Chapter 666: Outer Sect Examination

This trend did not stop; instead, it continued to intensify. True qi and solar power kept pouring in, making the altar Ye Qin was constructing larger, sturdier, and more unique. Various kinds of energy seemed to intertwine upon it, yet he did not inscribe any formation patterns on the altar.

"This way, breaking through from Foundation Establishment to Golden Core later should be much easier for me. I wonder how other disciples achieve Foundation Establishment?"

Ye Qin felt he was somewhat special; perhaps because his cultivation technique was different, he could achieve Foundation Establishment in this way.

Although he had not yet personally experienced the great power after successful Foundation Establishment, he now felt certain he would not fail. All this was thanks to his unconventional Foundation Establishment method.

Strands of sunlight were absorbed into his body. In a sense, this light is both an energy, containing destructive power and nurturing vitality.

Boom!

Ye Qin did not know that, as the scorching sensation radiating from him spread outward, the leaves in the courtyard had already been ignited. Soon after, the leaves withered and self-ignited. Even the wooden house not far away showed a tendency to self-ignite. This was an extremely terrifying matter. If the sect investigated, he would surely not escape disaster.

Crack!

At that moment, many strong cultivators within the Haoran Immortal Sect were startled awake by the unusualness of Ye Qin's cultivation. Streams of divine sense swept over the area. In fact, even before the wooden house self-ignited, it had already attracted the attention of many strong cultivators. Finally, a mysterious light ring appeared out of nowhere, enveloping Ye Qin's courtyard in a flash before vanishing.

Everything seemed as if it had never happened. The trees regained their vitality, and Ye Qin's aura was restrained.

Around him, true qi continued to surge vigorously, spiritual qi mixed with solar power flowing into Ye Qin's body like spring water. As the Nine Grade Dao Technique operated, true qi increased further, like a surging tide.

His aura was grand and domineering, leaking outward.

An aura distinct from ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators was fully revealed. "This powerful aura…… is mine……"

Although he still harbored some doubts and confusion, when Ye Qin truly sensed this aura, he suddenly realized: he was indeed strong, at least far stronger than he had imagined.

"Does this count as successful Foundation Establishment? I don't know if I'll pass the test." This determined whether he could become an inner sect disciple of the Haoran Immortal Sect.

Regardless, leaning against a big tree to catch a breeze is always fine, and there are abundant resources to obtain. Given this situation, Ye Qin couldn't help but worry: "I hope there's still time. Inner sect disciple, here I come!"

He slowly withdrew his cultivation, true qi returning to his dantian. His aura gradually restrained and finally vanished. When he opened his eyes again, he noticed the leaves in the courtyard had completely disappeared.

"Unconventional Foundation Establishment, I never expected it to really succeed." This was an unprecedented attempt, even he himself did not understand its mysteries.

At that moment, a light knocking sound suddenly rang out. A middle-aged man wearing the robes of a Haoran Immortal Sect steward slowly entered the courtyard, coldly saying: "Ye Qin? Remember to go to the outer sect training field three days from now to participate in the Foundation Establishment examination. This is also your last chance."

Ye Qin quickly nodded, "Yes!" He was currently only an outer sect disciple; calling him a reserve of the Haoran Immortal Sect would not be an exaggeration. Without becoming an inner sect disciple, he had no say, even when facing a lowly steward.

Then Ye Qin clasped his hands and said, "Thank you for the reminder, steward sir."

Before the man had walked far, a voice came: "Hmm, with your strength, just go through the motions."

He had long seen that Ye Qin was unusual; although Ye Qin restrained his aura within his body, from the surrounding environment one could still tell that the residual aura here was that of Foundation Establishment. However, for some reason, this steward did not pay much attention.

Ye Qin felt a surge of joy, secretly thinking: "It seems this examination should go smoothly; there will surely be a place for me among the inner sect disciples."

This was great news; he quickly gathered some ingredients, cooked a delicious celebratory meal, and smiled. However, Huang Rong was still inside the Vajra Bracelet, and he didn't know her condition, which made him quite worried.

"But she should be fine; she looks like she's just resting. However, to know the specifics I still need to examine further." But his current strength was weak, and he could not discern any problem.

He wanted to release Huang Rong from the Vajra Bracelet, but after several attempts he still failed.

It wasn't that he didn't want to do something; rather, he currently couldn't do anything. The path of cultivation is still long, and many things he doesn't understand. As an outer sect disciple, aside from Foundation Establishment it's still just Foundation Establishment, and even the chance to become an inner sect disciple is slim.

Therefore, he had not yet undergone the system's training, unless he could in the future.

"Judging by the current situation, Rong'er is staying in the Vajra Bracelet due to some special reason, but her life is not in danger. With my ability, it won't be long before I can let her reappear, and even cultivating together with me is not impossible."

But the premise of all this is that he must first establish a firm foothold in the Haoran Immortal Sect and also clarify Huang Rong's current condition.

These all require strong strength to guarantee, and Ye Qin believes he has this confidence, at least possessing such strength in the short term.

He also thought: "Although my talent is ordinary, with the Vajra Bracelet's aid, the cultivation technique I obtained is the most perfect and top‑tier. A good technique determines how far a cultivator can go."

What determines how far one can go is certainly not talent, nor effort. It is like a bucket: only if it is tall and wide enough can it hold more water. Effort and talent merely decide the speed and amount of filling.

Without a technique, even excellent talent and hard work are wasted, yielding no harvest—just futile effort.

"Forget it, first consolidate my cultivation level." Ye Qin shook his head; regardless of what comes later, he must first become an inner sect disciple.

Inner sect, it is both an identity and a resource.

Three days—neither long nor short. For Ye Qin, it was just enough to consolidate his Foundation Establishment cultivation level. This time he had finally stepped into the threshold of cultivation; thereafter he only needed to cultivate step by step.

Of course, many resources are still needed.

Three days later, the outer sect examination officially began.

This was also the final examination for the disciples who had entered the outer sect of the Haoran Immortal Sect five years ago. Once found to have failed Foundation Establishment, they would be forcibly driven down the mountain; staying would be useless.

Naturally, the basic Foundation Establishment methods previously distributed will not be taken back; this could also be considered a benefit for outer sect disciples. If the sect has need later, they cannot refuse. After all, being driven down the mountain is merely due to failing Foundation Establishment, but in a sense they remain outer sect disciples of the Haoran Immortal Sect, unchanged.

Each cohort has five years; if they still haven't succeeded after five years, they may never succeed.

Therefore, this examination is crucial.

Some were happy, some sad, and some felt anxious and restless.

The outer sect training field and the inner sect training field are different, located separately. Before going, Ye Qin looked around his wooden house and saw no one else, so he felt relieved.

"It seems those who used to live around me, Wang Dacai and the others, have already left; I'm the only one left." A cohort consists of tens of thousands of outer sect members; after five years, those who left or died have gone, leaving far fewer who remain.

However, the cohort that entered the Haoran Immortal Sect together with Ye Qin five years ago still numbers around five thousand, which is still a frightening figure. This can be seen as soon as Ye Qin enters the outer sect training field.

The place was packed with people; some knew each other, some came from the same city. Ye Qin arrived neither early nor late, and already many were conversing on the training field.

Actually, whether one can stay doesn't need the examination; a glance makes it clear. But to prevent people from slacking off or refusing to leave, this process was retained.

Ye Qin had no friends; perhaps a few fellow townsmen knew him, but in this crowded training field he did not seek them out.

Beside him stood a person with sharp features and piercing aura, named Xu Wei, who came from the same city and thus was a fellow townsman. But from the moment they set out five years ago, Ye Qin knew this man was extremely arrogant and domineering.

"Hey, Qin the genius has arrived—what, you also want to give it a try?" Xu Wei's cold tone carried a hint of mockery.

Just talking wasn't enough; he also brought along a few like‑minded companions and walked over nonchalantly toward Ye Qin.

"Senior Brother Xu, your fellow townsman seems unwilling to engage with us; it looks like you're losing face."

"I actually think this guy has quite a personality, but he slighted Senior Brother Xu's face, which is rather surprising."

A few light‑hearted jibes and remarks gradually put Xu Wei and Ye Qin on opposing sides. Originally Xu Wei only wanted to make a few sarcastic comments, but Ye Qin gave him no face.

So he immediately stepped up to Ye Qin's face, his chiseled visage coming into view: "Ye Qin, I'm talking to you!"

He shouted in anger and frustration.

Ye Qin, however, looked calm, as tranquil as still wind and waves, and casually replied: "Oh? I thought you were talking to someone else. After all, there's more than one person surnamed Qin, and I never called myself a genius, so who knows whom you're calling!"

Xu Wei: "……"

Is this a provocation?

Damn it!

Xu Wei fumed inwardly, his old face involuntarily turning a dark bluish-green.

"Ye Qin, are you challenging me?" Xu Wei raised his eyebrows, looked at Ye Qin with a grim expression, and said, "Someone like you who can't even reach Foundation Establishment will eventually be expelled from the sect, forever remain an outer sect disciple, and have no chance at the path of longevity.... From today on, remember this: we are no longer people of the same world."

He single-mindedly pursued the path to immortality, while this person before him couldn't even hope to reach Foundation Establishment, not even worthy of his notice.

【67> He reached out and placed his hand on Ye Qin's shoulder; suddenly his palm muscles tensed, he increased his force, wanting to give Ye Qin a taste of his own medicine.

He placed his hand on Ye Qin's shoulder, then suddenly his palm muscles tensed, he increased the force, wanting to give Ye Qin a little taste of his own medicine.

But Ye Qin merely glanced at him coldly, the corner of his mouth curling into a sneer, "Is that so? Perhaps we really are people of two different worlds."

After saying that, he also placed his hand on Xu Wei's shoulder, fingers spread, exerted slight force, and grabbed Xu Wei's shoulder. A strength greater than Xu Wei's surged forth.

To Ye Qin, Xu Wei's strength felt like a light fall—though it hurt a little, it was still within an acceptable range.

But Ye Qin's strength was somewhat strange; the formerly confident Xu Wei now showed a hint of pain on his face. He widened his eyes, looked at Ye Qin in disbelief, and sneered, "You...... how is that possible?"

He had seen the world before, but the pain in his shoulder snapped him awake, the whole shoulder feeling as if clamped by vise, terrifying to the extreme.

He wanted to move but couldn't, as if a tremendous force were binding him. The arm he had placed on Ye Qin's shoulder slipped limp, his face turned dark bluish-green, and he even began to groan in pain.

"Nothing impossible." Ye Qin said calmly, his tone steady, "Xu Wei, someone like you will never become an immortal; Foundation Establishment may be your limit."

Xu Wei still wanted to retort, but seeing Ye Qin's confident face left him dazed, and he stammered, "You...... when did you become this strong?"

He knew Ye Qin's situation all too well, having been present when his talent was tested, so he knew Ye Qin's talent was mediocre. That's precisely why he always considered himself a genius and took the opportunity to mock Ye Qin.

He had originally intended to teach Ye Qin a lesson to show off his strength.

Who would have thought he would end up falling flat on his face?

Damn it!

Xu Wei was furious inside, but now he had no choice; under everyone's watchful eyes, he couldn't possibly come to blows with Ye Qin.

After a long while, he finally spoke in a low voice: "Ye Qin, what exactly do you want?"

He truly didn't understand what Ye Qin was up to, and besides, they were both in the outer sect training ground, waiting for the upcoming assessment.

Ye Qin glanced at him coolly, his face suddenly turning cold, and said in a low voice, "How about it, Senior Brother Xu Wei—do you ever feel afraid? I call you senior brother out of courtesy, but don't think you're actually worth much."

In his eyes, Xu Wei was worth nothing.

What about Foundation Establishment? Who can say what the future holds?

After a while longer, Ye Qin eased his grip, merely patting Xu Wei's shoulder lightly and smiling, "It's not about what I want, but what you want. I remember I'm here waiting for the assessment; you came over looking for a beating—that's not my fault. Perhaps you're right; we are destined to be people of two different worlds."

Although he said that without basis, Ye Qin felt he needed none.

Those words made Xu Wei wish he could find a crack in the ground to hide in. If it weren't for his own shamelessness in coming over to mock Ye Qin, he wouldn't have ended up so embarrassed.

More importantly, his shoulder hurt terribly, as if it no longer belonged to him.

If the standoff continued, with the assessment not yet started, he might have to lie down first. By then he'd likely have to slink back in disgrace.

Of course, Ye Qin did not do that.

Xu Wei never expected Ye Qin to let him off so easily. In his view, if Ye Qin took the opportunity to kick him, that would be normal. But the fact is, Ye Qin didn't go out of his way to make things difficult for him. Besides, kicking him now would be pointless—one kick couldn't kill him, and it would only deepen the hatred, achieving nothing.

If there were a suitable opportunity, Xu Wei reckoned he'd already be dead. Ye Qin is a tough character. (End of chapter)