Smooth Promotion

Early in the morning, Lin Fan and seven or eight other Menial Disciples were summoned to a Pavilion on Blackwood Cliff.

A figure was already waiting there, clad in a Black Mystic Robe with a Crying-Laughing Face Pattern embroidered on the chest.

He was the Formal Disciple in charge of the tests.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Zhao."

Wang Biao and a few veteran Menial Disciples stepped forward to flatter him.

"Spare me the pleasantries."

Zhao Wang's face was expressionless. "Today is the Final Assessment. Those who pass will be promoted to Formal Disciples."

His demeanor was stern as his gaze swept over Lin Fan and the others one by one.

Not everyone could participate in the Final Assessment—only those who had performed well in the early Monthly Test were qualified to be here.

The number was neither too many nor too few, exactly ten.

Among these ten, the most senior veterans like Wang Biao had spent about a year in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, while Lin Fan had also completed half a year there.

"Alright, let's begin."

Senior Brother Zhao wasted no time. "Who goes first?"

Just then, Feng Ling stepped forward and volunteered, "I'll go."

Her features were delicate, her skin fair and smooth, her waist slender, and her legs long and straight—enough to stir the hearts of many male Menial Disciples.

"You're the one with the Yin-Attracting Physique from last time?"

Senior Brother Zhao remembered her and nodded. "Extend your hand."

Feng Ling obediently stretched out her fair, slender hand. Zhao placed his palm on the back of her hand and closed his eyes slightly.

In just a few breaths, he opened his eyes, a satisfied expression on his face. "Spirit Gathering Realm Fifth Grade, and your Internal Force is pure. You're just a hair away from breaking into the next minor realm. Not bad at all."

Wang Biao and the other Menial Disciples looked at Feng Ling in surprise, envy coloring many of their faces.

Feng Ling's pretty face remained calm, as if she had long expected this result, and she silently moved to stand behind Senior Brother Zhao.

Lin Fan's eyes flickered. He glanced at Feng Ling but quickly looked away.

"Next."

"Allow me, everyone."

Wang Biao shoved past the others and hurried forward.

As Zhao probed his Internal Force, his brow furrowed at first, then quickly relaxed.

"Your Internal Force is a bit impure, but it barely reaches Spirit Gathering Realm Fifth Grade. You pass the assessment."

Wang Biao was overjoyed.

Over the past six months, to pass this assessment, he had drained one or two newcomers almost every month, relying on such reckless Dual Cultivation to barely reach his current realm.

Soon, another gaunt-faced veteran Menial Disciple stepped forward.

Lin Fan vaguely remembered him—his name was Bao Tong, and he had been in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion even longer than Wang Biao.

The moment Zhao placed his hand on Bao Tong's body, his expression turned grim.

"Worthless. Absolutely worthless."

"I gave you so much time, and you're still only at Spirit Gathering Realm Third Grade? What use are you?"

Zhao's tone was icy, his gaze at Bao Tong cold to the extreme.

"Senior Brother, let me explain..."

Bao Tong was panicked and quickly tried to speak.

But the next second, a large hand suddenly came down. Before Bao Tong could react, it crushed his skull.

A scream, blood splattering everywhere!

Bao Tong collapsed stiffly, becoming a cold corpse.

"Failing the assessment means being killed without mercy?"

Lin Fan's heart jolted.

This Senior Brother Zhao was truly brutal—killing at the slightest provocation.

But this was a demon sect. In the eyes of Formal Disciples, the lives of Menial Disciples were nothing but playthings to toy with, weren't they?

The weak could only be trampled.

Everyone fell silent, the atmosphere growing heavy.

Then, finally, it was Lin Fan's turn.

Over these six months, Lin Fan's cultivation had improved significantly, breaking through from Spirit Gathering Realm Seventh Grade to Spirit Gathering Realm Ninth Grade—and that was with him deliberately suppressing his progress.

For today's assessment, Lin Fan naturally couldn't reveal his full realm. He had used the Blood Gathering Art in advance to conceal part of his cultivation.

"Junior Brother Lin, you're not bad either."

"Your Internal Force is quite refined. Your bone structure may be lacking, but your aptitude is excellent."

Senior Brother Zhao nodded slightly, then shifted the topic and suddenly asked, "I've heard you also cultivate through a Dual Cultivation Cauldron, yet that cauldron has always remained alive and well?"

Lin Fan's expression flickered, neither servile nor arrogant as he replied, "In answer to Senior Brother, this junior could not bear to see that Woman die so soon, so after each act of harvesting, I gave her a Foundation Replenishing Pill to restore her."

"You're a rare one, not as ruthless as the others."

Senior Brother Zhao paused, then smiled.

Disciples of the demon sect were always ruthless and merciless—even he himself would kill at the slightest disagreement.

But putting himself in another's shoes, who wouldn't wish for those around them to treat each other with a bit more kindness?

He felt a trace of goodwill toward Lin Fan.

Hearing Zhao Wang praise Lin Fan, Wang Biao's expression turned somewhat unnatural.

What bothered him even more was that the youth he had once treated as prey had now, like himself, passed the assessment and become a Formal Disciple.

Though displeased, Wang Biao knew that to survive in the demon sect, one had to minimize enemies.

He stepped forward and offered Lin Fan his congratulations. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Lin. Since we've both advanced to Formal Disciple together, I hope we can look out for each other from now on."

His meaning was clear: let bygones be bygones. Now that they were both Formal Disciples, peaceful coexistence was best.

Faced with Wang Biao's show of weakness, Lin Fan gave a slight nod, acknowledging it.

Lin Fan genuinely disliked someone like Wang Biao, but this was the demon sect—turning an enemy into a friend when possible was always the best course.

Unless one possessed invincible cultivation strength, having too many enemies meant even a Formal Disciple could be schemed against and killed at any time.

Nearby, Feng Ling was staring at Lin Fan with wide, beautiful eyes, shocked. "You... passed too?"

"By luck."

Lin Fan smiled, then stepped to the side.

Feng Ling pondered for a moment, then suddenly bypassed Wang Biao and stood directly beside Lin Fan.

Compared to someone like Wang Biao, who had cultivated by stepping on others' lives, she found Lin Fan far easier to accept.

Soon, the assessment ended.

Of the ten people, only three, including Lin Fan, passed and successfully advanced to Formal Disciple.

"All of you, go back."

"Remember, if you still can't cultivate to Spirit Gathering Realm Fifth Grade within half a year, his fate will be yours."

Zhao Wang pointed at Bao Tong's corpse and said coldly.

The eliminated Menial Disciples turned pale with fear, then slowly withdrew.

After dismissing the Menial Disciples, Zhao Wang turned to Lin Fan, Feng Ling, and Wang Biao, and said quite politely, "First, congratulations to the three of you on becoming Formal Disciples of Blood Soul Peak. You all came from Blackwood Cliff as Menial Disciples, so you'll continue to cultivate here from now on."

"You won't be shorted a single resource."

Fearing they might object, he warned, "Don't even think about going to other peaks. It's not your turn to choose a main peak yet."

Seeing the three remain silent, Zhao Wang smiled in satisfaction. "Follow me. I'll take you to pick your Cave Mansions and collect the items due to Formal Disciples."

The Hidden Scripture Pavilion was located on Blackwood Cliff, and Blackwood Cliff was merely an outer peak of Blood Soul Peak.

Zhao Wang was an Outer Disciple, and on Blackwood Cliff, there were four other Outer Disciples like him.

All the Outer Disciples on Blackwood Cliff were under the command of a single Inner Disciple from Blood Soul Peak.

The Inner Disciple currently in charge of the entire Blackwood Cliff was named Shi Tao, a Personal Disciple of the Blood Soul Peak Master.

On Blood Soul Peak, even among Formal Disciples, the hierarchy was strict, and factions were numerous.

Under Zhao Wang's guidance, the three first paid their respects to Shi Tao, then changed into black Dark Iron robes and exchanged their identity Tokens.

Unlike the previous wooden Tokens, the Formal Disciple's Token was made of Dark Iron, raising the quality by a level.

Lin Fan glanced at the Token, which read: "Formal Disciple, Lin Fan."

At that moment, Zhao Wang spoke up. "The Formal Disciple identity Token not only represents your status but also records your Contribution Points. Even if someone steals it, they can't use it. If you fall, the Contribution Points inside will be voided."

"There are several hundred Formal Disciples on Blood Soul Peak. Whenever one falls, a new person is immediately selected from the Menial Disciples to fill the vacancy."

Hearing this, Lin Fan's expression shifted. "May I ask, Senior Brother, do Formal Disciples often fall?"

Zhao Wang glanced at him and said gravely, "Our Blood Demon Sect is a major demon sect, occupying over a hundred li of Blessed Land. Sects like Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, who claim to be righteous, often send disciples to infiltrate our sect's territory. If we run into them, there's bound to be a fight."

"In the past month, seven or eight Formal Disciples have fallen. Of course, the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect has also lost over a dozen good fighters."

Lin Fan's heart tightened. It seemed the mortality rate for Formal Disciples in the Blood Demon Sect was quite high.

Feng Ling remained silent, but when Zhao Wang mentioned "Flowing Cloud Sword Sect," a fleeting glimmer flashed in her beautiful eyes.

"Up ahead are your Cave Mansions. Rest well today."

"Come find me tomorrow, and I'll teach you more advanced techniques to cultivate."

After walking a bit further, Zhao Wang pointed into the distance.

He smiled at that point and said, "You're in luck. Half a year ago, the New Emperor of Great Jin captured several Feudal Princes' family members. Quite a few Princesses and consorts make excellent cauldrons."

"The sect has already picked one for each of you. Once you enter your Cave Mansions, you can enjoy yourselves properly."

"There are also Infatuation Pills on the table to help you train your Dual Cultivation Cauldrons."

"Something this good?" Wang Biao's eyes lit up with excitement.

Feng Ling, on the other hand, flushed slightly with a hint of indignation, realizing only now just how damnable the demon sect truly was.

When Dual Cultivation Cauldrons came up, Lin Fan thought of Zhou Wanqing still in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion and quickly asked, "Senior Brother Zhao, the Dual Cultivation partner I have in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion is quite good. Could she be released from there to become my permanent cauldron?"

Zhou Wanqing's greatest hope was for Lin Fan to become a Formal Disciple and take her away from the Hidden Scripture Pavilion.

"You're quite loyal."

Zhao Wang nodded. "That's easy. Go there yourself later and re-register her identity. Just make her a servant in your Cave Mansion."

Lin Fan breathed a quiet sigh of relief—at least he hadn't let Zhou Wanqing down.