"Each and every one of you is a good-for-nothing, so you think everyone else is one too?"
Chief Steward Wang rose unhurriedly. His obese body cast a vast shadow, carrying a suffocating pressure.
He walked over to Zhou Xuan and patted the Puppet's sturdy chest with his fan-sized hand. It thudded dully. Then he pointed his thick index finger at Zhou Xuan, whose expression remained calm.
His narrow eyes swept across the crowd. In a tone that brooked no argument, he announced each word distinctly: "Test result: Body Forging, fifth level. Pass! He passed!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he paid no heed to the crowd's ghost-struck expressions. Instead, the corners of his mouth stretched into a strange grin.
He chuckled, then said something that nearly made everyone's eyeballs pop out.
"Besides, I'm in a good mood today, so I've decided to make an exception and let him participate in this afternoon's competition!"
"What?"
This time, it wasn't just the chore servants who weren't qualified.
Even the dozen or so experts who had already secured their places in the competition, with cultivation at Body Forging, seventh level or higher, were completely dumbfounded.
A fifth-level Body Forging cultivator was going to compete against those at the seventh level and above?
Wasn't that just sticking out his face to get slapped?
Chief Steward Wang seemed to relish the crowd's horrified, world-ending stares.
He cleared his throat, clasped his hands behind his back, stuck out his belly, and launched into his high-sounding spiel. "What the hell do you know? What kind of Spirit Root does Zhou Xuan have? The Spirit Sword Pavilion's one-in-ten-thousand Five Elements Waste Spirit Root!"
"Cultivating with this kind of Spirit Root is at least ten times harder than with your trash Spirit Roots!"
"He managed to reach the fifth level of Body Forging in such a short time despite having the Five Elements Waste Spirit Root. What does that tell you?"
Chief Steward Wang asked and answered his own question, his voice suddenly rising, brimming with incitement.
"It tells you that his will, his character, and the effort he's put in far surpass all of yours!"
"Could the true combat strength of someone like him possibly be measured by his cultivation level alone?"
"In my opinion, his actual combat ability is at least equivalent to the seventh level of Body Forging!"
He delivered this speech with stirring passion and righteous conviction.
But every single person present was dumbstruck.
Could you even calculate things that way? That twisted logic was beyond outrageous!
But the one who'd said it was Chief Steward Wang, the undisputed emperor of the Chore Servant Courtyard.
Whatever he said was the rule!
Zhou Xuan's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
What exactly was this sly old fox playing at?
He'd worked hard to hide his strength, all to keep a low profile and avoid drawing attention.
Yet with just a few words, the man had shoved him straight into the spotlight!
And now he was being made to compete?
This was clearly an attempt to use those seventh- and eighth-level Body Forging experts to probe his true abilities further!
To force him to reveal his real strength!
Thoughts raced through Zhou Xuan's mind.
Of course, he couldn't object.
He couldn't exactly say in front of everyone, "Chief Steward Wang, you've got it wrong. My Spirit Root has already improved, so cultivation isn't that hard for me."
Wouldn't that be asking for death?
A man might be innocent, but his treasure could make him guilty.
The secret of being able to improve one's Spirit Root aptitude was enough to drive the entire Sect mad. If that happened, Zhou Xuan feared not even scraps of his bones would be left.
In the Cultivation World, the Art of Survival was the true way to stay alive.
Forget it.
Zhou Xuan quickly made up his mind.
It was just a competition. So be it.
At worst, he'd step onto the stage, clasp his hands to his opponent, say a crisp "I concede," and come right back down.
His only goal was to pass the assessment and avoid being kicked out of the Sect. As for those damn competition prizes, he truly didn't care for them at the moment.
As Zhou Xuan considered his options, he keenly sensed the gazes around him changing.
The expert chore servants who had already secured a place in the afternoon's competition no longer looked at him with shock and confusion.
Those eyes, one after another, were like hungry wolves spotting prey, filled with undisguised mockery, greed, and ill intent.
In their eyes, Zhou Xuan, the fellow who'd been granted an exception to compete, was no longer a person.
He was a free pass to the next round on legs.
Whoever drew him in the first round that afternoon would effectively get a bye, advancing to the next round without lifting a finger.
In an instant, Zhou Xuan seemed like a slab of fatty meat on a chopping board, fixed in the sights of a pack of hungry wolves.
Faced with those wolfish stares, Zhou Xuan merely narrowed his eyes slightly. A cold glint flashed deep in them and vanished.
A slab of fatty meat on the chopping board? A free pass to the next round on legs?
He sneered inwardly.
These guys really thought he was a soft persimmon.
He'd planned to concede as soon as he stepped up. Better to avoid trouble and stick to the Art of Survival.
But now, he suddenly felt that showing off a little strength and giving these self-important fools a hard slap in the face might not be such a bad idea.
The thought had only just surfaced when he temporarily pushed it down.
No rush. He'd see how things went.
As Zhou Xuan pondered, the morning cultivation test gradually drew to a close.
"Next, Zhou Ye!"
When Chief Steward Wang called out the name, hardly anyone paid attention.
Most were either still focused on the shock Zhou Xuan had caused or already planning for the afternoon's competition.
Zhou Ye took a deep breath, his gaunt face taut with nerves. He walked up to the Puppet and, following Zhou Xuan's example, gathered all his strength into one punch.
"Ha!"
Thud!
Another dull thump. The crystal on the Puppet's chest flickered a few times, then a clear six appeared.
"Body Forging, sixth level. Pass!"
Chief Steward Wang's voice remained lazy, but a small commotion rose from the crowd.
"Another one? Isn't this Zhou Ye the one who's been stuck at the fourth level of Body Forging for ages, half-dead? How'd he break through too?"
"Today's just cursed. First Zhou Xuan, the perennial bottom of the rankings, reaches the fifth level of Body Forging, and now even this medicine jar has made it to the sixth?"
"Haven't those two been spending a lot of time together lately? Could it be..."
People's gazes swept back and forth between Zhou Xuan and Zhou Ye, full of suspicion and speculation.
Zhou Ye paid none of it any mind. He stared at the number six, trembling all over with excitement.
He'd done it! Not only had he passed the assessment, he'd even reached the sixth level of Body Forging!
He'd never dared dream of reaching such heights!
He whipped around and looked toward Zhou Xuan in the corner of the crowd, his eyes brimming with boundless gratitude and fervor.
He knew it. All of this had been bestowed on him by Brother Xuan!
Zhou Xuan gave him a slight nod, signaling him to stay calm.
The morning assessment ended there. Some rejoiced while others grieved.
The eliminated chore servants were gathered together, wailing and crying, but they were soon forcibly taken away. Their fate was to return to the mortal world.
During the brief midday break, Zhou Ye immediately sought out Zhou Xuan, his face full of barely suppressed worry.
"Brother Xuan!"
He lowered his voice and spoke urgently.
"That Chief Steward Wang is clearly throwing you into the fire!"
"He's making you compete, but those seventh- and eighth-level Body Forging guys are all ruthless. You absolutely mustn't step onto the stage this afternoon!"
Zhou Ye was now utterly loyal to Zhou Xuan, and naturally didn't want anything to happen to him.
"It's fine."
Zhou Xuan remained calm as he handed Zhou Ye a steamed bun.
"When the soldiers come, we'll block them; when the water comes, we'll dam it. If he wants to see, I'll let him watch."
"But..."
Zhou Ye still wasn't reassured. His forehead was beaded with sweat.
"That old bastard clearly has something up his sleeve. He must suspect you got some kind of treasure and wants to force you to reveal it!"
"I understand."
Zhou Xuan smiled faintly and took a bite of his bun.
"My progress really has been too fast, too fast to make sense. It was only a matter of time before someone as greedy as him set his sights on me. There's no avoiding it."
He looked at the few chore servant experts in the distance, who were limbering up and occasionally shooting him challenging looks. The corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
Then bring it on!
Before you continue