Tale of an Ordinary Cultivator

There were many ways in which the jade tablets could display changes.

Colour, light intensity, vibration, and in the worst case scenario... cracking.

These indicated the different situations that the corresponding participants could go through within the mystic realm.

Be it losing energy, losing consciousness, or regaining them eventually.

Be it moving quickly or remaining stationary.

These were things that could all be known by interpreting the changes happening to the jade tablets, with the meaning behind each change clearly defined within the test scrolls.

The jade tablets might not be able to convey exactly what was happening within the mystic realm. But at the very least, it allowed those outside to understand the current condition of the participants.

Coupled with their experience and understanding of the mystic realm, this in turn allowed those outside to form their own informed conjectures.

This was not exactly Zhao Yunxiao’s first time doing this, so he was able to ease into the reporting process.

But unlike him, some others began making mistakes very early into the test.

And Fei Weng did not hesitate to call them out publicly for their mistakes.

“What do you mean he is losing energy? He is losing consciousness!”

“Check the name again! You are reporting on the wrong participant!”

“It is only a slight dip in terms of energy, what do you mean the participant is losing energy fast? Are you trying to give everyone a huge scare?”

His harsh corrections startled the applicants, who had already been nervous to begin with.

Some took it as a wake-up call and focused better after, while others allowed this to get to them, resulting in a series of mistakes that followed.

It might be harsh, but Zhao Yunxiao knew that this was exactly what could happen during the actual event.

And it was only understandable as well.

If Fei Weng were to allow a wrong report to reach the sect administrators, then the one to be blamed would eventually be himself.

Considering that he would be made responsible for their mistakes, it was only natural for him to have high standards for the ones who would be put on the observer team!

“That’s enough! You have failed the test! Step away!”

This statement caused everyone to swallow their saliva in nervousness.

It marked the first applicant to drop out of the test. And looking at the rate at which things were going, there were bound to be many others who would follow.

The only question was... who?

“Yes, Senior Fei...” the applicant who just failed hung his head low in disappointment, slowly walking away from the stages where the jade tablets had been set up.

The spectators felt bad for him, but few other applicants felt the same.

Not only were they too preoccupied with their work to pay attention to him, but his disqualification could also be interpreted as some sort of good news for them.

After all, there were limited spots on the observer team.

One less competitor naturally translated to a higher chance for them to be recruited.

They just had to make sure that they would not be the next ones to follow!

As hours passed, even those who were new to the role began to get used to the reporting process.

And when everyone became more familiar with it, the matter of endurance quickly came into the picture.

This was exactly why there had been an endurance test in the first stage of the test.

No matter how good someone was at carrying out the responsibilities of the observer role, it would be meaningless if they could not keep it up for long.

That said, the current situation was still much more bearable as compared to the endurance test. At the very least, there was no overwhelming pressure bearing down upon them.

Or at least, not in the physical sense.

While there was no physical pressure, the mental pressure on them was arguably just as heavy.

Knowing that the next mistake could very well be the trigger for their failure, none of them dared to rest easy.

Unfortunately, not everyone could focus just because they wanted to.

For most people, this sort of mental pressure actually had the opposite effect, making them more prone to faltering instead.

Because of that, the frequency of mistakes only became higher after the first failure, and the number of applicants making mistakes increased as well.

The moment a certain threshold was breached for an individual applicant, they would be instantly failed and asked to leave.

One could say that it was a straightforward and transparent process, assessing the applicants solely based on their abilities and nothing else.

At the same time, some might also say that it was cold hearted and ruthless, not giving applicants a second chance to appeal.

Regardless, this was the way that the test was being held, so all the applicants could do was accept it.

Minutes passed, followed by hours.

Even the sun eventually retired for the night, but there was no rest in sight for the applicants.

Then again, Fei Weng had already mentioned at the start that the test would last two days, so the applicants had already been mentally prepared for this.

Even though Zhao Yunxiao would have been able to keep this up normally, he still decided to take recovery pills from time to time just to remain in the best condition possible.

The last thing he wanted was to fail due to overconfidence in his ability to stay focused!

Before they knew it, the sun came up and went down again.

“All right, that’s it for the test!”

Fei Weng’s words were like the light at the end of the tunnel for the applicants, allowing them to finally let go of the tension that they were feeling in both mind and body.

Huu-!

Zhao Yunxiao let out a huge sigh of relief as well.

He did not believe that he had made any mistakes during this test since nothing he reported had been shot down.

However, that alone did not guarantee him a spot on the team. All it did was prevent him from being disqualified prematurely.

If there were many people who did not make mistakes, then only the ones who did their jobs better would be selected for the team.

And that part was essentially up to the discretion of the deacon in charge – Fei Weng.

“I will now announce the names of those who have passed the recruitment test,” Fei Weng said.

Tension instantly returned to the applicants upon hearing those words.

All that hard work over the past two days, and perhaps even more if they considered the training and preparations involved – they all came down to this announcement!

With that, Fei Weng started announcing the names of the applicants who passed.

Everyone listened intently, hoping that their names would be called next.

Zhao Yunxiao did the same, but he was not simply looking out for his own name.

Of course, he was most curious about whether he passed or not. But on top of that, he also took care to remember the names of everyone who passed.

If he were to pass, then these would be the ones whom he would have to work with in the near future.

But even if he ended up failing, these were the ones whom he would have to either learn from or be wary of in the long run.

Either way, there was value in knowing who they were.

As he looked around, Zhao Yunxiao could see mixed expressions on everyone’s faces.

Some were overjoyed, while others had expressions that were filled with anxiety.

Seeing that, Zhao Yunxiao could not help but wonder what others were seeing from his expression.

Was he looking just as anxious as the others?

“What are you looking around for, Zhao Yunxiao?”

Fei Weng’s words instantly broke him out of his daze.

“I’m just taking this brief respite to ponder about the wonders of cultivation, Senior Fei,” Zhao Yunxiao replied, drawing laughter from the other applicants.

“It looks like you are still in the mood to joke around,” Fei Weng smirked. “Are you so confident that you will pass?”

“Not at all, Senior Fei,” Zhao Yunxiao admitted. “It would be nice to pass. But even if I don’t, I would still like to remember this moment as a precious memory of having tried hard alongside my fellow disciples.”

“You won’t need this precious memory then,” Fei Weng said. “Zhao Yunxiao, you pass.”

Fei Weng’s attention did not remain on Zhao Yunxiao for long, immediately moving on to the next name.

Even then, Zhao Yunxiao could not help but break out into a smile.

This was not his first time making the observer team, but it still felt both rewarding and relieving to be chosen once again.

Who would complain about receiving benefits twice instead of once?

Now, he just had to make sure not to screw up during the actual event. Otherwise, all that talk about receiving benefits would end up turning around to bite him in the ass instead!

In any case, there were still a few weeks to go until the opening of the Four Symbols Mystic Realm, so there was no need to stress over it for now.

“All right, that’s all. The applicants whom I just mentioned, I will be giving you a briefing in the coming days,” Fei Weng ended his announcement. “As for those whose names I did not mention, I regret to inform you that you have not been selected for the observer team this year. But the years ahead are long, so don’t feel too discouraged. There is always next year if you wish to apply for the observer team again.”

“Yes, Senior!”

“All right, dismissed!”

***

Zhao Yunxiao headed straight for the Lightwind Pavilion after the test, intending to get some good food to nourish himself a little after an intense two days.

It was already late at night, so there was no one to be found when he arrived at the pavilion.

This had always been a tranquil location to begin with, and it felt even more so now that he was the only one present.

When was the last time this happened?

He helped himself to the food that had been prepared beforehand, standing under the pavilion and slowly savouring the taste while staring out at the small pond.

The moon overhead was reflected beautifully in the pond, creating a picturesque scene that only enhanced the flavour of the food.

What a beautiful night indeed!

As he took in his surroundings, Zhao Yunxiao could not help but think about all that had happened in the past month.

He had been living a busy yet fulfilling life in the sect, and he had never thought badly of it, either.

However, Zhao Yunxiao could not help but admit that the recent events had caused him to reconsider his priorities for the near future.

Lu Zhiying and her monstrous talent...

Nie Hanchang and his determination that had finally paid off...

Wei Yuandi and his domineering power...

It would be going too far to deem it jealousy since he truly felt happy for them, but it would also be a lie to say that he was not envious of any of them.

Ultimately, Zhao Yunxiao’s end goal did not change – it was still to lead a life of freedom.

However, was he really taking the right approach?

Or was there anything more that he could do in order to further improve himself, something that would not cause him to stray from the original vision that he had for his path?

There had to be more that he could do.

Talent was something he could not control.

Hard work was something that he had already been putting in.

In that case... a weapon?

Disregarding Lu Zhiying since she was new to the cultivation world, both Nie Hanchang and Wei Yuandi had their own signature weapons.

Nie Hanchang had his Grand Annihilator bow, while Wei Yuandi had his World Reformer sword.

Zhao Yunxiao had always relied on his trusted halberd and throwing daggers, but they were still regular weapons after all.

If he were to get a good treasure weapon for himself, would that allow him to take the next step in terms of combat capability?

Perhaps that was worth a shot!

Zhao Yunxiao nodded to himself, making a mental note to start looking out for treasure weapons available on the market from now on.