Chapter 1

"Sigh, I don't know if I'll be able to pass the Cloud Knights assessment this time."

"I've already taken it twice and couldn't pass either time. I don't want to be kicked out; if I'm kicked out, I'll lose my iron rice bowl."

"There aren't many places hiring anywhere on the Luofu right now. Being a Cloud Knight means you're officially on the payroll. It doesn't matter if the pay is a bit low, it's easy work."

"True, compared to other jobs, things like paid leave are a breeze, and the monthly salary isn't too bad either. The only pity is that as a Cloud Knight, you have to take assessments every now and then."

"You're talking nonsense. After all, a job this good is bound to have requirements. But don't worry, we already have a bottom-feeder here. This one is a short-lived species who just joined not long ago. Hehe, compared to us, he has no competitive edge."

The Xianzhou "Luofu"

Exalting Sanctum.

At a Cloud Knights assessment base, a group of Cloud Knights were gathered, waiting and discussing among themselves.

Many of them had worried expressions on their faces.

However, as they chatted, they all subconsciously looked toward the back right.

There stood a youth with a face like jade and delicate features.

Lin Mo: "..."

Hearing the discussion of the Cloud Knights around him, Lin Mo's eyelids twitched slightly, and he sighed inwardly.

It is true that short-lived species have no advantage compared to long-lived species.

Lifespan alone decides everything.

While a short-lived species is working themselves to the bone learning a certain skill, a long-lived species only needs to spend decades or a century focusing on one craft.

As long as they aren't too stupid and their direction is roughly correct, they will crush the short-lived species.

If it really doesn't work out, they can just change direction.

But the life of a short-lived species is inherently brief; there aren't that many opportunities for trial and error. Once they take the wrong path, they can rarely turn back.

But long-lived species are different.

The long-lived species here on the Xianzhou have lifespans of several hundred years.

Even if they take the wrong path, they can quickly turn back and adjust.

Unless you insist on being stubborn.

Lin Mo truly never expected that he would wake up and transmigrate to the Luofu.

Fortunately, his status is that of a trainee Cloud Knight.

Even as a trainee, there is still basic living security.

Both the food and the accommodation are quite good.

The only pity is that as a trainee Cloud Knight, he needs to participate in assessments frequently.

If he fails the assessment, he will be kicked out.

During his time patrolling as a Cloud Knight, he discovered that this job is truly a sweet deal.

There is almost nothing to do, and patrols are only every few days.

He can arrange the rest of his time himself.

Compared to working in a restaurant or other places, it is much better.

Therefore, he absolutely, absolutely cannot be kicked out of the Cloud Knights.

Otherwise, he won't be able to enjoy all that good food and paid leave.

Now, at this Cloud Knights assessment site, he is the only short-lived species.

The surrounding Cloud Knights are all long-lived species, which makes many who came for the assessment cast sidelong glances.

The fact that a short-lived species came to take the assessment is a bit of a news item.

After all, the Cloud Knights are almost all long-lived species; there are no short-lived ones.

And this assessment is a martial arts test.

Martial arts and such require training.

Long-lived species have a natural advantage in this regard; they can rely entirely on time to gamble.

As a Cloud Knight, although the Luofu is incredibly stable now, and there are Balance Commission officials patrolling every corner of the Luofu, big and small...

And Lin Mo doesn't know martial arts...

When he transmigrated, he was as weak as a chicken, and it was too late to train.

However, Lin Mo is not worried.

Thinking of this, Lin Mo looked at a virtual panel that only he could see.

Name: Lin Mo.

Age: 18

Ability: None.

Influence Degree: 0

Influence Point: 1

The simple introduction made Lin Mo narrow his eyes.

Ever since he transmigrated, he had obtained this virtual panel.

And this panel is the thing that will help him defy the heavens and change his fate.

This panel is very simple; Influence Points are the influence caused by his own actions.

These influences will turn into Influence Degree.

When the Influence Degree reaches a certain amount, it can turn into an Influence Point.

And Influence Points are used to copy the abilities of his chosen targets.

Every person has certain abilities.

These abilities vary in size, and he only needs to set his sights on the other person to directly use Influence Points to copy a certain ability of theirs.

And the one Influence Point he obtained was an extra reward when this virtual panel appeared.

Lin Mo originally thought one point was very little.

As it turned out, he discovered that during this time, whoever he saw, he could directly copy their abilities.

For example, cooking, craftsmanship, martial arts, etc.

The Influence Points required to copy these people all only needed one point.

Lin Mo also roughly figured out the pattern: any skill mastered by an ordinary person, as long as he wanted to, he could copy it based on the technique the other person had mastered.

After figuring this out, he felt very happy and wanted to find those Pathstriders to copy from.

After all, there are many Pathstriders on the Luofu, including the chief of the Cloudford Merchant Guild and the General of the Divine Divination Commission, who have thunderous reputations.

But unfortunately, he almost never encounters these people.

Even as a Cloud Knight, during some patrols, he encountered some Pathstriders, but when he wanted to copy their abilities, he found that he didn't have enough Influence Points!

Lin Mo only then discovered that this Influence Point could copy most ordinary people.

But it was simply not enough to copy some Pathstriders.

However, if he had enough Influence Points, he could directly copy the Path power mastered by the other person, thereby stepping onto the Path and becoming a Pathstrider.

After discovering this, Lin Mo sighed, feeling it was a pity.

In this way, even if he saw the chiefs of the Cloudford Merchant Guild and so on, he would be unable to copy the Path power or certain abilities they possessed.

But if it were some ordinary abilities mastered by the other person, it wasn't impossible for him to copy them.

After all, many Pathstriders cannot possibly have all kinds of attribute powers, special abilities, etc.

Among them, there are also certain techniques that surpass ordinary people, and those techniques he can also copy.

In short, as long as there are enough Influence Points, it means he can completely copy the power of an Aeon!

And not just one kind.

This Influence Point is a very important thing for him.

So far, what he needs to do now is to stay in the Cloud Knights, which requires a certain level of martial arts.

He has already made preparations.

He will use this one Influence Point on the Cloud Knight martial arts instructor.

He is currently a trainee Cloud Knight in the Cloud Knights, facing the risk of being kicked out.

After all, he is as weak as a chicken, has no martial arts, and his training cannot compare to the long-lived species.

If he wants to stay, he needs superb martial arts.

What martial arts do these Cloud Knights not have?

That must be the instructor's martial arts.

If they didn't have superb martial arts, the Cloud Knight instructor wouldn't be able to hold this position.

Today is the day the Cloud Knight instructor comes to give guidance once a month; if there is anything you don't understand, you can ask directly.

Lin Mo has been waiting for this Cloud Knight instructor to arrive, to directly copy the other person's martial arts, and thereby perfectly pass the Cloud Knights assessment.

So for Lin Mo, even though he is currently as weak as a chicken, he is not panicked at all.

As for the chefs and craftsmen he met during this time, Lin Mo chose to pass.

On the Luofu, compared to other jobs, only being a Cloud Knight is the most promising.

Under the current stable Luofu, he only needs to patrol a little to finish his work, and it's not even a daily patrol.

The money he gets is also more than other jobs, and there are even certain internal benefits.

So he needs to stay here in the Cloud Knights.

"The instructor is here."

Just as Lin Mo was thinking this, a Cloud Knight suddenly spoke up in a hurry: "Everyone, stop chatting, the instructor is here."

Hearing this, the Cloud Knights present immediately adjusted themselves.

Lin Mo also narrowed his eyes and looked over.

He saw a large, burly Cloud Knight walking over from the entrance of the assessment gate not far away.

After walking in front of everyone, he spoke with some emotion: "I'll tell you a piece of good news: Lord Yanqing is free today and will come here. If you have anything you don't understand, you can ask Lord Yanqing directly and request his guidance."

"What? Lord Yanqing?!"

"Is that the Lord Yanqing who is often by General Jing Yuan's side?"

"Heavens, how could that person come here? He is someone who sees the dragon's head but never its tail."

Hearing this, the Cloud Knights present were all extremely excited, shocked, and pleasantly surprised.

Lord Yanqing is actually coming; this is simply incredible.

You must know that even the elites among the Cloud Knights rarely see Lord Yanqing.

That is the strongest swordsman on the Xianzhou "Luofu".

He was taught swordsmanship and military strategy by the Divine Divination General Jing Yuan and is regarded by Jing Yuan as the person he trusts most.

This person is actually coming here.

The youngest Cloud Knight lieutenant in the history of the Cloud Knights, General Jing Yuan's bodyguard, a great collector of swords from the Artisanship Commission...

Lord Yanqing's reputation is simply thunderous to them.

And he will even come to guide their swordsmanship; this is simply incredible.

"Lord Yanqing is also a Cloud Knight lieutenant himself, so it's normal for him to come to a Cloud Knight assessment point."

"Hmm, I've heard of it. It's not like Lord Yanqing hasn't been to some other Cloud Knight assessment points before, but I didn't expect him to come to ours this time."

"Great, having Lord Yanqing guide our swordsmanship is a huge gain."

One Cloud Knight after another spoke with excitement; they were all pleasantly surprised by the upcoming arrival of Yanqing.

You must know, that is Yanqing!

Among their Cloud Knights, Yanqing is simply the representative of a legend.

And Lin Mo was also surprised when he heard the instructor's words.

Yanqing is coming?

Then why would he copy some crappy instructor? Wouldn't it be better to just copy Yanqing's swordsmanship or martial arts?

Lin Mo, who originally wanted to copy this Cloud Knight instructor, instantly dismissed the idea and decisively chose to copy Yanqing's martial arts.

That person is the strongest swordsman on the Luofu today.