Chapter 495 - 245: The Assessment Results Are Out, Jiang Che’s Strength Is Exposed, and Elder Xuan Cheng’s Investigation
Chapter 495: Chapter 245: The Assessment Results Are Out, Jiang Che’s Strength Is Exposed, and Elder Xuan Cheng’s Investigation
"Furthermore."
Elder Xuan Cheng paused, his gaze falling upon Jiang Che.
"Given that Jiang Che took first place in this assessment and achieved the feat of Tenth Layer Great Perfection, in accordance with Sect regulations, he is hereby awarded five thousand Sect points!"
Jiang Che’s heart leaped with joy upon hearing this.
’Five thousand points as a reward!’
’My cultivation resources and Cultivation Techniques are now taken care of!’
"Thank you, Elder!" Jiang Che hurriedly bowed.
At that moment, he finally understood why Liu Yunfei had been willing to go into massive debt to buy that bottle of Elemental Fusion Vein Protection Pill.
’So it was all for the five-thousand-point reward for first place!’
Liu Yunfei, standing to the side, watched with eyes red with envy.
That was five thousand points!
He had gone deep into debt just to scrape together four thousand points for that medicine. In the end, not only had he failed to secure first place, but he had also lost that huge sum. It was a complete and utter loss.
"Alright. Now that the rankings are decided, we move on to the most crucial step."
Elder Xuan Cheng’s expression turned solemn. A stack of cyan Jade Scrolls appeared in his hand, and he distributed them to each of the qualified disciples.
Whether it was the four from the Celestial Strategy Guard or the twenty-one qualified Direct Disciples, each received one.
"These are Branch selection forms. Extend your Divine Thought into them and choose your desired main Branch from among the four peaks: Heaven-Slaying, Coiling Dragon, Spirit Void, and Shadow Killing."
"Remember, choose carefully! This will determine the future path of your Cultivation!"
As they took the Jade Scrolls, the square instantly fell silent.
Everyone was lost in thought.
The Direct Disciples were in a better position; most already had a target in mind or had received guidance from their family elders.
But Bao Da and the others were conflicted, unsure of what choice to make.
Jiang Che held the Jade Scroll, his eyes sweeping over the four names.
In truth, for him, the difference between cultivating on one peak or another wasn’t as great as others might imagine.
Others chose a Branch based on its compatibility with their Cultivation Technique and its potential for future development.
But he was different.
The entirety of his combat power stemmed from the passive stacking of Core Talents like [True Nine Li Commander] and [True: Infinite Battle Armor]!
Whether it was the sharpness of a Sword Cultivator or the dominance of a Body Cultivator, he could obtain it whenever he wanted by "grinding True Skills and Stacking Passives."
The *Myriad Phenomena Infinite Dao*, on the other hand, was merely a stepping stone for him to reach the Realm of True Mastery.
’So, the key isn’t how strong a Branch’s Cultivation Technique is, or how compatible it is with me...’
’It’s about how many resources I can get! And how powerful of a backer I can find!’
In a strictly hierarchical Sect like this, it was good to have connections in high places.
The Vein Master of Spirit Void Peak, Daoist Wu Wei, had not only been the chief examiner for the Celestial Strategy Guard selection but had also gifted him a precious Elemental Fusion Vein Protection Pill.
A bond of favor had already been forged.
If he were to choose another peak now, it would be incredibly ungrateful.
’Since Daoist Wu Wei intends to nurture me, why should I look elsewhere?’
’It’s good to have a big tree for shade. With the Vein Master’s support, my speed of acquiring resources will only be faster, and the efficiency of Stacking Passives will be even higher!’
’As for the True Mastery Realm... as long as I have enough resources, I can pile my way up to it, no matter which Branch I’m in!’
Having figured this out, Jiang Che no longer hesitated.
He focused his Divine Thought and carved the words "Spirit Void Peak" onto the Jade Scroll.
Then, he submitted the Jade Scroll.
Elder Xuan Cheng took the Jade Scroll. After sweeping it with his Divine Thought and seeing the name, he breathed a sigh of relief.
He gave Jiang Che a deep look and nodded slightly, as if to say, ’You’re a sharp one, kid.’
Soon, all the selection forms had been collected.
Elder Xuan Cheng put away the Jade Scrolls, scanned the crowd, and announced in a clear voice:
"Your choices have been recorded. However, let me be frank."
"Just because you’ve chosen a peak doesn’t guarantee you’ll be accepted. Each of the main Branches has a limited number of slots for new disciples, and they will assess your aptitude."
"If multiple people choose the same peak, the most outstanding candidates will be chosen. The rest may face reassignment."
Upon hearing this, many of the disciples looked nervous.
"But you don’t need to worry too much."
Elder Xuan Cheng’s tone softened. "Since you have entered the Inner Sect, the Sect will naturally arrange a place for you. No matter which peak you go to, you will be studying the Supreme Skill of our Myriad Phenomena Dao Sect, and all paths offer the possibility of attaining the Realm of True Mastery! Go back and wait for news. There will be a result within three days!"
"Yes!"
The disciples answered in unison and then began to disperse.
Just as Jiang Che was about to turn, Elder Xuan Cheng’s voice suddenly echoed in his ear via sound transmission:
"Jiang Che, come with me!"
Jiang Che wasn’t surprised and immediately turned to follow.
The two of them, one in front of the other, left the noisy square and arrived at a quiet pavilion.
There was no one else around, making it a good place to talk.
Elder Xuan Cheng stared at Jiang Che with a burning gaze.
Although he still had a smile on his face.
But Jiang Che could feel the terrifying pressure of a master at the Peak of the Tenth Layer of the True Master Realm faintly enveloping him.
"Jiang Che."
"This disciple is here," Jiang Che replied, his expression calm, neither humble nor arrogant.
"Let me ask you."
Elder Xuan Cheng’s gaze suddenly became extremely sharp, as if it could see right through Jiang Che’s heart. "Since you possess such Talent and could break through to the Tenth Layer Great Perfection at the last moment... why... for the several months prior, were you stuck at the first and second layers?"
"Even I thought you had given up on yourself!"
"I want to know... what exactly were you doing?"
Although Jiang Che’s final breakthrough to the Tenth Layer had been a pleasant surprise for him...
...the stark contrast left him filled with doubt.
As the Elder responsible for this batch of disciples, he had to get to the bottom of it.