Three Assessments, Four Aspects of Qi

Wei Zhixing said nothing.

He did not like to speak. Even though he had just "clashed" with Lu Xuan's Spiritual Sense for an instant, he did not open his mouth to exchange greetings.

Yet he recognized Lu Xuan.

Wei Zhixing was a well-known figure at Hibernation Academy.

But Lu Xuan was even more so.

After all, when young people judged others, looks came first.

Many at Hibernation Academy were unfamiliar with Lu Xuan, but mention his name and none failed to recognize it.

In their youth, countless male classmates had secretly grown jealous, viciously cursing the thieving bastard in the night.

But as the years passed and Lu Xuan grew ever more handsome, much of that jealousy vanished—if they could not compete in looks, they might as well settle down and pursue the Dao.

Later, after Lu Xuan failed the Grand Rite, many sighed with boundless emotion, feeling that Heaven envied a man as fair as Pan An. Yet in the end, they no longer paid attention to Lu Xuan.

But unexpectedly, they met Lu Xuan again today on Cangyun Island.

And judging by his Spiritual Sense, it seemed profoundly mysterious, even surpassing Wei Zhixing's by a measure.

That immediately drew his attention to Lu Xuan.

Yet he was no witless brute. He merely gave a slight nod as greeting, then said no more and quietly sat upon his meditation cushion.

Seeing this, Zhang Xuange immediately smiled.

Senior Brother Wei's attention was no good thing.

Lu Xuan also felt somewhat helpless, but he could not say he was afraid. He could only let matters take their course.

"Junior Brothers, please, sit. Make yourselves at home."

Zhan Qingyang was quite welcoming, inviting the two to sit.

After exchanging courtesies, Lu Xuan and the other each chose a meditation cushion and sat down, quietly waiting.

Neither was fond of socializing. Zhan Qingyang had meant to liven the atmosphere, but when he saw Wei Zhixing sitting with closed eyes and silent, then Lu Xuan seated cross-legged like a statue of some divine being, he helplessly shut the mouth he had only just opened and closed his eyes to cultivate as well.

Their closed-eyed cultivation was no empty gesture. Within the hall, spiritual energy churned and was slowly drawn into their mouths and noses. Misty vapors rose around them, making them truly resemble banished immortals.

Before long, however, footsteps sounded outside the hall.

Without opening his eyes, Lu Xuan saw three men and a woman slowly enter the Instruction Hall.

"Shen Jingyuan, Gu Changgeng, Jiang Zhou, Ning Wanqing..."

With a sweep of his Spiritual Sense, Lu Xuan recognized all four.

"Senior Sister Ning came to the Sea-Calming Bureau too?"

Zhang Xuange sensed the four arrivals as well. He remained calm toward the other three, but Senior Sister Ning left him slightly surprised, and he could not help glancing at Lu Xuan.

It was said that Senior Sister Ning and Senior Brother Lu had once been fond of each other?

Lu Xuan's expression, however, remained placid.

Because he knew that it was all utter nonsense, merely rumors and gossip brought on by his excessively good looks.

For someone like him, simply growing a little close to a woman would spark all manner of gossip.

Back then, while studying the Daoist canon Pure Void Heart-Mirror, his former self had merely sought Ning Wanqing's guidance and interacted with her a little more often.

Nothing improper had happened.

Quite a few Hibernation Academy disciples came from territories beyond the sect, and their backgrounds varied. Not everyone was like Zhang Xuange, blessed with a good family and fond of gossip.

Ning Wanqing was devoted wholeheartedly to the Dao and had no other thoughts.

"Junior Brothers and Sisters, take your seats at once!"

Zhan Qingyang rose and warmly ushered the four to their seats.

Wei Zhixing opened his eyes again, and a vast, scorching Spiritual Sense surged forth from between his brows.

The smiles hanging at the corners of the four newcomers' mouths stiffened at once. Spiritual Sense stirred between each of their brows as they met it head-on.

Ripples spread through the empty air. Firelight swept through all things, only to strike a thread of icy cold and slowly retreat.

Wei Zhixing gave Ning Wanqing a deep look, then closed his eyes again and silently breathed in and out alone.

Zhan Qingyang could not bear to watch any longer and hurriedly smoothed things over. "Junior Brother Wei has always been like this. I hope you Junior Brothers and Sisters will forgive him. Sit, sit."

"Why would we blame Senior Brother Wei?"

They immediately laughed, taking no offense.

Wei Zhixing's temperament had long been famous throughout Hibernation Academy. Everyone knew it well.

The only one who surprised them was Lu Xuan.

They had thought Lu Xuan had long since failed the Grand Rite, and that the Heaven-Gazing Sect had lost an "Exquisite Beauty Immortal Seed." Who would have expected to see him again today?

Yet all four possessed excellent dispositions. They immediately either cupped their hands or nodded, briefly greeting Lu Xuan before sitting down.

At this point, all eight had arrived.

Yet apart from the meditation cushion at the head of the hall, another cushion remained vacant. Everyone was curious.

For whom had this cushion been reserved? Could there be a ninth person?

Whoosh!

At that moment, a faint breeze suddenly rose outside the hall, carrying threads of coolness through the corridor.

Then, upon the meditation cushion at the head of the hall, there appeared a middle-aged Daoist in a pale azure robe patterned with clouds. His face was square and upright, and a blackwood hairpin held his hair in place.

His aura was solid and vast, like a mountain dropping into the hall, making everyone's hearts tighten.

A Foundation Establishment Mystic Master.

Lu Xuan and the others immediately cupped their hands and called in unison, "Greetings, Instructor!"

Apart from a small number of "closed-door disciples" who inherited their cultivation through a direct master-disciple lineage, most Heaven-Gazing Sect cultivators relied on the Instruction Hall's instructors for their training.

These instructors were Foundation Establishment Mystic Masters carefully selected by the sect, outstanding in both magical power and cultivation. No one dared show disrespect. Even Wei Zhixing moved his lips and offered a hoarse greeting.

"No need for such formalities!" The middle-aged Daoist flicked his sleeve, and everyone felt a fresh breeze brush over their faces as their bows were interrupted.

"My surname is Zhou, and my name is Xuanpu. You may call me Mystic Master Zhou." The middle-aged Daoist spoke with force and vigor, without a shred of superfluous nonsense. "Now that you have entered the inner sect, none of you are ordinary."

"This period of instruction will last one year, and I have three assessments."

"The first is Qi Refining Second Layer. Within one year, you must enter Qi Refining Second Layer."

"The second is the Water-Calming Method. You must cultivate it to at least Grade A."

"The third is the Demon-Slaying Method. You must slay three vicious Qi Refining water demons."

"You must complete at least two of these assessments. If you fail, all inner sect benefits will be halved, and you will be transferred to the Tax Hall!"

The instant those words fell, everyone in the hall turned solemn.

Having their inner sect benefits halved was equivalent to having their wages cut in half. For Qi Refining First Layer cultivators who had yet to acquire any real "trade," it was no less than a bolt from the blue.

As for the Tax Hall, it was an institution under the Sea-Calming Bureau responsible for East Sea taxation. Being transferred there was tantamount to being cast down.

Lu Xuan and the others had not expected Mystic Master Zhou to act with such thunderous decisiveness.

"However, if you complete all three assessments, there will be rewards."

"And if you still have time after completing all three assessments, you may come to me for further assessments. So long as you complete them, there will be rewards."

Zhou Xuanpu's gaze swept over the crowd, leaving no room for doubt.

Everyone assented, not daring to voice any objections.

"Since that is settled, activate your Qi Seas and circulate your True Qi scriptures for me to observe." Zhou Xuanpu spoke again, but offered an explanation. "Different types of True Qi require different cultivation scriptures, and the methods of instruction also differ. Though I have reviewed your identity Jade Discs and know your Qi, seeing it with my own eyes is more appropriate."

"This is also why our sect divides instruction according to the Spirit Directorate."

At his words, Lu Xuan and the others immediately activated their Qi Seas and circulated their True Qi scriptures.

In an instant, strange phenomena blossomed throughout the hall, and spiritual qi billowed thickly.

Lu Xuan cultivated Dawn Radiance True Qi. A crimson dragon coiled around his body, healing a thousand wounds and granting sudden enlightenment.

Zhang Xuange cultivated Four Seasons Mystic Qi. Four-colored halos revolved around him like the turning seasons, allowing him to adjust his qi nature with the changes of spring, summer, autumn, and winter—spring brought life, summer ferocity, autumn slaughter, winter refinement.

Wei Zhixing cultivated Dry Yang True Qi. Fusang hung behind his back; Eyes Cannot Behold, filth could not arise, and at noon he possessed immense might.

Zhan Qingyang and Shen Jingyuan cultivated Central Balance True Qi. Clear breeze and bright moon; no demons arose in their hearts. A thousand kinds of spiritual energy could enter their bodies and be absorbed for their use, unrestricted by the five elements.

Gu Changgeng and Jiang Zhou cultivated Grand Clarity True Qi. Their bodies floated in the air as they transformed turbid into clear, shattering attachments and illuminating the heart.

Ning Wanqing cultivated Netherstring Lunar Qi. She bore a moon wheel upon her back, skilled at awakening spirits, concealing the hidden, and nourishing the origin.

Of the six types of True Qi, they had witnessed four.

Lu Xuan had now seen a glimpse of the True Qi cultivated by his classmates in this cohort.