111: Chapter 111 The Assessment Begins

After selecting several Seventh-Stage Cultivation Techniques and high-level Spells from the Scripture Pavilion, Lin Qing did not immediately begin his closed-door cultivation.

With only a few days left until the entrance assessment, and having already promised the Sect that he would take full charge of this assessment, he naturally had to do his utmost to ensure the task was handled properly.

In the coming days, there was a vast amount of preparatory work to be done; he needed to familiarize himself with the entire assessment process and coordinate various matters with the many Elders participating and the Disciples who would follow into the Secret Realm.

With so many complex matters occupying his time, he simply could not spare a moment to practice the Cultivation Techniques and Spells right now.

After uploading the Cultivation Techniques and Spells into the System, Lin Qing turned and headed to the ancient texts and materials section of the Scripture Pavilion to retrieve the files regarding the Secret Realm for this assessment.

There are a great many Secret Realms remaining in this world, and they can be classified differently according to various criteria.

Distinguishing them by the degree of connection between the Secret Realm and this world, they can be divided into Subsidiary Secret Realms and Independent Secret Realms.

Subsidiary Secret Realms are attached to the Canglan Continent; their internal Laws of Heaven and Earth and the operating principles of spiritual power are no different from the outside world. When a Cultivator enters, their own cultivation base, Divine Abilities, and Spells will not be subjected to any suppression or restrictions.

Independent Secret Realms, however, are completely different. They are independent of the Canglan Continent and form a small world unto themselves. Many Secret Realms have incomplete Dao rules of their own, which often give rise to many peculiar regulations.

Some regions may even suppress cultivation bases or seal Spells, and they may also give birth to rare beasts and Innate spiritual objects unique to the Secret Realm.

If classified by whether there are entry restrictions, they can be further divided into Unrestricted Secret Realms and Restricted Secret Realms.

Unrestricted Secret Realms naturally have no conditions; regardless of cultivation level or age, as long as one crosses the entrance of the Secret Realm, they can enter.

The restrictions for Restricted Secret Realms are varied. There are Prodigy Secret Realms that restrict entry by age, and combat-power Secret Realms that require a certain cultivation level to enter.

The sources of these restrictions also vary; some are rules inherent to the Secret Realm, while others are artificial Formations set up at the entrance of the Secret Realm to achieve the purpose of restriction.

Generally, after a Sect acquires and explores a Secret Realm, they will artificially set up such Formations to provide training for their Disciples or to conduct certain assessments.

However, the Chuyun Immortal Sect's assessment Secret Realm does not fall into this category; it is an Independent Secret Realm, and the age restriction is one of its inherent rules.

For the next few days, Lin Qing was constantly in meetings.

Gathering with the responsible Elders and team-leading Disciples, they repeatedly discussed various details regarding potential emergencies during the assessment, fights between Prodigies, disturbances by the Demon Court, and ambushes by exotic beasts in the Secret Realm. They finalized contingency plans and divided their respective patrol zones to ensure the entire assessment could proceed smoothly.

The day of the assessment arrived as scheduled.

On the giant square in the center of Chuyun City, tens of thousands of Prodigies from various countries across all directions gathered, the dense crowd filling the entire square to the brim.

The Chuyun Immortal Sect had stood in the East Xuanqing Province for tens of thousands of years; it was the undisputed top hegemon of this region and a Holy Land of cultivation that countless low-level Cultivators yearned for.

Being able to step into the Chuyun Immortal Sect meant leaping over the dragon gate from that moment on, embarking on a broad and smooth path.

On the square, everyone had different expressions and different states of mind.

Some Prodigies at the Fifth Realm, possessing deep foundations and strength far surpassing their peers, stood with their arms crossed over their chests, expressions calm and composed, looking as if they had everything under control, as if the gates of the Immortal Sect were already open to them.

More Cultivators were still at the Fourth Realm. Facing an examination hall filled with experts, they could not help but feel anxious, both hoping to seize the Opportunity and fearing the powerful strength of their opponents.

Besides them, there was a group of Xuanye Demon Court Disciples mixed into the crowd. From the outside, they looked no different from ordinary Prodigies, but deep in their eyes lurked sinister calculations, waiting only to enter the Secret Realm to begin a massive slaughter.

The sun was at its zenith; it was noon.

Suddenly, spiritual light flickered in the sky, and dozens of streaks of light tore through the firmament, descending from the Nine Heavens, carrying with them boundless spiritual power as they arrived above the square.

Seeing this scene, the tens of thousands of Prodigies below instantly boiled over, and cheers rose one after another; the people from the Chuyun Immortal Sect had arrived.

Amidst the sea of clouds, Lin Qing wore simple and elegant white robes that fluttered in the wind. His posture was upright, his temperament gentle and warm, yet he carried the dignified aura of a superior.

His gaze swept across the bustling square below. His calm and powerful voice, amplified by spiritual power, spread to every corner of the square, falling clearly into everyone's ears and suppressing the restlessness of the entire crowd.

"Young ones who have come from afar, seekers of the Dao with the Dao in your hearts. Today, my Chuyun Immortal Sect opens its mountain gates once again to widely recruit talented and outstanding people from all over the world."

"I am the overall person-in-charge of this entrance assessment, Lin Qing."

Just as everyone was gazing intently at the young man in white in the sky, a cry of surprise rang out abruptly.

"Damn, Big Brother!"

On the square, within the five-person team from the Great Qi Dynasty, Sun Shaoping exclaimed subconsciously.

The abrupt sound immediately caused many surrounding Prodigies to look over, and eyes focused on the five-person team.

But the five competing Prodigies from Great Qi had no time to care about the gazes of others at this moment. They had participated in the Great Qi Prodigy competition together with Lin Qing. Now, only a short half-year later, the peer who had competed on the same stage with them had transformed into the person-in-charge of the entire assessment.

Others could not understand the shock that Lin Qing brought them at this moment. For a while, their minds were stirred, unable to calm down for a long time.

And within the team, Third Prince Duan Chengyu, apart from the shock, felt even more undisguisable panic; he had sent people to assassinate Lin Qing!

"I'm not playing anymore, I want to go home!"

This small commotion naturally did not escape Lin Qing's perception. He lowered his gaze, falling upon the five people from Great Qi. His eyes met Sun Shaoping's briefly, Lin Qing nodded slightly to acknowledge him, then withdrew his gaze and continued to announce matters related to the assessment.

"There are thousands of cultivation Daos in the world. Some are trapped in the mundane world, living a mediocre life and wasting their time; some are obsessed with brute force and fighting, forever unable to touch the Profound Truth of the Dao; and some travel across mountains and rivers, just to find a place for quiet cultivation."

"Now, the Chuyun Immortal Sect is the broad and smooth path to the heavens laid out before you. Our Sect has a Legacy of tens of thousands of years, a complete and comprehensive cultivation System, and many miscellaneous subjects such as Alchemy, Artifact Refining, Talismans, and Formations. No matter where your talents lie, you will always be able to find a cultivation path that suits you."

"But here, I must also honestly tell everyone: cultivation is like sailing against the current, and the entrance assessment is by no means child's play."

"This assessment is not merely a test of Realm or combat power, but an all-around trial targeting talent, Heart-Nature, and perseverance."

"This assessment will be conducted entirely within the Secret Realm, using a points System. When every participant steps into the Secret Realm, they will have basic initial points. The exotic beasts and spiritual materials within the Secret Realm also correspond to different points. Your task for this trip is to survive until the end of the assessment while trying your best to collect points."

"In addition, younger Cultivators do not need to be overly anxious. The final admission results will be based on a comprehensive evaluation of individual points and age. Even if you are only at the Fourth Realm Early Stage, as long as you perform outstandingly, you still have the Opportunity to step into the Immortal Sect."

After finishing the explanation of the assessment rules, Lin Qing's expression was solemn as he announced loudly:

"Now, I announce, the Chuyun Immortal Sect entrance assessment, officially begins!"

As his voice fell, dozens of Elders behind Lin Qing formed a circle in the air, forming hand seals and whispering in low voices.

Subsequently, the ground in the center of the square slowly rose, revealing a magnificent and grand light gate that had been hidden beneath the ground of the square. Mist churned within the gate, and mountains, rivers, and lakes could be vaguely seen inside; this was the entrance to the assessment Secret Realm.

The Prodigies who had been waiting for a long time could no longer suppress their eagerness. After receiving their point tokens from the Disciples beside the light gate, they rushed into the Secret Realm one by one, howling.

Lin Qing stood in the clouds, overlooking the endless stream of people rushing in below. Suddenly, a familiar figure caught his eye, and Lin Qing's pupils shifted slightly.

"Fang Chao?!"