darknovel Chapter 65 It's Time for Me to Perform
Chapter 65 It's Time for Me to Perform
Just as the group was talking, the light at the entrance of the cafeteria suddenly dimmed.
A white figure walked in slowly. The surrounding noise instantly quieted down, and many students who were eating subconsciously looked up.
Luo Qingyi.
Amidst the care of a group of students from the Imperial Academy of Haiyue Palace, she walked lightly toward the food stalls, a faint moonlight naturally flowing around her, reflecting a cool luster onto the surrounding air.
As she passed Zhao Chengan's table, she paused slightly, turned to the side, nodded gently in Zhao Chengan's direction, and then continued walking forward.
She left behind a group of people in the cafeteria, who were watching her leave, looking at each other in bewilderment.
Sun Fuli's drowsiness dissipated somewhat, and she stared at Zhao Chengan with her mouth agape.
"Brother Zhao, when did you get in touch with this person? That's Luo Qingyi from Haiyue Palace, a top genius with a Heavenly Spiritual Root!"
Quiet whispers came from the nearby tables, and many curious eyes turned to Zhao Chengan.
Zhao Cheng'an picked up the bowl, drank the last mouthful of porridge, and stood up.
"We happened to run into each other while I was taking a walk last night. We just said hello. It's not as complicated as you think."
He put down his chopsticks and glanced at Xiang Yunyuan, who was still in a daze. "Let's go, the assessment time is almost up."
With that, he took the lead and walked out of the cafeteria.
Chen Heng put down her bowl of porridge, picked up her sheathed longsword leaning against the table, and followed Zhao Cheng'an out. Sun Fuli and Xu Baiheng followed closely behind. Xiang Yunyuan was the last to stand up, muttering to himself, but his face showed an uncontrollable excitement.
……
Asking the Question Platform.
The huge white jade square was already filled with students from all over the country who had come to the Imperial Academy.
Today is the final round of assessments—the rune subject exam.
Shen Yanshan, dressed in a dignified purple robe, was standing at the edge of the square when he saw Zhao Chengan and his entourage approaching from afar. He stepped forward to greet them.
"Master."
Everyone bowed in greeting.
Shen Yanshan waved his hand, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the group.
Seeing Sun Fuli and Xu Baiheng's exhausted appearance, Xiang Yunyuan's bloodshot eyes and strangely excited state, and then looking at Zhao Chengan's calm face and Chen Heng's expressionless face, he sighed softly in his heart.
"No matter how well you prepared last night, don't think about it now."
Shen Yanshan's voice was gentle and unhurried.
"Keep a calm mindset, carefully read the questions once you're inside, and just do your best to demonstrate what you've learned recently. This final round of assessment tests your long-term accumulation of knowledge, not something that can be decided by last-minute cramming."
This calm demeanor eased the tension in Sun Fuli and Xu Baiheng's shoulders slightly. Xiang Yunyuan finally shut his mouth and nodded.
"Buzz—"
With a flash of white light, Zhao Cheng'an reappeared in the ninety-ninth floor of the tower.
Before him was a large stone workbench, upon which sat an ancient bronze mirror. Beyond that, through a transparent array barrier, lay a dense primeval forest. At the edge of the forest, a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a tight-fitting outfit leaned against an ancient tree, warily surveying his surroundings.
Zhao Cheng'an focused his gaze on the bronze mirror and gently touched its surface with his fingertips.
A stream of information flooded into his mind, and the detailed process of the assessment slowly unfolded in his mind.
The assessment consists of two steps.
First, the candidates need to forge a magical artifact at the workbench. Afterward, the successfully forged artifact will be teleported to the middle-aged cultivator on the screen. This cultivator will then wield the artifact and endure the ensuing beast tide for as long as possible.
The longer you persist, the higher your final score will be.
It's worth mentioning that the beast tide that will erupt in the forest is exactly the same as what we experienced in the previous practical assessment.
Zhao Chengan quickly realized the true essence of this assessment.
On one hand, the assessment examines the candidate's ability to cope with specific environments. Different demonic beasts have different weaknesses, and the forest where the middle-aged cultivator was located also contained various terrain features and conditions that could be utilized.
On the other hand, the assessment examines the candidate's most basic skills—whether their understanding and inscription of runes are solid, and whether their ability to adapt to different types of magical artifacts is fast enough.
"Although the assessment was quite difficult, it was indeed very interesting." Zhao Cheng'an stroked his chin, a look of great interest on his face.
His fingers continued to slide across the bronze mirror, and a dazzling array of magical artifact embryos appeared on the surface.
These embryos are extremely diverse, ranging from offensive magical artifacts like flying swords to defensive magical artifacts like rattan armor, and auxiliary magical artifacts like compasses, covering almost all types that low-level cultivators can access.
Zhao Chengan's eyes quickly scanned the catalog.
When his gaze fell on the three characters "霹雳子", a flash of inspiration suddenly exploded in his mind.
He recalled the entirely new rune structure he had discovered when he attempted to fuse Thunderbolt Seed with Iron Vine on the Cloud Sea. Although that fusion had failed due to insufficient carrier quality, he had already thoroughly grasped the underlying logic of that rune.
"I already have an idea, not bad." Zhao Cheng'an's lips curled up.
He muttered something to himself and reached into the bronze mirror to select the few materials he needed for the process.
……
Meanwhile, in several other separate assessment spaces, the exams were proceeding rapidly.
The examination room where Luo Qingyi was located.
She stood quietly in front of the workbench, her slender, fair fingers quickly tracing the outline of the magical artifact.
Each time her fingertips touched the ground, a shimmering blue light flashed by. Her movements were fluid and precise, without the slightest hesitation or pause, as if she had rehearsed each step in her mind a thousand times over.
As the last rune was completed, a soft blue halo erupted across the entire workbench.
It was a seven-stringed guqin with a deep-sea color throughout, and natural patterns flowing across its body like water ripples. Each string emitted a shimmering moonlight.
Seven-stringed paulownia harp.
This is one of the signature magical artifacts of Haiyue Palace.
By playing different strings, this magical artifact can unleash several different spells. It can condense water vapor into ice walls for defense, draw upon moonlight for ranged attacks, or cast a healing spell to restore health. It can handle almost any situation.
Luo Qingyi pressed her finger on the bronze mirror.
The next instant, the seven-stringed zither was teleported to the hands of the middle-aged cultivator on the other side of the barrier.
Although the middle-aged cultivator only possessed the cultivation level of the fourth stage of Qi Refining, as a magical puppet conjured from nothing, he was proficient in all magical artifacts. The moment he received the guqin, his fingers naturally rested on the strings. He took a deep breath and gently plucked the strings with his fingertips.
A melodious piano tune echoed through the primeval forest.
The first and second wave of monsters that charged forward were quickly annihilated by the sonic blades that spread like ripples on water. Just as the hallucinogenic spores of the mind-controlling demon in the third wave began to spread, the music suddenly became sharp and deadly, instantly shattering the invisible illusion.
However, in the fourth level, the Crimson Flame Demon reappeared.
Although the seven-stringed paulownia wood zither could restrain the enemy, it lacked the explosive power to decisively defeat them. After struggling for the duration of an incense stick's burning, the middle-aged cultivator was ultimately slapped to death by the mad demon, turning into a white light and dissipating on the spot.
The assessment is over.
Luo Qingyi looked up at the "Lower Grade" rating that appeared above her head, her expression remaining calm.
This was an outcome she had anticipated, yet it still left her feeling somewhat disappointed.
Lin Tan and You Ruofeng both focused their attention on the examination room.
You Ruofeng couldn't help but comment first: "The seven-stringed paulownia wood zither is extremely difficult to make. If you are not careful, all your efforts will be wasted. It is truly remarkable that Luo Qingyi has been able to do this."
Lin Tan spoke calmly, adding, "She is already very proficient in the use of basic runes. Unfortunately, this magical artifact itself is still inherited from her predecessors, lacking any improvements or innovations unique to her."
"However, we really can't expect too much from cultivators of this level."
Next, the two turned their attention to the examination room where Qilian Mountain was located.
In the scene, a middle-aged cultivator had a formidable lightning seal hanging above his head, with thick bolts of lightning constantly striking down. However, this lightning seal consumed far too much spiritual energy, especially under the ferocious onslaught of the Crimson Flame Demon in the fourth level.
The middle-aged cultivator quickly lost his spiritual energy and had his forehead smashed by a single palm strike.
The score received was A.
This score was slightly better than Luo Qingyi's, but ultimately she still failed to pass the level.
"If we could optimize the structure of the Thunder Seal and reduce the loss of spiritual energy in the transmission link, the result might be very different."
"It's much harder than I expected. I wonder if anyone can pass it smoothly." Qi Lianshan looked at the score appearing above his head, first shaking his head regretfully, then chuckled:
"There must be someone who can do it; after all, the world is full of geniuses."
In another examination room, Chen Heng was nervously staring at the screen in front of her.
In the scene, the middle-aged cultivator's flying sword pierced the Bewitching Demon's chest with lightning speed, but it was merely a deceptive illusion. The next instant, the middle-aged cultivator, now alert, had his head pierced by a vine that shot out from the ground.
Chen Heng stared at the scene, her eyes wide, and let out a long sigh.
She ultimately received a grade of B+. This wasn't a particularly high grade, but for a cultivator like her who came from a remote part of the Far East, it represented the culmination of her learning.
"Fellow Daoist Zhao has done me a great favor again... If it weren't for him, I would never have gotten to where I am today."
"This is the grace of attaining enlightenment; I don't know how to repay it?"
Chen Heng silently memorized it.
Outside the tower, You Ruofeng also withdrew his gaze from Chen Heng.
"To be able to demonstrate what you can do to this extent is quite good. Entering a first-class lineage should not be a problem." Lin Tan casually commented before turning his gaze to the array screen in the far corner that was broadcasting live.
You Ruofeng's gaze also turned to that direction, and a strong look of anticipation immediately appeared on his face.
Because the person in that examination room was Zhao Cheng'an.
During his previous conversation with Lin Tan, You Ruofeng already knew that this seemingly unremarkable fellow was actually the most hidden monster in the entire examination hall.
Not only did he comprehend the prototype of modular spellcasting similar to Dao soldiers on his own, but he also wrote an article that was included in the Daoist Canon when he had only been cultivating for a year or two. As a result, he even gained the favor of a Foundation Establishment True Person.
"Holy shit..."
Thinking of this, You Ruofeng felt so envious that his mouth was practically watering.
He diligently cultivated and served in the Taiwei Sect for decades, and to this day still regards publishing articles in the Daoist Canon as his unattainable goal.
The Daoist Canon—it's the white moonlight of countless cultivators.
It not only relates to the subsidy of spirit stones, the allocation of cultivation resources within the sect, but also to the apprenticeship of a Foundation Establishment True Person.
more importantly……
Publishing articles in the Daoist Canon can also earn you a title.
The title is not just for show; it is a genuine bestowal of the great power of Heaven.
From granting cultivators magical power and cultivation speed to the most ethereal and intangible boost to personal fortune.
From the initial stage of Qi Refining to the Golden Core stage, everyone aspires to this level!
For example, the "Mingwenshi" novice title above Lin Tan's head can slightly increase the strength of his divine sense.
Although it is only the most basic title, it still requires publishing three articles in the Daoist Canon as the first author, which is extremely difficult.
For this reason, any titled cultivator is automatically considered superior to others in this vast world of cultivation.
Think of it...
You Ruofeng glanced furtively at the title above Lin Tan's head, then silently pulled out a handful of Dao Heart Pills from his sleeve and popped them into his mouth, finally feeling a slight improvement in his condition. He chewed them vigorously and turned his attention back to the examination room where Zhao Cheng'an was.
However, what happened next left him completely stunned.