Waking up, recovering from the illusive state, Silver opened his eyes and looked up to the examiners. Glancing at the time, 5 hours had passed yet many had already awoken before him.
After decimating his heart demon, the wheels of fate spun in exultation for Silver.
Those around, like himself, stood up and faced themselves towards the examiner. From a glance nearly everyone had a strong resolution of utmost clarity.
These examiners felt impressed as they witness the determination and confidence the examinees shown. These new batch of disciples had truly overcome the demons in their heart.
"Those who are awake and standing up before the sixth hour passed! Please follow us as we announce your final rank for each exam," Old Yam announced towards the 108 new disciples nodding his head.
Old Yam then turned around and he led the final group to the third level of the pagoda.
Old Yam stepped up the stairs slowly, 108 new disciples following, upwards the 3rd floor of the pagoda. Upon entering the floor, the examiners saunter towards a floating crystal sphere while the disciples gathered to the center of the pagoda room.
A large quantity of disciples held their excitement in silence as they faced the group of examiners.
"Ahem. We will announce the rankings for each exam, starting from 10th place to 1st place." Old Yam announced relaxingly.
"But before that, we will show you what each placed individual gets! Activate the array, please."
A moment after Old Yam had stopped speaking, one of the examiners tap the side of a crystal sphere beside them. Many inscriptions began lighting up all over the crystal sphere giving it a blue glow. A giant screen projected from the sphere in mid-air in front of them, listing the rewards for the top 10.
1 Day in the Cultivation Pool for the Top Ten
10th Place - 15 Sect Points, Rank 2 Manual/Treasure, Qi Gathering Pill
9th Place - 35 Sect Points, Rank 2 Manual/Treasure, Qi Gathering Pill
8th Place - 50 Sect Points, Rank 2 Manual/Treasure, Qi Gathering Pill
7th Place - 80 Sect Points, Rank 3 Manual/Treasure, Qi Gathering Pill
6th Place - 110 Sect Points, Rank 3 Manual/Treasure, 2 Qi Gathering Pill
5th Place - 165 Sect Points, Rank 3 Manual, Rank 2 Treasure, 2 Qi Gathering Pill
4th Place - 270 Sect Points, Rank 4 Manual, Rank 3 Treasure, 3 Qi Gathering Pill, 2 Meridian Strengthening Pill
TOP THREE
3rd Place - 1,000 Sect Points, Rank 5 Manual, Rank 5 Treasure, 10 Qi Gathering Pill, 10 Meridian Strengthening Pill, 1 more day in the cultivation pool
2nd Place - 3,000 Sect Points, Rank 6 Manual, Rank 6 Treasure, 30 Qi Gathering Pill, 10 Meridian Strengthening Pill, 1more day in the cultivation pool
1st Place - 10,000 Sect Points, 1 Manual of Choice, Rank 8 Treasure of Choice, Origin Minor Pill, 2 more days in the cultivation pool
"As said, those in the top ten will get a day within the cultivation pool. Of course, the top three has more time to practice within such precious resource. I hope everyone here, becomes the best of the best, continuing the growth of our city! We shall announce the top ten!" Old Yam excitedly spoke aloud.
A strong sense of pride radiated through the entire 3rd floor of the pagoda, giving all the disciple a newfound pride to be part of the Floating Cloud Sect.
Another examiner stood up and tapped the array twice, changing the screen into a list of names with their definite placements of the top 10.
"As I call the names, starting from the tenth rank to the first, you will stand in order before me and receive a numbered jade token so you can obtain the rewards. After receiving the token, you must drip your blood onto it to ensure no one is able to turn it in besides you! So do not have any funny ideas, we do not steal but trade with each other to maximize our benefits. If such trust is broken, no one will hire you as you will be blacklisted in this city, including the Gold Spring Merchant Association." Old Yam announce while ushering a stern warning.
'What a severe warning!' thought all the disciples, excluding Silver, everyone began throwing their wicked thoughts to the side. Most only wanted advance in their skills, while others wanted to gain fame and wealth.
They would do anything necessary to get a step further. Now most of them now knew why their clans gave them a fair warning not to mess with Floating Cloud Sect.
10th Place - Yu Yulan
9th Place - Shun Warren
8th - Tide Pamera
7th - Fan Kyvra
6th - Lychee Rolin
5th - Ling Qiye
4th - Teng Hao
3rd - Qin Yu
2nd - Uni Reahs
Everyone stared at the 9 names, wondering who is the first-place winner. These nine names were all young prodigies idolized within the 9 great clans of White Lotus City.
The 8 great clans assisted in building White Lotus City, thousands of years ago, led by the most powerful, Lotus Clan. Of course, going by the order of names on the board, is actually the ranking of the family, with Lotus in the front, Qilin, Red Star, White Flame, Storm, Obsidian, Cold River, Nightshade, and Purple Bamboo Clan.
With all the prodigies in line, Reahs being in second place, who could have bested the most talented in the Lotus Clan? As everyone was trying to figure who this mysterious number 1 is, Old Yam stood in front of the screen and begun clearing his throat in a very audible manner.
"Before I announce the first place talented individual, I would like to tell you why. This young disciple answered every single question from all 6 Factions correctly! In the history of Floating Cloud Sect, since the beginning, only 2 other monstrous talents could solve and bring new unique methods to further our progress in the way of our Alchemy, Formations, Inscriptions, Smithing, Talisman and Divinity skills, even by a little." Old Yam spoke grandly as he pointed towards a young man in the center of the crowd.
As if he understood, walking unhurried by the stares of all the 107 fellow disciples, Silver stood next to Old Yam.
"First Place, Silver! The youngest at age 17 and the most monstrous talent since the founder and the 9th patriarch!" Old Yam resounded happily as he glimpsed at Silver from the side.
Never would he thought that the young boy who spoke to him at the pagoda entrance, ended up being a monstrous talent worth nurturing. Luckily, he spotted the natural, unperturbed Silver from the beginning and gave him his personal token.
Many of the disciples were shocked, especially the top ten, since they never heard or seen such an individual with unfathomable prowess. Someone extraordinarily talented would of gain fame in White Lotus City, yet no one could tell who this fellow disciple's background is. With such a person with an unknown background to challenge, they would use their intelligence team to find more information regarding him.
No one wanted to be outdone by some unknown identity with a mysterious background. It would be better to be bested by someone from the 9 great clans. At least they would know how high the heavens were as they gaze upon a shining star.
Staring at the unwilling faces of the other disciples of the top 10, Old Yam inwardly felt amused. Finally, someone of unknown origin could challenge the 9 great geniuses.
'Hopefully this lad doesn't get overtaken…'
Old Yam was tired, also irritably bored of always hearing about the same type of prodigies from each generation of the 9 clans. Finally, Floating Cloud Sect had someone different! Someone new and giving hope towards the change of pace to the future of this sect.
"Those from the top ten follow me to the cultivation pool, the other 98 disciples will follow the other examiners to get their disciple robe, token and lodging!" Old Yam commanded as he took a step down the stairs.
Everyone, pondering silently, followed the examiners out of the pagoda while the top ten headed towards an area restricted by hundreds of arrays. Old Yam raised up a violet medallion, a purplish light flickered out of the medallion.
A large squared entrance formed from the barrier, allowing them to continue towards their destination.
"Only those with a cultivation pool jade token can pass through this area. If they do not, well I'll leave that up to your imagination and body to feel if you ever try sneaking in."
Everyone shuddered at the thought, excluding Silver since he could tell that it was a mid-tier illusion array layered with a low-tier attack formation. It couldn't stop the current him but for his fellow disciples, many of them wouldn't last.
Even though the other 9 had a high probability of surviving, it would be minor non-life-threatening injuries.
…
In a dimly lit room, an old man wearing a white robe sat silently on a matt. His eyes fluttered open with a divine light within his irises. He turned his towards the cultivation pool area and stared with furrowed eyebrows.
"There's someone's fate I could not foresee, the Floating Cloud Sect will veer off its original course. I'm unsure if this is good or bad for our sect," the old man muttered vanishing like a wisp of smoke of a burning incense.
He appeared above the cultivation pool area, hovering with a pensive expression. Hiding his presence, fluctuating the qi to make him invisible, he quietly watched the young man following behind Old Yam.
"I truly cannot see his fate…"