After the assessment ended, the chief examiner presented Li Xiuchang and the other two with "Skill Certificates."
It really was a certificate.
However, it seemed to be made from the hide of some demon beast. It had the texture of parchment, yet was extremely sturdy, difficult to tear, and resistant to both water and fire.
The cover of the certificate bore the three large characters "Immortal Arts Association."
The Immortal Arts Association was a relatively loose, nonprofit organization led by the four largest sect powers in the southeast, northwest, and north of the Immortal Shade Realm, together with the foremost figures in every trade.
Among its members were Outer Sect Elders from the four great sects, masters of various arts from other sects both large and small, and quite a few wandering craftsmen among the rogue cultivators.
In short, as long as one reached the master level in any Cultivation Technique, one could join the Immortal Arts Association and hold some official post, great or small.
The Immortal Arts Association had been established to regulate the various industries within the Hundred Cultivation Arts.
Before its establishment, the various markets in the Immortal Shade Realm had been a mixed bag. There had been no shortage of swindlers posing as high-level craftsmen, leading to all kinds of disputes over transactions.
There were also low-level craftsmen who lied about their true abilities. For example, a Tier 1 Talisman Master might falsely claim to be a Tier 2 Talisman Master and make talismans for others, merely to trick them into giving him a chance to practice.
But after the Immortal Arts Association promoted the Cultivation Techniques assessment system, everyone recognized only the "Skill Credentials" issued by the association, and such disputes became far less common.
The Immortal Dust Sect was precisely the northern powerhouse