Astonishment and more to come

After arriving, the first thing Ace did was greet the representative here to grade his sect, "Thank you for coming to my sect today for the grading."

The representative, who was a middle aged man with cultivation above Cidd, nodded his head and replied, "Please lead the way to the training court, I hope that your disciples wouldn't disappoint me."

The representative might be treating his sect lightly, but Ace knew that he was going to give the representative the greatest shock of his life. 

The cultivation speed of his disciples within these two to three months was already comparable to four to five months of cultivation in other sects and forces. In terms of cultivation technique and martial skills, the disciples had a wide variety to choose from and choose one that suits them best.

That's excluding the elixirs that the disciples can claim monthly and the weapons that they exchanged for with their merit points. Of course, the spirit tree was his greatest backing, his disciples were able to cultivate their respective elemental intents and weapon intents under an environment no other sect can provide.

As they walked towards the cultivation ground, Ace was surprised by the fact that all the disciples were still cultivating. Didn't Cidd just get them to gather and wait a moment ago?

As for the representative, he started to have doubts in his mind. Didn't this elder by the name of Cidd just told me that the disciples have gathered and are waiting for his arrival? Was this a ruse to make him think that the disciples were diligent, or were they just unwilling to waste precious cultivation time?

"Sorry about this, may I know how to address you?" Ace asked the elder politely in an awkward manner, after all, his disciples prioritised their cultivation above an important guest.

"You can just call me Vale. Since I'm here already, do you mind picking out a disciple for each cultivation realm to gauge their attack strength, endurance, speed and willpower? Of course, if they have cultivated any elemental intents or weapon intents, it would be worth gauging as well." Vale explained briefly, only to realise that Ace returned his explanation with a smile.

"In order to show that my sect doesn't favour any disciples, why don't representative Vale choose the disciples yourself? I'm sure that you're able to discern their cultivation with your spirit energy as long as you want to." Ace suggested, as for why Vale was able to discern the cultivation of his disciples with his spirit energy, it was because he was in the transcendent realm.

"Are you sure about this?" Vale confirmed in surprise, in the past, the sect masters would usually get the weaker disciples to leave the sect on the excuse of doing a mission.

"Yes." Ace confirmed again confidently.

Vale then used his spirit energy to detect the cultivation of each disciple, only to be shocked by their stronger foundation. As for the reason, it was simple. The spirit energy they were cultivating were of a higher quality than others, with the intents they cultivated, Ace knew that it proved minor benefits that would benefit the cultivator personally.

Of course, there was one thing Ace didn't know, the spirit tree was constantly nourishing the spirit energy in his sect, improving its quality at a snail pace but surely.

"Sect master Ace, are you sure that these are the only disciples in your sect? Only ninety of them?" Vale asked with wrinkled brows as he closed his spiritual sense.

"Yes, may I know what's the matter?" Ace had a rough guess, but playing dumb now would be the best choice.

"Why are there no Martial Apprentice cultivators?" Vale probed with a sigh, did this sect master bribe them or something? Why would so many geniuses gather here?

"Most of them made a breakthrough within the two months of joining the sect. This is due to the facilities that my sect provides and the cultivation environment and resources, of course, the way my sect operates play an impactful role."

"I'll see the facilities later, gather those three disciples for me." Vale got back to the main topic and pointed towards three disciples. Three new faces that Ace had never seen before.

Seeing the confused look on Ace's face, Cidd stepped out and explained, "Sect master, those three disciples only joined the sect early this month."

"What did you just say?" It wasn't Ace who was surprised, but Vale. A late stage Martial Master that's below eighteen join the sect willingly and yet he receives no unique benefits such as better cultivation grounds?

"Representative Vale, I understand the reason for your shock, but rest assured that the late stage Martial Master disciple you just called out only made a breakthrough recently under my guidance."

As Cidd replied respectfully, the soul halo he used for guiding the disciples appeared before him, astonishing Vale even further? What in the world is this sect, just this elder alone with the soul halo clarifies my doubts.

"Ahem, let's get back to the main topic." Vale said awkwardly as he took out what seems like a wooden dummy.

"This wooden dummy is capable of gauging your attack power, there are nine stars on the front of its body, each star corresponds to each sub and major realm until the early stage Great Martial Master realm, so just give it your all." Vale's words were directed towards the three disciples as the first disciple stepped out.

She was a female disciple with her hair tied up in a bun, her looks weren't first class, but they weren't bad either and with her sword in hand, she actually eluded a female heroine aura.

This disciple is outstanding, that was the first impression she left on Vale. The aura she eludes definitely doesn't belong to one who has never experienced the cultivation world, yet hers is one that's merciless to the evil and compassionate to the kind.

The female disciple gathered her water intent and infused it into the sword before stabbing forward, "Water Jet!" 

Her sword, agile as a fish, stabbed the wooden dummy as she leaped backwards instinctively while taking up a position that would allow her to make the second move in succession.

Impressive, this combat sense doesn't come by with just talent. Vale nodded his head in approval, his eyes staring at the wooden dummy's crest before turning back towards the girl.

Rubbing his eyes, he told himself that he wasn't seeing things, an early stage Martial Master had attack power comparable to a late stage Martial Master, it was evident from the seven stars that lit up on the wooden dummy.

Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked the female disciple, "How did you do that? Even though your martial skill was impressive, it shouldn't have increased your attack power that much."

The female disciple looked at him in disdain and said, "Isn't it simple? I merely infused my water intent into my sword while using the martial skill of the water element to amplify them as one while striking at an angle that increases my attack power slightly."

"Ahem, next." Vale couldn't help but laugh, only for his eyes to widen in shock again. 

The next disciple in the middle stage Martial Master realm with his spear in hand, gathered lightning intent and infused it into his axe before swinging it down.

"Lightning Flash!"

Eight stars? Vale was even more surprised than he was previously, even though the difference between the gaps in between each sub realm wasn't that much, the substantial difference was still there and yet this disciple was still able to amaze him.

"Representative Vale, do you have a wooden dummy that's more durable? I'm worried that I might break it." The last disciple which had caught his eye since the start asked politely while standing before the wooden dummy.

Vale was doubtful, but still kept the wooden dummy and took out a dummy made of iron instead.

"You may continue."

"Great!" The young disciple gathered wind energy into his leg as he kicked towards the head of the wooden dummy swiftly.

"Relentless, Storm!"

Yet the first kick was only the beginning as he brought out a chain of another six kicks before kicking away.

Five and a half stars on the iron dummy? One has to know that the iron dummy starts gauging from the Martial Master realm, if this was the case, then this disciple was already nearing the strength of a middle stage Great Martial Master realm.

"Sect master Ace, to think that the top seed in your sect is this strong."

The first to react wasn't Ace, but that disciple who was confused by the situation. "Sect master, since when did I become the strongest disciple in the sect? Aren't senior Lancelot and senior Ray the strongest in the sect?"

"Sect master Ace, I admit defeat. There's no need for further testing, just based on the strength of your disciples alone, your sect deserves to be in the Black Grade."

"Representative Vale, how about I show you the facilities that my sect offers now, who knows, you might change your mind and give us a silver grading instead."

Vale accepted the offer out of curiosity, but never would he know that he would have to invite his master here to grade the sect, only to question himself again one month later.