Chapter 15: The Valley Master's Betrayal

Su Yuan and his two companions quickly arrived at the plaza. Many disciples had already gathered here. Su Yuan and the others found their positions and stood properly. This time, the arrangement was different - they were positioned according to their rankings from the previous cultivation assessment. Su Yuan stood at the 118th position, while Zhang Wei stood at 143rd place. Several mid-grade Spirit Root disciples nearby glanced at Su Yuan repeatedly. Su Yuan responded with an awkward yet polite smile. Wu Jing happened to be nearby and waved at Su Yuan. "Brother Su Yuan, long time no see!" Wu Jing said with a smile. "So it's Senior Brother Wu Jing. How's your cultivation progressing? No problems entering the outer sect?" Su Yuan exchanged pleasantries. "Haha, almost there, almost there!" Wu Jing chuckled before asking, "Which peak does Brother Su Yuan plan to join?" Su Yuan looked surprised. "We can choose for ourselves?" "Of course! We're not like those top ten disciples who might be selected by peak masters. For outer sect disciples like us, it's first come first served. As long as there are spots left, we can join whichever peak we want." "I see!" Su Yuan nodded, feeling relieved now. He had already familiarized himself with the Seven Extremes Sect's general situation through the Scripture Pavilion. The Seven Extremes Sect had seven peaks, each renowned for their specialties: Alchemy Extreme, Artifact Extreme, Technique Extreme; Spirit Extreme, Energy Extreme, Thunder Extreme, and Mystery Extreme! Alchemy Extreme and Artifact Extreme specialized in pill refining and artifact forging respectively - these were the sect's two financial pillars. Technique Extreme was known for its complex and marvelous spells. Spirit Extreme excelled in spiritual sense cultivation. Energy Extreme focused on spiritual energy research. Thunder Extreme specialized in lightning-attribute techniques. As for the last one, Mystery Extreme, it remained the most enigmatic with the fewest disciples and little documentation in the Scripture Pavilion. Wu Jing sighed, "If only we could be selected by a peak master. I heard such disciples are called core seeds and receive better training. But that's only for supreme-grade and high-grade Spirit Roots. With my mid-grade Spirit Root, there's no chance at all!" Su Yuan shook his head internally, thinking, "Tall trees catch much wind. Being selected would actually be troublesome!" As the appointed time approached, all thousand-plus disciples had gathered on the plaza. Everyone eagerly looked up at the empty high platform above. Experienced disciples were already gazing skyward. Su Yuan naturally followed suit, observing the sky. Suddenly, a speck of starlight fell from the heavens, exploding midair into hundreds of brilliant rays that shone dazzlingly even in daylight. The disciples watched wide-eyed as the starlight converged back on the platform's center, coalescing into the familiar figure of the Valley Master. "This old man..." Su Yuan thought to himself about the flashy display. So it was the Valley Master all along! The Valley Master grinned at the speechless disciples. "The three-month period has ended. Looking back, it feels like yesterday. This is where your cultivation journey begins. I hope you all persevere..." The familiar speech made Su Yuan's head ache. After a full quarter-hour, someone coughed overhead. The Valley Master's voice abruptly stopped. Everyone looked up to see seven floating thrones that had appeared unnoticed, each occupied by a distinctive cultivator - men and women, old and young. The old Valley Master announced, "Today's assessment will be witnessed by the seven peak masters! Now, let's warmly welcome them!" The seven thrones descended gracefully onto the platform. Su Yuan noticed each throne's backrest bore a character: Alchemy, Artifact, Technique, Spirit, Energy, Thunder, and Mystery - clearly representing each peak's master. The seven peak masters surveyed the disciples, though most attention focused on Ye Bufan and Liu Muwan. "This batch isn't bad!" the Alchemy Extreme Peak Master remarked. "Two supreme-grade Spirit Roots - one more than usual. Last time it wasn't my turn to pick first, but this time it should be," said the Technique Extreme Peak Master. "According to order, Technique Extreme Peak does get first pick this time. But it still depends on their willingness," the Valley Master interjected. The Technique Extreme Peak Master remained confident - who would refuse a peak master's personal invitation? The Spirit Extreme Peak Master smiled; as second picker, she could still get a supreme-grade talent. The Energy Extreme Peak Master frowned slightly, summoning the Valley Master for a private message: "Among the high-grade Spirit Roots, who has the most potential?" "Liu Miaowen is quite good," the Valley Master immediately replied. The Energy Extreme Peak Master's expression eased. "Good. I won't forget your help." The Thunder Extreme Peak Master remained the calmest, needing only to select the best lightning-attribute disciple. Mystery Extreme Peak Master Wang Siming also summoned the Valley Master. "Besides those likely to be taken, who's the best among the remaining disciples?" The Valley Master hesitated. Wang Siming's eyelid twitched. "One two-hundred-year Purple Sun Flower!" The Valley Master's eyes lit up, but he still clenched his teeth. Wang Siming's eyes brightened instead. "Plus one Sun-Opening Stone!" Now the Valley Master's eyes shone. "Su Yuan! That kid's good!" "I don't recall that name among the high-grade Spirit Roots," Wang Siming said, having reviewed the list beforehand. "He's a lower-grade triple Spirit Root, token number 299. Ranked 118th in the first assessment, probably higher this time!" After this brief exchange, the Valley Master was soon called away by the Alchemy and Artifact Peak Masters. Wang Siming fell into thought. Old Lan had a sharp eye - if he praised a lower-grade Spirit Root, there must be something special. But Mystery Extreme Peak had always prioritized quality over quantity, never before accepting a lower-grade Spirit Root disciple. He pondered deeply. The Valley Master waved his hand, and assessment artifacts landed before the disciples. "Now, all who wish to enter the outer sect or above, step forward. The rest, stand back." Over 700 disciples reluctantly retreated, knowing they had no chance at the outer sect and wanting to avoid embarrassment before the peak masters. Zhou Wuyou decisively followed the crowd, pinning all hopes on Su Yuan. Whether he could enter the outer sect now depended entirely on Su Yuan. If he could enter through Su Yuan's recommendation, the benefits would exceed normal entry - being considered "Su Yuan's person" with an inner sect disciple's backing would let him demand more resources from his family, a significant advantage! Only about 250 remained, especially the lower-ranked ones looking extremely nervous. "Assessment will proceed from highest rank. First, Ye Bufan, come forward!" the Valley Master announced. Ye Bufan was momentarily surprised but calmly ascended the platform. All seven peak masters examined him like a priceless gem. A supreme-grade dual Spirit Root guaranteed at least Golden Core potential, possibly even Nascent Soul - who wouldn't want such a disciple? Ye Bufan bowed respectfully. "Your humble disciple greets the honored peak masters!" They all nodded and smiled in return. After bowing, Ye Bufan stepped onto the jade platform, glancing back at the disciples - lingering particularly on Liu Muwan and Su Yuan - before pressing his hands onto the jade with a proud smile. A dazzling light pillar erupted, drawing all eyes. Text appeared on the stone slab: [30,132 Strands of Spiritual Energy] [10 Spiritual Nodes Opened] [Qi Refining Fourth Layer] Gasps echoed throughout. "Qi Refining Fourth Layer? That alone qualifies for outer sect!" "30,000 excess spiritual energy strands? How did he cultivate that? Defying heaven's will!" "The gap is too huge!" Even the peak masters praised him. "Three months without extensive resources, reaching Qi Refining Fourth Layer through pure cultivation - truly outstanding!" the Alchemy Extreme Peak Master remarked. "Not far from 11 nodes either, impressive," the Artifact Extreme Peak Master added. Ye Bufan smiled faintly. Then the Technique Extreme Peak Master spoke: "I am the Technique Extreme Peak Master. Will you join my peak?" Ye Bufan bowed. "This disciple is honored to accept." "Good, good, good! Come stand by me." Ye Bufan calmly took his place beside the peak master. Envious looks followed - Ye Bufan had directly become a core disciple candidate through the peak master's selection. Next was Liu Muwan's turn. Without any fanfare, she simply placed her hands on the jade. [1,903 Strands of Spiritual Energy] [10 Spiritual Nodes Opened] [Qi Refining Fourth Layer] Another Qi Refining Fourth Layer! Though still impressive, Ye Bufan's performance had tempered everyone's amazement. Liu Muwan looked up at the peak masters. The Spirit Extreme Peak Master smiled warmly. "Young lady, come with me." "Yes!" Liu Muwan obediently stood by her. Now both supreme-grade Spirit Roots had been claimed. These two Qi Refining Fourth Layer cultivators stood far above the rest, though Ye Bufan clearly surpassed Liu Muwan. Third was Zheng He's turn. He also bowed with a smile, though the peak masters' responses were more subdued yet still acknowledging. His results weren't bad either. [1,289 Strands of Spiritual Energy] [8 Spiritual Nodes Opened] [Qi Refining Third Layer] An excellent performance that earned peak masters' approval. He looked expectantly at the Energy Extreme Peak Master. But she remained silent. Finally, the Artifact Extreme Peak Master spoke: "I see metal attributes in you. Come learn artifact forging with me." "Yes!" Zheng He perked up - at least one peak master wanted him. He joined the Artifact Peak Master's side. Next, Liu Miaowen with her eight nodes was accepted by the Energy Extreme Peak Master. Then a lightning-attribute disciple joined Thunder Extreme Peak, and a fire-wood dual-attribute high-grade Spirit Root went to Alchemy Extreme Peak. Only Mystery Extreme Peak Master Wang Siming remained hesitant, making the remaining high-grade Spirit Root disciples both hopeful and anxious during their assessments. Su Yuan watched calmly from below, completely unconcerned about peak master selections. He just looked forward to a good meal after months of Fasting Pills that had made him sick! Before he realized, it was his turn. He stepped onto the platform and calmly placed his hands on the jade slab. Then he looked at the stone slab expressionlessly. [8,083 Strands of Spiritual Energy] [7 Spiritual Nodes Opened] [Qi Refining Third Layer] Suppressed gasps came from below, though this paled compared to the supreme-grade talents. Su Yuan felt this was slightly showy but still acceptable. [Ding, Fame Value +1] [Ding, Fame Value +1] [Ding, Fame Value +1] The system only gave three notifications, totaling 3 Fame Value points, bringing him to 57. He'd squeezed these disciples dry! Just as Su Yuan prepared to leave, Mystery Extreme Peak Master Wang Siming spoke. "Su Yuan, will you join Mystery Extreme Peak?" The entire plaza erupted in shock! Even the other peak masters all turned to look.