The Final Assessment

"Li Huai'an, sixty-eight Grade As!"

Above the clouds, a young man in a golden robe looked at the record in his hand, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

Li Huai'an was astonishing. Even compared with several previous batches, his talent and strength would rank among the top three, perhaps even contend for first place.

Yet such a figure...

He looked at another record, his brows tightly furrowed. "This Bai Jing—what is so mysterious about him that, at the very last moment, he surpassed Li Huai'an in the number of completed missions?"

In terms of rating excellence, talent, and cultivation, Bai Jing naturally could not hold a candle to him.

But the number of missions completed was also one of the metrics for this assessment.

Li Huai'an, who should have left everyone in the dust, had instead been surpassed by a rustic youth he regarded as mediocre and foolish.

"Forget it. Li Huai'an still stands above all others in the overall score for this assessment." He shook his head and stopped fuming.

"Hmm?" His expression suddenly changed. As runes flickered, he vanished from where he stood.

"Not here?"

Not long after the young man left, two figures appeared there.

"Senior Brother, what are you looking for?" Fang Wenze looked around curiously.

"I clearly sensed Qin Yan Sheng's aura. Did he run away?" Lin Changsheng stroked his chin and muttered to himself.

"Why is Senior Brother looking for Senior Brother Qin?"

"What would a brat like you know?" Lin Changsheng sneered.

"Wasn't he so smug because he recorded a genius? Now that genius has been surpassed by someone in the mission category. Of course I want to see the look on his face when he suffers. Better yet, I'll laugh at him to his face—that will finally ease the hatred in my heart."

Elsewhere, a thousand miles away, Qin Yan Sheng ran while looking back over his shoulder. He muttered, "Looks like I'll have to hide from that bastard Lin Changsheng these next few days."

"Is it over already? I was only one mission short, just one mission!"

"Five months simply wasn't enough!"

That morning, as the tolling bells rang without end, the entire outpost began to boil.

Some assessment disciples wore despairing expressions, their eyes filled with unwillingness.

They had been so close—just a little closer, and they would have passed this assessment.

"It has finally come. I have waited so long for this day!"

Other disciples were confident as they hurried expectantly toward the square.

Before long, the square was packed shoulder to shoulder.

"Fellow Daoist Xu, could you introduce us? We wish to meet the remarkable man who surpassed Li Huai'an."

"Indeed. To keep that genius from taking everything for himself, he must be somebody. Why had I never heard of him before? Why have you never mentioned him?"

"Where is Bai Jing? They are about to announce the final assessment's contents. Where did he go?"

Several well-known geniuses surrounded Xu Shan, questioning him incessantly.

Xu Shan was in high spirits, enjoying the splendor of being surrounded by a group of geniuses. He said, "My brother is not good with words, and he should be cultivating right now."

"Cultivating? What peerless art is he practicing that requires such diligence?" Many people were astonished.

The assessment's contents were about to be announced, yet he was still cultivating.

"Yes, he has always been like this. He firmly believes that hard work will bear fruit." Xu Shan did not explain further, merely smiling.

"No wonder he could surpass Li Huai'an and claim first place on the Golden Ranking. He is truly grounded and steady, a model for us all to learn from." The geniuses nodded, and their respect for Bai Jing deepened.

"Hmm?" At that moment, Xu Shan spotted a familiar figure.

"Enough chatting. I have something to do."

He then dismissed the geniuses, went to the entrance of the square, and pulled the approaching Bai Jing aside.

"What is it?" Bai Jing asked in surprise.

"Some people want to meet you. I thought Brother Bai would not enjoy such occasions, so it would be best to avoid them."

"Mm." Bai Jing nodded. He truly did not like dealing with people.

"That must be Bai Jing."

In the distance, a youth stood alone. No one dared approach within three meters of him, his presence overwhelmingly powerful.

Li Huai'an!

He looked at Bai Jing and murmured softly.

The other party seemed to sense his gaze and looked over as well.

"Hi!"

Bai Jing saw Li Huai'an and dipped his head slightly in greeting.

However, the latter showed no expression at all, promptly turning his body to face another direction.

Bai Jing shrugged and did not mind.

"Who did Brother Bai see?" Xu Shan followed Bai Jing's gaze but found nothing unusual.

"Li Huai'an," Bai Jing said plainly.

"Him." Xu Shan looked again and finally spotted the genius's side profile.

"Brother Bai, don't provoke him. That man's talent is far too high. You were lucky to beat him once this time. If he holds a grudge, I would not dare help you."

"I know my limits." Bai Jing smiled faintly and shook his head.

Dong!

As they spoke, a beam of Golden Light descended from the horizon. In the blink of an eye, it appeared above the square.

The Golden Light gradually dispersed, and a Daoist-robed cultivator stepped out from within.

The once chaotic and clamorous square instantly fell deathly silent.

Bai Jing looked up and discovered that this great cultivator was the terrifying expert who had appeared several months ago.

This time, however, not a wisp of power leaked from him, allowing the disciples to relax somewhat.

"Everyone is more or less here." The cultivator muttered, then fixed his gaze on the crowd. "All disciples who have not completed the assessment, pack your belongings at once. Return whence you came."

The moment those words fell, the quiet square erupted.

The disciples who had failed to complete the assessment all changed expression.

"Senior, could you grant me an opportunity? This junior is only one mission short. An accident occurred during a previous mission and delayed me for some days. I beg Senior to give me one chance, to fulfill my wish of seeking the Dao!"

One disciple immediately fell to his knees and kowtowed, his face full of unwillingness.

Yet the Shangqing Mountain expert merely glanced at him and said, "Within the time it takes for one incense stick to burn, any unqualified person still remaining at this outpost..."

"Dies!"

As his words fell, it was as though ten thousand tons of thunder stirred. Everyone felt mountain-like pressure descend upon them, making even breathing difficult.

"That bastard can go seek death himself—why drag us down with him?!" Several geniuses felt chills down their backs, sweat beading on their foreheads as they cursed.

The disciple who had begged for a chance showed utter despair. His face was ashen, and he staggered before collapsing onto the ground in a daze.

"May we meet again if fate permits!"

One eliminated disciple after another began leaving, voicing their farewells.

"I'm leaving. In this life, there will be no more chance for me to seek immortality!" Zhu Yi looked reluctantly at those disciples, then at the Golden Ranking, and sighed.

He saw Bai Jing again, calm and composed.

They were neighbors across the hall.

He had once looked down on the other man, never imagining that Bai Jing could now stand shoulder to shoulder with Li Huai'an, while he himself had to leave midway, no longer qualified to continue.

Before long, half the people had left the vast square.

"Enough."

Once nearly everyone had departed, a majestic voice spread throughout the square.

The crowd quieted once more.

"The final mission assessment is very simple. Complete three Level One missions, and all three mission ratings must reach Grade A to pass!"

The great cultivator's voice echoed across the square.

He added, "To help you complete this assessment more effectively, all missions will be fully opened, allowing you to exchange for resources."

"The duration is five months!"