In other words, this so-called assessment will require competition with junior disciples from the other three families.
Chapter 62: The Conspiracy of the Supreme Clan
The inner sect generally does not conduct these assessments because there is no need. As long as the cultivation level is reached, the inner sect members can be promoted. The outer sect members need to undergo assessments. If the disciples are compared to commodities, then this is a quality issue.
The quality of the inner sect in Lingxi is not comparable to that of the outer sect, but it does not mean that the sect intends to make things difficult for the outer sect disciples. On the contrary, they are using this method to select potential talents among the outer sect.
After all, the quality of spiritual roots can be seen, but the quality of spiritual roots cannot determine everything.
Yun Cheng began to explain in detail the primary disciple assessment jointly organized by the four sects. This assessment was a bit like the transition from elementary school to middle school on Earth.
The first place for the assessment is Yunxia Sect, because Yunxia Sect has the strongest overall strength among the four sects. This means that in three days, the outer junior disciples of the other three sects will arrive at Yunxia Sect one after another.
Some people may also ask, didn’t the Yunxia Sect have such a big conflict with the Zixia Sect a year ago?
But these are two different matters. There are basically all kinds of conflicts between the four major sects. What Yun Sect wants to see is the four lower-level sects within the Yun Sect fighting each other.
If they don't fight, Yun Zong won't be able to sleep.
The assessment for intermediate outer disciples is currently divided into three parts. The first is an assessment of perseverance, which still requires mountain climbing, just like when Ye Liuyun and his companions started four years ago. They have to climb from the bottom of the mountain to the top. However, the pressure of this assessment is definitely not comparable to that of four years ago.
In order to motivate the disciples, the four sects decided that if these junior disciples could not even pass the test of perseverance, they would be publicly announced to be expelled from the mountain. Therefore, this assessment was no joke.
"What? I finally passed the formal disciple assessment, and now I have to take the intermediate disciple assessment. It's only been a year, and if I fail the assessment I will have to leave the sect on my own. Isn't this inappropriate?" A few junior disciples exclaimed when they heard the punishment for failing the assessment.
Those who can exclaim basically have no confidence in themselves.
This is the first level of the assessment, titled "Road to Heaven"
If they fail, they will have to leave, either return to the secular world or become a casual cultivator. In any case, they will definitely not be able to stay in the sect.
The second level of the assessment is called "Song of the Song"
The assessment of this level is presided over by Xixia Sect. There is an elder in Xixia Sect who is good at music techniques. Her music techniques can drag disciples into the illusion and accept the trial of the illusion.
The third level is "Four Sects Martial Arts Competition"
Only disciples who have passed the second level assessment can participate. It mainly consists of competition among disciples from the four sects, followed by ranking based on points. Those with high rankings can not only gain contributions to their own sect, but also receive skills and treasures as rewards from the other three sects.
This is the assessment item that has been preliminarily determined.
After the disciples heard this, the noisy voices immediately stopped.
"Are you all calm now? What I want to tell you is that being afraid to move forward is a major obstacle for cultivators. As long as you have enough perseverance, you will have no problem passing the first level of the road to heaven. Your worries show that you have no confidence in yourself. What's more, even if you fail, you can become a casual cultivator or return to the secular world to enjoy wealth and glory. It will not be a loss to you." Yun Cheng said.
Everyone thought about it carefully. Indeed, if they couldn't even pass the first level, how far could they go on the path of cultivation?
If your heart for Taoism is weak, you might as well go home and enjoy wealth and glory, so as not to die in the world of cultivation.
"Okay, I have said everything I need to say. All junior disciples must participate in this test. There is no choice. If you do not participate, you can go back and pack your bags and leave the sect immediately." Yun Cheng said again.
Fortunately, no disciple was so scared that he dared not take the test. They just felt it was too sudden and they were not mentally prepared.
"Strange, what are these four major sects planning?" Ye Liuyun felt something was not right.
Because wouldn't this be showing off all of their new generation of disciples to other sects? Wouldn't this be considered exposing the sect's potential?
However, Ye Liuyun felt that they must have a purpose in doing this and it was impossible for them to do this for no reason.
After Yun Cheng made the announcement, he dismissed everyone. Just as Ye Liuyun arrived home and was about to enter the house, Lin Aoxue came running over.
"Liuyun, wait a minute, I have something to tell you." Lin Aoxue shouted.
When Ye Liuyun saw Lin Aoxue coming over, she was stunned for a moment. She guessed that Lin Aoxue's sudden coming over might be related to the linkage of the four sects this time.
"Aoxue, do you know the reason why these four sects are working together? I think it's a bit strange." Ye Liuyun asked quickly.
And Lin Aoxue came to tell Ye Liuyun about this matter.
"This kind of thing was definitely not done by the four major sects, but by the upper sect." Lin Aoxue looked around and then whispered in Ye Liuyun's ear.
Upon hearing this, Ye Liuyun quickly pulled Lin Aoxue into the house and carefully asked about the whole story.
The thing is, the boss of the four major sects, the Yun Sect, has not developed well in recent years. To put it bluntly, it has begun to decline. When a mid-level sect becomes weaker, they will definitely worry that the lower-level sects are too strong. However, there are some things that they cannot investigate openly.
Then the best way is to hold a competition that the four lower-level sects cannot refuse. If they refuse, it means they have ulterior motives, and the Yun Sect will have to suppress them.
To see the quality of a sect's disciples, one only needs to look at the latest batch of disciples who have joined the sect.
That is to say, three days later, Yunzong will also send envoys to watch the competition. It is nominally organized by the four major sects, but in fact it is the order of Yunzong.
Lin Aoxue will definitely not participate in the four sects' joint efforts this time. This is all a conspiracy.
"I didn't expect it to be like this. I was thinking about a question. If Yun Sect sees an outstanding disciple among us, will they have other ideas?" Ye Liuyun raised an important question.
If she were the leader of the Yun Sect and learned that a subordinate sect had an outstanding disciple, she would definitely find a reason to bring the disciple into her own sect.
This can not only improve the quality of their own disciples, but also suppress subordinate sects.
"Haha, when you are smart, you are not just smart. You got it right. This is their purpose. So, don't perform too well at that time, otherwise if you are chosen by them, you will have to go to Yun Sect." Lin Aoxue said with a smile.
"Me? Forget it. My spiritual power is only at the initial stage of Lingxi Realm. Moreover, I have spiritual roots with all five elements. They won't look down upon such rubbish. Don't worry." Ye Liuyun shook his head.
When Lin Aoxue heard this, she covered her mouth and laughed. Indeed, it was impossible for Ye Liuyun to be chosen by Yun Sect. She just came here to report the news.
The news that the Yun Sect wanted to inspect its subordinate sects was very sudden, and it was also the Yun Sect that chose the Yunxia Sect as the destination for the joint efforts of the four sects.
At this time in the main hall of Yunxia Sect, Yun Yun and others all looked unhappy, because the Yun Sect had come with bad intentions. They had just received news that the Yun Sect's linkage of the four sects was just a trick, and they must have other actions, but they had no way of predicting what those other actions were.
"Strange, why did the upper sect choose our Yunxia Sect as the destination for the linkage? Did the fact that we obtained a large amount of spirit stones get reported to the Yun Sect by those three families?" Yun Yun said with a frown.
Yun Hui and the others lowered their heads and said nothing. Anyway, it was not a good thing. If it was an open conspiracy, it would be fine. But they were afraid that Yun Zong would plot a surprise attack.
The Yunxia Sect also has people in the Yun Sect. Every year, they spend a large amount of spirit stones to please an elder of the Yun Sect. This elder is their insider in the Yun Sect.
It was this elder who conveyed the news that the Yun Sect's visitors had ill intentions, asking them to make preparations early.
The larger the sect, the more it is not a monolithic entity. In addition, the higher the level of cultivation of the monks, the more self-centered they are. They don't care about the decline of the sect. As long as they get benefits, they can just change to another sect. There is no need to hang yourself on a rotten tree.
"Big sister, I suggest that Aoxue be allowed to temporarily leave the sect and take shelter." Yun Hui said.
He was worried that the Yun Sect would come up with some tricks that they were unaware of.
Chapter 63: Four Sects Gathering
Yun Yun was also thinking about this matter. Lin Aoxue was the biggest secret of their Yunxia Sect. According to the rules, since she was the upper sect leader, they could not take people away by force, but they could have many reasons to take the disciples away.
For example, letting Lin Aoxue go to Yun Sect for further studies is a good thing, as it helps you train disciples. However, under normal circumstances, after they take people away, they can use many means to make these disciples unwilling to return to their original sect.
The Yun Sect used this method quite a lot. In fact, many disciples from their four sects who went to the Yun Sect for deep training never came back. They directly became disciples of the Yun Sect.
The reason given by Yun Zong was that they were unwilling to come back, not that Yun Zong did not want them to come back. This was an open conspiracy.
Becoming a disciple of Yun Sect, your status suddenly becomes higher, and you have more prospects and better treatment. Who would be willing to come back?
With regard to this method, there is no possibility for the Four Sects to refuse, because in theory, it will not do any harm to the Four Sects, but the prerequisite is that the disciple must come back.
But if you don't come back it will be a huge loss.
"But, Yunhui, have you ever thought about this question? How do you know that there are no spies sent by the Yun Sect in our Yunxia Sect? If they already know of Lin Aoxue's existence, and we deliberately hide her, if the envoy from the sect asks about it, how will you answer?" Yun Ling also spoke up to remind them.
This sentence made Yun Hui speechless, because the problem that Yun Ling was worried about was also an objective fact. They all knew that there were people from the Yun Sect in their sect, but they were not particularly clear who they were.
Anyway, they are now in a dilemma. After all, facing the powerful Yun Sect, they can only accept it and have no possibility of rejection. Although the Yun Sect has declined compared to many years ago, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. The Yun Sect is still an unshakable behemoth for the Yunxia Sect.
"Oh! Forget it, let's take it one step at a time. There's no point in thinking so much. What is coming will come anyway." Yun Yun said with some headache.
Then look at Ye Liuyun and Lin Aoxue.
After Lin Aoxue reported the message, she planned to go back. However, when she was leaving Ye Liuyun's residence, Ye Liuyun suddenly said something.
"Aoxue, what if Yunzong finds you and wants to take you to Yunzong?" Ye Liuyun asked.
This question stunned Lin Aoxue, who was about to go back. She had never thought about this question before. She stood at the door, thinking left and right, and then smiled faintly.
"It doesn't seem to matter. At most, it will be a little troublesome to meet you in the future, and I will definitely find a way to bring you to Yunzong as well." Lin Aoxue said with a smile.
But Ye Liuyun shook his head.
"I think things are not as simple as you think. However, we still need to be mentally prepared. The Yun Sect does not have good intentions." Ye Liuyun said with some melancholy.
"Oh, don't think too much. We have to eat one bite at a time and walk one step at a time. Anyway, we are all cultivators and our lifespans are very long. There is no need to worry about it too much. I'll go back first." After saying this, Lin Aoxue flew away.
After she left, Ye Liuyun immediately returned to the house and started talking with Lin Qingyou.
"Master, what do you think about this matter?" Ye Liuyun asked with some concern.
"Is there any need to think about this? The upper sect is suddenly coming to inspect the subordinate sect. They are here to ask for someone. You must be mentally prepared. There is a high probability that your girlfriend will be taken away by the Yun Sect. Maybe this is a bad thing for the Yunxia Sect, but it is definitely a great thing for your girlfriend. If she goes to the Yun Sect, she will have a broader world." Lin Qingyou said.
Ye Liuyun understood this principle. If Yunzong really wanted to take Lin Aoxue away, Ye Liuyun would not be angry. It’s just that Yunzong is far away from Yunxiazong, so it would be difficult to meet Lin Aoxue again.
Moreover, if Lin Aoxue was taken to Yun Sect, Ye Liuyun would definitely not stay in Yunxia Sect for too long.
Ye Liuyun also needs to make preparations early.
The appearance of those strange animals gave the Yunxia Sect some funny jokes worth talking about every day, making people laugh and cry every day.
However, this sudden linkage of the four sects made the atmosphere in the Yunxia Sect become depressing and heavy for a while. Not only the outer disciples, but also the inner disciples were not much different.
Because they also received reminders from their own masters, asking them to make all necessary preparations to deal with unknown troubles.
Ye Liuyun began to frantically refine pills again, especially those that increased one's cultivation level. She was going to use up almost all the herbs she had collected from the Medicine Pavilion.
I haven't been making any improper elixirs these days.
On the third day, which was the day before the four sects' joint action, cultivators from the other three sects, along with their disciples who were taking the test, arrived at the Yunxia Sect one after another. However, judging from the expressions of these disciples and the masters of the three sects, they did not seem happy either.
The disciples of the three sects were stationed at the foot of Fuyun Mountain, while the top leaders came to Yunxia Sect. After all, this incident was not just a trouble for Yunxia Sect alone.
Inside the Yunxia Sect's main hall, the four sect leaders sat in a row in the center, with their chief elders sitting on both sides. The atmosphere was even more serious than the Yunxia Sect's internal meeting yesterday.
"Haha, I'm very curious. Why did the upper sect choose our Yunxia Sect as the assessment site? Is there anything special about our Yunxia Sect? Three sect masters, do you three want to explain to me? Are you jealous because our Yunxia Sect has obtained a spirit stone vein? Do you have to cause trouble for us?" Yun Yun said rudely.
Everyone in the Yunxia Sect unanimously believed that this matter must be related to their three families.
The people sitting next to Yun Yun were Zi Lan from Zixia Sect, whom she had met last time.
Then came the Xixia Sect’s leader, the Xiri Sect’s leader, and the Yanxia Sect’s leader, the Yanchen Sect’s leader.
The three sect leaders did not get angry immediately when they heard Yun Yun's impolite attitude, because if they were in their place, they would definitely think that the other three families were jealous of the spirit stone veins they had obtained, and then deliberately reported it to the Yun Sect in secret to cause trouble for them.
This possibility is very high, and anyone with a little common sense would conclude so.
But this time, Yun Yun, Yun Hui and others’ guesses were wrong.
"Master Yun, I can understand why you think so, but what I want to tell you is that this matter has nothing to do with my Yanxia Sect. It doesn't matter whether you believe it or not." Yan Chen said lightly.
"Yes, your sect has obtained a large amount of spirit stones, which does make our sect jealous, but our Xixia Sect will not ruin our own future for a few spirit stones. So, Sect Master Yun has to think carefully about this matter. Of course, it is possible that someone among us informed on the matter, but it was definitely not our Xixia Sect." Xiri also said.
They both told Yun Yun so seriously that this was not done by our two families, which means that this might have been done by the Zixia Sect. After all, the Zixia Sect suffered such a big loss, it is reasonable for them to secretly retaliate against the Yunxia Sect.
When Zi Lan heard this, she felt a little unhappy and she stood up suddenly.
"What do you mean? Old ghost Xi Ri, old ghost Yan Chen, if you want to say that this matter was done by my Zixia Sect, just say it clearly and don't be sarcastic. Let me say this: our Zixia Sect has never done this matter. Believe it or not, I'm too lazy to explain." Zi Lan said angrily.
"Oh, Sect Master Zi Lan, please don't be so angry. We only said that your sect is the most likely culprit. We didn't say that it was definitely done by your sect. After all, there must be spies arranged by the upper sect within our four sects. Maybe it was the spies who said it, Sect Master Yun, what do you think?" The old Taoist Yanchen said with a smile.
When Yun Yun heard this, she had to hold back what she wanted to say. After all, the other party had already mentioned all the possibilities, so what else could she say?
Zi Lan also sat down sulking. What they wanted to discuss now was tomorrow's coordination matters.
"Forget it, it's already like this. There's no point in continuing to dwell on this matter. Are the disciples from your three families ready? The assessment project should be meaningless, right?" Yun Yun asked.
The three of them shook their heads. They didn't care about this assessment at all. What they cared about was the real purpose of Yunzong's assessment. They were all thinking about this issue.
But after thinking about it, their only answer was that the Yun Sect was looking for an excuse to ask for people from their four major sects. After all, this had happened more than once or twice.
Chapter 64 Unexpected
The leaders of the four sects did not continue to talk about the Yun Sect. After all, even if the Yun Sect really wanted to take a tough approach, there was no possibility for them, the four lower-level sects, to refuse.
The next day, Ye Liuyun went out early at dawn.
"Ah! It's time. I hope nothing unexpected happens today." Ye Liuyun was about to go to the gathering.
However, before going out, she discovered that the peach tree stump that was struck by lightning had changed. A blue sapling emerged in the center of the peach stump.
"Oh, there are saplings growing?" Ye Liuyun walked over with some surprise.
This blue Lingtao sapling looks very delicate and crystal clear. You can tell at a glance that it is not an ordinary sapling.
