Chapter 40

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

“Comprehending the conception of the Qi Refiner stage?!”

“Wow… No wonder so many elders are here. Could it be that such a guy actually came from the outer sect?!”

The disciples were in utter shock.

At this moment, Dongwang Lian and the others had already entered the hall.

Mr. Xiao quickly greeted, “Esteemed elders.”

Lu Yi also greeted, “Greetings, esteemed elders.”

The elders nodded at Lu Yi with gentle smiles.

“Young man, welcome to Silk Peak.”

“Young man, perform well in the assessment. I have high hopes for you!”

Then, they turned to Mr. Xiao, and Dongwang Lian said, “Mr. Xiao, isn’t it time to start the assessment?”

Under the intense gaze of the Nascent Soul powerhouses, Mr. Xiao felt a bit nervous. He nodded repeatedly, “Of course, Elder Dongwang.”

Mr. Xiao looked at Lu Yi and smiled. He said, “Lu Yi, the peak initiation assessment of Silk Peak is the most challenging among the twelve peaks of the Sect. According to the peak master’s intention, we value quality over quantity in terms of our disciples. We use limited resources to cultivate those who are truly worth it… However, while it’s difficult for ordinary disciples, it’s likely just a formality for you. Generally, the disciples who enter the inner sect have no issues with their talent in cultivation. Therefore, our peak initiation assessment mainly evaluates two aspects, comprehension and combat capability. The comprehension assessment involves comprehending a set of arts.”

While speaking, Mr. Xiao turned his hand, revealing a book. He said, “Lu Yi, this is the Qi Refiner art, Nine Shadow Sword. It’s a relatively high-level art among Qi Refiner arts. Your task is to master this art within two hours.”

Lu Yi took the book, raised an eyebrow, and smiled. He said, “I understand.”

It was said that the assessment for becoming Silk Peak’s disciples was difficult. Two hours was not a lot of time. Even for a Qi Refiner art, it wasn’t easy to master it within four hours.

Meanwhile, Lu Yi thought to himself, ‘I need to read through the Nine Shadow Sword manual.’

Task: Read through the Nine Shadow Sword Manual (0/1)

Reward: Nine Shadow Sword Level + 1

Accept: Yes / No

As Lu Yi expected and he felt quite pleased. He only needed to read through it to achieve the goal. The difficulty was practically non-existent.

At that moment, Lu Yi thought of something and self-spoke again, “I want to pass the peak initiation assessment of Silk Peak.”

Task: Pass the peak initiation assessment of Silk Peak

Reward: A Heavenly Treasure, Water Spirit Elixir, and a Mid-Grade Magical Tool, White Spirit Belt

Accept: Yes / No

Lu Yi’s eyes brightened, feeling pleasantly surprised, ‘Wow, this assessment comes with such high rewards? Though it might not compare to being the first in the Grand Competition, it was still pretty good!’

Lu Yi immediately accepted the task.

Mr. Xiao pointed to the cushions in the hall and said, “You can sit on the cushion and comprehend. We won’t disturb you.”

Lu Yi nodded with a smile, then went to a nearby cushion, opened the Nine Shadow Sword manual, and began to read.

While Lu Yi was quietly reading, the elders and disciples didn’t disturb him, engaging in silent communication.

“It’s starting!”

“Let’s bet, how long do you think it will take for this young man to comprehend it?”

“Aren’t you influenced by the peak master? Always betting… I bet an hour. This young man’s cultivation is still low, so it would be much faster if it were someone in the Foundation Establishment stage.”

“Heh… Impossible, right? Lu Yi comprehended sword intent even though his cultivation is low. Even if he’s a bit lower in cultivation, mastering an art shouldn’t take him long. I bet around an hour.”

“An hour?! That’s impossible! Lu Yi can’t master the Nine Shadow Sword within half an hour. This art itself is extremely difficult to cultivate. Even if this young man has high comprehension, he can’t master it in an hour!”

“Heh, let’s wait and see!”

“Let’s wait and see indeed!”

…

Lu Yi took about ten minutes to finish reading the Nine Shadow Sword manual.

After finishing, he glanced at the interface and saw that the task to read the manual was already marked as complete. Lu Yi cheerfully claimed the rewards. Immediately, information about the Nine Shadow Sword entered his mind, and he quickly grasped the essence of the technique.

Lu Yi looked at the Nine Shadow Sword (Level 1) displayed on the interface and then at the time, unable to help but sigh, ‘That was too fast.’

Suddenly, Lu Yi felt the kind of vexation that a top student would feel. Back in his previous life, there were always some individuals who finished their exams halfway through the allocated time and left the exam hall. It was something that made people envy, jealous, and hate. He didn’t expect he could do it now either.

The four-hour assessment had taken Lu Yi just over ten minutes to complete. This made him feel exceptionally impressive. This situation also caused Lu Yi some frustration. He thought he was being a bit too ostentatious.

Lu Yi wasn’t a showy person. He glanced through the manual again, pretending to be engrossed in studying it while considering which of the Nascent Soul elders would be more suitable as his mentor after he succeeded.

After a while, the assessment had been ongoing for over half an hour. Lu Yi felt that it was about time. At this point, getting up shouldn’t be considered too ostentatious. So, Lu Yi stood up.

When the elders and disciples saw Lu Yi stand up, their eyes lit up with anticipation, and they communicated with each other through messages.

“He comprehended it so quickly? It’s only been half an hour. Isn’t this too fast?”

“Don’t be hasty. He hasn’t started practicing yet. He needs to cultivate it a few times.”

“That makes sense… How many times do you think Lu Yi will cultivate before he masters it?”

“Within ten attempts!”

“Even if that’s the case, he’ll probably master it in about an hour, right?”

“Let’s see.”

…

As they were discussing, Lu Yi took out the sword he had previously stored in his Interspatial Ring, and with a swing of his sword…

SWOOSH!

The sword cut through the air, leaving behind a sharp sword shadow. This was the sign of having mastered the Nine Shadow Sword.

Everyone was shocked and the hall suddenly fell silent. The elders and disciples stared wide-eyed, their gazes fixed on the gradually dissipating sword shadow.

Then, a disciple exclaimed in astonishment, “He mastered it?! How long has it been?!”

Others were equally surprised.

“In just half an hour, he actually mastered the Nine Shadow Sword! What kind of monster is Lu Yi?!”

“Yes, he didn’t even cultivate it once. Did he just read the manual and mentally simulate it in his mind to master it?!”

“No wonder he comprehended sword intent in the Qi Refiner stage. His comprehension is beyond human!”

The disciples exclaimed one after another.

Even the elders were struck with shock, evident in their gazes. They exchanged glances among themselves.

“This level of comprehension…”

“If this young man’s cultivation were at the Foundation Establishment stage, I wouldn’t be surprised if he comprehended the Nine Shadow Sword in half an hour. However, he’s only at the Qi Refiner stage!”

“Exactly, with such cultivation, to master the challenging Nine Shadow Sword in just half an hour… it’s truly astonishing.”

“This comprehension ability might not be inferior to Liu Ningshuang’s… no, perhaps it’s even slightly superior?” A Nascent Soul elder slowly spoke.