The next morning, outside a small building at Donghua Dao School, students already filled the space, waiting to test their cultivation levels.
Only after the cultivation test that morning would the third task, the combat assessment, begin.
Zhou Bai, sporting two dark circles under his eyes, walked over slowly. From afar, Jing Xiu spotted him and continuously waved his hand in greeting.
With a yawn, Zhou Bai headed towards the spot where Jing Xiu and Xia Li were standing.
Xia Li glanced at Zhou Bai’s sleepy face and chuckled, "Feeling bad? Worried last night and couldn’t sleep?"
Zhou Bai glanced at her and snorted, saying, "Today I’ll let you know what a genius really is."
After last night’s efforts, Zhou Bai had broken through a bottleneck, reaching a Daoizing Degree of 5.1%.
Changes had occurred inside and out.
Whether it was thought speed, memory, the agility of Primordial Spirit power, or the might of his Divine Diagram skills, he had improved in more or less every aspect, feeling more confident about the upcoming two phases of the assessment.
Upon hearing Zhou Bai’s words, Xia Li, who had witnessed yesterday’s events, didn’t believe it one bit. She looked at him with pity and sighed, "Alright Zhou Bai, don’t push yourself. After the exam, go ask Teacher Lü for another chance to study properly."
"No need," Zhou Bai said, "I currently have a Primordial Spirit force of 287 points, and a Daoizing Degree of 5.1%. I could possibly come first in the remaining two tasks."
Xia Li looked at Zhou Bai as if staring at a fool, angering him deep inside.
But he could only sigh, knowing he couldn’t persuade them at the moment. He could only wait and let his strength speak for itself, to prove himself.
Jing Xiu, seeing Zhou Bai’s displeasure, quickly consoled him, "Big Brother Zhou, don’t be nervous. I believe in you. Just do your best, and you’re sure to pass the second task."
Jing Xiu, I actually..." Zhou Bai sighed, "Forget it, I am not short of this bit of time. You’ll soon see what I’m capable of."
Just then, a wheelchair rolled slowly towards them and stopped in front of Zhou Bai. Qian Wangsun, with his golden hair, sat in the chair.
Seeing Zhou Bai looking downcast, Qian Wangsun smiled and asked, "What’s up, Zhou Bai? I heard you came last in yesterday’s exam. Can you share how you managed that?"
Although Zhou Bai thought Qian Wangsun was possibly feigning composure, his presence still brought some relief. Zhou Bai quickly gave the excuse he had prepared, "That’s because I’m a practitioner of innate talent, I cultivate through talent and instinct.
I understand the principles of cultivation but just can’t articulate them."
Qian Wangsun chuckled. Having seen Zhou Bai fight, he knew Zhou Bai shouldn’t be weak. Was he really what they call a ’practical-type talent’ since his theory results were so poor?
At that moment, someone in the distance called out Qian Wangsun’s name.
"It’s my turn, I need to go. See you in a bit," said Qian Wangsun as he left.
Zhou Bai watched him go, observing the wheelchair slowly move into the corridor.
"Hm?" Zhou Bai watched his back and asked, "Jing Xiu, do you notice the light around Qian Wangsun seems a bit dim?"
"Does it?" Jing Xiu curiously looked over, "Could it be because he entered the corridor?"
A thought suddenly struck Zhou Bai: ’Has this guy been hit so hard that he...’
Shaking his head, he reasoned, "Anyway, today’s cultivation test will also check the mental state. If there’s an issue, the school will certainly detect it."
Soon after, Jing Xiu, Xia Li, and others were called in one by one to test, and before long, it was Zhou Bai’s turn.
...
In the pure white room, bizarre instruments were arrayed.
A male teacher looked at the recorded numbers on the form with a hint of surprise, "This year’s students are really not bad. That girl named Yun Shi who just went, her Primordial Spirit value has already reached 190. Truly impressive."
Another female teacher beside him said, "Reaching 190 in just two months is indeed impressive, but there’s someone named Zuo Dao who’s even more remarkable. I heard from Teacher Xiao next door that the boy he tested, Zuo Dao, had a Primordial Spirit value of 205, his Divine Diagram reached the sixth spot, and he had a Daoizing Degree of 4.5%. He even scored full marks on the written exam."
"Broke 200 in two months? And full marks on the theory exam?" The male teacher marveled, "Tsk tsk, such talent is enviable. It’s been years since we’ve seen such a gifted student."
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"I heard that Zuo Dao is the orphan of the Zuo Family."
"The Zuo Family, that explains it."
Just then, a knock on the door interrupted their conversation. The two teachers ceased discussing student performance instantly.
The male teacher gestured, and the door opened to Zhou Bai walking in.
"Next we’ll be testing your Daoizing Degree, Primordial Spirit value, and Divine Diagram cultivation. You should have an idea of your own numbers, right? Give us an estimate, and we’ll check and confirm it," the male teacher inquired.
Zhou Bai replied, "A Daoizing Degree of 5.1%, Primordial Spirit value of 287, and the fifth spot on my Sword Diagram."
Silence suddenly fell upon the room.
The male teacher was taken aback and asked again, "What did you say?"
Zhou Bai had to repeat the numbers once more.
The male teacher tried to be patient: "Student, please cooperate and give us your actual numbers, so you don’t impede our work, okay?"
"Those are the actual numbers, I’ve tested them many times myself," Zhou Bai insisted, a proud smile spreading across his face. "To be honest, even I couldn’t believe it when I tested myself. Who would have thought Donghua Dao School could have such a talented student?"
The two teachers frowned, disbelieving Zhou Bai’s claim. His numbers far exceeded the records set by new students in the past.
Especially the Primordial Spirit value of 287; no freshman in the history of Donghua Dao School had achieved such a level in just two months.
The male teacher opened the student records, found Zhou Bai’s, and realized his written score was only 720. His face fell as he internally cursed, ’A just-passing score of 720 and you’re bragging this much? You might as well claim your Primordial Spirit value is ten thousand.’
The female teacher glanced at the record and sighed helplessly, ’This foolish child.’
Exchanging glances, they rolled their eyes in resignation. Despite their internal critique, since he insisted, they decided to test it.
"Get an instrument that can handle a Primordial Spirit value above 250."
"Turn on the protective array to 300 points."
"Student, please stand at the yellow line."
The two teachers adjusted the instruments and Zhou Bai’s position slightly. The male teacher pointed at a floating piece of iron and instructed, "Use your Primordial Spirit power to pinch that piece of iron. Use as much strength as you’ve got."
With that, he looked at Zhou Bai as if expecting a show, chuckling, "If your Primordial Spirit force is below 250 points, this instrument won’t show any reaction."