Chapter 11

After passing through the rainbow interval, it wasn't far to reach the Lake Sea Hall at the mountain top.

The Hall of Rewards and Punishments is located within the Lake Sea Hall. Facing the grand architecture of the Lake Sea Hall, the steps at the entrance alone were wider than their houses, leaving Hengyi and his fellow disciples deeply impressed. In comparison, the base of the San Yuan Sect seemed like a mere shack.

Two junior sisters who had worked as laborers with Wang Feizi ran out happily upon seeing Hengyi. "Big Senior Brother!"

Having not seen each other for some time, they all missed one another. When they talked about their separate tasks, they shared many common experiences.

After a while, Dàyuan came out, kindly inquiring about each disciple and leading them inside.

The Hall of Rewards and Punishments has the Grand Elder of Rewards and Punishments, the Second Elder, and the Third Elder, who are the three grandsons of the Lake Sea Sect's leader. Additionally, there are five Reward Elders and five Punishment Elders.

Though they seem the same, there is a significant difference. The five Reward Elders have little real power, as most rewards are decided by the sect, and they only need to follow the rules to distribute them. However, the five Punishment Elders are different. They are responsible for deciding punishments for sect members and those who leave the sect. Unless it's a special major event, they don't need to consult the leader. One of the Reward Elders was transferred elsewhere, and the vacancy was filled by Dàyuan. The five Reward Elders are usually people who have made contributions to the sect, while the five Punishment Elders have almost always been people with the surnames Hu or Hai in the Lake Sea Sect's 300-year history.

The Lake Sea Sect was founded by the leader and the deputy leader, who were sworn brothers. Hu and Hai were their surnames. Over the years, their descendants and relatives, if they had the potential for cultivation and no better prospects, ended up working in the Lake Sea Sect. Outsiders found it very difficult to hold key positions in the sect.

For Dàyuan to become one of the five Reward Elders was already quite rare.

Hengyi and his fellow disciples tidied up, ate the food Dàyuan prepared, and then went to familiarize themselves with the affairs and rules of the Hall of Rewards and Punishments. They had spent some time in the San Yuan Sect and knew many characters, so these tasks were not difficult. They quickly got used to being diligent and focused, and within a few days, they knew what to do and how to do it, and could recite the rules and regulations by heart.

There was little to do in the Hall of Rewards and Punishments. The disciples arranged for two people to take turns handling all the tasks, which took less than half a day. The rest of the time, they practiced under Dàyuan's guidance.

Hengyi looked at the information Dàyuan had collected. Although they didn't find the information about the sword they had buried in the San Yuan Sect, the mystery of the red light had been solved.

Weapons that emit a red light after killing are collectively known as Blood-Drinking weapons. These weapons absorb the essence and spirit of the killed, allowing the weapon to absorb more and more essence and spirit, making it stronger. The stronger the weapon, the greater its growth potential. These weapons are highly sought after in the immortal sects. They must be used by a fixed owner to develop their characteristics. If the owner changes, the absorbed essence and spirit will scatter due to disorder, and the weapon's form will change in various stages. Even the poorest Blood-Drinking weapon is worth more than a thousand gold, and the absorption rate of essence and spirit is only 5%. As for the famous ones, they are priceless treasures.

While Hengyi was reading, Dàyuan returned.

"That sword should remain hidden. You can't use it during the cultivation examination."

Hengyi nodded in understanding. If it were unusual, not only would the other members of the Lake Sea Sect be interested, but even the leader might covet it. Although the sword doesn't look good, it's hard to say no one would recognize its value.

"Don't go to the True Qi Gate for the cultivation examination. Your opponents won't know your strength, but you will know theirs. Knowing your enemy and yourself ensures victory. If the True Qi Gate test results exceed a certain level, it will alert the Grand Elder."

"Yes." Hengyi felt helpless. He most wanted to know his own strength. "Big Master, where is Third Master?"

"Originally, he was cutting trees in the northern forest, but now he has been transferred to the old man's hall to do odd jobs. It's a way to hold him hostage! If we escape or act improperly, they will use him first!" Dàyuan said through gritted teeth and then instructed, "Focus on preparing for the cultivation examination. Don't be careless."

Hengyi looked at the information about his opponents. Ten of them were stronger than Chen Shao.

The Lake Sea Sect holds an annual cultivation examination, awarding the top ten and ten outstanding performers.

Disciples under thirty can participate, and the rewards are generous.

The top ten are usually those with good potential and long cultivation times. The outstanding awards are for those who were previously unknown but performed exceptionally well in the examination. Historically, most of these awards went to those who made rapid progress in cultivation.

There was a special case in the Lake Sea Sect's history where an ordinary disciple won first place in the top ten. This person later helped an heir of an immortal sect win a difficult battle against internal chaos, becoming the deputy leader of the Tian Wang Sect. He married a granddaughter of the Lake Sea Sect's leader, and because of him, the Lake Sea Sect and the Tian Wang Sect have maintained a deep friendship for over a hundred years. Promising disciples from both sects are often recommended to each other for cultivation.

Hengyi was worried about his master's ambitious goals. The Lake Sea Sect is a family immortal sect, and there are other powerful sects like the Tian Wang Sect. How could such a deeply rooted sect be taken over?

Hengyi pondered for a moment, feeling that since his master hadn't given up, he shouldn't be disheartened. He put aside his worries and focused on reading the information about his opponents.

The top ten from the previous year, all stronger than Chen Shao, included Chen Shao, who had entered the top ten three times but was pushed out last year.

The top-ranked, Hai Yuntian, a man aged thirty, had won the top ten for nine consecutive years, reaching the third level of the Mountain Venerable realm.

The second-ranked, Hai Shan, a woman aged twenty-three, had entered the top ten for three consecutive years, rising from ninth place to second last year, reaching the second level of the Mountain Venerable realm. She is considered likely to surpass Hai Yuntian.

...

The third to tenth-ranked were all at the second to third level of the Sea Venerable realm, with similar strengths, aged between twenty-seven and twenty-nine.

Hengyi found that Chen Shao and Hu Qingqing's names were not on the list. He learned from Big Master that they were not participating this year.

"Hengyi, Chen Shao has reached the third level of the Sea Venerable realm. The information about these people is from last year. It's not surprising if they have made breakthroughs in the past year. Don't be careless. There is another opponent whose information I couldn't find. The old man has a granddaughter who is said to have great potential and has been cultivating in the Tian Wang Sect for five years. She returned recently and will participate in the examination this year." Dàyuan, fearing Hengyi might be too nervous, added, "Don't worry too much. The so-called great potential of the Lake Sea Sect may not be that impressive. I checked the records of those sent to the Tian Wang Sect, and few achieved significant cultivation."

After joining the Lake Sea Sect, they were no longer as naive as before. They no longer saw the Venerable realm as something extraordinary, a common misconception among ordinary people who couldn't understand the immortal sects. This realization, however, made them feel small and uncertain about their future in the vast world of immortals.

The cultivation realms are divided into Human Venerable, Law Venerable, Sea Venerable, Mountain Venerable, Earth Venerable, Heaven Venerable, and Star Venerable, each with three levels. The differences in cultivation at each level are significant.

Cultivators know that the younger one starts, the faster they grow. The younger one is, the purer their essence and spirit, and the more in harmony with natural forces. The golden period for cultivation is before eighteen, the silver period is from eighteen to twenty-five, and the late period is from twenty-five to thirty. Immortal sects judge a person's potential based on their cultivation at eighteen, which can roughly predict their future growth. From twenty-five to thirty is the last chance to accumulate and sprint. After thirty, the gathering of true qi slows down, and even a minor breakthrough takes a long time. Those with limited potential often stagnate after thirty, and it might take hundreds of years to advance a single level.

Those who don't reach the Earth Venerable realm usually live for only about a hundred years. How difficult is it to reach the Earth Venerable realm? How many diligent disciples in the immortal sects achieve it? In the history of the Lake Sea Sect, only one person, now the deputy leader of the Tian Wang Sect, has achieved it!

Chen Shao said the Lake Sea Sect was too small for him. Hengyi only understood this after joining the Hall of Rewards and Punishments. His ability to easily defeat Chen Shao meant his current combat strength was at least at the Mountain Venerable realm. At his age, no more than sixteen, he had already broken all previous records in the Lake Sea Sect, making him a unique talent.

Dàyuan was looked down upon by the Lake Sea Sect because he was over thirty. The future of a cultivator is almost determined by the age of eighteen, and for those who start later, it is determined by the age of thirty.

However, Hengyi believed his master wouldn't stop there. Dàyuan started cultivating at twenty-nine, and it was impossible for him to achieve anything. But in the few years he has been cultivating, he has made rapid progress, showing no signs of the stagnation that usually occurs after thirty. In contrast, Third Master, San Yuan, has indeed stagnated, and Hengyi knew this before joining the Lake Sea Sect.

In the evening, Dàyuan entered with a joyful expression.

Hengyi quickly finished his practice and stood up to greet him. "Big Master."

Dàyuan smiled and pulled Hengyi to sit down, whispering, "Guess what makes your master so happy?"

"Made a breakthrough in cultivation." Hengyi thought there was nothing else that could make his master so happy, and coming to the Hall of Rewards and Punishments so late was likely for the True Qi Gate test.

"You're like a worm in my stomach! I just mastered the fourth spell and reached the third level of the Sea Venerable realm! I suspect that the spells from the divine book, combined with the cultivation method, can also purify true qi. The divine book chose us, the San Yuan Sect, and will never give us despair!"

The two were overjoyed for a while, and Dàyuan quickly asked Hengyi to share his experience with the fifth spell. Hengyi detailed his experience, and Dàyuan memorized it carefully.

Before leaving, he said with a smile, "Hengyi, the cultivation examination is tomorrow. Walk to the rainbow interval tonight; it will be very lively."

The good news made Hengyi more confident about his master's future cultivation. Such progress was unprecedented in the Lake Sea Sect's records. Even those who started young took more than five years to reach the Sea Venerable realm. Previously, Second Master and Third Master always praised Hengyi as a genius, but he felt his master was the true genius. He himself was originally a waste in cultivation, unable to generate his own true qi, but he gained his current abilities by absorbing surrounding true qi.

The night was long.

Hengyi's energy was almost depleted, and he needed at least two hours to recover before continuing his practice. He decided to walk to the rainbow interval.

Before reaching the rainbow interval, Hengyi saw people on the colorful pools from the stairs, as if all the disciples of the Lake Sea Sect were there.

Walking on the light bridge over the colorful pools, he heard discussions around him, all related to the cultivation examination the next day.

Some were placing bets, which Hengyi found uninteresting and walked away. Others were speculating about the top ten results.

"He? What could he say to me! Hai Yuntian wants to keep his last top ten first place!"

Hengyi looked in the direction of the voice and saw a woman with a proud and satisfied expression, surrounded by many people.

"Hai Yuntian is indeed afraid of Senior Sister Shan! He must have heard that she made a breakthrough somewhere."

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