Chapter 24: Sect Assessment (2)

After several days of autumn rain, it finally stopped on the night before the sect’s assessment day.

The rooster crowed early in the morning, and when Zanxing began to prepare herself, Duan Xiangrao had already finished dressing and was looking in the mirror. During these days at the Taiyan Sect, they had been nourished by spiritual energy daily, and the food they ate was rich in spiritual power. Duan Xiangrao’s complexion had improved. With her delicate peach blossom-like face, she was charming and lovely. Her makeup was applied just right, and she had changed to cherry-colored lipstick. Today, her waist belt was tied tighter than usual, and her plain robe was worn with a subtle elegance.

It didn’t seem like she was going to compete. It was more like going to a beauty pageant.

Zanxing washed her face and also took a look in the mirror.

The woman in the mirror, if she covered her right cheek, could be considered a beauty with bright and beautiful eyes and red lips. Unfortunately, the black scars crisscrossing her right cheek marred her overall beauty. Zanxing couldn’t bear to look at it for long, feeling upset. She decided it would be better to quickly enter the inner sect and get advanced spirit medicine to treat her injuries.

After finishing her grooming and having a light meal, Zanxing hurried to the competition stage before the sect’s assessment began.

The place where they usually practiced had, overnight, grown into a massive stone platform. The platform was square and flat, about the height of one person. It was surrounded on all sides by iron chains and ropes, marking the boundaries. This sect assessment primarily used a drawing lots format, with two rounds in total, where pairs would compete against each other. The first round would determine the sixty winners who could advance to the second round. The second round would also involve two-person competitions. After the second round, the thirty winners would become the inner disciples of the Taiyan Sect.

The assessment method appeared simple and direct, but upon closer examination, its rules revealed a harsh reality.

The new disciples participating in this event hailed from various regions of the capital. Among them were prodigies from prosperous and prestigious families, possessing abundant spiritual stones and exquisite spiritual tools. For instance, the top-ranked participant in the selection competition, Hua Yue, possessed a fourth-grade spiritual weapon—a sword adorned with precious gems. If he were to face an opponent of equal prowess, that sword alone could give him a significant advantage.

On the other hand, cultivators like Zanxing and Tian Fangfang, who possessed not a single spiritual stone, were left with only the ordinary sect-issued weapons, rendering them devoid of any competitive edge.

In charge of this sect assessment was Ziluo, and Zanxing speculated that Ziluo might be an assistant instructor assigned to supervise the entire examination.

Ziluo stood upon the competition stage, extending her right hand from which a gradually intensifying golden light emanated. After a brief moment, the golden radiance dissipated, leaving behind a small circular furnace. With a wave of her hand, the circular furnace began to hover unsteadily, drifting towards the cultivators seated below the stage.

“In this furnace, there are 120 wooden sticks,” Ziluo explained. “Each stick bears the sequence of matches. If you draw the same number, you will be matched as opponents for this assessment. Now, please draw your wooden sticks.”

The new disciples raised their hands and began reaching into the furnace to draw their sticks. As they selected a stick, the furnace autonomously moved to the next person.

Tian Fangfang playfully nudged Zanxing’s arm and said, “Junior sister, let’s ensure we don’t pick the same number. I wouldn’t want you to leave.”

Zanxing: “…”

It wasn’t an exaggeration on Tian Fangfang’s part. In the previous selection competition, Tian Fangfang had indeed ranked second. Even before entering the sect, Tian Fangfang was already at the Foundation Establishment Second Level, and these days of rigorous cultivation should have further advanced his cultivation. In terms of strength, Tian Fangfang surpassed Zanxing by far.

As they were talking, the urn with the wooden sticks had already floated in front of them. Tian Fangfang drew first, followed by Zanxing. After the urn drifted to the next person, Zanxing finally lowered her head to examine the wooden stick in her hand. The stick was about the width of a finger, very slender, with a few sharp red characters engraved on it: “Thirty-Six.”

“I got fifteen, junior sister. What about you?” Tian Fangfang leaned in to take a look at Zanxing’s wooden stick. After seeing it clearly, he became quite delighted and said, “Great, we’re not opponents!”

Zanxing remained silent and glanced towards the other end.

The book “At the Summit of the Nine Heavens” was exceedingly long, with over ten million characters, and it was filled with repeated scenes. Many details and characters had become hard for Zanxing to recall. Sometimes, she would unexpectedly remember certain scenes when the plot reached a specific point. For instance, at this moment, Zanxing vaguely remembered that in the original story, the male protagonist, Mu Cengxiao, had drawn the first wooden stick for the stage competition at the sect assessment, astonishing everyone. In the second round of the competition, he had overshadowed Hua Yue, the top-ranked participant in the selection competition, to the point where Hua Yue became envious, and they later became bitter enemies.

Now, the plot had been disrupted somewhat, and Zanxing wondered if Mu Cengxiao’s storyline would still unfold as before.

Lost in her thoughts, the last disciple finished drawing their wooden stick, and Ziluo put away the urn. She looked at the crowd below with a smile and said, “The drawing of lots is complete. The sect assessment begins now—”

A heavy, muffled sound resonated from the hourglass placed by the competition stage.

The first group of assessment disciples stepped onto the stage.

Standing on one side of the competition stage was a young cultivator holding a longsword. On the opposite side stood a youth who appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old. He had a handsome and sharp appearance, with a tanned complexion that gave him the vibrant look of a young man. This was indeed Mu Cengxiao.

Zanxing couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. The original storyline remained unchanged. The male lead, Mu Cengxiao, was still the first to take the stage, just as it was written in the novel.

Mu Cengxiao’s opponent, the young cultivator, nodded slightly in his direction and said, “Guo Hao.”

Mu Cengxiao returned the gesture, saying, “Mu Cengxiao.”

However, before the word “Xiao” left his lips, the opponent’s sword was already upon him.

There was a cry of astonishment from the audience below. Tian Fangfang exclaimed, “A sneak attack! This person has no shame! That young brother is in trouble!”

Zanxing thought to herself that it might be the other way around.

Indeed, the next moment, a louder gasp could be heard from the side. To everyone’s amazement, the young man on the stage remained motionless. He hadn’t even drawn the sword at his waist. Instead, he extended his palm and caught the opponent’s blade.

“How is that possible?” Tian Fangfang was stunned.

The new entry-level disciples, even if they were less skilled, had all achieved Foundation Establishment cultivation. A sword strike from a Foundation Establishment cultivator was no child’s play. However, this young man simply lightly grasped the blade and blocked it. Then, in a sudden and swift motion, he advanced and astonishingly pushed the opponent’s sword back.

This block and push happened in an instant, and with a resounding “thud,” the young cultivator was sent flying off the stage, landing heavily below, unable to get up for a while.

From a distance, Xuan Lingzi, standing on a tower, watched the scene unfold on the stage and exclaimed in amazement, “He actually…”

Daoist Yueguang, stroking his long beard, spoke with profound meaning, “To wield the ‘Five Star Divine Art’ with such power, this young man is extraordinary. Junior, it seems you may gain a promising disciple this time.”

Below the stage, the inner disciples who were announcing the results read in a tone devoid of emotion, “In the first group, Mu Cengxiao wins.”

The disciples in the audience were in an uproar. With just one move, and before he even drew his sword, this young man had emerged victorious.