Chapter 141: Average (Patreon)

Important note: Since I'm now entering exam season, I will temporarily switch to an upload schedule of two chapters per week, with friday uploads falling away for the next three weeks (until the 24th).

The Royalroad-updates will get the same treatment, so patreon will stay ahead six chapters just as it has been. After I'm out of the woods, I plan on using some of my additional free time to increase the tiers to 4 and 8 chapters early-access respectively.

...

“Please get ready and follow me, we’re in line for the Qi affinity examination soon.”

With a groan, Ye pulled himself off the ground, careful not to put any weight onto his newly bandaged arm. He’d just caught himself a beating in his second duel, having faced a boy from the Liang family, one of the pillar families of the Lunar Peaks Sect, as he’d learned after the fact.

The taste of defeat was bitter, but he told himself that it didn’t matter all that much. After all, he was a cultivation genius, not a combat genius; his real talent would show in the next examination.

“You have all performed a Qi affinity test at least once before, otherwise you wouldn’t be here in the first place, so you’ve already seen how an affinity crystal works. Our crystals are the same, the only difference is in the preciseness of the measurements, so this shouldn’t be new to any of you.”, Liting explained as they once again made their way to the Training Hall’s headquarters.

“We have set up ten measurement crystals, so each group is going to be tested all at once. Please follow the instructions you are given; Don’t put your hand on the crystal before you are told to do so, don’t take it away before you are told so.

“A word of warning I was told to give you: Don’t try to argue about the results. The measurement crystals were rigorously checked for their function just before the examination and they are regularly checked during it as well. The elders will be watching you during the entire process, so you really shouldn’t cause an unnecessary ruckus.”

Liting turned to them and smiled.

“Not that I’m suspecting any of you would do that. I’m sure you’ll all do just fine!”

Entering the headquarters, they passed a group that was just in the process of leaving. Several of the candidates had downcast and defeated expressions while one girl was absolutely beaming with pride. This examination was the most important of all – performing well here all but guaranteed entrance into the sect, while a poor showing could easily ruin even an otherwise acceptable candidate’s hopes.

Around a hundred candidates were once again filled the room the willpower examination had been held in. They were lined up in ten equally long queues behind the affinity testing devices.

The devices were large, clear crystal balls engraved densely with formations that looked a lot more complicated than those on the one they had back at the estate. The next row of candidates was just asked to step forward and put their hands on them. In response, the crystals began to emit blue-is light in differing intensities, with brighter light indicating higher Qi affinity.

Ye fondly remembered his first time before a device such as this. His brother’s light had been as dim as it could get, far too dim for him to be considered suitable for cultivation. Then he had stepped up, nervous to meet the same results, only to dazzle the entire room with the brilliance of his talent.

“Please get into the queues, one in each. We’ll have to wait about twenty minutes until it’s our turn, please be patient and keep calm.”

Liting headed off to one of the instructors while Ye and the others made their way into the queues as she had said. Most of them seemed nervous, but Ye was just giddy to bathe them all in his light.

The twenty minutes went by rather quickly as Ye was mostly able to keep himself occupied noting the various results the candidates before them were showing. Then, finally, they were at the front of the line and the group at the crystals made way for them.

“Group one-hundred-and-thirty-eight, please step forward and stand before the Qi affinity crystals.”

They did as they were told. The instructor overseeing Ye’s crystal was a strict-looking older woman.

“Ye Wudi, correct?”

“Yes!”

Ye bowed politely.

“Alright, noted. Please take off your ring. It will interfere with the measurement otherwise.”

Ye obliged, though the request confused him. Why would some ordinary old piece of metal interfere with Qi affinity measurements? He’d worn it back when he had taken the test for the first time and it hadn’t been a problem then. Well, it was probably because these measurement devices were more sensitive than their own.

“Alright, now please put your hand on the crystal.”

The crystal’s surface was smooth, only interrupted by the fine lines of the engraved formations, and cool. The instructor waited until all the other candidates had their hands on their respective crystals as well.

“Now please reach out to the Qi inside the crystal and attempt to influence it to the best of your abilities.”

Ye smirked and nodded, waiting a moment for the other candidates’ crystals to begin lighting up. Then he focused on his own. Time for a showing!

…

Rather average – that was the first impression Liu Wei gathered from the group. Of the ten candidates, four showed a promising level of affinity, but none of them at a level that would guarantee them an entrance to the sect on its own.

Luckily, one of the four was someone the elders had already taken great interest in.

“Hmm… we can work with that.”, Elder Liang stated.

Xinming’s affinity was above average, probably among the top three to four hundred, if the candidates continued to perform at the same level.

Despite what Sun Liang’s remark implied, that was great news. It was regrettable, of course, that she didn’t manage to surprise them for a third time in a row, but really all they could have hoped for was that she didn’t turn out to be completely talentless. She was still probably the most valuable candidate of this year’s competition, or at least among the most valuable.

Liu Wei glanced at the list of candidates one of the instructors had brought them. The other children showing potential were a boy that had performed among the best in the physical examination, one that had done very well in the written examination and one that had good, but unremarkable results across the board. With one more look at the candidates below, he recognized that one as the boy Xinming had fought earlier.

After exchanging a quick look with the other elders for confirmation, Liu Wei poked the leading instructor with his presence to inform him that they were finished examining the candidates. Since the responsible instructors had also finished recording the exact results of the test, the candidates were sent away and the next group stepped forward. They had only finished about fifty groups, three times as many would still follow.

…

Ye’s eyes were unfocused as he mechanically followed his group out of the Training Hall and back to the spot they were holding the duels at.

That hadn’t gone quite as he’d hoped… Shit, no, it hadn’t gone as he’d expected. It hadn’t gone as it had been supposed to go!

Liting had said that the crystals couldn’t be faulty… but then why hadn’t they shown his talent? Why had his crystal been barely any brighter than Nuo’s? Why had it felt like Meilin’s and Xinming’s were a little brighter than his? Nuo was a thirty, Meilin a twenty. He hadn’t even bothered ranking Xinming. How did any of this make sense?

With things going like this, he would likely have to give up on his prospects of becoming one of the elder’s personal disciples right off the bat.

Well, it wasn’t too catastrophic. As an inner disciple he’d still have plenty of opportunity to prove himself until one of the elders would notice. Of course he’d have to make sure to join the right hall, since it he was most likely to catch the attention of the elder who led his hall first, and it would be rude to decline an offer to become their personal disciple because he was waiting for better offers.

Maybe the Formation Hall would be his best bet; Elder Liang was supposed to be among the strongest elders, and he’d already gone the extra mile and introduced himself to the boy from the Liang Family after their duel earlier.

The Healing Hall was also on the table, though Ye did not believe that his long-term calling lay with that art. From what he’d heard from other candidates, Elder Xia was apparently known to be kind and generous, which matched well with the expression he’d gotten from her when he’d saw her at the opening ceremony. She’d reminded him of his mother, only younger and admittedly also prettier. She’d surely treat her personal disciple with great kindness.

The Outer Relations Hall could be useful to help out his family once he’d worked his way up the chain, but the elder leading it hadn’t appeared at the opening ceremony, so Ye wasn’t sure if it was worth taking the risk. Perhaps he was the greatest of the elders and had simply chosen to abstain from the ceremony to focus on improving his vast cultivation…

Ye’s mood gradually improved as he pondered his many options. Perhaps it had been for the best that his talent hadn’t shown like he’d expected. Getting to plan out his future like this was a boon in and off itself. A smile began to form on his face.

…

…

…

They would take him in as an inner disciple, right?

His smile strained. Surely, they wouldn’t… He’d proven himself in… well…

Ye shook his head. They were still watching him; he was sure of it. They’d notice. There was another duel coming up. He’d use that.

He’d show them. He’d show them just. How. Great. He. Was.

He was certain of it…