Chapter 3784: The First Stage Of Assessment

The drop landed upon the formation plate as the runes immediately lit up and light spread across the dark surface. Information began appearing.

Identity registered.

Origin recorded.

Recruit recognized.

The Junior Elder let out a small sigh of relief. "Done."

Little Bull looked pleased as the registration had finally ended.

The elder handed him a jade token. "This is your temporary recruit token."

Little Bull accepted it carefully.

Before anyone could continue, Elder He Jian stood.

"Well then." The old man adjusted his robes. "I’ll head up."

The assessment process itself no longer required his involvement. The elders preferred observing from the viewing platforms.

The Junior Elder nodded. "I’ll guide him through the rest."

Elder He Jian smiled and turned to leave, but then a voice suddenly stopped him.

"Wait!"

The old man looked back and saw Little Bull had raised his hand. He Jian immediately misunderstood.

"Don’t worry." The old man smiled reassuringly. "You’ll do fine."

Little Bull blinked.

"No." The young man shook his head. "I wanted food."

Silence filled the room, then laughter erupted. The Junior Elder laughed first and several nearby disciples joined him. Even Elder He Jian shook his head while smiling. The old man had nearly forgotten.

This boy thought about food more than anything else.

The Junior Elder reached into his sleeve and a small pill appeared.

The pill was pale yellow and emitted a faint grain fragrance similar to fresh barely.

"Here." He handed it over. "Spirit Grain Pill."

Little Bull immediately accepted it.

The elder explained further. "One pill is enough to keep an ordinary cultivator full for an entire day."

Little Bull inspected it curiously, then swallowed it. Lin Mu naturally knew exactly what the pill did. And he also knew that if he actually ate according to his real appetite, he would probably require entire barrels of such pills.

Still, maintaining the act came first.

The pill disappeared into his stomach.

Little Bull nodded.

"Not bad."

Several disciples laughed again.

The Junior Elder smiled. "Good enough?"

Little Bull thought for a moment, then reluctantly nodded. "For now."

The answer caused another round of laughter. Elder He Jian finally left, shaking his head the entire time. The old man disappeared toward the upper viewing galleries where the other elders were gathered.

"Come," The Junior Elder gestured for Little Bull to follow. "The first assessment area is ready."

Little Bull immediately stood up. His eyes contained curiosity. The surrounding disciples also began watching more closely. After the registration incident, many had become interested.

A mortal who could bend needles and blunt spirit weapons with his skin alone was certainly unusual. Even the two Administrative Division disciples looked far less dismissive now. Their earlier disdain had been replaced by cautious curiosity.

Perhaps Elder He Jian had not brought back an ordinary village simpleton after all.

The Junior Elder led Little Bull out of the administrative hall and toward one of the giant walled sections of the Assessment Grounds. From beyond the walls, loud cheers and excited shouting could already be heard.

The first stage of the assessment turned out to be far simpler than Little Bull had expected. Or at least, it appeared simple on the surface.

The Junior Elder led him into a large chamber that contained dozens of formation platforms arranged in neat rows. Several recruits were already present, waiting their turns while sect staff recorded results on jade slips.

Unlike the registration area, this place felt far more serious. The atmosphere was quiet and every recruit watched attentively. Many of them were already cultivators and understood how important the results would be for their future within the sect.

Little Bull looked around curiously.

"So many rocks." He muttered.

The disciple beside him twitched slightly."Those are formation platforms."

"Oh." The response was immediate.

The disciple suddenly understood why Elder He Jian kept calling the young man simple.

Meanwhile, on the upper observation floors, dozens of disciples and elders continued watching the ongoing assessments through large formation screens. The two Administrative Division disciples who had escorted them earlier were also present.

They had finished their duties and were now observing from one of the side viewing platforms. Naturally, their attention remained fixed on Little Bull. They wanted to see just what kind of person Elder He Jian had brought back after spending years wandering around.

The first recruit stepped forward and he placed his hand upon a formation plate. Soft white light appeared as the formation array hummed gently.

A disciple recorded the result. "Average compatibility."

The recruit nodded and stepped away.

Another recruit followed, this time the light was brighter.

Several elders watching from above nodded slightly. "Good."

The process continued and one after another recruits got their results. Some produced dim lights while others brighter. Little Bull watched the entire thing attentively. After observing for a while, he finally raised his hand.

The Junior Elder looked over. "Questions?"

Little Bull nodded. "What does the light do?"

The Junior Elder patiently explained. "It measures Qi compatibility."

"What’s that?"

The elder had expected that question. "It shows how easily your body can absorb and circulate Qi."

Little Bull scratched his head. "Oh."

The elder continued speaking. "Most people possess some level of compatibility. Greater compatibility means cultivation becomes easier."

Little Bull nodded again.

Though inwardly, Lin Mu already understood the process. This formation simply measured how readily a person’s body accepted and absorbed external Qi. The result was useful for evaluating natural talent.

Of course, the evaluation was far from absolute.

Many cultivators improved their compatibility over time. Body cultivation, bloodline awakenings, Dao comprehension, Pills, techniques, physique evolution and countless other factors could improve it.

Still, initial compatibility remained an important indicator. Most elders only paid special attention in two situations. The first was when compatibility was exceptionally high. Such individuals often possessed extraordinary talent.

The second was when compatibility was completely absent. That outcome was equally rare. Even ordinary mortals would generally produce a faint glow. Only people with crippled meridians or severe abnormalities failed to generate any reaction.

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