Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Meng Wuyou arranged Fang Lin and Lu Xiaoqing to stay in other residences because the door to Lu Xiaoqing’s residence had been busted down by Sun Hao while Fang Lin’s residence had been destroyed by someone. They would only return to their original residences after the renovation.
Of course, both of them did not stay together in the same residence.
After the farce from the other night, Fang Lin’s fame amongst the junior alchemy disciples grew. There were rumors about how he had a close relationship with Lu Xiaoqing, how he beat Sun Hao up ferociously, and how he solved the scheme between Kang Lu and Wu Zhen with just words. Anyhow, the discussions were boiling over so much that even the people from the martial art sect were talking about him.
However, many people were still displeased by Fang Lin provoking Kang Lu, especially those in the alchemy sect. Even though many junior alchemy disciples admired him, only a few mustered the courage to befriend him.
Nevertheless, Fang Lin enjoyed the calm. He spent his days cultivating in peace at his temporary residence. However, he was incapable of elevating his cultivation speed due to his lack of athanor to produce Energy-nurturing Pills. As a result, his cultivation speed was far slower these days when compared to the time he was staying with Xu Shangao.
At first, he was still feeling quite worried. He was troubled about the possibility of Kang Lu stirring up trouble again. However, nothing happened for three months consecutively. It felt as if Kang Lu had gone quiet after the incident that night.
Fang Lin seemed to have understood something after pondering for a while. It was not that Kang Lu had lost interest to bully Fang Lin anymore, but the year-end promotion examination was already approaching. Even if Kang Lu was feeling very confident, he would still need to make the necessary preparations. After all, the difficulty of the examination changed every year. Perhaps, the examination this year would be more difficult than the previous year, and even Kang Lu could fail.
Besides Kang Lu, the rest of the junior alchemy disciples were busy preparing for the year-end promotion examination. The junior alchemy disciples almost filled up the entire Herb Garden as they studied herbology day and night.
In fact, even Lu Xiaoqing spent most of her time preparing for the promotion examination in the final three months. Even though she was well aware that she would not be able to make it, she did not slow down or give up. She would spare no effort in the examination even if she failed it because she would like to know how far away she was from becoming an official disciple.
There was simply no one else amongst the junior alchemy disciples that was as free and carefree as Fang Lin. All the while, not a peep of his silhouette was ever seen in the packed Herb Garden.
A small portion of junior alchemy disciples was confused by Fang Lin’s laziness while the rest of them were used to it. To them, he was no longer himself if not for his laziness.
At one point, Fang Lin wanted to take a stroll in the Herb Garden. He figured that he should pretend to do so even though there was nothing much to learn there.
However, he turned around and left as soon as he arrived in the Herb Garden. He found the spacious courtyard filled with junior alchemy disciples. He refused to be jostled about by the people there. It was sheer purgatory for him!
Three months was not an overly long or overly short period. Fang Lin cultivated with great effort, but he did not manage to elevate his realm to level-5 primordial man and still remained on level-4.
However, the strength of his inner energy was now slightly more powerful than an ordinary person’s level-4 primordial man realm because some of his 72 meridians had opened up.
During that eventful night, Sun Hao had been beaten up by Fang Lin so savagely such that he had been rendered utterly incapable of hitting back. Other than just being drunk, Sun Hao’s energy was also weaker than Fang Lin’s. Even if he was fighting against Fang Lin in a completely sober state, Sun Hao would not stand a chance to win.
It was the end of the year. The promotion examination that could affect every single one of the junior alchemy disciples’ destiny had finally begun. Almost every junior alchemy disciple was feeling exceedingly anxious on the night before the examination began, especially those that were rather hopeful for a promotion that year. They were swarmed with a wave of mixed emotions.
Fang Lin spent his days doing whatever he wanted, including sleeping and eating, as if the promotion examination did not involve him at all.
On the day of the examination, the three thousand junior alchemy disciples gathered at the alchemy altar, packing the hall. The expression on almost every person’s face was a combination of anxiety and intensity. No one chatted, including Kang Lu who was seated in the front row. He closed his eyes and meditated.
Fang Lin sat amongst the disciples. He looked around leisurely and appeared especially conspicuous amongst the three thousand disciples. A few of the elders on the stone platform frowned when they saw him.
There were a total of four elders on the stone platform. Other than Meng Wuyou and Mu Yan, Zhao Dengming was there as well. There was also an old man with a kind smile on his face. Judging by his appearance, he looked slightly older than Meng Wuyou.
“That boy, Fang Lin, is overly sloppy. Even though he’s gifted in natural endowment, I’m afraid that he won’t even reach medium grade this year,” said Zhao Dengming upon noticing Fang Lin’s lackadaisical behavior.
Zhao Dengming had embarrassed himself greatly after the incident that took place during the previous alchemy altar lesson. At first, he did not want to host the promotion examination this time, but he could not reject the first elder’s order either, so he could only brace himself and attend it.
However, Zhao Dengming’s hatred toward Fang Lin did not diminish due to the previous incident. As a result, he refused to speak well of Fang Lin.
Mu Yan was expressionless. It was as if she was completely oblivious to Zhao Dengming’s remark.
Shooting a glance at Zhao Dengming, Meng Wuyou spoke in a displeased tone, “Elder Zhao, the examination has yet to begin. It’s a little biased of you to make such remarks now.”
In response, Zhao Dengming scoffed softly with a rather cold expression and did not continue speaking anymore.
The old man spoke with a beatific smile, “My fellow elders, we should be polite and kind to each other when we’re hosting the examination together. Can we please try to avoid conflict?”
No one else responded. The old man coughed dryly a few times before his murky gaze swept over the crowd of people beneath him.
“Silence!” A voice as resonant as a large bell echoed through the entire alchemy altar and rang in the ears of every junior alchemy disciple.
All at once, all the junior alchemy disciples raised their heads and looked at the four elders on the stone platform with rapt attention.
“My surname is Zhou and I’m joined by the other three elders to host this year’s promotion examination. Disciples, salute the alchemy sect’s four saints!” declared Old Man Zhou loudly.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The group of junior alchemy disciples stood up and worshipped the four statues of the alchemy sect’s four saints. After the worshipping ceremony, they took a seat once again.
“This year’s examination is similar to the previous year’s. Later, you must pay full attention when you answer the questions and don’t cheat. The three elders and I will never let you off easily if you are caught breaking the rules of the examination!” Old Man Zhou warned. His beaming face was tinted with a dash of seriousness.
After Old Man Zhou’s speech, Mu Yan continued, “There are a total of three rounds in the examination. A hundred questions are given each round, so that makes up 300 questions. You will pass the examination if you can answer 270 out of 300 questions. Disciples, come forward and draw your examination number. You may enter the private rooms for the examination when your number is called.”
Meng Wuyou, Zhao Dengming, and Old Man Zhou each placed a huge wooden box on the stone platform. Soon afterward, the three thousand disciples were ordered to queue up to draw their order numbers.
Fang Lin unfolded the paper that he drew and found the number 973 written on the paper.
Lu Xiaoqing looked over at his paper and said, “You’re so far behind. My number is 63.”