Little Fatty

Lin Chen turned and left.

He had seen this kind of routine plenty of times.

First, they painted a big pie and dangled benefits to hook your interest, then they started piling on all kinds of conditions.

He might not be short on money now, but he had no intention of playing the fool and getting fleeced.

"Hey, hey... Brother Chen, don't go!"

Little Fatty chased after him relentlessly.

Lin Chen abruptly turned around, glared at him fiercely, and raised his fist. "Follow me again, and I'll beat you up!"

Little Fatty hurriedly raised his hands to show that he meant no harm, then shamelessly tagged along anyway.

"Brother Chen, I'm just following you. I'm not asking you to do anything else, so you're not losing out."

Lin Chen nearly laughed.

Anyone who could get hold of something like this had to have at least some connections and tricks up his sleeve.

He immediately put away his fierce expression. "Can you get Spirit Stones?"

"Brother Chen, are you kidding? Those things are controlled by the sects. How are commoners like us supposed to get them?"

"Then there's nothing to talk about." Lin Chen turned to leave again.

Little Fatty's eyes behind him grew conflicted. In just a few seconds, he made up his mind.

Gritting his back teeth, he said, "Brother Chen, how many do you want?"

Lin Chen's eyes lit up. "The more, the better. I'll trade gold for them."

Heh heh!

Little Fatty gave an awkward smile. "Brother Chen, gold probably won't work. You need Sect Contribution Points to exchange for Spirit Stones, and you can only do that after entering the sect. Not now."

"Then what the hell are we talking for?"

Lin Chen turned and strode away.

He soon vanished into the crowd.

Little Fatty behind him looked thoughtful. He glanced at the gleaming bead in his hand. "The old ancestor wouldn't lie to me. He's definitely not ordinary."

He stood there dazed for a moment, then immediately began looking for his next target.

Lin Chen weaved through the crowd, listening to everyone's discussions, and soon gathered some useful information.

It turned out that Green Mountain Sect's assessment was extremely rigorous.

There were layers upon layers of screening, followed by final evaluation and scoring to determine who stayed and who left.

The first thing tested was talent.

If a person had no talent for cultivation, even entering Green Mountain Sect would only be a waste of resources.

The second thing tested was temperament.

This world never lacked geniuses, but very few could make it to the very end.

On the contrary, those with average aptitude but exceptional temperament often traveled farther.

The third test was bone age.

The age limit was set at sixteen because at that age, one's innate nature had not yet grown turbid and one's acquired nature had not yet taken shape. They could still be carved and molded, making it the perfect time for cultivation.

Of course, bone age had already been verified in advance.

There were also courage, cultivation, strength, and so on.

Green Mountain Sect had also chosen the end of the year for its assessment.

Those lucky enough to be born at the beginning of the year could cultivate for an extra year ahead of time.

Their cultivation and strength would naturally be greater.

Of course, cultivation and strength were only bonus factors in the assessment, not deciding factors.

After all, once they entered the sect, those things would naturally improve.

Rather than getting excited after learning this, Lin Chen felt somewhat troubled.

He had the Five Elements Waste Spirit Root.

If that prevented him from joining the sect, it would be a massive loss.

"I need to think of a way..."

Lin Chen sank his consciousness into his mind. "System, you said earlier that since I comprehended the Extreme Path Cultivation Method, besides the body, cultivation, and soul entering the Extreme Dao, what else can?"

[Host, your outlook is too narrow. Learn about the Universal Exchange System.]

"What you mean is, anything can be exchanged?" Lin Chen pressed.

[Yes, Host. Anything that requires the accumulation of time to improve can be exchanged, and the exchange items are not limited to Low-Grade Spirit Stones.]

[Mid-Grade Spirit Stones, High-Grade Spirit Stones, Extreme-Grade Spirit Stones, Spirit Crystals, even Spirit Meridians and Spirit Sources can all be exchanged. The greater the energy contained in the exchange item, the better the exchange effect.]

Hearing this, Lin Chen felt as though clouds had parted and the sun had appeared.

A plan formed in his mind.

Without realizing it, dawn had broken.

A distant bell suddenly rang out within Green Mountain Sect.

The mist-shrouded mountains immediately became clear and visible.

Ripples like water spread through the mountains.

The next moment, everyone cried out in surprise.

On the mountain, magnificent towers and jade pavilions stretched out in endless succession, with immortal halls and rainbow bridges linking them together.

They painted a scene overflowing with immortal aura.

If they did not know where they were, they would have thought it was the Immortal Realm.

Lin Chen was deeply shaken by the sight as well.

Especially that Giant Crane—more than a dozen people could sit on its back without crowding it.

"Isn't that way too huge?"

Cry! Cry!

The crane's cry rang out, carrying for a hundred miles.

The instant the sound reached their ears, the Giant Crane had already flown above their heads.

A Crane-Haired Elder stood atop it. He swept his gaze over the foot of the mountain and spoke slowly.

"You may address me as Elder Liu. Now, accompanying family members, leave the area. Count the number of assessment participants."

His voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.

An irresistible will descended with it, making everyone present obey at once.

In only half a quarter-hour, all the accompanying family members had left.

Lin Chen felt an invisible energy sweep across the area. Then the elder spoke again.

"Eight hundred and seventy-two expected. Eight hundred and seventy-two present. All personnel have been confirmed. The assessment begins now."

As Elder Liu's voice fell, the Barrier on the mountain ahead opened.

A long stone stairway, like a giant dragon coiled upon the earth, led straight up the mountain.

Its end could not be seen at a glance.

"On the path of cultivation, talent is certainly precious, but temperament and perseverance are equally indispensable. The first assessment is climbing the Heavy Mountain Path."

Elder Liu's voice shook the air. As it entered everyone's ears, it was like an alarm bell booming.

"Climb thirty thousand steps within three hours, and you will pass."

"Climb sixty thousand steps, and you will receive bonus points.

Reach the summit at ninety thousand steps, and not only will you receive bonus points, you will also be rewarded with one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, handed out on the spot."

After Elder Liu finished explaining, everyone erupted in startled cries.

Lin Chen in particular fixed his gaze tightly on the Mountain Peak.

He had to get those hundred Spirit Stones!

"The assessment begins now!"

Following Elder Liu's command, all eight hundred and seventy-two people surged onto the Heavy Mountain Path.

Lin Chen stood near the back and followed at an unhurried pace.

By his estimation, this Heavy Mountain Path could not possibly be just an ordinary mountain climb.

There might be gravitational suppression, or perhaps even illusions.

This was not a wild guess. It came from the experience he had gained from reading those novels in his previous life.

Reality, however, slapped him in the face. After climbing several thousand steps, he felt absolutely nothing.

This damn thing was just an ordinary mountain path.

Its only special feature was that it had a lot of steps.

Lin Chen felt thoroughly depressed.

He followed the group. More than eight hundred people climbed the mountain path laughing and chatting.

It was ridiculously easy.

Rather than a test, it felt more like they were being sent sightseeing through the mountains.

But as time passed, the group gradually spread out.

The talking grew quieter and quieter, and some people even began sitting down to rest.

Lin Chen had undergone Extreme Dao Body Tempering. His body was several times stronger than that of an ordinary cultivator.

He did not feel tired in the slightest, yet he had already reached ten thousand steps.

By his calculations, only two quarter-hours had passed.

"Ninety thousand steps come with a Spirit Stone reward. Whether I can enter Green Mountain Sect or not, I'll get the reward first."

Having made up his mind, Lin Chen began quickening his pace.

At this speed, he had a chance of reaching the summit at ninety thousand steps in around two and a half hours.

"Brother Chen!"

At that moment, the Little Fatty from before actually caught up with him.

The fellow looked round and chubby, like a ball, yet he was not slow at all when climbing the steps.

And judging by his strong, resonant shout, he clearly still had strength to spare.

This kid was not simple either.

Little Fatty ran up, pulled a small booklet from his robes, and handed it to Lin Chen.

"Brother Chen, this records the rules and precautions for every test. Take a look."

As the saying went, one did not strike a smiling face. Lin Chen hesitated for a moment, then reached out and accepted it.

He opened it and gave it a glance.

Lin Chen secretly praised him in his heart.

This Little Fatty was absolutely detective material.

The records inside were far more detailed than the information Lin Chen had just heard.

There was also a copied list of everyone participating in the assessment, along with information such as their strength.

With this little booklet, he felt even more confident about the tests.

"Talent!" Lin Chen could not help praising him.

Heh heh!

Little Fatty grinned. "Brother Chen, this is called knowing yourself and knowing your enemy, and you will never be defeated in a hundred battles."

He looked ahead and behind them, then leaned close to Lin Chen's ear and whispered.

"Brother Chen, there are combat portions in the assessment. Knowing these people's strength will make them easier to deal with when the time comes."

Lin Chen's eyes lit up. "There's actually something like that? Then I really need to take a good look."

The two chatted as they continued upward.

Lin Chen suddenly stopped. His own name was prominently listed in third place.

If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you won't have trouble finding it next time.