Assessment Begins

Assessment Begins

The Mystic Pill Sect was said to have a hundred thousand Outer Peak disciples. These hundred thousand people were spread across more than a hundred Outer Peaks, meaning that on average, each peak had at least a thousand disciples.

Though there was surely some exaggeration in that claim, the true number would not be far off.

As one of the Outer Peaks, Little Spirit Void Peak ranked only around the middle in terms of strength.

For an Outer Peak like this, its Peak Master was generally a cultivator at the peak of Qi Refining Layer 9, rather than a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Only the Peak Masters of the top twenty Outer Peaks were Foundation Establishment cultivators.

And there was only one criterion for ranking the Outer Peaks.

That was the spirit vein.

Though they were all second-tier spirit veins, the difference in spiritual energy density between a second-tier spirit vein that had merely met the threshold and one nearing the third tier could be as much as threefold.

It might only be three times, but the difference it made in cultivation was immense.

After all, this was a spirit vein—one of the most important cultivation resources in the world of immortals.

At this moment, Han Yi stood at the main node of such a vital cultivation resource.

Though it was only second-tier, its spiritual energy density was the highest Han Yi had encountered since crossing over.

However.

Han Yi did not attempt a breakthrough in the cultivation chamber.

For one thing, he only had ten days. The assessment would begin ten days later, and he did not want to delay the Return-to-Sect Assessment because he was in the midst of a breakthrough—not even for a moment.

For another, even if he truly broke through within those ten days, his control over his mana would certainly be poor immediately afterward. Not only would this offer no help to his alchemy, but mistakes in controlling his mana while channeling it during pill refinement could easily cause errors and ruin the batch.

Besides, he did not immerse himself in grinding proficiency either.

Within the sect's cultivation chamber, he felt safer than ever before.

During those ten days, he merely tempered his body and mana without pause, adjusted his condition, and brought himself to his very best state.

If anyone learned that he had spent ten spirit stones to rent a cultivation chamber for ten days solely to adjust his condition, they would likely curse him as a prodigal spendthrift.

But Han Yi did not care. What he cared about was returning to the sect safe and sound.

Only by returning to the sect and gaining a safe environment could he carry out his next plans.

Ten days later, Han Yi emerged from seclusion. His eyes gleamed brightly, his spirit was vigorous, and an immortal air seemed to drift around him.

After leaving the cultivation chamber, Han Yi first went to the place on Little Spirit Void Peak where outer sect disciples could purchase spirit herbs and medicinal plants. He used spirit stones to buy materials for thirty batches of Qi Nourishing Pills and twenty batches of Evil Warding Pills.

Then he headed straight for the sect administration hall on Vermilion Bird Peak.

Upon arriving at the hall, he first checked whether Guan Sheng was on duty that day. Finding that Guan Sheng was absent, he had no choice but to let it go. He found another senior brother on duty and handed over his sect identity token.

"Senior Brother, this junior is Han Yi. A year ago, I was sent down the mountain because I lacked sufficient points. Now that the one-year term has ended, I have returned to apply for the Return-to-Sect Assessment. I'll have to trouble Senior Brother."

The senior brother on duty took Han Yi's identity token expressionlessly and checked it. The recorded information matched what Han Yi had provided, so he nodded.

Every year, many disciples dispatched by the sect applied for the Return-to-Sect Assessment after their one-year terms ended.

But very few truly passed the assessment. Most were merely trying their luck.

Thus, he did not give Han Yi a second glance. He recorded the information, then handed back Han Yi's sect token along with a temporary assessment token.

"Take this token to the rear courtyard of the Alchemy Hall on Black Tortoise Peak. There are stewards there specifically responsible for reviewing Return-to-Sect Assessments. They will assess you. Go."

Han Yi carefully put away the assessment token, nodded, and thanked him.

Black Tortoise Peak was likewise one of the Mystic Pill Sect's nine Inner Peaks.

This was not Han Yi's first visit. Before coming, he had already inquired thoroughly into the process for dispatched disciples seeking to return to the sect.

They had to find the Alchemy Hall stewards on duty that day at Black Tortoise Peak and refine pills on the spot. The stewards would assess them based on the standard of the pills they refined.

Such assessments were conducted by stewards at Qi Refining Layer 8 or even Qi Refining Layer 9, so under normal circumstances, the requirements were stricter than the yearly requirement of one hundred points for Outer Peak disciples.

That was why people said that once a disciple had been dispatched, returning to the sect became far more difficult.

Yet Han Yi was utterly unafraid on this trip.

His ability was there for all to see. He had absolute confidence in his alchemy, and he was determined to succeed.

If even he could not make it, then surely no dispatched disciple could return to the sect.

After arriving at Black Tortoise Peak and entering the Alchemy Hall, he headed straight for the rear courtyard.

Rear courtyard.

There were already seven people ahead of Han Yi in line.

Like Han Yi, all seven were dispatched disciples applying for the Return-to-Sect Assessment.

Han Yi did not know them and had no intention of going up to strike up a conversation.

But one young man seemed highly sociable and tried to approach Han Yi to sound him out. A few curt replies from Han Yi, along with his obvious unwillingness to talk, sent the young man packing in boredom.

The line moved quickly. Every disciple who went in came out looking dejected. Even Social Guy had his brows tightly furrowed, agonizing over where he had gone wrong, his face full of unwillingness.

He cast Han Yi an expressionless glance, gave a cold snort, and left. What he was thinking was, You'll be up next. Everyone ends up the same.

When it was Han Yi's turn, he stepped inside.

Three stewards were on duty for today's assessment.

One was an Old Man around sixty, one a Red-Faced Youth in his early thirties, and the last a plump woman around forty.

The Old Man expressionlessly took Han Yi's assessment token and reviewed the information on it. At last, he raised his head and gave Han Yi a proper look, then nodded.

"You went down the mountain for one year and advanced from Qi Refining Layer 2 to Qi Refining Layer 3. And judging by your aura, you are only one step away from the fourth layer."

"Your bearing and spirit are quite good as well."

"You seem full of confidence."

"This is very good."

After saying this, the Old Man tossed the assessment token back to Han Yi and came straight to the point. "What kind of pills are you skilled at refining?"

"Reporting to Martial Uncle, I have refined Qi Nourishing Pills year-round and have gained considerable experience in their refinement," Han Yi answered respectfully.

Within the Mystic Pill Sect, forms of address were not rigidly fixed.

Generally speaking, cultivators of the same realm—for instance, both being in the Qi Refining stage—addressed one another as senior or junior brothers.

If they were separated by two realms, such as Foundation Establishment and Qi Refining, then a Qi Refining cultivator could address a Foundation Establishment cultivator as Martial Uncle or Martial Elder Uncle.

Of course.

That was only under normal circumstances. Lower- and mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators would also call certain Qi Refining Late Stage cultivators in important positions Martial Uncle.

Thus, to show respect, Han Yi addressed this Qi Refining Late Stage steward as Martial Uncle.

The Old Man nodded. "Good. Then Qi Nourishing Pills it is."

The other two stewards, the youth and the woman, showed no reaction to the Old Man's decision.

Every day, disciples returned to the sect and applied for assessment. This process had long been set in stone.

Hearing this, Han Yi took a deep breath, stepped back several paces, and took the Bronze Hexagonal Cauldron from his storage pouch. He then laid out the Qi Nourishing Pill ingredients he had just bought around it.

Once the spirit sand, spirit charcoal, and all manner of auxiliary materials had been prepared one by one, he began refining pills on the spot.

That was the process of the Return-to-Sect Assessment—simple and direct.