A hush fell over the crowd of outer disciples as the first group of ten, including me, Zhang, and Li,
lined up before the raised stone platform. Three Elders sat at a long table, their auras restrained
but still imposing enough to make the air feel thick. The center Elder, the one who had spoken,
was Elder Bai, a man known for his no-nonsense attitude and his piercing gaze that felt like it
could count the dust motes in your soul.
The first test was the simplest: measuring raw cultivation level.
A junior disciple stood by a large, milky-white quartz crystal, the Testing Monolith, placed at the
center of the platform. One by one, the disciples in front of me stepped up, placed their palms
on the crystal, and injected a thread of their Qi.
The crystal would glow, and numbers would shimmer to life on its surface.
"Qi Gathering, Level 4," the junior disciple announced for a nervous-looking boy. Elder Bai gave a
slight, approving nod.
"Qi Gathering, Level 3." A girl. Elder Bai's expression remained neutral.
"Qi Gathering, Level 5." This was a burly disciple from a minor noble family. A murmur went
through the crowd. Elder Bai actually smiled.
Then it was Zhang's turn. He swaggered forward, shot a smug look back at me, and placed his
hand on the crystal. He channeled his Qi with a visible effort, and the crystal glowed a bright,
steady yellow.
"Qi Gathering, Level 5!" the junior disciple called out.
Zhang puffed out his chest, bowing deeply to the Elders. "This disciple has worked tirelessly,
Honored Elders!"
Elder Bai gave another slight nod. "Adequate progress."
Li was next. He managed to eke out a "Qi Gathering, Level 4," looking immensely relieved.
Then, all eyes fell on me. The whispers started immediately. "It's Lin Yun." "The Mortal Grade
kid." "I heard he's given up completely." "He'll be lucky to be Level 2."
I walked forward, my steps calm and measured, the [Placid Deer Steps] making my movement
unnaturally smooth for someone supposedly at the bottom. I could feel Zhang's and Li's glares
burning into my back.
I placed my palm on the cool surface of the crystal. I didn't force my Qi. I simply let it flow, a
steady, gentle stream, just as the auto-cultivate function did. The crystal glowed, not with a
brilliant flash, but with a soft, consistent light. The numbers formed, clear and undeniable.
"Qi Gathering… Level 3," the junior disciple announced, his voice laced with surprise.
A wave of stunned silence, followed by a burst of incredulous chatter, swept through the
spectators. Zhang's jaw dropped. Li stared as if he'd seen a ghost. Even Elder Bai's eyebrows
crept up a fraction of an inch.
"Level 3?" Elder Bai's voice cut through the noise. "Lin Yun. Our records show you were firmly at
Level 1 just a month ago, with no sign of progress for over a year. Explain this."
This was the moment I had prepared for. I bowed respectfully, my face a mask of humble
sincerity.
"Esteemed Elder," I began, my voice clear. "This disciple realized that my previous method of
cultivation—forcing Qi through my underdeveloped meridians—was like trying to fill a cracked
cup with a firehose. Most of the water was wasted, and the cup was damaged further. So, I…
stopped."
"Stopped?" echoed another Elder, a woman with sharp eyes named Elder Mei.
"Yes, Elder," I said. "I spent my time in contemplation and studying the foundational philosophies
in the archives. I focused on understanding the nature of Qi, rather than blindly grasping for it. It
seems that by relaxing my mind and body, my Mortal Grade spirit root was finally able to absorb
energy at its own, slow, but steady pace."
It was a complete load of nonsense, wrapped in a veneer of philosophical insight. But in the
cultivation world, profound breakthroughs often came from seemingly simple, overlooked
truths. My story was just crazy enough to be plausible.
Elder Mei's sharp eyes narrowed, scrutinizing me. I could feel the faintest pressure of her
spiritual sense brushing against me, checking for any hidden artifacts or signs of demonic
possession. My [Observe] skill flickered.
[ Target: Elder Mei. Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Stage (Early). Status: Intrigued. Slightly
suspicious. ]
She withdrew her sense, a thoughtful look on her face. "His foundation is stable. No signs of pill
toxins or unstable energy. It is… uncommonly pure for his level."
Elder Bai grunted, his initial surprise fading into a look of grudging acceptance. "Hmph.
Unorthodox, but a stable breakthrough is a stable breakthrough. Proceed."
I bowed again and returned to my place in line. Zhang was staring at me with pure,
unadulterated hatred. His moment of glory had been completely upstaged by the sect's biggest
joke.
The second test was Technique Comprehension. We were to demonstrate the [Whispering
Cloud Primer's] foundational palm technique, a simple Qi emission meant to extinguish a
candle flame from three paces away.
Most disciples managed it, their Qi blasts snuffing the candle with varying degrees of force.
Some blew the entire candle over. Zhang, showing off, extinguished his candle with a precise,
sharp burst that left the wick smoking neatly.
When it was my turn, I took a calm breath. I didn't focus on power. I focused on efficiency. Using
the flaw-corrected method from [Observe], I channeled the barest wisp of Qi. It left my palm
not as a blast, but as a gentle, focused stream of air. It flowed across the room and kissed the
flame of the candle, which flickered once, twice, and went out, without a sound, without a single
tremor in the candle itself.
The Elders were silent for a long moment.
Elder Mei was the first to speak, her voice soft. "Perfect control. No energy wasted. I have not
seen a disciple at the third level demonstrate such finesse with this technique in a decade."
Elder Bai looked from me to the perfectly still candle, his expression unreadable. "Indeed."
The murmurs from the crowd were no longer dismissive. They were confused, curious. Who was
this new Lin Yun?
I could feel the tide turning. The final test was Combat Prowess. We would be paired for simple
sparring matches.
As the junior disciple read out the pairings, a cruel smile spread across Zhang's face.
The disciple called out, "Next match: Lin Yun versus Zhang Wei."
Zhang cracked his knuckles, his eyes glinting with malicious intent. "Finally," he whispered, low
enough for only me to hear. "I'm going to break you, you lucky faker. I'll show everyone what
happens when trash gets above itself."
I just looked at him, my expression calm. My [Observe] skill was already active.
[ Target: Zhang Wei. Cultivation: Qi Gathering Stage, Level 5 (Unstable). ]
Techniques: Furious Bear Strike (Novice, Flawed), Basic Swordplay (Novice).
Status: Angry. Qi circulation erratic due to recent forced breakthrough.
Weakness: Lower left meridian cluster is strained. A precise strike there will cause intense pain and
disrupt his Qi flow.
I stepped onto the sparring platform. The real test was about to begin. And for the first time, I
wasn't planning on just defending myself.
I was planning on teaching a lesson