Chapter 1711: A Seemingly Simple Assessment

With a quick glance, Li Yan counted approximately twenty formations set up across the platform. There were only five groups of examinees, but the Foundation Establishment and Golden Core groups were much larger, subdivided into multiple teams to expedite the process.

Li Yan and his group, however, had no time to watch others. The white-robed cultivator in front of them had already begun announcing the rules.

“Your assessment is straightforward. Within the formation behind you, I will provide each of you with a green rune. This is a specially refined storage space. The green rune must never leave your body by more than one foot. If the formation fails to sense its presence, you will be expelled immediately, and the assessment will be considered a failure. Keep it safe, but do not place it inside your own storage artifacts, as that will sever the connection between the rune and the formation, leading to immediate expulsion.”

“Once inside, golden runes will appear in the air. Your task is to capture them and store them within your green rune. The assessment lasts for half an hour. Anyone who collects fifty golden runes passes. Naturally, the more you collect, the more it proves your strength. This will lead to better cultivation conditions once you enter the Inner Valley, and perhaps even catching the eye of an Elder—an opportunity to soar to greatness in a single bound.”

“Within that half-hour, if your green rune is stolen, not only will all your collected golden runes fall into the hands of your opponent, but you will also be expelled from the formation the moment you lose the rune. Furthermore, do not attempt to store the golden runes in your own storage space. While they won’t damage your artifacts, they are specially crafted; they can only exist within the formation or the green rune. In any other location, they will instantly vanish. Such an act only wastes the limited number of golden runes, making the competition even fiercer.”

“There are no restrictions on the use of formations or puppets during the assessment, but you are strictly forbidden from using any companion beasts or clones. Whether attacking others or gathering runes, anyone caught using a beast or a clone will be disqualified immediately. Finally, life-and-death situations are permitted. If you feel your strength is insufficient, simply cast away your green rune to save your own life.”

As the white-robed Spirit Transformation cultivator finished speaking, his gaze swept over the seven individuals. The method seemed simple enough, but everyone knew that these ‘golden runes’ would be difficult to control. By mentioning the half-hour time limit and forbidding external aids, the sect was clearly emphasizing individual prowess.

‘Not only must we gather fifty runes, but we likely have to slaughter our way through. By saying more runes lead to better conditions, he is practically ordering us to fight each other. Whether it’s the Buddhist path, the Daoist path, or this Alchemy Sect, the cultivation world is always the same—strength reigns supreme. They even made the green runes stay outside the body, painting a giant target on every examinee for others to track…’

Li Yan thought to himself. While he pondered, he felt several gazes sweep over him. He acted as though he sensed nothing, keeping his eyes on the examiner while a cold sneer formed in his heart.

‘I hope you don’t provoke me…’

“Here are your green runes,” the examiner said, waving his hand. Seven streaks of green light shot toward the group. “Remember to imbue them with a strand of your Divine Sense before entering. Otherwise, all your efforts will be in vain. Once everyone is inside, the half-hour countdown begins!”

Li Yan did not catch the light immediately. He locked his Divine Sense onto the streak, ensuring there was no hidden malice or lingering threat. Only then did he circulate a bit of spiritual power and catch the green rune with three fingers.

The burly man and the others reacted in almost the same way, testing the objects before wrapping their fingers in spiritual power to accept them. One could never judge a cultivator’s true nature by their outward arrogance alone; every one of these rogues survived on a foundation of extreme caution.

The examiner’s eyes flickered. These people were all rogue cultivators; having reached this stage, they certainly hadn’t relied on luck. Their inherent wariness was exactly what the sect required. In truth, the assessment had already begun a month ago in the Outer Valley. The sect had been observing them in secret—tracking whether they spent their time cultivating, how often they left their caves, and what they did during those intervals.

Everything, including their reactions to the examiner’s words and the runes, was being recorded. Even if they passed, their overall evaluation would determine the resources they received. It might even lead to them being placed under ‘special focus.’ This focus came in two extremes: a disciple worth nurturing, or a suspected spy from a rival power. The latter might find everything going smoothly in the Inner Valley, only to vanish mysteriously or be used as a pawn in a counter-intelligence scheme.

Li Yan examined the green rune in his hand. It was shaped like the archaic characters for ‘Southern Dipper,’ shimmering with an emerald light. He imbued it with a strand of Divine Sense and felt the space within. It wasn’t a standard storage space but possessed an unusual spatial fluctuation, like a void reflection.

‘No wonder he told us not to hide it. If I put this in the Earthen Patch, the unique resonance would be cut off.’

As Li Yan turned to walk into the grand formation, the twin sisters in yellow followed suit. The burly man and his three companions remained for a moment, exchanging quick voice transmissions before following.

Li Yan entered the formation, habitually activating a thin layer of protective spiritual light. His Divine Sense swept out. He found himself in a vast, white expanse that seemed to have no borders. Behind him, the entrance had already vanished, replaced by the same endless white void.

Ten li away, another figure appeared in a flash of light, followed by another several li further. These were the twin sisters. The moment they appeared, their bodies were enveloped in a yellow glow emanating from their dresses.

‘Formidable defensive artifacts.’

Li Yan sensed the powerful Earth-attribute fluctuations. These yellow dresses were not just clothing but high-grade defensive treasures. By wearing them constantly, they bypassed the need to summon them from a storage bag in a crisis, which was a massive tactical advantage. It was similar to how Bai Rou stayed within her Thousand-Nether Ancient Ape; while it consumed spiritual power to maintain, the inherent durability of the material provided a baseline of safety that skyrocketed when reinforced with Qi.

The two women were momentarily stunned to be separated upon entry, but seeing only the ordinary-looking young man in green nearby, they quickly grouped up. They clearly intended to fight as a pair.

At that moment, several more ripples appeared in the void. The burly man and his three companions had also been separated by the formation’s protective mechanics. Just as the seven were accounted for, a thunderous boom echoed through the white world.

A hundred li ahead, an ancient-looking desk materialized in the air. On it sat ten exquisite, jade-green porcelain bottles, each about a foot high. Before the examinees could react, a brilliant golden light erupted from the mouths of the bottles.

Countless points of crystalline light flew out, tossed into the air by the golden radiance as if blown by a wind. They tumbled and transformed into golden runes, fluttering within a thousand-fathom radius of the desk. There were about three to four hundred runes in total, appearing sparse as they drifted about. Yet, no matter how they danced, they could not leave that specific area, as if bound by an invisible cage.

The seven examinees did not hesitate. They shot toward the desk like arrows. The half-hour countdown had begun.

In the mad dash, everyone kept their distance except for the twins. Li Yan arrived in a flash. As a fluttering rune drifted before him, he felt a momentary hesitation—it seemed too easy. He pointed a finger, and a rope of spiritual power lashed out to snare it, choosing not to grab it directly with his hand.

Simultaneously, the others used their own methods—some summoned artifacts to suck the runes in, while others reached out to snatch them.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Explosions rang out from several directions, causing the entire space to tremble violently.

“As expected, there’s a trick to this!” the burly man roared. He had reached out with a claw-like grip, but just as his hand was about to close over a rune, an invisible barrier obstructed him. Even though he hadn’t used his full strength, his grip could have crushed a mountain, yet the barrier slowed him down significantly. His hand collided with the invisible wall with a thunderous sound, and the golden rune slipped past his fingers.

The others fared no better. Li Yan’s spiritual rope pierced the barrier, but its aim was instantly thrown off. It brushed against the golden rune but failed to capture it. Li Yan reacted instantly, manipulating the rope to curl back, but the chaotic resistance within the barrier made precise control nearly impossible.

‘The resistance within this field is strange, as is the barrier itself. Even with the strength of my Divine Sense, I didn’t detect it until I struck it…’ Li Yan thought.