Chapter 357: Liu Shushan

At the mouth of the canyon, the dense crowd gradually dispersed.

The Attendants of the Inner History Department, holding registration books, walked into the crowd and began to verify the Sect Cloud Tokens and assessment slips of those who had passed the first round.

Only then did Duan Rong understand why no one had checked them when they first entered the canyon.

Since seventy percent of the Registered Disciples were going to be eliminated, wouldn't checking them then be a waste of effort?

Soon, an old Attendant stepped onto the Altar, walked up to Duan Rong, bowed respectfully, and said with a smile, "Senior Brother, please show me your Sect Cloud Token."

This old Attendant had graying temples and was clearly an old hand within the Sect, yet he treated Duan Rong with great respect, his eyes full of smiles. This was naturally because Duan Rong was the first person in this Divine Soul assessment, having come within half a step of stepping onto the Altar.

His future achievements would be limitless; with such talent, it would likely not be difficult for him to enter the Elder Council in the future.

There were only eleven people in total who had crossed the Red Line on the Altar.

After the old Attendant from the Inner History Department verified and registered them one by one, he offered a salute and left.

But his task was actually not easy at all. He still had to go back, organize personnel to compile the detailed information of these eleven people, and submit it to the Elder Council as soon as possible—especially the information on the one named Duan Rong, which had to be collected in minute detail, leaving nothing out.

After the old Attendant left, Duan Rong stood at the edge of the Altar, gazing at the enormous divine statue to the south of the Yougu.

This stone statue was so massive, yet it did not lose its realism; it was almost indistinguishable from the image of the Immovable Wisdom King in his mind.

But Duan Rong knew very well that the difficulty of carving such a mountain-sized statue far exceeded that of a small stone statue.

There had to be a clear plan, with the work divided among several groups, each responsible for a section.

Furthermore, each group needed a clear-headed organizer leading a team of skilled craftsmen to make the plan possible.

Even so, this massive Mandala that connected heaven and earth would likely take years of effort to complete.

Using a mountain as a base to carve a stone statue, and doing so with such lifelike detail without losing its essence, was truly an immeasurable undertaking.

If this place were in his past life, it would likely be one of the eight wonders of the world.

Duan Rong stood there, sighing at the grandeur of the Mandala before him.

Just then, a figure slowly walked to Duan Rong's side.

Duan Rong turned his head and saw that this person was not tall and was quite thin, but his face was beaming like a flower. He cupped his hands slightly toward Duan Rong and said, "I am Liu Shushan. May I ask how to address you, brother?"

Duan Rong recognized this person at a glance; he was one of the people at the opposite canyon entrance, and besides himself, this person was the closest to the Altar.

Moreover, he had not fainted in the end. It was evident that he, too, had not taken that final step.

Duan Rong turned around, cupped his hands in return, and said, "I am Duan Rong."

As soon as Duan Rong turned around, his gaze flickered slightly.

He saw that the others on the Altar were either standing coldly and aloof in the corners or chatting and getting to know one another...

And because he had been standing alone at the edge of the Altar, staring blankly at the divine statue, he naturally gave off a "keep away" vibe, so no one had come up to chat with him.

When this Liu Shushan came over, he had been prepared for a cold reception, but he hadn't expected Duan Rong's demeanor and conversation to be so easygoing, and the two soon began to chat.

As they talked, they discovered that this Liu Shushan was actually from Ruyang Prefecture.

This Ruyang Prefecture bordered Yuanyang Prefecture to the southeast, and Duan Rong had been there a few times while working as an escort for the Yuanshun Escort Agency.

The two chatted more and more enthusiastically.

A few people saw Duan Rong turn around and wanted to come over to chat, but seeing him chatting so warmly with Liu Shushan, they felt it was not appropriate to interrupt.

While Duan Rong and Liu Shushan were chatting on the Altar, the area around the Altar remained noisy.

The eleven of them did not need to participate in the second round of the assessment, so the old Attendant left after registering them.

But those below the Altar all had to participate in the second round; after the Attendants of the Inner History Department finished verifying and registering them, they still had to number and stamp each person's assessment slip to prepare for the second round.

By the time Xiao Yu, Ximen Kankan, and Shen Mizhi held their stamped slips and stood at the edge of the Altar waiting for Duan Rong, Liu Shushan was still by the stone railing, talking incessantly to Duan Rong.

Duan Rong's throat was already a bit dry, but this person remained high-spirited, talking with increasing fervor.

Duan Rong turned his head to look at Xiao Yu and the others at the edge of the Altar, a trace of imperceptible impatience flashing in his eyes.

Liu Shushan was immediately alert; he turned his head slightly and saw Xiao Yu and the others, and Xiao Yu and Ximen Kankan were both looking at him with strange expressions.

Liu Shushan gave an awkward smile; he had gotten a bit too excited talking, and he immediately bid farewell to Duan Rong and left.

Only then did Duan Rong walk slowly over to Xiao Yu and the others.

Xiao Yu glanced at Liu Shushan's retreating figure and asked Duan Rong, "Who is that?"

Before Duan Rong could answer, Ximen Kankan interjected, "Thin and short, like a monkey, and waving his arms around so much..."

Ximen Kankan imitated the way Liu Shushan had been gesturing while talking, which made both Xiao Yu and Shen Mizhi laugh.

Duan Rong also smiled and said, "His name is Liu Shushan, he is from Ruyang Prefecture."

When Duan Rong said this, he was looking at Xiao Yu.

Because Xiao Yu had worked as an escort at the Escort Agency longer than he had, and had been to Ruyang Prefecture countless times.

Xiao Yu's expression indeed changed slightly. "Is that so? He's from Ruyang Prefecture."

In these Endless Great Mountains, meeting someone from near one's hometown inevitably evokes a sense of closeness.

Ximen Kankan said, "Next time you see him, tell him I gave him a nickname: Liu the Monkey."

Duan Rong said, "You should tell him that kind of asking-for-a-beating talk yourself."

Duan Rong and the others chatted idly as they walked out of the Yougu.

After all, the four of them had passed the first round of the assessment, so the atmosphere was quite cheerful as they gathered together.

They returned to Duan Rong's hill and prepared a very sumptuous dinner.

They even opened the last jar of fruit wine Ximen Kankan had, and the four of them became slightly tipsy in the cave. Moreover, Shen Mizhi could not hold her liquor and actually got drunk.

When the group dispersed, Xiao Yu saw that Shen Mizhi was drunk and unconscious, so she stayed behind to take care of her. Duan Rong and Ximen Kankan went to the cave on the other side to sleep.

The next day, they rested for a day.

On the third day, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, the group climbed up early; they had to hurry to participate in the second round of the assessment.

Duan Rong yawned and followed Xiao Yu and the others along the cliff toward the Cableway.

Shen Mizhi turned her head to look at Duan Rong and said, "Don't you not have to participate in the second round of the assessment? Why are you following along?"

Duan Rong said, "With you and Ximen Kankan like this, neither of you is worry-free. I will go help Xiao Yu keep an eye on you all."

"Oh..." Shen Mizhi laughed, "You aren't even married yet, and you're already taking on the airs of a brother-in-law."

As Shen Mizhi spoke, she lightly nudged Xiao Yu with her shoulder. "Ah..."

Xiao Yu's face was already bright red; being nudged on the shoulder by Shen Mizhi, she raised her head and glared at her.

Shen Mizhi immediately stopped talking and pursed her lips, smiling.

Duan Rong walked behind them, shaking his head to himself. This Shen Mizhi was sharp-tongued and mean-spirited by nature.

After crossing three iron chains, Duan Rong and the others arrived at a platform halfway up a mountain.

They saw that the platform here was quite spacious, and on the ground, one could see large circles already drawn with Red Line.

The glaring red circles continued into the distance, dazzling to the eyes.

At the entrance to the platform, a wooden fence was set up with a small wooden gate left open, and several people from the Ruling Sect Justice Division were guarding there.

An examiner was currently checking the Sect Cloud Tokens and examination slips of those arriving.

They would check one, then let one in.

At this time, the hour was still early, and there were only four or five people at the entrance; Duan Rong and the others walked over quickly.

That person checked very quickly, basically glancing twice before letting them in.

Soon, Ximen Kankan, Shen Mizhi, and Xiao Yu were all let in and waited near the entrance inside.

Duan Rong stood by the gate and handed his Sect Cloud Token and examination slip to the man.

The man opened the Sect Cloud Token, looked at Duan Rong twice against the portrait, and just as he was about to let him pass, he suddenly discovered that there was no stamp or serial number for the second round on Duan Rong's examination slip.

The man frowned, glared at Duan Rong, and asked, "Why are there no serial number and stamp on your slip?"

Duan Rong looked toward Xiao Yu and the others; since the inspection was so strict, he had no choice but to withdraw.

Just as Duan Rong was about to explain, he saw a figure jump out from behind the examiner.

Yang Yi had arrived at the second round examination site early; he had someone move a grand armchair and place it not far from the gate.

Then he curled up in the grand armchair, one leg propped high on the armrest, half-closing his eyes to catch up on sleep.

The reason Yang Yi dared to nap here with such poor posture was that he knew the Sect's upper echelons did not care much about this second round of examinations, and not a single Elder from the Elder Council had come.

The Inner History Department had only sent one History Supervisor, and as for the Ruling Sect Justice Division, he was the one leading the team. He was in charge of at least half the sky for this second round of examinations, so he could do whatever he wanted.

Yang Yi was curled in the grand armchair, eyes half-closed, when he suddenly heard someone at the gate shouting about something regarding no serial number on an examination slip.

He thought someone was faking things to get by, so he immediately perked up, stood up from the grand armchair, jumped to the gate, and coldly barked, "What happened?"

The examiner at the gate immediately handed the Sect Cloud Token and examination slip of Duan Rong in his hand to Yang Yi, saying, "This guy, his examination slip doesn't have the serial number and stamp for the second round."

Yang Yi rubbed his sleepy eyes and flipped over the examination slip; sure enough, the place where the stamp should have been was completely blank.

He smiled, raised his head, looked toward the gate, and saw Duan Rong standing there.

Seeing Yang Yi looking at him, Duan Rong felt slightly awkward and explained, "It is Manager Yang! These three are my friends from my hometown. They are participating in the second round of examinations today, and I originally thought to follow along and watch. Since it is not very convenient, then I, Duan, will just leave."

After Duan Rong finished speaking, he waited for Yang Yi to return his Sect Cloud Token and examination slip.

Seeing Duan Rong act this way, the examiner couldn't help but sneer, his eyes looking at Duan Rong with some mockery.

He had been following Yang Yi for several years and knew their Manager Yang's temperament too well. He was the type who would pick bones out of an egg and was born to find trouble for others. Who knew if this guy was here to impersonate someone? Falling into Manager Yang's hands, he wanted to get away with just a "not very convenient."

That was thinking too beautifully!

But just at this moment, Yang Yi suddenly said, "It's convenient. How could it not be convenient? Brother Duan, please enter!"

As Yang Yi spoke, he gestured with his right hand, his demeanor very friendly.

Duan Rong was slightly stunned and walked in.

The sneer that had just appeared on the face of the examiner at the gate instantly froze there.

"Duan... Brother?!"

When Duan Rong walked closer, Yang Yi held Duan Rong's Sect Cloud Token and examination slip up with both hands and presented them before him.

Duan Rong was somewhat surprised; he immediately took them, cupped his hands, and said, "Many thanks, Manager Yang."

Yang Yi also smiled and said, "Brother Duan, no need for courtesy. Making things convenient for others is making things convenient for oneself. Besides, the first time is a stranger, the second time is an acquaintance; between you and me, there is a long road ahead!"

Yang Yi had been thinking the day before about how to mend his relationship with Duan Rong; he hadn't expected that just as he was feeling sleepy, someone would provide a pillow, and he had encountered this matter today. If he didn't take this opportunity to do Duan Rong a favor, and instead blocked him out, things would only become more distant, and how would they get along in the future?

Hearing this, Duan Rong's expression shifted; he naturally could hear that Yang Yi was trying to build a connection with him.

Duan Rong thanked Yang Yi again before taking his leave.

Watching the backs of Duan Rong and Xiao Yu and the others as they left, Yang Yi yawned with satisfaction.

Yang Yi turned his head and saw that the examiner was standing there blankly, his expression shocked.

When that person saw Yang Yi call that unremarkable guy "Brother Duan," his heart skipped a beat, and later, Yang Yi actually treated that person with such great respect, truly like a younger brother to an older one.

He really couldn't understand: with Yang Sixuan as a great backer, why would Yang Yi humble himself so much to a Registered Disciple participating in the examination?

He had not been present at the Yougu examination the day before, so he naturally did not know that the unremarkable guy was the one who had almost stepped onto the Altar.

Yang Yi saw that the person was standing blankly at the gate, and there were already several people standing outside; the one at the very front was a female disciple. She saw the examiner standing with his back to her, looking at the four people who had left not far away. And those four, judging by their attire and age, should be like her, Registered Disciples participating in the examination.

"Why are you standing there blankly instead of working?"

Yang Yi dropped this indifferent sentence, then paced back to the grand armchair, curled into it, and dozed off.

Only then did the man wake up; he turned his head and saw that quite a few people were already standing outside the gate, and at the very front was a beautiful female disciple, who was looking at him with a rather strange expression.

The man felt somewhat awkward, pretended to cough, and then took her Sect Cloud Token and examination slip from the female disciple's hand.

Over here, Duan Rong and the others had already arrived at a designated waiting area at the edge of the large platform.

There, two or three people from the Inner History Department were shouting for everyone to stand in order according to their serial numbers.

And beside each of the large Red Line circles on the large platform, there was also a person from the Inner History Department standing with a brush.

During the competition later, they would record the results of victory and defeat, and also monitor the process.

That's right, the second round of the examination was a one-on-one duel.

Within that large Red Line circle, those who step on the Red Line, those who go out of the circle, and those who lose their combat ability are judged as having failed.

The competition consists of two rounds in total. The winners of the first round are considered to have passed the assessment.

Those who lose the first round will proceed to the second round of competition.

The winners pass, and the losers are eliminated.

This means that this second assessment only eliminates one-quarter of the people, while the majority of people can pass.

This is completely incomparable to the cruelty of the first assessment, which directly eliminated seventy percent of the people.

From this, one can also see the Sect's intentions.

Those who pass the Divine Soul test are considered by the Sect to be promising talents; at the very least, they can bolster the Sect's strength, or in the worst case, be sent out to manage the secular world on behalf of the Sect.

Therefore, this second round of assessment is clearly much milder.

(End of chapter)