The Sixth Courtyard was getting more and more crowded.
Fang Yong was once again the center of attention, surrounded by admirers.
This allowed Jiang Man to slip into the Sixth Courtyard smoothly.
Before long, Zhao Leming arrived.
He entered with a stern face and said to the students below, "Line up according to your rank."
Everyone began to adjust their positions.
They formed two lines.
Jiang Man didn't move.
He was, after all, in last place.
Soon, a young man stood next to him.
He had a plump figure.
It made Jiang Man quite envious.
'How much do you have to eat to get that round?'
'His family must be rich.'
"Jiang Man, thank god for you. Otherwise, I'd be last, and my family would never let me hear the end of it." The other boy chuckled, a look of relief on his face. He paused, then asked curiously, "You don't stink anymore?"
This was Gao Yao, the Little Fatty, who, like Jiang Man, was one of the people at the bottom of the ranks.
Jiang Man had been somewhat dull and slow, while the other boy simply didn't want to cultivate and had limited Talent.
"Are we doing something today?" Jiang Man asked.
Hearing this, the Little Fatty looked at Jiang Man with some surprise. "You're actually interested now? You never showed any interest before."
Before Jiang Man could find an excuse, the Little Fatty continued, "It's almost September, so they're arranging the Cultivation plan for the second half of the year.
They're also seeing who's qualified to compete for a spot in the Wuyun Sect assessment.
The Sixth Courtyard has two spots, and nine times out of ten, they'll go to Fang Yong and Luo Xuan."
As he spoke, he looked toward the two people at the very front with considerable envy.
Jiang Man followed his gaze.
One was the high-spirited Fang Yong, and the other was a serene girl who seemed as if she floated above worldly matters.
She had a lovely face and wore embroidered clothes, clearly not from a village.
So it was only reasonable that they were ranked first.
They had money and sufficient resources.
That alone was more than half the battle won.
With a bit of hard work and better talent, they could leave those of us from the villages far behind.
Catching up would require double the effort, plus extraordinary talent.
And people like that were few and far between.
"But none of this has anything to do with us," Xiaopang said. "As the last and second-to-last ranked, we won't even be considered for the assessment. We don't even get a Cultivation plan."
Those words left Jiang Man stunned.
'I don't even have the right to compete?'
'Fortunately, I made a deal with Mr. Zhao, so there should still be a chance.'
Jiang Man confirmed his rank: twenty-sixth.
Last place in the courtyard.
Xiaopang was twenty-fifth, second to last.
He was always grateful to Jiang Man for taking the bottom spot for him.
"We've always been good friends. Whether I get fewer beatings when I go home in the future is all up to you," Xiaopang said to Jiang Man earnestly.
Jiang Man: "..."
'The little boat of our friendship is about to capsize.'
"You should all be clear on your rankings. For those who want to compete for a spot, you have a little over three months. The final list will be released in December.
It cannot be changed after that.
Even if someone with a spot dies, their place will not be given to someone else.
So, in these last few months, work hard if you must, and risk it all if you have to.
If you miss this chance, you won't get another one like it, no matter how hard you work later.
You all need to think this through carefully."
Afterward, Mr. Zhao handed out a piece of paper to each person, which described the pros and cons of their respective ranks.
Then, he came to stand before Jiang Man and the Little Fatty.
After giving Jiang Man a deep look, he said calmly, "You two, come with me."
Some were curious about this, but didn't give it much thought.
Zhao Leming met with Jiang Man alone first.
"Do you understand today's situation?" he asked, sitting at his desk in the room.
Jiang Man bowed respectfully. "I understand."
"Do you have any thoughts?" Zhao Leming asked, casually picking up a book.
Jiang Man thought for a moment before answering truthfully, "I'd also like to try competing for the assessment."
Zhao Leming raised an eyebrow at Jiang Man and said calmly, "According to the Cyan Cloud Pavilion's rules, you shouldn't be qualified to compete for the assessment."
Hearing his words, Jiang Man understood. It all depended on whether the thing he had to offer was useful.
'If it's useless, then the rules are the rules.'
'If it's useful, then the rules are rigid, but people are flexible.'
Jiang Man then took out the item hidden in his robes, placed it on the desk, and pushed it across to him.
The latter unhurriedly picked up the book.
A moment later, he slowly closed the book and said:
"According to the Cyan Cloud Pavilion's rules, you two indeed do not qualify to compete.
However, rules are rigid. It would be rather inhumane to extinguish your enthusiasm just because of a rule.
Considering that your Cultivation is not easy, and that you are determined to compete for the final spots...
I will make an exception for you.
The exception has been made, but it still depends on whether you are willing to participate in the competition.
If you participate, you will have to follow the Sixth Courtyard's schedule and take part in the daily Cultivation assessments."
Hearing this, Jiang Man immediately said, "I am willing."
After that, Zhao Leming followed the normal procedure and met with the Little Fatty, Gao Yao, alone.
Before long, Gao Yao walked out with a long face.
He looked at Jiang Man, heaved a heavy sigh, and said, "We agreed to give up together! Why the sudden change of heart? But my Talent is higher than yours, so you'll still be last."
As they left, they each held a piece of paper.
It detailed their current situations.
Jiang Man's sheet had the simplest content.
August 17th.
Yunqian Bureau: Cyan Cloud Pavilion.
Rear Courtyard: Sixth Courtyard.
Name: Jiang Man.
Rank: 26 (of 26).
Cultivation: None.
Cultivation Level: None.
Resources Acquired: "Simple Qi Refining Skill," "Divine Step."
Plan: Practice the Qi Refining Skill thirty times a day.
Score: 0.
Evaluation: Room for improvement.
'Only thirty times? He's underestimating me a little.'
'It can't compare to the Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart at all,' Jiang Man lamented inwardly.
At that moment, Gao Yao secretly glanced at Jiang Man's evaluation and said indignantly, "Why is yours 'Room for improvement,' while mine is 'Hopelessly foolish'?"
Jiang Man: "..."
'Maybe it's because I bribed him with a treasure.'
The moment they set foot back in the courtyard, the others looked over.
Catching sight of the papers in their hands, everyone was a little surprised.
They hadn't expected that the bottom two would actually be joining the competition for the spots.
The Little Fatty was a bit embarrassed.
"I get the feeling they're laughing at us," Xiaopang said, nudging Jiang Man lightly.
'Your feeling is not wrong,' Jiang Man answered in his heart.
But he paid it no mind.
'How could a sparrow understand the ambitions of a swan?'
'Soon, they will witness the rise of an Unparalleled Celestial Pride.'
But soon, they all began their Cultivation.
At a time like this, to be distracted by others' affairs was to waste a golden opportunity.
Didn't they see that Fang Yong and Luo Xuan hadn't even turned their heads?
Then, Jiang Man also began his Cultivation.
He continued to practice the Qi Refining Skill.
'First, I'll see when I can reach the Ninth Layer.'
'I'll improve my Cultivation after reaching the Ninth Layer.'
'This should be the best choice.'
However, he also glanced at the Little Fatty's paper.
Cultivation: Qi Refining First Layer.
'So I'm the only ordinary person in the whole class.'
"As long as we both follow the plan, when they hand out new papers after next month's assessment, you'll definitely still be the one at the bottom," the Little Fatty said with a smile.
Jiang Man offered a polite smile.
Then he went back to practicing the Qi Refining Skill.
Thirty times was, of course, not enough. He was going to practice it a hundred times before heading back.