Chapter 76: Evaluation
Chapter 76: Evaluation
Translator: yikaii Editor: yikaii
"Who exactly borrowed my power?" Yun Zhi wondered. The Everlasting Sect had fled lock, stock, and barrel, not even leaving a person behind, only the Mountain and Rivers Cauldron, which was valuable enough to buy a top-tier sect.
Even now, she couldn't find who had borrowed her power.
Magic includes a spell called "Divine Descent," which allows borrowing power with the owner's permission. However, this spell is nearly lost and very difficult to learn; Yun Zhi hadn't seen it used in a long time.
And who could borrow power without her consent? Yun Zhi felt the person who borrowed the power had no ill intent, which is why she instinctively didn't resist the power leakage.
Yun Zhi had a guess who it might be.
"But where did he learn Divine Descent?"
Yun Zhi didn't remember teaching Lu Yang such a spell.
...
First place, Lu Yang.
"Hm? The first place changed?" The Vice Sect Leader was puzzled; they had been too busy fleeing to notice what Lu Yang had done.
The Mountain and Rivers Cauldron shattered, so they couldn't review the playback.
"But the Everlasting Eye cannot be wrong; these three caused the most destruction!" The Sect Leader affirmed, he also hadn't guessed what Lu Yang had done. The previous first place, in a short time, had killed hundreds and put thousands in danger, and Lu Yang managed to surpass him to become first, truly unimaginable.
But there's no need to guess; the Everlasting Eye, being a treasure of the immortals, even more superior than the Mountain and Rivers Cauldron, is absolutely infallible.
Indeed, Lu Yang summoning Yun Zhi, destroying the Mountain and Rivers Cauldron, and the headquarters of the Everlasting Sect, brought about one of the top three acts of destruction in its history.
In terms of damage brought to the Sect Leader alone, he deserves first place.
The Sect Leader, forgetting his pain, proudly said, "See, I told you, this Lu Yang has great wisdom. Just when you're not paying attention, he can make a big move, now he's in first place."
"Don't underestimate Meng Jingzhou and Barbarian Bone, whom you favor. Given enough time, they would surely rank second and third."
The Vice Sect Leader was thoroughly convinced, the Sect Leader is indeed the Sect Leader, not only cautious in action but also sharp in insight. No wonder he's the Sect Leader, and the other is only a Vice Sect Leader.
"What's your evaluation of Lu Yang?"
After pondering for a moment, the Sect Leader slowly said, "In the first challenge, Lu Yang took an unconventional approach, revealing his martial arts talent, entering the path through martial arts, which is rare in the world. In the second challenge, he observed closely, summarized the rules, bought all the potatoes, making it impossible for subsequent interviewees to take the test, showing his tremendous potential for destruction. This characteristic was even more pronounced in the third challenge, calling him a 'natural-born demon' wouldn't be an exaggeration."
The Vice Sect Leader was amazed; he had known the Sect Leader for so long yet had never heard him give such high praise to anyone.
"And Meng Jingzhou?"
"Meng Jingzhou, in the first challenge, gained strength from a spider bite, which is a manifestation of luck. In this great era, he is like a chosen one. In the second challenge, he meticulously studied the test question, thought from multiple perspectives, seemingly arrogant and domineering, but actually planning every step carefully, eventually breaking through the examiner's psychological defense to pass the test."
"Unfortunately, the third challenge ended before he could demonstrate his strengths, slightly inferior to Lu Yang. 'A demon or a god descends,' is also an extremely rare evaluation. Not many young people receive such high praise from the Sect Leader. Meng Jingzhou's future is boundless."
"And Barbarian Bone?"
"In the first challenge, he showed insight, persistence, and strategy. In the second, his problem-solving was quite thorough. It's just that he lacked decisiveness in the third challenge. Among the past tests, he belongs to the group with extremely outstanding performance. Unfortunately, with such precedents, I can only give him the evaluation of 'Demon in Heart.'"
'Demon in Heart,' according to past experiences, as long as one does not fall, they can all become high-ranking officials of the Everlasting Sect.
"Should we bring them to the headquarters for meticulous cultivation?" the Vice Sect Leader asked.
The Sect Leader shook his head, sharing his wisdom, "Don't rush. Start from the grassroots level, at least two years of grassroots experience is essential. Trust me, grassroots experience is very helpful for future growth. That's how I came up."
"Moreover, I have a plan. Lu Yang is imaginative and possesses great destructive power. Let's see if he can infiltrate righteous sects, such as the Dao Seeking Sect, as he grows."
The Vice Sect Leader chuckled, thinking the Sect Leader was overestimating them. It might be feasible to infiltrate other sects, but the Dao Seeking Sect was a tall order. The ideas of the Dao Seeking Sect disciples are hard to keep up with; infiltrating it would soon reveal them as out of place.
Infiltrating the Dao Seeking Sect is easier said than done.
"I'm off to heal," said the Sect Leader before retreating to a secret chamber for recuperation.
The Vice Sect Leader, from beginning to end, had no intention of usurping power, and today was an example. Of course, killing the Sect Leader would allow him to climb up a step, but what then? What if the righteous path attacks again? Could he make the right decisions?
One wrong judgment could lead to death under the righteous path's maneuvers, and by then, regretting usurpation would be too late.
...
Yanjiang Lodge.
"Ten people passed the test, and three received the evaluations of 'Natural-Born Demon,' 'Demon or God Descends,' and 'Demon in Heart'?!" The helmsman, hearing the message from the Sect Leader, was so pleased his eyebrows lifted.
This was even better than his best estimation! A promotion opportunity was right before his eyes!
Those demonic cultivators who failed the first and second challenges, during their unconscious state, the eleven stewards acted separately, disposing of them in various locations. When they woke up, they would forget the location of Yanjiang Lodge, thinking their recent experiences were just a dream.
The most foolproof method would be to kill them, ensuring the location of Yanjiang Lodge would never be exposed. However, the Everlasting Sect, considering the bigger picture, did not do so.
These demonic cultivators caused trouble wherever they went, attracting the attention of the righteous path. Amidst various chaotic information, the righteous path could not discern which actions were of the demonic cultivators and which were of the demonic sects, achieving the effect of muddying the waters.
Lu Yang and the others gradually woke up, their minds a bit muddled from the overwhelming experiences.
The last scene they remembered before passing out was... the eldest senior sister descending from the sky?!
Lu Yang broke out in a cold sweat, hoping the eldest senior sister hadn't seen him transform into her likeness. If she had, he'd be skinned alive.
Meng Jingzhou and Barbarian Bone also remembered what happened. Lu Yang's Shape-Imitating Fist had summoned the real eldest senior sister.
Lu Yang warned them with his eyes not to leak the news, and they promptly nodded in understanding.
The helmsman suppressed his joy, attempting to sound as neutral as possible, "From today on, you ten are members of our Everlasting Sect."
"Normally, an initiation ceremony should be held, but today's three rounds of tests have drained everyone's energy, myself included. It would be disrespectful to pay homage to the Everlasting Being in this state. Let's formally hold the initiation ceremony here tomorrow."
Lu Yang could tell from the helmsman's tone and the expressions of the eleven stewards that their faith in the Everlasting Being wasn't a facade but a genuine belief in the existence of the Everlasting Being.
"No wonder it's called a 'sect,'" Lu Yang thought. (TL Note: To everyone who also didn't know this, "A sect is a religious group that exists inside of a larger religion" I debated changing it to cult but I'm honestly too lazy and it mostly fits lol)
The helmsman continued, "However, it wouldn't be right not to celebrate the addition of new members today. Let's go out for a meal."
"I heard there's a new barbecue restaurant in the county called 'Come Again', with good reviews. Let's meet there in a bit; my treat."
Lu Yang: "......"
Meng Jingzhou: "......"
Barbarian Bone: "......"
No rest, then?
(End of the chapter)