C6 The Assessment Began

Jee Fanchen and his group were at a loss for words.

"Ye Feng, you used to strut around like you owned the place! What's with the sudden change, acting like a scared dog today?" Zhang Yun was seething with rage, unable to find an outlet for his fury.

"Young Master Jee, look at this wimp..." Zhao Feihong, equally infuriated, turned to Jee Fanchen with a look of disgust.

Jee Fanchen was just as irked by Ye Feng's demeanor, but he knew better than to lose his composure at such an event. Containing his rage, he waved dismissively and scoffed,

"Hmph! Let him through. I'm eager to see what kind of results this little runt will manage today! And Ye Feng, don't think you're off the hook. You better hope the gods prevent our paths from crossing in the final combat assessment. Otherwise, I'll make you rue the day you were born!"

With resentment burning in their eyes, Zhang and Zhao stepped aside.

Ye Feng walked through the crowd with a serene expression. Yet, as he passed by Jee Fanchen, he paused briefly and spoke in an even tone,

"In the combat assessment, the one who should be praying not to encounter me is you."

With those words, he strode toward the nearby Heaven Cloud Qi Stele. Jee Fanchen's mouth twitched violently before he turned and slammed his identity token onto the registration desk.

"Sign me up. I'm going to crush this little mongrel from the very first round of the exams!"

The onlookers swarmed closer, buzzing with excitement.

Ye Feng's cool disdain and Jee Fanchen's overbearing swagger turned the day's events into an even more gripping spectacle.

The buzz of conversation grew louder:

"That Ye Feng sure carries himself with confidence~"

"Confidence? Looks more like cowardice to me. He's probably too scared to take on Jee Fanchen's challenge."

"Don't be so sure. Just look at his eyes; he doesn't even seem to consider Jee Fanchen a threat. Maybe he's got an ace up his sleeve?"

"Guess we'll find out soon enough. Here we go, Ye Feng's about to start the first round of testing!"

Nearly two thousand eager onlookers crowded around the base of the Heaven Cloud Qi Stele, craning their necks to catch a glimpse of Ye Feng below.

An Inner Sect disciple had finished the registration and gave Ye Feng a nod, indicating, "Outer Sect Disciple Ye Feng, you may begin the first part of the Inner Sect Assessment—the Profound Qi Attribute Test."

Profound Qi attributes are a martial cultivator's innate martial arts talent. Typically, a cultivator's Profound Qi is white, signifying common Profound Qi. However, those with exceptional talent are born with the Five Elements Profound Root in their dantian, which allows them to practice more powerful Five Elements Profound Arts in the future. Such individuals are highly favored and nurtured by the Nephelo Sect.

The Nephelo Sect's Profound Qi Tablet possesses the divine ability to discern a martial cultivator's Profound Qi attribute. By channeling his Profound Qi into the tablet, Ye Feng would reveal his results, which would significantly influence his overall score in the Inner Sect Assessment.

Confident in the golden Profound Qi within him, Ye Feng approached the Profound Qi Tablet amidst the watchful eyes of thousands. He extended his hand and gently placed it upon the massive black stone.

Rather than conceal his capabilities, Ye Feng was determined to showcase his talent, especially given his eight-year setback. He needed to convince the Nephelo Sect to invest their full resources in his training to expedite his cultivation progress. Without hesitation, he summoned the golden Profound Qi within him and directed it into the tablet.

Swoosh.

The Profound Qi slipped into the tablet silently.

The crowd held their breath, waiting several seconds, yet there was no sign of activity.

What's happening?

Ye Feng's brow creased in confusion.

Was there no response from the Profound Qi Tablet?

He tried once more, his body now shimmering with flecks of gold. Oddly enough, the tablet remained as still as a meditating monk until, after half a minute, a pale white light flickered briefly at its peak before fading into stillness.

"Outer Sect Disciple Ye Feng, Profound Qi attribute: Ordinary Second Grade. Next!" declared the Inner Sect disciple, prompting a wave of murmurs and disbelief among the onlookers.

"Tsk, I thought Ye Feng had some real skills. Turns out he's just an Ordinary Second Grade Profound Qi. What a letdown!"

"It's really odd. That guy is radiating a golden aura, but his Profound Qi is just ordinary?"

"What's the big deal about golden light? Someone once had a rainbow aura, and it amounted to nothing. The Qi Tablet has been accurate for thousands of years; it doesn't make mistakes. Ye Feng is just putting on airs."

The crowd shook their heads, their disappointment in Ye Feng palpable.

Meanwhile, Jee Fanchen and his group burst into raucous laughter.

"Hahaha! Ye Feng, you're such a loser. I actually thought you might amount to something. Turns out, after eight years, you've only managed to break through to the One Pulse Profound Stage. You're still worthless, hahaha!"

Elsewhere, Zhao Feihong was laughing obnoxiously. Between chuckles, he approached the Qi Tablet and spat in Ye Feng's direction.

"Pah! You see that, kid? I might not be able to beat you now, but my Profound Qi attribute is way stronger than yours!"

With a swish, Zhao Feihong channeled his Profound Qi into the tablet. In a flash, a tiny green tornado formed at the top of the Qi Tablet. It was faint, but it distinctly showcased the uniqueness of his Profound Qi.

"Outer sect disciple Zhao Feihong, Profound Qi attribute: wood element, Second Grade. Next, please."

Wow!

Zhao Feihong has wood element Profound Qi!

The crowd murmured in surprise.

Such unique Profound Qi was a rarity among martial cultivators. With over a thousand disciples taking the exam today, and less than a hundred with a special attribute, Zhao Feihong's standing among them soared.

"Ha! You see that, Ye Feng?" Zhao Feihong crowed triumphantly, as if he had already exacted his revenge. "Just you wait. Once I'm in the Inner Sect practicing wood-type profound arts, it won't take a year to crush you... Hey, damn it, why are you walking away again!"

Far off, Ye Feng had already turned and headed for the next test, completely ignoring Zhao Feihong.

He pondered to himself, "No, something's not right. The golden Profound Qi is supposed to be powerful, so why no reaction from the Qi Tablet? Could it be that the tablet can't detect the true nature of this golden Profound Qi? Now that's curious..."

Ye Feng was perplexed, and what nobody, himself included, could have anticipated was that at the very moment he channeled the golden Profound Qi into the Qi Refining Tablet, atop Fallen Cloud Peak—one of the Seven Great Main Peaks—a shadow in a decrepit palace abruptly lifted its head.

"What? The Qi Refining Tablet is showing activity?"

In an instant, the figure vanished, darting out of the hall with the speed of a fleeting streak of light.

...

Boom!

Simultaneously, as Ye Feng had barely taken a few steps away, a fierce red blaze erupted from the Qi Refining Tablet. Towering flames, reaching four or five meters high, blazed like a colossal torch atop the stone monument, casting a red glow on the faces of thousands of disciples.

"Outer sect disciple, Ji Fanchen, Profound Qi Attribute: Fire, First Grade!!"

The proclamation set off a chorus of gasps.

"Wow!"

"Fire, First Grade!"

"It looks like this is the most powerful unique attribute Profound Qi we've seen in this year's cohort!"

"Young Master Jee truly lives up to his name. It's no wonder the Jee family invested so heavily in him—he's truly remarkable!"

Admiration surged through the crowd like a tidal wave, making Jee Fanchen and his few cronies beam with pride.

Yet, unbeknownst to the onlookers, the Inner Sect disciples overseeing the examination were far from impressed. In fact, they seemed somewhat disheartened.

Is Jee Fanchen really the best we have this year?

Sigh, there used to be at least a dozen First Grade Mutant Profound Qi emerging each year. Even Senior Brother Lee had an exceptional Profound Qi Spiritual Body. But now, these newcomers are overjoyed with just a First Grade Profound Qi.

The Nephelo Sect... it's truly seen better days...

"Hahahaha!" Meanwhile, Zhang Yun and his group were completely oblivious to the undercurrents. They burst into laughter, hoisting Jee Fanchen on their shoulders, and bellowed towards Ye Feng's retreating figure:

"Hey, Ye Feng, see that? That's what a real genius looks like! Our Young Master Jee wields First Grade Fire Profound Qi. And you, with your ordinary Second Grade trash—do you even have the right to challenge Young Master Jee? Better kneel and concede defeat now! Hahaha!"

Many in the crowd nodded subtly, signaling their agreement.

The chasm between Ye Feng and Jee Fanchen was widening by the moment, leaving Ye Feng without a chance to even be mentioned in the same breath. It would be wise for him to concede early and perhaps save himself further trouble.

Amidst sighs of disappointment, Ye Feng didn't look back. He strode confidently toward a bustling area of the square—the second test, measuring the power of Profound Qi.

"Greetings, Senior Brother. I'm Ye Feng, here for the second assessment."

As Ye Feng handed over his token and the disciple in front of him took down his details, his gaze drifted to a two-meter-tall white rectangular stone block beside him.

The Profound Qi Stone, a traditional tool for testing the might of one's Profound Qi, where martial cultivators unleash their strongest force against it. The depth of the resulting mark serves as the measure of their power.

In the annals of the Nephelo Sect, there was a tale of a prodigy who, during the Inner Sect test, struck the stone with his palm so powerfully that it reached elbow deep, sending ripples through the entire sect and securing his legacy as a legend.

In recent years, few had managed to make a mark deeper than half a foot during these tests. Even Lee Huayu, the sect's most brilliant talent of the past decade, had only achieved an eight-inch depth, a pinnacle that others could only aspire to.

Now, Ye Feng approached the Profound Qi Stone.

Following the attribute test, the crowd's perception of Ye Feng had shifted, tinged with less anticipation and more scorn. After all, challenging Jee Fanchen could be seen as audacious if one had the skill, but without it, it was nothing but a farce.

Just as Ye Feng was about to commence his test, Zhao Feihong's brash voice cut through the air from behind.

"Hold it right there, Ye Feng!"

These people just wouldn't let up.

Ye Feng stopped briefly, his eyes flashing with annoyance.

Zhao Feihong and Zhang Yun, flanking Jee Fanchen, had caught up, their faces etched with mockery as they addressed Ye Feng.

"Ye Feng, Young Master Jee was doing you a favor by waiting, but you're just too pathetic. Why should we wait behind someone like you? Move aside and let the real talents go first!"

"Senior Brother, is this really alright?" Ye Feng asked, turning to the Inner Sect disciple beside him.

"The order doesn't matter. Just get on with the test and cut the chatter!" The Inner Sect disciple shot Ye Feng a look, his voice neither warm nor cold. Clearly, Ye Feng's earlier submission had significantly lowered his standing in the disciple's eyes, and now, no one seemed inclined to offer him support.