Chapter 65 Super Grade Revitalizes the Cultivation World (65% complete)

Su Xiaoyao broke free from her carefree and lazy state, and stood up straight.

“If I go out now, Helian Yi will definitely laugh at me. Even if the track is different, he will seize the opportunity to make sarcastic remarks.” She stroked her chin and pondered.

The 996 work schedule, which has been offline for a long time, can't keep up.

[Huh? Wasn't 1818's host supposed to be very aloof? 1818 was bragging to me that it was bound to a truly ruthless big shot, isn't that a bit sarcastic and inconsistent with its persona?]

After their brief separation, Su Xiaoyao became even gentler with it, explaining in a softer tone, "Baby, don't be fooled by appearances," Helian Yi said.

He's very different from what you imagine; he's not aloof at all, he's far from it.

The medicine pot seemed to agree wholeheartedly and began to bubble.

996 was astonished:

[Xiao Yao, you two seem to know each other quite well. Have you settled your scores?]

Su Xiaoyao choked: "Well..."

Looking beyond the surface of the 996 work culture, it is the most intelligent system. Although it doesn't understand human relationships, it understands its users.

It actually detected a sense of intimacy in Su Xiaoyao's tone!

Its memory of Helian Yi was still before the reporting of his duties. Even considering the little it learned from listening to 1818's idle chatter during the reporting, its image of him was not clear enough.

It had no idea what had happened during that time; it only received notification that the mission participants were allowed to recognize each other, and then it rushed back.

Therefore, it also felt that its host and the other party were mortal enemies who would fight as soon as they met, and at most the relationship had eased a little because the Lingzhou delegation was on the same side.

But how could the grudges and rivalries of the past three years be settled in one day, unless...

996 seemed lost in thought.

But I was only offline for a month, and you only spent a short month together.

Is love predetermined?

"Pooh!"

"Pooh!"

Each person has their own pot and they spit at the same time.

The invisible orb of light quickly dodged the rusty water sprayed from the potion pot, disdainfully hiding behind its host.

Although it has no physical form, it is unwilling to let anything dirty pass through its body.

“Baby, you need to improve your Chinese. We’re clearly in a competitive relationship!” Su Xiaoyao raised her voice to correct it.

"Oh, oh, oh!" 996 was completely bewildered.

Su Xiaoyao didn't know how much it had taken in, so she got back to business: "Let's talk after the assessment is over. Let's finish what we need to do first."

She shook her head to clear her mind of all the distractions, straightened her back, and stretched her arms, her gaze gradually hardening.

The pot of medicine fell silent along with her, and the last bubble of molten iron burst open with a "pop," leaving the surface of the pot like the calm sea before a storm.

Su Xiaoyao exhaled a breath of stale air, and saw the medicine pot swallow all the molten iron.

The weapon refiner who noticed the strange occurrence was surprised; she was the same person who had been chatting with Su Xiaoyao before the assessment began.

Her pot of molten iron had been heated to a dark color, so it should have been ready to be taken out and shaped. How come the water suddenly disappeared?

She observed carefully and found that Su Xiaoyao had completely abandoned the previous pot of water and instead selected suitable ingredients.

She was even more surprised.

The fastest one around had already begun forging his third mid-grade spiritual weapon, and was only one step away from passing the assessment. Yet, the champion who had been far ahead in the previous assessment gave up just like that.

In her view, starting over from scratch at this point would be too late, essentially tantamount to giving up on the assessment.

The woman hesitated for a moment, then decided to focus on what she had and not waste time observing others.

She composed herself, having just forged a decent-looking mid-grade sword with spiritual fire. Just as she was about to reach for the materials for the next spiritual weapon, she suddenly heard a loud "bang" not far away.

The woman was startled by the sudden noise, and the next second as she looked up in a panic, her pupils shrank to pinpoints.

"That is..."

She stared blankly at Su Xiaoyao and the pot of medicine burning fiercely in front of her.

"Oh dear," Su Xiaoyao said with a charming smile, "Brother Pot, it wasn't for nothing that I fed you so many good things."

The potion cauldron that had swallowed all the molten iron adopted a completely different approach to refining, transforming into a vessel resembling an alchemy furnace. The cauldron expanded several times its original size, and a faint blue flame ignited at the bottom.

"I originally just wanted to pass quietly," Su Xiaoyao sighed dramatically, "but my strength doesn't allow it, and I'm going to steal the limelight from some people."

She tapped the edge of the potion pot: "Come on, pot, 996 is here, let's not let it down, let everyone see your power."

The potion pot, which was not slacking off and bubbling, looked more dignified than usual with its deep purple body. At this moment, it was displaying its full power. The oddly shaped pot that others looked down on had a firepower that was more ferocious than any other cauldron.

996 cheered from the sidelines:

[Go, Xiao Yao! Now the entire system knows that my host acted rashly for the system, waaaaah, my reputation as a femme fatale is well-deserved!]

Helian Yi's attention was already focused on Su Xiaoyao, and now he couldn't take his eyes off her even more.

The way to pass the martial arts test is to fight one hundred people in a row without being defeated. Compared with the tests that require a lot of time and patience, such as weapon crafting or drawing talismans and cooking, it has a time advantage. It is normal for him to be the first to come out.

This is why the assessment is conducted in zones. He understands that this doesn't mean anything; he just wants to provoke Su Xiaoyao whenever he gets the chance, just to see her angry and scheming expression.

He was very satisfied with the current result. Su Xiaoyao's fighting spirit was much more pleasing to the eye than her lazy and uncompetitive demeanor.

Helian Yi turned her gaze to the strange pot with great interest. It was also something that could be bought in limited quantities for 100 points, but it was completely different in her hands.

Su Xiaoyao is someone who can always bring him a pleasant surprise.

He wanted to see just how far she could go.

Su Xiaoyao focused intently on manipulating the iron block suspended in her palm, heating it to the optimal temperature before repeatedly hammering it.

The iron block floated motionless in the air, with raging flames below and a hammer blow as heavy as a thousand pounds above.

As the sun gradually set, more and more candidates walked out of the examination hall, while those inside the barrier became increasingly panicked.

Only Su Xiaoyao was immersed in her own world.

Time passed by, and gradually the iron block began to take shape in her hands.

Even after the last spot in the weapon repair section was taken, she continued to hone that sharp sword.

She could have easily passed the test, but she chose to take the path that left her with only one option—to forge a mid-grade or higher spiritual weapon before all the tests were over.

Half of the weapon crafters within the barrier were eliminated, leaving only Su Xiaoyao in the entire area still persevering. She threw another handful of weapon crafting materials into the pot to burn.

Helian Yi stood with his arms crossed, relaxed. As the first candidate to pass the test, he had the right to choose his opponent first.

He didn't speak, so no one could leave even after the assessment was over.

After discovering that this new round leader, who was putting on airs, was doing nothing but staring at the previous round leader who was still being assessed, the others, feeling bored, couldn't help but follow his gaze.

As they watched, they realized the extraordinary nature of the last artifact cultivator.

Each strike was delivered with even force, and the accompanying sparks always flew out in the same direction. Few people present could probably achieve such precise control.

After Su Xiaoyao's tireless hammering and forging, a long sword with a blade as black as ink jade was born in her hands.

The dark black blade shimmered with dazzling light, as if it had gathered the essence of heaven and earth. A red gold gemstone had been inlaid on the hilt at some unknown time, and as the gemstone swirled, it emitted a faint golden light, containing endless mystery.

Suddenly, a roar came from the pot, and a dazzling beam of light shot up from the bottom of the pot.

As the light faded, a slender, white hand grasped the hilt of the sword, and the powerful sword trembled slightly in her hand.

Su Xiaoyao swung her sword with all her might, and the air in front of her seemed to be torn apart. A powerful force burst forth, and the trees and rocks on the open ground opposite her collapsed under the power of this ethereal sword strike.

Su Xiaoyao glanced at the stunned crowd, her gaze finally settling on Helian Yi.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I've prepared a weapon for myself."

"It's worth waiting any amount of time for this much-anticipated showdown." Helian Yi clapped his hands and slowly walked towards her, making no attempt to hide the admiration in his eyes.

Jun Huilian appeared out of nowhere, smiling broadly, and said, "Congratulations on forging a top-grade spiritual weapon. You have passed this round of assessment."

The 996 enthusiasts, who had returned to their host's consciousness early on, applauded enthusiastically.

My little Yao is the best!

Jun Huilian glanced intentionally or unintentionally toward the direction of the kitchen.

Feeling her ambiguous gaze, Xiao Tingyuan shuddered, gave an awkward laugh, poured a few chopped green onions into the pot, stir-fried them casually, turned off the heat, and then casually moved out of the barrier.

With this, this round of assessments has concluded, and the list of candidates has been published on the spot.

In order to give Su Xiaoyao enough time to refine the weapon, Xiao Tingyuan delayed finishing the last dish, even though he could have easily secured a spot on the first track by himself.

His little actions were noticeable, but they didn't violate the rules.

Jun Huilian chuckled: "Being able to forge a top-grade spiritual weapon, no matter how long it takes, counts as passing the test."

Xiao Tingyuan felt even more embarrassed after hearing this.

Fortunately, the reunited 1314 and the God of Cookery were there, exchanging sarcastic remarks in his ear, which prevented him from wanting to crawl into the ground.

Jun Huilian cleared his throat, his voice carrying clearly for miles: "Candidates who have the right to choose their opponents, please exercise your selection in turn."

These words seemed to be specifically addressed to Helian Yi; anyone with eyes could see that this proctor was just enjoying the spectacle.

As she wished, Helian Yi cast a sharp glance at Su Xiaoyao.

"I wonder if I am honored?"

His magnetic voice was warm and pleasant to listen to, as if he were speaking heartfelt words of love.

Su Xiaoyao chuckled, held the sword horizontally, and lightly brushed the blade with her fingertips before abruptly sheathing it, the blades striking each other once more with a crisp ringing sound.

She laughed and said, "How about I send you into the loser's bracket semifinals with this sword, Young Master Helian?"

Helian Yi smiled: "I couldn't be happier."