, Grade 9 Assessment! Lu Yun!

Azure Mist Domain, Purple Heart City.

Inside the cultivation hall, dozens of disciples sat cross-legged in the bluestone courtyard, their eyes all fixed on the white jade evaluation platform in the center.

The platform is three feet high, smooth and lustrous, with fine runes engraved all over its surface.

The path to immortality is vast, and a nine-rank system has been established to assess the value of cultivating cultivators.

The evaluation platform is a crucial magical artifact that determines their future.

Tense and excitement intertwined on every young face.

"Lu Yun".

The instructor read out a name.

Lu Yun stepped onto the stage, put down the Immortal Ascension Seal engraved with his name, his palm was wet.

He took a deep breath, lifted the back of his robe, and sat down on the prayer mat in the center of the judging platform.

Second level of Qi Refining.

The first five practices of the "Tai Xu Fu Qi Jue" (Great Void Breathing Technique).

Can it be set at the seventh rank?

The thought flashed through his mind, but he dared not dwell on it. He immediately closed his eyes, focused his mind, and circulated the Qi-gathering technique with all his might.

Within his dantian, a wisp of true energy was stirred like a spider's thread, flowing slowly along the meridians to his palms and into the white jade platform beneath him.

The runes on the table lit up one after another, the light spreading upwards from the bottom, as if someone was silently reviewing his cultivation secrets.

"Aura affinity level: Medium: Metal 36, Wood 35, Water 33, Fire 35, Earth 35, counted as level 2."

Not far away, several disciples of the Immortal Academy were taking notes, their voices calm and even.

"Initial assessment: Qi Refining Level 2, classified as Level 2."

"Initial assessment: The Qi-absorbing technique is at the third level; the comprehension is quite good, so it can be awarded level three."

The young man at the head of the group paused on Lu Yun's name for a moment, his brows twitching slightly.

"Lu Yun? His surname is Lu... isn't he a member of one of the three major clans in the city?"

The instructor from the Taoist temple next to him, holding a jade book, replied in a low voice, "This person grew up in the Shen family since childhood."

His biological father, Lu Yuan, was a rogue cultivator who spent ten years in the Holy Path before returning thirteen years ago and being buried outside the city.

"Did your father convert to Christianity?"

The young man raised an eyebrow, lightly made a stroke on the seal script, and shook his head.

"If his father had not turned to the holy path, even if he had just taken a minor job as a spirit servant, he would have been given a higher rating."

"Having sworn allegiance to the Holy Path... let us await the judgment of those above."

"Next, Ye Long."

Lu Yun stood up and stepped off the stage, his fingers unconsciously rubbing together beneath his robe sleeves.

He sat back down and gazed at the white jade platform, a bitter feeling welling up inside him that he couldn't quite put his finger on.

In this world, the air is thick with turbidity and spiritual energy is scarce, so the immortal path is very stingy with the training of cultivators.

By scoring cultivators one by one from three dimensions—talent, cultivation level, and comprehension—they are divided into nine ranks to assess their "cultivation value."

They even grandly emphasized that "cultivating immortality doesn't ask about one's origins."

When Lu Yun first heard about these rules, the thoughts that popped into his mind were frighteningly clear.

The highest ranks have no poor families, and the lowest ranks have no noble families.

Things that were written to death in textbooks in your past life are still useful in another world.

And that is indeed the case.

Background checks are a hidden part of the assessment process; they are simply not explicitly stated.

The answer is that this is a sacred place of immortals, where "ghosts" are not kept.

As for what constitutes a ghost, the right to interpret that is never in your hands.

Having awakened his true spirit for nearly two years, he had long since adapted to these rules.

Lu Yun's gaze wavered for a moment.

The path of sainthood is completely different from the path of immortality in this world.

The Holy Way does not make such a judgment.

He was born in the holy city of Dacheng. When he was young, his mother was kidnapped, and his father, Lu Yuan, entrusted him to his sworn brother, Shen Tingzhang, from afar.

After his father died, Uncle Shen treated him the same as his own children, never depriving him of a bite to eat or a piece of clothing.

He entered the Taoist temple at the age of fifteen and began to cultivate qi in his body at the age of sixteen.

At eighteen, he reached the first level of Qi cultivation and deciphered the mystery of the womb.

Now at the age of twenty, he has become a proud Qi Refining Level Two independent cultivator.

Glory my foot!

"Family members who strive hard may hope to reach the sixth rank, or even the fifth rank."

Yesterday's words echoed in my mind again: "The limit for rogue cultivators is the seventh rank. Do not fall to the ninth rank and affect future generations."

The ninth rank is called "Immortal Sinner," a lowly status, meaning that the person or their ancestors have committed an unforgivable crime.

As for those without rank, under the rule of the immortals, the first thing they need to do in their cultivation is to receive the title of Immortal.

Those cultivators without proper seals will be punished by the immortals.

He glanced around the courtyard.

Of the fifty-eight people, the majority were from the three major families.

On the stage, Feng Zhuo, the son of the Feng family patriarch, is being evaluated.

Nineteen years old, Qi Refining Level 3, superior spiritual root, eldest son of the clan leader, and third-class cultivation level.

Suddenly, the white jade platform lit up.

It wasn't the faint glow that appeared sequentially after the infusion of true energy, but a real, radiant light that illuminated the entire surface.

A halo of light rose from the table, enveloping Feng Zhuo within it.

"This is... due to the introduction and blessing of a disciple from the Immortal Academy."

The disciples of the Immortal Academy who were recording the conversation changed their tone, now carrying a hint of admiration.

"If you can achieve a mid-level grade in the initial evaluation, Junior Brother, you can directly enter the Immortal Academy."

A chorus of congratulations immediately erupted from the surrounding area.

Feng Zhuo maintained a composed demeanor, but he couldn't suppress the smirk on his lips, and the corners of his eyes were already smirking.

Lu Yun looked at the halo of light, a hint of envy flashing in his eyes.

Only above the Celestial Hall is the Celestial Academy.

The threshold for entering the Immortal Academy is both simple and difficult.

Those who achieve a rating of rank five or above are not subject to age or background.

Another path is to obtain a mid-level grade in the initial evaluation before the age of twenty, and then be recommended by a disciple of the Immortal Academy.

The recommendation slots are extremely precious, and each disciple of the Immortal Academy can only have one in their lifetime.

Feng Zhuo has basically stepped into the threshold of the Immortal Academy.

Lu Yun withdrew his gaze, lowered his eyes, and focused on sensing the gilded embroidered ball in his mind.

"If my awakened [talent] is reliable, I might also have a chance..."

He sighed.

He naturally possessed the essential "talent" required of time travelers.

A little over a month ago, during a meditation session, a gilded embroidered ball appeared before my eyes without warning, its entire surface radiant.

The Heavenly Marriage has been activated.

[You have been matched with your first potential partner: Deng Wenying.]

Please look forward to the next match.

Then, it was gone.

Aside from a name, there were no other clues.

He made inquiries and found that there was no one named Deng Wenying in or around Zixin City.

But today, the gilded embroidered ball suddenly shimmered, for reasons unknown.

……

The evaluation on stage is still ongoing.

When the last boy stepped down from the platform, his face was ashen, his steps were unsteady, and he looked utterly dejected.

They clearly didn't perform well.

The disciples of the Immortal Academy put away the evaluation platform, and the rising clouds beneath their feet carried them gracefully into the air.

The young man at the head of the group spoke in a commanding voice that echoed throughout the courtyard: "The initial ranking of the Immortal Ascension Seal needs to be submitted to the Taixu Immortal Sect for approval. It will be issued shortly. Please wait a moment."

As they left, the fifty-odd young men and women erupted in a frenzy.

"What level is your 'Tai Xu Fu Qi Jue'?"

"I'm in second class, what about you?"

"I'm only a first-class student... It's all over, it's all over now."

Several familiar figures gathered around Lu Yun.

Shen He grabbed his sleeve, her eyes crinkling with a smile: "Brother Yun, what rank are you?"

That still-childish face already possessed a certain allure, and a boy in the courtyard was secretly glancing in their direction.

Before Lu Yun could speak, Ye Xiu, who was slightly shorter, came closer, fanning himself with a somewhat unnatural smile.

"I'm in the first place. Are there any of you like me?"

"First class?"

Shen He blinked, looking surprised. "Weren't you very confident before?"

Ye Xiu stopped fanning himself, his expression becoming even more rigid.

Lu Yun glanced at him.

As a direct descendant of the Ye family, with cultivation approaching the third level of Qi Refining, he shouldn't have been only ranked first-class.

It's probably because he ate too many spiritual creatures, resulting in mixed and disordered true energy, which lowered his control over the body.

"Brother Yun, you haven't told me yet," Shen He pressed.

"It seems to be third class."

"Yay!"

Shen He's eyes lit up, and she grabbed his arm, her face beaming with two shallow dimples.

"Third class?"

Ye Xiu's smile completely vanished. His gaze swept between Lu Yun and Shen He before looking away.

Lu Yun withdrew his arm without making a sound.

It was nothing when I was a child, but now I'm all grown up.

Beside her, Shen Yue, who had been sitting silently with her long legs crossed, lowered her head and looked dejected.

Seeing this, Lu Yun said, "The evaluation hasn't been made yet, everything is still uncertain."

Shen Yue looked up and gave him a grateful look.

She is twenty years old this year, at the first level of Qi Refining, with a low-grade spiritual root and first-class cultivation.

The nine-rank assessment was very uncertain for her.

Purple Heart City has no spiritual veins, only a spiritual mine.

If someone is still stuck here after the age of twenty, the clan's support for their upbringing will be reduced to a minimum.

Once you enter the Immortal Hall, even if you fail the subsequent assessments, you can still make a living in the market using the skills you've learned.

If we stay in this monastery...

Lu Yun saw her lower her eyes, her fingers tightly gripping the hem of her skirt, her knuckles turning white.

He understood what Shen Yue was worried about.

"Brother Lu, do you think... I can go to the Immortal Hall?"

Qin Yue stood to the side, tall but with a slightly hunched back.

The son of a tenant farmer in the Shen family, he was tested for aptitude at the age of eighteen, and at twenty this year, he has reached the first level of Qi Refining.

However, his spiritual root affinity is the highest at 72, which means he has already reached the threshold of a high-grade spiritual root.

But in the monastery, he always subconsciously felt inferior to others.

"Starting with a superior-grade spiritual root and adding four levels."

Lu Yun patted him on the shoulder, "You don't need to worry about that."

Even with the nine-rank system, spiritual roots remain the most crucial stepping stone.

Especially in the initial evaluation before the age of twenty.

Even mortals in this world have a spiritual affinity level in the single digits, which is considered a low-grade spiritual root.

The standard for low-grade spiritual roots is a affinity of 10 or higher, mid-grade is 30 to 70, and high-grade is 70 or higher.

The speed of cultivation depends on the highest value of affinity.

The instructor explained it clearly: low-grade spiritual roots add one level, mid-grade add two to three levels, high-grade add four levels and above, and spiritual bodies start at level nine.

The highest level is superior; the spiritual body can change one's destiny.

Qin Yue forced a smile, then glanced up and saw the pattern on Ye Xiu's robe, causing his back to hunch over even more unconsciously.

Lu Yun saw all of this and felt that this superior spiritual root was truly born at the wrong time.

He had read some old records.

Tens of thousands of years ago, the ancestral lineage was unbroken, and the spiritual energy was as abundant as the sea. The immortal sects spared no effort in investing resources, and even the lowest level of a top-grade spiritual root could be used to create a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Nowadays, spiritual objects are limited, and unless one possesses a spiritual body, everyone must compete for them.

They compete for resources, for evaluations, and for the qualifications to climb the ladder.

"Do you think it's possible for us to stay in the Immortal Hall or Immortal Workshop from now on?"

Shen He tilted her head, already planning for the future.

Lu Yun looked at her.

Nineteen years old, with a mid-grade spiritual root and a maximum affinity of 66 for the metal element, just one step away from being top-grade.

She was also Shen Tingzhang's daughter, and he had always treated her like a younger sister.

"Who knows?"

Lu Yun smiled and said, "Let's wait for the results."

The group chatted casually, their eyes filled with anticipation.

It's just like the scene in my past life after the college entrance exam, when everyone gathered together to wait for the results.

However, the "achievements" in this world are far more cruel than in the previous life.

......

Before long, the clouds and mist surged, and the disciples of the Immortal Academy returned gracefully, their sleeves fluttering in the wind.

"The Nine Ranks of the Immortal Sect have been determined. The Ascension Seals are now being issued."

As soon as he finished speaking, dozens of Immortal Ascension Seals fluttered like butterflies, transforming into streams of light and returning to their respective owners' hands.

Lu Yun raised his hand and caught his own.

"Those of the seventh rank or above should arrive at the academy and the Hall of Ascension at noon ten days from now. Those who arrive late will not be accepted."

The disciples of the Immortal Academy glanced at the flushed or pale faces below and added a few words.

"Those who are not selected should also be diligent, and those who are selected should not slack off."

"Within ten days, your rank can still be improved. The higher the rank, the more you will gain from entering the Immortal Hall."

Having said that, he turned and rode away on a cloud.

Lu Yun lowered his head and looked at the jade seal in his hand.