Chapter 817
The Assessment Begins! Is This a Monster?
"Not always."
Di Jun chuckled and said, "Our Wen Wanyu also has the potential to be a prodigy, and after years of my guidance, even I can hardly see through her true strength."
"Humph."
Chang Songqing's face was grim.
Although I am very reluctant to admit it, this Wen Wanyu is indeed no ordinary genius. She is exceptionally talented. When she first joined the Ice Spirit Sect, I even competed with her, but unfortunately I lost to Di Jun and missed this promising talent.
To put it bluntly, if it weren't for the sudden appearance of this little kid, the spot for the Prodigy would basically have gone to Wen Wanyu. The others would have just been there as supporting characters or to gain some experience from the Prodigy assessment.
Whoosh whoosh.
While the group was talking, two more figures landed. They were Chen Miao, the peak master of Shuiling Peak, and Liu Rui, one of his candidates. Both of them were beautiful women with stunning looks.
Peak Master Chen Miao looks to be only in his thirties. He is well-preserved, or perhaps he is just naturally young. He is the youngest peak master in the entire Ice Spirit Sect, which shows his genius. He must have been a prodigy in the past.
Liu Rui, standing beside her, was tall, a head taller than Wen Wanyu. She had a somewhat aloof expression and would simply bow to people without saying much. Afterward, she stood behind Peak Master Chen Miao, looking indifferent to everyone.
"The child is just being immature, please forgive him."
Chen Miao smiled slightly.
Chang Songqing said, "Di Jun said that Wen Wanyu from their Jade Spirit Peak will definitely win the title of the most outstanding person this time. The rest of you are just here to make up the numbers. You don't even have the qualifications to carry her shoes."
“I never said that.”
Di Jun quickly waved his hand.
Chen Miao laughed and said, "It's alright. It's normal for kids to play around. Whether they join in or not, we'll just have to watch and see. We're all family anyway, so it won't hurt our harmony."
"What Shui Ling said is right. We are all family. Whoever becomes a prodigy will be a good thing for our Ice Spirit Sect."
Two more figures landed. The one who spoke was a tall, middle-aged man, and behind him was an equally tall young man with thick eyebrows and big eyes. He was so burly that he was almost as big as Granny Qian, which showed that his physical body was definitely not ordinary.
"Junior Su Sheng greets all the peak masters and guardians."
The young man bowed respectfully.
Aunt Qian said, "Everyone's here, so please come in."
"Then please."
Although they had been joking with each other just moments before, they all now knew proper etiquette and politely deferred to one another as they entered the council hall.
"That tall, middle-aged man is Tie Zhengge, the peak master of Jinling Peak, who cultivates the path of bravery and strength."
Grandma Qian and Zhang Lingshan walked at the back, and she introduced them to Zhang Lingshan.
Zhang Lingshan asked, "Is this all the people you have?"
"How many people do you want? Prodigy candidates aren't as common as cabbages. Without some talent, how can you be a candidate? Qingling Peak hasn't sent a single person yet. Does that mean Qingling Peak has no one? It just means no one is qualified to be a prodigy candidate."
"Grandma Qian said irritably."
Zhang Lingshan said, "What I mean is, are these the only four peaks? Including the sect leader's peak, there are only five peaks in total. That means, including Senior Sister, the Ice Spirit Sect only has six Immortal Kings?"
"You're good at math."
Granny Qian was even more annoyed. "Are six Immortal Kings a small number? Some sects are already remarkable if they have even one Immortal King. Not to mention that our Ice Spirit Sect has the powerful Immortal Venerable Kong Nangui behind us. No matter where you are, our Ice Spirit Sect can't be considered weak. And you're still not satisfied?"
"But Senior Sister just said that the Ice Spirit Sect is an ancient and powerful sect, how could it have fallen to such a state?"
Zhang Lingshan continued.
Granny Qian was speechless at this point, and after a long while she sighed, "Life is unpredictable."
At this point, everyone in the council hall suddenly fell silent.
Then, an old woman slowly walked out from behind the screen in the hall and sat down in the grand chair at the head of the table.
Who else could it be but Shen Zhixin, the sect leader of the Ice Spirit Sect?
Everyone knew Shen Zhixin's temper, so no one dared to utter a sound and waited quietly for her to speak.
"Are there only these candidates for the Heavenly Pride?" Shen Zhixin asked in a somber tone, her expression seemingly dark.
Chang Songqing trembled slightly.
He felt that the sect leader was speaking to him personally.
Since the other peaks at least had one candidate, but he didn't even have one, he felt apprehensive because he had only come to join in the fun.
"Reporting to the Sect Master, that's all. There are four people in total: Li Xuanbing from our Sect Master Peak, Wen Wanyu from Jade Spirit Peak, Liu Rui from Water Spirit Peak, and Su Sheng from Gold Spirit Peak. Green Spirit Peak has no candidates this time; only Peak Master Chang Songqing has come."
Grandma Qian answered truthfully.
Chang Songqing's face stiffened instantly, and he said awkwardly, "Sect Master, it's not that I'm not trying, it's just that there haven't been any good prospects lately..."
"okay."
Shen Zhixin waved her hand, interrupting him, and said, "Too much nonsense, a waste of time. Since there are only four of you, let's start the prodigy assessment right away. Take out your keys."
"Yes."
Although he was scolded and interrupted, Chang Songqing breathed a sigh of relief and hurriedly took out the key.
The so-called key was a jade stone shaped like a crescent moon. There were five in total, and the five peak masters, Shen Zhixin, Chang Songqing, Di Jun, Chen Miao, and Tie Zhengge, each took one.
If you put the five keys together, they will form a magic circle.
This array is both a teleportation array and a monitoring array.
Once inside the magic array, you will be teleported to the secret realm of the prodigy assessment.
Once inside, a corresponding image will appear on the magic array, monitoring the words and actions of all the prodigies.
'This is interesting.'
Zhang Lingshan immediately became interested and inscribed the formation into five crescent-shaped jade stones. This method was very valuable for reference. If he could learn it, he would be able to make his own formation jade stones.
In addition, this teleportation array and monitoring array are both extraordinary, and learning them will definitely improve one's array skills.
In order to study for a little longer, Zhang Lingshan deliberately waited until he was the last to enter the teleportation array.
Upon entering the teleportation array, one is momentarily disoriented and before they can even react, the entire world transforms.
'This teleportation array is very stable; its spatial rules are more stable than those of ordinary teleportation arrays.'
Zhang Lingshan thought to himself, "Could this be proof of the Ice Spirit Sect's status as an eternally powerful sect?"
In other words.
After careful study, is it possible to improve one's own spatial rules as well?
Zhang Lingshan was immediately tempted.
Unfortunately, now is not the time to study the teleportation array.
Since we are currently in the secret realm of the prodigy assessment, who knows what might be here? It's best not to be distracted and to play it safe.
After all, if he didn't pass the test and become a prodigy, he wouldn't be qualified to marry Kong Ruobing.
If he doesn't marry Kong Ruobing, his status will plummet, and he'll have even less chance to comprehend the teleportation array and monitoring array composed of the five jade stones.
and so.
You must work diligently and concentrate on passing the assessment.
Although this assessment might be very simple for Zhang Lingshan, he still needs to take it seriously.
Not for any other reason than to let Shen Zhixin see Zhang Lingshan's attitude.
Whoosh!
A sudden gust of wind swept in, and Zhang Lingshan swiftly grabbed with his right hand, producing a small, grass-green snake in his grasp.
This snake was short and thin, almost indistinguishable from the surrounding grass shoots, and was extremely well hidden. If Zhang Lingshan's divine sense had not been so powerful and keen, he might not have been able to detect it.
If the other candidates for the Prodigy Trial don't possess Zhang Lingshan's divine sense, they'll have to be more careful. They'll need to rely on their perception of danger to detect the snakes' tracks. "Ji Buyi told me that the Prodigy Trial is a circle, and everyone is teleported to the outer edge. The first risk is these snakes in the grass. The grass is knee-high, perfect for the snakes to hide, but flying is not an option, because trying to escape by flying would only result in a swarm of insects, making it even more difficult to deal with."
Zhang Lingshan secretly passed through.
However, Ji Buyi also said that everyone's position in the prodigy assessment is random, and the dangers they encounter are naturally random as well.
Then the problem is coming.
Why did I happen to encounter the same danger as Ji Buyi? This way, the experience that Ji Buyi imparted to me can be put to good use.
Could it be that Shen Zhixin helped him cheat?
Zhang Lingshan couldn't help but think this, and felt somewhat speechless.
The sect leader really underestimated me, and you went to great lengths to make it right for me to marry Kong Ruobing.
Do you really want to marry off your granddaughter so badly?
'Regardless, this little snake is no ordinary creature. It even dared to ambush me, a Golden Immortal, which speaks volumes. It should provide a considerable amount of energy points.'
As Zhang Lingshan thought this, he unleashed the power of ice with his right hand, freezing the little snake into an ice sculpture. He then put it in his mouth and began to chew it with a crunching sound, just like eating a gummy popsicle.
It's an ice pop on the outside and a gummy candy on the inside. It's chewy and good for your teeth, not bad.
"This……"
Inside the council hall, Chang Songqing, the peak master of Qingling Peak, stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
What are you doing?
Seeing Zhang Lingshan crunching on popsicles and gummy candies made this old man's teeth ache.
"Haha, this kid's a real character, what's his name again?"
The peak master of Jinling Peak laughed loudly.
Water Spirit Peak Master Chen Miao frowned and said, "His name is Li Xuanbing. He looks refined and gentle, so why is he so rough in his actions? You can't judge a book by its cover."
"These small snakes can indeed enhance ice-type spiritual energy and can be used as food to replenish the consumption of ice-type spiritual energy. However, how much can he absorb from eating them raw? I'm afraid he might get sick instead."
"This is what Di Jun, the peak master of Jade Spirit Peak, said."
He understands biological science.
Snakes contain many parasites, and these parasites can infect humans directly without the need for an intermediate host, making them extremely risky to eat raw.
If even ordinary snakes pose such a great risk, one can only imagine the dangers of such a strange little snake.
It is perfectly reasonable and logical that ordinary snakes can infect ordinary people, while strange snakes can infect golden immortals.
In addition, it doesn't taste very good when eaten raw, and no immortal would eat it like that.
but.
Zhang Lingshan is different from others; he appears to be an ice-type, but in reality, he can control fire.
It's like a little stove inside its mouth, cooking the snake right away, and it tastes especially delicious.
Even if it's not cooked in the mouth, it can still burn the snake to ashes in the esophagus and stomach, turning it into the purest energy points.
[Energy Points +1]
'How come it's only 1 unit?'
Zhang Lingshan sighed inwardly.
I thought this little snake that dared to ambush a dignified Golden Immortal was something special, but all it provides is this little bit.
It seems the only way to win is through sheer numbers.
then.
Zhang Lingshan waved his right hand, and a large number of ice talismans poured out.
With a wave of his left hand, the same thing happened.
In an instant, all the small snakes in the grass from all directions were frozen into ice sculptures.
Moreover, because Zhang Lingshan had learned Ji Buyi's ice sculpting technique, these small snake ice sculptures seemed to come alive and spontaneously flew towards Zhang Lingshan.
"This……"
When Chang Songqing, the peak master of Qingling Peak, saw this scene, he was once again dumbfounded.
"Is this Ji Buyi's ice sculpting technique?"
Jinling Peak Master Tie Zhengge was equally dumbfounded.
Di Jun, the peak master of Jade Spirit Peak, and Chen Miao, the peak master of Water Spirit Peak, are no different.
"good."
Sect Master Shen Zhixin said calmly, "Li Xuanbing is a genius found by my granddaughter Kong Ruobing. He learned the ice sculpting technique from Ji Buyi in just a few days. What do you think?"
"Inconceivable."
Chang Songqing exclaimed, "I feel that his ice sculpting technique is even more impressive than Ji Buyi's. To be able to create so many ice sculptures so easily, without harming any small grass, and to accurately locate all the small snakes around him—this ability is truly unbelievable!"
"He is not more capable than Ji Buyi. In terms of the depth of his research on ice sculpture, he is not as good as Ji Buyi. However, this ingenious and extensive use is indeed extraordinary."
Tie Zhengge also praised it.
Di Jun and Chen Miao also offered their praise, but unfortunately, neither of them pointed out that Zhang Lingshan had used talismanic magic.
Shen Zhixin couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Their Ice Spirit Sect had truly fallen into decline; not even a single person could recognize the talismanic techniques of their ancestor.
Isn't it a sign that Li Xuanbing was able to bring his ancestral grandmother's Frost Talisman to their Ice Spirit Sect?
It was obvious that he was sent by their ancestral grandmother to rescue their Ice Spirit Sect.
The great revival of the Ice Spirit Sect will surely be built upon the return of the Frost Talisman!
Crunch, crunch.
While Zhang Lingshan appeared to be chewing, he had actually already turned those small snakes into ashes and absorbed them into his body, transforming them into the purest energy points.
'Not bad, not bad, you've already made 100 grains in such a short time.'
Zhang Lingshan was overjoyed.
Although each snake only provides 1 unit of energy, the quantity is plentiful, and there's plenty of grass all around. Let's enjoy a delicious meal and try to increase our energy points by several hundred units.
So, in the next scene, everyone in the council hall saw Zhang Lingshan doing nothing but running around in the grass, chasing after these small snakes, freezing them, and eating them.
Originally, it should have been the snake that ambushed him, but now it's him chasing after the snake and eating it.
"This……"
Chang Songqing wondered if he was experiencing some kind of hallucination.
Is this kid even human?
Did you come here for the Tianjiao assessment, or for a picnic?
The worst thing is...
The kid seemed to think the snakes weren't enough, so he started flying into the air, attracting countless flying insects.
Then, they froze all the flying insects into small ice cubes and ate them with great relish.
"This is a monster."
Peak Masters Chang Songqing and the others couldn't help but look at the Sect Master.
Where exactly did this talent come from? (End of Chapter)