin Feng, meanwhile, held his head high and chest out, paying no mind to what anyone else thought. He gave a soft snort through his nostrils at Han Yuan, confidence written across his face.

Han Yuan remained calm and composed as he walked at the back of the group, his thoughts already drifting to the spells he had newly bought.

Amid a strange atmosphere, the group went up onto the platform.

When Lei Jiuxiao saw the people from this courtyard, he could not help giving them a few extra looks. Based on experience and instinct, he felt that this courtyard should finally produce some results. At last, he could breathe a little easier.

His gaze covertly shifted toward the clouds high above Miscellaneous Peak. The Peak Lords or deputy Peak Lords of the Earth God Sect's Fourteen Peaks were actually observing the proceedings there. The complete wipeouts of the previous six courtyards had already placed enormous pressure on him.

These Outer Sect Disciples might have low cultivation, and a cultivation assessment might seem insignificant, but these Outer Sect Disciples with mid-grade aptitude would in fact become the sect's backbone in the future. High-grade geniuses were scarce and had long since joined the Inner Peak. Those with low-grade aptitude could not be propped up even against a wall, so no one bothered with them. That made these Outer Sect Disciples with mid-grade aptitude the sect's most important source of fresh blood. The higher-ups were naturally paying close attention. The Sect Master might even drop by occasionally to watch. If not a single worthy talent emerged, then his position as Peak Lord of Miscellaneous Peak would be finished.

Thinking of this, Lei Jiuxiao coughed and said, "Hurry up. Get on with it!"

"Yes!"

The disciples of Courtyard D-17 stepped forward one after another to be tested. Those with no hope had long accepted their fate and hurried through their tests, eager to leave the stage. Those who had some confidence, however, deliberately lagged a few steps behind.

Soon, only four people remained on the platform: Zhao Donglai, Hu Yifan, Qin Feng, and Han Yuan!

Hu Yifan said to Zhao Donglai, "Brother Zhao, please go first!"

Zhao Donglai swept his eyes over the few behind him without giving it much thought, then walked directly forward to the mirror and inserted his token.

A flash of light appeared, and text emerged.

Name: Zhao Donglai

Identity: Outer Sect Disciple

Affiliation: Courtyard D-17

Cultivation Realm: Qi Refining Second Layer Upper-Upper

Spiritual Power Quality: Mid-Upper

"Hm?"

Lei Jiuxiao gave a surprised sound, and his expression improved somewhat. "Not bad. Your cultivation is decent. You're just a step away from breaking through to the Qi Refining Third Layer. Cultivate for a few more days after you return, and you should break through. That counts for something! It's a pity you fell just short and cannot receive the reward, but here is a Spirit Gathering Pill as encouragement!"

Lei Jiuxiao casually tossed Zhao Donglai a small porcelain bottle.

A long-absent look of joy appeared on Zhao Donglai's face. "Thank you, Peak Lord Lei!"

Lei Jiuxiao nodded and waved for Zhao Donglai to leave. Then his gaze settled on the remaining three. Since they had dared remain behind Zhao Donglai, they should have some ability.

Hu Yifan glanced at Han Yuan in surprise.

Han Yuan ignored his gaze.

Hu Yifan raised his brows and silently called him an idiot. If Han Yuan went after Qin Feng, then if he failed to reach the Qi Refining Third Layer, it would be no different from making a fool of Lei Jiuxiao. Let's see what Han Yuan would do then!

At that thought, his eyes lit up and he hurried forward.

At this moment, Qin Feng was also looking at Han Yuan strangely. Did this brat not know the unspoken rule of cultivation assessments? Those confident in their cultivation ranked themselves later. If Qin Feng tested at the Qi Refining Third Layer, but Han Yuan came after him and failed to reach it, he would definitely earn the Peak Lord's displeasure. Hm, wasn't that even better? This brat dared approach Senior Sister Liu—he needed to be taught a lesson. Qin Feng was already prepared to rush ahead for the test.

When Hu Yifan stood before the mirror, Lei Jiuxiao indeed became more expectant.

A flash of white light appeared.

Name: Hu Yifan

Identity: Outer Sect Disciple

Affiliation: Courtyard D-17

Cultivation Realm: Qi Refining Second Layer Mid-Upper

Spiritual Power Quality: Upper-Upper

"Hm, interesting!"

Lei Jiuxiao praised him this time as well. "Your cultivation progress is good, but more importantly, your spiritual power quality has actually reached Upper-Upper. You did not hastily consume pills to improve your cultivation in pursuit of the Qi Refining Third Layer reward. Instead, you advanced step by step and refined your spiritual power. Your temperament is commendable. You should be rewarded as well. I'll make the decision: two Spirit Gathering Pills for you!"

With a toss of his hand, Lei Jiuxiao threw a somewhat larger porcelain bottle to Hu Yifan.

Hu Yifan hurriedly caught it and said in delight, "Thank you, Peak Lord!"

It was not that he had refused to take pills; he simply had no Spirit Stones. Yet he had stumbled into good fortune by sheer accident!

Zhao Donglai, who had just stepped off the platform, was also somewhat surprised by Hu Yifan's performance. This flatterer and troublemaker was actually someone who cultivated bitterly with perseverance?

What a joke under heaven!

Even Han Yuan viewed Hu Yifan in a new light. If this man could change his bad habit of setting people up, the path of immortality would not be closed to him.

Qin Feng raised his brows. While Han Yuan was still astonished, he had already stepped before the mirror.

Lei Jiuxiao could not help looking toward Qin Feng, anticipation in his eyes growing even stronger.

Qin Feng did not disappoint him. When he inserted his token, the mirror emitted a crimson light that made everyone's eyes brighten.

Name: Qin Feng

Identity: Outer Sect Disciple

Affiliation: Courtyard D-17

Cultivation Realm: Qi Refining Third Layer Lower-Mid

Spiritual Power Quality: Upper-Lower

The crimson light instantly made the previously scattered and inattentive crowd raise their heads, surprise spreading across their faces.

"Finally, a disciple at the Qi Refining Third Layer has appeared!"

"Hm? Someone from Courtyard D-17 actually reached the Qi Refining Third Layer? This year's disciples are of good quality. Last year, the first Qi Refining Third Layer disciple did not appear until Courtyard D-15!"

"His name is Qin Feng, right? Not bad at all. Those ranked further back generally have poorer aptitude, so for him to break through to the Qi Refining Third Layer, he clearly has exceptional comprehension, physique, perseverance, and other qualities!"

The crowd discussed fervently, praising Qin Feng lavishly.

Qin Feng naturally held his head even higher, facing the crowd directly with a faint smile on his face.

This was the reward for his two years of diligent effort!

Lei Jiuxiao laughed heartily. "Good, good! You're Qin Feng, correct? According to the rules, upon reaching the Qi Refining Third Layer, you may receive three Spirit Gathering Pills as a reward. In addition, if you rank in the top ten, you may receive the treatment of an Inner Sect Disciple ahead of time. If you rank in the top fifty, you may also receive extra rewards. Keep up the good work!"

"Yes!"

Qin Feng accepted the pills Lei Jiuxiao handed him, smiling broadly. He had now made an impression on Peak Lord Lei. In the future, he might have chances to receive better assignments and better guidance from Peak Lord Lei. That harvest was even better than the pills!

As he stepped off the platform, he glanced at Han Yuan and gave him a smug, gloating look.

At this point, Lei Jiuxiao looked at Han Yuan with even greater anticipation and said, "This disciple, it's your turn!"

His tone was very gentle, far better than his earlier attitude.

At this moment, most of the people in the stands who had been stirred up by Qin Feng's result also turned their attention over. The focus of the entire venue settled on Han Yuan.

Han Yuan was very calm. He was also at the Qi Refining Third Layer, so what was there to panic about?

Thus, he walked before the mirror.