Chapter 29: THE EXAMINATION (3)

The atmosphere became increasingly tense as the examinees realized how quickly their futures could be decided.

Then a young man stepped forward wearing luxurious golden robes.

He placed his hand on the stone with obvious confidence.

The formation erupted in bright blue light.

"Blue spirit root!"

The announcement caused a wave of excitement.

Several people immediately turned toward the young man, while the earlier group of wealthy cultivators looked particularly pleased.

"That is Young Master Qiao."

"No wonder the Qiao family sent him here."

"Blue spirit root at his age. He will definitely be accepted."

The young man withdrew his hand with a satisfied smile and returned to his group.

A few examinees looked at him with envy.

Li Yan remained indifferent. He had no interest in competing over who could attract the most attention.

His gaze moved toward the long line still waiting for their turn.

A young woman soon approached the Nine Jade Stone.

Li Yan recognized her as the beautiful woman he had noticed earlier.

Su Lianhua.

She placed her slender hand upon the stone.

The formation immediately responded.

Blue light surged upward, brighter than the previous examinee’s, accompanied by a faint ripple of spiritual energy.

The elder’s eyes narrowed slightly. "High-grade blue spirit root."

The crowd erupted. "High-grade blue!"

"She really does have extraordinary talent."

"As expected of Miss Su!"

Su Lianhua calmly withdrew her hand and returned to her attendants, apparently unaffected by the attention.

Li Yan glanced at her briefly before turning his attention somewhere else. Xiaoxiao spoke softly. "She is quite talented."

"She is."

"Your turn is coming soon."

Li Yan looked toward the line. The examinees ahead of him were being processed one after another.

Some passed with yellow spirit roots. Others received green or blue. A few unfortunate examinees produced no light at all, and the disciples immediately asked them to leave the examination grounds.

Those who failed often looked devastated.

One young boy stood frozen after hearing the result.

"Below yellow. Disqualified."

His lips trembled. "But my father said I had a spirit root..."

The disciple shook his head without cruelty, but without sympathy either.

"The Nine Jade Stone does not lie. Please leave."

The boy lowered his head and walked away.

Li Yan watched silently. Cultivation was indeed cruel. A single examination could destroy a person’s dreams.

"Examinee number three thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine."

Li Yan’s attention returned to the platform.

His number had finally been called. He stepped out of the crowd. The murmuring around him barely changed.

No one recognized his name, and no one had any reason to care who he was.

That was exactly what he wanted. Li Yan walked toward the Nine Jade Stone at an unhurried pace.

The elder glanced at his registration record."Li Yan. Fifteen years old."

"Yes."

"Place your hand on the stone."

Li Yan approached the formation. He could feel the concealed power of the jade pendant beneath his clothes.

Everything had been prepared, both his bloodline and true spirit root had been hidden. Only his genuine first-level Martial Qi cultivation remained exposed.

Li Yan placed his palm against the Nine Jade Stone.

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

Then the stone began to glow. A faint yellow light slowly spread across its surface.

The elder glanced at the formation. "Yellow spirit root."

There was no surprise in his voice.

No excitement. No special interest. Just another examinee who had met the minimum requirement.

"Pass."

Li Yan withdrew his hand. The result was exactly what they had wanted.

No one looked at him twice. He turned and walked toward the group of successful examinees, his expression remaining calm as the next person was called forward.

Deep within his mind, Xiaoxiao laughed softly.

"You are officially ordinary."

Li Yan’s lips twitched. "Perfect."

The first hurdle had been cleared.

The rest of the examination lasted the entire day. Nearly seven thousand examinees had arrived in Floating City hoping to enter the Nine Jade Sect. Still, by the time the final spirit-root assessment was completed, only three thousand remained.

The examination grounds, which had been overflowing with people that morning, were noticeably quieter by evening.

Those who passed were instructed to rest in the inns located within the outer section of the sect and report to the examination hall at first light the following morning.

Li Yan found Hu Biyan waiting outside the examination grounds.

"You passed.." Hu Biyan said as they walked toward the inn.

Li Yan smiled, not surprised by the outcome.

"I have trust in my abilities."

His spirit root had been judged as yellow, barely meeting the minimum requirement. No elder had shown any particular interest in him, which meant their plan had worked perfectly.

As they made their way to the inn, Li Yan glanced around the streets of Floating City.

The city remained lively even after sunset, with cultivators moving through the streets and lanterns illuminating the various buildings suspended above the clouds.

Hu Bai still had not arrived. It seemed he truly could not make it today.

Li Yan felt a small trace of disappointment, but it did not linger. Hu Bai had promised to return, and Li Yan trusted him enough not to question the promise.

After eating dinner at the inn, Li Yan returned to his room and immediately began reviewing his study materials.

Hu Biyan sat across from him, helping him review the subjects most likely to appear on the written examination.

Xiaoxiao remained nearby, occasionally correcting Li Yan when he overlooked a detail or reminding him of something he had studied earlier.

The hours passed quickly. "Enough," Hu Biyan finally said.

Li Yan looked up from his book. "I can continue."

"You have been studying since dinner."

"I do not feel tired."

"That is not the same as being rested."

Li Yan frowned, but Hu Biyan had already closed the book. "You have three hours to sleep. I will wake you when it is time."

Li Yan reluctantly lay down. He intended to close his eyes for only a moment, but exhaustion overtook him almost immediately.

The next morning arrived before Li Yan felt ready for it.

After washing and changing, he followed Hu Biyan toward the examination venue.

The outer section of the Nine Jade Sect was already crowded with the three thousand examinees who had survived the first stage.

When they reached the entrance, a disciple stepped forward. "Examinees enter alone. Companions must remain outside."