From the temporary quarters to the Inner Peak Assessment Hall, one needed to traverse half of the inner disciple residential area, cross a stone bridge, and walk up the mountain path for about a quarter of an hour.
Chen Xuan walked along the bluestone path at a steady pace.
Along the way, he encountered quite a few inner disciples.
Some walked in groups of two or three, while others walked alone in a hurried manner, all heading in the same direction: the Assessment Hall.
"Have you heard? Today, an assigned disciple named Chen Xuan has returned to the sect for further training and is going to undergo a combat power assessment."
"Naturally I've heard. Lately, the thing most discussed among the inner disciples is this Chen Xuan. He was previously just an ordinary outer disciple, but after being assigned to Tiannan Prefecture, he encountered a fortuitous encounter and was promoted to inner disciple in just two months. Furthermore, as soon as he returned, he made Meng Hu, the older brother of Meng Changsheng, kneel."
"Making Meng Changsheng's older brother kneel, that's way too arrogant!"
"Who's to say otherwise? He thinks that just because he had a fortuitous encounter, he can act as if no one else exists."
"Meng Hu suffered humiliation, so Meng Changsheng was indirectly humiliated as well. There's no way he'll let Chen Xuan off so easily."
"That's only natural. I heard that Neiwu Hall assigned Yang Zhan as Chen Xuan's opponent?"
"Yang Zhan? That Yang Zhan who ranks third among the Top Ten New Disciples?"
"That's him."
"Hiss, isn't that too ruthless? Yang Zhan has reached the Fourth Layer of Qi Casting, cultivates the top-tier technique Giant Spirit True Scripture, and has also mastered the top-tier martial skill Eight Extremes Mountain-Shattering Fist. Chen Xuan is dead for