Excellent Rating, Achieved! (Combined Chapter)

"Achieved!"

The instant his Dantian was opened and his Spirit Pivot took shape, even with Jiang Xuan's temperament, his eyes nearly welled up. The crushing burden that had weighed on his shoulders for days had abruptly lifted by more than half at that moment.

"Phew..."

Letting out a long breath of stale air, Jiang Xuan finally had the leisure to look over the fellow students cultivating beside him, to take in the clouds, light, mountains, and scenery of this mountainside training ground.

As far as the eye could see, most of the students in the back rows were quietly recovering their strength or sitting in meditation. There were actually very few whose faces were filled with anxiety, wavering between hope and fear.

After a moment's thought, he understood. Most common-born students with mediocre spiritual root talent knew their own limits. They knew perfectly well that they had no chance of obtaining an excellent or fine rating. Without extravagant hopes, there would naturally be no disappointment at failing to attain what they sought.

Such students, cultivating in silence and grinding away at their training, made up the overwhelming majority of the class. Yet there were also some quick-witted ones gathered around the Aristocratic Clan children in the front rows, hoping to serve those Lineage descendants in exchange for a sliver of cultivation resources.

There was no right or wrong in such a choice. In fact, by attaching themselves this way, their paths in the future might become broader and stretch farther than those of the vast majority of ordinary students who buried their heads in bitter cultivation.

"Unfortunately, the values I developed in my previous life won't let me stoop to their level. Fortunately, I don't need to!"

The Origin Sea in his Lower Dantian, three inches below his navel, slowly expanded and contracted in resonance with his breathing and the acupoints throughout his body. This newborn Origin Sea seemed to have planted a root in his soul, giving him an unprecedented sense of solidity and peace.

And what it brought him was far more than spiritual comfort. It was true power that transcended the mundane world.

"Phew..."

With every breath, his acupoints drew in spiritual energy to nourish the Origin Sea. So long as that Origin Sea did not run dry, he could keep his blood and vitality full, his physical strength abundant. With a single thought, he could also unleash the power of the Origin Sea and make his body's strength surge in an instant.

This tangible power, held firmly in his palm, filled Jiang Xuan with ever greater confidence and gave rise to a powerful sense of assurance.

When he looked again toward the front of the training ground, at those Aristocratic Clan children dressed in splendid robes and surrounded by crowds, all the gloom in Jiang Xuan's eyes had vanished, leaving only a calm, faint smile.

"Now, I can finally say that I'm standing on the same starting line as you."

"No. Among you, at least seventy percent haven't opened all thirty-six acupoints. As things stand, the vast majority of you are already beneath me!"

"Buzz—"

Just as Jiang Xuan was brimming with high spirits, the Sword of the Mind deep within his sea of consciousness suddenly released a clear sword cry, like a winter cicada beating its wings.

After the sword cry, the sword light he had tempered with the power of his mind-soul grew ever more brilliant and solid, its sharpness increasing by another three parts.

At the same time, the game panel's notification sounded clearly beside Jiang Xuan's ear:

[You have brushed away the dust in your heart and made your mind-soul shine a little brighter. Your soul-spirit power has received a slight increase, and your Sword of the Mind has become more condensed.]

[ Sword of the Mind EXP +339 ]

[ Clear-Heart Sword Disciple class EXP +402 ]

[Your Clear-Heart Sword Disciple level has increased, 2/5 (11/6000)]

[Your Sword of the Mind has advanced. Current realm: Second Realm · Proficient, 17/3000]

"...There was actually such a gain."

The rise in his self-confidence had actually driven the advancement of both his Clear-Heart Sword Disciple class and the Sword of the Mind. Jiang Xuan had never expected that. But on second thought, he found it perfectly natural.

"Sword cultivators in the immortal cultivation world have always placed the greatest importance on sword hearts and sword intent. The way of the sword speaks of freedom, of sharpness, of seeing one's true heart and nature, of being unfettered... A true sword cultivator would never be someone burdened by gloom, shrinking back at every turn, with a heart full of petty schemes and grubby calculations."

"The world's impression of sword cultivators has never been wrong. Only a sincere heart that fears neither heaven nor earth and dares to draw its sword against the strong can nurture a sword cultivator truly unmatched beneath the heavens... So that was it. If I want the Dao Path of the Clear-Heart Sword Disciple to progress quickly, I must always remain in harmony with this sword heart?"

Having thought that far, Jiang Xuan's lips curled upward. "That... suits my heart rather well."

Pondering the future path of the Clear-Heart Sword Disciple took Jiang Xuan some time.

But he soon had no mind to dwell on it.

After taking several more deep breaths and confirming that the Origin Sea in his Lower Dantian was stable, Jiang Xuan immediately rose to his feet and walked toward Lecturer Song Zhou, who sat at the front of the training ground.

It was not yet time for cultivation. Because of his earlier probing, Dong Hao had been paying close attention to Jiang Xuan. The moment he saw Jiang Xuan stand and head straight toward the front, Dong Hao's heart jolted, and a thought exploded in his mind.

"Could he... have succeeded?!"

At that thought, Dong Hao could no longer remain seated. He sprang to his feet and hurried forward, unable to hide his excitement.

"Brother Jiang, you... you succeeded?"

"Mm."

Jiang Xuan's answer was calm, but that single short word made the delight on Dong Hao's face impossible to suppress.

"Good! Good! Good!"

He burst into hearty laughter, utterly carefree, drawing the attention of many people nearby. Yet he did not care in the slightest. He merely praised Jiang Xuan with abandon. "I knew it, Brother Jiang. You were no creature trapped in a shallow pond!"

His excited words drew even more gazes over.

Seeing that it was Dong Hao speaking, and that he was fawning so openly over Jiang Xuan, who came from a common background, many Aristocratic Clan children revealed looks of contempt and disdain. Some even instinctively moved away from Dong Hao.

"How disgraceful."

"A merchant is a merchant. He has none of an Aristocratic Clan's foundation at all."

"Stay farther away from Dong Hao in the future. Walking with someone like that lowers one's status for nothing."

Dong Hao naturally heard the strange looks and whispered comments around him perfectly clearly, but he did not care in the slightest.

Not only did he not care, he grabbed Jiang Xuan's arm, his enthusiasm almost pleading. "This is a tremendous occasion for Brother Jiang and must be properly celebrated! Tonight is too rushed. Tomorrow, I'll lay out a banquet at Drunken Fragrance Tower. Brother Jiang, you must honor me with your presence. We won't return until we're drunk!"

"Alright."

With his Spirit Pivot condensed, Jiang Xuan could finally breathe easy. Besides, he would need Dong Hao's assistance to take up the class of Scripture Mystic Daoist next, so he did not refuse the invitation.

After agreeing with Dong Hao to attend the banquet the next day, Dong Hao returned joyfully to his seat, the smile on his face not diminishing in the least.

Jiang Xuan, meanwhile, continued toward Song Zhou, who sat cross-legged atop a bluestone at the front.

Originally, when they saw Dong Hao looking as delighted as though he had found a treasure, Zeng Jun, Su Linyin, and even Xie Hanyan had all worn speechless expressions, their eyes carrying hints of contempt and mockery.

But their expressions soon changed... Because Dong Hao's fawning had made Jiang Xuan quite conspicuous. His failure to stop, and his continued walk toward the front, was thus noticed by some people.

At first, everyone was merely puzzled. Quite a few even showed disgust and resistance in their eyes.

There had always been distinctions of class in this world. In the immortal cultivation world, those barriers were even more rigid.

Many Lineage descendants in the front rows thought Dong Hao disgraceful not because he had laughed so uncontrollably—several days ago, Qin Feng had also been unable to contain his emotions when he condensed his Spirit Pivot. Yet among the more than three thousand students in the training ground, not one had thought him lacking in dignity. Instead, they had praised him for showing his true nature.

They despised Dong Hao only because, as an Aristocratic Clan descendant, he had humbled himself so greatly to befriend Jiang Xuan, someone of common birth.

Under this deeply rooted doctrine of bloodlines, many arrogant fools who looked down their noses at everyone had naturally emerged.

At that moment, as Jiang Xuan approached step by step, a cold snort suddenly rang out.

"Stop there, commoner. This is not a place you should come."

The abrupt voice made Jiang Xuan turn his head. Then he discovered that the youth who had spoken was actually one of Su Linyin's followers.

When Jiang Xuan looked over, Su Linyin's delicate brows furrowed slightly at her follower's provocative words. Yet in the end, she said nothing.

Zhou Lin beside her hesitated for a moment. Seeing that Su Linyin made no move, she too remained silent.

This scene had no effect whatsoever on Jiang Xuan, but it made Pan Yue seem as if he had been injected with chicken blood, his arrogance soaring.

Half his reason for stepping out to provoke Jiang Xuan was that ridiculous doctrine of bloodlines, which could not tolerate a common-born student like Jiang Xuan setting foot in the "noble ground" of the front rows. The other half was that Zhou Lin had repeatedly looked toward Jiang Xuan over the past two days. Since Pan Yue harbored affection for Zhou Lin, he naturally felt jealousy and hostility toward Jiang Xuan.

At this moment, Su Linyin and Zhou Lin's tacit approval was, to him, the strongest backing possible.

"Lowly commoner, remember this well. A mud-legged peasant should have a mud-legged peasant's self-awareness. Everyone sitting here is a noble young master or young lady of an Aristocratic Clan. What right do you have to step over here?" As he spoke, he even laughed smugly. "Hahaha..."

Quite a few people nearby joined in the jeering laughter.

Even this did not anger Jiang Xuan. He merely said calmly, "You're right. This truly isn't a place for trash to stay. Unfortunately, Star Daoist Academy and Lecturer Song Zhou select talent by strength, not bloodline."

As he spoke, Jiang Xuan cast one last glance at Su Linyin and said blandly, "You should discipline your subordinate."

The moment those words fell, Su Linyin frowned at once. Zhou Lin, Pan Yue, and the others following her all revealed angry expressions as well.

"You dare speak to Miss Su like that? What do you think you are!"

"Take a look at your own origins. You're nothing but the son of a servant!"

"Dong Hao gave you a little face, and you really think you've flown onto a branch and become a phoenix?"

Jiang Xuan's equal-footed tone also stirred intense displeasure in Su Linyin's heart. Yet the upbringing of an Aristocratic Clan kept her from losing composure in public. Still, she did not speak to stop her followers' denunciations.

But to Jiang Xuan, this clamor was nothing more than wind passing his ears.

Once he had spoken, he did not wait for Su Linyin's response at all. He simply turned around and continued toward Song Zhou on the bluestone.

A few steps later, he had reached Song Zhou. He bowed with cupped hands and declared loudly, "This student, Jiang Xuan, greets Lecturer. This student has successfully opened all thirty-six acupoints and condensed a Spirit Pivot."

Jiang Xuan's words fell clearly into the ears of everyone in the training ground. The voices of the students who had just been mocking him without restraint came to an abrupt halt.

What remained on their faces was no longer ridicule and derision, but utter astonishment and disbelief.

"Impossible!"

That was the first thought to surface in almost everyone's mind.

Due to Dong Hao's unusual attention, Jiang Xuan was something of a "celebrity" among the Aristocratic Clan children in the front rows. After all, good news did not leave the house, while bad news traveled a thousand miles. Dong Hao's indulgence, even ingratiation, toward Jiang Xuan had long become an amusing topic during their cultivation breaks. Jiang Xuan's background had also been thoroughly investigated along with it.

They all knew that Jiang Xuan possessed only an Xuan · Mid rating spiritual root, came from a common background, and was originally the child of a follower of the Su Household.

No family background, no exceptional talent—by all reason, it should have been utterly impossible for him to open all thirty-six acupoints within seven days and obtain an excellent Grade A rating.

Unfortunately, their thoughts had never counted for anything.

Song Zhou, roused by Jiang Xuan's voice, raised his eyes and swept his gaze over him. With only one look, he saw through the state of Jiang Xuan's acupoints and Dantian.

Although he was somewhat surprised that Jiang Xuan, with an Xuan · Mid rating, had opened all thirty-six acupoints within only seven short days,

he had ultimately forged a Dao Foundation and cultivated for over twenty years. He had weathered enough storms, and such a matter was not something he had never seen before. Thus, his surprise lasted only an instant before he regained his calm and nodded approvingly at Jiang Xuan.

"Not bad. You qualify."

After saying this, he added an instruction for Jiang Xuan. "Do not leave after classes end tonight. I have important matters to explain to you students with Grade A ratings. Of course, there will also be rewards distributed."

"Alright. Go back and continue cultivating."

"Yes, this student obeys."

And just like that, with only a few brief sentences, Jiang Xuan's excellent rating was confirmed.

Yet while their exchange had ended as lightly as drifting clouds and a gentle breeze, the towering waves of shock rising within the hearts of the more than three thousand students below could not settle for a long while.

Upon learning that Jiang Xuan had received an excellent rating, the one most incredulous and least able to accept it was Pan Yue.

Unable to accept it, his face twisted out of shape as he muttered in a daze, "This is impossible... How could a lowly mud-legged peasant..."

The same words as before, yet this time, no one echoed him.

The students around him instinctively retreated one after another, opening distance from him. Even the other followers around Su Linyin unconsciously isolated him.

As for Su Linyin, who had always been graceful and composed as though everything lay within her grasp, the calm on her face had completely shattered. Her eyes held only blankness and horror.

Clearly, this result had stunned her as well, leaving her unable to recover her senses for a long time.

Zhou Lin beside her was the first to react. She gently nudged Su Linyin, finally jolting her awake.

The instant her awareness returned, Su Linyin looked at Pan Yue and sharply rebuked him. "Shut up! Apologize to Young Master Jiang Xuan!"

The unconcealable fury on her icy face made Pan Yue freeze in place at once, his face full of confusion.

But how could Su Linyin spare any thought for his reaction now?

All her attention was focused on Jiang Xuan. In that instant, she also understood why Dong Hao had humbled himself so much to curry favor with him.

If it were her, she would have done the same.

Like Dong Hao, she was not completely confident that she could break into the top ten in the second round of assessments and enter the inner sect directly in the hundred-day examination.

Having grown up in an immortal cultivation Lineage, she understood even more clearly the gap between inner sect disciples and outer sect disciples.

That was not the distinction between legitimate and concubine-born children. It was the gulf between master and servant!

No one wished to remain beneath another. With Jiang Xuan's help, her chances of becoming an inner sect disciple would increase by thirty percent out of thin air.

Under such circumstances, let alone offering slight favor, even if she had to make three visits to his humble abode, Su Linyin would be willing.

Unfortunately, she had never expected Jiang Xuan to possess such world-shocking talent. Any attempt at remedying things now would be nothing more than a joke in Jiang Xuan's eyes.

"Whoosh..."

Jiang Xuan did not heed her words. As he passed by her, he did not even spare her a glance.

This scene made Su Linyin's face turn deathly pale at once. When she looked at Pan Yue again, the hatred in her eyes nearly overflowed.

The other students in the training ground were also shocked by Jiang Xuan's reversal of fortune, but none of them lost their composure as badly as Su Linyin.

That was because, in Su Linyin's view, she had originally had a chance to bring Jiang Xuan under her command—even though he and Dong Hao had already made an agreement, without what had just happened, given the friendship between the Su Household and Shen Yuerong, she might not have lacked an opportunity to win him over.

But Pan Yue's provocation and insults had blocked off most of her path.

One would not become obsessed over what one had never possessed. But when something was clearly within reach, only to slip through one's fingers because of another's stupidity, that resentment and fury were enough to devour a person.

Of course, her own tacit approval and indulgence had been the root of the disaster. But she clearly would not blame herself. Thus, Pan Yue, who had pushed everything into an irreparable state, became the sole target for her to vent her anger upon.

Moreover, even now, she still clung to a trace of hope that she could recruit Jiang Xuan. Therefore, no matter what, she had to give Jiang Xuan an explanation.

Staring fixedly at the bloodless Pan Yue, Su Linyin pronounced his name one word at a time.

"Pan Yue..."