"Bzz—"
A majestic pressure suddenly spread out, crushing everyone into instant silence. Then his icy voice rang out: "Don't think that just because you earned an Excellent Rating, you can rest easy with your head on a high pillow."
"The first assessment merely sifted out a few seedlings that could barely be put to use."
"I can tell you plainly: the overwhelming majority of you will never advance to become Inner Disciples after a hundred days."
"Seven to nine people. That is the number from past years at Star Daoist Academy who managed to enter the inner sect. This means that among you forty-odd excellent students, at least three-quarters will be eliminated!"
"Whoosh—"
The moment those words fell, the students who had just been brimming with pride instantly changed expression. The way they looked at one another now carried several traces of poorly concealed wariness.
Yet among the crowd, while some reacted fiercely, others remained unmoved.
Quite a few of them had already known the inside story, while others possessed absolute confidence in their own strength.
For instance, Qin Feng, the first to condense a Spirit Pivot, watched everyone's panic with great interest, utterly unhurried.
But very soon, he could no longer maintain that leisure.
After glancing at the unconcerned Qin Feng and the cool-faced Xie Hanyan, Song Zhou continued, "You should also know something else. Our Divine Firmament Sect is a major power of the northern lands. Here, a thousand peaks rise together and a hundred branches contend in flowing currents. These many lineages are further divided into the Upper Branch, Middle Branch, and Lower Branch."
"Though disciples of the Upper, Middle, and Lower Branches all belong to the Divine Firmament Sect, and Inner Disciples hold no nominal distinction of rank, I presume you understand without my saying it how great the differences are in resources, treatment, and standing within the sect."
Indeed, Lecturer Song Zhou needed to say no more. The instant they heard of the division between the Upper, Middle, and Lower Branches, Dong Hao and the others understood. Jiang Xuan was no exception.
Is this like the difference between an elite school and an ordinary university? No, it goes far beyond that. The Upper and Lower Branches are not merely places to study Daoist arts—they also represent authority and rank within the sect. Compared with what I knew in my previous life, this is the difference between a flourishing imperial capital and a poor, remote backwater, as far apart as heaven and earth.
As expected of a sect that worships the belief that one must contend for the Great Dao. This struggle truly reaches into every facet of life.
The gulf in status and the utterly different prospects ahead made even Qin Feng, who had originally been certain he would enter the inner sect, tighten his fingers slightly as unease rose in his heart.
Xie Hanyan, another prodigy of Star Daoist Academy, also had a flash of sharp resolve pass through her cool eyes.
Seeing the changes in everyone's expressions, Song Zhou nodded in satisfaction. He had laid out the stakes today precisely to strike these youths awake and make them foster a do-or-die desire to contend for victory.
"Very good. It seems you all understand that you have no right to slack off."
"Now, let me tell you about Star Daoist Academy's past results. Over the last ten years, of the nine students each year who entered the inner sect from Star Daoist Academy, most joined the Lower Branch. At most, one per year entered the Middle Branch."
"As for the Upper Branch..." His blazing gaze swept across the forty-odd students before him as Song Zhou said solemnly, "In these ten years, Star Daoist Academy has had only one person successfully squeeze in."
"Huh?!"
"Only one?"
"Are the Upper Branch's requirements really that high?"
"Th-this... who could possibly manage that?"
The instant Song Zhou finished speaking, the training ground exploded into an uproar. Buzzing discussions rose and fell one after another.
Over ten years, among nearly forty thousand students, only a single Upper Branch disciple had emerged. That probability, so low it was nearly despairing, struck everyone present senseless. The fighting spirit on many faces instantly faded, leaving only dejection.
Even Qin Feng, who had always been proud and arrogant, went pale. He did not believe himself to be that one chosen child of heaven among ten thousand.
Naturally, this dispirited appearance was not what Song Zhou wanted to see. But since he had dared to lay out this cruel reality today, he naturally had a response prepared.
"Enough, there is no need to be so disheartened." Song Zhou raised a hand to suppress the discussions, confidence in his tone. "How previous lecturers conducted themselves is beyond my control. But I sincerely hope that one among you can enter the Upper Branch—this would be an opportunity to defy heaven and change your fate, and for me, it would also be an accomplishment. Therefore, I will do everything in my power to lend you a hand."
"Go all out without reservation. As long as you reveal the potential to enter the Upper Branch, aside from the cultivation resources uniformly distributed by the Divine Firmament Sect, I will personally pay out of my own pocket to provide you with additional supplies. I will even spend the favors I have accumulated over many years to invite seniors most suited to your Dao Path to personally guide your cultivation."
This resounding promise was like a spark falling into a withered field, instantly reigniting several traces of hope in everyone's hearts.
Seeing their fighting spirit rekindled, Song Zhou immediately struck while the iron was hot and distributed the reward resources allocated by the Daoist Academy. This reward was far more generous than anyone had expected.
First and foremost were Spirit Stones and medicinal pills. As a disciple who had received an Excellent Rating in the final assessment, Jiang Xuan was awarded a total of one hundred and eight Lower-Grade Spirit Stones and fifteen Origin-Replenishing Pills.
Beyond these basic rewards, there was also an additional privilege: "You may enter the sect's Scripture Repository and choose either a Mystic Tier spell or a Mystic Tier sword art to cultivate."
Song Zhou's voice rang out again, carrying a note of warning. "Ordinarily, in the early stages of cultivation, you should focus wholly on tempering your mana and stabilizing your Dao Foundation, rather than dividing your attention among side pursuits. But those are the requirements for ordinary disciples. Inner Disciples are the jade pillars holding up the heavens among the Divine Firmament Sect's thousand peaks and hundred branches. They are the future inheritors of each branch's Daoist lineage."
"Such disciples hold exalted status, and naturally must also bear the hopes placed upon them by every peak and branch. If you wish to enter the inner sect, you must not only hone your cultivation, but also master spells and divine abilities at the fastest possible speed."
At this point, his voice suddenly rose, ringing above the training ground like a great bell: "Remember, though the Divine Firmament Sect has a thousand peaks and a hundred branches, no peak and no branch will ever accept mediocrities."
"Only prodigies are worthy of entering the inner sect!"
Beyond Spirit Stones, pills, and cultivation arts, there was one exclusive benefit: Lecturer Song Zhou announced that for the next month, Jiang Xuan and the others could come to him at any time to ask about difficulties in cultivation. He would answer everything he knew and teach them without holding anything back.
Every one of these benefits had been within Jiang Xuan's expectations and fully matched the weight of an Excellent Rating, leaving him quite satisfied.
But just as Jiang Xuan was inwardly content with all the arrangements, the final benefit Song Zhou mentioned made him abruptly freeze, confusion welling up in his heart.
"This final benefit is that, within this month, you may take my personal letter of recommendation to the sect's various peaks and serve as Outer Disciples for a period of time."
Huh?!
What does that mean?
Didn't we work so hard precisely so that we would not become Outer Disciples upon entering the Divine Firmament Sect?
These words left Jiang Xuan stunned. But before he could ask, Dong Hao at his side quietly gave him a meaningful look, signaling that he would explain the details after the gathering. Jiang Xuan understood at once and nodded, suppressing the question in his heart without saying more.
On the platform, Song Zhou went on to mention some other miscellaneous benefits, such as the Daoist Academy's more comfortable private dormitories and cultivation seats in the front rows of the lecture hall. After explaining them one by one, he finally swept a heavy gaze across the entire crowd and left them with his most important warning.
"Remember, the Hundred-Day Grand Examination is your most important opportunity. After this, though you may still transfer between peaks and branches within the Divine Firmament Sect, the difficulty will increase a thousandfold, even a hundredfold!"
"Do not leave yourselves with regrets!"
As soon as those words fell, no further urging was needed. Jiang Xuan and the others all grew solemn. Many were already itching with impatience, wishing they could immediately return to their residences and enter seclusion to cultivate.
After the gathering ended, Jiang Xuan was immediately pulled aside by Dong Hao, who began quietly explaining the details of this "Outer Disciple training."
"Going to the various peaks now with letters of recommendation is completely different from truly entering the outer sect later. Once you enter the outer sect for real, you become someone's menial servant, doing all the rough and exhausting work. But if we go now, to put it bluntly, we're merely going to make ourselves familiar faces. Out of respect for Lecturer Song, the various peaks will not make us do any heavy work. The whole process is mainly for observation and inspection."
At this point, Dong Hao stepped half a pace closer and lowered his voice until only the two of them could nearly hear it. "More importantly, during the Hundred-Day Grand Examination, the elders and chief seats of every peak and branch will attend in person. Officially, they are there to watch the battles, but in truth, they are choosing people for their own branches. If we can enter a peak in advance and leave a good impression on those elders and core disciples, then when the grand examination comes, our chances of being noticed and taken in will increase by several times at the very least!"
Jiang Xuan understood instantly after hearing this and deeply agreed. Yet precisely because of this, deciding which peak to train at became the most crucial choice before them. One wrong step could mean missing a heaven-sent opportunity.
Dong Hao naturally understood the crux of the matter as well. He immediately made the decision and took the task upon himself. "Brother Jiang, don't rush to choose yet. My Household has some connections within the sect. I'll first investigate the details, preferences, and recent momentum of each peak and branch. Once I have a thorough grasp of everything, we can discuss together which peak would be most suitable for training."
"Alright, then I'll trouble you, Brother Dong." Jiang Xuan readily agreed.
And so, after receiving all his rewards and reaching an agreement with Dong Hao and the others, Jiang Xuan parted ways with everyone and headed alone toward his residence in Green Bamboo Town.
But just as he reached the entrance to Green Bamboo Town's alleyways, Jiang Xuan's footsteps suddenly halted.
From far away, he could already hear waves of noisy commotion coming from outside his home.
"Auntie Yuerong, I said long ago that Jiang Xuan had been extraordinary since he was little. He was bound to achieve great things in the future!"
"Exactly! A tiger father truly has no dog son!"
"Sister Yuerong, do you think you could bend the rules a little and let my Xiao Hao study at your Jiang Xuan's side for a while? Even if he just helps out with odd jobs!"
Jiang Xuan had been kept behind by Song Zhou, but the others from Star Daoist Academy had not. As those ordinary disciples returned home, news that Jiang Xuan had earned an Excellent Rating spread throughout Green Bamboo Town in the blink of an eye, as though it had grown wings.
For this tiny town, earning an Excellent Rating at the Daoist Academy was no different from placing one's name on the golden list and passing the imperial examination as a jinshi scholar in the feudal era of Jiang Xuan's previous life. It was a genuine joyous event that could allow an entire family to leap across social classes and soar through the dragon gate.
That was why, upon learning the news, the neighbors had either come with thoughts of currying favor or hoped their own children might benefit from Jiang Xuan's light and receive a few words of instruction. They crowded in a dark mass outside Jiang Xuan's home, surrounding his mother, Shen Yuerong, and pouring out congratulations and flattery.
And Shen Yuerong, surrounded in the center of the crowd, was completely dumbfounded.
Even in her dreams, she had never imagined that her son could earn an Excellent Rating at the Daoist Academy.
"Th-that isn't something only the young masters and young ladies of the sect's Aristocratic Clans can obtain?"
"Xuan? An Excellent Rating? How could that be possible?"
At that moment, Shen Yuerong was filled with disbelief. Yet the genuine congratulations ringing in her ears and the eager, fawning neighbors before her could not be faked in the slightest. The enormous surprise that had fallen upon her left Shen Yuerong dizzy and dazed, as if she were dreaming.
It was under such circumstances that Jiang Xuan returned from outside.
The instant his figure appeared at the alley entrance, someone with sharp eyes spotted him. At once, someone shouted loudly, "Jiang Xuan is back!"
Whoosh—
That shout made all the noise fall silent for an instant. Then every neighbor turned their heads in unison, their gazes landing on Jiang Xuan. Immediately afterward, they surged toward him in a swarm.
Even Jiang Xuan, after experiencing the Daoist Academy's assessment, could not help but have his heart skip a beat at this sight.
"Supreme Star of the Terrace, ever-responsive without pause; drive away evil and bind demons, preserve life and protect the body..."
Almost instinctively, Jiang Xuan silently recited the Heart-Purification Divine Incantation within his heart.
Bzz—
As the divine incantation concluded, an aura of tranquil Transcendent Purity instantly spread from Jiang Xuan's body. That calm, limpid presence flowed like a clear spring, somehow quieting even the noisy air around him by several degrees. Even the neighbors rushing toward him felt the restlessness in their hearts suddenly disperse. Looking at the youth before them, they could only feel that he carried a Daoist charm untouched by mortal dust, soothing their minds and causing them to stop in their tracks without realizing it.
Just as Jiang Xuan let out a breath of relief, thinking the situation might finally settle down—
The next second, like boiling water poured onto oil, even more frenzied and excited cries instantly erupted:
"Jiang Xuan! Do you want a wife? My daughter has been smart and sensible since childhood, and she's quite pretty too. She'd be a perfect match for you!"
"Get lost! How could your girl possibly be worthy of Jiang Xuan?!" Someone shoved another person aside and stepped forward with a broad, flattering smile. "Young Friend Jiang Xuan—no, Lord Jiang Xuan! You cultivate at the Daoist Academy. Do you need someone to pour your tea, fetch your water, and attend to your daily needs? My son has been quick and capable since he was little. He can do any sort of work, and I guarantee his absolute loyalty!"
In truth, before coming here, many of the neighbors who had come to offer congratulations appeared friendly on the surface, but inwardly they were filled with jealousy and bitterness. They believed Jiang Xuan had merely stepped in dog shit and gotten lucky enough to earn an Excellent Rating.
But that glimpse just now—the Transcendent Purity Daoist charm upon Jiang Xuan's body that could cleanse people's hearts—could not possibly be false in the slightest.
Stirred by this, the bitterness and disbelief hidden in their hearts instantly vanished like smoke in thin air.