Chapter 125: Chapter 99: Ambush

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, eight months had passed.

The misty waters of Dingbo Lake flowed on, and early summer quietly turned to early spring.

Inside the Quiet Chamber, Chen Qing sat cross-legged, his aura as serene and profound as a deep, ancient well.

Deep within his Dantian, the Martial Arts Fire Seed ignited by the Cyan Wood Eternal Spring Technique had now grown to the size of a vibrant, jade-green bean, bursting with vitality.

With every throb, it pulled the qi and blood in his body along like a surging river, repeatedly striking an invisible barrier.

A breakthrough felt as if it were separated by a single layer of paper as thin as a cicada’s wing—within arm’s reach.

[Heaven Rewards Diligence]

[Cyan Wood Eternal Spring Technique Level 1 (969/1000)]

[Great Success in Mountain Prison-Suppressing Spear (588/2000)]

[Great Success in Floating Light and Shadow Hand (865/2000)]

[Eight Extremes Vajra Body Rock (2/3000)]

[Nine Revolutions Gilded Gold Technique Level 1 (526/1000)]

For the past eight months, he had been completely focused, pouring nearly all his energy into his cultivation.

He took three Qi Nourishing Pills every month without fail. If that wasn’t enough, he would supplement them by purchasing more at a high price from the sect’s Affairs Department. The Cyan Wood Eternal Spring Technique was now just one step away from the second level.

Both his Mountain Prison-Suppression Spear and Floating Light and Shadow Hand had reached the Great Success Realm, their power multiplying.

His greatest improvement was in the Eight Extremes Vajra Body, which he had advanced from the Steel Bone stage to the more profound and mystical Rock realm, raising his physical strength to a new level.

His private cultivation of the Nine Revolutions Gilded Gold Technique was also progressing steadily.

“PHEW!”

Chen Qing let out a long, turbid breath, his gaze sweeping over the calendar on the wall. ’Today is the assessment day.’

A few days ago, all disciples of the Cyan Wood Institute, whether Embracing Pill or Transmutation Force, had received a notice.

Master Li would personally be assessing the disciples’ progress.

This was an unprecedented event for the Cyan Wood Institute, which was known for its lax atmosphere.

For most disciples, however, this assessment was not good news.

Chen Qing tidied himself up briefly before heading to the Transmission Square in the core area of the Cyan Wood Institute.

The square was already packed with a dense crowd of thirty to forty people.

The Cyan Wood Institute had always boasted the largest number of disciples among the Five Institutes.

Chen Qing’s gaze swept across the crowd, noticing many unfamiliar young faces. They were dressed in fine clothes, their expressions a mix of the excitement of new initiates and the reserved pride of disciples from Noble Families.

Master Li had not yet arrived, so the disciples gathered in small groups, gossiping about recent major events.

“Did you hear? In the Xuanjia Sect’s territory, the Wu Family of Liuhe Town, who were affiliated with them, were found to be colluding with the Infinite Demon Sect. The entire family was uprooted overnight—not a soul was left alive!”

“That’s not all! I heard that in Cold Jade Valley, some small merchant associations and Escort Agencies also met with disaster. The methods were extremely cruel. On the surface, they were cleaning house, but behind the scenes…”

“SHH! Keep your voice down! How dare you speak so carelessly about such things? Be careful, loose lips sink ships!”

“Sigh, these are increasingly troubled times. The remnants of the Infinite Demon Sect are becoming more and more rampant, and the various sects have lost many of their experts.”

“I know, right? A few days ago, several more desiccated corpses were found on Golden Light Peak. Their deaths were bizarre, and the rumors are spreading like wildfire…”

Of every ten sentences the disciples whispered, seven or eight were about the Infinite Demon Sect.

Chen Qing listened in silence, his expression unreadable.

Just as the discussions were picking up, the closed courtyard gate at the far end of the Transmission Square was pushed open with a CREAK.

Li Baichuan strode out, dressed in a deep cyan Daoist robe. He had the white hair of an old man but the face of a youth, and his eyes were cold and indifferent.

The square fell instantly silent. All the disciples straightened their backs, holding their breath in concentration.

Many of the disciples grew nervous.

Master Li’s assessments were never just a simple test of cultivation.

The Inner Courtyard had limited resources, yet a constant stream of new disciples poured in.

Master Li needed to constantly weed out the older disciples whose potential had been exhausted to make room for new blood who could bring “value”.

This was an unspoken rule within the Cyan Wood Institute.

This was especially true for those whose cultivation had stagnated for years; they were on edge, as if walking on thin ice.

Li Baichuan’s gaze was as tranquil as an old well as it slowly swept over the disciples in the square.

“Since everyone is here, this old man won’t waste any more words. Today, we will inspect your cultivation. When your name is called, step forward and demonstrate your current realm and the power circulation of your main cultivation technique. The Embracing Pill Disciples will go first.”

The assessment began, its process so simple it was almost perfunctory.

Luo Xinyi was the first to demonstrate. Her large, sturdy frame took a step forward.

Cyan True Qi swirled around her, coalescing into cyclones of varying strength in front of her and causing the air to ripple slightly.

“Cyan Wood True Qi!?”

Seeing this, a trace of envy appeared in the eyes of many Transmutation Force Disciples.

Upon reaching the Embracing Pill Force, one could condense True Qi, and the True Qi Luo Xinyi had condensed was none other than Cyan Wood True Qi.

Cyan Wood True Qi was of the wood attribute. In terms of explosive power, it was not as domineering as Li Fire True Qi, and in terms of defense, it was not as solid as Kun Earth True Qi. However, its recovery speed was unparalleled, and its ability to heal injuries was beyond compare for other attribute True Qis.

As a master at the Mid-stage Embracing Pill Power, Luo Xinyi’s True Qi was as deep as a gurgling stream—full of life and vitality. Its flow carried the artistic conception of an endless, unceasing cycle of life.

She quickly finished her demonstration.

Next, Li Danyan, Hong Liangcai, Ji Yilan, and the other four Embracing Pill Disciples stepped forward one by one to demonstrate.

Li Baichuan only gave them a few casual glances before nodding slightly.

The Embracing Pill Disciples were the foundation that maintained the Cyan Wood Institute’s status. As long as their performance wasn’t too poor, they usually wouldn’t be asked to leave.

Then, it was the Transmutation Force Disciples’ turn.

At the front of the line were a few older disciples who had been in the sect for three or four years. They struggled to circulate their cultivation techniques; the Fire Seeds they had ignited flickered unsteadily, and the external release of their Power seemed sluggish.

Li Baichuan’s gaze lingered on them for a moment longer.

“Wang Tao. Great Success in Transmutation Force Realm. Main cultivation is the Cyan Wood Eternal Spring Technique. Your Fire Seed is weak and your progress is slow.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep