Chapter 103: The Leading Figure

Brother Xiu shook his head and said, "It is indeed extremely difficult for a loose cultivator to obtain high-level cultivation techniques, and the price is prohibitively high. Since I see that you are a person of ambition, you might as well consider joining an immortal sect. In a sect, they might lack many things, but cultivation techniques are never among them. Not to mention high-level Five Elements techniques, even top-tier ones are in no short supply."

"I am naturally aware of that," Zhou Changwang replied, shaking his head.

The problem was, were sects really that easy to enter? Even with the Water-Cloud Token in his possession, his Five Elements Spirit Root aptitude would not be enough to get him in. Only by leveraging his secondary profession—that of a first-tier intermediate-grade spirit planter—could he potentially use it as a stepping stone. It was just like trying to enter a Fortune 500 company in his previous life; with only a vocational degree, one couldn't even get through the door. Only by possessing a specialized skill and being recruited as a talent could one hope to be accepted. It was the same principle: one must have something to offer for others to take interest. Without any skills, one could either struggle in vain or simply lie flat and settle for an easy life.

After bidding farewell to Brother Xiu, Zhou Changwang strode toward the Spirit Planting Hall. Today, the hall was much livelier than usual. At the assessment site, dozens of cultivators had gathered. To Zhou Changwang's surprise, he saw acquaintances among the crowd: the Zhao brothers.

Like him, they had previously cultivated spirit fields at the foot of Changling Mountain. However, the brothers had higher cultivation levels and managed medicinal fields, so they rarely interacted with ordinary spirit farmers. It wasn't until the chaotic night when they sheltered many farmers that Zhou Changwang, having helped them with pest control at their invitation, began to interact with them more frequently.

"Zhou... Fellow Daoist Zhou, I didn't expect that after a while, you’ve reached the fourth level of Qi Refining."

There were only thirty or so people in total, and the Zhao brothers soon spotted him. They walked over, and Zhao Qiang, who had intended to call him by his name, changed his tone immediately upon sensing that Zhou’s cultivation was now on par with his own.

"Fellow Daoist Zhao Qiang, Fellow Daoist Zhao Jie." Zhou Changwang did not deliberately hide his cultivation. He greeted them and said, "I was just lucky enough to have a breakthrough."

"Is Fellow Daoist Zhou here to participate in the spirit planter assessment as well?" Zhao Jie asked from the side.

"You are also..." Zhou Changwang asked in confusion, having assumed they were already qualified spirit planters.

"We’ve tried five or six times. My brother has some confidence this time, but I’m a bit lacking; I’m just trying my luck," Zhao Qiang said. Now that their levels were similar, he had become much friendlier and less unapproachable than before.

"It’s not certain. For all these years, I’ve been stuck on the Geng-Metal Finger. Without a metal-attribute spirit root, practicing this spell is truly too exhausting." Over the years, the pair had spent a considerable amount of spirit stones on these assessments. "Fortunately, if one becomes a spirit planter, the Spirit Planting Hall provides three mu of spirit fields for free, which makes it worthwhile."

Zhao Jie waved his hand modestly, then added with emotion and expectation, "But for Fellow Daoist Zhou to take the assessment at such a young age, you must have quite a bit of confidence."

"I'm just giving it a try," Zhou Changwang said with a humble smile.

"That's good too, trying it out is fine, you'll have more confidence next time. Unlike that person over there, who is rumored to be a disciple of the high-level spirit planter Gu Qianhe. They say his techniques are superb, and he has already declared that he will pass the third round using only spirit seeds. It seems his becoming a spirit planter is a foregone conclusion." Zhao Jie patted Zhou Changwang's shoulder to comfort him and looked toward a cultivator surrounded by a crowd, speaking with envy.

"Indeed, just try it, get familiar with the process, and pass it in one go next time you feel ready. You are still young, after all; there will be plenty of opportunities," Zhao Qiang added in consolation.

"That is exactly what I am thinking," Zhou Changwang replied, his gaze shifting toward the person. He appeared to be in his twenties, with somewhat ordinary features but spirited eyes. Even while being flattered, he showed no signs of arrogance, standing in the crowd and responding quite gracefully.

"Gao Mingyi." Zhou Changwang's eyes flickered; he recognized him. When Zhou was still an apprentice at the Spirit Planting Hall, this person had already begun to stand out. He was frequently used as a benchmark and was considered a leader among the apprentices of that time. Especially after hearing that he had been scouted by a first-tier high-level spirit planter, his reputation reached its peak. Many apprentices at the time looked up to him as a role model, and Zhou Changwang’s predecessor had been quite envious of him. Now, he hadn't expected to be participating in the same assessment.

Unknowingly, the time for the assessment arrived. As the five examiners appeared, the murmurs subsided. Standing in the crowd, Zhou Changwang heard some discussions: "It’s Spirit Planter Yang Ping. I didn't expect him to be the one presiding over the assessment."

"Besides Yang Ping, there is also Spirit Planter Liu Yuanqing. Liu is a newly promoted first-tier high-level spirit planter in the Hall. I heard he’s been busy participating in the cultivation of a new type of spirit rice, a treasure that has been lost for nearly a thousand years. I didn't expect him to have the time to preside over the assessment. It seems this assessment is of a very high standard."

"Two first-tier high-level spirit planters and two first-tier intermediate-level spirit planters—of course the standard is high. I heard there's even a reward for first place."

"Isn't there a reward for first place every time? I remember last month it was a second-tier spirit seed, and the month before, the winner, Wu Qiong, was directly taken as an apprentice by a high-level spirit planter..."

"This time is different. The Spirit Planting Hall has brought out a Qingyuan Token."

"A Qingyuan Token?" The surrounding faces turned solemn with shock, and their eyes grew heated.

"Heh, what does this Qingyuan Token have to do with you? It's clearly prepared for Gao Mingyi. No wonder he declared so early that he would take first place; it seems he got the news early and viewed this token as his own."

...

"I didn't expect such a good thing this time. A Qingyuan Token—with this, one can directly enter the Qingyuan Sect and become a disciple. It's a pity we are just here to make up the numbers; this token is definitely going to Gao Mingyi. Perhaps the reward itself was even requested by his master, Gu Qianhe, specifically for his disciple," Zhao Qiang said with a sour tone after hearing the rumors.

"No wonder there are so many more people participating this time. But such a good thing is destined not to be for us, so there's no point in thinking too much about it," Zhao Jie added, sounding rather resigned. He knew his own limits; he wasn't even certain about passing the assessment, let alone winning first place.

"That might not be certain," Zhou Changwang said softly, his eyes narrowing.

The Zhao brothers didn't pay much attention to his words, assuming there were other experts in the crowd. Indeed, several capable cultivators were gearing up to show their skills, determined not to let Gao Mingyi take all the glory. After all, the assessment had no age limit, and many had rich experience and had practiced the three spirit planting arts diligently.

"Alright, everyone, enter the hall. The first item is a test of spirit planting knowledge. There is a paper on each desk; answer the questions. The total score is one hundred, and sixty is the passing grade. Only those who pass can proceed to the second item." First-tier high-level spirit planter Yang Ping announced.

The crowd stopped whispering and, under the guidance of the examiners, entered a spacious arena. Inside, there were small desks, each with a corresponding number and a test paper. Zhou Changwang checked his registration slip—number seven—and walked to the corresponding desk.

"Begin. You have half an hour. Once finished, we will grade them on the spot, and then we shall proceed to the next round." Once everyone was seated, Yang Ping gave the signal. Two intermediate-level spirit planters patrolled the aisles to prevent cheating.

"I didn't expect that even after embarking on the path of cultivation, I'd still have to go back to taking exams," Zhou Changwang thought, a wry smile appearing on his face. Tests were his specialty; as a typical "township exam-taker" in his previous life, he wasn't nervous at all. He looked at the paper, which contained basic questions regarding spirit plant cultivation. Having reviewed beforehand and possessing years of planting experience, he encountered almost no questions he couldn't answer. Moreover, the multiple-choice questions made it even easier.

Within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, he had finished most of the paper. Being cautious, he checked it from start to finish.

"Teacher, I am done," a voice rang out. It was Gao Mingyi standing up. Soon after, several others also submitted their papers to the front. Zhou Changwang did not stand out; after confirming there were no errors, he followed a female cultivator and handed in his paper.

The grading was done by the two intermediate-level spirit planters. Since they were simple, basic knowledge questions, the grading was swift. All thirty-five candidates, mostly at the third level of Qi Refining or higher, passed the first round. Zhou Changwang noticed he had received a perfect score, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

"Next is the second item: the three spirit planting arts—Spirit Rain, Growth Induction, and Geng-Metal Finger. Spirit Rain is fine, a half-mu range should be enough, and Geng-Metal Finger can pierce stone within ten feet. It’s the Growth Induction spell; I only mastered it three years ago, and although I’ve practiced, I’m worried about passing," Zhao Qiang said nervously as he approached Zhou Changwang.

"What is your casting time for Growth Induction?" Zhou Changwang knew that others didn't have his clear understanding of spell progression, nor the classifications of Proficiency, Minor Success, Major Success, and Perfection. They only judged their progress by how much spiritual energy they consumed and the effect of the spell.

"Three breaths. I’m far behind my brother; he only needs one and a half," Zhao Qiang replied.

"Then passing shouldn't be difficult," Zhou Changwang calculated, determining Zhao Qiang's spell was at the Proficiency level. As for his brother, Zhao Jie, it was likely at the Minor Success level.

"Alright, proceed to the second item. You must demonstrate the three arts: Spirit Rain must cover three-tenths of a mu, Geng-Metal Finger must hit the bullseye at two zhang away, and for Growth Induction, each person will receive a seed—you must make it sprout to pass," an examiner announced.

The assessment was now individual. Zhou Changwang was number seven. The first candidate, a chubby twenty-year-old, performed the Spirit Rain within three breaths, covering exactly three-tenths of a mu. He passed the first part. His Geng-Metal Finger also hit the bullseye at two zhang. However, for the third part, despite ten breaths of effort, his seed failed to sprout. He failed, looking pale and distraught, unable to believe his "Proficient" spell had failed.

The second candidate, an older farmer, performed the Spirit Rain well, but his Geng-Metal Finger missed the bullseye, and he was eliminated. The third candidate passed all three.

When it was Zhou Changwang's turn, he paused slightly, then pointed his finger. A gentle drizzle fell, covering exactly three-tenths of a mu. For the second item, he flicked his finger, and a golden beam pierced the bullseye instantly. For the third, he chose a seed called "Green-Entwining Grass." He cast his Growth Induction, and a sprout immediately emerged, growing half an inch. He then stopped.

"Passed!" Liu Yuanqing said.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou's techniques are truly extraordinary," the Zhao brothers congratulated him.

"Just luck," Zhou Changwang smiled modestly, then cast a sound-proofing spell and whispered, "In the third part, one-tenth of the seeds in that bag are dead. Be careful when you pick. If you get a dead one, no matter how good your technique is, you won't pass."

The brothers thanked him sincerely. Later, several unlucky candidates picked dead seeds and failed, regardless of how hard they tried. The brothers, warned by Zhou, were careful and managed to pass.

"Spirit Rain covering one mu? As expected of Gao Mingyi!" a commotion erupted. Gao Mingyi had performed a massive Spirit Rain. His Geng-Metal Finger also pierced the target and traveled several feet beyond. "Another Major Success," Zhou Changwang noted.

His Growth Induction was also impressive, making the seed grow three feet before it withered. "His Growth Induction is at the early stage of Major Success," Zhou Changwang judged.

He himself had reached the Perfection level in Growth Induction. A single cast could optimize the seed, evolving it into a spirit grass seed before it even sprouted. It was a process that usually took ten generations of selective breeding to achieve. At the Perfection level, he was effectively skipping ten cycles of growth.