Zhang Xiaopang held up the Tiger Eagle King in his hands. He was about to praise it, but found that Wang Meng's gaze was as piercing as a flash of lightning.
When Wang Meng stood up, that light vanished.
"Not bad!" Wang Meng nodded. Zhang Xiaopang's Five Elements attribute was Earth. His build made little difference, but he would have to cultivate to a certain level before his abilities would awaken.
"Haha, Brother Meng, you're finally done training! We need to hurry."
"Let's go. We still have most of the day left; we'll make it if we hurry." Wang Meng smiled. All this time spent in arduous training had only served to consolidate his foundation. He couldn't be hasty about advancing. Given his physical condition, he had to bring his two Innate Life Marks to the Realm of Perfection.
Zhang Xiaojiang put away Qiuqiu and tossed the Tiger Eagle King into a Qiankun Bag. The two of them applied Divine Movement Talismans to themselves and dashed toward Thunderlight Hall.
It was the last day for submitting missions. The Thunderlight Hall Branch had been very weak in recent years, failing to produce any noteworthy talent, and its standing in the Holy Hall had fallen lower and lower. Its Elders were not well-regarded. If they were dealing with someone from Lingyin Hall, even a worthless character like Ma Wanliang would have been fawning like a lapdog.
The Thunderlight Hall Branch had recruited so many new disciples this time precisely to cast a wide net and catch more fish; every single one they landed was a gain.
Things were going well on the Talisman Cultivator side, and Zhao Ya was quite pleased. Hu Jing was both an expected success and a pleasant surprise. It was expected that her talent was sufficient to pass, but the surprise was her extraordinary Spiritual Attribute for Alchemy. The path of a Talisman Cultivator included Talisman Making, Artifact Refining, Alchemy, and Array Techniques, and mastering even one of these was considered a fine achievement. Alchemy was the most important of all. At the right opportunity, she intended to take Hu Jing to the Main Hall.
Including Hu Jing, five people had passed on the Talisman Cultivator side.
On the Body Cultivator side, Wang Bodang was barely satisfied. Eleven disciples had passed, but none of them were outstanding.
Eight people also passed on the Bow Cultivator side.
As for the Sword Cultivators, Xu Huang was in a different mood entirely. The seven who passed this year unfortunately all lacked Spiritual Attribute; they could only be considered mediocre.
The Holy Hall was different from other Sects; it accepted disciples widely to foster good relations. This large number of followers was the Holy Hall's most defining characteristic in the Small Thousand World. While quantity isn't the standard for judging strength in the Cultivation World, having the Main Hall as the foundation and the Sub-Halls as branches truly brought many unexpected advantages.
Time ticked by. The disciples, whether they had completed their tasks or not, gradually gathered. Only Wang Meng and Zhang Xiaojiang remained.
"Junior Sister Zhao, what mission did you assign to Zhang Xiaojiang?" Wan Jing asked.
"The Tiger Eagle," Zhao Ya said.
Hu Jing's heart sank. She already knew about this. The missions for Wang Meng and Zhang Xiaojiang were among the most difficult, the reason being that neither of them was suited for cultivation. 'Cultivation is cruel; sometimes giving up is a blessing.' This was Zhao Ya's true intention. Forcing oneself to cultivate would only lead to a more miserable outcome.
Zhao Guang was naturally aware of this. After all, she was his aunt. 'It's a waste to leave Spirit Stones for trash,' he thought. 'They'd be better off helping my cultivation along.'
Wan Jing shook his head. Among the Elders of Thunderlight Hall, Zhao Ya was the youngest and kindest, but she was also the most principled at heart. She was in charge of screening. Zhang Xiaojiang had talent, but unfortunately, his agility was too poor to meet the requirements for a Bow Cultivator.
"Zhao Guang, who's still missing?" Wang Bodang bellowed.
Elder Wang was famously impatient.
"Reporting to the Elder, Wang Meng and Zhang Xiaojiang are the only two remaining. Should we wait for them?" Zhao Guang said respectfully.
"What is all this nonsense? My side is already finished. You all can handle it as you see fit."
Wang Bodang waved his hand dismissively. This time, the only ones in the Thunderlight Hall Branch who had seen any real gains were the Talisman Cultivators and his own group.
"Zhao Guang, do you know where those two went?" Zhao Ya asked.
"Reporting to the Elder, I heard they went to do the Tiger Eagle mission."
Zhao Ya looked toward Xu Huang and Wan Jing. It was, after all, a matter for their two divisions, so it wasn't her place to interfere too much. Besides, there was still a bit of time left.
Xu Huang and Wan Jing exchanged a look. In truth, both of them had a strange feeling. When Wan Jing had chosen the Little Fatty, he'd had an indescribable feeling—he just thought the little fellow's eyes were very bright and well-suited for an archer. Xu Huang, for his part, had sensed an uncommon passion in Wang Meng.
But that wasn't everything when it came to cultivation.
"Let's wait a little longer. There's still time."
Xu Huang said, "I have yet to congratulate Junior Sister Zhao on accepting such a fine disciple. I hope she can bring honor to our Thunderlight Hall Branch in the grand competition."
Many of the Third Generation Disciples looked on with envy. For a new disciple to pass the trial was a sign of immense ancestral blessing. After all, in the eyes of mortals, Cultivators were on par with Immortals.
And becoming an Elder's Direct Disciple was the stuff of dreams. It usually required either an outstanding performance in the grand competition or a powerful family background. Hu Jing's luck was simply astounding.
Faced with everyone's stares, Hu Jing remained nonchalant. She had been on the receiving end of such looks since childhood; the only difference was that now they came from Cultivators instead of mortals. Her current concern was for Wang Meng and Zhang Xiaojiang. 'What are those two up to? How could they mess up at such a critical moment?'
"You praise me too highly, Elder Xu," Hu Jing said. "This disciple is dull-witted. I am honored and humbled that Master has taken a liking to me. I will naturally do everything in my power to bring glory to Thunderlight Hall."
She spoke without being either deferential or arrogant, truly possessing the air of someone from a great family. Zhao Guang found it difficult to hide his admiration. 'She's my aunt's Direct Disciple... My chances are great!'
The other Third Generation Disciples could only watch in envy. Although Hu Jing was a new disciple, she carried an aura that commanded the room, making it hard for anyone to look down on her.
"Haha, Junior Sister Zhao, she really is just like you."
Wan Jing and Wang Bodang nodded as well. Zhao Ya smiled faintly. For cultivators who had reached their level, it wasn't easy to find a suitable apprentice. It was rare to find someone like Hu Jing, who not only had good talent but was also poised and graceful, making her pleasant to behold.
Zhao Guang had to admit, he was impressed. 'Many Third Generation Disciples who have cultivated for years still can't help but be nervous and deferential when speaking to the Elders, but Hu Jing can face them calmly. The more I look at her, the more beautiful she seems. Not only is she pretty, but her figure is incredible. Especially with those naturally long legs, the white robes of the Holy Hall make her look ethereal and otherworldly. The other female disciples can't compare at all.'
"Elder Xu, Elder Wan, this disciple is very familiar with both Wang Meng and Zhang Xiaojiang. I believe in both of your discerning eyes. I'm sure they will complete their mission."
Hu Jing said.
Xu Huang and Wan Jing smiled slightly. This child was quite thoughtful. She could see they were getting impatient, and her willingness to speak up for her friends at this moment showed she was at least not an ungrateful person.
"Don't speak carelessly," Zhao Ya said, though there was no intention of punishment in her tone.
"Junior Sister Hu, cultivation is harsh. Forcing it will only have the opposite effect." Zhao Guang tried his best to appear debonair. In his view, compared to a glorious existence like himself, that piece of trash with two Life Mark layers and that stupid fatty were complete nobodies.
He was confident that he surpassed them by a wide margin in looks, temperament, ability, and background. Attracting Hu Jing's attention was inevitable.
"Senior Brother Zhao, how can you be so sure they're forcing it when the results aren't in yet?" Hu Jing said, her tone light and breezy.
'Such posturing is so shallow,' she thought.
Rebuffed, Zhao Guang maintained his composure, smiling but saying nothing. 'Never mind that the Thunder Pool is a veritable Ghost Gate,' he thought. 'Even if it weren't, those two could never hope to pass.'
Just as the sun was about to set, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside. Wang Meng and Zhang Xiaojiang had arrived, practically bursting straight into the hall.