Chapter 27: Assessment stone

The eighty-nine candidates were following the four elders in charge of the entrance examination. As they were crossing the giant black gate, Elder Tang stopped and addressed the cultivators from noble backgrounds.

"From here on out, you must bid farewell to your servants. Only the candidates may enter."

They all knew the rules beforehand and their bodyguards were just meant to protect them until the entrance gate. This huge black gate was known as the Shell Gate. Many outsiders had numerous speculations as to what it actually meant. Some thought that it came from it being the first line of defense to the Wubei Sect, its shell so to speak. Others imagined that it was built using the shell of a legendary demonic beast. But only a handful of elders knew the truth.

The candidates could not help but marvel at this Shell Gate, even the ones who had already failed the entrance examination before. It was at least 100 meters high and pure black. The material was difficult to make out, but it was neither stone nor metal. It was also very large and walking under it, the candidates realized that it was pretty deep. The gate almost felt like small tunnel. It took the time for a incense stick to burn for the candidates to cross it.

What they saw beyond the Shell Gate was the Heidai Peak, riddled with all kinds of buildings. All across the peak were many different constructions with various architectures, arranged in concentric circles. There were pagodas of different sizes and single story mansions with courtyards, wings and shrines, as well as pavilions of all forms. The top of the Heidai Peak could not be seen because it was even above the clouds. There were also many forests here and there and all kinds of areas certainly meant for special training.

Elder Tang lead the candidates toward a small coliseum. Inside was a huge blue raw stone, at least twenty chi high.

Elder Tang had the candidates wait before the stone and he and the other elders went to a small platform nearby. In the coliseum, dozens of sect disciples were lined up, forming a corridor in front of the stone.

"Candidates! The first step of the examination is this stone, the Assessment Stone. You must place your hands on the stone and let its energy course through your body. It's harmless." Elder Tang gave a head signal to one of the sect disciples.

The young man put both hands on the stone and a bluish light began to shine around them. When it finally stopped, the stone began to light up. It started very dim and became stronger and stronger. Once it stopped lighting up, the disciple took his hands away and it slowly faded.

"The Assessment Stone will resonate with your Qi and Meridians. You need to be at least a 3rd-grade Mortal to make it shine at all. Only a Mortal Warrior can make it shine its brightest. The point of the Assessment Stone is to measure your cultivation objectively and precisely. Two people within the same grade will have different results based on the stability of their cultivation. You may proceed."

Naturally, the noble candidates lined up first and went to the stone one by one. Even the youngest of them was able to make the stone shine. The light was dimmer, but it was not weak either. Usually, average cultivators reached 3rd-grade Mortal around 18 or 19, but the youngest candidate was 15. It was very good. Cao Yun himself had reached 3rd-grade Mortal at the age of 15 and was considered a genius in his family.

The candidates kept on lighting the stone. The last candidate was the one who had the most disdain for the commoners. He proudly walked and touched the Assessment Stone. It took a little longer than for the other candidates and it outshined all of them. Compared to the disciple who had demonstrated the effect of the stone, its brightness was more than half of it.

Above the clouds, the three Chief Elders and Xiao Xuefeng were still observing.

"Brother Suxian, is he your favorite?"

Chief Elder Suxian broke into laughter. "Isn't he good?! He's only 16 but he's already a 5th-grade Mortal. It was a good surprise! He broke through two weeks ago." He kept laughing as the light faded away.

"Sun Liao? From the Sun family. It makes sense." Chief Elder Luoming was thinking aloud. "The Sun family has produced a few great geniuses. But a high cultivation is not everything, you should teach him not to be too complacent!"

"Yes, Brother, you're right." After he laughed some more, a strange look appeared on Chief Elder Suxian's face. "Miss Xiao, didn't you choose a candidate yourself? Where is he?"

All the noble candidates had already touched the stone by now and Chief Elder Suxian was confused.

"Chief Elder Suxian, there are still some candidates."

"The commoners?" Chief Elder Luoming's interest was piqued.

On the ground, the commoners were also lining up. Their result was not that great but none was disastrous either. All of them were able to light the Assessment Stone. They tried their utmost, circulating all of their Qi in hopes that it would intensify the light. Maybe by focusing their energy, they could make the stone shine a little bit brighter. That didn't work that way, but it made them feel better. Only the candidates who had already failed knew the level of brightness to pass this assessment, so all the others were anxious.

The last two candidates were Ren Chao and Cao Yun as they were both chatting with each other.

"Brother Chen, let me be first, I'm really anxious to know how I fare since last time."

Ren Chao touched the stone and it lit up more than for any other commoner. It outshined most of the noble candidates as well. When the light stopped intensifying, it was probably in the top 10.

"Ha, ha, ha!" He looked at the nobles. "A background does not do everything for you, right?"

All the other commoners cheered as Ren Chao had safeguarded their honor from the scorn of these nobles. Of course, many of the nobles had no ill intent against the commoners, but they still felt that they were better than them in a way.

"Sorry, Brother Chen, I seemed to have made things difficult for you. Do not take the result to heart, okay?" Ren Chao was sincerely, albeit clumsily, trying to cheer his friend up. He was absolutely convinced that Cao Yun's light would be average, if not worse.

"Oh? So that's your candidate, Miss Xiao? Not bad, not bad." Chief Elder Suxian was a little ironic as he watched Xiao Xuefeng with ridicule in his eyes.

On the side, Chief Elder Luoming was shaking his head. He had recognized Ren Chao who had already tried the examination last year. There was no way he was the candidate chosen by their guest elder. Anyway, he said nothing, watching his friend dig his own grave by parading before his victory was certain.

At last, Cao Yun walked toward the Assessment Stone, but no one seemed to pay him any mind except for the elders in charge of the examination.

When he touched the stone, it did not respond right away.

Sun Liao who was angry after seeing some commoner have a great success with the stone decided to use the opportunity to get some laughs.

"It seems you commoners are not so bad. After all, you're the only ones who failed to even light up the stone." His words put everyone's attention on Cao Yun. The commoners' joy turned sour.

Sun Liao was pretty satisfied and was about to add some words when the stone began to shine. Could there be a problem with...? Suddenly he remembered, when he had used the stone, it also took a long time to react as his cultivation was above the others. It couldn't be... No! This commoner had waited even longer! It couldn't mean...

The stone outshined everyone, including Sun Liao. Compared to the disciple who demonstrated it, the light was a little dimmer of course, but it was still very impressive.

Chief Elder Suxian could not talk at all, and his friend acted as the commentator. "5th-grade Mortal, and very stable. He will probably break through to the 6th-grade in a matter of months. Given his age, he will be a 16-year-old 6th-grade Mortal, very impressive!" He turned toward Xiao Xuefeng. "Miss Xiao has a good eye for talents, it seems."

"Chief Elder Luoming is too kind. I just happened to meet him and his talent is not bad. Not bad at all. Don't you think Chief Elder Suxian?"

Chasing the image of a cup of tea running from him with human legs from his mind, Chief Elder Suxian kept calm and answered. "Indeed, not bad, not bad. But cultivation is not all, right, Sister Baishen? The next test should be about your specialty, I wonder if you have a prognostic?"

The old woman spoke. "My prognostic is that you should learn to think before you speak, Brother Suxian. It would spare you a lot of pain."

Except for Chief Elder Suxian, they all suppressed a small laugh.

-

Sun Liao felt humiliated. The boy he used to vent some frustration was the most frustrating of all.

"A frog in a well! If you think cultivation is everything, you're really a frog in a well!"

Cao Yun did not wish for conflict. During the auction in Yinmen City, he had learned that offending people was rarely a good thing. Some idiots would double down to keep face, just to have the little face they tried to protect trampled all over. He would rather lay low.

Alas, his new friend Ren Chao was not of the same mind.

"Sour loser! You could not even light the stone as much as Brother Chen and you run your mouth?! Is that all nobles are really capable of?!"

"You..." All the nobles, even the ones who did not like Sun Liao's attitude got vexed.

"Ha, ha, ha. I don't know about cultivation, but background is certainly not everything!"

Commoners and nobles kept antagonizing each other with Cao Yun right in the middle. What could he possibly say to salvage the situation? Any word in favor of the nobles would be an insult to the commoners.

He was truly depressed. The only thing he wanted was to enter the sect peacefully in order to gain enough strength to accomplish his goal. Showing his skill was necessary to attain this ambition so he would not fail on purpose. But, he did not need to make more enemies.

Even though it seemed impossible, he still tried to calm the situation.

"Fellow cultivators. We are all to be comrades under the Wubei Sect. Either cultivation or background are indeed nothing important. Who knows what our cultivation or our status will be once we leave the sect? Some of us may even become elders and never leave it. So please, fellow cultivators, do not fight each other."

Most people were moved by Cao Yun's words. He was indeed right. Some commoners had been able to become great heroes after joining a sect and some nobles were covered in shame despite an illustrious family.

The only one who was not convinced was Sun Liao.

"What Fellow Cultivator Chen just said rings true to my ears. But there is nothing wrong with a little competition between future sect brothers, wouldn't you agree?"

Ren Chao kept answering before Cao Yun. "Nothing wrong indeed! But who would compete without a reward?"

"Quite right... I fear Fellow Cultivator Chen has not enough money to play with me... So what about face instead? If my results are better than yours, you will have to kowtow before me and admit your inferiority."

Ren Chao erupted! "You... ! Do you think my brother is afraid of you, you despicable villain?! He accepts your bet, and when he wins, you'll have to kowtow before us all to admit you nobles are all trash!"

Cao Yun had just managed to salvage the situation but Ren Chao just destroyed everything. He even turned back with a huge smile as if he had done a great act. Once again, he had involved all the nobles in the deal, even though most of them did not like the attitude of Sun Liao. Now, they all seemed to hate Cao Yun and wanted to see him fail.

Well, he could not very well go back on his word, even though Ren Chao had given it for him.

"Fellow Cultivator Sun, let's compete fairly!" He turned toward the nobles. "My friend's words are little overbearing, please do not pay him too much mind. He's just impulsive, that's all. Nothing bad."

-

Back in the sky, Chief Elder Luoming was holding back his laugh. "Brother Suxian, Sun Liao and this big fellow look an awful lot like you..."

"You... !" Chief Elder Suxian kept his mouth closed for once. "It's not like it's good to be too timid either..."

"I think that's why you're always in trouble with the Sect Leader, Brother."

"Oh? I guess this Chen Guo fellow is like you, trying to smooth things over. Always sugar coating every word." Chief Elder Suxian was a bit sour with his friend.

"Brother, remember, you never have too many friends, but you always have too many enemies. Try and make friends, not enemies." Chief Elder Luoming turned to Xiao Xuefeng. "I really like your little candidate. Let's see how he fares."