Chapter 658: Year-End Assessment (Thank you to the leader, Wind Chocolate!)
Chapter 658: Year-End Assessment (Thank you to the leader, Wind Chocolate!)
Every year, near the end of the cultivation season, there is an annual year-end assessment within the sect.
A time to evaluate the disciples' progress in their various fields of study.
It serves as both an examination and a way to gauge their understanding, influencing their reputation within the sect and the level of attention they receive from their masters.
When disciples return home for the year-end holidays, they can also give a proper account of their progress to their elders and family.
Whether they spend the holidays smiling or in tears depends on the results of this assessment.
The year-end assessment follows a similar process to the regular evaluations, but it is more formal, intricate, and carries greater significance.
Consequently, the punishments for cheating are also more severe.
Three days after the assessment, Mo Hua received her "report card."
It was unremarkable, with one 'A' and six 'Cs.'
There was no doubt about her getting an 'A' in Formation Techniques.
After all, 'A' was the highest grade achievable.
With her sixteen spirit sense meridians, Mo Hua had an exceptionally solid foundation in formations. She effortlessly aced the second-grade formation technique exam, and even some that were below that level.
The formations she drew with her brush were flawless and impeccable.
Old Master Xun couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
He even considered creating a new rating above 'A' specifically for Mo Hua but ultimately suppressed the urge, deciding that it would be too ostentatious.
It was best to maintain a low profile.
Aside from the 'A' in Formation Techniques, all her other subjects were solidly 'Cs.'
Just barely passing.
The six 'Cs' included Cultivation, Artifact Refining, Pill Refining, Talisman Refining, Daoist Arts, and the Hundred Arts of Cultivation.
Mo Hua was diligent in her cultivation, but her progress was mediocre.
Her spirit root was inferior, and she had not cultivated her body or refined her spiritual energy to establish a solid foundation. As a result, her cultivation base was lacking.
Elder Huahua Zhenren, an inner sect elder in charge of teaching, perhaps out of respect for Old Master Xun, privately told Mo Hua:
"There's nothing I can do about this…”
“I can only give you a ‘C’…”
“Your cultivation foundation, speed, blood essence, and spiritual energy…”
The elder paused, choosing his words carefully, “…all have a lot of room for improvement.”
Mo Hua wasn't sure if she should feel disappointed or touched by these words.
The elder continued, "I won't set my expectations too high for you. Just do your best, given your circumstances. While your foundation is lacking, you still need to work harder in your cultivation to at least keep up with your peers in terms of realm."
"Otherwise, if you're still at the early stage of Foundation Establishment in three years, you'll have to repeat the year."
Mo Hua was taken aback. "Repeat the year?"
"Yes," the elder nodded. "You'll stay with the next batch of junior disciples for another three years of cultivation."
"If you can advance to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment within those three years, you'll move on. Otherwise, you'll have to stay longer..."
"If you end up repeating too many times, the sect will have no choice but to ask you to leave."
Mo Hua was shocked. "They would expel me?"
She wondered if she would also be asked to leave if she couldn't advance.
Seeming to understand Mo Hua's thoughts, the elder spoke gently, "Don't worry...”
"They wouldn't dare suggest expelling you, given your backing."
Old Master Xun is standing right behind you. No one in the Tai Xu Sect would dare to upset him by asking for your removal.
Even if you stayed for fifty or a hundred years, the sect could afford to support you.
Of course, this wasn't something that could be said openly.
The elder paused, then offered Mo Hua some comfort, "Foundation Establishment cultivation isn't that difficult. As long as you follow the teachings of the elders diligently and cultivate with sincerity, you will break through the realm, and there won't be any talk of expulsion."
Mo Hua looked perplexed.
Three years to advance from the early stage to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment?
And then another three years to reach the late stage?
"Elder, isn't cultivation challenging? Isn't three years too soon to expect a breakthrough to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment?" Mo Hua asked.
The elder replied, "Refining qi and establishing a foundation isn't that hard. With enough spirit stones and spiritual resources, even a pig can be force-fed to reach the Foundation Establishment stage."
"The difficulty in refining qi lies in solidifying the foundation, refining the realm, and establishing a robust base."
"The challenge in Foundation Establishment is in consolidating that base, charting your path, and progressing further."
"Purely in terms of realm cultivation, neither of these stages is particularly difficult."
"The real challenge comes after the Golden Core stage."
The elder sighed.
"The Golden Core is a significant hurdle in cultivation, requiring excellent spirit roots, robust blood essence, a solid foundation of spiritual energy, a keen understanding of the Dao, and favorable opportunities."
"You can't just blindly cultivate and expect to reach the Golden Core by throwing spirit stones at the problem."
"It's common for cultivators to take years, decades, or even centuries to form their Golden Cores."
"Even among the talented offspring of noble clans, there are many who never progress beyond this hurdle in their entire lives."
Mo Hua's heart sank as she considered the immense difficulty of forming a Golden Core.
"Hence, even in a fifth-rate clan, a Golden Core cultivator is considered a pivotal pillar of support."
Noting Mo Hua's worried expression, the elder offered some reassurance, "However, don't dwell on it too much..."
"Whether it's difficult or easy, you still have to take it one step at a time. There's no use rushing."
"If you devote yourself wholeheartedly to the Dao, free from distractions, you may overcome hidden and apparent obstacles with a surge of determination."
"But if you're burdened by worries and fears, you'll stumble at every step, losing your ambition and getting stuck at the threshold of the Golden Core stage for a long time."
"There's no point in fretting over difficulties that are beyond your control."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and she bowed respectfully, "Thank you for your guidance, Elder. I will keep your words in mind."
The elder nodded in satisfaction.
Mo Hua hesitated but asked in a low voice, "Elder, most cultivators in this world are probably still at the qi refining stage, right?"
The elder was taken aback, and his gaze turned meaningful.
"Indeed."
"And what about them...?"
"If they remain stuck at the qi refining stage for their entire lives, their problem is usually not their talent but only one word..."
The elder said softly, "Poverty."
Mo Hua felt a twinge of discomfort in her heart.
The elder looked at her with profound eyes, his expression revealing a hint of surprise, even to himself.
Finally, he composed himself and nodded slightly, "Don't worry too much. You're still at the Foundation Establishment stage, so focus on your cultivation."
"If your progress is slow and you have to repeat a year, it won't lead to expulsion, but it will be a bit embarrassing."
Mo Hua nodded, then paused as a chill ran down her spine.
If she were held back a year, she would have to address these current disciples as "Senior Brother" and "Senior Sister"!
That would be a difference of two levels of seniority!
No!
Absolutely not!
Mo Hua's face was serious. She had to speed up her cultivation. Regardless of anything else, she absolutely must not be held back!
Otherwise, she would lose the dignity and respect befitting her status as "Senior Brother"!
Elder Xiu Yang was taken aback by Mo Hua's sudden surge of determination and ambition. However, he saw this as a positive development and decided not to say anything further.
"But..."
Elder Xiu Yang glanced at Mo Hua once more, sighing inwardly.
"Forming a Golden Core is truly difficult..."
There was indeed a huge gap in the quality of her spirit root, and he wasn't sure if she would be able to cross that threshold.
...
Mo Hua was still unaware of these concerns.
Aside from cultivation, her grades in pill refining, artifact refining, and talisman refining were all a solid 'C', which was expected and consistent with her performance.
Neither the elders nor her fellow disciples, including Mo Hua herself, found these results surprising.
However, Elder Yi, who taught her the Daoist Arts, was quite familiar with Mo Hua, and during their casual conversations, he said:
"I can only give you a 'C' as well..."
"I wish I could give you a higher grade, but I can't..."
"It's alright, it's alright," Mo Hua consoled Elder Yi.
The Daoist Arts assessment was divided into three categories: spells, martial arts, and sword techniques.
Disciples only needed to excel in one of these areas.
After all, even in the Qian Xue State, where geniuses gathered, it was extremely rare for cultivators to achieve both spiritual and physical duality and also cultivate sword techniques. Thus, this couldn't be used as a standard for ordinary cultivators.
Especially for cultivators like Mo Hua, who were considered "below standard."
Elder Yi couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. He sighed, "You have a wide range of spells at your disposal, and you use them skillfully. Your combat strategies are also far superior to those of ordinary cultivators..."
"But these things aren't part of the formal assessment..."
"The spell assessment is simple, straightforward, and primarily focuses on the grade of your spells and the number of spiritual cycles you can maintain during casting..."
"So, in this regard, you're at a disadvantage..."
"You don't know any extremely powerful spells..."
As he spoke, Elder Yi suddenly paused, remembering something.
It was that day when Mo Hua had accidentally destroyed the spell puppet in the Daoist Arts room and severely injured himself with that unknown, terrifying flame spell...
Elder Yi frowned, deep in thought, before shaking his head.
That spell didn't count either...
It wasn't a stable spell; it was just a fluke that he had stumbled upon...
It couldn't be included in the assessment.
With such a high risk of losing control, it wasn't something to be used casually.
Elder Yi looked at Mo Hua, who was quick-witted and had a lively gaze, and hesitated.
"Mo Hua..."
After much deliberation, Elder Yi whispered, "Please don't use that spell from last time again..."
"Yes, yes!"
Mo Hua nodded.
She wouldn't use that spell from last time again.
But she had already modified it and would use the new version in the future.
...
In addition, there was one more subject where she received a 'C', which was the "Hundred Arts of Cultivation."
Array formation, pill refining, talisman refining, and artifact refining were all considered part of the "Hundred Arts of Cultivation."
However, due to their vast scope, long history, profound depth, and large number of practitioners, they were considered "major studies" within the cultivation world and were categorized separately.
Aside from these four disciplines, there were numerous other cultivation arts.
These arts were either derived from the four major disciplines or related to the daily lives, production, and combat of cultivators, but they were not as prominent.
Examples included spirit plants, cuisine, blood extraction, mining, musical arts, spiritual dances, strategic games, architecture, and more.
On the surface, everyone acknowledged that all arts were treated equally and that all categories were of equal importance.
However, in reality, once something was related to people, natural hierarchies emerged.
Arts like musical instruments, strategic games, and spiritual dances, which appeared elegant and refined, tended to be held in higher regard.
On the other hand, labor-intensive arts like spirit plants, mining, and architecture were often looked down upon.
The sect didn't force anyone to specialize in a particular art.
Disciples were free to explore any category that interested them and, at the very least, gain a theoretical understanding.
However, when it came to assessments, the focus was on arts like musical instruments, spiritual dances, and strategic games, which were more likely to be useful to disciples from aristocratic families in the future.
Mo Hua was more familiar with spirit plants, mining, architecture, and other similar arts, but these weren't considered part of the formal assessment.
Especially cuisine.
Mo Hua's mother, Liu Ruhua, was exceptionally skilled in this area.
Mo Hua had inherited her talent in this regard.
During their travels, Mo Hua had been responsible for preparing the meals for her master, Kui Lao, and her senior brothers and sisters.
If culinary skills were assessed, Mo Hua's talents would have put the entire batch of disciples to shame!
Unfortunately, culinary skills weren't part of the assessment...
The skills Mo Hua excelled at weren't assessed, and the assessment focused entirely on her weaknesses.
There was one exception, though—chess.
This was something Mo Hua had believed herself to be proficient in...
Whether in Tongxian City or during their travels, Mo Hua often played chess with Kui Lao in her free time.
She knew that Kui Lao was a formidable opponent, so being able to hold her own against him meant that her chess skills were exceptional.
However, when it came to the formal assessment, she was in for a surprise...
The sect's approach to chess was overly pragmatic and calculated, focusing solely on winning without any regard for the enjoyment of the game...
Out of eighteen games, she had only won two...
This made Mo Hua realize something...
Either the sect's approach to teaching chess was flawed, or...
Both she and Kui Lao were terrible chess players!
Mo Hua felt a bit deflated.
She accepted that she might not be skilled, but she never expected that Kui Lao's reputation would also take a hit due to her influence...
Mo Hua sighed deeply.
The sect focused more on theory than practical application.
Or perhaps it wasn't just the sect, but the entire Qian Xue State that tended towards this style.
As a result, Mo Hua's performance in the "Hundred Arts of Cultivation" was mediocre, earning her another 'C'.
...
This report card, with one 'A' and six 'Cs', was to be taken home for her parents to see.
"Dear Father and Mother,
I've tried my best, but there are too many geniuses in the sect, and I fell just short. I received six 'Cs'...
What a pity...
Fortunately, my formation techniques are still impressive! Even in the Tai Xu Sect, one of the eight great sects of Qian Xue State, my formation skills are not inferior to those of the other proud disciples...
Old Master Xun also praised me highly.
...
Also, I've settled in well at the Tai Xu Sect...
I've established connections with the Dao Court as well!
So, you don't need to worry.
The New Year is approaching, and I hope you will treat yourselves to some good food! Wait for me to reach the Golden Core stage, and then I'll return home!
Mo Hua."
Mo Hua sent his report card along with the letter back home.
Li Zhou was far away. Even within Li Zhou, Tongxian City was quite remote.
He wondered when his letter would arrive and when he would receive a reply...
...
After the year-end assessment, the disciples were given a month-long holiday.
They could choose to return home or stay within the sect.
Mo Hua decided to remain in the sect.
Li Zhou was too far away, and he couldn't make the journey home. He could only think fondly of his parents, Elder Yu, and his other friends and acquaintances from Tongxian City...
He wondered what they were doing at that moment.
Were they strolling through the bustling streets, watching beast battles, and enjoying delicious food?
Was Tongxian City decorated with colorful lanterns and bustling with festive cheer, accompanied by dazzling fireworks in the evening...
"I wonder if they miss me..." Mo Hua sighed.
...
The next day, Yu'er was also preparing to return home. Before leaving, he tightly held onto Mo Hua's sleeve, his eyes brimming with tears.
Upon seeing this, Wen Renwei suggested, "Why don't you come with me to the Shangguan family for the New Year celebrations, Mo Hua?"
Mo Hua thought for a moment and then shook his head. "I'd rather not go to the Shangguan family..."
The Shangguan family was extremely influential, and they undoubtedly had many rules and strict discipline.
He wasn't familiar with them, and he knew he wouldn't feel comfortable there.
Moreover, the Shangguan family surely had their fair share of cunning and scheming elders.
Mo Hua instinctively wanted to avoid dealing with such "old foxes," lest he draw their unwanted attention.
"How about the Gu family?" Wen Renwei suggested again.
Mo Hua hesitated.
The Gu family...
That seemed like a better option.
With Gu Shu there, he had visited a few times, and Old Master Xun had also mentioned that the Gu family was considered a "clear stream" within the Dao Court, known for their strict and upright family values.
However, Mo Hua still felt hesitant.
He wanted to spend the holiday studying the Fireball Forbidden Technique further.
Yu'er tugged at Mo Hua's sleeve again, his eyes filled with reluctance to part.
Mo Hua's heart softened, and he sighed, "Alright."
Yu'er immediately beamed with joy.
So, with Yu'er holding Mo Hua's hand, they happily made their way to the Gu family.
Upon seeing Mo Hua, Wen Renwan was also delighted.
She casually inquired about Mo Hua's performance in the sect's assessment.
When she learned that he had received one 'A' and six 'Cs', she was somewhat surprised.
She had thought that Mo Hua's claim of being "skilled in formation techniques" was just a playful boast, but she hadn't expected him to be truly talented in that area...
To achieve an 'A' in formation techniques in the Tai Xu Sect, one of the eight great sects, was indeed remarkable.
Wen Renwan was happy for Mo Hua.
As for the six 'Cs' that followed the 'A', she subconsciously chose to ignore them.
After all, no one was perfect.
Considering Mo Hua's unique circumstances, it wasn't fair to hold him to such high standards.
"Make yourself at home and don't be too formal." Wen Renwan spoke gently to Mo Hua.
"Thank you, Aunt Wan," Mo Hua replied with a smile.
Gu Changhuai, who was standing by, felt helpless.
This was the Gu family...
Unfortunately, in front of Wen Renwan, he had no say in the matter.
Thus, Mo Hua temporarily stayed with the Gu family, playing with Yu'er for a few days.
Yu'er wouldn't be staying at the Gu family for long either. As the direct heir of the Shangguan family, his schedule was tightly arranged, whether he liked it or not.
According to the plan, Yu'er would spend a few days at the Gu family first, then return to the Shangguan family for the New Year celebrations. After the holiday, he would pay a visit to the Wen Ren family.
Before the end of the holiday, he would return to the Gu family for a brief rest of two days before heading back to the Tai Xu Sect.
Mo Hua couldn't accompany Yu'er on his various visits, so he could only spend these few days before the New Year with him at the Gu family.
After playing together for a few days, Yu'er bid farewell to Mo Hua, his face filled with reluctance as he returned to the strict and austere Shangguan family.
Mo Hua then wandered through Qingzhou City, observing the local customs and culture, before preparing to return to the sect.
Before leaving, he needed to inform the Gu family.
So, Mo Hua went to find Gu Changhuai.
Gu Changhuai was neither surprised nor did he try to detain him.
Mo Hua was a kid with too many tricks up his sleeve, and he couldn't be bothered to manage him.
"There's something I want to tell you..." Gu Changhuai said, "The Demon Cave has been destroyed, and Huo Fotuo is dead. The Dao Court will be distributing merit points, and I'll make sure you get your share..."
"But these things take time, and the process is slow, so you'll have to wait a while..."
Mo Hua's eyes lit up, and he eagerly nodded, "Okay!"
Merit points were a valuable reward! He didn't mind waiting if he could eventually get his hands on them.
Gu Uncle seemed to be a man of his word...
After that, they had nothing more to discuss, and Gu Changhuai's personality tended to be cold and distant. So, Mo Hua prepared to take his leave.
However, just as he was about to get up, someone arrived at the door.
It was an elderly woman with a ruddy complexion and a joyous expression, apparently a close elder of the Gu family.
As soon as she entered, she smiled at Gu Changhuai and said, "Changhuai, it's rare for you to be back. I have a marriage proposal to discuss with you..."
Gu Changhuai's face darkened.
Mo Hua, who had just stood up, paused and then quietly sat back down. He even stealthily reached out and took a piece of fruit from the nearby fruit plate, popping it into his mouth.
(End of Chapter)
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