Evaluation

"Just who borrowed my power?" Yun Zhi wondered. The Immortal Cult had packed up lock, stock, and barrel and fled, leaving not a single person behind—only the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron, an artifact valuable enough to buy an entire first-rank sect. Now, there was no telling who had borrowed her strength. Among spells, there was a category known as the Spirit Descent Technique, which allowed one to borrow another's power with their permission. However, this spell was on the brink of being lost to time and was extraordinarily difficult to master. Yun Zhi had not seen it used in a very long time. Besides, who could borrow her power without her consent? Yun Zhi had sensed no malice from the borrower, so her instinctive reaction had not intervened to stop her power from leaking out. She had a pretty good guess who it was. "Still, where did he learn the Spirit Descent Technique?" Yun Zhi did not recall ever teaching Lu Yang such a spell. *** First Place: Lu Yang. "Hmm? First place changed?" the Vice Cult Master asked in surprise. They had been so busy running for their lives that they had not noticed what Lu Yang had done. With the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron shattered, they could not replay the events either. "Still, the Celestial Eye cannot be mistaken. These three boast the greatest destructive capability!" the Cult Master declared with absolute certainty. He could not guess what Lu Yang had done either. Just moments ago, the previous first-place candidate had slaughtered hundreds of people in a short period and left thousands more doomed with lingering affliction, yet Lu Yang had managed to overtake him in a single leap to seize the top spot. It truly was incredible. There was no need to guess, though. The Celestial Eye was a treasure of a celestial, of even higher grade than the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron. It would never make a mistake. Indeed, Lu Yang had summoned Yun Zhi, who proceeded to destroy the Mountains and Rivers Cauldron and the Immortal Cult's headquarters. The devastation he had inflicted on the Immortal Cult could rank in the top three throughout its history. If judged solely by the harm dealt to the Cult Master himself, it easily took first place. The Cult Master spoke with smug satisfaction, forgetting the pain wracking his body. "See, what did I tell you? This kid Lu Yang has great wisdom! Don't look down on him just because his ranking lagged for a moment. The second you look away, he pulls off something massive. Look at that—he's in first place now." "And don't look down on Meng Jingzhou or Man Gu, whom you fancied, just because their performances seemed ordinary. They simply lacked enough time. Given enough time, they'd surely have taken second and third." The Vice Cult Master conceded wholeheartedly. The Cult Master truly was the Cult Master. Not only was he cautious in his actions, but his discernment was also remarkably keen. No wonder he was only the vice while the other held the top position. "Then what is your evaluation of Lu Yang?" After pondering for a moment, the Cult Master spoke at an unhurried pace. "Lu Yang took an unorthodox path in the first trial, revealing remarkable talent in the martial path and entering the Dao through martial arts—a rarity in this world. In the second trial, he observed meticulously, deduced the underlying pattern, and bought out the potatoes, leaving subsequent interviewees unable to be tested. This demonstrates his immense destructive potential. That trait became even more pronounced in the third trial. Calling him an innate demonic seed would not be an exaggeration in the slightest." The Vice Cult Master was astonished. Having known the Cult Master for so long, he had never heard of anyone receiving such high praise from him. "What about Meng Jingzhou?" "Meng Jingzhou gained power in the first trial by being bitten by a spider. That reflects sheer fortune. Placed in this Golden Age, he is a dao seed born of destiny. In the second trial, he scrutinized the prompt, considered the problem from multiple angles, and appeared arrogant and overbearing on the surface while actually advancing strategically step by step, laying careful plans. Ultimately, he broke through the examiner's mental defenses and passed with flying colors." "It's just a pity the third trial ended before he could display his strengths. He is slightly inferior to Lu Yang—call him the Dao Demon Descended." The evaluation of Dao Demon Descended was also exceedingly rare. Hardly anyone among the younger generation could earn such an assessment from the Cult Master. It seemed this Meng Jingzhou had a limitless future. "And Man Gu?" "In the first trial, he demonstrated comprehension, perseverance, and strategy. In the second, his thinking was thoroughly comprehensive. It was only in the third trial that he lacked initiative of his own. Compared to past candidates, he easily belongs to the exceptionally brilliant batch. Unfortunately, overshadowed by the brilliance before him, I can only give him the evaluation of Demon in the Heart." Demon in the Heart. Based on past experience, anyone with that evaluation would rise to the high echelons of the Immortal Cult, provided they did not perish prematurely. "Should we transfer them to headquarters to nurture them carefully?" the Vice Cult Master asked. The Cult Master shook his head, offering advice born of his own experience. "No need to rush. Let them start from the grassroots. They need at least two years of grassroots experience. Believe me, grassroots experience is immensely helpful for future growth. That's how I climbed up." "Besides, I have another plan. Lu Yang's mind runs wild and unconstrained; he is full of ideas and destructive power. Once he grows stronger, let's see if we can slip him into an orthodox sect—like the Dao Seeking Sect, for instance." The Vice Cult Master chuckled, thinking the Cult Master overestimated them far too much. Infiltrating other sects might still be manageable, but the Dao Seeking Sect was far too difficult. Scarcely anyone could keep up with the bizarre trains of thought of Dao Seeking Sect disciples. Infiltrate them, and before long, one would stick out like a sore thumb and be exposed. Infiltrating the Dao Seeking Sect was easier said than done. "I'm going to heal my injuries first," the Cult Master said, then retired to a secret chamber to cultivate and adjust his breathing. From beginning to end, the Vice Cult Master had never harbored thoughts of usurping power. Today was a prime example. While killing the Cult Master might allow him to take one step upward, what about afterward? What if the orthodox path attacked again? Would he be able to make the right decisions? The moment he made a wrong call, he would surely die under the techniques of the orthodox path. Regretting the usurpation then would be far too late. *** Yanjiang Branch. "Ten people passed the trials in total, and three even received the evaluations of innate demonic seed, Dao Demon Descended, and Demon in the Heart?!" Hearing the messenger sent by the Cult Master, the Branch Master's eyebrows leaped with sheer joy. This was even better than the best-case scenario he had anticipated! An opportunity for promotion lay right before his eyes! As for the rogue demonic cultivators who had failed the first and second trials, the eleven deacons split up while the candidates were still unconscious and dumped them in various locations. When they woke, they would have forgotten the location of the Yanjiang Branch, dismissing the entire experience as merely a dream. The safest method would have been to slaughter them, ensuring the location of the Yanjiang Branch would never be exposed. However, taking the bigger picture into account, the Immortal Cult chose not to do so. These rogue demonic cultivators wreaked havoc in local regions, drawing the attention of the orthodox factions. Amid all the chaotic information, the orthodox path could never distinguish between the crimes committed by independent demonic rogues and those orchestrated by the demonic cult. This effectively served to mislead and distract them. Lu Yang and his companions slowly came around, their minds slightly muddled from having experienced so much in rapid succession. The scene they had witnessed before falling unconscious was... Eldest Senior Sister descending from the heavens?! Lu Yang broke into a cold sweat. Eldest Senior Sister hadn't seen him transform into her likeness, had she? If she had caught him doing that, she would definitely peel off a layer of his skin! Meng Jingzhou and Man Gu also remembered what had happened: Lu Yang's Imitation Fist had summoned the real Eldest Senior Sister. Lu Yang shot the two a warning glare, telling them not to leak a single word. Knowing better, both nodded hurriedly. Suppressing the delight in his heart, the Branch Master spoke in as level a voice as possible. "From this day forth, the ten of you belong to our Immortal Cult." "By right, we should proceed with the initiation ceremony immediately. However, today's three trials have exhausted everyone's energy, and I am no exception. Paying homage to the Immortal Celestial in such a state would be disrespectful. Tomorrow, return here for the official initiation ceremony." Lu Yang could tell that when mentioning the Immortal Celestial, the Branch Master's tone and the expressions of the eleven deacons shifted noticeably. This proved that their devotion to the Immortal Celestial was no mere facade; they genuinely believed in the existence of the Immortal Celestial. *No wonder it's called a 'cult,'* Lu Yang thought to himself. The Branch Master continued, "Still, with newcomers joining today, it wouldn't do not to celebrate. How about this: let's go out for a meal." "I heard a new barbecue restaurant opened in the commandery called 'One More Time.' The flavor is excellent and widely praised. Let's gather there in a bit. My treat." Lu Yang: "..." Meng Jingzhou: "..." Man Gu: "..." *You're really not going to let us rest, are you?*