The Unfinished Assessment

Still want to fight...

Ye Xingchen's voice sounded as though he had swallowed a handful of gravel, grating painfully against the ears.

No one knew that he was already at the end of his tether.

There were ten breaths of time.

Five had already passed.

The cost of maintaining the Tai Chi Yin-Yang Domain was terrifying. It felt as if a blender were running madly inside his head, hurting so badly he wanted to curse his mother.

Liu Qingqing raised her eyes.

This was the first time she had clearly seen the young man's eyes up close. There was none of the airy arrogance of a youth who had found success too early, only a maturity and steadiness that did not belong to someone his age.

Huff...

Liu Qingqing exhaled a breath of stale air, her gaze complicated.

"I lost."

The three words landed with the weight of iron.

Bzz—!

The black-and-white curtain of light shrouding the arena instantly shattered, turning into specks of fluorescence that dispersed into the air.

Ye Xingchen's body stiffened slightly.

That tyrannical aura of life-and-death control ebbed away like the tide, followed by a wave of weakness that nearly swept him off his feet.

But he did not move.

He did not even bend his back by a fraction.

He merely released his hand and, using the motion of withdrawing his stance, retreated two steps without drawing attention, then clasped both hands behind his back.

Beneath his sleeves, his ten fingers trembled as though they were fluffing cotton.

That had been close.

One second later, and he would have had to perform a full-body prostration for this senior sister right there.

As the Domain vanished and the cold air receded, Liu Qingqing regained the ability to move. She took a deep look at the pale-faced young man before her, who still stood as straight as a pine.

A loss was a loss. Liu Qingqing could afford to lose.

With a flick of her wrist, a dark-blue crystal radiating bone-chilling frost streaked through the air.

"Take it."

A moment ago, Ye Xingchen's eyes had been unfocused, as though he might ride a crane west at any moment. Yet the instant he saw the crystal, his eyes lit up.

That lofty, inscrutable grandmaster bearing from moments ago was instantly fed to the dogs. With the hand speed of a man who had been single for twenty years, he shot out his hand and snatched the Profound Ice Jade Marrow.

It was piercingly cold to the touch, brimming with spiritual energy.

What a treasure! How many Spirit Stones could this fetch?!

"Senior Sister Liu, how generous! Thank you..."

The smile on Ye Xingchen's pale face instantly bloomed like a flower. Turning the jade marrow over in his hands, he looked as though he wanted to kiss it on the spot.

Everyone below the stage was dumbfounded.

Was this really that ruthless man who had seemed like one of the Gods and Devils just now?

This was clearly some petty commoner whose eyes lit up at the sight of money!

Liu Qingqing turned and walked down from the arena, the corner of her mouth twitching slightly as a voice transmission entered Ye Xingchen's ears.

"You are strong. But if you want to take first place in the outer sect, you are still not enough."

"...?" Ye Xingchen raised a brow and replied without revealing anything, "What guidance does Senior Sister have? This junior will listen with both ears open."

"Shen Yuan entered seclusion half a month ago."

Liu Qingqing's voice was cold. "He is attempting Foundation Establishment. Moreover, he cultivates a top-grade Black Tier cultivation technique. Once he successfully reaches Foundation Establishment, even with your strange Domain, you will not last three moves against him."

Foundation Establishment.

Top-grade Black Tier.

That truly was a serious problem.

Ye Xingchen's fingers rubbing the jade marrow paused slightly before he replied, "Thank you for the warning."

Liu Qingqing said no more. She moved like a startled swan and vanished at the end of the martial arts field.

Only after she left did the martial arts field erupt like a pot of boiling water.

"He won... He really won?"

"Even Senior Sister Liu lost? Just what kind of monstrous freak is Ye Xingchen?"

"I don't understand it, not at all. How did Senior Sister Liu's spell suddenly become useless?"

"I just want to know what happened during those few seconds! I want to learn it too!"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, every face utterly bewildered.

On the high platform.

Ye Zhiyu settled her roiling emotions and drifted down to the center of the arena.

"This challenge goes to Ye Xingchen!"

The female elder's voice rang across the entire field. "According to the rules, Ye Xingchen replaces Liu Qingqing and temporarily ranks second among the outer sect disciples. Since the original first-place Shen Yuan is absent, Ye Xingchen holds the highest score in this monthly assessment!"

Whoosh—!

Though the result was already apparent, the crowd still stirred when it was officially announced.

"These are your rewards."

Ye Zhiyu flicked her sleeve.

Four exquisite jade bottles and a heavy storage pouch floated before Ye Xingchen.

"The first-place reward is one bottle of Blood-Coagulating Pills. Zhao Kai, Bai Zhan, and Liu Qingqing will each receive one bottle of rewards as well..."

Fifty Blood-Coagulating Pills.

Fifty Middle-Grade Spirit Stones.

And the priceless Profound Ice Jade Marrow.

He had become rich overnight! This was a bloody huge profit!

Beaming, Ye Xingchen swept everything into his storage ring.

Seeing his money-grubbing look, Ye Zhiyu's eye twitched wildly. Was this brat really that short on money?

The second round of the assessment continued, but with jade already displayed before them, the later matches between weaklings pecking at each other were truly not worth watching. Nor did anyone dare blindly challenge Ye Xingchen.

One hour later.

Elders' quiet chamber behind the martial arts field.

Ye Zhiyu summoned Ye Xingchen alone.

"Do you know why Shen Yuan would rather miss the monthly assessment than enter seclusion?"

"To become stronger? Or to make his act of showing off a little more polished?"

"..."

The corner of Ye Zhiyu's mouth twitched. Resisting the urge to knock him on the head, she said, "Be serious! Because two months from now, it will be the Four-Hall Joint Selection."

"Four Halls?"

"This time is different from the past. The sect has decided that the selection champion will directly receive a core disciple seed quota and special permission to enter the top floor of the Scripture Repository once."

The top floor of the Scripture Repository.

Legend said that it held the First Saint Sect's supreme inheritances, perhaps even Earth Tier cultivation techniques.

Ye Xingchen's gaze shifted slightly. His horizons had broadened.

"Shen Yuan is determined to win it."

Ye Zhiyu stared at him. "He is the eldest young master of the Shen Clan in Azure Cloud City. The Shen Clan's influence within the sect runs deep, its roots tangled and intertwined. You took first place today. While he may not care about these small resources, he must participate in the selection as North Hall's number one. That is the face of an aristocratic young master."

"So?" Ye Xingchen played with his teacup, looking utterly unconcerned.

"So, the day he leaves seclusion, he will certainly seek you out to establish his authority."

Ye Zhiyu's tone grew heavier. "The Shen Clan acts tyrannically, and he has many followers in the outer sect. You were far too conspicuous today. The next two months may be difficult for you. I suggest that you..."

"Thank you for your kind intentions, Elder Ye."

Ye Xingchen interrupted her and slowly rose to his feet.

He walked to the window and looked at the bustling disciples outside. A smile curled over his lips, and no matter how one looked at it, it was utterly improper.

"Avoiding the sharp edge for now? That is something only the weak would do."

He turned and looked straight at Ye Zhiyu.

In those eyes danced a green, ghostly light that even made Ye Zhiyu's heart skip a beat—the light of a wolf spotting meat.

This fellow was no harmless lamb.

"Elder Ye, did you just say Shen Yuan is the eldest young master of the Shen Clan in Azure Cloud City?"

Ye Zhiyu froze. "Yes, the Shen Clan is rich enough to rival a kingdom..."

"A rich second-generation heir? Even better!"

Ye Xingchen rubbed his hands together, his Adam's apple bobbing as greed filled his eyes. "Then he must have plenty of Spirit Stones on him, right? He surely has quite a few top-grade magical treasures too, right? Carrying tens of thousands of Spirit Stones for protection when he goes out—that is perfectly reasonable, right?"

Ye Zhiyu: "..."

"Elder Ye, please pass a message to that Young Master Shen."

Ye Xingchen pushed open the door and waved behind him without turning around. His tone was relaxed, with not a trace of nervousness.

"Tell him to stuff his storage pouch full before coming to find me. After all..."

Sunlight fell over his shoulders, casting a long, arrogant shadow.

"Only the dead do not need money."

Bang.

The door shut tightly.

Ye Zhiyu stared blankly at the empty doorway. After a long while, she gave a bitter smile and shook her head.

"This brat actually treated me like a messenger."

"Who is the elder here... Still, the Shen Clan truly ought to rein itself in a little."