Every platform was engaged in intense battles. Some disciples were even willing to endure injuries to pass the ten-move mark. Chen Xuan had come to understand the cruelty of the cultivation world in these past few days. It was a place where swords clashed at the slightest provocation, where every day was spent on the edge of life and death, far from his previous notion of seeking the path to longevity through cultivation.

Midway through, Chen Xuan chose to step onto the platform for the assessment.

"Are you ready?" the referee asked.

Chen Xuan nodded in response.

"Good. Begin."

With the command given, the puppet rushed towards Chen Xuan. It was at the Spiritual Warrior Realm, but Chen Xuan swiftly dodged using his Shadow Nine Transformations. After a month of traveling, Chen Xuan's Shadow Nine Transformations had become more mature. When executed, it left only afterimages, making it difficult for the puppet to attack his actual body.

Chen Xuan didn't want to reveal his full strength too early. Though he could defeat opponents at the Spiritual Warrior Realm, he aimed to last longer in the top fifty without exposing his full abilities, allowing him to choose his peak.

The puppet's attacks grew fiercer. It was no wonder many couldn't endure ten moves. The strength of the puppets was comparable to real opponents, if not stronger. Throughout the battle, Chen Xuan didn't draw his slaying horse blade from his back, relying solely on his Wind Thunder Fist technique.

The Yellow-ranked Wind Thunder Fist had reached the pinnacle of mastery, equivalent to a low-grade Earth-ranked technique. However, without his Shadow Nine Transformations, he would find it difficult to last ten moves. Even if he did, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't be injured unless he used the Seven Kills Blade, a domineering technique he didn't want to reveal yet. Those on the platform could easily discern its power.

"Boom!"

Chen Xuan's fist struck the puppet's left chest, causing it to stagger. In retaliation, the puppet's left foot kicked towards Chen Xuan's right side.

"Split Shadow!"

Chen Xuan shouted, and the puppet's kick landed on one of his shadows. This time, his shadow didn't retaliate, serving only as a distraction. Common footwork and techniques often had a confusing effect, but Chen Xuan wasn't worried about being exposed. If his shadow had an attacking capability, it would be a different story.

"I've been fighting the puppet for about twenty moves now. I'll surrender after a few more," a middle-aged man on the platform frowned. According to their reports, this Chen Xuan had more strength than what was shown. Why was he hiding his true power? His footwork was of high grade, indicating he had encountered extraordinary experiences. Even the peak master of Douling Peak, Li Jinshan, was secretly impressed.

"Wind Thunder Combined Attack!"

Chen Xuan executed another move of the Wind Thunder Fist. Their fists clashed, and Chen Xuan was pushed back ten steps before regaining his balance. It was already over thirty moves.

"Again!"

With a fist raised, Chen Xuan charged forward once more.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Let me show you my final move."

"Wind Thunder Gathering!"

"Boom!"

A large pit appeared on the platform, engulfed in dust. Chen Xuan was sent flying, stumbling back twenty steps before steadying himself. A trace of blood trickled from his mouth. It seemed that relying solely on the Wind Thunder Fist was insufficient to overcome the puppet. It was almost time to stop. Chen Xuan signaled to the referee and stepped down from the platform, paying no mind to the record-keeping. Someone else could handle that; he wasn't worried about tampering.

Returning to his original spot, Chen Xuan saw Xiyun Sheng had also returned, sitting on the ground, bruised all over. It seemed he had also endured a brutal battle.

"Brother Xiyun, did you pass?" Chen Xuan asked while applying healing medicine from his storage ring onto Xiyun Sheng's wounds.

"I did. I lasted fifteen moves, more than I expected. I didn't think there would be such a big difference between the Middle and Late Spirit stages. Even without using lethal moves, these puppets could have killed at least ninety percent of us in this assessment," Xiyun Sheng grimaced in pain.

"Indeed, the gap between realms cannot be bridged by techniques and martial skills alone. These puppets are specially crafted. Once they choose to retreat, they won't attack actively again. If we encounter real enemies like this, our chances of passing would be very slim. It seems we need to improve our strength as soon as possible. Otherwise, even if we join Danxuan Gate, we won't have the power to protect ourselves," Chen Xuan analyzed.

The assessments were coming to an end, with nearly all the participants having completed their platform battles. Those who passed stood in the center of the square, while those who didn't were separated. Around two thousand had passed, each showing the ability to challenge opponents of a higher level or escape under pressure.

"Everyone, calm down. All the competitions have ended. Those who didn't pass the assessment can each receive twenty Yuan Ling Pills. Those who passed, please wait a moment. The ranking results will be announced shortly, but only the top fifty will be announced. These fifty individuals have the right to choose their peak. Others will be assigned peaks evenly. Please wait in place for now," Xuan Yuzi announced.

After nearly half an hour, all the statistics were compiled.

"Now, I will announce the top fifty rankings. The top four positions have already been taken by the four youths who reached the Spiritual Warrior Realm. Starting from the fifth position..."

"Fifth place, Xuanyuan Li."

Chen Xuan saw that the youth who defeated the puppet with a sword was named Xuanyuan Li, and he made a mental note of the name. He knew this would be his biggest competitor in the future.

"Sixth place, Ma Yun."

"Seventh place, Liling."

"Eighth place, Sheng Yuanqiu..."

"Fifteenth place, Chen Xuan."

Surprisingly, he was only ranked fifteenth, indicating there were many skilled participants.

"Fiftieth place, Xue Qing."

After the names were announced, the assessment officials began from the top, allowing the four youths who had reached the Spiritual Warrior Realm to choose their peaks.

"Who will go first among you four?" the assessment official asked.

The four youths exchanged glances, and finally, Han Jiang in blue spoke up.

"I want to join the Qiankun Hall."

As he spoke, Xuan Yuzi and Elder Ye from the Law Enforcement Hall sighed. They had high hopes for him, but in the end, he chose the Qiankun Hall.

Next, the youth in gray spoke up.

"I choose the Elder Hall."

"Not bad, his aptitude is not much different from Han Jiang's," Xuan Yuzi nodded approvingly.

"I'll join the Law Enforcement Hall," said the youth in purple, Fengling.

"Very good," Elder Ye with red hair was also quite satisfied.

"Since you've all made your choices, I'll choose the Alchemy Hall."

The youth in purple lazily declared his choice.

"Now, the other forty-six will choose their peaks, starting from the fifth place."

"I choose the Water Cloud Peak," Xuanyuan Li spoke up. Hearing this, the peak master of the Dueling Peak, Li Jinshan, twitched his muscles a few times.

"I didn't expect this kid to choose our Dueling Peak, ranked first. Instead, he chose the Water Cloud Peak, ranked third," joked Lou Yue, standing nearby.

"Brother Li, didn't you say this kid would choose your Dueling Peak? Haha..."

"I choose the Dueling Peak."

At this moment, the second-ranked Liling spoke up, and Li Jinshan's expression improved slightly after hearing that someone chose his peak.

The peak selection process went quickly, with the top dozen or so choosing the peaks in the top five rankings. It was soon Chen Xuan's turn.

"I choose the Lianshan Peak."

This statement elicited incredulous expressions from those on the platform.

"Doesn't this kid know? The Lianshan Peak is almost at the bottom of the sixteen peaks. There are very few disciples there, and in recent years, they haven't received any outstanding disciples."

There was a murmur of discussion from the platform. Chen Xuan paid no attention and headed towards the direction where the disciples of the Lianshan Peak were being received.

"Yisheng, I heard that you eliminated dozens of disciples a year ago to find good talent. Is this the one you found?" Li Jinshan, the peak master of the Dueling Peak, asked.

"I didn't expect Brother Li to be so well-informed. Even our search for disciples is known. Yes, this young man is the one our disciples found," Yisheng, the peak master of the Lianshan Peak, replied.

"It seems that the disciples you sent out to search for talents haven't done a good job. I didn't expect the Lianshan Peak to come to the point where the disciples have to find talents themselves."

"It's too early for Brother Li to draw conclusions. Two months from now is the annual competition of the sect. We'll discuss it then. I know in my heart whether his aptitude is good or not. Brother Li, you don't need to worry."

"I'll wait and see. I wonder where the Lianshan Peak will rank this year. Do you need me to lend you some good disciples for the competition? Haha, laughed Li Jinshan arrogantly.

"Annoying."

Li Jinshan is becoming increasingly arrogant. Yisheng felt angry in his heart.