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Chapter 63: Chapter 63: Five Months! Untimely Death!
The matter was finally settled.
As they watched Luo Cheng become a servant disciple, the crowd taking part in the assessment instantly erupted into a frenzy.
No one had expected that a mere waste who had awakened a Wasted Martial Soul would successfully enter the Xuanyuan Sect.
Some were envious, some shocked, but most were filled with disdain!
It was obvious to everyone that the only reason Luo Cheng could stay in the Xuanyuan Sect was because of that token.
Lin Hankong was deeply resentful but dared not speak again. His eyes glared at Luo Cheng, fists clenched tightly.
Seeing his plan on the verge of success and the chance to avenge his family, only for it to fail at the last second—it was unbearably frustrating!
Several Outer Disciples nearby noticed this and tried to console him:
"Junior Brother Lin, don’t rush. Since he’s angered Senior Brother Jin Min, within the Xuanyuan Sect, won’t he still be at your mercy? There’ll be plenty of chances to kill him in the future!"
Upon hearing this, Lin Hankong’s eyes grew bright.
The same thought lingered in Qin Yuanfeng, standing amidst the crowd.
Staring at Luo Cheng’s departing figure, Qin Yuanfeng snorted coldly, "Let’s see how long you can bask in triumph. I’ll make you understand—entering the Xuanyuan Sect is only the start of your nightmare!"
Luo Cheng returned to Tuoba Lie’s side, expressing his gratitude: "Thank you for earlier. If there’s anything you need in the future, don’t hesitate to ask."
He hadn’t expected Tuoba Lie to stand up for him in such a situation.
Tuoba Lie chuckled heartily, "No need for thanks. I simply couldn’t stand them. Calling you a waste at every turn? I don’t think any of them can compare to you!"
In Tuoba Lie’s opinion, the fact that Luo Cheng had comprehended the Sword Heart Realm alone made him far superior to Lin Hankong and the others.
Noticing the token in Luo Cheng’s hand, Tuoba Lie curiously asked, "What is that thing? Does it have a significant background?"
Standing nearby, Ling Chulan interjected, "That’s the Core Disciple Token of the Xuanyuan Sect. Yun Mengli is the most promising candidate to ascend as a True Disciple within the Sect—she holds an extraordinary status. Luo Cheng, what is your relationship with Yun Mengli?"
Ling Chulan’s elegant eyes gazed at Luo Cheng.
"Uh, we’ve only met twice," Luo Cheng answered truthfully.
"Only twice..."
Ling Chulan’s eyes widened in disbelief.
From what he knew, Yun Mengli had always acted independently.
Seeing Luo Cheng pull out Yun Mengli’s Identity Token, Ling Chulan had assumed their relationship was close.
At this moment, Elder Chen Xuan began announcing the next stage of the assessment.
The noisy valley instantly quieted down.
Besides the Heart Refining Gorge trial, the entrance assessment for the Xuanyuan Sect included two more stages.
The second stage was the Martial Soul assessment, requiring at least a Three-star Martial Soul to advance to the third stage.
The third stage was the practical combat test. Within one hour, candidates had to grasp a One-star Martial Art and use it to battle a Demon Beast of equivalent cultivation level—their performance in the duel would determine if they advanced.
Each stage tested different aspects of martial artists: their mental resolve, Martial Soul talent, and comprehension. The assessment was extremely comprehensive!
However, if a candidate possessed a Martial Soul exceeding Three-star, even failing the third stage would grant them status as a servant disciple of the Xuanyuan Sect.
This showcased the Sect’s emphasis on Martial Soul Grades.
One could say that Martial Soul Grade was the most crucial criterion in the assessment.
Luo Cheng didn’t need to participate in the assessment and simply watched from the sidelines.
Soon, the second stage of the assessment began.
Amidst immense tremors, a massive azure screen rose within the valley.
Anyone passing through the screen was uncontrollably compelled to release their Martial Soul.
Instantly, brilliant rays of light illuminated the valley, as various Martial Souls erupted forth.
The Martial Souls varied immensely in form and type.
The most common were Beast Martial Souls, including fierce tigers, ferocious wolves, and pythons.
Beyond this, there were odd Martial Souls: swords, spears, halberds, flowers, trees, mountains, stars...
Observing the scene, Luo Cheng noted that most people had awakened Intermediate Martial Souls; only a mere two or three dozen boasted Three-star Martial Souls!
There were no low-level Martial Souls below Three-star.
It was unsurprising—the individuals who awakened One-star or Two-star Martial Souls wouldn’t even dare to participate in the Xuanyuan Sect’s assessment. 𝚗ov𝚙𝚞𝚋.c𝚘m
Even those who dared would have already been eliminated during the Heart Refining Gorge trial.
As such, Luo Cheng was indeed a peculiar outlier among the crowd.
Among the numerous Martial Souls, the Nine-star Martial Souls stood at the pinnacle; including Tuoba Lie, there were only four individuals possessing them.
To Luo Cheng’s surprise, the elegant youth Ling Chulan had also awakened a Nine-star Martial Soul!
It was a sword cloaked in icy energy, with nine radiant stars shining brilliantly.
Aside from Luo Cheng, the rest of the crowd gazed enviously at the four Nine-star Soul possessors.
Nine-star Martial Souls were rarely seen within the Xuanyuan Sect. Such talents would receive focused mentorship and could even be taken as disciples by Inner Sect Elders. With good fortune, advancing to the Third Stage of the Tongxuan Realm—or even the Awakening Vein Realm—wouldn’t be out of reach!
Elder Chen Xuan was elated. In previous assessments, even a single Nine-star Martial Soul talent was rare; now, there were four!
Suppressing his elation, Elder Chen Xuan announced the start of the third stage.
Compared to the universally successful second stage, the third stage had an extremely harsh elimination rate.
Of four or five hundred participants, fewer than one hundred passed the assessment.
It was not surprising—grasping even a One-star Martial Art within mere hours and then using it for combat was no trivial feat.
With the end of the assessment, emotions ran high—some celebrated while others despaired.
Those who failed the third stage sighed heavily.
Though failing meant they could still become servant disciples of the Xuanyuan Sect, the identity of servant disciple was worlds apart from that of an Outer Disciple.
Servant disciples were at the lowest rung of the Sect, with no cultivation resources to speak of. They often performed menial labor and served as manual labor.
If they failed to ascend to the Tongxuan Realm within three years, they would be expelled from the Xuanyuan Sect!
Even so, none of the candidates left the venue.
For many, even being a servant disciple of the Xuanyuan Sect was the fulfillment of a dream.
"Luo Cheng, you must come to the Outer Sect soon," Tuoba Lie said as he bid farewell.
Outer Disciples and servant disciples resided in separate areas.
Luo Cheng grinned, "Don’t worry. Within five months, I will definitely become an Outer Disciple."
From breaking through to the Transcendence Realm until now, it had been less than a month. Luo Cheng was confident he could reach the Third Stage of the Tongxuan Realm within three months.
However, knowing that breakthroughs would become increasingly difficult, Luo Cheng extended the timeline to five months.
"Five months?"
Tuoba Lie was momentarily stunned by Luo Cheng’s confidence, then erupted into laughter, "Great! I’ll wait for you!"
Hearing their conversation, those nearby sneered at Luo Cheng.
Within the Xuanyuan Sect, only a rare few servant disciples could ascend to Outer Disciple status within three years!
A waste with a Wasted Martial Soul proclaiming he would break through to the Third Stage of the Tongxuan Realm and become an Outer Disciple within five months—such arrogance was absurd!
Heh!
At that moment, a cold sneer rang out.
Qin Yuanfeng approached.
Having smoothly become an Outer Disciple, he now gazed at Luo Cheng from a lofty vantage, chuckling:
"Becoming an Outer Disciple in five months—talking big doesn’t make you bite your tongue, does it!"
Tuoba Lie frowned, "Who is he?"
Luo Cheng replied indifferently, "Just a mad dog."
Upon hearing this, Qin Yuanfeng’s face darkened, a murderous glint flickering in his eyes as he suddenly sneered:
"Even now, you dare act so arrogant. Very well. Didn’t you say you’d become an Outer Disciple within five months? Then let me tell you, not only will you fail to become an Outer Disciple—you’ll end up dead!"
