"Pfft..."
The words had just left Dong Sea's mouth, and before Zhong Ming could reply, a soft laugh sounded from nearby.
The sound drew the gazes of both Dong Sea and Zhong Ming.
They saw that the one who had scoffed was a girl in red robes. She looked lively and headstrong.
Beside her stood a young man who shared a strong resemblance to her, though he was much taller.
Both the young man and the girl possessed a noble air entirely different from Dong Sea's. While Dong Sea gave the impression of being rich, these two felt... noble. Unspeakably so.
Fortunately, the young man seemed quite amiable. Noticing the stares from Dong Sea and Zhong Ming, he apologized sheepishly, "My apologies. My little sister was being rude just now."
His words displeased the girl.
"Hmph! I wasn't wrong. These two have no idea how hard the A and B Ratings are to get. Forget a third-class Spiritual Root—even with a second-class one, it's not a sure thing at all without enough Spirit Stones to back you up..."
"Yu!"
After scolding his sister, the young nobleman, whose name was Jiang Yue, cupped his fists toward Zhong Ming and Dong Sea again and offered a sincere apology.
"I'm sorry, my sister..."
"It's fine. There's truth to what she said. Earning an A or B Class rating is certainly not easy."
Zhong Ming's easygoing yet composed demeanor took Jiang Yue by surprise.
After a moment of surprise, he extended an invitation to Zhong Ming.
"Zhong, after we receive our Cultivation Techniques, perhaps we could practice and exchange notes together."
Before Zhong Ming could refuse, Jiang Yue quickly added, "As an apology, I'll share some of my family's Cultivation Insights with you."
"..."
Zhong Ming wasn't interested in a simple exchange, but inherited family insights were a different matter entirely.
Thus, Zhong Ming cupped his fists and said gratefully, "Thank you for your kind offer, Jiang."
"Haha, don't mention it. This will help me as well. Cultivation requires wealth, companions, techniques, and location. 'Companions' refers to fellow cultivators on the same path..."
Thanks to Jiang Yue's friendliness, their conversation was quite harmonious.
While they spoke, other disciples were constantly asking Mo Shuying various questions.
"Master Senior Sister, once the A and B Ratings are assigned, are they set in stone?"
Mo Shuying replied, "Not at all. The assessments on Longxi Peak are ongoing. Even I, the head disciple, can be challenged. If any of you can defeat me, you can take my place."
"The same applies to your initial assessments. If someone performs well, it's possible for their rating to be raised."
Here, Mo Shuying's expression turned stern. "But I wouldn't count on that. The Great Dao must be fought for. A single step ahead keeps you ahead all the way."
"Those who receive an A or B Assessment will get over ten times the benefits of those with a C and D Assessment. Even for people with the same level of Talent, a resource gap that large will allow them to leave you far behind in their cultivation."
"Therefore, the hundred-day assessment is important to you. Critically important. Every single one of you had better treat this one exam as a matter of life and death and cultivate with everything you've got."
"Yes!"
Seeing that everyone understood the gravity of the situation and that the hundred-day assessment was a matter of life and death, Mo Shuying nodded in satisfaction.
Then, she used her Magical Power to suspend a special True Intent Map in mid-air.
WHOOSH...
It was a painting, the Mountain Stream Flowing Map. But if one stared at it intently, they would feel an inexplicable charm emanating from the meandering, flowing stream.
"This is the Mental Method of our Longxi Peak, the Longxi Breathing Technique. All of you, focus and watch. You have the time it takes for one incense stick to burn, and only that long!"
At her words, everyone held their breath and focused their minds, carefully observing the True Intent Map.
However, after a quick, nervous glance, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
They discovered that memorizing the flow of the Longxi Breathing Technique wasn't too difficult.
It wasn't that everyone had an exceptional memory, but rather that this True Intent Map was wondrously strange.
As they stared at the Mountain Stream Flowing Map, if they watched for long enough, they would get the feeling that the stream in the painting had come to life.
It even seemed to fly out of the painting and flow through their bodies and minds.
As the mountain stream flowed within them, it was as if its path was being deeply etched into their very being.
This meant they didn't need to deliberately memorize it; simply by witnessing and staring at it, the Mountain Stream Flowing Map was imprinted upon their hearts.
Some with higher comprehension even managed to commit the entire Mountain Stream Flowing Map to memory in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
Zhong Ming was one of them.
However, after memorizing the direction of the stream's flow, Zhong Ming felt that something was still missing.
Seeing this, he hesitated for a moment before activating his special ability—[Mind Reading].
Yes, Zhong Ming had a special ability.
And that ability wasn't Mind Reading, but Heaven Rewards Diligence—or, to put it another way, 'you reap what you sow.'
He had possessed this trait ever since he transmigrated into this world.
In the several months since his transmigration, Zhong Ming hadn't been idle.
Knowing that he could improve at anything simply by studying it, he had adhered to the principle of 'better to be a master of one than a jack of all trades.' Zhong Ming chose one skill and dedicated himself to researching it.
The skill he chose to delve into was—Reading.
'This is a world of the Immortal Dao,' he had thought. 'Cultivation values comprehension more than the physical body. Reading can increase one's knowledge and lead to Enlightenment. It's the most compatible skill for Cultivation.'
Through several months of diligent, hard study, Zhong Ming had raised his Reading skill to the Fourth Realm, Minor Achievement.
—In Zhong Ming's view, or rather, in this world, all skills and Cultivation Techniques had a Skill Level, or a rank.
These were broadly divided into the First Realm, Initiation, which meant one had barely learned it and could not use it proficiently.
The Second Realm, Insight. At this stage, a practitioner has skillfully mastered the Cultivation Technique or skill and can use it in daily life.
The Third Realm, Mastery, also known as Refinement. At this stage, the practitioner's command of the technique or art is so exquisite that they have formed their own unique style—the legendary old oil seller who could pour oil through the eye of a coin is an example of this realm.
Furthermore, the first three realms are stages where 'practice makes perfect.' In other words, any ordinary person has a chance to reach them as long as they practice diligently; at most, it would just take them a longer time.
However, the realms beyond that cannot be reached through hard practice alone. They require a bit of Talent and a bit of opportunity.
Without enough Talent or luck, the bottleneck between realms could hold someone back for years, decades, or even an entire lifetime.
Zhong Ming, relying on Heaven Rewards Diligence, had practiced Reading all the way to the Fourth Realm.
And the Fourth Realm, Minor Achievement, was a state of breaking free from convention, where one develops their own unique understanding.
A person who reaches this level can already be called an expert in their field.
[Zhong Ming]
[Cultivation Realm: Mortal]
[Reading: Fourth Realm, Minor Achievement (139/13600)]
[Skill Traits: Scholarly Aura (Obtained at Second Realm, Insight), Calm Heart (Obtained at Third Realm, Refinement), Mind Reading (Obtained at Fourth Realm, Minor Achievement)]