A Different Path

"Senior Brother, have any of the disciples under your charge completed this assessment?"

Above the clouds, a young man with a longsword on his back sat cross-legged. Behind him appeared a young cultivator, who asked the question.

"And you, Junior Brother?" Lin Changsheng turned back and asked.

"Not yet. Thousands of fellow disciples are responsible for recording these candidates, but there are only so many geniuses. The disciples under my charge are all quite ordinary." The junior brother gave a bitter smile.

"Oh." Lin Changsheng nodded.

"What about you, Senior Brother? How are things on your end?"

"I do have one who has already completed the assessment ahead of time." Lin Changsheng smiled.

"Oh?" The junior brother looked over. He remembered that the twenty disciples under Senior Brother Lin's charge were more or less all mediocre.

No, there was one little genius of the array path.

At the dining table, Xu Shan watched Bai Jing wolf down his food, his expression hesitant as he did not know how to begin.

"Brother Xu, ask whatever you want to ask." Bai Jing wiped his mouth, happily drank a cup of tea, and smiled.

"Brother Bai, tell me honestly—where did these Ascension Coins come from? If you're in some difficulty, you can tell me." Xu Shan spoke sternly.

He feared that Bai Jing had followed his example: with no Ascension Coins to spend, he had gone to borrow from someone.

"What are you thinking?" Bai Jing seemed to understand the implication behind his words. Shaking his head, he answered, "I earned them by doing missions."

"Doing missions?" Xu Shan froze, his brows drawing together slightly. After pondering for a moment, he said, "I remember that it's only been five days since we last parted. You completed two missions in five days, or did your mission rating reach Grade A?"

"Brother Xu knows my talent. How could I possibly get a Grade A Rating?" Bai Jing laughed lightly.

"Then that means you completed two missions in five days?" Xu Shan cried out in surprise, a trace of barely perceptible shock flashing across his face.

He understood the other's talent well enough.

"No, you're wrong." Bai Jing shook his head again, crossing his two index fingers into a ten as he slowly said, "It was ten!"

"Ten!" Xu Shan's heart jolted. He stared at Bai Jing in disbelief, horror in his eyes.

Ten missions? Bai Jing had actually completed ten missions in five days?

Was this really the friend he knew?

One had to know that even geniuses like Chu Ming, who did not care about mission ratings, had needed over twenty days to finish ten missions of Five Pass difficulty.

Bai Jing had been utterly unremarkable among the assessment disciples. How could he have completed them in such a short time?

Xu Shan stared at Bai Jing and looked him up and down. Had his good friend been possessed?

Bai Jing smiled and explained, "The reason I could finish them in such a short time was because of a mastery."

"A mastery?" Xu Shan was somewhat puzzled.

What kind of mastery could possess such ability?

"Yes, a Lightness Skill Mastery." Bai Jing nodded and continued, "This mastery has no other abilities, but it is very fast for travel. Brother Xu knows that part of the reason we take so long to complete missions is because Yunzhou is vast and our legs are not swift enough, so we must use fast horses for transport."

"But this mastery of mine lets me travel faster than a galloping horse. It saves both time and effort."

"Brother Bai truly is an odd talent. If we chose masteries, we would all think of how to strengthen our power. Only Brother Bai would blaze a different trail and approach it from the matter of time." Xu Shan sighed, growing even more impressed.

After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Brother Bai, do you think I still have time to practice a Lightness Skill Mastery?"

"..." Bai Jing said, "There is no need for Brother Xu to do so. Your talent and mine are different, so naturally our choices are different as well. You should focus on striving for Grade A Ratings in every mission. The special reward is more important."

Xu Shan nodded. Then he smiled and said, "Doesn't that mean you and I have a chance to enter Shangqing Immortal Mountain together?"

"Probably."

After leaving the cafeteria, Bai Jing parted ways with Xu Shan in advance.

Xu Shan had been constantly doing missions lately, worn out from traveling by boat and carriage, so he chose to rest for two days.

Bai Jing naturally would not stop. He had cultivated bitterly for several months precisely so that he could now do missions without worry.

Turning left from the cafeteria, Bai Jing walked some distance before arriving at Ascension Tower.

When he entered the Mission Hall, it was already packed to the brim.

"With only one month left, it's time for ordinary assessment disciples to exert themselves," Bai Jing murmured.

Well, he was one of those ordinary disciples.

Then Bai Jing joined the line selecting missions.

He had three criteria for missions he would not choose: he would not choose locations in open terrain, targets that were people, or enemies with strength at the middle stage of Five Pass or above.

He avoided open terrain because his Lightness Skill Mastery had its flaws.

He did not choose human targets because, in his view, people were more terrifying than demons and monsters.

However, he might have to discard that last criterion.

Bai Jing selected and selected, only to find that the intelligence on every Bounty Notice placed the target's strength at the middle stage of Five Pass or higher.

After all, the disciples taking missions now did not possess the confidence of geniuses and were comparatively cautious.

"Li Huai'an!" At that moment, an excited cry drew everyone's attention.

Bai Jing also looked toward the sound.

At the entrance of the Mission Hall, a handsome and upright young man strode in.

He wore brocade, his expression somewhat cold and stern.

"So this is the number one among the assessment candidates." It was Bai Jing's first time seeing Li Huai'an up close.

He somewhat matched the rumors Bai Jing had heard: cold and aloof, beyond approach, with an imposing presence.

He headed straight for the mission pillar. Though the hall had been crowded, everyone unconsciously made way for him, opening a broad path.

Li Huai'an reached the mission pillar, gave it a brief glance, then took three Bounty Notices and turned to leave, his movements as smooth as flowing water.

Bai Jing felt somewhat envious. If he possessed such strength, he would not have to agonize so much over selecting missions.

No longer dwelling on it, he began choosing missions.

Elsewhere, above the clouds.

"With nothing more than a Lightness Skill Mastery, he has raised his mission completion speed to two a day. His talent may not compare to those geniuses, but he has blazed a different trail and won through speed. He does have some ideas."

After hearing Senior Brother Lin Changsheng's account, Fang Wenze offered a word of praise.

"Back then, when I saw him choose a Lightness Skill Mastery that no one would ever have thought of choosing, I was somewhat annoyed. Now it seems that he truly has something unique about him."

Lin Changsheng smiled, evidently beginning to grow satisfied with Bai Jing's actions.

"Hm?" At that moment, Fang Wenze gave a soft cry of surprise. He occasionally observed the disciples under his charge, and now he saw Bai Jing emerge from Ascension Tower.

"This child is quite clever. He knows his own situation. Doing missions to earn Ascension Coins is the best method. When he faces the final assessment later, at least he will not lose his head."

Lin Changsheng's gaze reflected the Bounty Notices in Bai Jing's hand, and his eyes revealed approval.

"Another ten missions. Surely he isn't planning to finish them in five days again?" Fang Wenze murmured.

"Tianxiang Mountain. This place has many mountains and rivers, so it happens to avoid the weaknesses of his Lightness Skill Mastery." Lin Changsheng did not answer his junior brother. His gaze rested on the Bounty Notices in Bai Jing's hand, and then he nodded with a smile.

Time flowed like water, pressing onward without pause.

Only ten days remained until the end of this assessment.

Dong!

A resonant bell rang out. It was the day the Golden Ranking was renewed.