Chapter 298: Chapter 296: Assessment in Progress Steward Kong didn’t mind and asked, "Is everything finished?" "Let me see... Huh, there’s still one more." The disciple holding the paper document hesitated, "But it’s located in... Zone Wujiu." "Zone Wujiu?" Steward Kong’s face suddenly darkened, "Nonsense!" "This Zone Wujiu is where Elder Wen used to raise insects. Some of these insects are so dangerous that even some of the true inheritances in the sect don’t want to provoke them. How could they assign it to a new disciple who just entered? This is absurd!" "Then, should we still go to check it out?" The disciple was intimidated by Steward Kong’s serious demeanor and asked timidly. "Go, why wouldn’t we?" Steward Kong cast a cold glance at Wei Jian, making his scalp tingle. ’It’s over, it’s over. If this Kong reports this matter, the sect might hold me accountable...’ Wei Jian felt uneasy as he led Steward Kong and his group onward. After walking for half a day and crossing a mountain, their legs were a bit sore by the time they reached the fields of Zone Wu. Zone Wujiu was at the very end of Zone Wu. But when they arrived at the scene, everyone couldn’t help but widen their eyes. "How, how is this possible?" "He actually planted a field of Spirit Rice, how did he do it?" "Could it be that there’s no longer any insect infestation here..." In front of Steward Kong and Wei Jian’s group was a field about an acre in size. The Spirit Rice plants, each about two feet tall, were lush and verdant, swaying with the wind and emitting a fragrant rice aroma. Steward Kong walked up to the field, his pupils constricting. "There are so many insect corpses in this field, hiss... This young man is terrifying!" On the surface of the soil, there were yellow Centipede corpses broken in half, Golden Beetle corpses with shattered shells, and spider corpses larger than a fist, covered in spiky hairs... Judging by the extent of drying, these corpses should have died in the last few days, which made Steward Kong even more astonished. "Is there anything special about the disciple cultivating the Spirit Field?" he couldn’t help but ask. "He has a Lower-Grade Spirit Root and is from Jin City. As for anything special... it seems his Martial Arts cultivation is quite high. He had a previous encounter where he fought an Iron Corpse and did not lose." "Able to contend with an Iron Corpse? That’s not something an ordinary Martial Artist can achieve, not even the top-tier ones. To achieve such a feat at his age indicates he’s a prodigy in martial arts." Steward Kong nodded approvingly. Although the upper limit of Martial Arts is much lower than that of the Immortal Path, it is the most widely practiced and accessible form of cultivation. Therefore, even though he hadn’t practiced Martial Arts, Steward Kong was thoroughly familiar with its various nuances. He looked at the Spirit Rice on the field and began to analyze: "These Spirit Rice plants, although shorter than those cultivated by others, have extraordinarily plump grains and brighter color. This indicates that he has put a lot of effort into the Rain Technique. Furthermore, how could the standards of Zone Wujiu be the same as those of Zone Jia or Yi? Grade, Middle Jia." Upon hearing this, the others showed signs of surprise. According to the Corpse-Driving Sect’s unwritten rules, most people’s A-grade ratings are Jia Lower; Jia Upper is rare, and Middle Jia is the highest evaluation one can give. However, since Steward Kong was the chief examiner with one vote deciding, naturally, no one objected. Wei Jian breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. It seems that Steward Kong merely has exceedingly high standards, not personal animosity. Just as Wei Jian led Steward Kong’s group in evaluating the field’s yield. Lou Yi, You Qingyi, and all other disciples, including their Lifebound Corpses, were all gathered on the open space atop Disciple Peak. Awaiting the arrival of another assessment steward. There will be a unified evaluation soon: Spiritual Cultivation, Magic display, and Lifebound Corpse manipulation. The crowd was filled with both tension and anticipation, with some even making frequent bathroom visits. Lou Yi found it rather endearing, reminding him of taking exams in school in his past life. "Who do you think will come in first this time?" someone whispered. "That’s a given, it has to be between You Qingyi and Wang Wenbai. They both have upper-grade Spirit Roots, on a completely different level from us common folks." "Not necessarily, Rong Xuejian is renowned for his high comprehension, and his Spirit Root is only slightly inferior to theirs, being a top-tier Mid-grade Spirit Root." "I hear the top ten get rewards; I wonder what they are this time. We don’t need to be first, just make it to the top ten, haha." Upon hearing the discussions: You Qingyi remained expressionless, while Rong Xuejian became even more serious. Only Wang Wenbai had a slight upward curve at the corners of his mouth, clearly enjoying the compliments. Beside him, someone who liked to flatter agreed: "In this evaluation, Brother Wang is sure to secure the top spot. Apart from You Qingyi posing a slight threat, I don’t see anyone else being a concern." "Indeed, Brother Wang has both talent and a prestigious family background, taking first in this competition should be effortless, right?" Another chimed in. "In this evaluation, as long as it’s not too bad, it’s fine. I’m not concerned about the scores. The Immortal Path is long, no need to compete for short-term gains." Wang Wenbai waved his hand indifferently, but the upward curve of his mouth was even harder to conceal. A moment later, a red-robed elder with partially white hair arrived on the scene. Beside him were three young disciples dressed in light blue Daoist Robes. One held a paper document, another held a White Jade Document, and another carried a transparent pebble, matching the specifications on Steward Kong’s side. Only hearing the red-robed elder sternly say, "I am Steward Wen Feng of the Law Enforcement Hall, here to inspect your assignments today. Those with comprehensive scores at the top will receive rewards from the sect." He didn’t linger, with a wave of his hand, a jade tablet appeared in front of everyone. The jade tablet was about as tall as a person, milky white throughout, with a smooth, unblemished surface, and a distinct palm seal mark near the top center. "All who come forward, place your hand on the palm seal and input your Spiritual Power with full force, hold nothing back," ordered the red-robed elder, Steward Wen, "After measuring, each person can receive a Qi Absorption Pill to quickly recover Spiritual Power." Next to him, a disciple stepped forward and began calling names from the paper document: "Dai Xiang, Lower-Grade Spirit Root." The person named Dai Xiang stepped forward. Lou Yi recognized him as the chubby person who had bribed the steward when the fields were being assigned. The chubby person placed his hand on the palm seal, took a deep breath, and began to operate the Profound Yin Technique. All his Spiritual Power flowed from his right arm into the jade tablet, and others could see a faint dark light surface on his palm. After a few moments, the jade tablet turned from milky white to a pale red, then quickly returned to its original state. Steward Wen saw this and said indifferently, "Upper Ding." The chubby person, upon hearing it, displayed a distressed expression, clearly unsatisfied with the result. After him, a few others went up. But none of their evaluations were higher than Middle Ding or Lower Ding, not even as good as his. Seeing this, the chubby person smiled happily once more. ...