Chapter 5: Half a Year

After the ceremony to enter the family register concluded, Ye Qingxuan and the others were led to a courtyard and given lodging.

The next day, someone came to teach them the basics of cultivation.

The instruction covered the Ye family rules, realm divisions, spiritual roots, meridian acupoints, cultivation taboos, scripture interpretation, cultivation techniques, and more.

On the very first day of formal study, Ye Qingxuan learned about the realm divisions of this world.

There are ten realms in total:

Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Purple Mansion, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, Void Penetration, Empty Nirvana, Tribulation Crossing, and Mahayana!

In the days that followed, a small portion of the other teaching content was something Ye Qingxuan had already learned in the library of the Ye Immortal City.

Combined with Ye Qingxuan's extraordinary memory and comprehension, he mastered these basics after just one study session.

Thus, Ye Qingxuan's learning progress was astonishing, far surpassing everyone else's.

Fortunately, Mount Yunwu also had a library, so Ye Qingxuan did not waste his time.

The books in Mount Yunwu were incomparable to those in the Ye Immortal City, covering much knowledge related to cultivation.

No matter where one is, knowledge is indispensable.

If he wanted to go further, he had to accumulate more knowledge.

Spiritual herbs, demonic beasts, heavenly treasures, elixirs, artifacts, arrays, talismans, and even spiritual plant masters.

Although Ye Qingxuan might not choose these as minor disciplines later, it would do no harm to learn about them in advance.

During these half a year.

Ye Qingxuan was either studying or on his way to study.

During this period, many clansmen who were previously strangers gradually got along, made many friends, and formed small circles.

Even Ye Qingxuan, who had been burying himself in study, made acquaintances with a few clansmen after becoming friends with Ye Qingxiao, though their bond was not deep.

The half-year of living and studying also greatly enhanced everyone's sense of belonging to the Ye family!

Perhaps this was one of the reasons the Ye family made everyone live and study together for half a year?

Busy time always passes quickly; in the blink of an eye, the day of the assessment arrived.

"Qingxuan, when you get the reward for first place in the assessment, you have to treat us!"

On the way to the assessment site, Ye Qingxiao threw an arm around Ye Qingxuan and said carelessly.

Looking at Ye Qingxiao who had his arm around him, Ye Qingxuan couldn't help but roll his eyes at him:

"Fine! Fine! Fine! I'll treat you to a big meal then!"

As he spoke, Ye Qingxuan couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

The ingredients in this world are nourished by spiritual energy; their deliciousness is incomparable to anything from his past life.

Especially the meat of demonic beasts; it ignites not just the taste buds, but every cell in the body.

Unfortunately, demonic beast meat is also extremely scarce. In these half a year, Ye Qingxuan and the others had only eaten it a few times, and the memory remained unforgettable.

Although this assessment was not a major event, the Ye family had prepared some small rewards.

The first place in the assessment would receive a bottle of Qi-Inducing Pills and three hundred low-grade spirit stones.

Whether it was the Qi-Inducing Pills or the three hundred low-grade spirit stones, they were crucial resources for the early stage of Qi Refining.

For those of them who had not yet stepped onto the path of cultivation, the appeal was obvious.

Ye Qingxiao was usually low-key, but as one of his few friends, he understood Ye Qingxuan's learning ability and intensity.

It was as if Ye Qingxuan practically lived in the library.

He believed the first place in the assessment belonged to no one but Ye Qingxuan.

But some people were not convinced.

Ye Qingshuang, not far away, heard Ye Qingxiao's words and immediately snorted:

"Hmph, who will get first place is not certain yet!"

Although her words were a rebuttal to Ye Qingxiao, her gaze was fiercely fixed on Ye Qingxuan.

Ye Qingshuang was also a frequent visitor to the library.

Since she accidentally learned about Ye Qingxuan's learning progress from Ye Qingxiao, she had been competing with him.

In the end, she started running to the library just like Ye Qingxuan, directly joining the competition.

Back and forth, the two became friendly rivals, though Ye Qingshuang remained unconvinced.

Hearing Ye Qingshuang's words and feeling her gaze, Ye Qingxuan raised an eyebrow. He said nothing, but his eyes revealed unhidden confidence as he walked toward the assessment site.

He left Ye Qingshuang standing there, stomping her feet in frustration.

Enraged, Ye Qingshuang gritted her teeth and muttered to herself:

"Ye Qingxuan, just wait; I will definitely surpass you! Hmph!"

Finally, Ye Qingshuang snorted again and hurried toward the assessment site as well.

After Ye Qingxuan arrived at the examination hall, many people were already there. On the high platform in the hall, he saw a familiar person!

The person responsible for everyone's assessment this time was none other than Ye Yonglun, who had tested his spiritual roots.

Seeing Ye Yonglun, Ye Qingxuan did not tactlessly approach to greet him; instead, he obediently lined up and waited on the side.

Once everyone had arrived, the assessment began immediately.

The assessment time was one double-hour; for those who knew the material, this was more than enough, but for those who did not, more time would be useless.

After receiving the assessment questions, Ye Qingxuan began answering immediately; the entire process was smooth and fluid, without a single pause.

The questions consisted mostly of content taught over the past half-year, with a smaller portion covering extended material.

The rule was that as long as one answered the taught content correctly without errors, one passed the assessment.

But to secure a top ranking, one had to answer the extended questions correctly.

Among the more than two hundred people in the examination hall, everyone was mostly burying their heads to answer, none stumped by the initial questions.

Those who can awaken a spiritual root possess no lack of talent; as long as they apply themselves, these basic common-sense questions pose no difficulty whatsoever.

Ye Qingxuan finished the assessment questions very quickly; to him, they were trivial.

However, he had no intention of showing off by handing in his paper early. Instead, he sat in his seat with his eyes closed, resting his spirit.

Time passed...

Soon, the assessment time arrived.

"Enough! Put down your brushes! Everyone stand up on the spot and do not move!"

As Ye Yonglun's words fell, everyone put down their brushes and stood on the spot without wandering about.

Seeing that everyone had obediently stopped writing and stood in place, Ye Yonglun nodded.

Then he stood up, projected his spiritual sense, and all the exam papers floated into the air.

After half a cup of tea's time, Ye Yonglun withdrew his spiritual sense, glanced unexpectedly at Ye Qingxuan, and spoke lightly:

"For this assessment, two hundred and fifteen people participated. Two hundred and twelve passed, and three failed!"

Hearing Ye Yonglun's words, most in the hall were full of confidence in themselves; their expressions did not change. Only a few had their faces change, fearing they might be the ones who failed.

One or two even wore bitter expressions, clearly knowing their fate.

Paying no heed to the changes in the hall, Ye Yonglun continued coldly:

"The standard for passing the assessment is not difficult. Apply yourself a little in daily life and be careful during the assessment; it is easy to pass.

If you cannot even manage this, I advise you not to tread the path of immortality."

As he spoke, the aura on Ye Yonglun's body grew even more chilling, causing everyone in the hall to feel a wave of cold.

After sweeping his gaze around, Ye Yonglun addressed everyone solemnly:

"The path of immortality allows no regrets. Sometimes, one wrong step leads to eternal damnation. I hope you will keep this in your hearts and not make mistakes lightly."

"Yes. Thank you, Clan Uncle, for your teachings. We will keep this in our hearts."

Hearing Ye Yonglun's teachings, everyone in the hall bowed together and responded aloud.

Even Ye Qingxuan strongly agreed with Ye Yonglun's words. He secretly committed the statement to heart and thought inwardly:

"Although I possess eternal life, the margin for error on the cultivation path is too small. Longevity cannot protect me from all disasters. Before I have sufficient strength, I must be cautious, cautious, and yet more cautious."

Seeing that everyone was listening, Ye Yonglun's expression softened slightly, and he continued:

"Enough. The path ahead is for you to walk yourselves. I have said all I will.

Ye Qinglu, Ye Qingxi, and Ye Qingcheng, step forward. From today, you three will go to the Library to study on your own. You may proceed to the next stage of cultivation only when you pass the assessment!"

As soon as he finished speaking, two men and a woman emerged from the crowd, each wearing an expression of shame.

Stepping forward, the three spoke in unison:

"Yes, Clan Uncle!"

Then, with flushed faces, they left the examination hall.

After the three departed, Ye Yonglun continued to announce:

"First place in this assessment: Ye Qingxuan. Reward: ten Qi-Inducing Pills and three hundred low-grade spirit stones!

Second place in this assessment: Ye Qingshuang. Reward: five Qi-Inducing Pills and two hundred low-grade spirit stones!

Third place in this assessment: Ye Qingying. Reward: three Qi-Inducing Pills and one hundred low-grade spirit stones!

Someone will deliver the rewards to you tomorrow.

Enough. The assessment is over. Congratulations. You may now begin to engage in cultivation. Tomorrow, someone will arrange for you to go to the Hall of Transmission to select your cultivation techniques!"

Having finished speaking, Ye Yonglun flew away on his sword.

"Yes! Great! Hahaha!"

"Finally, we can begin cultivation. I can hardly wait."

As soon as Ye Yonglun left, the crowd on the spot began to cheer wildly.

Hearing everyone's cheers, Ye Qingxuan could not help but smile. He suppressed the excitement in his heart, his eyes filled with anticipation.

Suddenly, a hand wrapped around Ye Qingxuan's neck. Ye Qingxuan helplessly looked at the hand resting on his shoulder, and a familiar voice sounded in his ear again:

"Qingxuan, not bad! You didn't disappoint me. Come on, come on, treat us! Hahaha!"

Ye Qingxuan crossed his arms and simply ignored Ye Qingxiao's words.

As if he would! He hadn't even received his rewards yet. What could he treat them with?

At that moment, Ye Qingshuang pushed through the crowd, marched over to Ye Qingxuan in a huff, and picked up Ye Qingxuan's exam paper.

After reading it, she slammed Ye Qingxuan's exam paper hard onto the table.

"Smack!"

Then she issued a threat:

"Ye Qingxuan, do not get cocky. We are cultivators. In the end, we will compare cultivation speed, not these trivial matters.

Once cultivation begins tomorrow, I will definitely surpass you. Hmph!"

Without waiting for Ye Qingxuan to reply, she turned and stormed off alone.

Ye Qingxuan stared in disbelief, then shook his head:

"Young people these days! Why is their competitiveness so strong? They are not mature at all. I never agreed to compete with you."

Was Ye Qingxuan stupid? Ye Qingshuang had a three-element spiritual root, while he had only a one-element spiritual root. How could his cultivation speed possibly compare to hers?

Hearing Ye Qingxuan back down, Ye Qingxiao, standing nearby, quickly patted his chest to indicate:

"Qingxuan, rest assured. I will compete with Ye Qingshuang on cultivation speed for you when the time comes."

After making the promise, Ye Qingxiao immediately spoke again:

"Qingxuan, you cannot renege on your word. We agreed you would treat me to a grand meal."

Ye Qingxuan, angered, rolled his eyes at him:

"Eat! Eat! Eat! All you know how to do is eat! I haven't even received my reward yet! What are you eating with?"

Hearing this, Ye Qingxiao awkwardly scratched his head but still gathered the courage to continue speaking:

"It's fine, we can eat tomorrow as well."

Ye Qingxuan slapped his forehead, his entire head covered in black lines. Destroy it all!