The shadows of the sun slanted westward, and the Golden Crow descended.
As the last ray of twilight spilled onto the Sword-Questioning Platform, this entry disciple evaluation finally reached its conclusion.
Compared to the first two rounds, this third round of realm evaluation was truly nothing to write home about.
First Realm, Fifth Level. Although the spiritual power was pure, it had not reached perfection, and there was still a thin line separating it from the sixth level.
Mediocre.
Among disciples who had entered the sect for several years, this could only be considered average, or even somewhat below average.
According to the strict standards set by the sect, this realm rating was merely a "C-plus."
However, the evaluation mechanism of Huiyuan Gate did not only look at current cultivation.
Elder Zhou, who was responsible for coordinating the scores, held the jade slip recording Gu Chengming's results, his brow furrowing and then smoothing out.
Dao heart: A-plus, one in ten thousand. Sword Art: A-plus, touching upon the realm of intent.
These two "A-pluses" forcefully dragged up that slightly shabby "C-plus."
Finally, Elder Zhou made a grand stroke of his brush.
Comprehensive Rating: A-middle.
The golden list hung high, shimmering with spiritual light.
The names of thousands of disciples were densely arranged upon it, and Gu Chengming's name, had remarkably squeezed into the top ten, ranking seventh.
On the high platform, Elder Zhou, who was in charge of the overall situation, cleared his throat, his voice sounding as if it were ringing right by one's ear:
"The evaluation is complete, and the rankings are set."
"According to the sect's laws, all those listed in the top ten, in addition to having their original monthly allowance doubled, will be granted three Spirit Gathering Pills extra each month, allowed entry to the second floor of the Scripture Repository for one day of reading, and may have priority in choosing an Inner Sect elder to guide their cultivation."
Spirit Gathering Pills were excellent medicine for assisting cultivation and were extremely precious to Outer Sect disciples; the second floor of the Scripture Repository stored many advanced techniques, which normally only Inner Sect disciples could set foot in.
Gu Chengming's heart stirred slightly upon hearing this.
However, before Elder Zhou's voice had even faded, his tone shifted:
"Yet the Great Dao is a struggle; if you do not advance, you retreat. The sect provides resources to inspire you to forge ahead bravely, not to live in comfort."
"Therefore, this list is not set in stone."
"Starting tomorrow, any disciple who has not entered the top ten may initiate a challenge against those on the list. The winner shall take their place and enjoy their ranking and full rewards."
Speaking to this point, Elder Zhou paused, his tone gaining a bit more magnanimity:
"As for the losers, although they lose their position, they have also proven they once had the posture to reach the top. Therefore, the sect will not cut off their path; the losers may still retain half of the extra rewards until the next monthly minor competition."
Hearing the latter half of the rules, Gu Chengming's brow twitched slightly.
You can still get half even if you lose?
This was somewhat beyond his expectations.
This Huiyuan Gate was actually quite humane, even leaving a bite to eat for the losers; it could even be called a quite generous "subsistence allowance."
It's just...
As the Sect Master finished announcing the rules, the way the people around looked at Gu Chengming seemed to become a bit different.
Among the top ten, most were disciples of the first realm, Eighth or ninth level, with deep foundations and many methods, making them difficult to deal with.
Only Gu Chengming, although his dao heart was firm and his sword intent terrifying, his cultivation was, after all, a hard weakness.
Gu Chengming suddenly felt like he had been a bit tricked.
As Elder Zhou announced the complete end of the evaluation, the crowd gradually dispersed.
Although many disciples wanted to come up and chat immediately, due to the rumors circulating within the sect, most only bowed from a distance.
This also allowed Gu Chengming to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
He politely declined Jiang Lu's proposal to celebrate and walked back alone along the mountain path.
Just as Gu Chengming was about to turn into a secluded small path, a familiar figure was already standing there at some unknown time.
That person stood with hands behind his back, the mountain wind blowing his robes, appearing quite transcendent with a touch of immortal grace.
"Elder Ren."
Gu Chengming performed a salute.
Ren Wencai turned around, that habitual smile hanging on his face.
He sized Gu Chengming up, naturally feeling incomparably satisfied.
"You did very well today."
"It is all thanks to Elder Ren's proper guidance; this disciple does not dare take the credit."
"Heh, between us, there is no need for such formalities."
Ren Wencai waved his hand and cautioned:
"However, you must not become arrogant because of this. Although you made a stunning debut today, you have also become a target for everyone."
"You heard the rules. In the coming days, I'm afraid there will be no shortage of people coming to find trouble with you."
Speaking to this point, Ren Wencai paused, his tone becoming somewhat earnest.
"Those fellow disciples mean no ill will, but youth is spirited; it's inevitable to be competitive. Your cultivation is still shallow. If you cannot handle it, there is no harm in stepping aside appropriately. Winning and losing are common in battle; if you lose that half of the benefits, then so be it. Do not let it damage your dao heart."
Gu Chengming was slightly stunned.
He had originally thought Ren Wencai would take this opportunity to pressure him, telling him he must hold onto his top ten position to bring glory to the master's lineage.
He hadn't expected that this Elder Ren was actually worried about him being under too much pressure, even finding an excuse for him in advance.
"This disciple understands."
Gu Chengming's tone also became a bit more sincere:
"This disciple will certainly keep Elder Ren's teachings in mind and act within his capabilities."
"Good, it's fine as long as you can see through it."
Saying this, Ren Wencai flipped his wrist, and a green jade token appeared in his palm.
"While you are practicing in the Outer Sect, if you encounter any difficulties in your cultivation or a shortage of resources, you may come find me with this token."
These words were spoken with great tact.
He didn't directly mention taking him as a disciple, so as not to appear too eager, which would be inferior.
First establish a good relationship and provide convenience.
If this little Gu really achieves something in the future, this bond of gratitude naturally won't be forgotten.
Gu Chengming looked at the jade token before him, his heart clear as a mirror.
This Elder Ren was a sophisticated man.
Even in his previous life, it was truly rare to meet a senior willing to proactively show kindness without too many utilitarian demands.
Gu Chengming took the jade token with both hands and bowed deeply again, his tone becoming more sincere:
"Thank you for your kindness, Elder Ren. This disciple will certainly not fail your expectations."
Seeing this, the smile on Ren Wencai's face grew even deeper.
"Go on. You've had a long day; go back and rest early. As for the challenges in a few days, there's no need to worry too much. Just do your best."
Ren Wencai patted Gu Chengming's shoulder, left a word of encouragement, and then turned with hands behind his back, leisurely departing under the moonlight.
Gu Chengming held the still-warm token and watched Ren Wencai walk away until the other's figure disappeared into the night before withdrawing his gaze.
Although Elder Ren didn't hold high expectations for him, those resources were real.
It would be a pity not to fight for them.
The night was like ink, and the moonlight was like white silk.
Gu Chengming pushed open the gate of his small courtyard, the old door hinge letting out a familiar "creak."
Just as he stepped into the courtyard, a line of text appeared before his eyes.
【Huiyuan Sword Manual says, that's great. You weren't injured and didn't make it worry. You're a good child.】
Mother Huiyuan? When did this start?
Gu Chengming felt a subtle feeling in his heart; why was this Huiyuan Sword Manual's speech becoming more and more doting?
In contrast, the other fellow seemed a bit mysterious and eccentric.
【Hundred Bones Resonating says: Gu Chengming, do you think there's a possibility that its experiences in the illusion were actually all real?】
Gu Chengming couldn't be bothered to pay attention to it.
【Hundred Bones Resonating continues to chatter: That great terror between life and death, that profound enlightenment of breaking through after destruction... every time it narrowly escaped death and counter-killed in the illusion, every breakthrough in a desperate situation, insights flowed like a spring.】
【If these insights could be recorded, why worry about not becoming a Technique Emperor?】
Gu Chengming took a sip of tea, thinking to himself that he often had such dreams in his previous life.
In his dreams, he felt his literary thoughts flowing, conceiving a masterpiece enough to win the Nobel Prize in Literature, with a plot full of ups and downs and airtight logic.
But after waking up and excitedly trying to write it down, he'd find halfway through—what on earth is this?
He guessed Hundred Bones Resonating's current state was about the same, commonly known as not being fully awake.
However, Hundred Bones Resonating became more and more excited the more it thought about it.
【Hundred Bones Resonating has gained some insight】
【It feels this is a heaven-sent opportunity that must not be missed】
【Hundred Bones Resonating has entered a state of seclusion】
Gu Chengming's hand holding the teacup froze in mid-air.
"?"
No, you're for real?
Wait, you're actually going into seclusion?
Gu Chengming was full of question marks.
Of course, in the following days, Gu Chengming continued his cultivation as usual.
He had originally thought that visitors would come one after another, after all, his seventh-place position seemed far too easy to squeeze.
But strangely, three days passed in a row, and let alone challengers, there wasn't even anyone coming to test the waters.
This made Gu Chengming somewhat puzzled.
Regardless, it was always good to have no one disturbing him.
Without Hundred Bones Resonating, Gu Chengming shifted his attention to the Flowing Cloud Following Moon.
This sword art, how should he put it...had an extremely nasty personality.
Gu Chengming tried to interact with it, and as a result, the sword art's attitude was quite blunt.
【Don't touch it】
However, Gu Chengming was not someone who gave up easily.
Since conventional methods didn't work, he had to change his approach.
Currently, Gu Chengming had only summarized two characteristics of this Flowing Cloud Following Moon Sword Art. One was that it really hated sword cultivators, and the other was its severe emotional fluctuations.
To summarize...
A misanthropic landmine girl?
Gu Chengming felt a bit of a chill.
However, he could analyze a few things from its experiences.
The main reason it hated sword cultivators was that it was a rhythm cultivation technique that had been forcibly modified into a sword art.
Perhaps starting from the aspect of musical rhythm could break the current deadlock?
Thinking this, Gu Chengming suddenly felt a bout of dizziness.
Wisdom Eye activated.
——Good, good, good, it's here! You're the one I've been waiting for!
Feeling a bit of joy in his heart, Gu Chengming focused his gaze on the options before him.
【Option One: Join Flowing Cloud Following Moon in cursing sword cultivators.】
【Option Two: Self-harm, give yourself some decorative cuts】
【Option Three: Cater to its interests, compile some musical tunes, and try to move it.】
Damn, what on earth is Option Two?
Do I have to give myself decorative cuts to woo a landmine girl?
Oh wait, according to this Flowing Cloud Following Moon's personality, if he, as a sword cultivator, self-harmed, it might actually increase favorability.
But no matter how Gu Chengming thought about it, it seemed unreliable, and the Huiyuan Sword Manual definitely wouldn't allow him to do such a thing.
As for the other two... Option One probably wouldn't be very effective.
Then there was only Option Three.
Gu Chengming rubbed his chin.
Although he hadn't had much contact with musical rhythm in this life, he was, after all, a modern person who had been influenced by pop music in his previous life.
Since he wanted to move this former "rhythm technique," he had to bring out something with some weightout.
He was afraid it would be tired of things that were too classical, and afraid it wouldn't understand things that were too modern.
He had to find a middle ground, something that had ancient charm but also new ideas, and could reflect that faint sadness and literati elegance.
A flash of inspiration struck Gu Chengming's mind.
——"Lanting Xu"
Speaking of which, he set to work immediately.
As his thoughts flowed, a melodious and lingering sound of music seemed to truly ring out in his Sea of Consciousness the sound of music.
The song ended.
Flowing Cloud Following Moon indeed had a reaction.
【...】
【What kind of trash did you write?】
Gu Chengming's face froze.
——Damn it, you can insult me, but you can't insult Jay!
Of course, he didn't dare say these words out loud.
【Flowing Cloud Following Moon says, the five notes of Gong, Shang, Jue, Zhi, and Yu are incomplete, and the transitions are incredibly stiff】
【It sneers, sword cultivators truly have vulgar taste】
Sorry, Jay, I've let you down.
However, just when Gu Chengming thought this attempt at wooing had failed.
【Flowing Cloud Following Moon Favorability +5】
【Current Favorability: 10/Stranger】
Gu Chengming: "..."
Qingxin Art, it seems it's the same type of stand as you.
The days passed like flowing water, with a touch of dullness in the mundanity.
Since the day "Lanting Xu" suffered a Waterloo, Gu Chengming had not given up.
He wondered, perhaps that song was too gentle and didn't fit Flowing Cloud Following Moon's personality? Or perhaps his tone-deaf divine soul simulation was truly too pathetic and ruined a classic?
So, in the following days, Gu Chengming learned from his mistakes and decided to change his approach.
To cater to this sword art's "misanthropic" mood, he specifically looked for a few songs with gloomy melodies and a sense of brokenness.
But Flowing Cloud Following Moon ignored him; it seemed it really thought the songs he copied were terrible.
Fine, this path probably won't work.
Just as Gu Chengming was preparing to practice the basic sword manual a few more times in the courtyard, a somewhat hurried knocking sound suddenly came from outside the gate.
"Senior Brother Gu, are you in the courtyard?" The voice was familiar; it was Jiang Lu.
Gu Chengming sheathed his sword and went forward to open the gate.
He saw Jiang Lu standing outside, his expression quite strange.
"Junior Brother Jiang?" Gu Chengming's heart stirred slightly, and he stepped aside: "Come in and talk."
The two sat down by the stone table in the courtyard. Gu Chengming poured two cups of clear tea. Looking at Jiang Lu's hesitant appearance, he couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive.
"Junior Brother Jiang, is there some urgent matter for you to come this time?" Gu Chengming asked tentatively.
Jiang Lu picked up the teacup but didn't drink, just rubbing it in his hand. After a long while, he finally squeezed out a sentence:
"Senior Brother Gu, something big has happened." Gu Chengming's heart skipped a beat.
"Good news or bad news?"
Jiang Lu hesitated for a moment, his brow furrowed as if organizing his words, before finally saying slowly:
"This matter... it's bad news for others, but good news for Senior Brother Gu."
Gu Chengming: "?"
What kind of riddle-talk is this?
"What exactly is going on?"
"Senior Brother has been behind closed doors these past few days and doesn't know. In just these short three days, our top ten seats for the disciple evaluation, except for your seat which remains as steady as a rock, the other nine seats... have all been completely swapped!"
"All swapped?"
Gu Chengming was a bit surprised.
He remembered the other nine were quite skilled, and if they were all swapped, why hadn't anyone come to find him?
Logically speaking, shouldn't he be the easiest one to challenge?
Without waiting for Gu Chengming's confusion to grow, Jiang Lu recounted this bizarre incident that had occurred in the Outer Sect over the past few days, recounting it in detail.
It turned out that on the second day after the grand competition ended, a certain fellow ranked in the top ten intentionally lost to a good friend in a challenge match, handing over his seat.
According to the rules, although he lost, as a top ten defender who failed, the sect would still give him 50% of his original treatment as consolation.
And after his friend took the position, he received the full rewards.
The two had a private agreement that the friend would give him 80% of the full rewards he received. In this way, although this "loser" lost his seat, the resources he got were the 50% from the sect's compensation plus the 80% from his friend's share, totaling 1.3 times the resources.
It was 30% more than what he would have gotten by painstakingly defending his seat.
And although that friend only had 20% left, that 20% was also gained for nothing!
After all, with his strength, he couldn't have broken into the top ten at all; being able to get a share was already a huge profit.
?
A question mark appeared over Gu Chengming's head.
You can even play it like this? Is this Princess Connect Arena or something?
He suppressed the urge to complain and asked, "Then what happened later?"
"Later, it naturally came to light. The Enforcement Hall elder was originally in seclusion, but when he saw the ledger and realized the rewards given out these past few days were more than the last ten years combined, he almost passed out."
"All disciples involved in this matter not only have to return all illegal gains but are also punished to face the wall at the Cliff of Reflection for three months and transcribe the sect rules a thousand times. It's said that the line of people being taken to the Cliff of Reflection that day reached all the way to the foot of the mountain."
"Only you, Senior Brother Gu, among the entire top ten now, are the only one who is clean and pure!"
"The elders are all praising you, saying your dao heart is firm and you are not moved by external things, a role model for our generation!"
Gu Chengming: "."
It's a good thing no one invited him to play, or he would have taken a cut.
Thinking this in his heart, Gu Chengming said with a serious expression on his face:
"As a sword cultivator, one should naturally seek through the sword in hand; how can one act in such a devious manner manner? For a few petty profits, to disturb one's dao heart is not worth the loss."
Jiang Lu cupped his hands and said:
"Senior Brother's high righteousness! I also had a thought about it before, but now hearing Senior Brother's words, I am truly ashamed."
Gu Chengming waved his hand, indicating there was no need for formalities.
The two chatted for a while longer before Jiang Lu got up to take his leave.
After seeing Jiang Lu off, Gu Chengming thought to himself that these sword cultivators of Wenjian Sect were not honest.
The night wind was slightly cool, sweeping over the old pagoda tree in the courtyard, the branches and leaves rustling, a few fallen leaves swirling down and silently sticking to the ground.
Gu Chengming looked up at the sky and saw the clouds thickening, obscuring most of the moonlight. He withdrew his gaze and was about to turn back into the house when he suddenly paused.
Next, a line of prompts appeared before Gu Chengming.
【Hundred Bones Resonating: The Supreme Emperor Technique of the Primordial Infinite Myriad Dao Source, Ruler of the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, Peerless in the Universe!(CG Unlocked)】
【Current Unlock Progress: 0%】
Holy crap, Hundred Bones Resonating, you really did it?
Rate on N.U.
