As Shen Hao sheathed his sword and stepped down from the arena, Zhang Shan practically jogged over to meet him, excitement nearly spilling from his face. Grabbing his arm, he shouted, "Senior Brother Shen, you were incredible! Wang Hu is usually arrogant as can be, and his swordsmanship is vicious and fierce, yet you still defeated him!"
Shen Hao smiled and raised a hand to pat his shoulder. His gaze swept over the varied looks cast his way as he said calmly, "You performed well too. Being able to steady your mind in the second round and defeat your opponent was no easy feat."
By then, the contests on the other arenas had also gradually drawn to a close. The slaughter in the third round had been brutally intense, eliminating more than half the disciples who had advanced through the first two rounds. Those left standing on the arenas were all outstanding among the Outer Sect Disciples, one in a hundred. Some possessed deep cultivation, while others had exquisite swordsmanship. Every one of them looked somewhat exhausted, yet the anticipation in their eyes could not be concealed.
On the high platform, the Chief Deacon Elder slowly stepped forward, a scroll of bright yellow rankings in his hand. His gaze swept over the thousands of disciples below as he announced in a ringing voice, "The elders have finished compiling every disciple's assessment results overnight. I will now announce the names of the top one hundred disciples in the Inner Sect Preliminary Assessment's overall rankings!"
The moment his words fell, the vast Training Ground sank into utter silence. Even the sound of the wind passing through could be heard clearly. The gazes of thousands of disciples were drawn to the Chief Deacon Elder on the platform as though by a magnet. Every heart pounded wildly, and even their breathing became cautious, for fear of missing the name that concerned their fate.
The Chief Deacon Elder cleared his throat and unfurled the rankings in his hand. His voice, bolstered by spiritual energy, carried clearly to every corner of the Training Ground. "First Place, Shen Hao!"
Shen Hao was slightly stunned, then smiled in understanding. Of his three assessment results, his Cultivation Level Test had reached the Perfected Qi Refining Third Layer, placing him alone at the top among all Outer Sect Disciples. He had earned a perfect score in the Sword Art Assessment, every move flawless; in the Combat Competition, he had won all three battles, each victory clean and decisive. With such results, First Place was his by right.
Thunderous cheers instantly erupted below the stage. The disciples all turned to look at the youth standing among the crowd, tall and straight-backed yet calm-faced. Zhang Shan was so excited that he jumped up, wrapping both arms around Shen Hao's arm. His voice even cracked as he cried, "Senior Brother Shen! You're First Place! That's amazing! I knew you could do it!"
Shen Hao patted his back. Feeling the envious and admiring gazes around him, a faint sense of accomplishment also rose in his heart. The day-and-night cultivation of the past three months had finally borne fruit.
The Chief Deacon Elder did not pause, continuing to read out the list. Name after name emerged from his mouth, and each name was met with cheers of varying volume from below. Every disciple whose name was called wore an expression of wild delight, embracing and celebrating with their companions. Those who had yet to hear their names grew increasingly nervous, their fists clenched tightly, their palms already soaked with sweat.
Shen Hao stood quietly where he was, listening to the familiar and unfamiliar names. His gaze fell on Zhang Shan, and seeing his face turn pale from nerves as he pressed his palms together and muttered under his breath, Shen Hao could not help smiling.
Finally, when the Chief Deacon Elder reached the fifty-sixth place, a name rang clearly through the air. "Fifty-sixth place, Zhang Shan!"
"I... I made it!" Zhang Shan froze on the spot, then burst out with a choked cheer. Tears rolled down his face without warning. He had been born to a poor hunter's family and had grown up in the mountains and forests. Being able to enter the Ziyang Sect's outer sect had already been a blessing earned by his ancestors burning high incense. Over the past three months, he had cultivated day and night alongside Shen Hao. Countless times, he had collapsed to the ground from exhaustion; countless times, he had secretly shed tears over his slow progress. Yet now, he had truly become an Inner Sect Disciple. It was something he had not even dared dream of.
Shen Hao was genuinely happy for him. Patting his shoulder, he said warmly, "Congratulations, Junior Brother Zhang. Your efforts have not been in vain after all."
Zhang Shan wiped away his tears and nodded through sobs, though his face was full of smiles. "Thank you, Senior Brother Shen! Without you, I definitely wouldn't have made it past even the first round!"
The list was soon finished. One hundred names were like one hundred rays of hopeful light, illuminating the faces of those lucky few. Their faces were filled with ecstatic joy as they congratulated one another, so excited that their words came out in a jumble. The disciples who had not been selected, however, were crestfallen. Some hung their heads in dejection, while others secretly wiped away tears. In the end, they could only leave the grounds gloomily under the elders' urging.
The Chief Deacon Elder looked at the hundred disciples on the stage and nodded in satisfaction. His voice rang out once more. "From today onward, you are the Ziyang Sect's Inner Sect Disciples! Three days from now, at the beginning of the Mao hour, report to the Transmission Hall of the inner sect to collect your Inner Sect Disciple robes, tokens, and cultivation resources. Remember, do not be late!"
"This disciple obeys!" The hundred Inner Sect Disciples answered in unison, their voices loud enough to pierce the clouds. Birds in the distance fluttered their wings and scattered in all directions.
After the assessment ended, Shen Hao and Zhang Shan walked out of the Training Ground side by side. Along the way, many Outer Sect Disciples cast envious looks at them. Some disciples who knew them also came forward to offer congratulations, their words full of ingratiating flattery. Shen Hao merely responded calmly, while Zhang Shan still seemed overwhelmed by the attention, his cheeks flushed red.
Upon returning to Room C, Shen Hao shut the door. The silence in the room gradually calmed his tumultuous thoughts. He walked to the bed and sat down cross-legged. Watching the setting sun outside the window slowly sink westward, he still felt somewhat excited. He had finally leaped from an unknown Outer Sect Disciple to an Inner Sect Disciple. This meant he could access more profound cultivation techniques, obtain more cultivation resources, and take another great step closer to his path of immortality.
Shen Hao took the warm Companion Jade Pendant from his robes, held it in his palm, and infused it with a thread of spiritual energy. Green light flickered as the Spirit Devouring Vortex in his dantian slowly began to turn, drawing in the scattered spiritual energy in the air. He did not use any Spirit Stones, merely quietly feeling the pendant's warm aura and the comfortable sensation of spiritual energy slowly flowing through his meridians.
Three months of arduous cultivation had finally brought him today's glory. But Shen Hao knew full well that this was only the beginning. Competition among Inner Sect Disciples was far fiercer than in the outer sect. There would be more extraordinarily gifted disciples there, stronger opponents, and harsher challenges. He had to cultivate even harder if he wished to gain a firm foothold among the Inner Sect, where powerful experts gathered like clouds, and carve out a path of immortality that belonged to him.
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