Li Huai'an

"Watching them, I felt as though I saw my younger self." Upon the clouds, a young man with graying temples sighed.

"Senior Disciple Yun, you were one of the most outstanding people of your generation. You would never have been as unable to keep your composure as they are." A cultivator beside him laughed.

As he spoke, he looked toward his fellow disciple opposite him, only to find the other's expression somewhat frosty. He could not help asking:

"What is it, Senior Disciple Lin? Who upset you again?"

"Hmph!" At the question, he snorted coldly and said:

"Do you still remember Bai Jing, the assessment disciple I told you about before?"

"Of course. Didn't Senior Disciple Lin say that the boy's choice of formations was not reckless, but because he had extraordinary talent in formations? What did he do now?"

"A few days ago, Bai Jing chose a Lightness Skill Mastery." Lin Changsheng said.

"A Lightness Skill Mastery?" The junior disciple froze for a moment, then quickly understood and could not help asking, "You mean he used the Ascension Coins he earned from doing missions for a month to exchange for a lightness skill?"

Lin Changsheng nodded, revealing a helpless expression. He did not know what Bai Jing was thinking. Since he had talent in formations, he should have saved enough Ascension Coins to exchange for more advanced formations.

"What is going on with that kid? Does he not even understand where his strengths lie?"

"What else could it be? A fool from some backwater village—how could he know how lofty and profound the path of formations is? It seems Senior Disciple Lin's luck is not very good after all, to have encountered such an idiot."

At that moment, an ill-timed voice drifted over, making Lin Changsheng frown slightly. When he saw who had spoken, the disgust in his eyes was impossible to conceal.

"Qin Yan Sheng, what are you doing here?" he demanded.

"Of course I came to inspect the assessment disciple under my charge. You have heard of Li Huai'an, haven't you? He is probably a little better than the fool you recorded. He has already reached the Fourth Stage of Qi and Blood."

Qin Yan Sheng gave a light laugh as he spoke.

"Qin Yan Sheng!"

A voice like thunder exploded in Qin Yan Sheng's mind. His expression changed slightly, and he immediately bowed. "Greetings, Senior Disciple Yun!"

Senior Disciple Yun looked at him and said, "Calling people fools at every turn—some of those below may become disciples of Shangqing Mountain in the future. No matter how high your cultivation is, you should not speak to them with such malicious words."

"I will heed Senior Disciple's instruction." Qin Yan Sheng hurriedly agreed.

On the plaza, two hours had passed since the assessment contents were announced, and very few people remained.

At this moment, a youth in brocade robes with bound sleeves entered the plaza.

"Li Huai'an!" Someone recognized the youth and could not help crying out, causing all the assessment disciples present to turn their heads.

There were quite a few geniuses among this batch of assessment disciples, such as Chen Ping and Chu Ming.

Yet there was only one person whom everyone acknowledged as the undisputed first.

It was the youth before them.

There was no other reason—his talent was simply too high!

Perhaps in the Qi and Blood Realm, he appeared to be only one realm above the other geniuses.

But people said that he was the only assessment disciple personally invited here by an expert from Shangqing Mountain!

Li Huai'an walked up to the notice board, gave the assessment contents a brief glance, then turned and left without lingering in the slightest.

"Perhaps only someone like him can remain so calm and composed." Watching this scene, someone could not help sighing.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

In a forest outside the outpost, a slender strand of silver thread kept leaping through the trees.

After leaving the plaza, Bai Jing had parted ways with Xu Shan and returned here to continue practicing this Lightness Skill Mastery.

Now that the assessment contents had been announced, what he could do was perfect this lightness skill, then improve his cultivation.

"The second mission assessment will not be as simple as before. It will certainly be fraught with danger. This lightness skill can both hasten my travel and give me an advantage when fleeing."

"It is just a pity I did not choose this lightness skill earlier. Otherwise, how could I have earned only around forty Ascension Coins in a month? With this method, I could have earned at least several times more."

As Bai Jing carefully sensed the abilities of this lightness skill, he could not help lamenting.

Of course, he did not regret choosing formations either. With swift speed and powerful formations, given his straitened circumstances at the time, he could not have both.

Come to think of it, he did not even have a weapon that suited him. The Black Iron Sword he had carried before had been shattered by that female ghost during the first mission.

Aside from the three sets of masteries filling his Talent Tree, Bai Jing could be described as possessing nothing else.

"Come to think of it, after more than a month of nourishment from the morning glow, the Talent Tree seems to have grown another circle larger."

He gazed at the mysterious, vibrant Sapling in the Scorched Earth.

"I wonder when the fourth branch will grow." Bai Jing felt a faint sense of anticipation.

Four days later.

After Bai Jing's punishing training, his proficiency in the Silver Thread Flying Spider lightness skill had passed the halfway mark.

Sure enough, unless he pushed himself, he would never know where his limits lay.

Of course, it was also related to the urgency he felt.

This assessment had truly put pressure on him.

Only by perfecting this mastery as soon as possible could he devote himself wholeheartedly to cultivation.

During this time, Xu Shan came to see him once to share some good news. After being despondent for many days, he had finally broken through to the Third Stage of Qi and Blood in the past few days.

Dong!

Only a few days after Xu Shan's breakthrough, a sonorous bell rang throughout the entire outpost.

"The seven days are up. The Golden Ranking has been updated!"

Bai Jing emerged from his thatched hut and looked up at the blinding beam of Golden Light in the inner district.

"At the beginning, probably no one can rank on it except that legendary genius." After one glance, he returned indoors.

With the Golden Ranking's first update, everyone would surely be curious whether anyone had made the list. The place was probably packed so tightly not even water could pass through. Since that was the case, why go?

That night, however, he still learned the specifics of the Golden Ranking.

"Li Huai'an completed two missions, and both received Grade A Ratings? One of those missions was even at Fifth Stage of Qi and Blood difficulty?"

Inside the immortal cafeteria, Bai Jing stared at Xu Shan in astonishment.

The assessment had only just begun, yet he had already completed two missions?

That was far too impressive!

"Yes. I heard that he learned an extremely formidable mastery. After completing his first mission at Fourth Stage of Qi and Blood difficulty, he chose to challenge one at Fifth Stage of Qi and Blood difficulty. Not only did he succeed, he even received a Grade A Rating."

"His is the only name on the entire Golden Ranking. How glorious—looking down upon all of us."

Xu Shan spoke in a sour tone, his eyes filled with envy.

"Truly glorious." Bai Jing could not help offering a few words of praise. This youth's talent was extraordinary, certainly not something Chen Ping and his ilk could compare with.

For a time, both of them fell silent.

"Speaking of which, Brother Bai, when did you start eating immortal Spiritual Meat? I see you usually eat the free meals. What, did you feel the pressure too?" Xu Shan teased as he looked at the plate of fragrant pork on the table.

At that, Bai Jing smiled. He truly had been frugal before, not even daring to touch Spiritual Meat.

"That is more like it. Spiritual Meat is the food we immortal disciples ought to eat. Once you grow accustomed to this, eating ordinary dishes again will only leave you finding them bland and tasteless."

"What you enjoy is the wonderful feeling of improving your cultivation while eating, not the flavor." Bai Jing shook his head as he spoke.

After finishing his meal and returning to his thatched hut, Bai Jing sat cross-legged on the bed.

He first glanced at the Talent Tree: Silver Thread Flying Spider (50/50)

After several days of grueling training at his limits, he had already perfected the Lightness Skill Mastery. He could now cultivate in peace for the time ahead.

"After the Minor Formless Technique reaches perfection, my cultivation speed will not be much worse than Xu Shan's and the others'. At this rate, I should break through to the Third Stage of Qi and Blood in another twenty days."

Bai Jing sensed the condition of his spleen repository and muttered to himself.

After thinking for a moment, he took out a pile of jade coins from his clothes.

Ascension Coins.

They had no practical use themselves. They were merely a special kind of jade used as currency to exchange for resources, exclusively for Shangqing Mountain's assessment.

Bai Jing counted them and found that only ten remained.

He set two aside separately, then looked at the remaining eight and murmured:

"My cultivation cannot fall behind. I will use the rest to buy a bottle of Qi Replenishing Pills first."