The square before them was immense, completely packed with a dense crowd of disciples who had come to participate in the assessment.
Far off at the foot of the mountain lay a wide path leading up. In front of it stood more than a dozen long tables arranged in an orderly line. Disciples dispatched from various sects sat behind the tables, holding jade slips as they registered the arriving candidates one by one.
Since all the lines were roughly equal in length, Lin Luming and Hua Tian joined the nearest one.
They had not been waiting long when two male disciples wearing different sect uniforms ran over to them.
One of them spoke first, “Are you two sisters here for the assessment?”
Hua Tian nodded. “Yes, we are. Is something the matter?”
“That is wonderful! Would you be interested in learning about our Qilin Sect?”
As he spoke, the man handed over a flyer.
Hua Tian took it and saw that the booklet was filled with the major advantages of the Qilin Sect.
The sect gates rested against the mountains and faced the water, offering picturesque scenery; the cafeteria dishes rivaled those of imperial chefs, tasting absolutely superb; the disciples’ dormitories were spacious and bright, complete with private courtyards. It was truly a place that balanced cultivation and enjoyment.
Seeing her reading intently, the man grew even more enthusiastic. “Our Qilin Sect is the wealthiest among the eighteen sects, and our infrastructure is entirely first-rate! With beauty as heavenly as yours, why go to other sects just to suffer?”
At this point, he deliberately raised his eyes, his gaze lingering on Lin Luming for a brief moment.
A girl of such peerless beauty was truly rare to see. If he could recruit her into the sect, he would undoubtedly become a top-tier contributor.
Just as he was about to say more, he was pushed aside by the disciple next to him.
“What use is a beautiful environment? The key to joining a sect is its faculty and ranking! Our Lingling Sect is the head of the eighteen sects, and every teacher inside possesses extraordinary skills. Once you leave, as long as you hold the identification badge of the Lingling Sect, you will thrive wherever you go!”
Lin Luming took the promotional booklets from both sects, scanned them, and began to deliberate.
In the past, she thought she would die as soon as her mission ended, so she hadn’t bothered to pay attention to the various rumors.
As long as those troublemakers didn’t bring the chaos right in front of her, she was too lazy to defend herself, which was why her reputation in the capital had always been rather poor.
However, the situation had changed. To make it easier to approach the main characters later, and to ensure she could successfully enjoy a romance in this world, she needed to rebuild her public persona now that she had arrived at the Dongling Spirit Hub.
At the very least, it could not be a negative image.
With this thought, Lin Luming curled her lips into a perfectly polite smile toward the two disciples. “Thank you for your kindness, senior brothers. We will consider it seriously.”
“Then I wish you two sisters a smooth assessment!”
“Then I wish you two sisters excellent results!”
The two spoke almost simultaneously, their voices carrying a hint of competitiveness. After glaring at each other, they departed one after the other.
The two women opened the booklets as they continued to wait in line. Compared to the Qilin Sect’s wealth-flaunting promotion filled with phrases like “clear hills and fair waters, delicious meals, and luxurious dorms,” the Lingling Sect’s booklet appeared austere and efficient.
It was clearly divided into four large sections, separated by four-colored lines.
The first section belonged to the Spirit Talisman Hall, which specialized in talisman arts; the image showed disciples holding cinnabar brushes, surrounded by lingering talisman light.
The second section belonged to the Danxia Hall, which focused on alchemy; medicine cauldrons stood in rows, and the fragrance of pills lingered, as if it could be smelled right through the page.
The third section belonged to the Lingfeng Hall, displaying surging sword energy and sword shadows like rainbows.
The fourth section belonged to the Mysterious Law Hall, though its style was completely different from the first three.
Hua Tian stared at that corner, utterly stunned. “Huh? How strange. I remember the Lingling Sect only had three halls. Where did this Mysterious Law Hall suddenly pop up from?”
Lin Luming’s eyes shifted slightly, her tone casual. “Yes, it was newly established just within the last few years.”
Hua Tian blinked, her face full of astonishment. “You even know about this?”
“Yes, I have heard a little about it.”
After all, she was someone who had thoroughly read the original work; she still remembered this basic background.
Right then, Hua Tian couldn’t help but burst into laughter. “This Mysterious Law Hall is far too improper, isn’t it? The other three halls use cultivation techniques as selling points, but they…”
She pointed to the column at the bottom of the booklet, where a portrait of a person was prominently printed in the center of the layout.
In the portrait, an exceptionally handsome man stood with his hands behind his back. His features were like a painting, his elegance striking. Behind him, the silhouettes of two men were faintly drawn, exuding a sense of freedom and refinement amidst the dense mist.
The slogan below read explicitly:
【Mysterious Law Hall: The hall master and disciples are all elegant and handsome, pleasing to the eye and soothing to the mind!】
Hua Tian pressed a hand to her forehead. “My goodness, is this hall master a narcissist?”
Lin Luming stared at the booklet and let out a soft laugh.
The style of the Master of the Mysterious Law Hall was indeed very similar to the descriptions in the book.
And the two silhouettes behind him were likely the male lead of this book, Wei Lingfeng, and that peerless male supporting character who quietly sacrificed everything.
For some reason, just by looking at the silhouettes, Lin Luming felt her heart get stirred a little.
Back then, she was also someone who would grin like an idiot over every action of the second senior brother in the book. At the time, she had felt it was a pity the author hadn’t arranged a canonical romance for the supporting male lead.
Noticing the sparkle in her eyes, Hua Tian hesitated for a moment before probing half-jokingly, “Luming, you couldn’t possibly want to enter this剧 Mysterious Law Hall, could you?”
Lin Luming withdrew her gaze, raising the corners of her lips. “Mm-hmm, I do have that intention. I must see with my own eyes if they are truly as elegant, handsome, pleasing to the eye, and soothing to the mind as the rumors say.”
The two exchanged glances and could not help but laugh at the same time.
The line moved forward bit by bit. The fierce sun hung slanting against the edge of the eaves, casting golden light onto the square and stretching the shadows of the passing disciples exceptionally long.
After a good while, it was finally their turn.
The registration disciple did not even look up. “Please show your recommendation letters.”
Lin Luming pulled out a red recommendation letter.
Recommendation letters were divided into red and blue types: red ones came from the hands of various powerful nobles, symbolizing background and connections; blue ones were issued by delegations previously sent by the Dongling Spirit Hub to the populace, specifically reserved for those who stood out among ordinary people.
The registration disciple only glanced at it hastily, then lowered his head to write her name in the register. He then took a round jade token and a thin booklet from a wooden box beside him, pushing them toward her.
“Registration is complete; you may enter. This is your room token for the dormitory where you will stay during the assessment; do not lose it. As for this booklet, it clearly states the dates, locations, and rules of this assessment. You must remember them firmly.”
“Thank you.” Lin Luming reached out to take them, nodding slightly with proper demeanor.
She walked side-by-side with Hua Tian toward the dormitories while flipping through the contents of the booklet.
The assessment would last for twenty days, consisting of four rounds in total.
The first round was a written exam, the second round was alchemy, the third round was talisman drawing, and the fourth round was martial arts combat.
Each round had a maximum score of one hundred points, with sixty points serving as the passing mark. As long as a candidate passed all four rounds, they would enter the list of prospective disciples. Then, based on their scores and the historical cutoff marks of the major sects, they could select and submit their preferred choices.
Once accepted, they would officially become outer disciples of that sect, thereby stepping across the threshold of cultivation.