Chapter 117 - 107: Assessment, Plotting for the Profound Yuan Skill, Superior Comprehension

Chapter 117: Chapter 107: Assessment, Plotting for the Profound Yuan Skill, Superior Comprehension

Su Chen flipped through the Profound Yuan Technique several times before the name finally appeared on the interface. Not wasting a moment, he immediately spent one hundred taels of Krypton Gold to activate the easy mode:

[Easy Mode activated: Swallow saliva one hundred times to master the basics of the Profound Yuan Technique.]

"Swallowing saliva, that’s simple enough!" he thought with a smile breaking across his face. He quickly began to swallow.

Time trickled by.

Cultivation Garden.

Faint sounds of a mild argument drifted from within.

"The force Bi Kui cultivates is highly similar to that of our Hun Courtyard. He rightfully belongs with us, so there is no need for the rest of you to fight over him."

Hong Zhendong, head of the Hun Courtyard, interrupted the ongoing debate. Only one person had passed the assessment this time, which was far from enough for the four great courtyards. Aside from the head of the Li Courtyard, who remained silent, the heads of the other two courtyards had already begun openly fighting over Bi Kui.

This was because the Cultivation Technique Bi Kui practiced was relatively balanced, allowing him to practice other techniques simultaneously. Although there might be conflicts in his force later on, given Bi Kui’s aptitude, he would be able to quickly rebuild his cultivation after using the Dissipation Skill.

Therefore, such a promising prospect naturally incited fierce competition among the four courtyards. This was especially true under the Profound Water Sect’s strict principle of preferring quality over quantity; their recruitment quotas for the year were not yet filled, making him all the more desirable.

"Zhendong, you should yield him to our Qing Courtyard. Bi Kui’s force shares a remarkably similar essence with ours. He might even be able to continue his training without needing the Dissipation Skill, which would save a tremendous amount of time," said Hong Xuanqing, head of the Qing Courtyard. She had been the first to lay claim to Bi Kui earlier.

At this moment, Hong Xuancheng, head of the Liuyuan Courtyard, let out a soft chuckle. "Everyone, while your points are very reasonable, have you forgotten that Bi Kui’s Heart Intent Sect Courtyard is my Liuyuan Courtyard?"

This instantly silenced the other two. Both Hong Xuanqing and Hong Zhendong were left speechless, clearly understanding the underlying meaning of his words. After all, Bi Kui had already stated his preferred courtyard; if Hong Xuancheng refused to let him go, no amount of arguing would matter.

"Hmph, you’ve gotten your way again!" Hong Zhendong sighed helplessly, abandoning his bid against the others.

Hong Xuanqing remained silent, clearly sharing Hong Zhendong’s sentiment. However, a hint of regret still lingered in her eyes.

STEP STEP STEP.

Footsteps approached from the door, drawing near before gradually slowing down. A figure stepped inside and bowed. "Four courtyard heads, this disciple has something to report."

"What is it?" Hong Zhendong looked impatient. He hadn’t yet recovered from his earlier frustration, and his tone carried a trace of displeasure.

"A candidate has comprehended the Profound Yuan Technique in just a quarter of an hour!"

"A quarter of an hour?"

At those words, the courtyard heads—who had just been refusing to look at one another—were all visibly shaken, faint surprise showing in their eyes.

"If it only took a quarter of an hour, his comprehension is good enough to be ranked in the upper tier," Hong Xuanqing muttered to herself after a moment of thought. Looking at the disciple, she asked softly, "Do you have his file?"

"Yes, I brought it with me." The man pulled out Su Chen’s file.

The four of them stood up and gathered around, unanimously turning their gaze to the paper. It read:

*Su Chen. Age: eighteen. Innate bone structure: upper-middle (six drops). Suspected of practicing at least three Cultivation Techniques. Force: impure. Comprehension: upper-middle.*

After reading it, their brows furrowed slightly. An upper-middle bone structure and upper-middle comprehension were barely enough to join the Profound Water Sect, but his impure force gave the four of them pause.

A long silence fell over the room as they exchanged mute glances, none of them eager to speak first.

Hong Xuancheng finally couldn’t help but ask, "Everyone, does any courtyard want him?"

"His force is impure, which contradicts the Cultivation Technique of my Qing Courtyard. This person is not suitable for us. If the rest of you want him, I yield him to you," Hong Xuanqing said, shaking her head and passing on the choice.

Hearing this, Hong Zhendong quickly chimed in. "Although our Hun Courtyard doesn’t place extreme importance on the purity of force, given his bone structure, it would be immensely difficult for him to temper his organs after using the Dissipation Skill. Furthermore, while the Hun Courtyard may seem chaotic on the surface, our force is actually quite pure. He isn’t suitable for us. Xuancheng, your side is a better fit. The Liuyuan Courtyard’s Cultivation Technique does have certain requirements for comprehension."

Hong Xuancheng didn’t reply immediately; instead, he looked at Hong Ting. As if knowing what he was thinking, Hong Ting’s cold voice rang out, "You all know I only ever recruit female disciples."

The others fell silent, unable to argue. Hong Ting hadn’t participated in the debate over Bi Kui’s placement earlier, and the same applied now. She had always refused to accept male disciples.

For a moment, the atmosphere grew somewhat stifling. Everyone was lost in their own thoughts, hesitant to speak.

After a long pause, Hong Xuancheng sighed. "How about this? Go ask him if he is willing to use the Dissipation Skill. If he agrees, he can join the Liuyuan Courtyard, but he must serve as an Attendant for a year. Only if he performs well during that time will he be officially accepted."

"Yes, sir!" the disciple acknowledged before bowing out of the room.

The other three courtyard heads looked at Hong Xuancheng in surprise, not expecting him to propose such a condition. They had no objections regarding the Dissipation Skill, but making Su Chen an Attendant was something they hadn’t anticipated.

An Attendant was essentially akin to a Scholar’s Attendant. Generally speaking, they served the disciples of the various courtyards. While they held a certain status, it wasn’t high. At their core, they were still menial servants—at most, high-class menial servants. Asking someone with upper-middle comprehension to become a servant meant there was a very real chance he would refuse.

As if reading their minds, Hong Xuancheng chuckled lightly. "Although his comprehension is upper-middle, his bone structure and force don’t meet our standards. Let’s use this year to observe his character. If his character proves resilient enough, there’s no harm in taking him in."