Half a month later.
The day of Taixuan Holy Sect’s outer disciple examination arrived.
“Creak.”
Su Xiao Mo pushed open his door, wearing brand new outer disciple robes and striding out.
“Sect Master.”
While adjusting his wrist guards, he raised his head to look at the sun that had just risen, thinking to himself: “Disciple is about to start showing off!”
“Xiao Mo.”
Jun Changxiao, who had just finished morning exercises with his disciples at Ten Thousand Ancients Sect, stood alone before the great hall with his hands behind his back: “Today’s outer disciple examination at Taixuan Holy Sect is destined to be a stage for you to display yourself.”
Although the sun had just risen, the immortal-qi-like cloud mist over Taixuan Holy Sect’s outer courtyard hadn’t completely dissipated yet, creating quite a transcendent and refined atmosphere.
This type of historically long-standing sect indeed had foundations that Ten Thousand Ancients Sect couldn’t compare to.
One after another.
Disciples appeared outside the training ground, lining up in orderly fashion.
These people were merely the audience. The true main characters were those several hundred outer disciples standing in the eastern area.
They wore training clothes with impressive bearing.
It must be said that as a top-tier sect on Xingyun Continent, the disciples they recruited all had excellent presence. Just standing there, one could tell they were far from ordinary people.
However.
Among the disciples about to participate in the examination, some had burning gazes while others were rather anxious.
The outer disciple examination was held on a fixed date every year. Although it didn’t have as much prestige as the sect grand competition, it was still an important event for evaluating disciples.
If one could achieve excellent results in the examination, they could obtain varying amounts of contribution points and even be valued by the higher-ups.
No wonder their emotions were so complex.
Su Xiao Mo stood in the crowd. On the surface he also seemed quite nervous, but inwardly he was steady as could be.
Before joining Ten Thousand Ancients Sect, participating in this kind of examination would definitely make him panic. But now he not only possessed Wuwang cultivation, he’d also experienced various life-and-death trials with the Sect Master and fellow disciples, long since developing a strong heart.
“Boy.”
He Zongying, separated from him by several disciples, said coolly: “You really dared to come.”
“I registered for the examination, of course I had to come.” Su Xiao Mo’s face displayed a harmless smile.
This expression, this smile made He Zongying’s gaze gradually turn cold.
The other participants noticed and immediately realized that Senior Brother He was angry. If they met in the examination, Junior Brother Su would probably be in for it.
“Junior Brother.”
In the distance, Xia Shui Yun spoke coldly: “Don’t disappoint me.”
“This woman…” Su Xiao Mo thought desperately: “Pulling aggro for me again!”
Sure enough.
The coldness in He Zongying’s eyes grew even stronger.
The disciples participating in and watching the examination all thought: “Elder Xia’s granddaughter actively spoke to that guy in this kind of situation—who would believe there’s nothing between them?”
“Ahem…”
Just then, Third Elder, who was in charge of this outer disciple examination, walked out from the main hall, then spoke loudly with his hands behind his back: “The outer disciple examination now begins. Participants, please draw number tokens to select your opponents.”
Because it was held multiple times every year, the opening ceremony was very simple.
“Swish!”
“Swish!”
Several hundred participants mounted the temporarily raised platform-like training ground, then reached into specific boxes to select their tokens.
Su Xiao Mo also went up on stage. Just as he was about to draw—
“Elder!”
He Zongying said: “Junior Brother Su and I have a combat appointment. May we fight first without drawing tokens?”
“You may.”
Third Elder permitted it.
Taixuan Holy Sect didn’t allow disciples to brawl privately, but permitted resolving conflicts through combat appointments.
Someone said in a low voice: “Senior Brother He is worried that Junior Brother Su will be eliminated by other opponents and unable to meet him in the examination.”
“Junior Brother Su is going to be eliminated in the first round.”
Many disciples cast sympathetic glances toward Su Xiao Mo.
In their hearts, He Zongying was the overwhelming favorite to win this outer disciple examination. No question!
“Since you have a combat appointment, go on stage and fight first.” Third Elder said.
Third Elder knew very clearly what Su Xiao Mo had been busy with recently, so he was very curious whether this boy could bring him an unexpected surprise.
“Swish!”
He Zongying’s movement technique was graceful as he landed on the training ground: “Junior Brother Su, please come up on stage.”
Su Xiao Mo, under everyone’s gaze, walked up in a very clumsy manner, then cupped his hands rather humbly: “Senior Brother He, please instruct me.”
“…”
Everyone’s mouths twitched.
This wasn’t a sparring match, this was a combat duel!
Moreover, Senior Brother He was fighting for love. When he made his move, he’d probably be very serious.
“I bet Junior Brother Su can last at most ten exchanges.”
“Ten exchanges is too many. With Senior Brother He’s cultivation, at most three to five exchanges will be enough to finish him!”
The watching outer disciples were all discussing, all looking down on Su Xiao Mo. Only Sun Yingquan standing in the crowd shouted at the top of his lungs: “Junior Brother Su, add oil!”
“Junior Brother Su only just entered the sect, yet he’s already on brotherly terms with Elder Sun’s son. He does have some ability.”
“Isn’t it just being smooth, flattering and fawning? What real ability could he have?”
Still, some disciples were full of disdain for Su Xiao Mo’s kind of smooth operator behavior, currying favor and flattering.
Some genuinely couldn’t stand it, believing that surviving in Taixuan Holy Sect still depended on real ability. Others were purely envious—envious that they themselves didn’t have the skill to flatter, so their mentality transformed into jealousy.
“You may begin.” Third Elder said.
“Swish!”
He Zongying moved first. His peak Wuzong cultivation fully erupted, then he swung out a heavy fist. The space immediately began to shake.
“Triple Void-Crossing Fist!” A disciple exclaimed.
This was a high-grade fist technique from Taixuan Holy Sect. Its special feature was that when executed, it could produce an effect of shaking space.
“Not bad.”
An Elder praised: “Already comprehended to Great Achievement Realm.”
“Swish!”
Just then, Su Xiao Mo twisted his body backward. Although the movement wasn’t very graceful, he easily dodged He Zongying’s strike, then his feet frequently tapped points, forming a strange posture.
“Nine-Bend Flowing Shadow Steps!”
Third Elder and the other higher-ups all looked astonished.
They knew Su Xiao Mo had exchanged for this movement technique manual. Seeing him execute it shouldn’t have been surprising, but they hadn’t expected him to execute it so smoothly and naturally. That feeling was like he had already… comprehended it to perfection!
“Swish!”
“Swish!”
As the Nine-Bend Flowing Shadow Steps unfolded, he frequently moved within nine points, weaving flowing light afterimages. The watching disciples were shocked speechless.
Even the cold and frosty Xia Shui Yun thought in disbelief: “He actually could comprehend a high-grade movement technique to this degree in such a short time. His aptitude and comprehension are definitely not ordinary!”
Third Elder and the others also realized this problem. They couldn’t help but mutter: “Could it be this boy’s spiritual root isn’t middle-grade?”
Like Ten Thousand Ancients Sect, Taixuan Holy Sect didn’t typically actively test applicants’ spiritual roots when recruiting disciples, but rather selected them through various examinations.
Spiritual roots only determined cultivation ceiling and speed. Some with relatively poor spiritual roots, if they had perseverance and worked hard, might not be without achievement.
Talented geniuses with high aptitude were ultimately only a very small minority. For a sect to develop sustainably and balancedly, they would naturally also select relatively average youths to cultivate. Otherwise, an entire sect of disciples all having high-grade spiritual roots definitely wasn’t realistic.
This…
Unrealistic thing might be something Ten Thousand Ancients Sect could achieve.
—