Ye Ling didn't have to wait long before the assessment assembly began.
During that time, he had already figured out where these senior figures came from and what their surnames were.
The Golden Core cultivator surnamed Wang was a Guest Elder of the Righteous Path Alliance, a former rogue cultivator who had officially joined their ranks.
The Foundation Establishment expert who recognized the Heavenly Gate Token was surnamed Zhang, an Elder of a Third-Grade Sect. He had once studied at the Immortal Talisman Sect, a Holy Land of Talisman Practitioners, which was why he was able to identify the Heavenly Gate Token at a glance.
The remaining two, surnamed Zhao and Sun, were also Elders of Third-Grade Sects, much like Elder Zhang.
Though their cultivation levels weren't particularly outstanding, each had their own unique understanding of the Talisman Dao. Calling them Talisman Masters within the Cultivation World would not be an exaggeration—though, of course, they were no match for an outlier like Ai Yueli.
Still, for a "beginner" like Ye Ling, they were more than capable of offering useful insight.
In the end, Ai Yueli's teaching style was far too unrestrained, completely detached from the established talisman systems of the Cultivation World.
If Ye Ling hadn't been running on a cheat, there was no way he could have kept up with her pace.
"Tianqiong City, First Round of the Qi Cultivation Stage Talisman Practitioner Examination Assembly—begin!"
After an encouraging speech from the City Lord of Tianqiong City and some guidance from Golden Core Elder Wang, the first round officially started.
The Talisman Practitioner assessment consisted of three rounds. The first was naturally the simplest: Talisman Drawing. If a candidate couldn't even complete this stage, they could pack up and leave. It was the most basic of basics.
The second round required the examiners to jointly set the questions. Those who passed the first round would draw talismans according to those requirements.
Anyone who cleared the second round was, in practice, considered to have passed the assessment. But that only proved they knew how to draw talismans; it didn't mean they were a qualified Talisman Practitioner.
The final round tested the practical application of talismans.
A true Talisman Practitioner was not inferior to cultivators of any other path and could even be considered among the standouts of the Three Thousand Great Dao.
Some specialized in overwhelming bombardment with sheer firepower. Others calculated every last detail with meticulous precision. Still others disguised their methods and struck for a single decisive blow...
There were countless styles among Talisman Practitioners, and none of them were weak. Only those who truly understood how to use talismans properly could be called genuine Talisman Practitioners.
To be fair, Ye Ling's choice to befriend these examiners had absolutely been the right move.
After all, as mentioned before, anyone capable of using talismans was bound to be wealthy.
What did the Female Pleasure House lack?
Rich patrons.
So while Ye Ling's actions were partly in line with his personality, it was also undeniably a clever move.
As for the first round, there was actually little for the examiners to do. They could only wander around the grounds, hoping to stumble upon promising talent. Discovering good seedlings was part of their responsibility—and even came with a bonus.
Cheating?
There were dedicated Anti-Cheating Formations in place. That kind of minor issue wasn't something the examiners needed to worry about. If something went wrong, it would be the Formation masters' fault.
For the moment, Ye Ling could only idly scan the examination grounds, half-expecting some Long Aotian-type figure to appear.
If he could befriend such a prodigy, all the better. If not, he would at least keep his distance.
But this Talisman Practitioner Examination Assembly was astonishingly ordinary. Ordinary enough that everyone was diligently focused on Talisman Drawing...
Well, not everyone.
One person tried to be unconventional by drawing with his feet.
Unfortunately, the stench was so overwhelming that it interfered with the surrounding candidates. He was promptly escorted out.
Watching the man get dragged away before he even had time to put his shoes back on, Ye Ling couldn't help but laugh.
It wasn't just the scene that amused him. His Emotion Points were steadily increasing.
[??? Develops Curiosity Toward Host +2]
[??? Develops Curiosity Toward Host +1]
[??? Develops Admiration Toward Host +52]
???
Just as Ye Ling was wondering what that last entry meant, cheers suddenly erupted from the spectators below.
"So handsome! Did you see him? That young examiner is smiling at me!"
The giddy fangirl shriek made goosebumps rise on Ye Ling's arms.
"Handsome? Please. He definitely got in through connections."
"Exactly. He's so young—what could he possibly know about Talismans? He's only sitting up there because of connections."
"What's the point of being good-looking? I bet his Talisman Dao isn't even as good as mine!"
"I'm betting he doesn't know Talismans at all. Just wait until he embarrasses himself."
"…"
A wave of sour remarks followed from below.
Unfortunately, Ye Ling didn't have many supporters yet. Any faint voices defending him were completely drowned out by the chorus of jealousy.
Ah… fangirling is one thing, but please don't project that onto me.
Inside, however, Ye Ling was grinning from ear to ear. He was a simple man—the more people envied and mocked him, the happier he felt.
More importantly, the Emotion Points that had been creeping up one or two at a time suddenly started jumping in double digits because of the ridicule.
He had only been seated at the examiner's table for a short while, yet more than a thousand Emotion Points had already rolled in.
So the fan economy really does exist.
The thought made his smile grow even brighter. Dressed in his sharp outfit, seated among four elderly examiners, he stood out like a crane among chickens, impossibly eye-catching.
"Who is that?"
Even the Tianqiong City Lord, seated high above, found it hard not to notice Ye Ling.
"Reporting to the City Lord, that examiner's identity is quite mysterious. There's very little information available."
The clerk at his side replied respectfully.
He was thoroughly familiar with the backgrounds of the other examiners. But the Heavenly Gate behind Ye Ling was itself a secret. On top of that, this was Ye Ling's first time descending the mountain. There simply wasn't any intelligence on him.
Let alone Tianqiong City's information network—even within the Righteous Path Alliance, very few people knew of Ye Ling's existence.
"Probably a disciple from some hidden sect, sent here to polish his reputation."
The City Lord appeared indifferent, but inwardly he was quite pleased.
Disciples from reclusive sects were usually protected by powerful guardians. That alone gave him more confidence for the upcoming battle.
Early that morning, he had received news that the abbot of Golden Light Temple outside the city had advanced to the Nascent Soul Stage. Now, with a suspected hidden-sect disciple among the examiners, he felt even more secure.
Of course, he hadn't forgotten the five Tribulation Transcendence Stage experts sent by the Righteous Path Alliance. But those five had come to protect Huang Ren, that second-generation heir. Who knew whether they would truly help defend the city—and what price they might demand?
If he, as City Lord, could defend Tianqiong City on his own, that would be the best possible outcome.
While the City Lord was in high spirits, Gui Ying—already hidden within the city—was equally pleased.
So that's the kid up there?
With Gui Ying's abilities, slipping into Tianqiong City had been effortless. In his eyes, with just a slight exertion of strength, he could crush Ye Ling into pulp. As far as he was concerned, the outcome was already decided.
But he couldn't act yet.
He still hadn't fully confirmed the positions of the five Tribulation Transcendence Stage experts sent by the Righteous Path Alliance. Only after everything was perfectly arranged would he deliver a single, fatal strike.
The enemy in the open, he in the shadows—that was precisely why the Righteous Path Alliance had never managed to wipe out the Demonic Sect.
"Little Ying, is that the kid up there?"
Standing beside Gui Ying was a middle-aged man with an unremarkable appearance… no, to be honest, somewhat ugly.
Yet this plain-looking man was the one Gui Ying feared most at the moment.
Though Gui Ying believed he held the advantage by planning ahead, the other man's cultivation realm was higher. One could never be careless with a Great Ascension Stage cultivator—none of them were easy opponents.
"Yes, Brother Feng."
Gui Ying replied politely.
At this moment, he had taken on the appearance of an ordinary young man, blending seamlessly into the crowd without drawing attention.
The two of them—one half a step into Great Ascension, the other a genuine Great Ascension Stage cultivator—stood in the plaza like grains of sand among the masses.
If they joined forces, they could wipe out Tianqiong City in an instant, leaving the surrounding civilians no time to react.
"I'll make the move to capture him later. You focus on directing the encirclement and killing those five fools."
Brother Feng's tone was domineering. He claimed the easier task for himself and pushed the harder one onto Gui Ying.
"Brother Feng."
Gui Ying frowned slightly, displeasure evident in his voice.
"This task was assigned to me by that Lord. Isn't it inappropriate for you to interfere?"
He had planned to scheme against Brother Feng eventually, but he hadn't even started yet.
And now this man was already trying to snatch the credit. It was blatant disregard.
"I'll explain it to that Lord personally."
Brother Feng's expression turned cold, his voice arrogant.
"You invited me here. Surely you didn't expect me to play assistant?"
Among Demonic Cultivators, aside from the Sect Leader, everything was decided by strength.
Brother Feng had been in the Great Ascension Stage for nearly a century. He considered himself far stronger than Gui Ying. His standing within the sect was also higher. The Heavenly Demon Sect's Sect Leader was notoriously suspicious, so there was no deputy leader position.
In his eyes, Gui Ying was just a lucky upstart who had barely survived the Demonic Tribulation. Though they were now in the same realm, a hundred years still separated them.
Suppressing Gui Ying was inevitable.
To put it bluntly, the real purpose of his trip was to suppress Gui Ying—the only person who currently had the potential to threaten his position.
As for Ye Ling?
He was just a bonus, something to take care of along the way.
Did anyone seriously think that brat could escape from the hands of a peerless Great Ascension Stage powerhouse like him?
He didn't even care about that bit of merit. It was nothing more than a way to assert his authority over Gui Ying, the latecomer.
"O-Of course not…"
Gui Ying forced himself to lower his head. It wasn't time to fall out with him yet.
But he swore to himself—whatever humiliation Brother Feng made him suffer today, he would repay tenfold… no, a hundredfold once he gained the upper hand.
"That's more like it."
Seeing Gui Ying give in, Brother Feng patted his shoulder as if offering encouragement.
"Little Ying, if you run into trouble in the future, come to me. If I can help, I will. Aside from that Lord, you and I are the strongest among us. We should share more of that Lord's burden."
"Brother Feng is right. I'll go attend to things now."
Gui Ying kept his posture low, suppressing the hatred in his heart as he turned and left.
"Mm. Go on. Let me know once it's done."
Brother Feng was clearly pleased with Gui Ying's submissive attitude. He waved him off casually, then looked back toward the plaza with interest, already picturing the slaughter that would soon unfold.