Chapter 112: Waiting for Assessment
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The backyard was terrifyingly quiet. The Deacons and Guest Elders stood on both sides. Each of them had a respectful and solemn expression. They did not even dare to breathe. If he did not know a few familiar faces, Shen Ping thought that he had arrived at a small courtyard where ordinary people gathered.
Shopkeeper Qu led the way to the courtyard and did not advance further. Instead, he gave Shen Ping a look. He looked at the hall. He knew that the Nascent Soul envoy from the headquarters was inside.
True Treasure Pavilion’s headquarters was mysterious and powerful. Very few Deacons, Guest Elders and even the elders have the qualifications to enter the headquarters. However, Shen Ping knew very well.
This Nascent Soul envoy was not here to see him this time, but to escort him. As long as one passed the qualification assessment, the headquarters would send Nascent Soul envoys to escort them to a specific assessment location.
No one knew where the location was. But it was far.
He calmed himself down. Shen Ping walked to the entrance of the hall.
“Come in.”
The voice sounded a little familiar. It was a Golden Core elder from the headquarters. He was lucky enough to see him once. It was said that his cultivation had already reached the pseudo Nascent Soul Realm.
He stepped over the threshold. There were two people sitting in the simple hall. Shen Ping lowered his head and said respectfully, “I’m Shen Ping, a third-grade guest elder of the True Treasure Pavilion. Greetings, Elder. Greetings, Lord Envoy!”
The man with sharp eyebrows in a green pine robe said calmly, “You can pass the qualification test at the Qi Refinement Realm. You have some talent. Since you’re here, let’s go.”
The Golden Core elder on his left stood up. “Senior Wu Shan. It’s not easy for my Wei Kingdom’s base. I’ll have to trouble you to take care of him along the way.” He bowed.
The man with sharp eyebrows smiled calmly. “Don’t worry. Escorting is my duty. If anything happens midway, it will be my negligence.”
As he spoke, he flicked his sleeve. The Nascent Soul Dharmic powers wrapped around the two of them and disappeared.
In the courtyard, Deacon Xia and Shopkeeper Qu looked up at the light in the sky. Their eyes were filled with envy and anticipation. However, they knew in their hearts that the special-class guest elder assessment was extremely harsh. The Wei Kingdom was only an inconspicuous place in the five continents and four seas. It was very difficult for a special-class guest elder to appear.
Whoosh. Whoosh.
The sound of the wind suddenly became urgent. Shen Ping did not dare to move at all when he felt the aura of Dharmic powers wrapped around his body. When the sound of the wind disappeared, his vision returned.
The Nascent Soul envoy in a green pine robe was standing on the right. He did not have any aura on him, but he gave off a huge pressure like a towering mountain.
Shen Ping hurriedly bowed.
“This trip will take half a month. During this period, the flying ship will tremble several times.” The Nascent Soul envoy reminded him casually and waved his hand not far away. “Bring him to the quiet room to rest.”
“Yes, Lord Wu Shan.”
Soon, two female cultivators walked over.
From the corner of his eye, Shen Ping noticed that there was a word ’True’ on the left shoulder of their embroidered robe. Clearly, this was a robe unique to the True Treasure Pavilion. Even as a third-grade guest elder, he was not qualified to buy such a robe.
“Greetings, seniors.”
As the female cultivators approached, he sensed the deliberately restrained spiritual pressure and hurriedly cupped his hands. One of the female cultivators smiled. “You’re welcome. This is the first time we’ve come so far to pick up a Qi Refinement cultivator. Let’s go to the quiet room.”
He followed behind them.
Shen Ping lowered his eyebrows and could only see the fluttering skirt of the two Foundation Establishment female cultivators. The decoration of the quiet room had a delicate and soft style. He sat down cross-legged.
A voice sounded. “Call us if you need anything.”
The door to the quiet room closed. The invisible pressure dissipated. Shen Ping heaved a sigh of relief. As a perfected Qi Refinement cultivator, it was really difficult for him to be calm when facing a Nascent Soul expert. The other party might only need a spiritual light spell to destroy him.
He closed his eyes. Distracted thoughts rose and fell. No matter what, it could not be suppressed. He decided to reminisce about his life with his wife and concubines.
Curves.
Shape.
Taste.
They were all different. As he thought about it, Mu Jin appeared in his mind. Her straight arc was about to bloom. When he came back next time, he would have a good taste of the harvest season.
Gradually, Shen Ping’s mind went blank. His breathing was long.
Three days later, the entire flying ship suddenly trembled and shook violently. Fortunately, the situation disappeared in a few dozen breaths. But five days later, the flying ship jolted again. After the last bump, the door of the quiet room slowly opened.
“We’re here.” The Foundation Establishment female cultivator’s voice sounded.
Shen Ping hurriedly got up and walked along the corridor outside the quiet room to the end. The moment he stepped out of the corridor, boundless and abundant spiritual qi surged over. Every pore on his skin was cheering and absorbing. His metal and wood spiritual roots greedily absorbed it.
This concentration was not something that the Level Three spiritual vein of Qingyang City could compare to. In fact, he could not help but have a thought in his heart. If he could live in this place for a long time, it would not be difficult for him to build his foundation even if he had five types of impure spiritual roots.
“The flying ship has landed safely. My escort duties are at an end.” The Nascent Soul envoy in the green pine robe smiled and waved his sleeve.
Shen Ping was already standing on the ground. He watched as the flying ship started again and quickly disappeared in front of him. He shook his head. He retracted his gaze and looked around.
He was dumbfounded. There was no end to the boundless grassland. There was not even a low hill, let alone buildings. Shen Ping frowned and released his Foundation Establishment Divine Sense. It was still the same. He suddenly thought of something. He hurriedly took out the qualification jade token from his storage bag.
Boom!
The surrounding scenery quickly faded at a speed visible to the naked eye, and several towering palaces came into view.
At this moment, a cultivator who was also wearing a special robe was standing in front of him. He had chubby thick eyebrows and big eyes. When he smiled, there was a hint of a saber hidden in his smile. “I’m the guide of the special-class guest elder of the True Treasure Pavilion. Since you have the qualification jade token, follow me.”
Shen Ping hurriedly followed the fat cultivator. He originally thought that he was going to the towering palace not far away, but who knew that the fat cultivator would bring him to an empty place?
Buzz-
The chubby cultivator took out the token and waved it in the air. Wooden houses appeared in front of him.
“Tsk tsk, another candidate has come!”
“Pill, Talisman, Weapons and Formations, I wonder what kind of technique he’s good at?”
“He’s actually a Qi Refinement cultivator?!”
“He’s participating as a special-class guest elder in the Qi Refinement. His talent is not bad!”
“He’s most likely just here to see the world!”
All kinds of voices instantly gathered in Shen Ping’s ears. His gaze quickly swept across. There were cultivators living in every wooden house. Moreover, from their discussion, they seemed to be here to participate in the special-class guest elder assessment.
He could not help but feel puzzled. How many bases were there in the True Treasure Pavilion?!
The chubby cultivator pointed at the wooden house. “Every time there are a hundred people, they will all take the special-class guest elder assessment. You’re a talisman master. Do you sec the logos on those wooden houses? You can go in and wait in the wooden houses with talismans. During the assessment, there will be special cultivators in charge.”
With that, the fat cultivator left.
Shen Ping silently walked into a wooden house with talismans on it. The wooden house was empty. It was so narrow that it could only accommodate a few people. He sat down cross-legged. He could not help but think of Deacon Xia’s eager anticipation and guidance, Shopkeeper Qu’s appropriate help, and the attitude of the other guest ciders.
Scene after scene flashed. In the end, it stopped at the words of the Golden
Core elder of the True Treasure Pavilion. He came back to his senses and laughed.
This wooden house was even narrower than the houses in Red Willow Alley. But so what! He calmed himself down.
Shen Ping closed his eyes to rest and wait patiently. Several days passed. The noisy discussion around the wooden house became much quieter. He opened his eyes. When the plump cultivator appeared again, he respectfully accompanied a middle-aged cultivator with two female cultivators following behind him.
One of them had her hair tied up and was wearing a palace dress. She exuded an indescribable maturity.
Accompanying the beautiful woman was a woman with a sword mark between her eyebrows. She was about twenty-eight years old, and her skin was lustrous, youthful, and translucent. Her lips were soft and moist, her nose bridge was fine, and her earlobes were crystal clear. The outline of her face had an elegant and calm temperament.
In particular, her clothes were covered in a layer of pink gauze. As she walked, silk ribbons fluttered on her shoulders.
“Fellow Daoist Wu. This environment is not suitable for my daughter to live in. Change her residence.” When the middle-aged cultivator saw so many wooden houses next to each other, he frowned.
The fat guide smiled bitterly and cupped his hands. “Senior Yu, this is an arrangement made by the headquarters. It’s difficult for me to make the decision. However, don’t worry. There are dozens of candidates before the assessment starts. As long as they pass the first assessment, the living environment will immediately improve.”
The middle-aged cultivator shook his head, “Since it’s going to be soon, can’t you make an exception? What kind of person is my daughter? How can she live in such a mixed place?!”
The plump guide was very helpless.
The beautiful woman behind him said gently, “Husband, there’s no need to make things difficult for Fellow Daoist Wu. I think it will only be a few days. Ling’er rarely has such an experience, so it’s quite rare.”
“Father, I can.”
The middle-aged cultivator pondered for a moment and said, “Alright, Ling’er. The special-class guest elder assessment is not difficult for you. You just have to show what you usually cultivate. We will wait for you in the Moon Spirit Hall.”
With that, he turned around and left with the beautiful woman. The plump guide glanced at the candidates on the side of the wooden house and said indifferently, “The assessment is about to begin. Everyone, be quiet. Don’t disturb others.” As he spoke, he made an inviting gesture. “Miss Yu, just choose a wooden house with the label of a cauldron.”
The quiet and elegant face of the girl with the sword mark suddenly smiled. Her eyes were filled with curiosity. Then, she carried her dress with both hands and quickly walked to a wooden house.
Almost instantly, the fragrance surged in Shen Ping’s nose..