C13 The Test Began

As the test door slammed shut with a resounding bang, the true assessment was finally set to begin.

Elder Longbrow and Chitong cast a cursory glance over the gathered disciples, nodding in approval. Approximately one thousand five hundred disciples had participated in the preliminary round, and now, only about five hundred remained after passing through the test door. This meant that nearly two-thirds had been eliminated, leaving only about one-third. This was an impressive retention rate; in previous years, only one-fifth had made it this far. It's worth noting that this was merely the preliminary stage, with two more tests yet to come.

The subsequent tests are the real deal, with the preliminaries serving merely as a warm-up.

The fact that so many had made it past the preliminaries this time was a testament to the increasing caliber of candidates. For instance, during the last Inner Sect Assessment, only two to three hundred had cleared the preliminaries. Following the subsequent tests, fewer than a hundred had remained, highlighting the considerable difficulty of the assessment process.

Seeing such a substantial number of disciples advance past the preliminaries brought a measure of satisfaction to the two elders. They anticipated that, after the next two tests, the number of candidates remaining would exceed that of the previous assessment. Every sect aspires to infuse fresh blood into its ranks, for it is this new life that sustains a sect's vitality and ensures its enduring prosperity.

"First and foremost, congratulations on passing the preliminary round of the Inner Sect Assessment—the first of three tests. There are two more challenges ahead, and I hope you will keep up the momentum and succeed in those as well. Should you do so, you will shed your Outer Sect status and rise as an Inner Sect disciple, becoming a core member of our Astral Conclave," Elder Longbrow proclaimed, his voice rich with emotion. His stirring speech resonated with the disciples, the majority of whom gazed back at him with eyes alight with fervor.

Sensing that the mood was ripe, Elder Longbrow and Chitong exchanged a knowing glance and gave a subtle nod. They each reached into their storage bags and withdrew several sleek jade tablets, gleaming with a verdant hue. The tablets, polished to a mirror-like finish, caught the sunlight and cast back a crystalline jade green light. At the top of each tablet were five grooves, arranged from left to right in white, grey, blue, black, and red.

Elder Longbrow gestured with his hand, prompting several Outer Sect mentors to assist in placing the dozen or so sleek jade tablets onto a prearranged table. They then settled beside the table, ready with pen and paper to document the disciples' test scores.

"These jade tablets you see before you are the instruments for our second test. Attack them with your strongest blow. If the grooves on the tablets emit a blue light, it signifies you've passed this second test. Make sure not to conceal your true power, or you may find yourself failing at this stage. You only get one chance. I must emphasize: give it your all, with no reservations."

"Has everyone grasped the test rules I've explained?" Elder Longbrow inquired, surveying the disciples.

"Understood," came the resounding, unified response from the hundreds of disciples, their voices booming.

"Very well, let us commence," Elder Longbrow said, nodding slightly to signal the beginning of the test.

Subsequently, the disciples formed several long queues, eager to begin their trials.

Ye Xuan and Mu Hua, however, did not rush to take their turn. They positioned themselves slightly toward the back of the line. They had clearly understood Elder Longbrow's instructions but preferred to let others take the lead.

As expected, the disciple at the forefront of their line stepped forward to strike the jade tablet. He mustered his full energy, his palm pulsing with a subtle vital force.

"Ha!" With a forceful shout, he struck the smooth jade tablet, and a deep thud echoed as the grooves began to shimmer. The white groove lit up first, followed by the gray, and finally the blue. The blue groove glowed with a pale blue light, but it was enough to signify a pass. Regardless of the shade—be it pale, medium, or dark blue—all indicated a pass, with the intensity of the color merely reflecting the strength of the attack.

"Jin Li, light blue, pass. Stand behind me," the mentor announced, recording the score. A wave of joy washed over the disciple's face as he quickly took his place behind the mentor.

"Next," called out the mentor, as one after another, the disciples stepped up to test their might.

"Black Mountain, light blue, pass."

"Red Rise, light blue, pass."

"Ji Miao, medium blue, pass."

"Dream Creek, grey, fail."

"Cloud Yi, grey, fail."

......

Some were overjoyed to pass the test, while others were understandably disheartened, particularly those disciples who had failed.

Ye Xuan watched the group for a while and noted that those who passed were generally at the late stage of the third level of the Whispering Souls. It seemed that he and Mu Hua would have no trouble passing the test. Perhaps the wait had been a bit long, as Ye Xuan yawned nonchalantly. At that moment, Chitong glanced over and caught Ye Xuan's seemingly disinterested expression. Chitong's pupils narrowed as he fixed his gaze on Ye Xuan. The assessment was a very formal event, and Ye Xuan's demeanor suggested he wasn't taking it seriously, which irked Chitong.

While yawning, Ye Xuan suddenly felt a piercing gaze on him, sending a chill down his spine. He looked up to meet Chitong's intense red eyes. Feeling a tingle on his scalp, Ye Xuan discreetly averted his eyes.

Elder Chitong, however, approached them. He gestured to the scribe, who then stepped aside to allow Elder Chitong to take over. Elder Longbrow was puzzled by this move; normally, such tasks were delegated to the scribes, and those of their stature wouldn't bother with such minutiae. But he didn't question it, assuming Elder Chitong was simply looking for a way to alleviate his boredom.

Finally, it was Ye Xuan and Mu Hua's turn.

"Ye Xuan, I'll go take the test first," Mu Hua said, turning to Ye Xuan.

"Sure, with your skills, Mu Hua, passing should be a given," Ye Xuan responded.

"Then I'll take that as a good omen," Mu Hua replied, and proceeded forward. Chitong nodded at Mu Hua, signaling him to start.

Mu Hua began to channel his vital force, accelerating it to a peak velocity before striking the jade tablet with force. A deep tone resonated, and the tablet's grooves flickered with light, sequentially illuminating white, grey, and blue. As the lights ceased, the blue groove radiated an intense deep blue glow.

Whoa!

The anomaly on Ye Xuan's side quickly caught the attention of the other teams, prompting a wave of shocked murmurs. No one had ever achieved the dark blue level before. Elder Chitong gave a slight nod of approval and remarked, "Not bad."

Whoa!

The crowd erupted in astonishment once more. It was unprecedented for anyone to receive praise from Elder Chitong!

Moreover, the esteem in which Elder Chitong and Elder Longbrow were held within the sect was significant. Their discerning eyes were known for their unique insights, making their commendations hard-earned. This served as a testament to Mu Hua's exceptional talent.

After Mu Hua completed his test, exclamations of surprise rose from the other groups as well. Their jade tablets were all aglow with the same dark blue light that had shone for Mu Hua.

Ye Xuan scanned the area, identifying only four individuals who had managed to elicit the dark blue light from the jade tablets—two men and two women. They stood there like regal swans, basking in the fervent adoration of the onlookers.

Elder Longbrow also stepped forward to oversee the proceedings, clearly delighted by the emergence of so many promising disciples at once.

"This generation of disciples seems to have a greater number of exceptional talents than the last," he observed.

"In the previous generation, there were only two disciples who managed to produce a dark blue light. To see so many this time is truly astonishing!" Elder Longbrow mused, gently twirling his namesake brows.

Before Elder Longbrow could ponder further, a more astounding exclamation thundered through the square, spreading swiftly like a tempest.

"Black... black... a black light?" The instructor responsible for recording stared at the light emanating from the jade tablet, his face a portrait of disbelief.

The one who had achieved this remarkable feat was a girl in a black dress. Her lustrous black hair cascaded down to her slender waist, and her bright black eyes shimmered like pools of autumn water. Her neck was as graceful as that of a swan, and her skin was so smooth it seemed almost translucent. Her exposed wrists were as polished as white ivory, glowing with a subtle sheen. Truly, she was a breathtaking beauty.