Since I can’t compete in terms of natural talent, I can either rely on fortuitous encounters or sheer effort.
A pity. I have put in the effort, but in this life, I’ve yet to stumble upon that fortuitous encounter.
As the last wisp of golden light within the Soul-Gathering Pearl dissipated into nothingness, Li Fan couldn’t help but sigh with such sentiment.
No unexpected developments occurred.
Another two months passed. While Li Fan couldn’t say he’d made no progress at all, his identification success rate had only improved from five in ten thousand to one in a thousand.
He still couldn’t perceive the difference between a normal soul and one bound by a Soul Contract, and was still just blindly guessing based on intuition.
This, of course, fell far short of the standard required of trainees.
It seems I can only try again next time. The only thing I’m somewhat reluctant to leave is this Cosmos Branch Academy, where I can activate the epiphanic state boost while they foot the bill.
Li Fan shook his head and focused on making the most of this final period of free cultivation.
Over ten days later, the monthly assessment arrived once more.
Most cultivators had already exhausted their supply of Soul-Gathering Pearls, so this test would also be the final trial determining who stayed and who left.
Li Fan’s performance was consistently stable. In the knowledge of array construction, he remained top-tier. In identifying Soul Contracts, he remained rock-bottom.
“Only those with an identification success rate above fifty percent will have the opportunity for further study.
“All who fail to meet the standard will be expelled from the Cosmos Branch Academy as of today. And their relevant superiors will be notified.”
Ji Hongdao swept his cold gaze over the young cultivators below. His eyes flickered almost imperceptibly when they landed on Li Fan, but that was all. There was no way he would break the rules for the sake of this complete stranger.
Upon hearing this, nearly a hundred of the thousand-plus cultivators turned deathly pale, their faces as grim as if mourning their own parents. Thankfully, no undignified scenes of wailing or begging for another chance occurred.
Only Li Fan wore an expression of utter calm and detachment. An observer might even have mistaken him for someone who had passed the assessment.
With a sweep of his hand, Ji Hongdao enveloped the eliminated cultivators, Li Fan included, in a layer of white light.
Moments later, this group of over a hundred people appeared in a spacious, empty courtyard.
“Don’t lose heart over being eliminated. Return to where you came from. Continuing to contribute to the development of the Myriad Immortals Alliance is still a meaningful endeavor!” The speaker was a portly middle-aged cultivator with a conspicuously prominent goatee.
The plump cultivator wore a kindly smile as he patted each of the eliminated youths on the shoulder.
As he patted, he explained, “It’s not that the Alliance doesn’t trust you. It’s just that the confidentiality level of the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array is rather high.”
With each pat, a flash of light enveloped the cultivator, and they vanished.
Alarm bells screamed in Li Fan’s mind. His first thought was that this portly cultivator was here to silence them permanently.
The man’s strength was unclear, but the young cultivators with Golden Core-level power could offer no resistance whatsoever before him.
Li Fan was obviously no match for him either.
Just as Li Fan prepared to silently recite the incantation for Return to Truth, the man continued, “Relax. This just seals the part of your memory containing knowledge of the Tianxuan Soul-Locking Array.
“Don’t look at me with such terror. I know what you’re all thinking. But this is Tianyu City, a crucial stronghold of the Myriad Immortals Alliance. Who knows how many eyes are watching this place? How could we possibly do that sort of thing...”
The portly cultivator swiftly carried out his work while muttering to himself.
Hearing this, Li Fan, like the others, let out a sigh of relief.
Yet he didn’t fully trust the man’s words. He remained on guard, prepared to activate Return to Truth at any moment.
"May I know how I should address you, Senior?" When it was Li Fan's turn, he suddenly asked.
The fat cultivator was taken aback, his movements slowing for a beat.
"You're an interesting one. I have a feeling I'll run into you again someday," the fat cultivator said, giving Li Fan a once-over. "My name is Huangfu Song."
Even as he spoke, his movements didn't slow, and he swiftly slapped a palm onto Li Fan's body.
With a burst of light, Li Fan's vision swam, and he found himself in a different courtyard.
Ahead seemed to be the gate leading out of this place.
"Sign this confidentiality agreement, hand over your Cosmic Token, and you're free to leave. I suggest you don't rush to go back. It’s a rare chance for you to visit our Tianyu Province; it'd be a shame not to look around. I recommend the Dao Discourse Tower in the east of the city. Cultivators from all over choose to stay there; it's extremely lively. They even provide free spirit tea."
At the exit, a cultivator as thin as a bamboo pole stood guard, wearing a smile uglier than a grimace.
Whenever a cultivator approached him, he would pull out a golden contract and hand it over.
Only after the signing was complete and the Cosmic Token surrendered would he let them pass.
"Oh, by the way, have you heard of the wonder known as the Frozen Abyss Fire Lotus? I highly recommend you see that too."
As the thin cultivator sent off the dejected young cultivators who had completed the formalities, he recommended places worth visiting in Tianyu Province.
Soon, it was Li Fan's turn again.
Li Fan asked as usual, "How should I address you, Senior?"
"Shangguan Shi." The man replied simply, placing a glittering golden contract before Li Fan.
It seemed a bit more advanced than the standard Commercial Contract, but not as much as the Five Elders Council's Soul Contract.
Li Fan scanned the contract's contents at a glance.
It was a one-sided agreement with harsh terms. Any who divulged the secret would have their soul utterly destroyed.
It wasn't as if Li Fan could choose not to sign. Without hesitation, he wrote his name with a flourish.