The Assessment

Only two months had passed since the Royal Academy's admissions uproar, and the Comprehensive Institute was already holding its assessment for Inner Sect Disciples, using three rounds of elimination.

Dongfang Wanyu had been cultivating in seclusion in her room, her door unopened for days.

Dongfang Minghui had also spent some time working as the dean's assistant, enduring his unique brand of "corporal punishment" every day.

"How many times have I told you? You never correct it." The dean picked up a long, slender switch. Whenever he spotted one of Dongfang Minghui's little mistakes, he lashed her with it, regardless of what she was doing.

"Ow!" Dongfang Minghui flinched in pain and flung the Spirit Medicine Liquid out of her hand. The liquid spilled, ruining the batch.

"Dean!" She pouted and glared angrily at the Chubby Old Man. After all these years since graduation, she was once again experiencing the misery of being punished by a teacher as a child. Just wonderful. And despite how thin the switch looked, the thinner it was, the more its blows hurt. Her arms already bore several welts.

The dean narrowed his eyes and glared back, looking quite stern. To be fair, he was usually easygoing, but when it came to refining medicine, he refused to compromise even a little.

Dongfang Minghui was nearly ready to beg for mercy. "Dean, you scare me when you lash out so suddenly."

See? Another medicinal herb ruined.

The dean put away his switch and raised his chin. He was so fat that his neck and chin looked practically joined together. "Clean up. That's enough for today."

Dongfang Minghui had no idea what to do with this Chubby Old Man, who could be even more willful than she was. Still, his appearance made her want to laugh.

"How are your Seventh Sister's preparations for the inner institute selection coming along?" the dean suddenly asked.

Dongfang Minghui frowned and answered honestly, "Seventh Sister has been cultivating in seclusion. I haven't seen her for days."

The dean stroked his beard. "There have been injuries and deaths during the inner institute tests in previous years. While she's still in seclusion, you should prepare some pills to help protect her."

"Dean, you're so kind! Thank you for reminding me."

Since she had started working in the dean's office, Dongfang Minghui had learned a great deal. She had written down almost every prescription she had read and secretly tucked them into her Spatial Ring.

As his assistant, she had been granted special permission by the dean to hold a Jade Token that allowed her into the Back Mountain, where she could obtain medicinal herbs for making pills whenever she needed them. After hearing his advice, Dongfang Minghui made ten pills from each of several prescriptions and stored them in porcelain bottles.

About five days later, a knock sounded at her door early in the morning. She groggily got up and opened it to find The Female Lead, whom she hadn't seen in over half a month.

"Seventh Sister, you're out of seclusion?" Still short on sleep, Dongfang Minghui's thoughts remained muddled.

Dongfang Wanyu entered the room and first noticed the large egg of unknown origin nestled in the bedding. She had thought her Ninth Sister disliked it. But if she disliked it, why would she keep it close at all times, even in bed while she slept? Clearly, she had been overthinking things.

Then she noticed a heap of clothes tossed carelessly onto the floor. Were they all dirty?

"Ninth Sister, I came to tell you that I'll be leaving for a while."

"Oh, I know. Seventh Sister, you're going to take the inner institute test, right?" Dongfang Minghui smacked her forehead as she finally remembered. She hurriedly took a pile of bottles and jars out of her storage space, each labeled with the name of the pills inside. If the porcelain bottles hadn't been so small, she would have written their effects on them too.

"Here."

Dongfang Wanyu was stunned by her generosity, but seeing the expectant look on her face, she forced down her questions.

"Seventh Sister, I have a sheet of paper listing the effects of all the pills. Keep it safe." Dongfang Minghui enthusiastically pressed it into her hands.

Dongfang Wanyu unfolded it and saw densely packed writing—

More importantly, were these even words?

Dongfang Minghui blinked in confusion. "Seventh Sister, is there another problem?"

Then she pinched herself hard. Out of habit, she had written everything in her usual sloppy handwriting. Now fully awake, Dongfang Minghui hurriedly snatched the paper from Dongfang Wanyu's hands and gave a few awkward laughs that only made her look more suspicious. "Seventh Sister, wrong sheet! This is the dean's handwriting. I can't give it to you. I'd better explain everything instead."

"Seventh Sister, this is Seven Stars Herb. Snakes, insects, rats, and ants within a hundred miles all avoid it like the plague. If you're out in the wilderness or a forest, crush it and let its spiritual energy disperse. It'll protect you for twenty-four hours. And this bottle..."

Dongfang Minghui talked for a full hour, explaining the effects of more than twenty bottles of pills until her mouth was dry.

Dongfang Wanyu gently patted her head. "Understood. I'll be going now."

"But—" The Female Lead stepped back into the room, frowned, and pointed at the mess. "A young lady should keep her room tidy."

Dongfang Minghui, who had been eagerly waiting to hear what else The Female Lead might say, completely froze. All she could think was that The Female Lead disliked her for being untidy. Untidy. Untidy.

The Female Lead would be gone for over half a month. That gave her just enough time to learn more prescriptions and refine more pills in preparation for future training trips.

The Royal Academy's Comprehensive Institute had nine halls divided by spiritual affinity. Strictly speaking, there should have been ten. However, a legend circulated throughout the Seven-Colored Continent: anyone who experienced Awakening of a dark affinity belonged to the Undead Legion and had to be killed, or they would bring endless trouble, misfortune, and utter destruction upon the continent.

Most people who awakened Dark-Type Spirit Power were silenced by their families, snuffed out before they could grow. Over time, those with Dark-Type Spirit Power became a taboo throughout the Seven-Colored Continent.

It was a topic that could not even be mentioned within the Royal Academy.

Each hall had over fifty new students, making a total of just over five hundred. They split into nine groups and entered the trial grounds separately.

"You will receive only one of these Jade Tokens. It represents your identity at the Royal Academy. Whether you enter the inner institute or are assigned to the outer institute, you will need it to receive spirit stones. It also serves as a counter. Now, drip your blood onto it to bind it to you."

Everyone was curious about the Jade Tokens in their hands. How could something barely the size of a palm be so important? Still, they obediently dripped blood onto them to establish ownership.

Seeing that it was nearly time, the examiner clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention back. "Let me explain the rules. In the first elimination round, you will hunt magical beasts. Your tally will determine whether you qualify for Advancement to the second round. A level one magical beast is worth one point, a Level Three Magical Beast three points, and so on. The higher the beast's level, the more points you earn. The top three will appear on the leaderboard. There are currently five hundred of you, but only two hundred can enter the second round. That means more than half of you will be eliminated in the first."

Some students froze. They had barely begun, and already more than half of them would be kicked out.

Discussion erupted, everyone talking over one another with particular intensity.

"Examiner, I have a question. Can we form teams?" The voice was soft and delicate, like a little girl's.

Everyone heard it nonetheless. That question gave quite a few people an idea.

The examiner glanced at him and nodded. "No more than five people per team. You may form teams or find partners, and you may also withdraw voluntarily. Hunting magical beasts carries a risk of death. If you're afraid, step forward now."

Once the examiner finished speaking, a handful of people actually stepped forward.

The person who had asked was Mu Sheng, a new student of the Wood Hall. His Spiritual Power was weak, so he wanted a partner. What he hadn't expected was that everyone would form little groups of two or three after hearing his question, yet refuse to let him join.

Everywhere he looked were unfamiliar faces. Mu Sheng felt discouraged. Should he leave the competition early, like those who had just stepped forward?

"Could I team up with you?" Just as Mu Sheng was sinking into despair, he spotted a girl standing expressionlessly with no one beside her. A long whip hung at her waist. His instincts told him she was formidable—at least stronger than a wood-affinity Spirit Master like him. He thought he might as well try.

Dongfang Wanyu's unapproachable demeanor had driven away quite a few people hoping to team up with her.

Mu Sheng was small and looked delicate enough to be mistaken for a young girl at a glance. Standing beside Dongfang Wanyu, he had to lift his head to meet her eyes.

"No," Dongfang Wanyu refused outright.

"Not you either..." Mu Sheng was truly despairing now. He was such a failure that no one wanted to partner with him. With his frail build, entering the trial would probably only get him eaten by a magical beast.

Mu Sheng hung his head, utterly dejected.

Dongfang Wanyu suddenly thought the gesture looked remarkably like her Ninth Sister's. Whenever she did something wrong or felt upset, she would lower her head and stare at her toes.

"Are you from the Wood Hall?"

Mu Sheng nodded, but he didn't look at Dongfang Wanyu again. She had already rejected him.

He looked even more like her little Ninth Sister now.

"What use are you?" Dongfang Wanyu asked coldly, her icy gaze appraising him as though calculating his worth.

Mu Sheng immediately raised his head and looked at her eagerly. "I can actually do lots of things! I can handle all your support work, for instance. I can also release poisonous smoke to knock magical beasts unconscious for you..."

Dongfang Wanyu rubbed her brow. "Enough. Follow me."

"Have you lost your mind? You're taking along dead weight? Don't you have enough to deal with already?" Qing Mo found Wanyu's thoughts increasingly difficult to fathom.

"If you partner with me, you must follow my orders the entire time," Dongfang Wanyu said. Her tone left no room for negotiation.

Mu Sheng nodded eagerly like a chick pecking grain. Whether or not he was eliminated in the first round, he should at least survive, given how commanding she was.

The magical beast hunt officially began, with a time limit of three days.

Dongfang Wanyu set off with her burden in tow. She walked quickly, and the person behind her scurried to keep up. After four to six hours, however, Mu Sheng began to struggle. His stamina was nearly exhausted, while the person ahead seemed completely unaffected.

"Could we rest for a while?" Mu Sheng asked with difficulty.

"No," Dongfang Wanyu replied without turning around.

Mu Sheng had the impression that if he stopped to rest, she would simply abandon him. No, it wasn't an impression. It was instinct.

Hearing the footsteps behind her slow further and further, Dongfang Wanyu offered a rare explanation. "There aren't even any level one magical beasts here. This isn't a safe area. If you want to rest, wait until we find somewhere safe."

Hearing that, Mu Sheng gritted his teeth and hurried after her.

Dongfang Wanyu took a Seven Stars Herb out of her Spatial Ring, crushed it, and scattered it into the air. Only then did she relax and rest, intending to recover fully before setting off the next day.

Mu Sheng sniffed. "That smells like Seven Stars Herb. How did you get that?"

Dongfang Wanyu took out some dry rations and bit into them. "Shut up and rest."

Mu Sheng immediately closed his mouth and obediently rested. Just as he drifted into a hazy sleep, Dongfang Wanyu pushed him awake.

"Move."

Afterward, they encountered level one and level two magical beasts along the way. Dongfang Wanyu dispatched them easily, and naturally, the points went to her.

"Are two magical beasts fighting?"

Just as humans often fought, magical beasts would frequently come to blows over territory at the slightest disagreement. Their fights, however, always ended with one side dead.

Two Level Three Magical Beasts.

Mu Sheng whispered, "I can release a mist to put them to sleep for a while. Then you can kill them."

Dongfang Wanyu looked down at him. This little fellow's skill was releasing sleeping smoke?

"Is there a time limit on your skill?"

Mu Sheng glanced at her and said quietly, "I can release sleeping smoke ten times in twenty-four hours."

"Its range?"

Mu Sheng pursed his lips. Why did she have to ask in such detail? His skill was what kept him alive. He shouldn't reveal everything about it unless he absolutely had to.

Seeing his hesitation, Dongfang Wanyu sneered. "Do you want to pass or not?"

Mu Sheng blurted in surprise, "You can help me pass?"

"Do you think rewards just fall from the sky?" Dongfang Wanyu smiled. "Once my tally reaches the top three, I can leave some magical beasts for you to kill."

Mu Sheng's first thought was that she was incredibly arrogant. She actually intended to make the top three.

"Have you decided?"

After a moment's hesitation, Mu Sheng agreed. The frustration of revealing his skill was immediately overwhelmed by the joy of potentially passing the round.

The two promptly reached an agreement.

However, Dongfang Wanyu didn't have Mu Sheng release his sleeping smoke right away. Instead, she waited until both Level Three Magical Beasts were exhausted from fighting, then suddenly charged out.

"Don't go!" Mu Sheng tried to stop her, only to see her hurl balls of earth one after another. He didn't know what she had mixed into them, but they crackled loudly when they struck the two beasts.

The Level Three Frenzied Bull Beast collapsed, paralyzed by electricity. After struggling a couple of times, it barely managed to get back up. The moment it saw Dongfang Wanyu, it bellowed.

Dongfang Wanyu unleashed her long whip. One end coiled around the Frenzied Bull Beast's horn, and she forcibly dragged it toward her. A flying sword shot out of her storage space, circled once in the air, and plunged straight into the beast's chest. The Frenzied Bull Beast crashed to the ground.

She dealt with the second one the same way, cutting the Frenzied Bull Beast's head off outright. With practiced movements, she opened their skulls and extracted two ocher-colored earth-affinity magical cores.

Mu Sheng had never witnessed anything so intense or bloody. Watching her kill two Level Three Magical Beasts without a change in expression and then open their skulls, he felt he had found an extraordinary partner.

The two earth-affinity magical cores were perfect for her to absorb. Dongfang Wanyu appeared to toss them into her storage space, but actually held them in her palm and drained their spiritual energy completely in the blink of an eye.

Ding.

Dongfang Wanyu checked her Jade Token. Its current tally was 27. An hour earlier, the person ranked first on the leaderboard had already reached 354.

Mu Sheng noticed none of this. He was completely captivated by Dongfang Wanyu's dazzling performance in battle.

"You're incredible."

Dongfang Wanyu glanced at him, a bloodthirsty smile curling her lips. "Now it's your turn."

"Huh?"

Mu Sheng soon understood what her smile had meant.

"Y-you, you—" Standing high in a towering tree, Mu Sheng was too frightened to speak properly. Looking at the dense mass of level two Fire Ants below, he felt every hair on his body stand on end.

Dongfang Wanyu smiled and patted his cheek. "Hurry. With this many, killing them should be a real pleasure."

Mu Sheng thought his partner was a demon. She had brought him right into a Fire Ant nest. If he accidentally fell, these magical beasts would devour him without leaving so much as a bone.

He swallowed and summoned his contracted Demon Plant, a Pulsatilla that was only level two.

"Little White, it's all up to you."

The Pulsatilla climbed down the tree, clinging to its trunk, and began emitting a captivating, delicate fragrance. As a breeze swept past, the scent spread over an even wider area.

"I suddenly feel I've underestimated wood-affinity Spirit Masters all this time," Qing Mo remarked. Wood-affinity Spirit Users had little offensive power, but they could summon plants to help them. Sometimes they made excellent support, and a moment's carelessness could leave someone caught in their trap. They weren't to be underestimated.

Dongfang Wanyu's lips curved slightly. She had never underestimated them. Sure enough, in just a short while, the level two magical beasts below could no longer withstand the sleeping smoke, and a great swath of them collapsed.

"You can borrow this sword."

After tossing him the sword, Dongfang Wanyu leaped down from the tree and harvested the magical cores from the Fire Ants' skulls as though she were cutting straw.

Ding, ding, ding, ding—

By the end, Dongfang Wanyu had grown numb from harvesting them, and she was covered in blood. Still, she was very satisfied with the number on her Jade Token. It had already reached 207.

Mu Sheng remained stunned for quite a while before coming to his senses. He immediately scrambled down the tree, recalled his little companion, and began the difficult task of digging magical cores out of the Fire Ants' heads.