As Li Yun walked through the sect grounds, he noticed the bustling activity around him.
Fellow disciples, both new and old, were making their way to the assessment grounds. The anticipation and tension in the air were palpable.
When he arrived at the designated area, he saw a large open space where several nominal disciples and senior disciples had already gathered.
A platform stood at the center, where the assessments would take place.
'It seems like elders are not here yet.'
Li Yun noticed an elevated platform with a sitting area where various chairs were assembled. But these seats were currently empty at the moment.
Therefore, like everyone else, Li Yun waited.
Time passed, and Li Yun was starting to get bored when he suddenly felt a tight grip on his shoulder.
Turning around, he saw a kid of about his age. He was somewhat bulky and looked very arrogant as he looked down on him at the moment.
"You are that Li Yun, right? The one who requested to leave the Azure Sky Alliance?"
Li Yun recognized this guy, even though the latter doubted his identity. He was known as the boss of the nominal disciples—Mo Han. Li Yun had seen him a couple of times during his stay and had come to understand his personality.
"Yes, I am Li Yun," he replied calmly.
Mo Han's expression turned savage upon hearing Li Yun's words.
"Why did you leave the Azure Sky Alliance?" he demanded.
Li Yun frowned. There were various reasons he had made that decision, but he obviously wouldn't tell Mo Han. "I just thought I wasn't worthy enough to be a member of the Azure Sky Alliance, hence my decision," he said, choosing his words carefully.
Mo Han narrowed his eyes. "And yet here you are, participating in the Outer Disciple Selection Assessment," he remarked with a sneer.
Li Yun nodded. "I recently had a breakthrough."
Mo Han laughed lightly and looked at Li Yun with a sly expression. "Join again, and I will make sure you pass the assessment."
Li Yun shook his head. "Not interested at the moment."
Mo Han's expression turned cruel upon Li Yun's rejection. "You will regret this," he threatened before leaving with his goons.
Li Yun watched Mo Han's retreating back and laughed inwardly. He understood the reason behind Mo Han's insistence. 'It seems he has his eyes on my spirit stones.'
There had never been a day where he hadn't paid the required spirit stones for their protection, and so after he left, they probably felt the shortage. They had sent Zhao Quan, who had unfortunately ended up dead by Li Yun's hands.
'But they don't seem to know about his death,' Li Yun thought, sighing in relief.
At that moment, a commotion at the front caught his attention. He saw a crowd of people approaching their direction. The excitement in the air was palpable as the crowd parted to reveal a group of elders and a few young disciples who stood out with their exceptional presence.
'The elders are here.'
A middle-aged man could be seen leading a group of elders, and behind them followed a group of kids about Li Yun's age.
'They are here for the Outer Disciple Selection Assessment, but they are different from us nominal disciples,' Li Yun thought, observing the group.
The kids trailing behind the elders were selected from different cities across the Greenwood Empire. They were the best of the best, geniuses handpicked from various cities, and they were already outer disciples in name.
Even if they failed the assessment, they would still retain their status as outer disciples, a privilege that nominal disciples like Li Yun did not have. They participated in the assessment mainly for the extra rewards granted to those who excelled.
And unlike them were the nominal disciples like Li Yun and the others.
Nominal disciples were merely disciples in name, but in truth, they were little more than servants within the sect. They had the worst talent and potential, often relegated to menial tasks and overlooked in the grander schemes of the Mystic Cloud Sect.
However, the Outer Disciple Selection Assessment provided a rare opportunity for these nominal disciples to prove themselves and elevate their status.
But only a few ever grasped that chance.
Most of the nominal disciples present had already taken the assessment multiple times, yet only a handful ever passed to become outer disciples.
For many, including Li Yun, this was their last opportunity.
Failure meant expulsion from the sect, their dreams shattered and their futures uncertain.
'I will definitely pass the assessment. I have to.'
Li Yun clenched his fists in determination.
At that moment, the group of the people led by the middle aged man had arrived before the platform.
A familiar face caught Li Yun's eye—Elder Zhao, one of the senior elders responsible for the outer disciples. Elder Zhao was known for his strictness and fairness, making him both respected and feared among the disciples.
However, Li Yun saw him differently unlike other disciples.
When he came to this sect four year ago wanting to become a disciple, neither his talent nor his cultivation satisfied any of the elders.
But it was because of Elder Zhao's words that he could enter the sect as a nominal disciple.
Therefore, Li Yun only felt gratitude for this person and nothing else.
He then saw that all the elders following behind him sat at seats above the platform and only Elder Zhao came to the platform.
"All participants, gather around!" Elder Zhao's voice boomed across the field. "Today, you will be tested on your skills, strength, and talent to determine if you are worthy of becoming an outer disciple of the Mystic Cloud Sect."
Li Yun joined the other participants, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness.
"The first assessment will be a test of talent. Those whose names are called, come to the platform," Elder Zhao continued. "One star bone frame would give you 30 points and above, two star bone frame 50 points and above, three star bone frame 70 points and above and a rare four star bone frame would give one a 100 points."
A visible frown appeared on Li Yun's face as he heard about the test.
'Talent test?'
He smiled wryly, shaking his head. He already knew he would become the laughingstock of the crowd once again, but there was nothing he could do.
His father and mother had already tested his bone frame, and the results greatly disappointed them to the point that they didn't even ask him to cultivate.
But since they loved him dearly, they didn't give up on him. His father sought out various methods to increase his talent, while his mother had chosen an entirely different route for him—the path of alchemy.
Since his mother was also an alchemist, she had taught him many things over the years, and it could be said that it was her teachings that allowed Li Yun to live freely in the sect by selling pills.
"Cui Yan."
Elder Zhao started to call out names.
A boy of about 13 years of age went to the platform.
In the middle of the platform stood a small pagoda-like structure. This was a treasure used to measure the talent of disciples in the Mystic Cloud Sect.
"Go and touch the pagoda with your hand," Elder Zhao guided the disciple.
Cui Yan hesitated for a moment before finally making up his mind and touched the pagoda.
No sooner did he touch the pagoda than a dim red light glowed from the pagoda.