"Xu Chuan, I will definitely kill you to avenge my son!" Luo Tong snarled, like a maddened beast, his teeth gritted as he let out guttural growls.
Luo Feng was his only son, and the son on whom he had placed all his hopes. He never imagined he would die while attempting to assassinate an outer disciple. He now loathed Xu Chuan with all his being, wishing he could rush forward and slay him immediately.
Meanwhile, Xu Chuan found a cave in the demon beast forest, preparing for a rest. Killing Luo Feng had yielded him quite a bit. He estimated over three thousand low-grade Yuan stones, along with a considerable amount of cultivation pills and various miscellaneous items. It truly was the life of an inner disciple, a world away from Xu Chuan's previous circumstances.
Taking out some pills and Yuan stones, Xu Chuan prepared to go all out to break through to the fourth level of Qi Condensation. The outer disciple assessment was only two or three days away, and he was determined to shine in it and be promoted to inner disciple!
Consuming the pills, feeling their medicinal power instantly diffuse within him, Xu Chuan immediately closed his eyes to cultivate the Xuanyang Art, absorbing the medicinal strength to enhance his power.
Two days later.
Xu Chuan emerged from the cave, having successfully broken through to the fourth level of Qi Condensation.
"Time to return to the Sacred Land!" Xu Chuan silently calculated the time. Tomorrow was the official start of the outer disciple assessment. It was his last chance!
If he passed the outer disciple assessment and became an inner disciple, his future would be boundless! However, if he failed, even with his breakthrough to the fourth level of Qi Condensation, he would, by the rules, be demoted to a handyman disciple. Such were the stern rules of the Taiyi Sacred Land.
By the time Xu Chuan returned to the Sacred Land, it was already the next day. The Taiyi Sacred Land's annual outer disciple assessment was on the verge of commencement! As the number one Sacred Land in the Eastern Region, the Taiyi Sacred Land's outer disciple assessment was a grand event. On this day, martial artists from nearby regions would gather to watch the assessment.
The number of outer disciples participating in the assessment was a staggering several thousand! Most of these were disciples whose cultivation was on the verge of breaking into the Qi Condensation realm. There were also disciples who had already reached Qi Condensation but had been in seclusion, waiting for the outer disciple assessment to secure a good ranking. After all, a higher ranking meant greater favor from inner sect elders, and consequently, more cultivation resources in the future.
At this moment, the Taiyi Plaza was packed. Xu Chuan had to squeeze his way into the ranks of the disciples participating in the assessment. Meanwhile, disciples who were not participating were engaged in heated discussions about the favorites for this grand competition. Some discerning disciples had even set up betting stalls within the outer sect for other outer disciples to wager on.
Xu Chuan's name was prominently displayed among them. Seeing his name, Xu Chuan had an idea. He took out all the Yuan stones he possessed and bet on himself to win first place in the outer disciple assessment. The odds were an astonishing 1:500. Xu Chuan dared to place such a bet because he had immense confidence in his current strength.
As a large sun slowly ascended into the sky, three figures gracefully emerged from within the Sacred Land and walked onto the high platform of the plaza. Xu Chuan recognized all three; they were inner sect elders, influential figures rarely seen, and surprisingly, they were all present for the outer disciple assessment today. Seeing them, a stir rippled through the crowd as some disciples recognized them. The presence of these elders signaled that the outer disciple assessment was about to begin.
The three elders on the stage looked out at the thousands of outer disciples gathered for the assessment, a look of deep satisfaction on their faces.
"The talented disciples in our Sacred Land's outer sect are growing in number, a true blessing for our Sacred Land!"
"Indeed, the number of disciples participating in this year's outer disciple assessment far exceeds previous years."
"I heard there's an outer disciple named Xu Chen, quite a prodigy. I wonder if he's participating in this assessment?"
"He should be."
"Alright, let's stop chatting. Elder Li, you shall preside over this first round!"
As the two elders were engrossed in their conversation, another elder, who had maintained a stern expression, glanced at the sun and spoke. Hearing this, the other two elders immediately fell silent. One of them stepped forward, looking at the slightly immature youths below with a benevolent smile.
He was Li Hong, a cultivator at the third level of the Samsara Realm. With a gentle press of his hands, the boisterous noise from below instantly ceased. Without further ado, Li Hong got straight to the point.
"This assessment consists of two rounds. The first round will test your martial dao will."
"The purpose of this round is to see if you possess an unwavering martial dao heart!"
"In martial dao cultivation, cultivating the heart is a crucial aspect!"
"I now declare the first round of the assessment officially begun!"
As Li Hong's voice faded, a massive arena suddenly rose from beneath the feet of the participating disciples. The entire arena was enveloped by a formation.
"Is this the Heart Refining Array?" Xu Chuan murmured, sensing the aura of the formation. Although he had never participated in the outer disciple assessment, he was familiar with this renowned Heart Refining Array, having never experienced it firsthand, however.
Suddenly, the array was activated, and Xu Chuan's consciousness began to blur. After a moment of dizzying disorientation, the scene before his eyes drastically changed.
Seeing his body, which was clearly much smaller, Xu Chuan was taken aback. Had he returned to the time he first joined the Taiyi Sacred Land? Back then, he was a child brimming with talent and confidence, dreaming of reaching the pinnacle of the martial dao. But the reality of the following years had shattered all his illusions. He had resigned himself to his fate, no longer harboring any unrealistic thoughts. It was only as he was about to fully accept his lot that the appearance of the system had reignited his hope.
With that thought, Xu Chuan took a deep breath. "With the system's help, I will surely reach the peak of this world! I will not give up again!" His gaze gradually firmed, and a sense of confidence radiated from him from the inside out. Then, Xu Chuan's aura surged, and the illusion shattered like a mirror.
He reappeared on the arena. Xu Chuan scanned his surroundings. He was the first to emerge from the illusion. Others were either bewildered or completely lost within themselves.
Not long after Xu Chuan regained his clarity, someone in a corner also opened their eyes.
"What? The first one to break through is him?" Seeing Xu Chuan, who had awakened faster than himself, a look of surprise flashed in his eyes.
"Dare to steal my first place? You're quite something!" he vowed inwardly, resolving to teach Xu Chuan a lesson if the opportunity arose. First place belonged only to him; anyone who dared to challenge that was his enemy! If Xu Chuan had turned his head at that moment, he would have recognized this person as Xu Chen, whose fortune he had previously taken at the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion.
Unbeknownst to them, half an hour had passed. Those who were meant to awaken had done so. Over a thousand outer disciples remained on the arena. Li Hong waved his hand, the formation dissipated, and the arena sank. Looking at the disciples who had not awakened within the allotted time, he spoke, "It is with regret that I announce that you have failed the first round. You may leave now."