Chapter Thirteen: Astonishing Assessment Results

After a short wait, Qu Changhe appeared, leading Yan Changqing down from the peak. Yan Changqing was dressed in a Daoist robe, his long sleeves billowing, looking for all the world like an ordinary elderly man. None of the apprentices dared to look too long; together, they dropped to their knees and called out in unison, “Greetings, Grand-Uncle Master.”

Contrary to everyone’s expectations, this Grand-Uncle Master Yan proved extremely amiable. Seeing the display, he bent down with a smile and said, “Oh, that’s enough, no need for such ceremony. Get up, all of you.” Once the group was back on their feet, he turned to Qu Changhe and asked, “I heard there are a few at the sixth level of Qi Refinement among you?”

Qu Changhe replied respectfully, “Indeed, Grand-Uncle Master, there are two who have reached the sixth level: Chen Zaizhi and Zheng Jin. There are more disciples at the fourth and fifth levels, and a few who are still young and haven’t yet grasped the knack of cultivation.”

Yan Changqing nodded and said kindly, “These children are all quite talented. You must guide them well.” Qu Changhe hastily agreed.

All those present for the assessment were youths under twenty. Seeing Grand-Uncle Master Yan’s mild manner, they could not help but breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Yan Changqing glanced at each of them in turn, wasting no more words. He instructed Qu Changhe to lead the group along a path midway up the mountain to Jinbo Court at the back of the peak.

Jinbo Court was vast and remote, standing alone with no clear purpose. Inside grew only a few ancient locust trees, and on one side stretched a long, quiet corridor with no sign of life. Outside the corridor, dozens of large black water vats were neatly lined up.

Noticing everyone’s eyes wandering toward the vats, Yan Changqing smiled and said, “No need to be anxious. Now, those two at the sixth level—step forward and let me have a look.” Instantly, envious gazes fell on Chen Zaizhi and Zheng Jin.

The two stepped out and saluted Yan Changqing once more. Yan Changqing examined them, eyes narrowing slightly, then asked Qu Changhe behind him, “How old are these two?”

Qu Changhe quickly replied, “Chen Zaizhi is sixteen; Zheng Jin is eighteen.” Yan Changqing stroked his beard and nodded, signaling for them to return to the line.

Hongjian’s heart stirred—she recalled what Yao Zhen had told her about the two Nascent Soul masters’ restriction: only those under eighteen could become their disciples. She sensed a hidden meaning in Grand-Uncle Master Yan's question and could not help glancing quietly at Yao Zhen beside her.

Yao Zhen did not notice Hongjian. Her gaze was fixed intently on Chen Zaizhi and Zheng Jin, her face flushed unnaturally as she bit her lip, clearly lost in her own calculations.

Yan Changqing looked at the faces opposite him, each pair of eyes filled with anticipation, and smiled. “You’ve all seen those water vats over there, yes? Good. That’s the content of today’s assessment. Go ahead—each of you, choose one.” The apprentices responded in unison and ran to stand before their chosen vats.

Hongjian looked down at the vat before her, which reached her chest. It was as wide as two adults could reach around, and empty inside. There was no need to guess—they were clearly to fill the vats with water.

Sure enough, once everyone was ready, Yan Changqing’s smile faded and his manner grew solemn. “As you’ve surely noticed, Jinbo Court is not as damp as the Endless Sea where you usually train. For today’s assessment, you must use the ‘Water Condensation Technique’ to summon water and fill your vat. I will consider your performance, cultivation level, and age in the final ranking. Begin.”

As soon as Grand-Uncle Master gave the order, Hongjian estimated that among these dozens of people, Chen Zaizhi was certain to rank first. If she performed normally, she would be among the best of the fifth-level disciples. Since there was no time limit, and after her wager with Shi Qingxiang from Xianyun Sect, Hongjian knew her own strength: of all the Qi Refinement disciples here, even including Chen Zaizhi, none could recover their spiritual energy faster than she could. She was five years younger than Zheng Jin at the sixth level—how the final ranking would be set depended on Grand-Uncle Master Yan’s judgment.

With that thought, a flush of heat rose in Hongjian’s heart. It seemed the days of hard work were finally paying off. And if Yao Zhen’s information proved true, she might even qualify alongside Fang Zheng for the Nascent Soul masters’ disciple selection and gain invaluable experience.

All the Qi Refinement disciples focused intently on casting the Water Condensation Technique. In Jinbo Court, the only sounds were the gentle or rapid splashes of water falling into the vats—nothing else could be heard.

The difference between fifth and sixth level was not just the amount of spiritual energy, but also the efficacy of spells cast at equal cost. Hongjian had never imagined she could surpass Chen Zaizhi or Zheng Jin in such a contest; just listening to the rush of water, she could tell their flows were faster and louder than anyone else’s. And then there was Yao Zhen, working beside her.

Others began to notice the anomaly at Yao Zhen’s vat. Qu Changhe, who had been observing, now stood quietly behind Yao Zhen, brows furrowing in confusion. If he remembered correctly, this young girl had only recently reached the fifth level—how could she have caught up to Chen Zaizhi and Zheng Jin so quickly?

Yan Changqing silently walked past, glancing at Yao Zhen from head to toe, face expressionless. Then he stopped behind Chen Zaizhi.

Sweat was beading on Chen Zaizhi’s forehead. He had planned to compete with the older Zheng Jin, but ever since Grand-Uncle Master had come near, he felt an inexplicable pressure. The very air seemed to thicken, and even channeling his spiritual energy had grown markedly more difficult.

Startled, Chen Zaizhi risked a glance at Grand-Uncle Master. The latter’s robe was embroidered with patterns in the same color, indistinct from afar but, up close, resembling waves or clouds. Was Grand-Uncle Master watching him?

Before he could see Yan Changqing’s face, something struck Chen Zaizhi’s spiritual sea with a sharp sting. Darkness overwhelmed his vision; all thoughts of the assessment vanished. The piercing pain made him clutch his head and cry out, drawing everyone’s attention.

With a glance, Hongjian realized Chen Zaizhi’s consciousness had been injured. She was surprised for a moment—the assessment was only halfway through and, with her fifth-level cultivation, she still had half her spiritual energy left. Judging by Zheng Jin and Yao Zhen’s ease, it was hard to imagine Chen Zaizhi’s consciousness being harmed at this stage.

Yan Changqing said in a low voice, “Continue—do not be distracted.” He stepped forward, pressing a hand to Chen Zaizhi’s shoulder, and gently stroked the youth’s head. Then he turned to Qu Changhe. “His spirit has been injured. He can’t continue the assessment. Take him to rest.”

Qu Changhe’s face darkened. After Yan Changqing’s treatment, Chen Zaizhi had fallen unconscious. Qu Changhe took him from the master’s hands and laid him down in the corridor before returning to observe the other disciples.

With a mid-assessment withdrawal, even if he had any results, Chen Zaizhi would certainly rank last. After this incident, the apprentices grew nervous, fearing that exhausting their spiritual energy would leave them in the same state. They all finished up quickly, ending the assessment in haste.

Yan Changqing did not need to check each one—he closed his eyes, extended his spiritual sense, and instantly knew the outcome for all. Qu Changhe reported each apprentice’s age, and after a moment’s thought, Yan Changqing announced, “I believe each of you knows where you stand. Here are the rankings for this assessment—see for yourselves.” With a sweep of his sleeve, a watery screen appeared above each apprentice’s head, slowly revealing a number.

The courtyard erupted with murmurs. Hongjian looked first at Yao Zhen—sure enough, a bold “1” hovered over her head. Zheng Jin had a “3.” Hongjian understood and looked up to find a deep blue “2” above her own head. She barely had time to feel pleased, staring almost in awe at the watery screen. This was Grand-Uncle Master Yan’s “Water Condensation Technique,” and his Golden Core cultivation imbued the numbers with such clarity that they lingered, undiminished.

Yan Changqing turned to Qu Changhe and said, “It seems the female disciples are even more outstanding here. You have taught them well. Bring me the names of the top ten later.”

Only then did Hongjian notice that Chen Zaizhi was absent from the top ten—in fact, Grand-Uncle Master had excluded him from the ranking altogether. To her amusement, Qi Xiuning was ranked fifth. No wonder Qu Changhe’s face had darkened; for someone who had always looked down on female disciples, this was a delicious irony.

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The author, as slow as a snail at writing, has finally crawled up to post an extra chapter. Thank you all, especially Xiao Fan, for your generous support.