The Dao Test utilized a Cultivation Technique that was part of the examination, extremely easy to master, requiring no prior cultivation; one would simply operate according to the technique. This technique had only changed three times in several hundred years, and had not changed at all over the last century.
As Wei Yuan operated the technique, he felt the cushion beneath him and the two incense burners gradually merging with his own body. Strands of coolness arose continuously from the cushion, entering Wei Yuan's body. Provoked by the cool sensation, two intangible entities within Wei Yuan began to emerge.
The two incense burners generated a suction force, attracting the two intangible entities inside his body. These two entities were clearly defined, seemingly overlapping yet distinct. With the operation of the technique, the suction from the incense burners grew stronger, forming two pathways that drew the two masses of intangible entities into the incense burners in a threadlike manner.
The incense burner on the left was attracting his foundation, while the one on the right was attracting his Luck. Wei Yuan's foundation was quite normal, but as the technique operated, the intangible entity that represented Luck, like an iceberg emerging from the sea, grew larger and larger with no sign of stopping. In the blink of an eye, this mass of Luck expanded beyond the limits of Wei Yuan's body and vaguely connected to something profound and deep.
Wei Yuan had no idea what would happen during the Dao Test and assumed this was normal, so he conscientiously continued his cultivation.
As the technique operated, the Luck within Wei Yuan's body began to appear immense and heavy, to the point where the pathways seemed too narrow for it to pass through smoothly. Wei Yuan had to exert full strength to operate the technique, like shouldering a small mountain and pushing it bit by bit through the pathway. As time went on, Wei Yuan felt an increasing burden, even affecting the side of his foundation slightly.
Wei Yuan focused on operating the technique, unaware that the hall above was already in an uproar.
In the eyes of the judges, Wei Yuan's root bone light column was crimson red, rising slowly, and at this moment had just passed seven feet, its speed beginning to slow. This was considered high-grade foundation but not dazzling enough. However, his Luck light column, thick as a washbasin, shot past nine feet in the blink of an eye, and continued to climb!
Wei Yuan's Luck light column was a dull gray-white; although it was extremely tall and thick, its material was very sparse. The six judges could only feel a trace of it by exerting full strength. If not for the presence of the light column right in front of them, the judges who were not perceptive might even think there was nothing there.
Every so often, wisps of dark energy would rise from the incense burners near Wei Yuan and merge into the Luck light column, causing it to grow longer, but the material did not become any more condensed.
The judges had never seen such Luck before, and while they exchanged puzzled looks, Wei Yuan's Luck light column finally surpassed ten feet, marking another Superior.
The middle-aged Confucian Scholar looked towards Daoist Fu Feng and said, "Brother Fu Feng, this involves your Taichu Palace. How shall we handle this?"
Daoist Fu Feng glanced inadvertently at the empty seat, his face expressionless, and said slowly, "By the book."
The middle-aged Confucian Scholar nodded and said, "Indeed, it should be so."
With Daoist Fu Feng's response, the other judges knew what to do and turned their gaze back to the disciples below. Strangely, even at this moment, the two light columns beside Wei Yuan were still slowly growing, whereas the other examinees in this group had already ceased any movement.
Dong!
A desolate and prolonged bell tolled, Wei Yuan's body trembled, breaking the connection with the cushion incense burner, and the intangible entities that hadn't been transferred over slowly vanished. Wei Yuan thought this was normal and stood up, hastily leaving the hall at the urging of the Daoist inside.
When Wei Yuan stood up, the light column of his foundation was seven feet nine, and his Luck light column was eleven feet.
The next group of examinees filed into the hall, and another round of the Dao Test began. As soon as the sound of the Qing Yin fell, two jade-colored light columns soared into the sky! The two light columns were so solid they seemed tangible; if they were like jade pillars, then Wei Yuan's Luck light column was like a rising wisp of smoke.
Looking down, the judges saw a girl, delicate as carved jade. As she calmly cultivated, a faint noble light emerged on her small face. Within the two jade light columns, shadowy figures of giant spirits and demons appeared.
Recognizing the girl's face, the judges had an understanding: it was Miss Bao from the Bao Family.
This round was not much to watch; the girl outshone everyone, her pair of light columns shooting straight for ten feet, leaving the others behind as insignificant.
The young Cultivator, breaking the silence, said, "There should be no objections to Miss Bao's assessment, but we probably need to discuss how to judge that child from the previous round."
The young Cultivator looked towards Daoist Fu Feng, but Daoist Fu Feng remained silent. The young Cultivator then smiled and said, "It seems Brother Fu Feng wishes to recuse himself, so the rest of us shall discuss!"
Old Liu, the elderly Confucian Scholar, recalled the two striking light columns of Wei Yuan. If they were to judge him by normal standards, Wei Yuan's score would even surpass Li Zhi's.
For some reason, upon seeing Wei Yuan's Luck, Old Liu felt an inexplicable disgust, and now the feeling was even stronger. Miss Bao was an outstanding talent with a well-known reputation; surpassing Li Zhi in the Dao Test was expected. How dare this Wei Yuan, with his shallow foundation, surpass the designated champion of the Four Saints Academy?
The old Confucian scholar went through the list in his mind and, confirming that Wei Yuan was not on any list, had plans brewing in his heart. Stroking his long beard, he maintained a stern expression and said, "The child's foundation and Luck are both quite decent, but it's a pity that his nature is fickle and his Luck lacks even a trace of righteousness. If left unchecked, he'd likely become a rebel."
The young Cultivator furrowed his brows slightly and replied, "Since ancient times, there has been no criterion regarding nature in the standards of evaluation, nor does the type of Luck affect the assessment. Elder Liu's words seem rather biased."
The other judges nodded slightly in agreement. It had been the case since time immemorial that when Sects took on disciples, they only cared about whether one was blessed with Luck; if one was, it was considered auspicious. Who cared whether it was orthodox or heretical?
The old Confucian scholar didn't argue and simply said, "I'm merely stating my own view; the rest of you can make your own judgments."
Having said his piece, the old Confucian scholar paid no further mind to the crowd and directly penned his evaluation in the register: Earth Bing, twenty!
The remaining five judges were internally shocked by the score Liu Sigu had given. Clearly, he intended to push this child directly into the blessings of the land, denying him even the chance to enter Grotto Heaven.
Daoist Fu Feng's eyes flashed sharply as he said calmly, "Elder Liu's evaluation seems a bit excessive, doesn't it?"
The old Confucian scholar looked back at Daoist Fu Feng without a trace of fear and said, "This comprehensive assessment by Fengyuan is of great significance. We bear a heavy responsibility on our shoulders, filled with anxiety. I have heard that a certain person from your Palace disappeared for six years, but upon returning, your Palace granted him the position of judge. What favor! Yet where is he now? Does he regard you and me at all? Does he regard the Immortal Sect's comprehensive assessment at all?"
Daoist Fu Feng glanced at the empty seat and merely huffed, not adding to the discourse.
The middle-aged Confucian Scholar tried to smooth things over, saying, "Elder Liu is forthright and speaks his mind, Brother Fu Feng shouldn't take it to heart. Still, we all bear responsibilities, which certainly differ from that person. It is better that he is unwilling to come. You all should be aware that the top rank in this comprehensive assessment is especially important for the son of Duke Hui En. If Miss Bao of the Bao Family wanted to contend for it, we would all do our best and accept the outcome if we lost. But if it's someone else, it's best if no complications arise."
The judges then understood the gravity of the matter. The old Confucian scholar had made such a drastic move because he feared Wei Yuan might pose an additional threat to Li Zhi. The words of the middle-aged Confucian Scholar also confirmed one thing: that the Four Saints Academy planned to use the top rank of this comprehensive assessment to build momentum for Li Zhi. Should they truly secure the top rank, Li Zhi could leverage it to soar to great heights, making his future path of Cultivation exceedingly smooth.
Daoist Fu Feng retained an expressionless face, not revealing his thoughts, but the other judges had anticipated his attitude and knew he wouldn't interfere. Daoist Fu Feng had his own mission; if Wei Yuan indeed achieved first place, it would be a mere hiccup for Li Zhi on his Cultivation path, but one of Taichu Palace's three spots would be solidly taken. Then, it would be difficult for Daoist Fu Feng to explain himself.
The Immortal Sect's spots had been divided long ago, even the Child of Luck could not be an exception, unless, like the Monk, they went to request an extra spot. If they botched such an important matter as the allocation of spots, the powerful families behind them would be enraged, and the judges present would not be able to withstand it. Although they held great power, how to exercise that power was not for them to decide.
After pondering for a moment, Daoist Fu Feng finally said, "How the two of you choose to write is beyond my control. But Junior Brother Zhang is not one to be trifled with, and the dignity of my Taichu Palace cannot be violated. If the two of you look down on my Taichu Palace, I have no choice but to witness the peerless skills of the Four Saints Academy for myself."
Seeing that the atmosphere was turning sour, the middle-aged Confucian Scholar gave a salute to Daoist Fu Feng with a smile, saying, "Brother Fu Feng, please calm your anger! The Taichu Palace is the Taichu Palace, and that person is that person. We have nothing but respect for the Taichu Palace, and frankly speaking, whatever evaluation Elder Liu gives Wei Yuan won't impact the overall situation of the Taichu Palace. As for Junior Brother Zhang, not to mention that he is at the same Dao Foundation level as us, even if he were Master Dharma Image himself, we could not favor him unjustly! Otherwise, if we receive blame from above, I fear none of us could bear it."
This speech was clear: the two Confucians from the academy intended only to suppress Wei Yuan, not to meddle with the internal allocation of Taichu Palace's spots, nor to cross paths with Daoist Fu Feng. As for Wei Yuan's master, they were all at the same Dao Foundation level, with not much to differentiate them.
Liu Sigu, confident and unafraid, said, "I have already committed my evaluation to paper, which unfortunately cannot be changed now."
The middle-aged Confucian Scholar then chuckled, "Well then, if Elder Liu has such disdain for evil and cares for his reputation, I will bear the name of the diplomat!"
He then picked up the pen and wrote his evaluation in the register: Heaven Bing, twenty-five.
The judges internally thought him cunning.
Though the middle-aged Confucian Scholar spoke nicely, his actual writing was unequivocal. Heaven Bing was an old rating system, only referenced here as a nod to respect the old traditions, but its effectiveness lay in the score that followed. The score of twenty-five seemed significantly higher than what Liu Sigu had given, but in reality, it was just a hair's breadth away from reaching Grotto Heaven. With two out of six giving low scores, it had become considerably difficult for Wei Yuan to climb back into Grotto Heaven.
Having such a deep pit dug at the Dao Test, the odds of turning things around were as steep as ascending to heaven.
At this point, in the hall below, a new batch of candidates had begun their Dao Test, and the judges ceased their bickering to write down their judgments, hence a new line appeared on the stone stele:
Wei Yuan, Earth Jia, thirty.
The old Confucian scholar's complexion soured as he looked around at the other judges, trying to see who was so blind as to provoke him. But given that they were all shrewd enough to be judges, how could they possibly let him read their intentions from their faces?