March Assessment, Chance Encounter with a Creditor

Among the outer sect, the gifted disciples hurried forward to ask:

"Junior Sister Yunxi, is this matter truly beyond doubt?"

Wang Yunxi smiled faintly and replied, "Naturally, it is true."

Then, while everyone was still discussing it heatedly, someone asked softly in confusion:

"But Junior Sister, since there is such earth-shaking news, why did you still choose to join the Jade Purity Peak Lineage? I do not know the reason..."

Though the words were left unfinished, everyone already understood what was meant.

If there was a chance to enter Supreme Purity Peak and directly become a true disciple above even the inner sect, who could resist such temptation?

Why had Wang Yunxi chosen the Jade Purity Lineage in advance?

Wang Yunxi remained composed as she said:

"I understand everyone's doubts, but my family has certain considerations that leave me no choice but to join the Jade Purity Lineage."

"Yunxi, if there were a choice, the Supreme Purity Lineage would certainly be the first choice. After all, Supreme Purity Peak's first disciple has Fairy Yunxiao, a True Person, to rely on. Who would not want that?"

"However, since Fairy Yunxiao is the one choosing disciples, the difficulty goes without saying. It is beyond the reach of ordinary people. Yunxi knows her own limits."

Some in the crowd nodded, while others remained doubtful.

Others flattered her, saying that Junior Sister Yunxi was being too modest.

There was no end to such reactions.

Wang Yunxi's words were indeed frank. Fairy Yunxiao's selection of disciples was bound to be exceedingly stringent.

Most of those present were children of prominent clans. Most had already reached perfection in the Second Heavenly Ladder, and some had even attained Foundation Establishment.

Their cultivation levels did not differ greatly, but their actual strength varied.

Everyone's gaze flickered with unspoken thoughts, each harboring their own calculations.

One had to know!

Supreme Purity Peak had been sealed off for many years, with only Fairy Yunxiao remaining.

To enter it was to become a true disciple—a heaven-sent opportunity to ascend in a single step.

Seeing this, Wang Yunxi said no more and continued:

"There is also some bad news. Take it as you will. The basic assessment held once every four years for the outer sect, three months from now, will be exceptionally strict. Disciples who fail to meet the standard will be demoted to servant disciples, and may even be expelled from the Divine Firmament Sect."

Upon hearing this, everyone frowned, but most did not take it too seriously.

They had been in the Divine Firmament Sect for nearly four years. For these clan disciples who had cultivated to the Second Heavenly Ladder, such an assessment was a trivial matter.

They were confident they could handle it.

Yet a small number of people in the crowd wore bitter expressions, Yu Ke among them.

His face remained calm, but inwardly, he was groaning without end.

Having only just crossed into this world, before he could adapt to anything here, he had run into an assessment.

His Foundation Establishment had failed, and all his cultivation had been crippled. For a cultivator, this was undoubtedly a fatal blow.

There were only three months left!

It was already pressing down on him, the pressure as heavy as a mountain.

Becoming a servant disciple would basically mean leaving cultivation behind and living as an ox and horse for the rest of his life.

Worse still, if he were expelled from the sect, then once such a disgraceful matter reached his family, no matter how much his parents doted on him, the clan elders would never tolerate such shame.

They would likely cast him out of the family without mercy. Without his family, he would find it difficult to gain a foothold in this world.

Yu Ke could not help cursing his own bad luck. He had only just crossed over, yet he had encountered such a thorny situation.

As for Fairy Yunxiao choosing disciples at the Outer Sect Tournament two years later—

That was still too far away for him to care about.

He had to get through the immediate crisis first.

Since things had come to this, he might as well eat first.

Yu Ke picked up a spirit fruit and bit into it fiercely, while sampling the various exquisite pastries on the table.

He was not the only one here to freeload on food and drink.

After all, even among the clan disciples of Great Zhou, there were those who had fallen on hard times, not to mention disciples from humble backgrounds.

In the Divine Firmament Sect, outer disciples cultivated full-time and had no additional income, relying entirely on support from their families.

Though the Divine Firmament Sect was a sect, it was not a charity. Everything required Spirit Stones.

Aside from the few basic cultivation techniques provided by the sect, which had dedicated instructors, if disciples encountered any problems in cultivation and wished to consult their elders, they had to pay additional Spirit Stones.

"What a rip-off!"

Servant disciples could still receive some Spirit Stones each month as compensation, but outer disciples had to bear all their own expenses.

Therefore!

Most outer disciples lived in considerable straits, calculating every single Spirit Stone with care.

Being able to take advantage of this opportunity to mooch a little was quite a fine thing.

Yu Ke, who was eating with his head down, was called out by a voice.

"Senior Brother Yu, weren't you preparing for Upper-grade Foundation Establishment in order to compete in the Outer Sect Tournament? How is it going?"

The voice came from a youth seated at the same table.

The youth was named Zhao Li, a child of a prominent Great Zhou clan that had now declined, though his ancestors had once been wealthy and powerful.

Since Yu Ke had merely been eating and drinking without speaking, Zhao Li had not noticed him at first. Only now did he realize who he was. His tone carried a measure of familiarity; the two were acquaintances, having entered the Divine Firmament Sect in the same year.

The methods of Foundation Establishment recorded in the cultivation world were endlessly varied. The Divine Firmament Sect alone had recorded more than three thousand.

Foundation Establishment was the dividing line between geniuses and ordinary people.

Foundation Establishment was divided into nine grades: the upper three grades, middle three grades, and lower three grades. Each grade represented different potential.

Above Grade One was the legendary Fated Foundation Establishment, something only heaven's favored prodigies could possess. To outer sect disciples, it was simply beyond reach.

Once the three basic cultivation techniques of the Divine Firmament Sect were cultivated to perfection, one could achieve upper-grade Foundation Establishment.

However!

Those who could reach perfection in the outer sect were few and far between, showing just how difficult it was.

After thinking briefly, Yu Ke recognized the youth before him.

"So it is Junior Brother Zhao. I hope you have been well."

He shook his head lightly and said calmly, "My Foundation Establishment is not yet complete. I still need time to prepare."

He knew full well that revealing his failed Foundation Establishment and declining cultivation at this moment would not bring sympathy. It would only earn him cold looks.

Those creditors would not grant him leniency because of his temporary hardship. Instead, when he was at his weakest, they would kick him when he was down and force him to hand over even more.

Yu Ke said apologetically:

"As for the Spirit Stones I owed Junior Brother Zhao last time, I will likely need a few more days."

The previous owner's failed Foundation Establishment had required purchased Foundation Establishment treasures whose prices were enough to make one gasp. His own money had certainly not been enough, so he had no choice but to borrow some from fellow disciples.

Some loans had been written down, while others were merely verbal.

"No problem!"

Zhao Li said with a smile:

"Senior Brother need not take it to heart. This little amount of Spirit Stones can wait. Once Senior Brother succeeds in Foundation Establishment, do not forget to share some of your insights."

Zhao Li spoke magnanimously.

He was not worried that Yu Ke would fail to repay him. After all, Yu Ke had the Luoshui Yu Clan behind him.

If someone went to the Yu Family to cause trouble over a debt, the only thing damaged would be the Yu Family's face.

As Zhao Li understood it, Yu Ke was extremely ambitious among their fellow Great Zhou clan disciples. His usual spending was never shabby either, enough to show that he was dependable.

The amount borrowed was not much, and Zhao Li was not short on Spirit Stones at present, so he did not take the matter to heart.

Yu Ke thanked him and quietly let out a breath of relief.

At least for the time being, these fellow disciples would not come knocking to collect their debts.

Zhao Li looked at the most eye-catching few people in the gathering, his eyes filled with envy.

"A true man ought to be like this, but entering the inner sect is no easy task."

"Entering Supreme Purity Peak is likely as difficult as climbing to the heavens."

Yu Ke heard this and knew it was indeed true.

The number of inner disciples in each intake was fixed, and the competition was fierce.

The banquet gradually reached its height.

The guests either made friends, chatted and laughed, or sought to curry favor with the focal figures in the hall.

During this time, two small incidents occurred.

First, one of the lackeys under inner disciple Xie Xuan provoked Wang Yunxi with a few half-hearted, neither-salty-nor-bland remarks.

Xie Xuan came from the Xie Clan of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

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