prizes

After the leaders of the three sects each gave a motivating speech to their disciples, they proceeded to announce the rules of the joint examination. Due to the collaboration among the three sects, there were a total of four hundred external disciples participating. Therefore, it was not feasible to have one-on-one matches right from the start.

The joint examination was divided into two phases. The first phase was the selection round. The four hundred participants were split into eight groups, each consisting of fifty individuals. The selection process was straightforward: all fifty participants in a group would enter the arena together, and the last ten standing would advance to the next stage.

All those who passed the selection round would become internal disciples, which was the greatest reward for the external disciples of the three sects. Becoming an internal disciple meant gaining access to more sect resources. For instance, while an external disciple might receive one Body Refining Pill per month, an internal disciple could receive one every seven days. This was just the basic level of resource allocation; there were other benefits as well.

The second phase of the joint examination was the elimination round. Eighty participants would be reduced to forty, forty to twenty, and so on, until there was a final victor. This victor would be the champion of the elimination round and play a decisive role in the distribution of resources among the three sects in the secular world.

There were no prizes for the selection round, but being selected as an internal disciple was the ultimate reward for the external disciples of the three sects. Internal disciples received more resources, and this was the primary purpose of the joint examination: to identify elite external disciples who could become key figures among the internal disciples.

To encourage the external disciples of the three sects to demonstrate their abilities, the elimination round offered various rewards. The first-place winner would receive a Nine Revolutions Pill, the second-place winner would receive a set of body movement techniques, and the third-place winner would receive a protective talisman.

These rewards were quite substantial, motivating the external disciples to strive for higher ranks.

Not to mention others, even Jiang Yun was very eager for the first-place reward, the Nine Revolutions Pill. This pill was a top-quality elixir that helped a Martial Artist at the Yuan Martial Ninth Layer break through to the Earth Martial Realm.

The primary difference between a Martial Artist at the Human Martial Realm and one at the Earth Martial Realm lay in two aspects: their aura and the state of their spiritual energy. The former had a gaseous form of spiritual energy, while the latter had liquid spiritual energy, which could be called true energy.

The value of the Nine Revolutions Pill lay in its ability to halve the time required for a Martial Artist at the Yuan Martial Ninth Layer to transform their spiritual energy into true energy during a breakthrough. If an ordinary Martial Artist needed seven days to break through, consuming a Nine Revolutions Pill would reduce that time to three days.

Jiang Yun's interest in the Nine Revolutions Pill stemmed from the fact that if he decided to leave the sect for cultivation after the joint examination, he would face greater risks outside. In case he encountered a breakthrough opportunity, he could easily be ambushed without the protection of a sect. However, with the Nine Revolutions Pill, he could shorten his breakthrough time by half, significantly enhancing his safety.

Breaking through was a vulnerable moment for Martial Artists. During this period, they couldn't afford any interruptions; otherwise, they might fail in their breakthrough or, in the worst case, lose control and fall into a demonic state, ruining their cultivation.

The Nine Revolutions Pill had another remarkable effect. If a Martial Artist consumed it and encountered danger during a breakthrough, they could forcibly stop the process. This was equivalent to giving up on that breakthrough attempt, but at least they wouldn't risk going berserk and losing all their cultivation due to external interruptions.

As soon as the reward of the Nine Revolutions Pill was announced, the nearly four hundred external disciples from the three sects couldn't maintain their composure any longer. Jiang Yun included. However, the first individuals he looked at were Xiaojin Huo and Long Jiang An. These two were his biggest obstacles in competing for the Nine Revolutions Pill.

These three individuals had a mutual understanding, and as Jiang Yun looked up, he found that the gazes of the other two had also locked onto him. In a way, it seemed like an instance of great minds thinking alike.

Compared to the reactions of Jiang Yun and the other two, some other external disciples appeared much more excited. Jiang Yun overheard a disciple from the Tianjian Sect exclaiming in an uncontrollable manner, "The Nine Revolutions Pill! It's practically a life-saving elixir for breaking through to the Earth Martial Realm. If I had a Nine Revolutions Pill, my chance of breaking through might increase twofold."

However, just as this disciple finished speaking, someone nearby started pouring cold water on him, saying, "First, you need to reach the Yuan Martial Ninth Layer. Second, you need to find an opportunity to break through."

"Can't you stop being so discouraging? Can't I have some thoughts? If a person loses their dreams, how are they any different from a dead fish?"

"Fine, let me discourage you a bit more. Do you think you can be the first in the elimination round? Just be happy if you even make it to the elimination round. It's fine to dream, but the key is to stay grounded when you wake up."

Jiang Yun chuckled upon hearing the banter between the two individuals. They noticed his smile and received a nod from him.

"Wow, did Jiang Yun just look at us? I think you're right; a person should stay grounded. I believe that, except for Jiang Yun, no one else has a chance of winning the elimination round."

"You make a lot of sense; I'm speechless."

The Tianjian Sect had relatively fewer disciples, so when the rewards were mentioned, some of them began discussing, but more commotion emerged from the Yanyue Sect and the Shendao Sect. However, these reactions weren't particularly noteworthy to Jiang Yun.

The only reward that interested Jiang Yun was the Nine Revolutions Pill. As for the second-place prize of body movement techniques, he didn't believe that any set of techniques could surpass his current Four Symbols Step. He had significant confidence in the martial arts from his previous life on the Lingwu Continent.

The third-place prize, a protective talisman, was even further from Jiang Yun's consideration. While it appeared formidable, capable of withstanding an attack from a Xuanwu Realm Martial Artist, encountering such an attack would only be delayed by the talisman. It would at most allow him to take one more hit. For Jiang Yun, it held no attraction whatsoever.

Nevertheless, these prizes were immensely valuable to other external disciples. They also illustrated that the three sects had invested a considerable amount for this joint examination.

After the elder who had announced the rules and rewards stepped back, he didn't pay attention to the commotion caused by the prizes among the disciples. For the elders of the three sects, this was probably a scene they enjoyed witnessing.

After about the time it took for a joss stick to burn, the disciples from the three sects were led together by their respective internal disciples. The four hundred individuals were dispersed into eight groups of fifty each. The first round of the selection matches was about to begin.