The instant after I realize the danger of the situation, I throw my full cultivation up to protect me. Removing all the safeguards I hold around it to prevent myself from being crushed into paste.
My body shining with the amount of ambient qi being unleashed from myself, equal to Mid-Core Formation in amount.
…however, not in quality.
After all, my qi is still from Qi Condensation, like a gas. Where her actual Core Formation qi is like a solid. So, even if I can match the amount of qi, her spiritual pressure tears through it like tissue paper.
But this is enough…
It’s easy to see the surprise on everyone’s faces as they see the amount of qi that I’m outputting. And just as the old woman’s qi is about to touch me, she dissipates it.
Having proved her point to me, to not be a smartass.
An indication that with a glance, she could see the measures that I was taking to hide my cultivation base and that I could handle that amount of spiritual pressure. Evidence of her experience and wisdom.
Unfortunately for me, my conversation scan told me this was necessary to convince the group, as a whole.
Sigh. Even if it tells me what is necessary and what will happen…it’s a totally different thing to experience it.
Rather than looking at me, she looks at everyone else.
“…I’m curious to whether this kid will be able to hold up to their words, aren’t you?”
Now that she’s done this, the other masters are looking at me differently, starting to believe there is truly something different about me. Especially, since it should be impossible for me to (sustainably) have this much qi. And even more strangely, to still have this amount, after enduring her spiritual pressure, by unleashing my own.
Because in the qi condensation realm, when you use your qi, it doesn’t refill naturally. Well, at least for everyone else.
I stay silent, as is courteous in this situation. They scrutinize each other, communicating telepathically. After some time, an eternity with higher realm cultivators, the old woman speaks again.
“We’ll introduce ourselves.”
There… they are taking me seriously now.
She starts off the round of introductions.
“I am Madame Liao Mingxia, but you may call me Madame Liao.”
From there, each of them gives their names, even if I had already learned it. Following the formal process:
Madame Qian was the brunette with broad shoulders and melodic voice, who started this.
Madame Hao Liqin, is a small woman with black hair, who has a constant qi aura around her, showing that she’s one of the genius level cultivators in Core Formation. She’s also one of two of the experts that used to be from Jingjao Temple.
Madame Lia is the woman with white-hair and has immeasurable poise. It seems she’s the second person from Jingjao Temple.
The only man of this group of Masters is Master Wen, who just seems like a quiet, white-haired old man. I kind of feel bad for him, as it looks like he’s constantly wary of the other female masters, seeming like he’s pissed them off in the past.
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And of course, Madame Liao Mingxia is here, being the eldest of the group. Interestingly, I think she’s the oldest Core Formation expert I’ve seen yet, likely being around 700 years old. Considering that Core Formations can live up to 850 years, she resembles how Sister Nuan looked when still suffering from her aging condition.
After their introductions, she is the one to say the final statements before we begin.
“Considering you not having any prior history, accreditations, or history, I will have the amount of people required for you to heal, brought up to 100. Is that understood?”
I nod again, anticipating this change from my earlier findings.
After I confirm this, things turn into a blur as they move me into a sealed medical presentation space and start preparing the 100 people they need me to heal.
That isn’t an exaggeration, either. They literally blur in front of my eyes and disappear from sight. Rapidly moving from clinic to clinic within the city and collecting sick people for me to heal.
It only takes 20 minutes or so before they get everyone into the building. During that time, students, professors, and other staff file into the prepared auditorium, seating for observers on the other side of the sealed space.
I can already hear the comments filter through, even without my scan.
“He’s so young…”
“Is he even qualified to have the Masters run around like this? Doesn’t he know if he fails that he’ll be ostracized everywhere?”
“I hear he’s acting anonymously. Why hasn’t he covered his face?”
Ah, that last one is a good point. But my scan told me it would be harder to get this far without showing my features, likely already considering that the Masters would draw connection to the rumors around me.
But that’s still acceptable to me. Much different from getting direct support from the head of the organization and made into a Master Healer that way.
Soon, though, the comments from the crowd stop as the Masters walk in, one by one. Before sitting in their preassigned chairs.
Madame Qian speaks for the group, being the voice for their evaluation.
“The anonymous applicant for the Masters level accreditation has chosen no specialty. Consequently, we will distribute the highest difficulty cases evenly across every category at random. Because of this choice, every patient will be required to be done at an extraordinary level.”
There’s silence before a flurry of whispers fill the auditorium. Madame Qian doesn’t even need to cough, just raising her eyes to the stands to cause everyone to stop.
“We will start with the below patient.”
A patient is quickly wheeled into the sealed space. It appears to be a heavily injured patient, literally bleeding out before my eyes. Additionally, it appears they have several layers of curses on them.
Madame Qian adds in additional requirements.
“This patient will need to be done, as if in a distracted environment, like a combat zone. I humbly request the audience to make as much noise as possible to distract the applicant. Additionally, certain members of the audience will be allowed to fire lethal spells near the applicant.”
…
Now that’s just unfair.
Contrary to my thoughts, the auditorium erupts into excitement, at being given the opportunity to participate in a Master Level evaluation, something that is practically unheard of, unless the specialty is combat healing. A glance at Madame Liao Mingxia shows this was her idea.
My scan tells me that’s her specialty: combat healing and trauma. A challenge to see whether I can handle stressful situations and quickly disqualify me, to not waste their time with 99 other patients.
All around, I hear constant sounds and screams. The sound of low power, but screamingly loud cultivation techniques being harmlessly fired. In a sense, somewhat accurately portraying a battlefield situation. Each of which would stress the heck out of a normal healer, that is not accustomed to this.
In a more terrifying fashion, I sense and suppress the urge to dodge as Foundation Establishment cultivators fire explosive spells near me. Tearing through a portion of the surrounding floor at a continuous rate. Showering me with dirt and a small portion of pain.
As this all happens, the Masters all focus their spiritual sense on me and the patient.
To which I surprise them.
With a wave of a hand, it glowing briefly; I cause the patient’s body to glow and heal instantaneously. Every injury, curse, and scar on the person’s body disappears. In addition, making them look even younger than before.
The previous cacophony of sound and violence subsided into silence.
Even the masters are shocked, having watched all the details using their spiritual sense. This would have been even more mind-bending because they would have known the various challenges normally required to heal them.
I cough before speaking.
“…ahem. If you are okay with it, could I just heal all 99 other people at once? To save time?”
…
A pin drops.