Chapter 160: Ji Qing’s Rank Assessment! Black Robe Five Stripes, Crowd In Shock!
“These are… precautions for inner disciples?”
“These aren’t standardized notices; someone wrote them by hand.”
Ji Qing pondered.
Who would give him this?
It definitely wasn’t Black Water Daoist, because Black Water Daoist wouldn’t need to be so secretive.
Then who had he been in contact with recently?
It was Elder Qi’s maid and Elder Qi’s disciple, Luo Xiong.
This handwriting is vigorous and powerful, naturally not from a woman.
Moreover, Ji Qing had maintained a distance from Elder Qi’s maid.
That leaves only Luo Xiong.
After all, Luo Xiong was the one who collected the robes and then handed them to Ji Qing.
Ji Qing smiled slightly, “It seems this Luo Xiong is also cold on the outside and warm on the inside, not as indifferent as he appears on the surface.”
As for being disliked by Luo Xiong, Ji Qing didn’t pay much attention.
If it were him, he would also dislike someone who used connections to get ahead.
This is human nature.
The paper wrote many things about the inner sect. Although they were all common knowledge that Ji Qing would eventually learn with time,
this could save Ji Qing a lot of time and trouble.
Ji Qing checked his own condition.
Ji Qing: Dao Foundation （ Perfection ）
Saber Domain: Beginner （ 1% ）
Origin Points: 200800 points
After being at sea for so long, Ji Qing’s Saber Domain hadn’t improved one bit.
On the contrary, his Origin Points had broken through the 200,000 mark.
This was a terrifying number.
After all, there were so many demons at sea; for ten years, Ji Qing had been the one slaughtering them.
Of course, the main reason was that Ji Qing’s Saber Domain was too powerful.
Once the Saber Domain was unleashed, no matter how many demons there were, they would all be annihilated.
Those Origin Points came too easily.
Of course, this was also because Ji Qing’s strength had improved, so killing demons became that easy.
If it were another Dao Foundation, or even an ordinary Heavenly Human, they probably couldn’t have killed so many demons.
“I need a cultivation technique now. As long as I have a cultivation technique to break through to the Heavenly Human realm, I can immediately break through to Heavenly Human!”
Ji Qing traveled far and wide, painstakingly entering the inner sect. What was his goal?
It was Heavenly Human realm cultivation techniques!
In the Boundless Sea Region, the Heavenly Human realm cultivation techniques Ji Qing obtained were all vague.
Or, there were no cultivation techniques to break through to the Heavenly Human realm at all.
Everything relied on ethereal “Enlightenment.”
But in the Barren Domain, there was a complete Martial Dao Inheritance. It shouldn’t require any Enlightenment, should it?
Ji Qing was now an inner disciple and was eligible to choose a Martial Art from the Martial Arts Library.
With that in mind, Ji Qing immediately changed into his Inner Disciple Robes.
These robes, like Black Water Daoist’s, were all black robes, representing disciples at the “Dao Foundation” level.
However, Foundation Establishment and Dao Foundation belonged to the Immortal Path and Martial Way lineages respectively.
There were some subtle differences.
Ji Qing’s robes had a faint golden stripe on the sleeves and collar.
“According to the white paper, the more golden stripes on the clothes, the higher the identity, status, and strength in the Wind Thunder Sect. From one golden stripe to a maximum of ten golden stripes.”
“I am now a disciple with the lowest stripe among the black robes, and the monthly ‘Merit Points’ I receive are also the lowest among Dao Foundation disciples, only ten Merit Points.”
“And Merit Points can be exchanged for Martial Arts, Resources, and so on; they are more useful than Spirit Stones.”
Ji Qing pondered.
This Wind Thunder Sect had a strict hierarchy.
Everything was linked to “identity.”
However, inner disciples did not need Merit Points to choose their first Martial Art.
This was considered a “benefit” for inner disciples.
Thus, Ji Qing no longer hesitated and immediately headed to the Wind Thunder Sect’s Martial Arts Library.
“Whoosh.”
Ji Qing arrived at the Martial Arts Library.
The Martial Way lineage of the Wind Thunder Sect had fewer people, relatively speaking compared to other Martial Saint Sects in Heavenly Desolation City.
But in reality, the number of people in the Wind Thunder Sect’s Martial Way lineage was not small.
After all, there were advantages to joining the Wind Thunder Sect’s Martial Way lineage.
Whether it was the Martial Way lineage or the Immortal Path lineage, they were all disciples of the Wind Thunder Sect.
They were undoubtedly disciples of a Deity Transformation Sect.
This identity and status were a notch higher than those of Martial Saint Sects.
As Ji Qing entered the Martial Arts Library, at the entrance stood an elder wearing white robes with six golden stripes on the cuffs.
This indicated that the person was a Heavenly Human realm six-stripe elder.
“Greetings, Elder.”
Ji Qing saw that the elder was motionless, not even opening his eyes.
Then a woman arrived.
She directly took out three Spirit Stones.
“Clatter.”
Three Spirit Stones were placed on the table.
“Swish.”
The white-robed elder immediately opened his eyes.
A kind smile even appeared on his face: “Do you have anything you wish to ask?”
“I need a Martial Art with extremely high speed, at the Dao Foundation level.”
“Go to the third floor, third row of bookshelves.”
The woman nodded and immediately headed to the third floor.
Ji Qing understood; so Spirit Stones were required?
He did the same, directly taking out three Spirit Stones.
“Do you have anything you wish to ask?”
The white-robed elder unobtrusively accepted the three Spirit Stones and asked kindly.
“I am a newly admitted inner disciple. I would like to find some Martial Arts that can break through to the Heavenly Human realm.”
“Break through to the Heavenly Human realm?”
The elder scrutinized Ji Qing from head to toe.
“You are only a black robe one-stripe, and you’re already thinking of breaking through to the Heavenly Human realm?”
“Please guide me, Elder.”
The elder extended his hand and made a gesture for “one.”
Ji Qing instantly understood.
He took out ten Spirit Stones, and the elder was very satisfied.
“On the third floor, ninth row of bookshelves, you will find the Martial Arts you need.”
“Thank you, Elder.”
“By the way, you are quite sensible, boy. Let me remind you of something else: whether you can ascend to Heavenly Human depends on whether your Dao Foundation was forged as a superior Dao Foundation. If it’s a superior Dao Foundation, then you have a chance to ascend to Heavenly Human. If not, don’t even think about it. If you rashly attempt to break through to Heavenly Human, your own Dao Foundation will not be able to withstand it and will collapse, leading to the disintegration of your physical body and death.”
Ji Qing asked doubtfully, “How can I check if my Dao Foundation is a superior Dao Foundation?”
“Didn’t you know when you were forging your Dao Foundation?”
Ji Qing shook his head, “I was a rogue cultivator…”
The elder understood.
“Rogue cultivator… most Dao Foundations are merely ordinary Dao Foundations, and you’ll never achieve Heavenly Human in your lifetime. Well, seeing as you’ve gifted me so many Spirit Stones, I’ll show you a way.”
“On the third floor, at the very bottom of the last row of bookshelves, there are some miscellaneous books about ‘Dao Foundation’ quality. You can compare them with your own Dao Foundation to get a general idea of its level.”
“Remember, if it’s not a superior Dao Foundation, do not attempt to break through to Heavenly Human, or you will die horribly!”
Ji Qing nodded, “Thank you, Elder.”
The elder waved his hand and closed his eyes again.
Ji Qing asked no further questions and immediately turned to head to the third floor.
Arriving on the third floor, Ji Qing immediately went to the last row of bookshelves.
This last row of bookshelves was almost deserted.
This was because the bookshelves contained “miscellaneous books.”
For instance, Ji Qing saw a “Travelogue,” which was a record of a Heavenly Human realm expert touring the continent. Ji Qing flipped through a few pages, finding it quite interesting.
However, business at hand was more important.
Ji Qing immediately crouched down to search the bottommost shelf.
“Found it!”
A collection of ancient texts appeared in Ji Qing’s hand.
It listed various criteria for judging “Dao Foundations.”
For example, when opening the Heavenly Gate, was the Martial Dao Gate completely opened, or only half opened?
If it was a superior Dao Foundation, then it must have been completely opened.
Also, after entering the Heavenly Gate, how high did you climb on the Martial Dao Mountain?
How high you climbed on the Martial Dao Mountain was a very important measuring standard.
Ji Qing looked closely.
“Climbing the Martial Dao Mountain less than one zhang is an ordinary Dao Foundation. Higher than one zhang is a superior Dao Foundation.”
Ji Qing’s heart stirred.
How high did he climb the Martial Dao Mountain back then?
A full three zhang!
So, even superior Dao Foundations had different levels.
Ji Qing continued reading.
If one climbed more than two zhang, it was not a superior Dao Foundation, but a top-tier Dao Foundation!
The foundation forged by a top-tier Dao Foundation was incomparably strong, and there would be no problem achieving Heavenly Human.
However, the book also recorded that there were supposedly Dao Foundations that climbed more than three zhang.
Those were legendary Dao Foundations.
If one could forge a legendary Dao Foundation, each of them would be a Martial God seed.
Martial God, that was comparable to Deity Transformation!
“So, I forged a legendary Dao Foundation?”
Ji Qing felt a bit strange.
He was actually a rogue cultivator in the Boundless Sea Region.
Yet, as a rogue cultivator, the foundation he forged was so profound that it surpassed all other Martial Artists.
Ji Qing naturally knew the reason.
Origin Points!
It was precisely because of Origin Points that every step of Ji Qing’s Martial Way was incredibly solid, and his foundation was incredibly profound.
This allowed him to forge a legendary Dao Foundation step by step!
However, the height climbed within the Martial Dao Mountain could only serve as a reference.
There were also factors like lifespan.
Some Martial Artists used lifespan as a reference factor.
For example, those with a lifespan of less than 200 years after forging their Dao Foundation were ordinary Dao Foundations. If over 200 years, it was a superior Dao Foundation.
If over 250 years, it was a top-tier Dao Foundation.
Lifespan did not mention legendary Dao Foundations.
After all, if it was legendary, no one really knew if it was true or not.
But it was definitely at least a top-tier Dao Foundation!
There were other ways to measure Dao Foundations, such as from combat power, or from the Innate Body forged.
But regardless of the judging method, Ji Qing compared it with his own situation and found that the Dao Foundation he forged was at least a top-tier Dao Foundation.
That was even more terrifying than a superior Dao Foundation.
The profundity of the foundation far surpassed that of a superior Dao Foundation!
“So, there is no problem with me achieving Heavenly Human!”
Ji Qing also breathed a sigh of relief.
Before, he had heard the remarks about “rogue cultivators having shallow foundations.” Although he was confident, he still had a little bit of worry.
Now, all his worries had disappeared.
With a clearer understanding, Ji Qing headed to the third row of bookshelves to check the “Heavenly Human techniques.”
is a martial art on how to break through to the Heavenly Human Realm.
Soon, Ji Qing arrived in front of the third row of bookshelves.
Ji Qing took out a martial art to examine it.
There was only a simple introduction on it.
This martial art is called “Cold Tide Skill”.
From the introduction on this martial art, it is said that to ascend to the Heavenly Human Realm, the most important thing is to comprehend the artistic conception of “Heaven and Man Unity”.
The so-called Heaven and Man Unity is the compatibility between humans and nature.
This requires comprehension.
“Heaven and Man Unity…”
Ji Qing finally understood why the Heavenly Human Realm experts in the Boundless Sea Region found it difficult to leave behind legacies.
Because those in the Heavenly Human Realm in the Boundless Sea Region generally reached it through their own enlightenment and comprehended the artistic conception of “Heaven and Man Unity”, how could they leave legacies?
It is impossible to accurately describe it in writing.
Instead, it might mislead future martial artists.
Therefore, they simply did not leave any legacies.
Ji Qing diligently cultivated martial arts at the Dao Foundation Level, which enhanced the “foundation” of his physical body.
It cannot be said that there were no benefits.
On the contrary, the benefits were enormous.
Ji Qing vaguely felt that the many Dao Foundation Level martial arts he had cultivated had greatly improved his foundation, and had even influenced his Dao Foundation.
Perhaps, his “Dao Foundation” had improved again.
It was not as simple as climbing Martial Dao Mountain by three feet.
However, this was just Ji Qing’s personal intuition.
There was no evidence.
Now Ji Qing understood why he had continuously improved his physical body, and no matter how he strengthened its foundation, he had not become a Heavenly Human Realm martial artist.
It turned out that one needed to comprehend the artistic conception of Heaven and Man Unity.
However, Ji Qing had drifted at sea for ten years and still had not comprehended the artistic conception of Heaven and Man Unity.
That requires a certain opportunity.
It even depends on luck.
For example, traveling the mortal world.
Or visiting mountains and rivers.
Or experiencing a shock, and so on.
“I have Origin Points, so this method of relying on luck for comprehension is not suitable for me.”
Ji Qing pondered.
He would still look for a martial art that, upon completion, would automatically lead to “Heaven and Man Unity”.
Ji Qing searched carefully.
As a result, he flipped through the entire bookshelf and found nothing.
“Do I really have to rely on enlightenment?”
Ji Qing thought for a moment, then went downstairs again and approached the White Robe Elder with Six Stripes.
“Pa.”
Ji Qing didn’t say anything and directly took out ten Spirit Stones, placing them in front of the White Robe Elder with Six Stripes.
“Hmm? You again?”
“Tell me, what do you want to ask this time?”
The White Robe Elder asked.
“Elder, I feel that comprehending the artistic conception of Heaven and Man Unity is truly time-consuming, and comprehension is difficult to grasp. Whether one encounters an opportunity to gain insight is entirely up to luck. Are there any martial arts that, once mastered, automatically lead to Heaven and Man Unity? One that can achieve the Heavenly Human Realm without relying on luck!”
After hearing this, the White Robe Elder shook his head helplessly: “Why do all the current disciples want to take shortcuts? You find it daunting to comprehend the artistic conception of Heaven and Man Unity?”
“I’ve had at least eighty or ninety people ask me this question before…”
Ji Qing’s eyes, however, lit up.
He vaguely heard that there seemed to be such a thing?
It was just that the White Robe Elder, for some reason, seemed unwilling to speak.
Ji Qing knew the White Robe Elder’s personality.
He directly took out another ten Spirit Stones.
The White Robe Elder sighed and said: “Fine, it’s okay to tell you. In fact, some martial arts, upon successful cultivation, can indeed automatically lead to the comprehension of the artistic conception of Heaven and Man Unity, such as the Yin-Yang Dual Cultivation Divine Skill. This is a top-tier dual cultivation divine skill. Once mastered, it can automatically sense the Yin-Yang artistic conception, and one can go very far in the path of dual cultivation. However, this martial art has very high requirements for one’s state of mind, and many people get stuck at the beginner level for their entire lives…”
“Another one is the Ice-Fire Cold Flame Divine Skill. Once successfully cultivated, it can also sense the Ice-Fire artistic conception. But this divine skill requires the Ice-Fire Body to enter.”
“Then there is the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law. This divine skill is even more remarkable. It is said that once mastered, it can sense the Five Elements artistic conception and harness the Five Elements Qi from heaven and earth for one’s use. No matter what martial arts belonging to the Five Elements are cultivated, they can be easily mastered, and the might of Five Elements martial arts, divine weapons, etc., can greatly increase. It can be called the top divine skill among all Heavenly Human Realm martial arts. However, the requirements for this divine skill are also the most stringent, requiring the forging of the Five Elements Body and the Dao Foundation with the Five Elements Body to have a chance to enter. Otherwise, it is impossible to enter.”
Ji Qing’s eyes lit up.
Five Elements Body?
He had one!
Moreover, he had forged his Dao Foundation with the Five Elements Body.
He could cultivate the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law!
“Each of these top-tier martial arts requires one hundred and fifty Merit Points. Although Inner Sect disciples can choose one Heavenly Human Realm martial art for free, it is limited to those below one hundred Merit Points.”
“In fact, even superior Heavenly Human Realm martial arts are below one hundred Merit Points. Only the top-tier Heavenly Human Realm martial arts I just mentioned require one hundred and fifty Merit Points. This threshold is not to prevent disciples from cultivating, but for their own good, to make them retreat and choose other martial arts.”
“After all, in the history of our Wind Thunder Sect’s Martial Dao lineage, very few people have managed to cultivate these top-tier martial arts!”
Ji Qing immediately cupped his hands and said: “Thank you, Elder! So, if I need fifty more Merit Points, I can cultivate these top-tier Heavenly Human Realm martial arts?”
“Yes.”
Ji Qing understood.
After that, Ji Qing no longer lingered in the Martial Arts Library, nor did he redeem any martial arts.
He left the Martial Arts Library and returned to Courtyard No. 36.
“Five Elements Divine Light Great Law, I must obtain it! However, I am currently short of fifty Merit Points. How can I obtain fifty Merit Points in a short period of time?”
Ji Qing was not very familiar with the Wind Thunder Sect’s Martial Dao lineage.
Especially regarding something as important as Merit Points.
Since he didn’t know, he would go and inquire.
Ji Qing left the courtyard and saw his “neighbor” also coming out.
It was a delicate and pretty female martial artist.
Ji Qing’s heart stirred, and he cupped his fists: “Fellow Daoist, I am Ji Qing from Courtyard No. 36.”
The female martial artist looked up at Ji Qing, her brow furrowed slightly, but she still replied: “Ling Shuang Ren.”
“So it’s Fellow Daoist Ling. May I ask, Fellow Daoist Ling, how can one obtain Merit Points in the Wind Thunder Sect’s Martial Dao lineage?”
“Merit Points?”
Ling Shuang Ren said indifferently: “Inner Sect disciples can go to the Mission Hall to accept Sect Missions. Once a mission is completed, a certain amount of Merit Points will be awarded.”
“Alternatively, you can go to the Wind Thunder Tower for Rank Assessment, and you can also receive Merit Points as a reward. Looking at you, you are only a Black Robe with One Stripe, so you should not have gone for assessment yet, right? If you can achieve Rank Assessment of Two Stripes or Three Stripes, each stripe will earn you Merit Points. This is the fastest and most convenient way to obtain Merit Points.”
“Wind Thunder Tower Rank Assessment?”
Ji Qing pondered.
So, the gold stripes on the cuffs of the Wind Thunder Sect’s robes were determined by going to the Wind Thunder Tower for Rank Assessment.
And Ji Qing also observed.
The more gold stripes one had, the higher their status in the Wind Thunder Sect.
“Is the Wind Thunder Tower Rank Assessment based on combat power?”
“Of course! The stronger you are, the higher your rank. Even when accepting missions, many missions have ‘level’ requirements. If your level is insufficient, you won’t even have the qualification to accept the mission.”
Ji Qing understood.
This so-called “Rank Assessment” was actually assessing one’s strength!
This was easy to handle.
At worst, he could just go for “Rank Assessment.”
“Thank you, Fellow Daoist Ling.”
Ling Shuang Ren nodded, with no intention of chatting further with Ji Qing, and left directly.
“I need to obtain Merit Points as soon as possible, redeem martial arts, and then ascend to the Heavenly Human Realm!”
Ji Qing was now only one martial art away from ascending to the Heavenly Human Realm.
As for doing missions?
That would definitely be time-consuming and labor-intensive.
He could do them slowly after ascending to the Heavenly Human Realm in the future.
For now, he would go for “Rank Assessment” first.
Thus, Ji Qing immediately headed towards the Wind Thunder Tower.
The Wind Thunder Tower was a landmark building of the Wind Thunder Sect.
He could ask anyone and find out.
When Ji Qing arrived at the Wind Thunder Tower, he found it to be absolutely crowded.
This was because the Wind Thunder Tower did not distinguish between the Immortal Path lineage and the Martial Dao lineage.
Both cultivators and martial artists could go to the Wind Thunder Tower for “Rank Assessment.”
Therefore, when Ji Qing arrived at the Wind Thunder Tower, he saw a dense crowd of cultivators.
Among them were even some Innate or Qi Refining cultivators who also came to the Wind Thunder Tower for Rank Assessment.
Ji Qing carefully looked at the process of the Wind Thunder Tower.
Regardless of who it was, each person could only undergo Rank Assessment once a month.
Whether the Rank Assessment was successful or failed, one could only attempt it again the following month.
The so-called Rank Assessment involved entering the Wind Thunder Tower and overcoming its challenges with one’s own strength.
Each level in the Wind Thunder Tower had a corresponding difficulty.
Ji Qing was also thinking.
He needed fifty Merit Points, so achieving Dao Foundation Five Stripes in Rank Assessment would suffice.
Ji Qing was confident in his own strength.
He didn’t believe he couldn’t even pass the Five Stripes challenge.
Thus, Ji Qing also joined the queue.
Half an hour later, it was Ji Qing’s turn.
He stepped forward and presented his Identity Token for registration.
The person registering for Ji Qing was a White Robe Elder with Three Stripes.
“Elder, I am here to attempt Rank Assessment for Dao Foundation Five Stripes.”
“Hm?”
As soon as Ji Qing finished speaking, he noticed countless gazes from all directions converging on him.
After all, Ji Qing’s words did not match his attire.
His current robe only had a single gold stripe.
This indicated that Ji Qing’s strength was only at Dao Foundation One Stripe.
And now he was directly aiming for Dao Foundation Five Stripes?
That was too big a leap!
“Did you just join the Inner Sect?”
The White Robe Elder asked.
“Yes.”
“Let me see… are you Elder Qi’s disciple?”
“Yes.”
Upon hearing this, the White Robe Elder’s expression became quite peculiar.
The people around them began to discuss openly and without restraint.
It was as if it were something incredibly rare.
“So he’s Elder Qi’s disciple, hehe. Everyone should know what Elder Qi’s disciples are like. They all paid Spirit Stones to get into the Inner Sect through the back door, and yet he dares to attempt Rank Assessment for Five Stripes?”
“He probably doesn’t know how formidable the Wind Thunder Tower is, nor what ‘Five Stripes’ means, yet he wants to achieve Five Stripes. It’s simply seeking attention.”
“I think it will be difficult for him to even pass Two Stripes, let alone Five Stripes…”
Most of the gazes were filled with contempt and disdain.
After all, Elder Qi’s disciples already had a terrible reputation.
Entering the Wind Thunder Sect through the back door, why should they be on par with them?
After all, they had all fought their way through countless people and finally managed to enter the Inner Sect.
No one would have any good feelings towards someone who entered through the back door.
“Are you sure you must attempt Rank Assessment for Five Stripes? The Rank Assessment for Five Stripes is not easy. Many Dao Foundation disciples who have been here for many years may not necessarily become Five Stripe disciples. Have you thought it through?”
The White Robe Elder reminded him.
“I have thought it through, Rank Assessment for Five Stripes!”
Ji Qing remained unwavering.
“Alright, go in.”
The White Robe Elder no longer tried to dissuade him.
Ji Qing immediately walked towards the Wind Thunder Tower.
As for the gazes of others, Ji Qing paid them no mind at all.
“Swoosh”.
Ji Qing flew into the Wind Thunder Tower.
His vision went black, and then he saw himself in a vast void.
This must be the internal space of the Wind Thunder Tower.
“Martial Dao Lineage Inner Sect Disciple Ji Qing, Rank Assessment Five Stripes. The challenge is activated. Defeat a Dao Foundation Five Stripes Disciple phantom within fifteen minutes.”
A cold voice echoed from within the Wind Thunder Tower.
“Buzz.”
Simultaneously, a phantom of a black-robed five Stripes appeared in the void.
That was also a Saber User.
And as soon as this phantom appeared, Ji Qing clearly felt a familiar aura.
Saber Intent!
He was locked onto by Saber Intent.
And the Saber Intent was precisely what this black-robed five Stripes phantom displayed.
Ji Qing was indeed a bit surprised.
“At the Dao Foundation Five Stripes Level, one has grasped Martial Dao True Meaning?”
In the Boundless Sea Region, Martial Dao True Meaning is very rare.
However, in the Barren Domain, Martial Dao True Meaning is not so rare.
Martial Dao True Meaning itself corresponds to the Dao Foundation Level.
Of course, it must be among the outstanding individuals at the Dao Foundation Level.
Clearly, at the Dao Foundation Five Stripes Level, one belongs to the outstanding among Dao Foundations.
Therefore, this phantom before him could possess Saber Intent.
However, Ji Qing’s Saber Intent had long since reached Perfection.
His Saber Intent had even transformed into a Saber Domain.
A mere Saber Intent, not even at the Minor Accomplishment stage, had no effect on Ji Qing at all.
“Clang.”
The phantom opposite him drew its saber.
This saber strike was powerful and heavy, seemingly pouring down like an avalanche.
In that moment, Ji Qing felt as if he were facing countless “saber mountains.”
But Ji Qing only slightly shook his head at this level of attack.
“Buzz.”
A layer of Saber Qi Defense appeared on Ji Qing’s body.
With just the Saber Qi Defense, the terrifying saber qi in the void immediately fell.
“Boom.”
A violent vibration.
At the same time, there was a terrifying Saber Intent impact.
But for Ji Qing, this kind of attack couldn’t even shake his body.
His accumulation was too deep.
His foundation was too solid.
He had Five Elements Pill Granules within his body, far surpassing the true qi of his peers.
His body possessed Heavenly Dragon Power.
He had also cultivated the Undying Divine Skill.
At the Dao Foundation level, Ji Qing had no weaknesses.
Whether it was attack, speed, defense, endurance, etc.
Ji Qing could be said to have reached the extreme.
Therefore, even facing the attack of a black-robed five Stripes Saber User, Ji Qing could resist head-on and completely block it.
Ji Qing also wanted to test the strength of the Dao Foundation Five Stripes.
But it seemed they were indeed very strong.
Yet, compared to him, they were still far too weak.
Ji Qing directly grabbed with his hand.
“Buzz.”
A giant palm covered the sky and grabbed towards the illusory figure opposite him.
Innate Qi Great Capture Hand!
Even though it was just an Innate level martial art, when performed by Ji Qing now, its might was earth-shattering.
With this grab, he seized the Saber User as if picking up a chick, and then squeezed hard.
“Pop.”
A light sound.
The Saber User’s phantom instantly annihilated.
It was crushed by Ji Qing.
Let alone a phantom, even a true Dao Foundation Five Stripes Saber User would have been crushed by Ji Qing.
The strength displayed by Ji Qing was completely on a different level from the Dao Foundation Five Stripes phantom.
A complete crush!
“Congratulations, Martial Dao Lineage Inner Sect Disciple Ji Qing, you have successfully passed the Rank Assessment challenge. Please continue to strive next time.”
As the voice fell, Ji Qing felt a force instantly envelop him.
“Whoosh.”
Ji Qing was teleported out of the Wind Thunder Tower.
Seeing Ji Qing emerge, gazes fell upon him one after another.
Clearly, Ji Qing’s identity as “Elder Qi’s disciple” made him “remembered” by many.
But everyone was actually waiting to see a joke.
“Out so quickly, it’s only been a few seconds, was he instantly killed by the challenge inside the Wind Thunder Tower?”
“It’s quite possible… He’s the fastest person to be teleported out of the Wind Thunder Tower today.”
“Even with connections, there’s no one this foolish, wanting to show off, and now becoming a joke…”
No one thought Ji Qing could pass the Rank Assessment.
After all, he was teleported out within a few breaths of entering the Wind Thunder Tower.
If it wasn’t instant death, what else could it be?
Could it be that Ji Qing instantly killed the challenge?
That’s even less likely.
At this moment, the white-robed elder seemed to have received the news, and he looked at Ji Qing in surprise.
“Martial Dao Lineage Inner Sect Disciple Ji Qing has successfully passed the Rank Assessment challenge! Ji Qing, congratulations, you have passed the assessment. You are now a Dao Foundation Five Stripes Disciple! Your information will be reported to the inner sect, and starting immediately, you will enjoy the treatment of a Dao Foundation Five Stripes Disciple.”
“Your post-assessment attire will be delivered to your residence. If you wish to undergo another assessment, you will need to wait until next month.”
As the white-robed elder finished speaking, the surroundings fell silent.
Many black-robed disciples, whether cultivators or martial artists, widened their eyes as if they couldn’t believe it.
Who was Elder Qi?
The Martial Dao Lineage knew him very well.
Elder Qi’s great name had even spread to the Immortal Path lineage.
Who didn’t know that Elder Qi “sold” Inner Sect Disciple spots for Spirit Stones to supplement his foundation?
The Wind Thunder Sect merely turned a blind eye.
After all, it was Elder Qi’s own quota.
The sect couldn’t stop or punish him.
But all those who used connections and entered through the back door to become Elder Qi’s disciples, it couldn’t be said they were all useless, but they were close.
They belonged to the lowest tier among Inner Sect Disciples.
And now?
Ji Qing’s first Rank Assessment, and he jumped from one stripe to five stripes.
With this kind of strength, why would he use connections?
Of course, they didn’t understand Ji Qing’s situation.
But they firmly remembered Ji Qing.
Someone who used connections to enter through the back door, yet was different and possessed strength comparable to some Inner Sect prodigies!
Ji Qing nodded, then left the Wind Thunder Tower directly.
After Ji Qing left, the people near the Wind Thunder Tower looked at each other in bewilderment.
“Is he really Elder Qi’s disciple?”
“Absolutely, and he’s Elder Qi’s newly accepted disciple. No one knows how many Spirit Stones he spent, with rumors saying at least ten thousand…”
“With this kind of strength, why go through the back door?”
“It’s said he was a rogue cultivator before.”
“Impossible, how could a rogue cultivator have such strength?”
“Regardless, he does seem truly different from those Inner Sect disciples who got in through the back door…”
Strength can change many people’s perceptions.
Ji Qing simply went from black-robed one stripe to black-robed five stripes, and many people’s opinions of him improved.
However, this was normal.
If Ji Qing were to reach the Heavenly Human stage, the public’s tone would likely change again.
They might even say Elder Qi had a “discerning eye.”
Ji Qing was unaware of the outside discussions.
He didn’t return to his residence but went straight to the Martial Arts Library.
Ji Qing saw the white-robed six Stripes elder of the Martial Arts Library again.
“Elder, I want to exchange for the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law.”
Ji Qing stated directly.
“Do you have Merit Points?”
“Yes.”
Ji Qing directly presented his token.
The white-robed six Stripes elder examined it, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
“You just went for Rank Assessment, and you’re Dao Foundation Five Stripes now?”
“Yes.”
“Tsk tsk, I really didn’t see it coming, you boy are actually hiding your strength? Since you have fifty Merit Points, and you can also receive one martial art below one hundred Merit Points for free, you can indeed exchange for the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law.”
“However, are you sure you must exchange for the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law?”
“Very sure!”
The white-robed six Stripes elder confirmed repeatedly, and Ji Qing showed no hesitation, indicating he had considered it thoroughly. The elder was too lazy to persuade him further.
He went directly to the third floor and retrieved a martial art.
“Here, this is the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law. You cannot take it out of the Martial Arts Library, nor can you copy it.”
“There are cultivation secret chambers in the Martial Arts Library. You can only stay for two hours. If you don’t come out within two hours, you’ll have to pay Spirit Stones.”
“Go on, within two hours, memorize the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law.”
“Thank you, Elder.”
The white-robed six Stripes elder waved his hand.
Ji Qing took the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law and turned towards the cultivation secret chamber.
There were many cultivation secret chambers in the Martial Arts Library.
There weren’t many people at the moment.
Ji Qing casually chose a cultivation secret chamber, closed the door, and sat cross-legged inside.
He immediately opened the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law to examine it.
This Five Elements Divine Light Great Law is difficult to initiate. The reason it requires a Five Elements Body is that it needs to carry a large amount of Five Elements Power.
For example, now, to cultivate the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law, one must use the physical body to refine Five Elements materials.
And not just a small amount, but a vast quantity of Five Elements materials.
For instance, to cultivate the Five Elements Gold, one must refine some Metal.
The stronger the Metal refined, the better the effect.
This requires a powerful Five Elements physical body.
The same applies to other Five Elements as well, requiring refinement.
Once the refinement is successful, the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law is initiated.
Upon initiation, one can automatically comprehend Heaven and Man Unity, thus ascending to the Heavenly Human stage.
“So, achieving the Heavenly Human stage is this simple…”
Ji Qing murmured softly.
In Ji Qing’s opinion, it was indeed very simple.
It was just a matter of refining Five Elements materials.
But that was because Ji Qing’s physical body was sufficiently strong.
Without a Five Elements Body, it was unthinkable, and impossible to refine Five Elements materials.
The physical body simply cannot bear it.
It took Ji Qing two hours to firmly commit the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law to memory.
Afterward, he got up and left the cultivation secret chamber, returning the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law to the White Robe Six-stripe elder.
“Finished reading?”
“Thank you, Elder, I have finished reading.”
“Then what do you think?”
“It’s not too difficult.”
Hearing Ji Qing’s reply, the White Robe Six-stripe elder squinted his eyes and carefully examined Ji Qing from head to toe.
He asked with some surprise, “You kid are actually a Five Elements Body? No wonder you want to cultivate the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law. However, possessing a Five Elements Body and such a profound foundation, why would you think of following Old Qi’s path to enter the inner sect?”
Ji Qing knew he was referring to Elder Qi.
He merely smiled slightly and said, “This disciple was a rogue cultivator before, and could only enter the inner sect by becoming a disciple.”
The White Robe Six-stripe elder nodded, then accepted the Five Elements Divine Light Great Law and waved his hand, saying, “Hurry up and leave.”
Ji Qing bid farewell and left the Martial Arts Library.
Upon returning to his residence, he found an Outer Sect Disciple waiting outside. Seeing Ji Qing, the disciple respectfully said, “Senior Brother, here are your new garments.”
Ji Qing nodded.
He took the clothes into the room and then changed into them.
Indeed, the color and style were the same.
Only the gold patterns on the cuffs and collar had increased by four.
There were now five gold patterns.
These clothes alone were quite useful.
They were much more useful than his previous Black Robe One-stripe clothes.
Walking out, many people would have to bow their heads and call him “Senior Brother.”
“Melting Five Elements materials, let’s start with melting Five Elements Gold. Gold governs offense and attack. Once Five Elements Gold is melted, my physical body will become even stronger!”
Ji Qing’s physical body had already reached its limit.
But now it seemed it wasn’t truly impossible to improve, the method was just wrong.
By using the method of melting Five Elements materials, he could break through his limits and continue to improve his physical body.
However, what kind of metals should be used to melt Five Elements Gold?
Ji Qing knew very little about metals.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to visit Black Water Daoist.
The other was a cultivator and could also forge artifacts, so perhaps he would know about many metals.
Thus, Ji Qing immediately got up and left the courtyard.
Just as he walked out of the courtyard, Ji Qing saw his “female neighbor,” Ling Shuang Ren, returning from outside.
She had been looking down.
Upon seeing Ji Qing, she raised her head.
“Hmm? You… Five-stripe?”
A trace of surprise flashed in Ling Shuang Ren’s eyes.
She remembered that Ji Qing was Elder Qi’s disciple and had entered the inner sect through the back door.
Ji Qing had also inquired about the Rank Assessment that morning.
Now that she thought about it, Ji Qing must have gone for the Rank Assessment.
She hadn’t expected him to be directly assessed as Five-stripe?
That was Five-stripe!
Even within the Wind Thunder Sect, combining the Immortal Path and Martial Way factions, Five-stripe was definitely not a weakling.
Especially since it was Ji Qing’s first Rank Assessment.
That made it even more commendable.
For a moment, Ling Shuang Ren’s icy expression softened slightly, and she even took the initiative to greet him, saying, “Congratulations, Senior Brother Ji, you are now Dao Foundation Five-stripe.”
In Ling Shuang Ren’s mouth, “Fellow Daoist Ji” naturally turned into “Senior Brother Ji.”
It seemed to be without any awkwardness.
Ji Qing smiled and said, “It’s thanks to Junior Sister Ling’s information, otherwise my Rank Assessment wouldn’t have been so fast.”
“That is all due to Senior Brother Ji’s exceptional strength.”
Ji Qing said a few brief words and then left.
Gazing at Ji Qing’s retreating back, Ling Shuang Ren fell into thought.
“Dao Foundation Five-stripe… his strength is not weak. If that task could include him, wouldn’t the team be complete?”
Ling Shuang Ren’s eyes lit up.
However, one had to trust the person to undertake a task.
She still needed to inquire carefully about Ji Qing.
To see what Ji Qing’s “background” truly was.
Ji Qing, of course, was unaware of Ling Shuang Ren’s thoughts.
He flew directly to the Immortal Path of the Wind Thunder Sect, heading straight for Black Water Daoist’s residence.
As a result, when Ji Qing arrived at Black Water Daoist’s residence, he found the courtyard crowded with people.
Most of them were Black Robe Foundation Establishment disciples.
Ji Qing squeezed his way in and saw the situation in the courtyard.
Black Water Daoist was indeed in the courtyard.
However, there were also two Black Robe Foundation Establishment cultivators, one male and one female.
The woman was Black Robe Three-stripe, and the man was Black Robe Four-stripe.
The two were holding some broken materials and staring coldly at Black Water Daoist.
Black Water Daoist’s expression was very grim.
“Heh, this Black Water Daoist just entered the inner sect and dares to help people forge artifacts privately? Now look, the artifact forging failed, and he even consumed such precious materials. The client has come to demand compensation.”
“These materials are not cheap. Black Water Daoist will probably have to pay a heavy price.”
“But this matter is not that simple. These two are asking for the moon; the compensation they demand is three times the value of those materials. They’ve already investigated. Black Water Daoist has no background, so they are acting so brazenly.”
“Black Water Daoist is in trouble…”
Hearing the discussions of the surrounding Foundation Establishment disciples, Ji Qing had a general understanding.
Black Water Daoist was indeed in trouble.
Ji Qing immediately walked into the courtyard.
“Fellow Daoist Black Water, do you need Ji Mou’s help?”
As soon as Ji Qing spoke, all eyes instantly fell on him.
Especially on the pair of man and woman.
Upon seeing the five gold patterns on Ji Qing’s Black Robe, the pupils of the man and woman contracted sharply, and their hearts also became slightly serious.
Weren’t they told that Black Water Daoist entered the inner sect alone?
Where did this Black Robe Five-stripe friend come from now?
