Smooth Promotion

At dawn, Lin Fan and seven or eight other menial disciples were summoned to a pavilion on Blackwood Cliff.

A figure had already been waiting there. He wore a Black Mystic Robe, with a Crying-Laughing Face Pattern embroidered over the chest.

He was the Formal Disciple specifically responsible for conducting the tests.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Zhao."

Wang Biao and several other veteran menial disciples stepped forward to greet him ingratiatingly.

"No need to curry favor."

Zhao Wang's expression remained impassive as he said, "Today is the Final Assessment. Those who pass will be promoted to Formal Disciples."

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

Not everyone was qualified to participate in the Final Assessment. Only those who had performed well in the previous early Monthly Test were eligible to come here.

There were neither too many nor too few of them—exactly ten.

Among these ten, the veteran menial disciples with the longest seniority, such as Wang Biao, had spent about a year in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, while Lin Fan had also completed half a year there.

"Come, let's begin."

Senior Brother Zhao did not waste words and asked, "Who will go first?"

At that moment, Feng Ling suddenly stepped forward and volunteered, "I will."

Her features were exquisite, her skin as white and delicate as snow, her waist slender, and her legs straight and long. Quite a few male menial disciples found their hearts and minds wandering at the sight of her.

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

Senior Brother Zhao remembered her and nodded. "Hold out your hand."

Feng Ling obediently extended her fair, slender hand. Senior Brother Zhao placed his hand against the back of hers and slowly closed his eyes.

After only a few breaths, he opened his eyes, satisfaction showing on his face. In a kindly tone, he said, "Spirit Gathering Realm Fifth Grade, and your Internal Force is pure. You're only a hair's breadth from entering the next minor realm. Very good."

Wang Biao and the other menial disciples stared at Feng Ling in astonishment, envy showing on many of their faces.

Feng Ling's pretty face remained calm, as if she had anticipated this result long ago. She silently moved behind Senior Brother Zhao.

Lin Fan's eyes shifted slightly. He glanced at Feng Ling, then quickly withdrew his gaze.

"Next."

"Everyone, I'll go first."

Wang Biao shoved past the others and hurried forward.

Senior Brother Zhao examined the condition of his Internal Force. His brows first furrowed, then quickly smoothed out.

"Your Internal Force is somewhat mixed, but you've barely reached Spirit Gathering Realm Fifth Grade. You pass the assessment."

Wang Biao was overjoyed.

Over the past six months, in order to pass this assessment, he had nearly drained one or two newcomers every month. Relying on such Dual Cultivation at any cost, he had only recently reached his current realm.

Soon, another gaunt-faced veteran menial disciple stepped forward.

Lin Fan had some impression of this man. His name was Bao Tong, and he had spent even longer in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion than Wang Biao.

The moment Senior Brother Zhao placed his palm against Bao Tong's body, his expression darkened.

"Useless. You're truly useless."

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

Senior Brother Zhao's tone was icy, and his gaze toward Bao Tong was cold to the extreme.

"Senior Brother, please hear me out..."

Bao Tong was so nervous that he hurriedly began to speak.

But in the next second, a large hand suddenly struck down. Before Bao Tong could react, it smashed his skull.

A scream rang out, and blood sprayed in all directions!

Bao Tong fell stiffly to the ground, becoming a cold corpse.

"If you don't pass the assessment, you'll be slaughtered at will?"

Lin Fan's heart jolted.

This Senior Brother Zhao was truly brutal. He killed people at the slightest disagreement.

But this was the Demon Sect. In the eyes of Formal Disciples, weren't the lives of menial disciples nothing more than something to toy with?

The weak could only be trampled beneath one's feet.

Everyone fell silent in fear, and the atmosphere grew heavy.

At last, it was Lin Fan's turn.

Lin Fan's cultivation had improved substantially over the past six months. He had broken through from his original Spirit Gathering Realm Seventh Grade to Spirit Gathering Realm Ninth Grade, and that was the result of deliberate suppression.

For today's assessment, Lin Fan naturally could not reveal his full realm. He had already used the Blood Gathering Art to conceal part of his cultivation.

"Junior Brother Lin, you're quite good as well."

"Your Internal Force is rather pure. Perhaps your Root Bone is lacking, but your aptitude is excellent."

Senior Brother Zhao nodded slightly, then suddenly changed tack and asked, "I heard you also cultivate through a Dual Cultivation Cauldron, but that cauldron has remained alive and well?"

A flicker passed through Lin Fan's expression. Neither servile nor overbearing, he replied, "In answer to Senior Brother, I couldn't bear to see that woman die young, so while practicing cultivation absorption, I gave her a Foundation Replenishing Pill to restore her strength."

"You're quite rare. You're not as ruthless as the others."

Senior Brother Zhao was startled, then laughed.

Demon Sect disciples had always acted with ruthless hearts and hands. He himself killed people at the slightest disagreement.

But putting himself in another's shoes, who wouldn't hope that those around them could treat each other with a little more kindness?

He developed a trace of goodwill toward Lin Fan.

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

What made him even more uncomfortable was that the youth he had once regarded as prey had now passed the assessment just like him and become a Formal Disciple as well.

Though he was unhappy about it, Wang Biao knew that to survive in the Demon Sect, he had to minimize the number of enemies he made.

He stepped forward and congratulated Lin Fan. "Congratulations, Junior Brother Lin. You and I have been promoted to Formal Disciples together. I hope you'll look after me in the future."

The meaning behind his words was obvious: the grievances of the past were past. Now that they were both Formal Disciples, it would be best if they could get along harmoniously.

Faced with Wang Biao's show of weakness, Lin Fan nodded slightly, which counted as a response.

Lin Fan truly disliked people like Wang Biao from the bottom of his heart, but this was the Demon Sect. Naturally, it was best to turn an enemy into an ally whenever possible.

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

Beside them, Feng Ling stared at Lin Fan with her beautiful eyes wide and asked in shock, "You... passed too?"

"Just luck."

Lin Fan smiled, then moved to the side.

After pondering for a moment, Feng Ling suddenly went around Wang Biao and walked straight to Lin Fan's side.

Compared with someone like Wang Biao, who had achieved success through cultivating atop others' lives, she found Lin Fan much easier to accept.

Soon, the assessment ended.

Of the ten people, only three—including Lin Fan—passed the assessment and were smoothly promoted to Formal Disciples.

"You may all return."

"Remember, if after another six months you still haven't cultivated to Spirit Gathering Realm Fifth Grade, his fate will be yours."

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

The eliminated menial disciples went pale with fright, then slowly filed out.

After sending those menial disciples away, Zhao Wang looked at the three of them—Lin Fan, Feng Ling, and Wang Biao—and said rather courteously, "First, congratulations on becoming Formal Disciples of Blood Soul Peak. All of you came from the menial ranks of Blackwood Cliff, so continue cultivating here from now on."

"You won't be shorted a single bit of the resources you're entitled to."

Afraid that the three might object, he issued a warning. "Don't even think about going to another peak. You're not yet qualified to choose your own main peak."

Seeing that the three remained silent, Zhao Wang finally smiled in satisfaction. "Come with me. I'll take you to choose your cave dwellings and receive the things allotted to Formal Disciples."

The Hidden Scripture Pavilion was located on Blackwood Cliff, while Blackwood Cliff itself was merely a mountain peak on the outskirts of Blood Soul Peak.

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

All the Outer Disciples of Blackwood Cliff were commanded by an Inner Disciple of Blood Soul Peak.

The Inner Disciple currently in charge of all Blackwood Cliff was named Shi Tao. He was a direct disciple of the Blood Soul Peak Master.

At Blood Soul Peak, the Formal Disciples were also divided by strict ranks, and factions stood everywhere.

Under Zhao Wang's guidance, the three first went to pay their respects to Shi Tao. Afterward, they changed into black robes and also replaced their identity tokens.

Unlike the wooden tokens they had used before, Formal Disciples' tokens were made of Dark Iron, their quality a level higher.

Lin Fan glanced at the token. It read: "Formal Disciple, Lin Fan."

At this point, Zhao Wang said, "A Formal Disciple's identity token not only represents your identity, but can also record your Contribution Points. Even if someone else takes it, they can't use it at all. If you perish, the Contribution Points inside the token will also be voided."

"There are several hundred Formal Disciples at Blood Soul Peak. Whenever a Formal Disciple perishes, a newcomer will immediately be selected from among the menial disciples to fill the vacancy."

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

Zhao Wang shot him a glance and said solemnly, "Our Blood Demon Sect is a major demonic sect occupying Blessed Lands stretching over a hundred li. Several sects that call themselves righteous, such as the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect, often send disciples to infiltrate our sect's territory. When they encounter us, a bloody clash is unavoidable."

"In this past month alone, seven or eight Formal Disciples have perished. Of course, the Flowing Cloud Sword Sect has also lost more than a dozen experts."

Lin Fan's heart tightened. It seemed that the death rate among the Blood Demon Sect's Formal Disciples was quite high.

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

"You've arrived at your cave dwellings up ahead. Rest well today."

"Come find me tomorrow. I'll teach you more profound cultivation techniques."

After walking for a while longer, Zhao Wang pointed toward the distance.

At this point, he suddenly smiled and said, "Your luck is pretty good. Half a year ago, the New Emperor of Great Jin captured the descendants and family members of several Feudal Princes. Many Princesses and consorts are excellent cauldrons."

"The sect has chosen one for each of you. Once you enter your cave dwellings, you can enjoy yourselves."

"There are also Infatuation Pills on the tables. They can help you train your Dual Cultivation Cauldrons."

"There's such a good thing?" Wang Biao's eyes lit up, and he grew somewhat excited.

Feng Ling's cheeks, by contrast, flushed slightly, a trace of indignation showing on her face. Only now did she realize that the Demon Sect truly deserved to be damned.

At the mention of Dual Cultivation Cauldrons, Lin Fan thought of Zhou Wanqing, who was still in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion, and hurriedly asked, "Senior Brother Zhao, the Dual Cultivation partner I have in the Hidden Scripture Pavilion is quite good. Can you let her leave the Hidden Scripture Pavilion and become my permanent cauldron?"

Zhou Wanqing's greatest hope had been for Lin Fan to become a Formal Disciple, so that he could take her away from the Hidden Scripture Pavilion.

"You're quite loyal and affectionate."

Zhao Wang nodded. "That's easy to handle. Go there personally later and register her identity again. Just make her a servant in your cave dwelling."

Lin Fan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. At last, he had not disappointed Zhou Wanqing's hopes.