"Elder, you flatter me..."
"The opportunity you mentioned to make a name for oneself, what exactly is it?"
Lin Jing recalled back in his previous life, when his mentor had also given him an opportunity, only to assign him a pile of dirty and tiring work.
Cao Zhiwei smiled and said, "In a few months, the academy will again reach its enrollment period, during which numerous talented cultivators from various places will come to Hidden Dragon City, hoping to be admitted to Hidden Dragon Academy."
"In the assessments of previous years, there has always been a special segment where academy students serve as examiners to engage in magic duels with the candidates."
"Elder wants me to serve as an examiner this time?" Lin Jing was surprised.
Cao Zhiwei nodded: "To be precise, this is the intention of the academy. You won’t be the only examiner; students from Hidden Dragon Academy who have shown outstanding performance recently will also be part of the examiners."
"This is actually a pretty good opportunity. These candidates are all geniuses from various regions, accompanied by elders from their sects. During the assessment, they will certainly receive the attention of the academy and various sects. If you serve as their examiner, you will definitely gain attention as well."
"This examiner position... I’ll take it!" Lin Jing agreed. Whether this would be beneficial or detrimental depended entirely on his own strength.
Cao Zhiwei said, "Very well, then prepare yourself over these few months. Since you are only at the Qi Cultivation stage, you only need to face candidates at the Qi Cultivation Stage. Do not underestimate them just because you have defeated Foundation Establishment cultivators before. Otherwise, you might end up as their stepping stone. In past assessments, it often happened that senior students of the academy were defeated by candidates."
"Although these candidates may not have entered a Grotto Heaven like you did, nor been specially recruited in advance, it doesn’t mean their strength is weak."
"I’ve heard there are quite a few Qi Cultivation stage prodigies among this year’s candidates."
Mr. Cao earnestly reminded him, since Lin Jing and the others were specially recruited by him, failing to perform well might reflect poorly on him.
"The Qilin Child of the Wang Family, a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Cultivation, naturally possesses a Divine Body!"
"The Divine Maiden of the Divine Talisman Sect, also at the ninth level of Qi Cultivation, has a Talisman Conjuring Body, able to use fingers as a pen and the skies as paper to draw talismans in the void."
"Also, the grandson of the Divinity Transformation Venerable from the Demon Extermination Bureau, though known to be wayward in his youth, has changed his ways and foiled the Gu God Sect’s demon cultivator conspiracy in Snow Moon City a few months ago! Another genius at the ninth level of Qi Cultivation!"
"Let’s talk about that Divine Body. Even at the Qi Cultivation stage, they are already well-known throughout the ancient realms and are quite famous in the capital. Defeating a Divine Body in the assessment battles would be far more significant than defeating Fang Shilin," Mr. Cao tempted with a smile.
At this moment... Lin Jing’s expression turned peculiar.
The first two indeed sounded formidable.
The constitutions for cultivation are classified into elemental Spirit Bodies and special constitutions, like Fire Spirit Body, Ice Spirit Body, all of which are elemental Spirit Bodies. Cultivating corresponding techniques and magic comes with bonuses for these, whereas Original Yang Body, Longevity Body, are considered special constitutions.
The Celestial Secret Tower, based on historical performance of these constitutions, has compiled a Physique Ranking, similar to the Talent Ranking, including 100 types of constitutions.
The physiques that made it to the list are mostly called Divine Bodies, guaranteed to reach Golden Core, with a high probability of advancing to Nascent Soul, and usually without substantial bottlenecks up to Divinity Transformation.
The top ten physiques are even called Immortal Bodies and have the potential for Ascension to Immortality opportunities.
The Innate Divine Body is indeed powerful. A Divine Body practicing the Hidden Dragon Secret Technique is sure to make waves, whereas someone like Fang Shilin, although at the Foundation Establishment stage, doesn’t even seem to possess an Acquired Spirit Body, lagging far behind.
Lin Jing was initially attentive, but upon hearing about the grandson of the Divinity Transformation, he felt something was not quite right.
He wanted to ask if that genius from the Demon Extermination Bureau was named Gao Sheng.
That guy is out of confinement now?
Looks like his family doesn’t want him causing trouble anymore and sent him to the academy instead.
"I... will work hard in cultivation and prepare during this period," Lin Jing said.
"Elder, perhaps I should rent a cave dwelling," Lin Jing suddenly thought. If he wanted to do alchemy, living in a wooden house wouldn’t suffice.
"Good," Cao Zhiwei laughed. "Resources are meant to be used. Although the rent for a cave dwelling is ten thousand Spirit Stones a year, this resource is well worth it. Each cave dwelling in the academy is connected to the academy’s Spirit Vein, and a year of cultivation there is far more beneficial than using ten thousand Spirit Stones for direct cultivation."
That’s what he said, but Lin Jing still felt the pain of expense, though he had already decided to start his own business.
It’s still some time until the auction of the Mechanical Bamboo Spear... For these auction items, the Lotus Pavilion will at least promote them for half a month to give sellers enough time to prepare the Spirit Stones.
The academy has a back mountain, and the students’ cave dwellings are all located here. Lin Jing rented a small hillside, so he wouldn’t have to wander around the city like a vagabond in the future.
"I can go pick up the Dragon Carp now!" Having secured his own place, Lin Jing decided to retrieve the Dragon Carp, as he couldn’t keep troubling Elder Shen Song to look after it forever.
He quickly left the academy and secretly called out. Before long, a Dragon Carp was thrown at his feet, covered in bruises of blues and purples. It seemed it had been beaten quite a bit, but fortunately, it had managed to control its flames well.
"Still alive?" Lin Jing picked up the Dragon Carp, concerned.
"Blub..." The Dragon Carp weakly opened its mouth, it was just in pain, but it was used to it.
From now on, it would never casually set fires again; that old Pine Tree really hit hard.
"It’s good to be alive," Lin Jing said.
Having retrieved the Dragon Carp, Lin Jing asked, "Do you think with its current strength, the Pine Leaf Mouse could defeat a ’Divine Body’ of the same level?"
Elder Shen Song chuckled, "Do you have some misconception about the Divine Body? Even a demon beast with Demon King bloodline would only get torn apart by a Divine Body of the same level, so you should retreat to where it’s cooler."
"No hope at all? I want to beat him! By any means," Lin Jing showed a determined expression, making a cutting gesture across his neck.
Elder Shen Song indeed appreciated this attitude and, seeing the agreeable expression, was finally willing to offer advice: "Let it eat the Void Escape Grass! Its innate red leaf has spatial properties, doesn’t it?"
Lin Jing was shocked, "It’s not ripe yet."
Elder Shen Song said, "When ripe, it can’t be eaten anymore. A fifth-grade Spatial Spirit Grass, full of nutrients, you want it to explode from overeating! At least it would need to be at the Demon Core Stage to barely digest it. When unripe, the nutrients are much lesser."
"No poison when unripe?" Lin Jing asked. Most Spirit Plants carry some toxicity when immature, which is their evolved protection mechanism to avoid being eaten before fully matured.
"Yes, so it needs to be bold. Since it has spatial talent, if it doesn’t get poisoned, its spatial prowess will definitely improve greatly, and wielding top-class spatial magic at the Qi Cultivation stage... might not fall short of a Divine Body," Elder Shen Song advised down a wicked path.
Lin Jing shook his head, "Forget it. I’d rather be a righteous cultivator. I haven’t cultivated ’Undying Rebirth’, and once I’m dead, I can’t just resurrect."
"What are you afraid of! A demon cultivator must turn the impossible into possible. With the Pine Squirrel’s small success in Cyan Emperor Longevity Arts, and with that golden Spirit Rice you have, can’t they improve its digestive ability for plants and trees? With me helping, it won’t die. The worst outcome is losing an immature Void Escape Grass! Fellow prodigy devoured by a fierce beast, and I didn’t even have a word to say!"