Jiang Man and Xiaopang then swapped their papers.
In truth, Jiang Man had already seen what was on his own paper. He just wanted to trick Xiaopang.
Of course, Xiaopang was surely thinking the same thing.
Who wouldn't want to show off their high score?
Otherwise, what's the point of getting a high score in the first place?
Immediately, the words on Xiaopang's paper came into view.
September 17th.
Yunqian Bureau, Cyan Cloud Pavilion.
Rear Courtyard, Sixth Courtyard.
Name: Gao Yao.
Rank: 25 (of 26).
Cultivation: Qi Refining Second Layer.
Cultivation Level: Simple Qi Refining Skill Fourth Layer.
Obtained Resources: "Simple Qi Refining Skill," "Divine Step," "Six Harmonies Palm."
Plan: Cultivate the Qi Refining Skill forty times daily.
Score: 20.
Evaluation: Two years of your Cultivation is not as good as one month of another's.
Jiang Man was a little surprised. Xiaopang's score wasn't low.
It was already twenty.
But he was still second to last.
'Then who's in last place?'
Averting his gaze, Jiang Man looked at Xiaopang beside him and found him frozen in place, dumbfounded.
At first, when Xiaopang saw he was second to last, he thought he had solidly surpassed Jiang Man.
He had held on to his rank of second to last.
And no matter how much Jiang Man had improved, it would be impossible to surpass him.
That was a full twenty points, after all.
So he planned to let Jiang Man see his high score and feel the gap between them.
However...
The moment he saw Jiang Man's profile, he was completely floored.
September 17th.
Yunqian Bureau, Cyan Cloud Pavilion.
Rear Courtyard, Sixth Courtyard.
Name: Jiang Man.
Rank: 18 (of 26).
Cultivation: Qi Refining Third Layer.
Cultivation Level: Simple Qi Cultivation Method Fifth Level.
Obtained Resources: "Simple Qi Refining Skill," "Divine Step."
Plan: Cultivate fifty times daily.
Score: 29.
Evaluation: One month of your Cultivation is worth two years of another's.
Setting aside the Cultivation and score...
That evaluation...
Xiaopang hadn't paid much attention to his own evaluation at first, but looking at it now, it felt like a targeted insult.
Coming back to his senses, his eyes glistening with moisture, he looked at Jiang Man and said, "Brother Jiang, I admit I might have spoken a little too loudly the past few days."
'He's back to calling me Brother Jiang again.' Jiang Man swapped their papers back.
Xiaopang was rather curious. "Brother Jiang, were you hiding your true strength before?"
"Just natural Talent," Jiang Man replied.
Xiaopang didn't believe him. As far as he knew, geniuses didn't just appear out of nowhere; their abilities were apparent from the very beginning.
They were different from ordinary people right after birth, and once they started learning, they became even more dazzling.
They set themselves apart from others right from the start.
'So "natural Talent" is unbelievable.' After a moment of thought, he said, "Did something happen recently?"
Hearing this, Jiang Man thought for a moment and said, "Well, something did indeed happen."
"What was it?" Xiaopang asked, his face full of curiosity.
"I married a Fairy," Jiang Man replied.
Xiaopang fell silent. He decided to believe the "natural Talent" explanation after all.
「Noon.」
The rankings were announced.
Jiang Man didn't stay, however. Instead, he headed straight for the Yunqian Bureau's Dharma Transmission Department.
This place held some public information and also managed various Cultivation and Magic Skills.
They also registered cultivation qualifications and provided Cultivation Skills.
Jiang Man found the female guide and stated his purpose.
"A Qi Refining Third Layer wants to receive a Qi Blood Technique?" The woman just checked his score before registering him. "The Qi Blood Technique for the Qi Refining Third Layer is called the 'Simple Qi Blood Method.' It has nine layers in total."
Then, she handed the Cultivation Skill to Jiang Man.
"Do I also receive the Visualization Skill from you, Fairy?" Jiang Man asked as he put the book away.
"Yes." The woman nodded and then said, "'Simple Observation Method,' nine layers in total."
Upon hearing this, Jiang Man was about to ask if he could receive the one for Qi Refining Fifth Layer in advance.
But he soon froze.
He asked, somewhat bewildered, "The Visualization Skill only has nine layers?"
He immediately checked his Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart.
[As an Unparalleled Celestial Pride, Cultivation is as easy as drinking water for you. As long as your body can handle it, you can definitely cultivate a hundred times a day and raise your Visualization Skill to the Thirteenth Layer within a hundred days.]
'Raise the Visualization Skill to the Thirteenth Layer within a hundred days.'
'But the Visualization Skill only has nine layers. How am I supposed to raise it to the Thirteenth Layer?'
After a pause, he looked at the woman before him and said, "Fairy, do you think it's possible for a Visualization Skill to have thirteen layers?"
"The Simple Observation Method only has nine layers," she said with certainty.
Jiang Man grew anxious. 'No wonder the Old Yellow Ox always had that look in his eyes.'
'He was waiting for me to hit this wall.'
"Fairy, Cultivation Skills should differ from one another. I wonder, does a thirteen-layer Visualization Skill exist?" Jiang Man asked.
This time, the guide Fairy just looked at him without speaking.
Jiang Man understood. He immediately slipped a ten-denomination Spiritual Source into her book.
Seeing this, the guide Fairy finally smiled and spoke, "But of course they exist. Simple Cultivation Methods belong to the most common Mortal Level, and these Mortal Level Cultivation Skills are divided into Top, Middle, and Lower Grades."
"Simple Cultivation Methods are Lower Grade and have nine layers.
"Mortal Level Middle Grade ones have eleven layers.
"And Mortal Level Top-grade ones have thirteen layers."
As Jiang Man listened, he felt a mix of complicated emotions.
'So the Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart requires me to cultivate a Mortal Level Top-grade Visualization Skill, at the very least.'
"Where can I find these Top-grade Cultivation Methods?" Jiang Man asked.
The guide Fairy thought for a moment and said, "As for Visualization Skills, the Yunqian Bureau should have one. I don't know about any others."
Afterward, Jiang Man left with the Qi Blood Technique. He now deeply understood why the Old Yellow Ox had told him to enter a Sect, and why he'd said Luoyun City couldn't support an Unparalleled Celestial Pride Fate Chart.
He was just getting started, and he already needed a Mortal Level Top-grade skill.
If he needed even higher-level Cultivation Skills later on, his Talent alone wouldn't be enough to meet the requirements.
'I really do need to enter a Sect as soon as possible.'
But for now, he had to go back and ask the Old Yellow Ox how to get his hands on a Mortal Level Top-grade Visualization Method.
On his way back, however, he suddenly remembered he had forgotten to collect his Magic Skills.
So he turned back and collected the "Six Harmonies Palm" and the "Three Talents Force."
The "Divine Step" was available to all Student Cultivators of the Cyan Cloud Pavilion.
The "Six Harmonies Palm" could be collected with a score of ten or more.
The "Three Talents Force" could be collected with a score of twenty or more.
—
Meanwhile, everyone in the Sixth Courtyard was checking the rankings.
Since no one had asked about anyone else's score, they had to look at the ranks to see the results.
Both Luo Xuan and Fang Yong were paying close attention.
Soon, the rankings were posted.
First Place: Luo Xuan, sixty-three points.
Second Place: Fang Yong, sixty-two points.
Third Place: Chang Qiweng, sixty points.
Fourth Place: Cheng Yu, fifty-nine points.
Everyone's score had improved.
The third and fourth-place students, in particular, had progressed at lightning speed.
They were already a threat to the top two.
The lower ranks weren't high enough to pose a threat to these four.
The final spot would likely be decided between those four.
Just as they were about to leave, someone shouted, "Why am I in last place? Where's Jiang Man?"
Only then did people start paying attention to the person in last place.
Last Place: Qiu Cheng, nineteen points.
Second to Last: Gao Yao, twenty points.
'They actually write out "Last Place" and "Second to Last" for the bottom ranks. How insulting.' Xiaopang was overwhelmed with emotion.
'Brother Jiang has abandoned me and run off ahead.'
Everyone saw Jiang Man's rank.
Eighteenth Place: Jiang Man, twenty-nine points.
Twenty-nine points, Qi Refining Third Layer... Fang Yong lowered his gaze, finding it somewhat hard to believe.
'That rate of improvement is a bit too fast.'
Luo Xuan was also extremely surprised.
Cheng Yu chuckled. "Luo Xuan, don't tell me you're the one who taught him?"
At that, everyone finally came to a realization.
A theory began to form.
"Could it be that Miss Luo wants to train him as a guard?"
"Why is Jiang Man, the perennial loser, suddenly worth training?"
"Maybe it gives her a sense of accomplishment?"
"Damn those rich kids."
In an instant, everyone came to believe that Luo Xuan was planning to train Jiang Man as her guard.
Even Luo Xuan herself narrowed her eyes, thinking that perhaps she could give him a chance.