"Comprehending intent at the Qi Refining Stage?!"

"Hiss... No wonder so many elders showed up. Is this guy really from the Outer Sect?!"

The disciples were utterly shocked.

At this moment, Elder Dong Wanglian and several other elders had already arrived in the hall.

Deacon Xiao quickly spoke, "Greetings, Elders."

Lu Yi also stepped forward and said, "Lu Yi greets the Elders."

The elders nodded at Lu Yi with warm smiles.

"Welcome to Ling Luo Peak, young man."

"Kid, do well in the assessment. I have high hopes for you!"

"..."

Then they turned to Deacon Xiao. Elder Dong Wanglian said, "Deacon Xiao, why haven't you started the assessment yet?"

Being stared at by several Nascent Soul experts made Deacon Xiao a bit nervous. He quickly nodded. "Yes, Elder Dong Wang."

He looked at Lu Yi and smiled. "Lu Yi, the entrance assessment for Ling Luo Peak is the most difficult among all twelve peaks in the sect. According to the Peak Master's philosophy, we prioritize quality over quantity, using limited resources to cultivate the most promising disciples. However, this difficulty mainly applies to ordinary disciples. For you, it might just be a formality.

"Generally, disciples who can enter the Inner Sect have no issues with their talent. Therefore, our entrance assessment focuses on two aspects: comprehension and combat ability. The comprehension test involves grasping a technique."

As he spoke, Deacon Xiao flipped his hand, and a book appeared. "Lu Yi, this is the Qi Refining technique 'Nine Shadow Sword.' Among Qi Refining techniques, it is considered quite difficult. Your task is to grasp the basics of this technique within two hours."

Lu Yi took the book, raised an eyebrow, and smiled. "Understood."

No wonder Ling Luo Peak's assessment is considered difficult. Two hours, equivalent to four hours, to grasp a technique—even if it's just a Qi Refining technique—is no easy feat.

Meanwhile, Lu Yi silently thought, "I want to read through the 'Nine Shadow Sword' manual."

[Task]

Read through the 'Nine Shadow Sword' manual (0/1)

Reward: 'Nine Shadow Sword' Level +1 Accept: Yes/No

As expected,

Lu Yi was delighted. For just grasping the basics, he only needed to read through it once.

Practically no difficulty at all.

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Then Lu Yi had another thought and silently said, "I want to pass the entrance assessment for Ling Luo Peak."

[Task]

Pass the Ling Luo Peak entrance assessment. Reward: Spiritual Water Essence, Mid-Grade Magical Item 'White Spirit Belt.'

Accept: Yes/No

Lu Yi's eyes lit up, pleasantly surprised.

Goodness, this entrance assessment offers such generous rewards? Although not as grand as winning first place in a competition, it's already impressive!

He quickly accepted the task.

Deacon Xiao pointed to a cushion in the hall and said, "You can sit on the cushion to comprehend the technique. We won't disturb you."

Lu Yi smiled and nodded. He then sat on the cushion and opened the 'Nine Shadow Sword' manual.

Compared to the White Cloud Sword Technique, which emphasizes ethereal and unpredictable movements, the Nine Shadow Sword focuses more on speed and unpredictability. As comprehension deepens, the sword can create multiple shadows during strikes, making it highly formidable.

Lu Yi immersed himself in the manual, quietly reading.

While he was reading, the elders and disciples refrained from disturbing him. Instead, they communicated through voice transmissions.

"It's starting!"

"Let's make a bet. How long do you think it'll take him to grasp the technique?"

"You’ve been influenced by the Peak Master, haven’t you? Always betting... I bet one hour. His cultivation is still low. If he were at the Foundation Establishment stage, it’d be much faster."

"Hah... Impossible! Lu Yi has already comprehended sword intent. Even with low cultivation, it won’t take him long to grasp a technique. I bet half an hour."

"Half an hour?! No way! The Nine Shadow Sword is notoriously difficult. No matter how high his comprehension, he can't grasp it in just half an hour!"

"Hmph, we’ll see!"

"Let’s wait and see!"

"..."

Lu Yi spent about ten minutes reading through the manual.

After finishing, he glanced at his status panel and saw the task marked as complete. He happily claimed the reward, and information about the Nine Shadow Sword flooded into his mind. After absorbing it, he had already grasped the basics.

He looked at the 'Nine Shadow Sword (Lv1)' label on his panel, then checked the time. He couldn't help but marvel.

That was fast.

Lu Yi suddenly felt like a top student. In his past life, there were always those who finished exams in half the time, making others envious and annoyed.

Now he was that person.

Four hours for the assessment, and he finished in just over ten minutes. How impressive was that?

However, Lu Yi also felt a bit troubled. Standing up now might seem too ostentatious.

He wasn't one to show off.

So, Lu Yi pretended to study the manual carefully again, while thinking about which Nascent Soul elder would make the best teacher.

After another half hour, Lu Yi felt it was about time. Getting up now wouldn’t seem too over-the-top.

He stood up.

Seeing this, the elders and disciples' eyes lit up with excitement as they whispered among themselves.

"He’s done already? It’s only been fifteen minutes. Isn’t that too fast?"

"Don’t rush. He hasn’t demonstrated it yet. He’ll probably need a few practice runs."

"Makes sense... How many tries do you think he’ll need to master it?"

"Within ten tries!"

"Even so, it’s still within half an hour, right?"

"Let’s just watch."

"..."

As they discussed, Lu Yi took out a longsword from his spatial ring and swung it.

Swish!!

The sword sliced through the air, leaving behind a sharp sword shadow—a hallmark of mastering the Nine Shadow Sword.

Everyone: "???"

The hall fell silent as elders and disciples stared blankly at the fading sword shadow.

Then, a disciple exclaimed, "He’s mastered it?! Already?!"

The others erupted in shock.

"Two quarters of an hour to grasp the Nine Shadow Sword! What kind of monster is Lu Yi?!"

"Yeah! He didn’t even practice! Did he just simulate it in his mind after reading the manual?!"

"No wonder he comprehended sword intent at the Qi Refining Stage. His comprehension is simply inhuman!"

The disciples were stunned, and even the elders exchanged shocked glances.

"Such comprehension..."

"If he were at Foundation Establishment, I wouldn’t be surprised if he mastered it in fifteen minutes. But he’s only at Qi Refining!"

"Yes, mastering such a difficult technique in fifteen minutes at this stage is unbelievable."

"His comprehension might rival Liu Ningshuang’s... No, it might even be stronger!" a Nascent Soul elder remarked.