Record Unbroken by None
As the Cao Family members took their seats and the atmosphere in the main hall became tense, a low, even hum suddenly came from the ground, followed by a slight vibration from beneath one's feet.
The exclusive seats of the Five Great Families, along with the ground beneath them, slowly slid back as if by a sophisticated mechanism, revealing the solid structure hidden beneath. In the blink of an eye, a very spacious square plaza appeared in the center of the hall, paved with some kind of dark metal and gleaming with a cold luster.
The appearance of this square instantly drew everyone's attention away from the covert battles between the Great Family, and the atmosphere suddenly became formal and tense.
As the square was fully revealed, an elderly man dressed in a simple gray robe, with white hair and beard, but an unusually ruddy complexion and eyes as sharp as an eagle, slowly emerged from the shadows on one side of the hall.
His steps were steady, his aura restrained, yet he possessed an inherent, awe-inspiring authority. The old man stopped in the center of the plaza, his gaze sweeping across the entire area with a tangible intensity, pausing particularly near the seats of the Five Great Families. A gentle smile appeared on his face, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears:
"Now that Five Great Families have arrived, I will refrain from unnecessary pleasantries. I will once again preside over this year's Five Great Families Assessment. I hope you all have no objections?"
His voice carried the composure of someone accustomed to a high position, and no one dared to meet his gaze. For a moment, the hall fell silent, except for the Cao Family's seats, where the Demoness Cao Ying lightly covered her red lips with her hand, letting out a clear, melodious laugh like a lark, breaking the silence:
"Hehe, Elder Sheng, you flatter us. With your status and position in the Pill Tower, who in this Sacred Pill City would dare to question you?"
Cao Ying's voice carried just the right amount of flattery without being overly obsequious, clearly demonstrating her mastery of this art. Only someone of her status and talent would dare to speak so naturally with this highly respected elder.
"This old man is named Sheng Yao. He is one of the Eight Great Elders of the Pill Tower. He holds a high position and wields considerable power. He has a significant voice in the core decision-making level of the Pill Tower and can be said to be one of the truly powerful high-ranking members of the Pill Tower..." Ye Zhong hurriedly introduced him to Lin Ming in a very low voice, his tone full of awe.
Lin Ming nodded slightly, his gaze turning solemnly to the white-haired old man in the arena.
From the moment the old man appeared, his Spirit Realm Grand Perfection, keenly sensed a subtle yet oppressive feeling originating from the Soul Origin. This pressure wasn't something the old man deliberately released, but rather a natural aura emanating from his own Soul Realm. This old man's strength far surpassed that of ordinary Dou Venerate, and his Soul Realm had likely reached the High-Grade Spirit Realm!
"You little rascal... your mouth is getting sharper and sharper. But don't try to flatter this old man. I can't accept it, I can't accept it..." The white-haired old man, Sheng Yao, smiled and shook his head at Cao Ying. He seemed to be scolding her, but there was not much blame in his eyes.
He then turned his gaze to the entire arena, raising his voice slightly to carry an undeniable air of authority. "The time is almost up. Contestants from the Five Great Families, please enter!"
As Elder Sheng finished speaking, all the whispers in the hall instantly fell silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop. All eyes turned to the seats of the Five Great Families.
Lin Ming turned his head and met Ye Zhong's complex gaze, which was filled with tension, expectation, and even a hint of pleading, as well as Xin Lan's tightly clenched hands and her pretty face full of worry and encouragement.
"Big Brother Lin, keep going!" Xin Lan said in a low voice, her voice soft but unusually firm, as she used all her strength.
Looking into the girl's pure and trusting eyes, Lin Ming gave Ye Zhong and Xin Lan a reassuring look, and then, under the watchful eyes of everyone present, he gently stood up from his seat. His upright posture and calm face were particularly striking at that moment.
As Lin Ming stood up, four other figures from the other Four Great Families also slowly rose from their seats, almost simultaneously.
Standing at the Dan Family was Dan Xuan, a young man in blue robes with a gentle and refined demeanor.
The Cao Family who stood up was Cao Xiu, Cao Xiu of robust build and composed demeanor.
The man who stood up was Bai Ying Bai Family, a man with a cold face and sharp eyes like a hawk. He was the most outstanding member of the younger generation of the Bai Family.
The one who stood up from the Qiu Family was a man who was slightly short in stature but had exceptionally shrewd eyes. His name was Qiu Ji. Although he was not good-looking, he must have had some extraordinary abilities to be sent out by the Qiu Family.
In an instant, all eyes were fixed on these five young talents who represented the younger generation of the Five Great Families —if not the best, then close to it. These five would be the protagonists of today's assessment.
Elder Sheng's gaze slowly swept over the five people standing there, his eyes calm and composed, only pausing almost imperceptibly when he looked at Lin Ming.
He did have some old friendship with the ancestors of the Ye Family, but as the Ye Family declined, they lost touch and their relationship had long since faded. However, he also felt a little sympathy for the Ye Family's current predicament. He had previously tried to buy them some time to recover out of consideration for the Ye Family past relationship, which allowed Ye Family to barely keep their chance for this last assessment.
"Those representing their respective families to participate in the assessment, please enter..." Elder Sheng's voice remained calm, yet it carried an invisible power.
Upon hearing this, Lin Ming, Dan Xuan, Cao Xiu, Bai Ying, and Qiu Ji, under the spotlight of the entire audience, slowly stepped down from their seats and onto the cold, metallic plaza.
The five people were all slightly wary of each other, tacitly keeping a distance between themselves and standing in their positions, their invisible auras subtly clashing in the air.
"Dan Family, Dan Xuan greets Elder Sheng." Dan Xuan stood upright like a pine tree, and took the lead in bowing to Sheng Yao in the arena with clasped hands, his attitude respectful yet elegant.
"Cao Xiu of the Cao Xiu Cao Family greets Elder Sheng."
"Bai Ying Bai Family greets Elder Sheng."
"Qiu Family Qiu Ji family greets Elder Sheng."
Following Dan Xuan, Cao Xiu, Bai Ying, and Qiu Ji also dared not be negligent, and all clasped their fists in salute, their voices echoing in the hall. Elder Sheng, as one of the Eight Great Elders of the Pill Tower, held a highly respected position, and even the Five Great Families had to give him sufficient respect.
"Lin Ming, representative of the Ye Family, greets Elder Sheng..." Lin Ming also followed the proper etiquette, clasping his hands and bowing. Although he had his own pride in his bones, he also knew that in such formal occasions, the necessary etiquette could save a lot of unnecessary trouble, so he naturally would not pretend to be different or arrogant.
However, as soon as Lin Ming introduced himself, the many surprised and inquisitive gazes in the hall immediately focused even more intently on him.
Although everyone present was well-informed and vaguely knew that the Ye Family had invited a formidable outsider, they were still somewhat surprised to see such a young Lin Ming representing the Ye Family in the competition. However, the assessment rules did not restrict the use of outside help, so no one voiced their doubts; only the scrutinizing look in their eyes intensified.
"Hehe, Lin Ming..." Elder Sheng stroked his long, snow-white beard, his gaze falling on Lin Ming, a meaningful smile appearing on his face, "Your name has been quite well-known in the Pill Region lately."
He was referring to the Ice River Valley incident that had caused a great stir some time ago. The earth-shattering battle that broke out near Ye City involved many Dou Zun expert and had long been a topic of conversation among the major forces in the Pill Region. Lin Ming's role in it had also been discovered by some interested parties.
"Senior, you flatter me. These are just some trivial matters, hardly worthy of your attention..." Lin Ming smiled slightly, his tone humble and his response appropriate.
Elder Sheng said no more, his gaze sweeping over the five people before he said in a deep voice, "Since everyone is here and there are no problems, let's begin today's assessment..."
After speaking, he slowly took a few steps back, clearing the center of the square. Behind him, an object completely covered by a thick black cloth appeared out of nowhere. Elder Sheng reached out, grabbed a corner of the black cloth, and ripped it off!
The black cloth slipped off, revealing what was inside. It was a Stone Stele, over ten feet tall, crystal clear, as if cast from the purest crystal!
Calling it Stone Stele might not be entirely accurate, as it is not made of rock. Its extreme transparency seems to absorb light, and there is a faint, strange light slowly rotating inside.
"The assessment consists of three parts, and the first part is the Soul Measurement!" Elder Sheng's aged yet powerful voice resounded throughout the hall.
"As everyone knows, the soul is the most important foundation for an Alchemist! Only a sufficiently powerful and perceptive soul can possess exquisite Soul Perception and unparalleled Soul Manipulation, which is the basis for refining high-level pills!"
He pointed to the center of the Crystal Stone, where a round, exceptionally smooth, liquid-metal-like Mirror Disk, about the size of a washbasin, was embedded, and continued:
"The five of you will each need to input your Soul Power into this Mirror Disk without reservation. The Mirror Disk will then measure a specific value based on a combination of factors, including the strength, quality, and Spirituality of your Soul Power. We in the Pill Tower call this value— Soul Value!"
"As long as your Soul Value reaches four hundred or more, you've passed the first test." Elder Sheng's gaze swept over the five people, his tone becoming more serious.
"According to past records, the highest record for Soul Value in the Five Great Families Assessment in recent decades was set by Cao Ying of the Cao Family!"
His gaze shifted to the head of the Cao Family's table, where Cao Ying, dressed in a black dress, was gracefully resting her chin on her slender hand, while in her other hand she played with a round, flawless jade bead the size of a longan. Her beautiful face was languid and nonchalant, as if everything around her, including her glorious record, had nothing to do with her.