Chapter 26: Chapter 25: The Unfinished Hundred-Day Assessment, the Seven Peaks Grand Competition
As his senior sister continued her explanation, Zhong Ming gradually learned about the various benefits of being an A-Class Disciple.
The first benefit was access to the first three floors of the Longxi Peak Scripture Pavilion, which housed Cultivation Techniques and Magic Techniques.
B-Class disciples, in contrast, only had access to Longxi Peak’s main Cultivation Technique and its accompanying Magic Techniques.
Other resources like Cultivation Insights and some of the more unusual Magic Techniques had to be purchased with Spirit Stones and Merit Points.
C and D Disciples had it the worst; they had to spend Spirit Stones and Merit Points to acquire both the main Cultivation Technique and its accompanying Magic Techniques.
The second benefit was a flying sword. As an A-Class Disciple of Longxi Peak, the peak would provide him with a mid-grade Magical Artifact at no cost.
Third were Spirit Stones and Elixir Pills. As an A-Class Disciple, Zhong Ming would receive eighteen Primordial Spirit Pills and thirty Spirit Stones each month.
Fourth was the right to recruit followers. An A-level Rating allowed him to recruit four.
Fifth was a cave residence with its own Spiritual Spring.
And finally, a monthly stipend of 300 Sect Merit Points.
Mo Shuying said, "Sect Merit Points can be exchanged for resources, Spirit Stones, and Magic Techniques, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Here in the Seven Profound Sect, we have many special Cultivation Fields, such as our Longxi Peak’s Sword Pool, Molten Fire Peak’s Flame Path, Profound Stone Peak’s Primordial Qi Pool, and Bamboo Forest Peak’s Wind Bell Dao Rhyme. All of these places require Merit Points to enter."
"A single day of cultivation in one of those special areas can be equivalent to half a month of practice elsewhere."
"So, it’s best to save up your Merit Points and spend them on accessing those locations."
These various benefits from Longxi Peak made Zhong Ming truly feel the advantage of having a powerful backer.
Wealth (30 Spirit Stones and 300 Sect Merit Points per month), companions (followers), techniques (free access to the first three floors of the Scripture Pavilion), land (a cave residence with a Spiritual Spring), and even artifacts (a flying sword)—Longxi Peak had basically provided Zhong Ming with everything he needed.
They were truly grooming him as a core disciple.
What invigorated Zhong Ming even more was that from this day forward, it would no longer be appropriate to call him a mere lower-class youth.
As an A-Class Disciple of Longxi Peak, he didn’t just have resources; he now had the protection of the sect.
When he was out in the world, other sects, clans, or even government officials might clash or compete with him, but it was highly unlikely that any of their elders would openly attack him, as that would be a case of the strong bullying the weak.
To do so would be a slap in the face to Longxi Peak, and an even greater insult to the Seven Profound Sect.
’Being rated A-Class is a huge leap for me, like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate.’
Just as Zhong Ming was rejoicing in the fact that he finally had a powerful backer and no longer needed to live in constant fear, Mo Shuying, having finished with the benefits, suddenly adopted a stern expression.
"Zhong Ming, remember this: the benefits Longxi Peak offers you are excellent, but they are not without requirements."
"In cultivation, how you start isn’t the only thing that matters; what comes after is even more important. Therefore, right now you only have an A-level Rating. You are not yet an Inner Sect Disciple of Longxi Peak, and your hundred-day assessment is far from over."
"Even the benefits you’re receiving now are only guaranteed for three months, for the time being."
"If you fail to meet the requirements after those three months, you will remain an Outer Disciple."
"Furthermore, if you slacken in your cultivation during these three months, or if others surpass you, your current benefits will be reduced, or even stripped away entirely."
At these words, Zhong Ming’s expression turned serious as well.
"Rest assured, Senior Sister. Cultivation concerns my own future; I will not be negligent."
After voicing his determination, Zhong Ming inquired about the requirements to become an Inner Sect Disciple.
"Eldest Senior Sister, what must I do to become an Inner Sect Disciple?"
Hearing his question, Mo Shuying didn’t answer right away. She gazed out from Longxi Peak at the other six peaks of the Seven Profound Sect. Only then did her expression turn grave, and she said with a sigh, "The assessment for Inner Sect Disciples isn’t just an internal affair for Longxi Peak. You’ll also have to compete against the other six peaks."
"For disciples who achieve an A-level Rating, the Seven Profound Sect maintains two ranking lists. The first is an individual ranking, also known as the Cub Dragon List. The sect will rank you based on the time of your breakthrough, your cultivation level, your combat power, and your contributions to the sect. The Cub Dragon List has a total of seventy-seven spots."
"This list is updated monthly. Those who rank at the top will receive rewards from the sect. The higher your rank, the more valuable the reward."
At this point, Mo Shuying gave him an example:
"If you manage to take first place for all three months of the hundred-day assessment, you can even have the sect do one thing for you—for instance, use a precious treasure to raise your Spiritual Root grade from third-class to second-class."
Mo Shuying’s tone was casual as she said this, as she didn’t believe Zhong Ming could actually achieve such a feat.
Zhong Ming, for his part, showed no change in expression, but the hand hidden inside his sleeve suddenly clenched into a tight fist.
Zhong Ming was well aware that his Spiritual Root was mediocre and that many people, therefore, believed his cultivation speed was slow.
He even acknowledged it himself... With a third-class Spiritual Root, he truly didn’t have a strong affinity for Spiritual Qi.
However, he had managed to compensate for this weakness with his Cultivation Technique, which had reached the Second Realm, and his Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique, which had reached the Third Realm.
But if there was a chance to remedy this flaw and become a genius in terms of his Spiritual Root, Zhong Ming was, of course, more than willing to take it.
He was no stranger to enduring hardship.
It was just that Spiritual Roots were thought to be determined by fate. Mo Shuying’s claim that the sect could alter one was both surprising and a little unsettling to Zhong Ming:
"Upgrade a Spiritual Root... Is such a thing really possible for the sect?"
Mo Shuying smiled at his question. "In the Cultivation Realm, nothing is impossible."
"Of course, the Seven Profound Sect can only upgrade a Spiritual Root from third-class to second-class. And even that requires an immense amount of resources... It’s a significant expenditure for the sect."
"Because of the immense cost, this procedure is normally not performed for ordinary disciples... You’d best not get your hopes up too high."
Mo Shuying didn’t believe Zhong Ming had any chance of winning first place on the Cub Dragon List three times in a row.
Even once would be difficult.
She knew all too well that giving someone hope only to have it extinguished was an exceptionally cruel thing to do.
Thus, she was now regretting having told him about it at all.
To steer him away from the topic, she offered a few words of reassurance before quickly moving on to the sect’s other ranking list.
"Besides the Cub Dragon List, the Seven Profound Sect also has a Seven Peaks Point List, which ranks the overall strength and contributions of the Seven Peaks."
"During the hundred-day assessment, the sect holds a grand competition for you newcomers at the end of each month. Your performance in that competition will largely determine the rankings on both lists."
"Your ranking on the individual list determines the resources you receive."
"The ranking on the Seven Peaks list is similar, but those rewards are distributed among all the disciples of that peak."
At this, Mo Shuying’s expression grew more solemn.
"On the final day of the hundred-day assessment, the Seven Profound Sect will allocate Inner Sect Disciple slots based on the Seven Peaks Point List."
"The peak with the most points gets seven Inner Sect Disciple slots, second place gets six, third place gets five... and the last-place peak gets only one."
"Furthermore, the disciple who leads their peak to first place in the point rankings, or the top prodigy who ranks first individually, will be directly promoted to True Inheritance Disciple by the Seven Profound Sect."
...
Mo Shuying had said a great deal. After a moment of thought, Zhong Ming realized that, as befitting one of the Renowned and Righteous Sects, the Seven Profound Sect’s assessment of its disciples was truly comprehensive.
’Those two lists... one assesses a peak’s overall strength, and the other assesses individual strength. It’s clear that the elites the Seven Profound Sect wants to cultivate must not only possess outstanding personal power but must also be capable of leading their peak to a top-ranking position.’
Zhong Ming approved of this assessment system. Unlike the disciples of the Demon Sects, where everyone was wary of one another, Orthodox Disciples emphasized mutual aid and support.
Since the Seven Peaks list concerned the collective interests of each peak, this method of assessment would greatly enhance internal cohesion.
’And the sect’s assessment isn’t rigid, either. The final competition offers a chance for the lone wolves... If their individual power is truly exceptional, they can still come out on top through sheer strength.’
As Zhong Ming processed this in his own way, Mo Shuying’s voice continued, "As a Quasi-Core Disciple of Longxi Peak, the peak’s honor and shame are now tied to you. I expect you to give your all in the upcoming hundred-day assessment."
Hearing this, Zhong Ming immediately refocused his attention, cupped his hands in a fist-and-palm salute, and said, "Please rest assured, Senior Sister. Now that I have joined Longxi Peak, this is my home. I will do everything in my power to ensure Longxi Peak takes the top spot."
Zhong Ming was quite confident in his own strength.
Although his cultivation level wasn’t high, his Longxi Sword-Drawing Technique had already reached the Minor Achievement stage of the Third Realm.
Moreover, he still had over twenty days, which was enough time to raise his strength another level. Because of this, he believed that Longxi Peak truly had a chance to take the top spot.
And he had to make it happen.
’Upgrading a third-class Spiritual Root to a second-class one... This is an opportunity I absolutely must seize!’
...
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