Over the next few days, the entire Pill Sect remained caught up in the shock of someone taking first place on all nine tablets.
Whenever Pill Sect disciples arrived below the Pill Pavilion, they cast admiring looks at the top position on the nine stone tablets. Murmurs about Jun Wangchen could also be heard nearby.
Fang Yiqian's suitors searched frantically for Jun Wangchen, hoping to teach him a brutal lesson, but the Enforcement Hall stopped them all.
They finally understood that Jun Wangchen was now someone the Pill Sect intended to nurture, not someone they could afford to offend.
Three days later, the assessment for promotion from the outer sect to the inner sect officially began.
The assessment was held at three locations. Outer disciples from First Peak and Second Peak would take it at Qu Shui Orchid Pavilion, those from Third Peak at Crescent Bay, and those from Fourth Peak and Fifth Peak at the Unnamed Riverbank.
At daybreak, Jun Wangchen got out of bed and headed to Qu Shui Orchid Pavilion.
It was a tranquil spot, with lush trees flourishing all around, birdsong in the air, and fragrant flowers lending it a soothing atmosphere.
Many people came to Qu Shui Orchid Pavilion that day. Besides the outer disciples who had registered for the assessment, there were plenty who had not. Lacking confidence in themselves, they had come specifically to watch, learn what the assessment involved, and gather information.
The entrance to Qu Shui Orchid Pavilion was still closed, but through the gap between the doors, an enormous square could clearly be seen inside.
Hundreds of pill furnaces stood in neat rows across the square, evidently prepared for those who had registered for the assessment.
When Jun Wangchen arrived, there were not many people there yet.
He found a