"Wang Meng, Zhang Xiaojiang, you two sure are putting on airs, making everyone wait for you!"
Zhao Guang shouted, using his anger to hide the shock in his heart. 'How could those two possibly have come back alive!?'
Everyone stared at the two with strange expressions. They... really looked like beggars, dressed in tattered, filthy rags.
Faced with the harsh shout, Wang Meng simply smiled faintly. Zhang Xiaojiang also stuck his chest out, completely ignoring Zhao Guang as if he had just farted.
"Wang Meng, Zhang Xiaojiang, you two have some nerve. How did your missions go?"
Xu Huang said with a smile. He had chosen Wang Meng purely on a whim.
"Master, surely these two aren't just pretending to be this pathetic to gain sympathy," Zhao Guang said with a faint smile.
Wang Meng and Zhang Xiaojiang exchanged a glance. 'That bastard,' they thought. 'It's a total waste of a handsome face. He should have been an actor.'
"Wang Meng, your task was to reclaim the Spirit Field. The standard for completion was to double the number of weeds. Zhang Xiaojiang, your task was to hunt a Tiger Eagle. You would pass upon reaching Tier One of the Hinayana Bow Technique."
Zhao Ya said. No one expected a disciple still in their trial period to complete such tasks; not even many of the current Third Generation Disciples could do so.
Wang Meng and Zhang Xiaopang looked at each other, their expressions exceptionally strange. Hu Jing couldn't help but worry. 'What are these two up to?'
"You two, hurry up! Don't waste everyone's time. Did you complete it or not?!"
Wang Bodang roared.
Zhang Xiaopang shivered and quickly said, "Our situation is a little... different from the completion standard..."
"Cut the crap! Did you complete it or not? It's a simple yes or no!"
Wang Bodang's voice was so loud the entire hall seemed to shake.
"Four Elders, these two not only dawdled, but they're also posturing. They are completely unfit to be Holy Hall Disciples!"
Zhao Guang said, immediately receiving murmurs of agreement from a group of people led by Zhou Qian. This was Zhao Guang's signal.
A wicked smile crept onto Wang Meng's lips. Hu Jing, who had been a little panicked, felt her heart inexplicably calm down upon seeing his expression. But this time, Hu Jing was wrong. Wang Meng couldn't care less about such trivial matters.
"Four Elders, my Spirit Field indeed cannot have its weed population doubled, because there isn't a single blade of grass left. The field has been fully reclaimed."
Wang Meng said.
The noisy hall instantly fell silent, followed by a wave of laughter. Even Xu Huang and the other Elders on the dais couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Wang Meng, as a Holy Hall Disciple, you must not deceive your masters. That is a rule." Xu Huang didn't know whether to laugh or cry. 'This kid is really full of hot air.'
Wang Meng didn't say much more. He took the Life Grass from his Qiankun Bag. "Master, this is the Spirit Field's Life Grass. After I pulled it out, the weeds stopped growing."
The mocking laughter from Zhou Qian and the others froze on their faces. The corners of their mouths began to twitch. 'Fucking hell, have I seen a ghost?!'
Xu Huang and the others were also stunned. Beside them, Zhao Ya nodded. "That is indeed a Life Grass. So, you're saying you've completely reclaimed that Spirit Field?"
"Yes."
Wang Meng's voice seemed to echo in the vast hall. These Third Generation Disciples knew very well how annoying the weeds in the Spirit Fields were. Weeding was usually a task assigned as punishment.
A strange smile appeared on Wan Jing's face. "Zhang Xiaojiang, what about you?"
Little Fatty scratched his head. "Uh, Master, I don't really know what tier my Bow Drawing Technique is at. But I did catch a Tiger Eagle. After I caught it four or five times, it refused to leave."
As he spoke, Zhang Xiaopang took out the unlucky Tiger Eagle.
The hall grew even quieter. Little Fatty felt a little unsure. 'This one is a bit bigger than the others, and its color is a bit strange... Could it be that it's not one?'
'Damn it,' he thought, seeing the weird looks on everyone's faces. 'I shouldn't have tried to be flashy. Who says that just because it hangs out with Tiger Eagles, it has to be a Tiger Eagle?'
Zhang Xiaopang glared fiercely at the pitiful-looking Tiger Eagle King, muttering to himself, 'If this thing isn't the right one, I'm definitely going to stew it!'
"How did you capture it alive?" Wan Jing tried his best to keep his voice steady.
"Just as the arrow was about to hit it, I guided it a little. That way, it was hit by the shaft of the arrow and knocked right down. The first time I missed, but it knocked itself out by accident. I didn't think that counted, so I let it go and tried again."
Zhang Xiaopang gestured as he spoke, and the crowd's expressions grew even stranger. Zhou Qian felt the urge to vomit blood. 'Is this guy an idiot or a genius? He caught it and then let it go? Damn it, that's a genuine Tiger Eagle King! This is insane! I'm going to lose my mind!'
A smile now graced Wan Jing's face as well. "Good. Very good. You can guide the arrow, which means your Hinayana Bow Technique has already reached Tier Three. You pass. From this day forward, you are my, Wan Jing's, Direct Disciple."
Little Fatty stood there dumbfounded, holding the unlucky bird. He pointed a chubby little finger at himself. "I passed?"
"Idiot, Elder Wan has accepted you as his Closed-door Disciple! Hurry up and thank him."
Hu Jing reminded him. Only then did Zhang Xiaopang snap out of it and bow gleefully. His expression was as shamelessly materialistic as could be, leaving everyone speechless. 'What's wrong with the world these days? Even someone like this can cultivate?'
And yet, Zhang Xiaopang's easygoing style was the complete opposite of Wan Jing's cold demeanor.
Zhang Xiaopang's progress in his Cultivation Technique was plain for all to see and couldn't be faked. Wang Meng's situation, however, was a little more questionable.
With his strength at the Second Layer of Life Mark, it was absolutely impossible for him to have found it. Was it just luck?
Through thousands upon thousands of weeds? Anyone who believed that was just luck was a moron.
This wasn't just Xu Huang's doubt; it was everyone's. At that moment, Zhao Guang shot a look, but Zhou Qian timidly shrank back into the crowd.
'How could I dare provoke that fatty now?' Zhou Qian thought. 'Damn it, a common sparrow has become a Phoenix, a hopeless case has made a comeback. Things are completely different now. Judging by Elder Wan's expression, he clearly thinks the world of this fatty. If I go and provoke him again, I'd just be asking for trouble. And I still don't know how we'll settle our old score...' His back was already soaked in sweat.
"Wang Meng, you have also passed. In total, thirty-three people have passed this time. From today onward, you are all part of the Holy Hall. Take pride in the Holy Hall and cultivate diligently!" When he mentioned Wang Meng, Xu Huang's voice held a trace of disappointment.
With a wave of Zhao Ya's hand, a Talisman and a Holy Order appeared in the hands of each of the thirty-three new disciples. These contained their cultivation assignments and duties for the coming year.
Those who passed held their Talismans, cheering and laughing, while the failures looked lonely and lost. Some even sat on the floor and cried on the spot...
As soon as the four Elders left, the atmosphere in the hall instantly changed. The Third Generation Disciples stood tall, chests puffed out, ready to receive the flattery of their new junior brothers and sisters.
One couldn't expect the four Elders to teach Cultivation Techniques personally. That was a privilege reserved for Direct Disciples, and usually only after they reached the Tenth Layer of Life Mark. Most disciples had to cultivate on their own according to the texts of their Cultivation Techniques. When they ran into problems, they would usually ask their senior brothers and sisters for advice. If they could perform outstandingly in the grand competition a year later, they might have a chance to receive guidance from an Elder. Otherwise, they could just spend their whole lives cultivating on their own. Therefore, outstanding Third Generation Disciples like Zhao Guang became the primary targets for the new disciples to curry favor with.