"...The rules for this Direct Disciple assessment are simple: you seven candidates will determine the sole Direct Disciple among yourselves.

"The methods of competition include, but are not limited to, martial prowess.

"As long as you obtain the consent of the other six and are the first to walk out of the assessment room, that will suffice...

"Lu Yuan, are you listening to me?"

In the hallway leading to the assessment room, Lin Zhiquin paused, turning his head to look at Lu Yuan, his brows slightly furrowed.

"Listening."

Lu Yuan covertly lowered his right hand, which he had been staring at the whole way, and replied without a change in expression.

Ever since successfully comprehending Crane Strength yesterday, his interest had been entirely focused on it.

He pondered it whenever he had a spare moment.

He hadn't been paying much attention when Lin Zhiquin was speaking to him just now and, as a result, was caught daydreaming on the spot.

"Your skin training should be nearing completion, right? Have you practiced the Spirit Crane Body up to the thirtieth move?

"Let me see your hand…"

Just as Lu Yuan was about to extend his hand, Lin Zhiquin suddenly shook his head and said quickly, "Forget it.

"There's no point in discussing this now.

"Let me give you a few more words of advice; make sure you listen carefully..."

"Coach, please go ahead."

"You have a great talent for martial arts, but unfortunately, your training time is ultimately too short.

"The other candidates competing with you for the Direct Disciple position have all spent ten, even dozens of times longer on their Martial Arts than you have.

"This assessment is inherently unfair for you, so... just do your best."

Lin Zhiquin's words sounded like an attempt to comfort him, but his tone soon became serious again. "But there's one thing you absolutely must remember: no matter what, ensure you don't get seriously injured.

"The Crane Sect is not an ordinary martial arts school. Their methods... can be quite ruthless. You need to learn when to yield.

"You're still young, and there's no shame in being less skilled. But if you sustain any irreversible physical injuries, regretting it later will be useless...

"Oh, right, this is for you."

As Lin Zhiquin spoke, he took out a small white porcelain bottle, about the length of a little finger, from his pocket and handed it to Lu Yuan.

"Inside, there's a red pill. It has detoxifying and pain-relieving effects...

"If necessary, take it out and swallow it.

"Don't worry, this isn't against the rules."

"Detoxifying?"

Lu Yuan took the porcelain bottle, his expression slightly stunned, a look of surprise on his face.

"Could we be poisoned during the assessment process?"

"Perhaps. I'm just speculating."

Lin Zhiquin's eyes flickered for a moment, and he unconsciously looked away.

Then he sighed softly and said in a low voice, "Actually, missing out on this Direct Disciple assessment... might not necessarily be a bad thing for you."

After speaking, Lin Zhiquin shook his head and gestured for Lu Yuan to hurry up.

Lu Yuan didn't rush to catch up. Instead, he lowered his head to look at the porcelain bottle in his hand, his brow slightly furrowed.

Lin Zhiquin had specifically given him an antidote. Did today's Direct Disciple assessment include tests against toxins? As a proper Ancient Martial Arts sect, it wasn't impossible for the Crane Sect to set up a poison trial to remind disciples of the dangers of the martial world and the need to guard against poisoning when venturing out. But what did Lin Zhiquin mean by his last words?

Lu Yuan's eyes flickered. He carefully tucked the porcelain bottle into his pocket and quickened his pace to follow.

After walking for about three or four minutes, Lu Yuan followed Lin Zhiquin into a spacious courtyard.

In the middle of the courtyard were four sets of stone tables and benches, surrounded by bamboo, orchids, flowers, and grasses, with a small creek gurgling around it.

The environment was tranquil and elegant, resembling a place where wealthy families in ancient times might gather for leisurely chats.

At this moment, about ten people were standing in the courtyard.

There were the six Direct Disciples of the Crane Sect and the candidates they each recommended.

Also present was Liu Si, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, and a few servants from Linghe Pavilion dressed in short tunics, responsible for reception.

The arrival of Lin Zhiquin and Lu Yuan caught the attention of a few people, but they only glanced at them briefly before looking away.

Most people didn't even spare them a glance, keeping their eyes fixed straight ahead.

Lin Zhiquin led Lu Yuan to a short-haired, pale-faced middle-aged woman. She smiled at Lin Zhiquin and then began to speak to him in a low voice.

Lu Yuan had seen this woman a few times before. She was one of the Crane Sect's Direct Disciples and was incredibly strong.

While other Direct Disciples treated Lin Zhiquin with either superficial politeness or cold indifference, she was the only one who had a good relationship with him.

However, the candidate the woman had brought had a very poor attitude towards Lu Yuan.

She was a young woman with a ponytail and an oval-shaped face, looking to be in her early twenties. In their few encounters, she had never given Lu Yuan a proper look, acting even worse than Wang Su had initially.

Lu Yuan stood behind Lin Zhiquin. The oval-faced girl, also standing behind the short-haired woman, shot him a sidelong glance but still showed no intention of interacting with him.

Lu Yuan had defeated the oval-faced girl several times in the Consciousness Space. Naturally, his composure was excellent; his gaze was meditative, like an old Buddha.

Liu Si, standing at the front of the group, perhaps noticing that everyone had arrived, ordered someone to bring a chair. A purple incense burner was placed on the chair.

Then, he lit a stick of sandalwood in the incense burner.

The sandalwood smoke rose straight as a pillar.

As the sandalwood slowly burned, the subtle sounds in the courtyard grew fainter and fainter, until it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, with only the gentle murmur of flowing water audible.

Finally, the stick of incense burned out.

Liu Si announced, "Will the seven talented candidates please enter."

Lin Zhiquin glanced back at Lu Yuan, giving him a meaningful look. Lu Yuan took two steps forward and then followed the other six candidates up the courtyard steps.

Inside was a huge room with its doors wide open. From the outside, one could see it was laid with brown wooden flooring, and on each of the four walls was calligraphed a giant character for 'Crane'.

"Once you enter, the room will be completely sealed.

"The air inside will be sufficient for the seven of you to breathe for six hours.

"If a Direct Disciple has not been decided within six hours, all of you will lose your eligibility.

"There is a button at the room's exit. As long as it is pressed continuously for more than thirty seconds, the door will open from the inside.

"The first one to walk out of the room will be the new Direct Disciple...

"Oh, and one more thing: only the Sect Master will be able to see everything you do inside the room."

Liu Si gently and thoroughly described the rules of the assessment to Lu Yuan and the other six candidates.

Then he stepped aside, gesturing for them to enter.

Though called rules, it seemed as if there were no rules at all.

Lu Yuan subconsciously squeezed the porcelain bottle containing the antidote Lin Zhiquin had given him, lost in thought. He was the last of the seven in line and slowly walked in.

After he had completely entered the room, just as Liu Si had said, the large doors closed behind them.

The continuous sound of gears and mechanisms indicated that it was a solid steel door, several inches thick.

The assessment... had officially begun.

"Let's wait."

Once Lu Yuan and the other six had entered the assessment room and the great door had closed, the short-haired middle-aged woman gestured for Lin Zhiquin to sit at a nearby stone table.

The other Direct Disciples also took their seats one by one. Liu Si instructed the servants to quickly bring tea, fruits, and pastries.

The seven Direct Disciples neatly occupied the four stone tables.

"Try this Crane Spirit Cake. I remember it used to be your favorite.

"Back when we trained together, if you got punished by Master, you'd wake up crying in the middle of the night. But give you a piece of this, and you'd stop immediately."

The short-haired woman pushed a newly served, oblong white pastry on the table towards Lin Zhiquin.

"Thank you, Senior Sister."

Lin Zhiquin expressed his thanks, picked up a piece of the pastry, and took a bite.

As he chewed, however, he seemed to recall something. He fell silent, and tears suddenly welled up in the corners of his eyes.

"There, there..."

The short-haired woman reached out and gently patted Lin Zhiquin's shoulder, comforting him softly, "No matter what, we are all family. Having survived the great upheaval of the Sect back then, the bond we few share is already closer than that of siblings.

"Third Senior Brother and Fifth Junior Brother also often mention you to me.

"Although Master is angry with you, he has always kept you in his heart. Why do you think Mo Mo's surgery could be scheduled?"

Lin Zhiquin's chewing abruptly stopped. He looked up sharply, stunned. "Because of... Master?"

"Naturally, it was because of Master," the short-haired woman said calmly. "Take advantage of this assessment to go to Master and admit your mistake.

"Tell him you regret it, and that when that person returns, you'll personally cut off his head and present it to Master.

"You don't have to actually do it, just show your stance. Perhaps Master's anger will subside, and he'll accept you back as a Direct Disciple..."

"Master..."

Crumbs of the pastry clung to Lin Zhiquin's trembling lips. He seemed to want to say something, but his face was a whirlwind of struggle, hesitation, and pain.

The short-haired woman didn't press him. Changing the subject, she said in a low voice, "You need to decide quickly.

"Any later, and this opportunity might be gone."

"In a few years... Second Senior Brother might become the new Sect Master of the Crane Sect."

"Hmm?!"

Lin Zhiquin was suddenly startled. The complex emotions vanished from his face as he looked up at a man not far away.

This man had thick, dark hair and a ruddy complexion, his exact age impossible to determine.

He sat alone at a table, an intangible aura about his every move as he quietly sipped his tea.

"Second Senior Brother is close to comprehending the True Intention, and the disciple he recommended is about to become the new Direct Disciple..."

The short-haired woman sighed again. "It's quite a coincidence that that person returned at this time. If Second Senior Brother can also claim the merit of killing that person, his future as Sect Master is practically set in stone."

"True Intention... Has Second Senior Brother already reached that stage?"

Lin Zhiquin's expression shifted rapidly. He glanced to the side and said, "The other senior brothers... surely they won't just sit by and let him consolidate power, will they?"

The short-haired woman smiled faintly. "And what if they're unwilling?

"At most, they can try to vex him regarding the Direct Disciple matter. And they might not even succeed.

"I've met Xiao Mubai, the disciple Second Senior Brother recommended; he's truly outstanding. And with Second Senior Brother's support, it's no exaggeration to say he's unstoppable."

The short-haired woman looked towards the assessment room door and sighed softly. "Twenty-five years old, proficient in combat, having mastered Crane Strength and a True Skill. He might even have other hidden abilities. Such talent... even with Second Senior Brother's meticulous grooming, he's still somewhat better than we were at his age.

"Of the six who went in, who can stop him? Who is qualified to? When Master sees him, he'll have no reason not to accept him, right…"

Lin Zhiquin remained silent, merely eating the pastry in his hand, bite by bite.

CLICK—

The great door behind them closed completely.

Only seven people remained in the vast assessment room.

Almost everyone instinctively spread out.

Lu Yuan also quietly took two steps to the side. He quickly noticed Wang Su and the others rapidly exchanging glances.

The unspoken target of their animosity was clearly the white-haired young man standing not far from him, who had kept his head down and remained motionless since entering.

It seems... something interesting is about to happen.

Lu Yuan blinked.

He had originally planned to immediately sweep aside the others in the room upon entering and quickly pass this assessment. But given the current situation, he wasn't in such a rush anymore.

Lu Yuan crossed his arms, settling into a posture of someone ready to watch a show. He curiously looked back and forth between the two groups, awaiting their long-planned "performance."

"Prepare... to move."

The muscular man with a buzz cut spoke in a low voice, giving a look to the person beside him. The other four immediately shifted their positions.

They formed a well-rehearsed formation, slowly attempting to encircle the white-haired youth who stood at the front, his back to them.

But before their fan-shaped encirclement could fully deploy, the white-haired youth, who had been standing motionless, suddenly spoke.

"You people... are such trash."

Um...

The unabashed voice echoed in the enclosed space, sounding extraordinarily clear.

The five men, including the muscular man with the buzz cut, froze in their movements.

Even Lu Yuan was momentarily taken aback.

He took a good look at the white-haired youth, who was currently the closest to him.

This person, his strength seems so ordinary... but his opening line is incredibly arrogant.

"Only trash would resort to such trashy and despicable methods," the white-haired youth said, slowly turning around. His handsome face, etched with indifference, came into view.

"Hiring people to impersonate my sister, my mom... claiming my whole family was kidnapped, all to mess with my mood and focus. How on earth did you come up with such an utterly rotten idea?" The white-haired youth's gaze swept over everyone present as he spoke, enunciating each word carefully.

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