Greenwood Island Arrives

The next day.

The sky was just beginning to lighten.

Snowflakes drifted down outside the window, and the crowing of roosters suddenly broke the silence.

"Flying Needles (Grandmaster 1/3200)"

Through diligent practice last night, Zhao Huaian had finally raised his Flying Needles technique to the Grandmaster level.

As the Flying Needles technique reached Grandmaster level, Zhao Huaian felt his vital energy and mental power become even more abundant, making him feel incredibly invigorated.

"With the 300-year-old Frost Grass and the improvement in Flying Needles, my chances of joining the Greenwood Sect are now eighty to ninety percent."

Touching the brocade box in his embrace, Zhao Huaian chuckled lightly, his face full of confidence.

This 300-year-old Frost Grass was the most crucial item for him to successfully join the Greenwood Sect.

This was because, according to the information he had gathered, one of the people responsible for the Greenwood Sect's disciple recruitment assessment this time was named Lei Yangwen.

This person was a fire-attribute cultivator. It was said that a few years ago, his cultivation technique went awry, causing a fire poison backlash. He frequently needed extremely cold items to suppress the fire poison in his body.

Now that he had obtained the 300-year-old Frost Grass, he was sure he could befriend Lei Yangwen with this item, greatly reducing the difficulty of entering the Greenwood Sect.

Thinking this, Zhao Huaian felt increasingly relaxed.

He stretched, looked at the brightening sky outside, and stood up.

"It's time. Today I can head to the Greenwood Sect and participate in the assessment."

Zhao Huaian murmured to himself, washed his face, adjusted his state to optimal, and pushed the door open to walk out.

Golden Sand Island Dock.

"Creak... creak..."

On the thick snow-covered ground, a group of youths shivered uncontrollably, stomping their feet and crunching on the snow.

By this time, the sky had fully brightened.

Zhao Huaian blended into the crowd. Beside him were fifty to sixty youths of similar age.

All of them were heading to the Greenwood Sect to participate in the assessment.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on the sea, their expressions a mixture of anticipation and impatience, as if waiting for something.

Under their watchful eyes, before long, a massive boat slowly sailed towards the dock.

"They're here!"

Zhao Huaian smiled faintly as he looked at the enormous boat.

As the boat docked, a straight figure walked onto the bow.

This person was Wang Haiping, the island master of Wind Sand Island. Every three years, it was his turn to be responsible for transporting those participating in the Greenwood Sect assessment.

"Island Master Wang."

Upon seeing Wang Haiping, everyone's expression brightened, and they called out with smiles.

"We were delayed on the way. You haven't been waiting long, have you?"

Wang Haiping scanned the crowd, looking at the shivering youths, and a smile touched his lips.

The crowd quickly waved their hands, "No, no, we just arrived not long ago."

Wang Haiping nodded and said to them, "Since everyone is here, let's set off. I hope this time your Golden Sand Island is favored by heaven and someone can join the Greenwood Sect."

"Thank you for the escort, Island Master!"

The crowd shouted in unison.

Wang Haiping smiled and led them onto the boat in an orderly fashion.

As the boat set sail, everyone stood on the deck, their faces filled with excitement. They gathered in small groups of three to five, discussing their upcoming trip to the Greenwood Sect.

Zhao Huaian, being the most renowned divine doctor from Golden Sand Island, naturally attracted the attention of people from surrounding islands.

Zhao Huaian didn't wish to engage too much with this empty adulation. He merely offered polite pleasantries before returning to the ship's cabin alone.

With this time, he might as well study Medical Skill and Flying Needles further.

Of course, the main thing was that whether these people could join the Greenwood Sect was still uncertain.

If they were people with distinguished backgrounds who were bound to join the Greenwood Sect, then that would be a different matter entirely.

"That Divine Doctor Zhao from your Golden Sand Island is quite aloof."

A youth from another island shook his head as he watched Zhao Huaian enter the cabin.

"Ah, what's there to say? Divine Doctor Zhao has such great Medical Skill at such a young age. If it were me, I'd be even more aloof."

A youth from Golden Sand Island stepped forward to defend him.

"That's true!"

When Zhao Huaian's extraordinary Medical Skill was mentioned, a hint of envy and admiration flickered in everyone's eyes.

Soon, as they grew more familiar with each other, the youths from the surrounding islands began to play and joke together, discussing recent major events.

"Let me tell you, our Wind Sand Island's Lin Family actually had a genius disciple who was supposed to participate in the Greenwood Sect's assessment. But who knew that last night, the entire Lin Family was wiped out overnight."

"I heard about that too. It seems the Lin Family had something that someone else coveted, which led to their annihilation."

"Didn't the Lin Family have a genius disciple who became a disciple of the Greenwood Sect three years ago? And yet someone dared to slaughter the Lin Family. This is going to be interesting."

"What's there to be interested about? The perpetrators seemed to be a group of desperate outlaws. No one can find them now. After slaughtering the Lin Family, they vanished without a trace."

Soon, three days passed.

Zhao Huaian was in the ship's cabin, studying Medical Skill and the art of Flying Needles.

After three days of diligent practice, his proficiency in Flying Needles and Medical Skill had improved significantly.

"Good. As my proficiency in Grandmaster-level Flying Needles and Medical Skill increases, my overall spirit and vigor also improve slightly. This will be of great help for the upcoming Greenwood Sect assessment."

Sensing the strengthened blood and vigor within him, Zhao Huaian couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.

He looked up at the window. Snowflakes drifted down, and a large port appeared in the distance.

A moment later, the boat swayed, and cheers erupted from outside.

"Greenwood Island has arrived!"

Looking at the bustling port outside the window, Zhao Huaian's lips curved into a smile. He pushed open the cabin door and stepped out.

Greenwood Island was the largest island within a radius of several thousand miles. The Greenwood Sect, one of the four major cultivation sects in the Huai'an Water Region, had established its dojo within its vast territory, responsible for recruiting disciples from the surrounding islands.

This was precisely the time when the Greenwood Sect opened its gates to accept disciples. The major ports of Greenwood Island were overcrowded, filled with ships of all sizes.

Their purpose for coming here was obvious: to participate in the selection process for disciples of the Greenwood Sect.

Despite the crowds, under the deterrent influence of the Greenwood Sect, those who disembarked consciously lined up in orderly queues, heading towards the Greenwood Sect's dojo for disciple recruitment.

As soon as Zhao Huaian disembarked, he parted ways with Wang Haiping's group and headed in another direction.

"Island Master, Divine Doctor Zhao is gone."

Someone in the crowd noticed Zhao Huaian's disappearance and quickly reported to Wang Haiping.

"Don't worry about him. Who is Divine Doctor Zhao? His Medical Skill is extraordinary. If he left alone this time, it must be for his own reasons."

Wang Haiping glanced in the direction Zhao Huaian had disappeared, shook his head, and said to the crowd, "You can't compare yourselves to Divine Doctor Zhao. Just follow me closely and don't get lost. Otherwise, if you fail the assessment, you'll be stuck here for the rest of your lives, and you won't even know how you starved to death."

Wang Haiping might have managed others, but he certainly wouldn't interfere with the young divine doctor Zhao Huaian or ruin his plans.

"Yes, Island Master!"

The others shouted loudly, their hearts tightening. They quickly and orderly followed Wang Haiping.