Chapter 19: Trial Rankings and Spell Selection
Chapter 19: Trial Rankings and Spell Selection
The top three positions in this round of trials were claimed by Song Zhongming, Liu Benxin, and Jiang Si Xuan respectively.
Xiao Chen secured ninth place by carefully managing his resources, a result that fell within expectations. It was only now that he learned his quiet neighbor and fellow spirit field cultivator, Liu Benxin, hailed from the Plains Liu Clan—a family renowned for their unique heritage in herbal cultivation.
No wonder Liu had known about the ghost-faced spider the night before the trial. He clearly had his own connections.
Due to Liu’s exceptional performance, Chen Guangyu dropped to fourth place, losing his chance at a Mystic Rank spell. After investing so many spirit stones to purchase trial points, failing to secure a top-three ranking left Chen’s face darkening with frustration.
Interestingly, the gap between the top contenders wasn’t significant—less than thirty points separated them. Had Chen been more willing to spend spirit stones, Xiao Chen could have easily helped him secure first place. Instead, Song Zhongming’s generous investment earned him the top spot.
Overall, the final top ten rankings surprised many senior sect brothers. Among the ten, seven were Foundation Building sixth-layer cultivators from the second sub-academy. The remaining three—Liu Benxin, Jiang Si Xuan, and Xiao Chen—stood out.
While the others’ high rankings were understandable due to their advanced cultivation realms or influential backgrounds, Xiao Chen’s inclusion was shocking. He was the only contestant at the Qi Condensation fifth layer without family ties, yet he’d leapt into the top ten as an Inner Disciple Seed.
How had he managed this?
Thanks to Wu Instructor’s relentless promotion and his rapid breakthrough to Qi Condensation fifth layer, Xiao Chen’s name had already spread throughout the second sub-academy. Yet no one expected him to rise so swiftly.
As the rankings were announced, nearly every disciple scrutinized Xiao Chen, wondering what made him so special.
Steward Chen, curious himself, focused on distributing rewards first. After presenting the three Mystic Rank spell manuals, he gestured for the top ten to approach and choose from five Yellow Tier Spells. These spells offered distinct effects: aura concealment, defense, detection, attack, and cultivation enhancement.
Normally, this choice would be critical, shaping a disciple’s cultivation path. However, Xiao Chen noticed that disciples from influential families or backgrounds confidently selected the cultivation-enhancement spell without hesitation, their future paths already clear.
Curious, Xiao Chen examined the enhancement manual—a technique titled Three-Star Synergy Method that improved compatibility between cultivators and magical artifacts. The detection manual, Star-Gazing Aura-Reading Technique, allowed cultivators to estimate an opponent’s strength.
The tenth-ranked disciple, after some deliberation, followed the crowd and chose the Three-Star Synergy Method. His reasoning was simple: “If senior brothers choose it, there must be merit. I’ll follow their lead.”
Xiao Chen, however, refused to conform. With his cloak already aiding in concealment, and hex-enhanced offense and defense, he prioritized detection. The Star-Gazing Aura-Reading Technique would fill his critical weakness in reconnaissance.
He knew that after entering the Inner Sect, disciples were often sent on sect missions. Though he’d just reached Foundation Building sixth layer, he was confident in advancing to late Lian Qi stage soon. A technique that yielded immediate results was more valuable than one whose benefits might take years to manifest.
Thus, Xiao Chen uniquely chose the Star-Gazing Aura-Reading Technique, becoming the only one to reject the popular enhancement spell. This decision drew even more attention.
Standing out wasn’t inherently bad, but defying the group often invited suspicion. Some disciples eyed him with doubt—could he have hidden connections? A secret artifact? Or had he cheated?
Jiang Si Xuan pondered as well, though she rarely regretted decisions. She’d already distanced herself from Xiao Chen, viewing him as a lucky novice. The trial’s luck-based nature reinforced her belief.
After all, Song and Liu had efficiently claimed most spirit beasts, leaving Xiao Chen to stumble upon overlooked ones. Jiang herself had used a family-bestowed artifact to secure her path. To her, Xiao Chen’s success was mere fortune—a fleeting advantage.
Liu Benxin, however, held a different view. Despite Xiao Chen’s modest talent (rumored to have a low-grade spirit root), Liu admired his relentless effort.
In Liu’s eyes, Xiao Chen was a steadfast cultivator. Over six months, he’d never attended social gatherings beyond required exchanges. Each morning, he meditated before dawn, practiced spells in the spirit field, and used breaks to refine techniques. Evenings were spent cultivating silently under moonlight.
Liu couldn’t endure such monotonous discipline, yet he deeply respected Xiao Chen’s perseverance. This admiration motivated his willingness to befriend Xiao Chen during their shared farming tasks.
Seeing Xiao Chen rise to the top ten, Liu felt genuine pride. To him, this achievement wasn’t just luck—it was earned through relentless effort.
Elsewhere, Su Wanning learned of the results almost immediately. After parting ways with Xiao Chen, she’d tasked her family to investigate.
“Ninth place?” she blurted, stunned.
If Xiao Chen ranked ninth, how formidable were the top eight?
(End of Chapter)
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