Chapter 16

Zichen shook his head and insisted, "No, I can't lend it to you, even if you ask me to."

"What?" Lin Xue's expression changed, a trace of resentment appearing on her face, "Do you really want to stay in the outer sect for another two years? I've heard about your situation. It's not a big deal to be betrayed by a friend; the most important thing is to have responsibility and confidence. Are you going to give up the opportunity to enter the inner sect and find a better platform for growth just for your self-esteem?"

Disappointment appeared in Lin Xue's eyes, and she shouted, "Zichen, I must have misjudged you. I always thought you had self-respect and ambition, but now it seems you're just insecure, and your self-respect is just pitiful insecurity."

"Huh, huh, huh, huh"

After saying this, Lin Xue squatted on the ground and began to cry softly.

Zichen stood there awkwardly. He had intended to tell Lin Xue that he had already broken through, but he hadn't had the chance to say it before making her cry.

"Zichen, are you even a man? You actually made Lin Xue cry. I think you're just a good-for-nothing."

"What kind of trash do you think you are to make Lin Xue cry?"

Reprimands came from a distance. Those who dared to speak in such a situation were naturally at the Fifth Layer of True Qi, and only those about to enter the inner sect dared to speak like this.

"Get lost."

Zichen shouted angrily at the distance, "Don't let me run into you during the assessment, or I'll beat you so badly your mother won't recognize you."

"What, you?"

The crowd at a distance changed color.

"What do you mean? I'm also at the Fifth Layer of True Qi, and I'm stronger than you." Zichen said angrily.

Such foul language was not Zichen's strong point, but saying it now was also a way to tell Lin Xue that he had broken through, which was why he didn't need her True Qi Pill.

"Good kid, you've got guts. We'll see who beats who in the end. I, Ke Xue, will beat the crap out of you." Ke Xue left after leaving a harsh message.

"Kid, we'll see at the assessment. We'll see if you can still be so arrogant then." The others also left one by one.

As for those below the Fifth Layer of True Qi, they left in a hurry after learning that Zichen had broken through, not daring to say a harsh word.

"Did you really break through?"

Lin Xue had stopped crying, but there were still tear marks on her face.

"Yes." Zichen nodded and joked, "I was going to tell you, but you made me feel worthless."

"You're bad." Lin Xue stood up and swung her small fists, hitting Zichen's chest.

Zichen stood there motionless, letting Lin Xue punch him.

"Idiot, fool, stupid pig, in this situation, you should have hugged her." Inside the room, Miaokong looked at Zichen standing there motionless and was so frustrated that he gritted his teeth.

After repeatedly assuring Lin Xue that he would definitely enter the inner sect and achieve a good ranking, Lin Xue finally gave up on giving Zichen the True Qi Pill and left, looking back every few steps.

Zichen returned to the room and found that Miaokong's expression was not good.

"What's wrong?" Zichen asked in confusion.

Not asking was fine, but as soon as he asked, Miaokong burst out at Zichen, "Are you stupid? What a great opportunity, and you didn't seize it. You're a stupid pig, you can't even charm a girl. Even if you can't charm a girl, you should have seized this opportunity to win Lin Xue's favor. Winning her favor is like winning Su Mengyao's favor. When you enter the inner sect, with her backing you, who would dare to touch you? Wang Xiong is nothing."

Miaokong's outburst moved Zichen deeply. Clearly, Miaokong was thinking of him, knowing that he had offended Wang Xiong and would have a hard time in the inner sect.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." Zichen could only smile.

"You don't know what you're doing. You can't even charm a girl. Lin Xue, so beautiful, so pure, like a lotus, actually likes you, this pile of cow dung. Oh, carrying Lin Xue back, with her injured and helpless, her frail body on your back, light as a feather, walking on the bumpy mountain path, such a gentle touch, how did you get to experience this? I, Miaokong, am handsome and charming, but I never got to experience such a good thing." Miaokong looked both intoxicated and resentful.

"Phew!"

Zichen was speechless.

Wang Xiong didn't cause any more trouble for Zichen, and the news of Zichen breaking through to the Fifth Layer of True Qi spread. Over this period, Lin Xue came twice, and each time after she left, Miaokong would scold Zichen for not seizing the opportunity and then teach him some techniques for charming girls.

However, these techniques sounded very low to Zichen, mostly about how to seduce or hug, and how to create an atmosphere.

A few days later, the inner sect assessment began on a grand scale.

The outer sect of the Lingwu Sect had a huge square that could accommodate nearly ten thousand people. Around the square were many outer sect disciples who didn't qualify for the assessment, while at the center of the square were hundreds of outer sect disciples who did qualify.

Zichen was one of these hundreds, with Miaokong on his left and Lin Xue on his right.

Their eyes were all fixed on the platform in front of them.

They were waiting for the assessment elders from the inner sect to appear.

The elders of the Lingwu Sect were all at the Xiantian realm, very powerful. Among them, the Grand Elder was the strongest, at the Zhenyuan Mirror realm. When the Grand Elder appeared on the platform, an invisible oppressive aura spread out.

Zhenyuan Mirror realm.

A realm higher than the Xiantian realm, the oppressive aura made it difficult for the outer sect disciples to breathe.

"This is the aura of a Zhenyuan Mirror realm expert?" Zichen was moved by the aura of the Zhenyuan Mirror realm, but not by the aura itself. He was moved by the aura of the figure that had appeared in his mind's eye, an aura that was incomparably stronger than the Zhenyuan Mirror realm.

"Grand Elder, the Grand Elder actually appeared for this assessment."

"Heaven, the Grand Elder manages the core disciples, and he actually came to the inner sect assessment."

"Does this mean this assessment is different?"

The atmosphere in the crowd became even more intense, with discussions breaking out.

The Grand Elder's presence overshadowed all the other elders, so after the initial shock, the appearance of the other elders seemed much less significant.

The platform was filled with elders in bright red robes. As the Grand Elder in the center raised his hand slightly, the crowd instantly fell silent.

"The biennial inner sect assessment begins again," the Grand Elder's strong and powerful voice echoed, "but this time it will be different from previous years."

Before the Grand Elder finished speaking, the crowd became noisy again, with discussions breaking out.

"Different, how is it different?"

"Has the rule changed?"

"Quiet."

The Grand Elder's voice reached everyone's ears, and the vast square fell silent again.

"The rules haven't changed. There are still two rounds: the first to test strength, the second to test combat ability. Everything remains the same, but the rewards have changed."

Everyone perked up their ears, clearly very interested in the rewards.

"In previous years, the winner of the second round would receive three True Qi Pills and a second-class combat technique, the second place would receive two True Qi Pills and a second-class combat technique, and so on until the tenth place, which would receive a second-class combat technique. But this year, the winner will receive five True Qi Pills and a first-class combat technique, the second place will receive three True Qi Pills and a second-class combat technique, the third place will receive two True Qi Pills and a second-class combat technique, and the fourth place will receive one True Qi Pill."

The reward for the first place had doubled, and there was an additional first-class combat technique. But before the crowd could cheer, the Grand Elder continued, "In addition, there is a highest reward. After careful deliberation, we, the elders, have decided to select the most promising disciple from those entering the inner sect and promote them directly to the core, making them a core disciple."

"Wow!"

The crowd was stunned, then fell silent again.

In the Lingwu Sect, the core disciples enjoyed the highest treatment, but for outer sect disciples, becoming a core disciple was an unimaginable dream. Even many inner sect disciples struggled to enter the core.

Even Wang Xiong's ultimate goal in obtaining Zichen's five-hundred-year-old ginseng was to enter the core and become a core disciple.

Becoming a core disciple was the ultimate dream of all Lingwu Sect disciples. In the past, one had to enter the inner sect and pass another assessment to become a core disciple.

But this time, a spot was given to an outer sect disciple, meaning that among these thousand people, one would become a high-ranking core disciple, a leap to the top.

"I must become a core disciple." A young man in a green robe clenched his fists, his eyes burning with passion.

"Idiot, dreaming." Someone nearby sneered.

"Core disciple, this spot is mine." Another young man's eyes were filled with fervor.

At that moment, the light in everyone's eyes was the same.

Including Wang Xiong, Miaokong, Zichen, and Lin Xue, entering the core was the ultimate dream of every disciple.

A wave of fighting spirit rose from the center of the square, but outside the square, there were sighs of regret. The rewards for this assessment were too valuable, but they had no资格参加.

"Good, very good. The future of the Lingwu Sect depends on you." Sensing the rising fighting spirit, the Grand Elder nodded in satisfaction.

"Now, the first round of the assessment begins. Successfully entering the inner sect is the goal. From now on, you will be inner sect disciples."

As the Grand Elder finished speaking, the inner sect assessment began again.

After all, it was an assessment of disciples, not a brutal selection, so the first round was relatively safe, just to test whether each person had reached the Fifth Layer of True Qi.

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