169: Chapter 169 The Assessment Ends

The Qingyun Sect's inner Sect entrance assessment came to a halt at the Examiner's shout.

All the Cultivators who were attacking each other also had to cease their fighting.

In the air above the Beast Forest, Elders Yun Jian and Qin Yunhe appeared.

"This inner Sect assessment takes into account both Heart-Nature and strength. Those who rank in the top ten by spirit bead count and have not resorted to trickery may enter the inner Sect."

Yun Jian flew forward on his sword; his voice wasn't loud, yet it reached every Cultivator's ears clearly.

"Now, everyone organize your spirit beads and follow us to the Assessment Square for the counting and announcement of the results."

As his voice fell, Qin Yunhe waved his hand, and several strands of gentle spiritual power transformed into ribbons of light, enveloping all the Cultivators in the Beast Forest. With a slight movement, everyone felt the light and shadows shift before their eyes as the wind whistled past their ears.

In just a breath's time, they were standing on a spacious square.

In the center of the square stood a massive White Jade Stele engraved with the Qingyun Sect's rules. At the top was embedded a giant spirit crystal that emitted a soft glow, capable of reflecting the number of spirit beads held by each Cultivator.

Ye Tianhao, his sister, and Su Wan stood side by side.

The three of them were quite conspicuous; none of the Cultivators in the Beast Forest failed to recognize these three powerful individuals.

The Cultivators on the square gathered in small groups. Some looked joyful, clearly possessing enough spirit beads and confident of success, while others looked distressed and dejected, likely having failed to reach their goals.

Others had sinister gazes, secretly sizing up those around them, clearly unwilling to accept their failure.

Li Linlin, her clothes somewhat disheveled, was also there. Faint scars remained on her face and neck, and her expression still carried lingering anger and resentment.

The hatred in her eyes almost overflowed, but with Yun Jian and Qin Yunhe present, she didn't dare make any move. She could only clench her fists tightly, her nails nearly digging into her flesh.

Yun Jian's gaze swept across the crowd, and his voice suddenly rang out, suppressing all the noise on the square: "Silence! We will now begin counting the spirit beads. Step forward in order and pour the spirit beads from your storage pouches into the Spirit Tray in front of the stele."

The moment the spirit beads fell into the Spirit Tray, they turned into streaks of spiritual light and merged into the spirit crystal at the top. Corresponding numbers then appeared clearly on the stele.

After some poured in their spirit beads, the numbers on the stele were pitifully low, and they could only retreat to the side in dejection, accepting their failure.

Li Linlin stepped forward and arrogantly poured out the spirit beads from her Storage Pouch; the count was significantly higher than the previous few people.

"Thirty spirit beads?!" a nearby Cultivator cried out in surprise.

The surrounding chatter instantly exploded, and the looks directed at Li Linlin were full of shock and envy.

The Beast Forest was full of dangers, with ferocious Yao Beasts and inevitable conflicts between Cultivators.

Gathering thirty spirit beads was already a top-tier achievement, enough to firmly secure a spot in the inner Sect.

Hearing the crowd's gasps, a smug smile tugged at the corners of Li Linlin's mouth as she shot a provocative look at Ye Tianhao and his group.

Ye Tianyao didn't hold back and spoke up in surprise, "Brother, we took that female Cultivator's spirit beads, yet she managed to snatch so many more?!"

Her voice wasn't loud, but it was crystal clear to the sharp-eared Cultivators.

"You!" Li Linlin glared fiercely at Ye Tianyao.

Ye Tianyao wasn't afraid at all. She tilted her chin slightly, her eyes filled with a clear sense of pride.

Seeing this, Li Linlin gritted her teeth and forced down her anger. Her Magical Artifact was destroyed, and with the assessment results being announced, she couldn't afford to lose face in front of the Foundation Establishment Elders.

Seeing this spoiled Young Miss suffer a setback made Ye Tianyao feel quite satisfied.

Soon it was the Ye siblings' turn. Ye Tianyao stepped forward first and poured all the spirit beads from her Storage Pouch into the Spirit Tray. As the dense cluster of beads tumbled out, the spiritual light surged.

The number on the stone tray soared, finally stopping at a staggering figure: 72.

The surrounding Cultivators immediately let out a collective gasp.

Qin Yunhe also raised an eyebrow at the sight, a flash of approval in his eyes.

Next was Su Wan. She gently raised her hand, and the spirit beads from her Storage Pouch slowly fell into the tray. Although the count was only fifty-one—less than Ye Tianyao's—it still far surpassed the others.

Finally, it was Ye Tianhao. He stepped forward slowly, and the spirit beads flew out of his pouch, pouring steadily into the tray.

The number on the Spirit Tray skyrocketed, eventually overtaking everyone else present by a large margin.

He firmly secured the top spot with a total of one hundred and twenty beads.

One spirit bead represented one person, meaning this ordinary-looking youth had actually seized beads from one hundred and twenty Cultivators.

The square instantly fell into a deathly silence. Everyone stared at Ye Tianhao in stunned silence, their eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

The silence lasted for a full three breaths before being broken by Qin Yunhe's low chuckle, which was full of admiration and broke the stagnation on the square.

"Good! A full one hundred and twenty spirit beads! Ye Tianhao, you have truly given this old man a grand surprise!"

Yun Jian, usually composed, also had a glint of brightness in his eyes. His gaze fell on Ye Tianhao, and his tone carried a hint more of gravity.

He raised his hand to signal for silence, and his voice once again spread across the square: "The spirit bead counts are clear. The top ten of this inner Sect assessment will now be announced on the White Jade Stele. Those who did not pass the assessment may still join the Sect. I hope you all will not let a temporary gain or loss dampen your ambition!"

Just as he finished speaking, Yun Jian condensed spiritual power at his fingertip and lightly tapped the spirit crystal at the top of the stele.

In an instant, the spiritual light surged, and ten golden names slowly emerged, arranged from top to bottom.

Ye Tianhao (120), Ye Tianyao (72), Su Wan (51), Li Linlin (30)... The number of spirit beads corresponding to each name was clearly engraved beside it, leaving no room for doubt.

As soon as the list appeared, the square erupted once more, the chatter even more tumultuous than before.

"My goodness! Ye Tianhao is actually the top ranker with one hundred and twenty beads! This must be crushing strength, right?"

"And Ye Tianyao and Su Wan—these two female Cultivators are not only beautiful but also swept the top three. Truly impressive!"

"I thought Li Linlin's thirty spirit beads were impressive before, but compared to them, it's simply not worth mentioning..."

Among the crowd's discussions, there were gasps of wonder, admiration, and also a hint of resentment.

Ye Tianyao was overjoyed and couldn't help but lean in toward Ye Tianhao, whispering with a smile, "Brother! We won! And we're in the top three!"

The pride in her eyes faded slightly, replaced by a childlike exuberance, her eyes sparkling with light.

Su Wan also turned her head slightly toward Ye Tianhao, a faint smile on her lips. "Fellow Daoist Ye, congratulations. And congratulations to us; we can all enter the inner Sect now."

Ye Tianhao nodded gently, his gaze falling on their three names on the stele. His expression remained calm, devoid of excessive joy, showing only a faint, almost imperceptible sense of relief.

Amidst the joy, Yun Jian stepped forward to announce: "In this assessment, the top ten Cultivators have all met the criteria. From this day forward, you are Inner Sect Disciples of our Qingyun Sect!"