Chapter 50: The Isolated Examination Hall

The second round of testing was divided into five disciplines: Talismans (符), Divination (相), Formations (阵), Artifacts (器), and Medicine (医).

A proper cultivator was not expected to master them all, but familiarity with at least two was considered fundamental.

Because formations and spiritual medicine were rare specialties, the lottery seldom assigned them. Even if someone drew one of these two by accident, they were usually granted a single chance to redraw.

Old Bai’s luck held — he drew Talismans.

Old Zhou drew Divination, his strongest skill as well.

Both were visibly relieved.

When Yun Jiao stepped up, the registrar glanced at her, hesitated, and checked the jade nameplate in his hand.

“You’re Yun Jiao?”

“Yes,” she nodded calmly.

He studied her again, something unreadable flashing in his eyes, then silently handed her the bamboo lot tube.

“Draw.”

As her fingers reached in, a faint ripple of spiritual energy brushed her fingertips.

Her heart stirred — a displacement array? Hidden at the base of the tube?

Her face betrayed nothing. She drew her lot.

One bold black character stared back at her: 阵 — Formation.

“Examinee Yun Jiao, your test will be in Formations,” the registrar announced loudly. He pointed toward the far-right hall. “Proceed there. Someone will escort you.”

Yun Jiao nodded, said a brief goodbye to Old Bai and Old Zhou, and headed off.

Sure enough, a Celestial Hall disciple awaited her just inside the entrance. She handed over her nameplate.

“Yun Jiao?” he asked.

“Mm.”

He sized her up quickly, then turned on his heel. “Follow me.”

She did so, but as they wound through corridor after corridor, climbing stair after stair, her unease deepened.

Why is the formations hall so far away?

Finally, she asked, “Daoist friend, why haven’t I seen any other examinees? Shouldn’t there be others?”

The man faltered a step, his shoulders tightening before he forced a calm voice:

“Formation testing is strict and few are skilled in it. Naturally, there aren’t many participants. We’re almost there. Just focus on your exam — why ask so much?”

“…I see.”

Her suspicion sharpened, but her face stayed expressionless.

At last they stopped before a tall, solemn great hall.

The escort pointed quickly, almost eager to leave.

“There. Half an incense stick’s time — if you emerge before it burns out, you pass. Go.”

“Thank you.”

Yun Jiao inclined her head and approached. A small square array glimmered on the closed doors. She pressed her exam tag to it. The doors swung open with a creak.

She stepped through; they shut behind her.

Instantly, white light flared. Multiple formations unfolded across the floor, branching deeper inward like glowing veins.

So it’s a break-the-array challenge, she thought.

She strode straight for the first array’s heart, and with a crisp rip— tore off the central yellow talisman. The still-forming array died mid-glow.

Then she slapped that same talisman five or six feet off-center. A chain of crackling sparks raced across the formation lines like fuses burning — one after another, the arrays flickered, sputtered, and winked out. The whole setup darkened in seconds.

She scanned the now-dormant hall.

Low-tier light-dispersing and miasma-clearing formations, chained for effect. Convenient to dismantle… but isn’t this too easy?

Her gaze hardened.

No — not after being ranked dead last. This can’t be the real test.

o(一︿一+)o

---

Meanwhile, in a side chamber…

“Is she inside?” Jiao Hengyi asked the reporting disciple.

“Yes, Elder. She’s been in nearly half an incense’s time.”

“Good.”

Jiao nodded, waving the youth away, then turned toward the window overlooking the formation halls.

The Hall Master’s idea pleased him: an isolated, custom-made exam to verify this girl’s supposed genius. If she could break free within the time limit, excellent — a rare talent to recruit and nurture. If not…

His expression cooled.

The Celestial Masters’ Hall will not tolerate cheating.

For safety, he hadn’t placed lethal killing arrays, but rather complex, multi-layered anti-demon wards — a dozen interlocked, intricate enough that even breaking a few would prove remarkable talent.

He glanced at the incense timer and exchanged a quiet nod with Elder Chen, who was overseeing this second test. They settled in to await results.

---

Inside the sealed hall…

Yun Jiao had already disabled the obvious arrays but distrusted the simplicity.

She walked the hall three full times, fingers grazing stone and floor, searching for residual currents.

At last, she paused before a plain-looking wall. Her eyes lit.

Outwardly ordinary — but pressing her palm to the surface revealed a faint, almost imperceptible concealment + isolation array. Cleverly buried. Without her relentless second-guessing, she might have missed it.

She stepped back, studying its flow.

Then she slipped to one corner, twisted a protruding brick — aligning it according to the Five Elements counter-cycle.

A sharp zzzt— hissed. White sparks danced like a snapping electric web. The solid wall shimmered, bricks vanishing one by one, revealing a stairway descending into darkness.

Hidden stage unlocked.

Yun Jiao’s heart went cold but steady.

So there was more. No mistakes this time — I won’t let carelessness ruin me again.

She braced herself, fully alert, and stepped toward the unseen depths.

(End of chapter)