Chapter Nine, Seven Sons of Fleeceflower

At this moment, even Chongzhong found himself in a bit of a dilemma; which of the two is truly the first

After cleaning thoroughly, the rhizome of the Seven Sons of Rehmannia was revealed. Generally, for disciples planting the Seven Sons of Rehmannia, it is quite good if the tuber grows to the size of a fist within a month. However, this particular plant cultivated by Qin Tianzhan has surprisingly already developed a body and limbs, although the head still seems a bit small

In the secular martial arts world, this is undoubtedly an incredible strength; however, placed within the context of Su Bao Mountain, Sun Li himself is well aware that it can barely be considered below average.

He reached out and brushed the edge of the jar, causing the seven-leafed polygonum to float out along with the soil. Chongzhong then performed a technique, gathering the water elemental essence from the air into a fine stream, carefully washing the soil off the roots.

Sun Li was filled with indignation, as if something were about to explode within him

Chongzhong took out the ten pieces of Seven-Child Polygonum from his bosom: "Senior Brother, I heard that our esteemed Master is going to refine alchemy soon. These Seven-Child Polygonum have all reached high-quality standards. I wonder if Master could make use of them"

Chongzhong smiled faintly and placed Lu Datong's seven herbs at the very end

Chongshan rolled his eyes and said, "Rest assured, I will explain to the master that this is your filial piety."

However, as Lu Datong began to speak, he was sharply silenced by Chongzhong's glare, which cut off the rest of his words.

Chongzhong nodded slightly and said, "Yes."

Qin Tianzhan is also remarkable; under immense pressure, he successfully broke through just one day later, advancing to the Mortal Realm

Other disciples were somewhat gloating; Sun Li's particular seven-leafed polygonum was significantly shorter than the average, and compared to Lu Datong and the others, it was not just a little inferior.

Sun Li felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head. He forcefully shook off Lu Datong and strode away.

Although Chongzhong was reluctant to accept it, he could only acknowledge that this was indeed cultivated by Sun Li himself. However, how could this utterly clueless, first-rate slacker who daydreamed in class possibly grow such excellent Seven Sons of Rehmannia?

The surrounding disciples were filled with admiration. The previous jealousy and resentment had completely vanished, for who could deny such strength

Receiving a lukewarm compliment, Chongzhong's face broke into a beaming smile: "Hahaha, not at all, it is my honor that Master Uncle can make use of it. I won't disturb Senior Brother's cultivation, but... please convey my regards to Master Uncle. Hehe!"

Sun Li stepped forward, and when Chong Zhong saw him, he muttered discontentedly, "Another waste of time..."

Lu Datong kept turning back to Sun Li and said: "Sun Li, how do you think my Seven Sons of Rehmannia looks? Can you help me calculate which place I might achieve? If I calculate it myself, I worry I might be biased..."

In the following sequence of dozens of individuals, there was nothing of quality. Chongzhong observed quickly and merely recorded a score based on experience.

There is no need to mention Tian Yingdong and Qin Tianzhan; their master secretly provided them with elixirs and spirit stones, likely more than what all the disciples combined received

The line in front grew shorter and suddenly a commotion broke out. Lu Datong stretched his neck to take a look and returned to whisper to Sun Li: "It's Qin Tian's turn to be executed."

Qin Tianzhan displayed a look of delight, and Chongzhong also nodded in great satisfaction: "This specimen is undoubtedly of the highest quality"

Chongshan nodded slightly and said, "It's acceptable."

Sun Li was calm in demeanor; achieving third place had already exceeded his expectations significantly, as he initially thought that simply avoiding last place would suffice

One day, you will understand that the disciples of Class Ding can also soar to great heights!

At first glance, Lu Datong's Qizi Shouwu may not seem particularly appealing - in terms of appearance - but with a stroke of good luck, it might just make it into the top ten. There is no need to aim for a high ranking; as long as it secures the tenth place, it would allow Lu Datong to hold his head high.

After another meal's time, Tian Yingdong and Qin Tianzhan stood up almost simultaneously: "Submit the paper!"

The matter spread, yet it did not earn Sun Li any good reputation; instead, it made him the top figure on the "List of Villains" among the new disciples of this cohort in the academy

These ten finest quality seven-leafed herbs were given by him as a gesture of goodwill. Chongzhong has a modest understanding of alchemy; otherwise, he would not have taken on the task from that sect to teach the newly initiated disciples about alchemy.

After that battle, no one dared to provoke Sun Li again, and he finally obtained a peaceful environment for cultivation as he had wished

Recently, Sun Li has felt that his cultivation has made steady progress. The starlight in his Yintang acupoint has become increasingly bright, and the spiritual essence within his body has also reached the thickness of a thumb.

... ...

At least three plants of the Seven Sons of the Golden Tortoise are not as good as Lu Datong's, yet he is unfortunately placed last.

After spending half an hour, he finally counted all the roots of the two plants of Seven Sons of the Earth. Chongzhong raised his head, and Tian Yingdong and Qin Tianzhan looked at him anxiously.

Lu Datong, however, did not care about so much anymore. He turned around and gave Sun Li a hearty hug: "Hahaha, Sun Li, I succeeded! I made it into the top ten, hahaha!"

More than ten days have passed in the blink of an eye. This group of disciples will have been initiated for nearly a month, and the disciples are becoming increasingly anxious. From Class A to Class D, they are about to face the first of the Seven Entrance Examinations.

This is naturally in comparison to Sun Li

Lu Datong experienced a tumult of emotions, gritting his teeth as tears welled up in his eyes

Sun Li snorted: "You know it in your heart!"

The surrounding disciples could not help but feel a tinge of jealousy: Is this the reason why Qin Tianzhan and Tian Yingdong receive such treatment? Those before them were all casually brushed off with dirt.

Mortal, Daoist, Virtuous Person, True Person, Ultimate Person, Sage, Immortal, the Seven Great Realms, within each realm, there are seven levels.

Chongzhong solemnly placed the Qin Tian Zhan plant at the forefront

Indeed, in the realm of cultivation, even geniuses require an endless accumulation of resources to truly become powerful

However, after a brief moment, he turned to Sun Li and said, "Do you think I can make it into the top ten? If I do, will I be able to advance to Class C..."

In just over ten days, the prodigy Bao Liu Huigen Tian Yingdong successfully broke through his realm. With the foundational technique "Tianhe Jue," he successfully advanced to the "Mortal Realm." After twenty-one days of cultivation, he transcended the Ordinary Realm and entered the Mortal Realm, setting a new record for the fastest advancement among new disciples of Subao Mountain

Sun Li, feeling helpless, had no choice but to brace himself and respond. He truly could not recall how the instructor had explained the device-making workshop to him, so he simply provided the answer he knew.

After Qin Tianzhan's breakthrough, there were no more surprises in the entire academy for five days. It was as if there was a gradual accumulation before a sudden release; on the sixth day, three students from the A-class, all with comparable talents, unexpectedly broke through to the Mortal Realm on the same day

The method of using beard roots is indeed the most straightforward approach among potent herbs like Polygonum multiflorum and ginseng, yet it is also the most equitable. The more roots there are, the better the quality.

This matter pertains to fairness, and Chongzhong can only come personally to count.

Over there, everyone congratulated Tian Yingdong, while the assessment and evaluation here still needed to continue. Chongzhong placed Tian Yingdong's Seven Sons of Goji in front of Qintian Zhan and waved to the disciples behind him, saying: "Continue, do not waste time"

The following is the talisman examination, and Sun Li continues to repeat the process of the previous session

However, no one has come out from https://m.hetushu.com.

"Enough, don't waste any more time," Chongzhong urged with a frown, somewhat dissatisfied.

Although he has never compared himself to others, he believes that his own conjectures should be correct

Jiang Shiyu found himself at a loss for words to refute the argument; he was quite eager to see Sun Li and Su Lan confront each other. However, unexpectedly, Sun Li suddenly seemed to lose his temper, merely glancing at Su Lan and breaking into a smile.

Sun Li quietly put the jar into his storage ring, and no one discovered the secrets inside the jar

It is impossible, how could he have the ability to cultivate such an excellent spiritual medicine

Sun Li was furious and was about to confront the situation, but he was firmly held back by a pair of hands. When he turned around, he saw Lu Datong's face filled with grievance and compromise: "Sun Li, just let it go. When one is under a low eave, how can one not bow their head? After all, we are in the D class."

Chongzhong waved his hand, clearly unwilling to let Sun Litai take the spotlight, so he hurried over

When he gets angry, he stops talking. The four of them, feeling the heavy atmosphere, arrived at the academy

In the following days, several disciples made continuous breakthroughs, with a total of nine individuals entering the Mortal Realm before the Seventh Examination of Entry.

The first to take action was the instrument workshop.

Sun Li苦笑: "How can this be calculated? I said it, but it doesn't matter."

Tian Yingdong and Qin Tianzhan are both at the first level of the Mortal Realm. Breaking through before the Seven Trials of Entry is significantly advantageous for both of them

Good! The disciples under Qin Tian's command cheered and clapped their hands

Sun Li glanced over and noticed that the several pieces of Seven-Headed Polygonum in front were clearly inferior in form compared to Lu Datong's, yet it was precisely Lu Datong who was the last one.

Sun Li bit down on the brush handle; he knew all the answers to the questions above. However, the issue was that the knowledge he possessed was imparted to him by Wu Yao. Sun Li estimated that at least half of his answers differed from those of the equipment instructor.

Where did these ten plants of Seven Sons of the Earth catch the attention of the deluded Daoist? They have all been greedily taken by the lofty mountains

Qin Tianzhan and Tian Yingdong locked eyes, as if they were about to spark a thunderous clash.

The disciples below let out a breath of cold air, as various envious and jealous glances swept back and forth over Sun Li.

Sun Li and three others were at the end of the line. Lu Datong stood in front of Sun Li, appearing particularly eager

Sun Li was somewhat annoyed and said decisively: "Yes!"

Lu Datong, quickly step aside: "Yes, yes, yes..."

Chongzhong's expression was somewhat unpleasant: "Sun Li, did you really plant this yourself?"

Almost all the new disciples were envious and discussing the achievements of those two geniuses, while Sun Li focused on his own diligent practice—other people's accomplishments had nothing to do with him. Moreover, the path to greatness is long; being a step ahead at the beginning is of little significance, so what is there to envy?

Wu Yao was extremely angry: "No wonder the success rate of artifact crafting and alchemy in the current cultivation world is so low; the most basic common knowledge is wrong. How could one possibly refine good magical tools?"

His scores in both exams are poor, and he is likely to rank outside the top 100

Chongshan is currently preparing to refine a batch of "Nine Qi Elixir" and is in need of some high-quality Seven-Child Fo-Tou. Ten plants of Seven-Child Fo-Tou were quickly steamed, dried, and ground into powder, which was then added to the ingredients.

Sun Li had no particular attachments, so he stepped aside, and then Su Lan approached from behind

The crowd under Tian Yingdong erupted in cheers, and Tian Yingdong also revealed a smile that seemed to express a sense of relief. In contrast, Qin Tianzhan turned away in anger.

No matter how capable Sun Li is, when a spell strikes down, he will be reduced to ashes just the same

Sun Li shouted angrily: "Then let him bully others like this!"

Since Su Lan was assigned to Class C, she has been elusive, always managing to avoid the other three individuals in the Tushuyuan courtyard, not encountering anyone. Today, for some unknown reason, she was actually seen walking alongside Lu Datong and Jiang Shiyu.

He arrived at a peak in the back mountain, shedding the arrogance he displayed in the academy, and greeted a disciple with a nod and a bow, saying: "Brother Chongshan, how have you been lately?"

In the teachings of Chongzhong, while people act, heaven observes! Do not say that there is no cycle of retribution; the consequences will surely arrive!

Su Lan's Seven Sons of Fo-Tou is not better than Lu Datong's, yet it is still able to push him down

Lu Datong is about to kneel down to Sun Li: "Sun Li, I thank you, but if this escalates, we will definitely suffer. You are not afraid, but I am. Please do not implicate me. Let's just forget it..."

Chongzhong gazed at the sky: "Tian Yingdong has won."

Chongzhong was furious: "Are you accusing me of favoritism and corruption?!"

Amidst the various feelings of envy and jealousy from the other disciples, the entrance examination for the Seven Trials has finally arrived

Qin Tianzhan stepped aside with a smile, yet he did not leave; instead, he waited to see Tian Yingdong's results

There were dozens of disciples present, their eyes sharp as snow, able to discern even the simplest good from bad, yet not a single person spoke a fair word for Lu Datong

The disciples below secretly laughed in their hearts

He answered remarkably quickly, in fact, he was the first among all the disciples of this cohort to finish. Sun Li was even too lazy to check and stood up, saying: "Submit the paper!"

Finally, Lu Datong arrived, holding his own jar and respectfully said: "Please evaluate it."

On the left side of Chongzhong, there is a long table, on which six scattered plants of Seven Sons of the Head are placed. They have already grown into somewhat humanoid forms. Of course, they are far inferior to the one known as Qintian Zhan.

He hesitated for half a day and reluctantly nodded, saying: "It can be considered a fine product"

Sun Li understood

After Sun Li went out, the instructor of the manufacturing class glanced at his paper for less than a tea's time and casually tossed it aside, saying: "Mud cannot stick to the wall!"

All the disciples from the four classes were gathered in the large classroom on the first day. When the instructor entered, there was no warning; with a wave of his hand, the exam papers flew through the air, landing perfectly in front of each person.

As it was finally Lu Datong's turn, he couldn't help but feel nervous. There were only two spots left in the top ten.

Lu Datong still found it hard to believe: "Can I make it into the top ten?"

Among all the disciples, even those who relied solely on rote memorization got more than half of their knowledge wrong, with only the top individual on the "List of Villains," Sun Li, being an exception

He glanced at the papers of the two individuals and nodded in approval, saying, "Different is indeed different"

The room was filled with astonishment; when everyone turned around to see that it was Sun Li, they suddenly all appeared to understand, each returning to their own papers with a sense of ease

Many disciples have already arrived, forming a long line in the training ground. Those who arrived first took their seven-leafed polygonum to request Chongzhong to inspect and evaluate. This type of examination cannot be cheated.

The true master of the Dao of Alchemy within the Su Bao Mountain is none other than the one whom Chong Zhong has just visited, yet the latter is too indifferent to meet his so-called disciple, Wang Qing. Even Chong Shan, the direct disciple of Wang Qing, possesses skills that far surpass those of Chong Zhong.

Jiang Shiyu frowned; he was not accustomed to Su Lan's tone as the leader of the courtyard: "How do you know that Sun Li hasn't put in any effort? Moreover, regardless of how he is, who are you to lecture him?"

Is this grown by Sun Li

The disciples in the Ding class do not suffer much in these two subjects, as the vast majority of the content consists of fundamental knowledge, which can be passed through rote memorization alone. Only the last few questions test the disciples' understanding and ability to expand upon the material, which will differentiate their scores.

When Sun Li stepped out holding his瓦罐, he happened to run into Lu Datong and the other two.

The disciples of Class A receive one Nine Qi Dan and ten Spirit Stones each month, while the disciples of Class B receive one Nine Qi Dan and eight Spirit Stones monthly. However, the resources consumed by the nine individuals who broke through far exceed this amount

After the assessment concluded, Chongzhong quietly took away the seven top candidates among the ten.

Lu Datong's qualifications are lacking, but he is determined to develop in the field of Dan Dao. Therefore, he has truly put in a great deal of effort in this cultivation of the Seven Sons of Fo-Tou.

Finally, he nodded and said, "It can barely be considered of high quality"

The instructor smiled and said, "Well, bring them all up."

Chongzhong casually pulled out Sun Li's seven-leafed polygonum and was already prepared to give him the lowest score

With his level of expertise, he is only capable of teaching novice disciples

The six disciples defeated by him, having their consciousness invaded by that terrifying killing intent, now avoid Sun Li at all costs. The most severely affected is naturally the female disciple who was the first to bear the brunt; upon seeing Sun Li, her face instinctively pales, and her fingers clench tightly.

Even that female disciple who deeply feared Sun Li understood well that after a year and a half, the differences in talent among everyone would become apparent and increasingly pronounced

He brushed off the dirt, revealing the roots of the seven-leafed polygonatum inside. Chongzhong glanced at it casually, but suddenly found himself stuck to it and unable to pull away

Lu Datong sighed: "Indeed."

The other disciples from the first-class group also have certain backgrounds, as their families prepared a substantial amount of spirit stones before they entered the sect. Even the disciple from the second-class group has a close relationship with Chongzhong; the two seem to have struck some kind of deal, and it is said that Chongzhong once gave him three Nine Qi Pills!

Not only are Qin Tianzhan's subordinates paying attention, but also Tian Yingdong's people in the back are watching closely

Chongzhong gritted his teeth and came up with a way that would not offend anyone: "Well, I truly find it difficult to make a decision, so let's use the simplest and fairest method: counting the whiskers."

These two individuals were originally the future hope of Subao Mountain. Given the accumulation of numerous resources, their achievements are not surprising, yet they have invigorated the entire Subao Mountain.

However, this expression made Su Lan angry. In his view, speaking to Sun Li about these matters was a way of supporting him. Yet, Sun Li did not appreciate it, truly a case of mud that cannot stick to the wall

Chongzhong had long made it clear that the content of the Dan Dao examination was the cultivation of the Seven-Child He Shou Wu plant. This year's disciples are all in the same situation. However, Chongzhong was more meticulous when selecting seeds for the other classes, and the other three classes have already gained an advantage over Class Ding in terms of innate talent.

Lu Datong exclaimed with great joy: "Thank you, thank you!"

Su Lan looked at Sun Li's seven-leafed polygonum, which was small in stature and had somewhat dark veins. Su Lan frowned and couldn't help but start to admonish Sun Li: "Sun Li, your approach here is a bit reckless and not appropriate."

The root of this Qizi Shouwu is about the size of a fist, yet it distinctly resembles a human form, complete with a torso, limbs, and a head. Even when compared to those of Tian Yingdong and Qin Tianzhan, it is by no means inferior

Qin Tian placed his瓦罐 on the table in front of Chong Zhong and slightly bowed, saying, "Please provide your feedback."

He did not wait long before it was Tian Yingdong's turn. Just as with Qin Tianzhan, Chongzhong treated Tian Yingdong's Seven Sons of Tortoise with great care. After taking it out, everyone gasped in astonishment, as it was surprisingly on par with the one belonging to Qin Tianzhan

Chongzhong glanced at the disciples around him; at this moment, if someone were to stand up and claim that their Seven Sons of Fleeceflower had been stolen by Sun Li, Chongzhong would certainly believe it

The disciples may be a bit slow to react, but after a few days, everyone will come to understand: even if Sun Li is capable of fighting and killing, what difference does it make? At most, it will only maintain the current situation, preventing them from being bullied in the short term

Originally, the noisy disciples at https://m.hetushu.com gradually became aware of the strangeness, their voices slowly diminishing, as everyone turned to look at the seven-leafed polygonum in Chongzhong's hand

The assessment of the Dan Dao discipline has concluded, with Tian Yingdong ranking first and Qin Tianzhan closely following in second place. This outcome was predictable for everyone. However, it was quite a topic of discussion that Sun Li, the notorious first on the list of villains, surprisingly secured third place. No one expected that Sun Li, who had ranked last in the previous two assessments, would manage to break into the top three.

After Sun Li placed it, there were already ten gathered. However, Su Lan clearly had the strength to enter the top ten. In the midst of Lu Datong's heartbroken gaze, Chong Zhong unhesitatingly took Lu Datong's seven-leafed polygonum from the long table and placed Su Lan's on top instead

Chongzhong rose in anger and smashed the table with a single palm: "You ignorant fool..."

He put in effort? Su Lan scoffed: If he had put in effort, he wouldn't have ranked last in the first two subjects, would he

... ...

After some consideration, I placed Sun Li's plant behind Qin Tianzhan, ranking it third.

Jiang Shiyu felt somewhat disheartened; he was currently lagging behind Su Lan in various aspects, and even the Seven Sons of Rejuvenation he had cultivated were inferior to those of his counterpart

War for Peace

Chongzhong noticed the character "丁" embroidered on his clothing and merely nodded coldly. However, when his gaze fell upon Lu Datong's seven-leafed polygonum, he was slightly taken aback and couldn't help but glance at Lu Datong. Only then did he take out the seven-leafed polygonum and examine it carefully.

Among these nine individuals, eight are from the first-class group, and only one is from the second-class group

Chongzhong has informed everyone in advance to bring the seven-leafed polygonatum they have each cultivated, as he will judge them on the spot

Only then did Chongshan's complexion improve slightly: "What a coincidence, my master happens to need this recently. You can keep the item; it is thoughtful of you, junior brother."

But this is clearly something that has been played out of his jar

Chongzhong smiled gently, his demeanor amiable: "Alright, please wait a moment."

He had just "educated" Sun Li, and unexpectedly, Sun Li successfully entered the top ten. Su Lan asked himself, Sun Li's seven-leafed polygonum was indeed much better than his own, and his face was naturally burning hot, as if thousands of steel needles were piercing it.

Chongzhong said: "Thank you, senior brother, thank you, senior brother..."

Upon seeing the character "Bing" embroidered on Su Lan's attire, Chong Zhong's expression improved slightly. He took out Su Lan's seven-son flower, and indeed, its quality was quite good. Chong Zhong nodded and then glanced at the long table.

As for the speed of Sun Li's cultivation, Wu Yao and the others have never commented on it

All beings are merely ordinary people, and it is only upon entering the realm of mortals that one truly begins the path of cultivation. Crossing the threshold of the mortal realm and entering the realm of the Daoist is what constitutes a true practitioner.

Everyone is holding their own clay pots, and the seven-leafed polygonum of Lu Datong and Su Lan is growing the best, reaching a height of more than half a person, with emerald-green leaves that resemble those carved from imperial jade.

We four initially entered together, and our talents are all quite average. However, look at others, including Lu Datong, who are all very diligent. Just look at Datong's Seven Sons of Rehmannia, and then look at yours. It is not easy for us to have such an opportunity; you surely do not want to be expelled from Su Baoshan in seven months, do you

However, for now, everyone is just enduring him.

The Chongzhong Association will select the top ten specimens and then determine their rankings. As for the subsequent specimens, since there are no awards for excellence, they will be assigned arbitrary scores, which will facilitate future ranking assessments

Both individuals were momentarily stunned, exchanging glances that seemed charged with the potential to unleash thunder and lightning

Among the disciples, the one with the most unpleasant expression is actually Su Lan at the back

He repeatedly bowed and took his leave.