Chapter 54: Skipping Ranks and Promotion

Everything had happened far too quickly. From the Mirage Demon’s awakening to its complete annihilation, less than the time of one incense stick had passed. Hall Master Xu and the others hadn’t even had time to react before it was all over.

The three of them stood frozen, unable to believe it — the Mirage Demon that had hung over the Celestial Master Hall like a ticking bomb for three hundred years was just… gone?

(⊙_⊙)

They all knew why their forebears three hundred years ago had chosen to seal rather than kill the Mirage Demon. It wasn’t out of mercy or hesitation — it was because they simply could not kill it. The demon was formless and intangible; no spell or weapon could touch it. In the end, the great cultivators of the past had resorted to sealing as the only option.

And yet, now…

Xu Qingfeng instinctively looked toward the center. With the demon dead, all the arrays that had bound it had gone dark, leaving only a field of blood-red ice pillars that still faintly exuded demonic aura — the Mirage Demon’s own power.

He suddenly realized: this Extermination Array must have been modified to use the demon’s own demonic energy as the weapon that killed it.

No human attack could harm the Mirage Demon… but its own power could. The blood spears had struck true and shredded it from the inside.

Such a way to kill a demon… actually worked!

The Hall Master and his companions were utterly stunned.

“Examiner, I’m handing in my paper.”

Yun Jiao raised her hand calmly to indicate she had finished the test. But the three men beside her just stood there, blank-eyed, not moving at all. She called again.

“Examiner? Examiner…”

She called a few times. When no one responded, she thought about it. Perhaps it was part of the exam rules — the examiners couldn’t speak to candidates to keep the process fair.

The Celestial Master Hall really runs their exams professionally, she thought with mild admiration. With that, she stopped asking questions, simply said,

“Then I’ll go wait for my results,”

and turned to leave.

Seeing her about to disappear into the corridor jolted the three awake. Elder Jiao Heng literally jumped.

“Wait!”

he shouted, then turned urgently toward Xu Qingfeng.

“Hall Master!”

Xu snapped out of his daze too and hurried forward to block her path.

“Hold on, this fellow Daoist — please stay a moment.”

He cupped his hands and bowed to her as an equal. Any lingering doubt he’d had during the first exam about her formation skills had vanished completely after witnessing the Demon-Extermination Array. That array wasn’t just unheard of — most people had never even imagined such a thing. And she had used the demon’s own power to kill it.

Most staggering of all: she had turned a seal array into a completely different kill array. Theoretical modifications were one thing; completely rewriting the nature of a grand array was something they had never even heard of.

At this point, none of them could treat her like an ordinary novice. Her skill with formations rivaled any elder of the Celestial Master Hall. Their eyes shone with barely contained admiration.

Elder Jiao even stepped forward eagerly, blurting out,

“Fellow Daoist, where are you rushing off to? Do you have time today? Perhaps we could… discuss formations?”

“Oh, I have to go prepare for the third exam,”

Yun Jiao answered casually.

“Ah?! What exam!”

Before she finished, Elder Shen almost panicked.

“With your mastery of arrays, you don’t need to pass the beginner level at all. You could be promoted straight to Moon Rank!”

He turned to Xu Qingfeng for confirmation.

Normally, this lower-level exam only evaluated Yellow-grade celestial masters — the Copper Coin rank and the One-Flower rank. Advancement to Moon Rank required unanimous recognition from the Celestial Master Hall’s elders.

But now…

Xu Qingfeng looked around at the devastated Fire Prison and the remains of the Mirage Demon. What was there to debate? He nodded firmly.

“Elder Shen speaks the truth. This Daoist’s array arts leave us in awe. May I ask, fellow Daoist, which sect and master do you come from?”

Yun Jiao blinked, confused about their sudden change in tone, but answered honestly:

“I am a disciple of the Qingyang Sect, under… the Great Immortal Qingyang Guangji.”

The three froze. They clearly hadn’t expected that answer. After a pause, Xu Qingfeng gave an awkward smile — almost as if saying come on, you don’t have to joke with us.

“If you prefer not to reveal your true lineage, that’s fine.”

“……”

Huh?! But I just told you the truth!

Xu smiled gently but persisted:

“Elder Shen is right. With your skill, there’s no need to finish the entry-level tests. If you’re free, come with us to the Grand Hall and meet the other elders. We should also spread the good news that the Mirage Demon has been destroyed.”

“Not take the exam?”

Yun Jiao froze, alarm prickling.

“Did… I do something wrong?”

A faint unease rose in her heart. She’d already turned in her paper — why were they suddenly canceling her test? She mentally reviewed the exam — everything she did should have been correct.

“No, no, no!”

Xu Qingfeng waved his hands quickly. “Not wrong — too right. You’ve altered an array and destroyed a demon, ridding our Hall of a three-century curse. It’s an achievement for us and for the world. How could that be wrong?”

“Then… why cancel my qualification?”

Xu smiled in understanding.

“It seems you’ve been devoted to cultivation and away from worldly affairs, so you might not know — this exam is meant only for Yellow-grade Copper Coin disciples. Even if you pass, you’d be rated at most as a One-Flower celestial master.”

“I… can’t?”

Panic flickered across her eyes. Is it because I don’t have a spiritual meridian? Did they forget to mention that requirement?

“Of course not!”

Xu chuckled kindly. “It’s not about rejection — it’s about underestimating you. Copper Coin or One-Flower ranks would be far beneath your skill. We want to bring you to the Grand Hall so the elders can decide on a much higher title.”

Yun Jiao paused, studying the three smiling men. Something clicked in her mind — an inner alarm bell went ding!

Ah… She got it now.

This must be the extra credit round!

(*￣︿￣)

Her grandmaster had once said: cultivation is about mindset; the heart determines the path. Many people stagnate because of flawed mentality and fall into inner demons.

So — these three examiners must have appeared not to raise the difficulty, but to test her heart and humility. Promising her fast-track promotion must be part of the trial, a temptation to test whether she’d stay grounded.

The realization hit her like lightning.

The Celestial Master Hall exams are truly not to be underestimated! One must not let their guard down for a single step.

She took a deep breath, straightened her back, and with the most solemn, righteous tone she could muster, declared:

“No, thank you! I choose to proceed through the exam normally. I firmly uphold the principles of fairness, openness, and justice in testing! I am confident I can complete the third exam on my own. Thank you!”

Before they could even respond, she turned on her heel and strode resolutely toward the exit — leaving the examination hall.

Xu Qingfeng: “……”

Elder Jiao: “……”

Elder Shen: “……”

The three men stood frozen.

She’s still going to take the third test?

An array master at her level… taking the beginner exam… wasn’t that just bullying children?

Yet she refused. And they couldn’t force her — this was their first meeting, after all. They looked at one another, bewildered.

Finally, fellow array master Jiao Heng broke the silence with a weak cough:

“…Perhaps… array masters just… have strange tempers?”

(End of Chapter)