"Senior Blue Universe, if you don't mind me asking, how does Assistant Director Jun Pei fair against the other soul formation experts present?" Yang Qing hesitantly asked.
He was found in a weird position where knowing the answer to that question and not knowing, both had the potential of not putting his mind at ease, especially if the response he got was that Assistant Director Jun Pei was one of the strongest contenders among the nine soul formation experts present.
"Well, this isn't easy to say because when it comes to Soul formation experts their means are extensive. One can never know the true strength of one until they engage them.
But from the base value, on the things in external surface, she isn't the weakest, if that's your worry?" said Blue Universe with a hint of amusement in his tone.
"I hope that's not all, please Senior Blue Universe don't be stingy with the details."
Yang Qing crossed his fingers that Blue Universe wouldn't pull the same technique his seniors at the Order always pulled with sensitive information. They'd tell you bits, just enough to scratch a tiny part of the itch, but leave a whole part of it unanswered and the response they give you always left someone with more questions than answers.
Yang Qing hoped that wasn't it from Blue Universe's explanation and that he had more otherwise he would be ill at ease during the whole ceremony. Luckily Blue Universe did not disappoint as he provided further details.
"Yang Qing, I should reiterate that this is just the rough estimate and not the actual result, should a real battle break out the results may be different.
"Yuan Huiling is the weakest of the nine," said Blue Universe.
"Who is she?" asked Yang Qing as he superciliously rolled his eyes, thinking Blue Universe needed some work in his explanations.
"The lady you were staring at moments ago," Blue Universe meaningfully said.
Yang Qing rubbed his hot nose as he chuckled in embarrassment.
"Even though technically she is the weakest but that's only because she's a pure soul cultivator. You should be thankful she is here, if anything went wrong, she would be among the first people to realize it in advance. She has a rare physique; I think it's the Pursuing Rainbow Pearl physique. It makes her sensitive to arts that are based on the five-attribute element.
Next would be Assistant Director Feng Lie from the Special Inquisitor, however, he is the reason why I said you should take this result with a grain of salt.
While at face value he seems weaker, deep inside, he feels as dangerous as Zhou Huang, which is the stern-looking elderly lady…"
"He is the fourth most powerful," Green Cocoon suddenly interjected when Blue Universe was in the midst of his explanation.
"No wonder…" muttered Blue Universe before he continued on.
"After Assistant Director Feng Lei, who now moves up, it would be Assistant Director Jun Pei. That means she's in the penultimate position.
Next after her, would be Vice-Chancellor Wu Ling, though, in terms of potential, he has a lot of promise since he is the youngest of them all…"
Yang Qing was once again shocked by Vice Chancellor Wu Ling's capabilities. Though when he thought about it, it made sense on some level. Vice Chancellor Wu Ling was the head of one of the backbones of the Order. Someone in that station had to have some capability.
"After him, it's the stern-looking elderly lady, Zhou Huang. Despite her frail look, just her snort could puncture a hole through twenty top-grade defensive ascendant-grade treasures. She's a ruthless combatant in physical and frontal confrontations. A few elders of the One thousand battle palace are deathly afraid of her," Blue Universe said with a light chuckle.
Yang Qing had a look of relief fill his face, the more he heard. Someone who could strike fear into the hearts of Battle Palace elders was a dependable person. Every Battle Palace elder was once a hall master, who left their position once they reached the soul formation realm.
Yang Qing's shoulders eased up a bit with the renewed vigor he had on from the realization his chances of survival were not bad. If the stern elder looking lady was already this powerful what about the four-remaining people, and this was not putting into account Assistant Director Feng Lei who was technically the fourth strongest in the lineup, as per Green Cocoon's estimations, who was clearly more reliable than Blue Universe in Yang Qing's eyes.
"I knew I loved the Order for a reason, despite their horrible work environment," Yang Qing gleefully thought as he preened his ears.
"After Zhou Huang, it would be Su Bai, that middle-aged man you were looking at enviously…He is skilled in the sword dao.
The next one after him would be Qi Chen, the stocky-built elder. In his case, the judgment is at base value, however as a blacksmith, if I was to take into account his artifacts, he wouldn't lose to the next two..." Blue Universe said and then made a sudden pause.
"As for the next two, I can't accurately gauge their power since they are essentially at the same level as me if not stronger thus, I can't tell who is stronger.
You shouldn't worry Yang Qing, you're in safe hands," said Blue Universe.
Yang Qing wasn't all too surprised that the strongest two were Vice President Mo Ye and Chief Justice Lai Ning. One was just below the president of the whole Order in terms of rank, and the other was the head of all of the judges within the Order. As holders of those posts, it was a given that they'd be that powerful.
…
Yang Qing didn't get much time to revel in his newfound sense of security for too long because he finally sensed the six people who Blue Universe and the rest talked about.
Thanks to his heightened senses because of the effects of Veiled Destiny, he could sense things at a much longer range and with much more clarity. Of the six people he was able to roughly gauge their power levels, but for the remaining two, they seemed normal, as if they were not cultivators.
This was the same feeling Yang Qing got from the nine soul formation experts that were up there with him. They all felt too ordinary like they didn't have a lick of cultivation on them. Yang Qing knew such a sensation was because of the huge gulf between them, the same way he would seem ordinary to a qi refinement cultivator.
Powerful cultivators always reigned in their pressure for fear of injuring those weaker than them, especially in a public setting otherwise if they brought out their full cultivation to bear, most would find it hard to breathe let alone stay conscious or alive in worst cases.
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