Assessment

Lu Bai was fully aware of the information displayed on his personal profile.

There was no need to waste time paying attention; I immediately checked the Ability Pool that I had randomly drawn in the first round.

[Failed Spider-Man: Gains some spider-like superpowers, including the ability to shoot high-strength spider silk from his fingers and to scale walls with ease.]

[Great Vajra Finger (Gold): A powerful external martial art, possessing a masculine strength. A single finger strike can pierce the chest and dissipate internal organs; it can penetrate wood and shatter stone.]

[Talent King (Gold): Current talent is doubled.]

In fact, when Lu Bai saw that this round of Ability Pool was Gold level, he no longer cared much about the specific effects of the three abilities that appeared.

With the ability to [load] and [restore], he considered abilities below the color level to be dispensable.

Moreover, the three golden abilities in this round all seem rather ordinary on the surface.

Especially the first two, [Failed Spider-Man] and [Great Vajra Finger], there are simply too many cards in his "discard pile" that can replace the abilities of these two.

On the contrary, the title of "Talent King" actually piqued his interest somewhat.

It appears to be an ability from the same series as [King of Strength], with similar effects.

The only difference is that one doubles their strength, and the other doubles their talent.

There's not much to say. Among the dwarfs, Lu Bai could only choose [Talent King]. With his high enough talent stats, he might be able to make a difference.

After making his choice, Lu Bai carefully observed his current location.

He was immediately stunned.

Normally, when he enters the Deathmatch Arena, he first checks the randomly assigned Ability Pool after confirming that there is no immediate danger.

So he didn't really notice how magnificent the scenery was around the square where he was.

The huge plaza, shaped like an octagon, is carved with magnificent patterns. At its center stands a giant rock, about two people high. Surrounding the plaza are sacred peaks suspended in the air, and a five-colored rainbow bridge spans the eight directions.

Directly in front were magnificent palaces, resembling a blessed land of immortals, bathed in the glow of the setting sun.

The event was also accompanied by cranes soaring overhead and ancient beasts howling.

Even a simple breath of air is invigorating.

But what concerned Lu Bai the most were the dozens of white-robed men standing in mid-air above the square. They all exuded powerful auras that inexplicably made people's hearts race.

Without a doubt, this Deathmatch Arena is set in a world with a cultivation theme.

Fortunately, Lu Bai didn't look out of place because he wasn't standing alone in the square.

A large group of young people had gathered around him, and they all looked quite nervous.

Some of the young people accompanied by their elders seemed more relaxed, but not to the point of being frivolous; they clearly took what they were about to do very seriously.

Unfortunately, Lu Bai looked around and didn't see anyone with a title on their head.

In other words, apart from him, there wasn't a single other fighter present.

He wanted to ask someone nearby for general information, but before he could find his target, a bluish rainbow appeared in the sky.

It shot in like lightning, and finally stood still in the air above the square.

Inside, stood a young man.

He was dressed in pure white, as white as snow, with black hair reaching his waist and his robes fluttering in the wind. His face was so handsome that one could easily overlook his gender, giving him an otherworldly air, like a celestial being.

His appearance caused an uproar among the crowd in the square.

The young woman in the room had a strange look in her eyes, eager to find out who this person was.

Seeing this, some of the family elders quickly told their younger relatives to keep quiet, for fear of offending others.

The man in white seemed unfazed by the scene and said gently, "I apologize for keeping you all waiting. I am a True Inheritance disciple of the Qingwang Sect, temporarily serving as the host of this entrance examination. You can call me Senior Brother Chang."

He didn't seem to be speaking too loudly, yet he made sure everyone present could hear him clearly.

Many young people in the square, led by their family elders, bowed to him to show their respect.

"Disciples participating in the entrance examination, please remain in the center of the plaza."

Before the words were even finished, the parents began to leave one after another, choosing to remain at the edge of the square to watch.

Lu Bai then realized that he had been randomly assigned to be a beginner disciple.

Not yet quite clear about the level of power in this world, Lu Bai simply decided to participate in the assessment without making a fuss.

Perhaps to save time, Senior Brother Chang didn't say anything more, but instead took out an incense stick and lit it.

"The first round of assessment is very simple: if you can maintain a standing posture after the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, you will be considered to have successfully entered the next round of assessment."

At this point, Senior Brother Chang looked up and cupped his hands in greeting to the fellow disciples standing in mid-air.

It was clear that this Senior Brother Chang had a good reputation in the sect. None of the fellow disciples in white robes showed any sign of disobedience or slackness. They unleashed their spiritual power in unison and summoned a huge cyan square cauldron.

The square cauldron hovered above the square, radiating a heavy pressure.

For a time, the immense, omnipresent pressure was almost unbearable for Lu Bai.

Of course, this is without him using any of his abilities.

Lu Bai only intended to understand the situation; he wasn't a masochist. He silently restored his [Steel Body], and the pressure that would be unbearable for an ordinary person instantly turned into a gentle breeze.

Despite his relaxed demeanor, he didn't arrogantly look around; he maintained the appearance of someone struggling to cope with the pressure.

I kept hearing thuds in my ears; it meant someone had collapsed from the pressure.

Finally, as the incense burned out, the heavy pressure dissipated.

"The pressure released by the Qingwang Cauldron is the limit of your individual endurance. Only those with a steadfast heart in Seek Immortality and Enlightenment can persevere under this pressure."

After explaining, Senior Brother Chang looked at the hundreds of people still standing in the square and nodded in satisfaction. "Congratulations on successfully advancing to the next round of assessment."

Almost all of them were young people, and there were even children. Many of those who failed the test collapsed to the ground and wept bitterly, as it essentially determined their future.

However, no one would say that this assessment is unfair, since the assessment content is already public.

Some of the Qingwang Sect disciples who were standing in mid-air descended and guided those who had failed the test to leave.

Those young people who successfully passed the test were beaming with joy, while only a few with more composed personalities managed to remain calm.

Lu Bai stood still, completely unmoved. Whether he passed the test or not wouldn't have much of an impact on him.

Senior Brother Chang slowly landed beside the giant rock in the center of the square and announced loudly, "The second round of assessment will test your innate talent."