Chapter 9: A Shift in Fate and a Resounding Display of Talent

Punishing the chief examiner before the trial had even concluded would undoubtedly tarnish the prestige of the Yuqian Sect if word of it ever spread.

Consequently, the Grand Elder issued a stern warning to all those present.

He instructed them to exercise selective blindness regarding the matter.

Following this, the trial proceeded as scheduled.

Approximately an hour later, the trial drew to a close.

Just as Qin Yangjun had anticipated, a shift in the world line meant that Yu Lingyue did not secure first place in the trial, instead landing within the top ten.

The individual who claimed first place was, coincidentally, an old acquaintance.

Li Xuanyang.

Li Xuanyang’s cultivation had already reached the pinnacle of Qi Refinement.

While he possessed the innate strength to subdue the Overlord Bear, doing so would likely result in him sustaining injuries.

Unwilling to halt his progress at such a critical juncture, he carefully weighed his options.

Only then did he choose to retreat.

Despite securing first place in the trial, a sense of unhappiness gnawed at him.

Within the ranks of the top ten, his gaze landed upon an individual he despised to his very core.

The very village girl who had dared to lay hands on him had inexplicably appeared here.

Furthermore, this woman, possessing only an eighth-level Qi Refinement cultivation, had not only avoided elimination.

She had even managed to enter the top ten.

What kind of preposterous luck was this?

A fresh wave of fury surged through Li Xuanyang as he recalled their previous encounter.

Never in his life had anyone dared to defy him in such a manner.

However, given the multitude of onlookers, he found it imprudent to openly vent his rage.

He could only commit the name of this woman, Yu Lingyue, to memory, harboring his resentment in silence.

“Hey, Lingyue, just look at Li Xuanyang; it appears he’s about to grind his teeth to dust merely from watching you.”

Li Xuanyang made no effort to conceal his animosity, thus Qian Xiaoyu readily observed the disdain etched across his features.

“Pay him no mind,”

Yu Lingyue had never shied away from a confrontation; if Li Xuanyang sought trouble, she would naturally be more than willing to oblige.

She never bothered to dwell on such a clown.

Her attention, at present, was fixed upon the two elders standing behind Qin Yangjun.

Though she did not recognize either man, the formidable aura emanating from them allowed her to discern their elevated status.

As the female protagonist, Yu Lingyue was inherently perceptive.

She instantly realized that these two had come to interrogate Qin Yangjun regarding his assistance to her.

Once the trial concluded, it was likely that the chief examiner would face punishment.

At this thought, Yu Lingyue subtly bit her lip, appearing to be in a state of deep contemplation.

Concurrently, with the conclusion of the Trial Mountain’s assessment, the once-sizable contingent had dwindled, leaving only a little over twenty individuals who had successfully passed.

The previously dense crowd had noticeably thinned.

As the chief examiner, delivering a concluding address after the trial’s completion was a customary duty.

Qin Yangjun stepped forward, his voice resonating clearly:

“Firstly, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all junior brothers and sisters who have successfully become disciples of my Yuqian Sect…”

Qin Yangjun proceeded to outline some of the Yuqian Sect’s regulations and aspirations, essentially going through the requisite motions.

He endeavored to condense the speech as much as possible, for the hour was growing late.

Having swiftly concluded his address, he proceeded directly to the final segment.

The talent assessment.

The Yuqian Sect’s talent assessment comprised two distinct phases.

The initial test, conducted at the outset, measured the baseline aptitude of the applicants, requiring them merely to achieve a predefined standard.

The second assessment, however, was designed to gauge their ultimate potential.

The outcomes of this assessment would then be presented to the elders.

From these results, the elders could also select their personal disciples.

Naturally, the first to undergo this assessment were the top three ranked individuals from the trial.

As the trial’s first-place finisher, Li Xuanyang was, by default, the first in line.

He placed his hand upon the Talent Stone, and a burst of brilliant white light erupted, illuminating the night like a beacon.

“Li Xuanyang: High-Grade Root Bone.”

As the assistant examiner’s declaration resonated.

A murmur of astonishment rippled through the numerous individuals below, eliciting a collective gasp.

Root bones were categorized into Immortal, High, Mid, Low, and Inferior grades.

The vast majority of cultivators possessed Low-grade root bones, while Mid-grade was already uncommon.

A High-Grade root bone was truly a rarity.

Yet, among the members of the Yuqian Sect, few displayed any reaction, not out of disdain for Li Xuanyang’s talent.

Rather, it was because the Dayang Dynasty had vehemently publicized Li Xuanyang’s discovery of a High-Grade root bone, practically wishing the entire world to know of it.

Smaller and mid-sized sects had, understandably, hoped for Li Xuanyang to join their ranks.

However, the Yuqian Sect, being one of the four righteous major sects of Dayu Continent, already boasted no fewer than eight hundred, if not a thousand, inner disciples with High-Grade root bones, rendering them long accustomed to such displays.

Upon completing his assessment, Li Xuanyang strode directly in front of Yu Lingyue.

He uttered no words, merely tilted his head back, fixing her with a gaze brimming with both provocation and utter contempt.

“A village girl remains a village girl, utterly dumbfounded, aren’t you?This root bone is a divine gift, one you’ll likely spend your entire life gazing up at in envy.”

Yu Lingyue remained silent, not even deigning to glance in Li Xuanyang’s direction.

Perceiving Yu Lingyue’s complete disregard, Li Xuanyang saw no point in further embarrassing himself.

After a dismissive chuckle, he rejoined the waiting line.

While Yu Lingyue maintained an unperturbed demeanor throughout, Qian Xiaoyu, standing beside her, was seething with indignation, wishing she could rush forward and take a few bites out of him.

“That fellow is utterly infuriating! It’s merely a High-Grade root bone; what’s he boasting about?”

Yu Lingyue spoke with an air of serene composure.

“Xiaoyu, do not allow such trivialities to provoke your anger.

If you become upset by such behavior, then he has already won.”

Simultaneously, the assessments on the platform continued unabated.

“Shengyuan: Mid-Grade Root Bone.”

“Cheng Lieqing: Mid-Grade Root Bone.”

Shengyuan…

Minor alterations in the world line meant the protagonist had not entered the top three.

This Shengyuan was merely a minor character.

However, Qin Yangjun cast a second, more discerning glance at Cheng Lieqing.

His appearance was unremarkable, and his aura seemed perfectly normal; even the Grand Elder, a cultivator of the Mahayana Realm, had failed to notice anything amiss.

‘Tsk tsk,’ Qin Yangjun mused, ‘these methods are quite impressive…’

Qin Yangjun mused inwardly.

His interest in this individual stemmed not from any extraordinary power, but from the fact that he was destined to be a pivotal character in the unfolding narrative.

“Guo Yu: Low-Grade Root Bone…”

“Wan Yan: Low-Grade Root Bone..”

The assessment proceeded, but Qin Yangjun’s thoughts had already drifted, for beyond the female protagonist, there was nothing else that warranted his particular attention.

The female protagonist’s root bone was, naturally, of astonishing caliber; however, as depicted in the original story, she had deliberately concealed her true potential to avoid drawing undue attention, resulting in a Mid-Grade assessment.

Thus, it would cause no stir.

At this moment, Qin Yangjun simply longed for the proceedings to conclude swiftly.

“Qian Xiaoyu: Mid-Grade Root Bone…”

Following Qian Xiaoyu’s assessment, the female protagonist stepped onto the platform.

In her eyes, the earlier trace of hesitation had vanished, replaced by an unwavering resolve.

As spiritual energy surged into it, the Talent Stone began to tremble violently, and golden light started to flicker forth.

At this precise moment, Qin Yangjun sensed an anomaly, and his heart gave a sudden lurch.

Something was amiss.

Beside him, Yueyao also momentarily froze.

Possessing an Immortal-Grade root bone herself, she inexplicably felt a faint resonance within her own bloodline.

A resonant hum!

Following a deep, resonating hum, a brilliant radiance flared, illuminating the vast sky.

Spiritual energy materialized into tangible currents, swirling around Yu Lingyue.

In the distant heavens, faint echoes of harmonious melodies seemed to resonate.

Below, the assembled crowd stood agape, utterly mesmerized.

Never in their lives had they witnessed such a magnificent spectacle.

Meanwhile, Li Xuanyang’s face had turned an ashen green, contorted with profound disbelief.

“Impossible! This is absolutely impossible! How could that mere village girl possibly be worthy of such a thing!”

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