I Shall Steal the Heavens - Chapter 65

Chapter 65






I gulped as I strode through the gate, doing my best to take in the sights around me. The plaza, as I suspected, was elegant and well designed.

Elder Zhao smiled welcomingly, but I had a feeling he didn't fancy the chances of most of the candidates assembled before him. I had heard from Tang Qi Hong, who sent me a text message on my cell phone last night, that the recruitment examination for outer sect disciples remained extremely harsh and difficult.

The passing rate was about ten to twenty percent. The rest of the candidates would be brutally eliminated.

Even after one passed the examination, they would remain under strict observance for the next few months. If they were unable to show any potential as either a blacksmith/Spirit Engraver or a martial artist within the next few months, they would be dismissed.

Every year, several hundred young men and women from a vast variety of sects originating from many different places would all gather at Nine-Tailed Fox Sect to register, but eventually only twenty to thirty of them would pass the exam.

Out of these twenty to thirty successful candidates, a significant portion of them would be dismissed over the next few months as the elders and masters observed them. In the end, the number of youths who could officially become proper outer sect disciples of the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect would not exceed ten.

Scary…

Worse, among the few who remained, only one or two who displayed talent or potential would be chosen to join the inner sect. and that would be considered impressive, as there would be years where none of the cohorts of the outer sect succeeded in joining the inner sect.

Thanks to that harsh guideline, even though the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect held annual recruitments of new disciples – and even went to the various prestigious academies to attract talented individuals – they were inevitably left with vacancies.

"The registration fee is one gold," Elder Zhao reminded us. I winced at that. Now I had to take another mission to get back up to hundred gold…then again, I heard that there would be rewards awaiting those who passed the examination, so if I wanted to save time and money, I had best do my best to pass the exam. "Regardless of whether you pass or fail the exam, we will not refund you the gold. If there are no other questions, let's begin the registration! First person in line, please come forward!"

Without wasting any time, Elder Zhao launched into the registration process.

"Liang Shao Yang!"

"Gotcha. Second person!"

"Yin Jing Jing!"

Elder Zhao sat near the entrance of the gate and asked for each candidate's name. Each individual was to pay him a gold coin, and he would record their name in his tablet, using the voice command feature so that he wouldn't need to type. Such hi-tech functions saved a lot of time. Cool. Anyway, once he had their gold and names on record, he would allow them into the plaza. He didn't inquire about our identities or cultivation stages, and showed no interest in our backgrounds or origins. Most likely he didn't care.


Just like that, the long line slowly shortened as the candidates moved to the front and disappeared into the plaza. As I was relatively early and had to queue somewhere near the back, it took me an hour before it was finally my turn.

"Name!"

"Fei Wu."

Elder Zhao's eyes seemed to twinkle when he caught sight of me, but being the impartial invigilator he said nothing and waved me in after I placed the gold coin on his desk. Before I could move, he extracted a token from a box and passed it to me. Accepting it, I nodded my thanks and stepped past the checkpoint.

"Seems like I'm Candidate number two hundred and forty-four," I muttered as I glanced at the huge numbers stenciled into the token.

"This way."

Within the vast plaza, a Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciple guided me into a nearby room. What the hell? There were halls and rooms in the plaza? Anyway, apparently the disciples here had the job of receiving examination candidates and guiding them to the proper place. So I followed them into the aforementioned room and took a seat at a desk as directed.

There was a tablet in front of me. Pushing up my glasses, I followed the brief instructions from the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciple and swiped at the screen.

"What the hell is this? An exam?"

It was a theoretical exam, yeah. I could see a bunch of questions coming to the surface when I swiped at the screen.

The first question was immediately something I remembered seeing in my alchemy lesson. Like, what was the spirit material that reacted with Lava Jade to stimulate the fiery yang qi within it into a volatile, combustive reaction? Obviously it was Spirit Magnesium, and I typed in the answer before I was aware that my hands were moving.

Oh, and the main distinguishing characteristic of Divine Cloud Crystal? Definitely the dense yang qi it produced that could be used for infusing heavenly weapons with divine qi, which sped up the process of increasing the concentration of yang qi in fire element to make it divine.

And Dragon Bone was known for its robustness, its dragon qi and draconic spirit, and was normally used for defensive spirit armaments.

Good thing I paid attention in alchemy class over the last three and a quarter years or I would never have been able to answer any of these questions. Being a diligent student certainly paid off in spades. Before I knew it, I had finished answering all the questions, and the screen displayed a question asking me if I wanted to end the exam session.

"Sure, why not?"

I tapped the yes button and then the tablet rang, bringing over the invigilator. The young Nine-Tailed Fox Sect disciple nodded when he glanced at his own tablet, not knowing if he should be impressed or dismissive.

"You finish your exam really quickly," he told me. Then he pointed to another room. "Please proceed there and wait for instructions."

"Yes, sir."

I nodded and obediently proceeded into the large room. When I stepped inside, I immediately caught sight of several people. It was two-way – they were also staring at me for some reason. I instantly recognized Liang Shao Yang, Yin Jing Jing and Tong Xue. Unsurprisingly, they had seemed to have passed the theoretical exam and were seated inside the room, all of them along a long bench with a bunch of other people.

Liang Shao Yang and Yin Jing Jing glanced at me, and then withdrew their gazes indifferently. Obviously they didn't think very highly of me.

"Fei Wu! Over here!"

Tong Xue, as expected, waved at me. I nodded and took a seat next to him when he made some space for me.

"Glad to see you make it," I told him with a grin. Tong Xue grinned back.

"Hah! As if we would be taken down by a theoretical exam!"

"Indeed," I agreed. Glancing at the other candidates, I saw that other than the four of us, there were at least seven others. Many of them were wearing quite expensive-looking clothes, which indicated their affluent backgrounds. Not surprising, given the caliber of the people required to pass this exam or something.

Several of them were familiar with each other, and just like me and Tong Xue, had clustered together to whisper amongst themselves. Others remained by themselves and waited silently, almost bored by the long waiting time.

"I can't wait to see Lian Rou," Tong Xue was telling me. I nodded distractedly, vaguely aware that Lian Rou was in the same sect as Tang Qi Hong. The two of them were best friends, after all, and were literally inseparable.

"You guys going out yet?"

"Yeah, I guess. I asked her out, and she accepted, but we haven't been on many dates."

Tong Xue fiddled his fingers wistfully. He then grinned at me.

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Aren't you here for Tang Qi Hong?"

I tried to suppress a sigh at the question. As much as I liked her, it wasn't official yet.

"Not really," I replied with a shrug. "I happened to be accompanying her when Elder Zhao saw me. He then asked me to try out the examination. I originally had no intention of doing so, I just wanted to return and buy a martial arts manual."

"Heh…"

Tong Xue raised an eyebrow at that and shrugged. I didn't care if he believed me or not. I had no obligation to persuade him.

Over the next four hours, more candidates entered the room, clearly having finished the theory exam. They would take whatever seat they wanted, and I noticed that none of them dared to sit next to Liang Shao Yang or Yin Jing Jing. It was as if the duo had an invisible bubble around them, preventing anyone from taking the seat beside them.

On the other hand, because I was smiling and being friendly with Tong Xue, they didn't mind sitting next to me. The room grew noisier as more and more candidates chattered or chatted with each other. I wasn't ashamed to confess that I was one of them, conversing animatedly with Tong Xue and laughing at both his and my jokes.

Before we knew it, noon had arrived and the flow of candidates stopped.

"All right…if you don't mind following me!"

Elder Zhao popped into the room. We turned our heads slightly to watch him as he greeted us with that affable smile. He clasped his hands behind his back and swept his gaze around us warmly, but I detected some sadness within his dark pupils.

"But first, I've to make sure your names are on here. When I call out the number on your token, you may proceed to the second stage of the examination. Those whose numbers are not called, I'm sorry to say, you have failed the first assessment. Please head toward the exit, and my disciples will show you out. All right…"

He glanced at his tablet and began calling out the numbers.

"One, two, four, eight, thirteen, nineteen…"

Liang Shao Yang, Yin Jing Jing and several other youths who had registered early haughtily stood up and formed a line as they exited the room, filing out into the courtyard beyond the theory exam hall.

"Eighty-seven."

"That's me!"

Tong Xue hopped to his feet. He patted my shoulder and smiled.

"I'll go ahead. I'll see you later!"

I nodded with a smile. That guy, he seemed to have no doubt that I would pass the theory exam as well. I watched him go and hoped that we would be able to pass the second stage of the outer sect disciple exam together.

While I waited, Elder Zhao continued to call out numbers.

"Two hundred and forty-four."

Like I said, there was no doubt I would pass the theory exam. Theory was the one thing I was good at. I would probably fail the other stages though…ugh.

"Over here!"

I spotted Tong Xue amidst the growing number of candidates who were gathering in the broad space that was the courtyard. Apparently we were to wait here for further instructions, and I joined him as Elder Zhao continued to read out the numbers from inside the room.

"We made it!" he cheered. I couldn't help but grin and nod from his infectious enthusiasm. Exchanging high fives, I glanced around the courtyard.

"I wonder what the next stage of the exam is?"

"I guess we'll find out," Tong Xue replied with a wink. "I believe it'll be a physical exam, to test our senses or something."

"Really?" I raised an eyebrow at that, wondering why he would know that, but then nodded. Of course he would. This was Tong Xue we were talking about here. The guy was from the Smart Shadow Sect, which specialized in intelligence and reconnaissance.

However, I doubted I would be able to squeeze any information out of him, and in any case, I had no intention of cheating.

After all the students whose numbers were called out had gathered in the courtyard. Having finished calling out the names, Elder Zhao strolled into the courtyard and raised a hand to gather all of us around him.

"All right, let's proceed to the next stage. Follow me and Lian Rou."

"Ah…Lian Rou!"

Tong Xue's eyes widened when our classmate appeared. Evidently Lian Rou was one of Elder Zhao's direct disciples, and as such she was given the responsibility of assisting him in the invigilation duties for this exam.

The crowd of candidates followed Elder Zhao and Lian Rou across the corridor and up a winding path of a mountain next to the volcano.

"As you all know, the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is the premier sect for forging Spirit Engraved Armaments," Elder Zhao was telling us as we followed the winding path up the mountain. "Whoever wants to enter our sect must go through rigorous trials. You have just passed the theory exam, but that's not enough. Not for a sect who excels in both blacksmithing and martial arts."

Without glancing at us, he grinned and exchanged a look with Lian Rou, who smiled politely and cheerfully.

"I wonder how many of you will remain after the second trial."

Out of the four to five hundred candidates who had registered for the examination, only about half or so had passed. Two hundred and twenty or so candidates were now traveling through the wide path that spun around the mountain.

"There are three parts to the examination," Lian Rou added, for the benefit of the participants following her. Elder Zhao chuckled and nodded.

"Thanks for reminding me, Lian Rou."

Elder Zhao stepped back and allowed Lian Rou to take over.

"As you all know, forging a spirit armament isn't easy. The process is basically creating weapons out of spirit materials by infusing spiritual qi into them, thus creating enchanted armaments. However, the most important aspect of forging isn't the spirit materials. It's your skill as a blacksmith, and your knowledge of Spirit Engravings."

I already knew that.

"Wow, what a pretty assistant invigilator," one of the guys marveled, clearly not paying any attention to Lian Rou's explanation. She ignored the commotion and continued coolly.

"The Spirit Engraving on a spirit armament can be said to be its soul."

While the guys continued to marvel, someone from the back snorted.

"Hah! What do you know? The most beautiful person in the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect is the girl who is next in line to be the successor to the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect…the future sect leader, Tang Qi Hong."

"And the First Senior, Hu Mei Er is a close second! No! She's on par with Tang Qi Hong at least! Their beauty rival each other!"

"Hmph, how ignorant."

Folding his arms, Tong Xue sneered.

"Lian Rou's beauty isn't something that plebeians such as yourselves are able to appreciate."

…uh, what? Dude…? Are you all right?

But knowing how in love Tong Xue was with Lian Rou, I decided not to push it and remained as quiet as I could.

Raising a finger, Tong Xue turned to stare at the rest.

"Anyway, from what you're saying, I assume you've all come to participate in the outer sect disciple exam for Tang Qi Hong or Hu Mei Er?"

"Ha ha ha ha!" one of them chuckled. "Yeah, I traveled over three hours by train just to see First Senior Hu Mei Er!"

I'm sure you did…but that's quite the poor reason to want to join a prestigious sect. not that I cared, since I didn't have any reason to join the sect in the first place.

"All right, we're here."

Surprisingly enough, what awaited us at the peak of the mountain was another mountain that was several times higher, and…a waterfall that plunged from the higher mountain down below. Situated at the bottom of the waterfall were several slabs of elegantly carved marble.

"The second stage of the entrance examination."

Elder Zhao turned back to proudly announce to us. I didn't feel very impressed, merely glancing over the cliff to stare at a separate platform where the slabs of marble lay. The waterfall from the higher mountain splashed down onto the platform before spilling down the circular rock structure in fountain-like curtains of foam.

A magnificent view, to be sure, but I wasn't here to appreciate the scenery.

The slabs, on the other hand, drew my interest. They were tall, thin pillars of varying heights and distributed in no pattern I could discern. It reminded me of platform games, where you had your character jump from one pillar to the next to reach the next stage.

"From here onward," Lian Rou warned in place of her master. "There is no turning back. The second stage of the examination involves using these columns that you see here as footpaths to each the mountaintop."

She smiled as she turned to point at the peak of the higher mountain. Everyone watched in awe as she then jumped up easily.

"If you succeed in doing so, you will be considered as having passed the second stage of the exam."

She then elegantly jumped down onto the platform below, bouncing gracefully from one pillar to the next. Propelling herself to the highest column, she then sprang into a second, similar platform that was nestled in the mountain higher than the first, and then repeated her swift, sure-footed movements. Demonstrating how to pass the exam, she hopped from one column to the next effortlessly, clearing the second platform as well before leaping to the mountaintop without breaking a sweat. Upon reaching the top cliff with an elegant flourish, she then spun around to gaze down on the lot of us, her silky black hair gently rustling in the wind.

All the guys gaped and watched her in awe.

"What do you think?" she beamed proudly. "Really easy, right?"

"It does look easy," one of the candidates chuckled as he watched Lian Rou's swift and confident movements.

"Yeah, I thought the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect's entrance exam is supposed to be harsh and difficult, but it's only of this level!"

"Let's go!"

All the over-confident guys sneered and smirked after they saw Lian Rou's success, and they sprinted forward. At the back, Elder Zhao merely smiled. I had the impression that he was snickering to himself.

I knew it. There's more to this exam than what meets the eye.

Noticing that I hadn't jump forward yet, Tong Xue also similarly stayed back, studying the columns intently.

The moment those few overconfident guys stepped onto the pillars, however, the pillars glowed brightly and blasted them off their bases. Those guys, having lost their smirks and confidence by now, shrieked in a most un-masculine manner as they plunged into the waters below and were swept away by the force of the waterfall.

"Numbers fifty-five, sixty-two and three hundred and eighty-four are eliminated," Elder Zhao declared at the back of the crowd as he consulted his tablet. The remaining candidates all turned to stare at him fearfully.

"Didn't you listen carefully to what I said earlier?" Lian Rou asked, amused. "The soul of a spirit armament is its spirit engraving."

Everyone fell silent as they turned back to pay attention to Lian Rou's lecture.

"If you're unable to differentiate between even the most basic of spirit engravings, then you're not qualified to enter our sect. Please leave."

There was a murmur in the crowd as everyone turned to stare at each other worriedly.

"What? Spirit Engraving?"

"There's a Spirit Engraving on those marble pillars?!"

No shit. I mean, what else could have blasted the poor bastards off earlier? A ghost? Obviously it had to be the effects of a spirit engraving, which enchanted those marble pillars with mystical abilities and spiritual powers. With my Heaven and Earth senses, I could see the flow of qi around them resembling the spirits of the magical beasts from which materials were extracted.

This is gonna be tough.

"If we step on top of it, we would trigger the Spirit Engraving and be blasted off?!"

"Then how are we supposed to cross those columns?!"

"It's impossible!"

"Idiots…"

Tong Xue shook his head in disapproval, but obviously he was too polite to say it out loud.

"All you have to do is differentiate the Spirit Engravings. That's all."

"You know how to differentiate them?" I asked Tong Xue incredulously. Stupid question on my part. Of course he did. Tong Xue was the most well-informed person among the candidates, since he came from a sect that specialized in intelligence and espionage.

"Of course. Watch me."

With a smirk, Tong Xue then mimicked Lian Rou's movements. However, before he could jump, someone dashed ahead of him.

"Whoa!"

Tong Xue frowned, but he didn't halt. Instead, he picked up speed and overtook the guy who had the temerity to shove him back. I recognized the other guy as none other than Liang Shao Yang. Tong Xue too, but he didn't say a word.

"You're in the way."

Liang Shao Yang's hand blurred and a gigantic sword materialized, slashing toward Tong Xue.

"!"

Tong Xue flipped his body just in time to avoid being cleaved in half. He crashed back onto the edge of the cliff where we were perched on, and spun around to glare at Liang Shao Yang, who had also landed and prepared for combat.

"What do you think you're doing, you bastard?" Tong Xue demanded, annoyed. I was moving forward to back him up, in case there was a fight.

"Clearing away the hindrances," Liang Shao Yang replied coldly.

"Really? You're the one hindering others," Tong Xue replied as he assumed a defensive stance. "But I'm curious to know whether you have the ability to stop me."

"All of you, stop!" Lian Rou snapped, glaring especially at Liang Shao Yang. "This is the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect. you're not allowed to do whatever you want here."

"That's right." Elder Zhao stepped back from where he was hiding earlier, his eyes resting on Liang Shao Yang. "Young Master Liang, I ask that you refrain from attacking the other candidates. This is an entrance exam, not a duel."

Liang Shao Yang lowered his head, his eyes dark, but didn't protest. Tong Xue watched him, and then breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well, I'll be going on ahead first!"

Tong Xue didn't hesitate and jumped off, launching himself toward the pillars. Liang Shao Yang merely watched him with cold, indifferent eyes, but with Elder Zhao watching him, he made no move to attack again.

"The pillars are split into two types!" Tong Xue shouted an explanation to the other candidates. He was being the friendly, helpful guy who was popular in Wu Ling Academy, offering hints and tips and advice to others who needed it. "One type has the Spirit Engraving that blasts you off its surface the moment you step on it – the booby traps, if you will. The other has neutral Spirit Engravings that do nothing if you step onto them, and they are safe to step on."

Lian Rou leaned forward and peered at Tong Xue in surprise, thoroughly impressed by what she was seeing.

Tong Xue can actually differentiate the types of Spirit Engravings engraved upon the top of the pillars! We finally have a talented candidate!

Elder Zhao hung back and stroked his beard with a smile, pleased with Tong Xue's performance and helpful nature.

"It'll be great if he passes all three stages of the exams," he remarked with a grin.

"As long as you can differentiate between these two types of Spirit Engravings marked on the pillars," Tong Xue continued, unaware of the praise he was attracting from the invigilator and his assistant. "This entrance exam will prove to be pretty simple!"

"Oh?"

A smile curved across Lian Rou's pretty face as she watched Tong Xue make his way through the second, higher platform.

"Do you really think it's that simple? Don't you think you're underestimating the Nine-Tailed Fox Sect too much?"

"?!"

Tong Xue suddenly realized that the last, and tallest pillar was a trap, having two layers of Spirit Engravings embedded within it. The pillar glowed the moment he set foot on it and blasted him off its surface. He scrambled and flailed helplessly as he plummeted toward the raging rapids below, where he would be washed away by the waterfall.

"Tong Xue!" I shouted.

But my worries were unfounded. Tong Xue righted his body in midair, and for a moment it seemed like he disappeared. No. he traded his position in midair with that on the cliff, latching onto a shadow and sucking himself onto its surface. Using the steep side of the cliff as a foothold, he then kicked himself up and cleared the entire height in a single bound, landing in front of a stunned Lian Rou.

"Sorry about that," he said apologetically, scratching his head. "I let my guard down for a second. But I still passed, right? Since I managed to reach the top of the mountain."

"Well, yes. You did well." Lian Rou nodded. Tong Xue threw a fist in the air.

"Hell, yeah! Just you wait, my beloved Lian Rou! Soon I'll be able to stand next to you."

"Ahem…" Lian Rou's cheeks were a little red as she coughed and turned away. "It's not over yet. Look behind you."

"Eh?"

Tong Xue blinked and spun around. As expected, Liang Shao Yang was close on his heels, leaping up to land on the mountaintop.

"You…!"

Tong Xue bristled with hostility, but didn't say anything. As for Liang Shao Yang, he landed indifferently on the ground and walked past the other guy without paying any attention to him. Instead, he directed his question at Lian Rou.

"When will the next stage of the examination begin?"

"Why are you so impatient?" Tong Xue snapped. "The rest of the candidates haven't made it up here yet!"

"Don't worry," Liang Shao Yang replied. "There won't be any other candidates."

"What are you talking about?" Tong Xue demanded, his voice taking on an edge. "You…!"

However, realization dawned on him and he sprinted toward the edge of the cliff to peer down at the two platforms below.

"T…this is…"

A sight of devastation greeted him. Remnants of wrecked pillars lay scattered all over the water, debris being swept away by the waterfall.

"You destroyed all the pillars with the neutral Spirit Engravings!" Tong Xue rounded on the uncaring Liang Shao Yang. "Don't you think you've gone too far?!"

"Yeah!"

The crowd below was in an uproar.

"How can you do this?!"

"This is too unfair!"

"How are we supposed to cross the platform now? This bastard…!"

"Fucker!"

"How dare you…!"

"If all of the pillars have been destroyed, then how are we supposed to cross it?!"

I glanced at Elder Zhao, but he merely stayed back, his arms folded as he watched the commotion. Evidently, this wasn't against the rules or he would have done something. But he didn't, so there was no point whining about it.

Whining and raging wouldn't help us pass the exam, after all.

I narrowed my eyes as I glared upward, my eyes drilling into Liang Shao Yang's cold, uncaring back. The bastard…suddenly, I wanted to pass this exam just so I could spite that fucker. And help the people around me while at it, so as to retaliate against the bastard's stunt. He reminded me of a bully, and I hated bullies.

"Despicable!"

"Fucker! Come down here and we'll fight you!"

"Quiet! Don't you know what kind of sect Divine Shadow Sect is?! Aren't you afraid of antagonizing them?"

"So what?! He can be from the Heaven and Earth Sect for all I care! He has no right to do this to the rest of us!"

Brave words…

"Hey!" Tong Xue protested to Lian Rou. "Isn't this against the rules?!"

"…the rules did not state that you're not allowed to destroy the pillars," Lian Rou replied reluctantly. I nodded. I knew it. So that was why Elder Zhao didn't make a move. And when her master didn't say anything, Lian Rou's hands were tied as well. After all, she was a mere assistant. "So it's not counted as breaking the rules."

"You're kidding, right?" Tong Xue's jaw dropped. "That's going too far!"

"Even so…" a hint of a smile touched Lian Rou's lips. "There are still people who are able to climb up to the mountaintop."

"?!"

Liang Shao Yang stiffened when he heard Lian Rou's words. He slowly turned back, his eyes widening just a fraction.

I was jumping across the raging rapids, but instead of using the crumbling or wrecked pillars, I was creating pillars of my own. Using my frosty yin qi, I froze the water. Thanks to the waterfall, I had abundant amounts of material through which I could construct imitations of the destroyed pillars. By using my qi, I forged a row of gradually ascending ice pillars that stretched across the two platforms and made my way to the mountaintop without much effort.

Landing on the peak, I then straightened up and beckoned for the other candidates to follow me.

"Hurry up and get up here before those ice pillars melt!"

"Whoa!"

"You're a great guy!"

"Awesome!"

"Thanks!"

"I owe you!"

Grateful for my intervention, the other candidates scrambled forward to climb aboard the ice pillars I had just prepared not just for myself but also for them. The surface was a bit slippery, but if as martial artists they weren't able to maintain their balance and prevent themselves from slipping off the icy surface, then they didn't deserve to pass the exam.

Hell, I basically made the exam a lot easier for all of them to pass.

"Heh!" Elder Zhao was chuckling to himself as he watched from behind, unable to contain his amusement. "What a guy! I knew he was interesting! Qi Hong, you really chose one hell of a guy to bring back to our sect!"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!"

On the other hand, Tong Xue was roaring in laughter. Doubling over as he clutched his gut, he waved a fist around, unable to control his amusement.

"Oh, did you see Liang Shao Yang's expression? Ha ha ha ha ha! You're awesome, Fei Wu! You're really awesome!"

"No, not really," I replied, feeling embarrassed from Tong Xue's unceasing praise. "I only did what I could to pass the exam. This is legal, right?"

"Of course," Lian Rou confirmed as she strode over with a smile. "The rules do not forbid you from creating your own pillars either. In fact, considering that this is an exam to test your skills as blacksmiths or Spirit Engravers, I would say that constructing your own pillars to climb up to the mountaintop is a perfect demonstration of your skill as a blacksmith." Her smile turned mischievous. "No wonder Qi Hong is so smitten with you."

"I think you overestimate me," I muttered, trying to suppress my embarrassment.

"As always, Fei Wu, we can't underestimate you." Lian Rou shook her head as she studied me with a look of curiosity. "You never cease to amaze us."

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha! Excellent work!"

Raising a hand, Tong Xue exchanged a high five with me. I complied, despite my hand stinging when our palms collided.

"Still, this will be quite the pickle if all the candidates in this batch makes it through," Elder Zhao remarked as he watched the rest of the candidates jump from pillar to pillar, trying to climb up the mountain. He stepped forward and cupped his hands around his mouth to call up to me. "Do you mind if I modify your ice pillars a bit?"

"Uh, please go ahead."

I had no reason to refuse, and nodded. Elder Zhao smiled and he gestured for the flow of candidates to stop. I didn't see what he did, but with a single swing of his hand, he suddenly engraved a Spirit Engraving on each of the pillar.

"This will be a more fair assessment."

I realized that Elder Zhao had inscribed the two different types of Spirit Engravings that were on the original marble pillars earlier. I had no idea how he did it without accidentally destroying the ice pillars, but that spoke of his insurmountable skill as a blacksmith or Spirit Engraver. I mean, even though I was the one who forged those ice pillars, I didn't use spirit materials. I used ordinary water and didn't infuse them with much qi.

Normally, any attempts to engrave Spirit Engravings into them or modify them would cause the relatively fragile frozen pillars to collapse. Yet Elder Zhao managed to pull off such a delicate procedure in a second.

"You may continue."

Realizing what Elder Zhao just did, the other candidates began to cautiously make their way up to the mountaintop, trying their best to identify which one had the neutral Spirit Engravings and which one had the volatile one.

Unable to help any further, I followed Tong Xue to the back of the cliff to take a well-deserved break.