A vast seaside plaza hosted the monthly assessment, where more than ten thousand students gathered to participate. The assessment itself consisted of junior, intermediate, and advanced classes. In contrast, students of the elite class were exempt from taking part altogether.

On the final day, a boundless aura erupted from the courtyard and swept across the surroundings, startling countless people. The aura of an Origin Immortal surged into the sky, condensing into a mighty storm that spiraled above the courtyard.

Stepping into the Origin Immortal Realm granted a cultivator the ability to fly for brief periods. However, such a flight remained limited in both duration and altitude, far from the freedom of true flight.

As dawn broke the following morning, Ye Linghan stepped out from her room with an ethereal air about her. Her beauty seemed even more flawless than before, while every pore on her skin radiated a faint crystalline luster.

The sight momentarily entranced Xiang Rulong and the others. Realizing their lapse, they quickly averted their eyes, not daring to show the slightest disrespect toward their mentor.

"Mentor Ye is so beautiful!" Ren Fanfan exclaimed, her eyes sparkling as she stared at Ye Linghan in admiration.

Ye Linghan walked toward Liu Wuxie at an unhurried pace, gradually restraining the aura of the Origin Immortal Realm.

Liu Wuxie was merely in the High Immortal Realm, whereas Ye Linghan had already stepped into the Origin Immortal Realm. By all accounts, they should've now stood in entirely different worlds. Yet for some inexplicable reason, Ye Linghan felt that Liu Wuxie stood far above her. It was a feeling she could neither explain nor comprehend.

Ye Linghan bowed in gratitude and said, "Thank you."

The Soul Healing Pill alone should not have been enough to help her break through to the Origin Immortal Realm. What truly transformed her was the power of creation, destiny, and heavenly dao it contained, which had reshaped her aptitude.

"It's getting late. Let's go," Liu Wuxie said with a nod, clearly satisfied with Ye Linghan's attitude.

Naturally, Liu Wuxie had his own reasons for helping Ye Linghan reach the Origin Immortal Realm. He needed her strength to help him accomplish many things. Both of them understood this perfectly well, yet neither chose to say it aloud.

A trace of guilt appeared on Ye Linghan's face. "Wuxie, how confident are you about the class assessment?" she asked.

The assessment was about to begin, yet she had spent the past several days focused entirely on cultivation. As a result, all the pressure had fallen squarely onto Liu Wuxie's shoulders.

"Opportunities belong to those who prepare themselves," Liu Wuxie replied, offering no further explanation.

Although they had only five days, the seventeen students had followed his instructions without deviation. He remained optimistic about their chances. As for how much confidence he truly had, only heaven knew.

After all, Liu Wuxie had not been in the Azure Flame Dao Hall for long. His understanding of the other mentors remained limited.

The group crossed the Azure Flame Dao Hall and arrived at the site of the assessment. The junior-class assessment had concluded the previous day. Today was reserved for the intermediate classes, while the advanced classes would undergo their assessments tomorrow.

The venue was already overflowing with people. Many students from both the junior and advanced classes had come purely to watch the event unfold.

The intermediate division alone consisted of more than six thousand students, and the various classes would compete against one another throughout the assessment.

In addition to the overall evaluation, the classes also settled their rivalries here. Long-standing grudges between different classes inevitably resurfaced every month.

According to the rules, the assessment would begin with an evaluation of each class's performance. At the same time, classes were allowed to settle personal grievances before the overall assessment officially commenced.

After all, unresolved grudges tended to accumulate over time. Once they reached a breaking point, the consequences could become far more troublesome.

For that reason, the Azure Flame Dao Hall had established this system to allow classes to settle disputes openly. Those without grievances could exchange pointers or observe from the sidelines.

As the mentor, Ye Linghan led Liu Wuxie and the seventeen students into the arena.

The instant they appeared, the attention of the entire crowd shifted toward them.

"Mentor Ye has reached the Origin Immortal Realm!"

Ye Linghan had deliberately released a faint trace of her Origin Immortal aura, and the moment it spread outward, countless mentors sprang to their feet in shock.

Reaching the Origin Immortal Realm meant that Ye Linghan now qualified for promotion to a second-grade mentor, placing her on equal footing with Wen Qi.

Although Wei Wenbin also held the rank of second-grade mentor, everyone knew the truth behind it. He had attained that position through his accomplishments in alchemy, while his cultivation still fell short of the standard.

Wen Qi's eyes narrowed slightly. Now that Ye Linghan had stepped into the Origin Immortal Realm, killing Liu Wuxie would become even more difficult than before.

The expressions of Nangong Shan and Shen Chao turned unsightly as well. Both had long pursued Ye Linghan, but now that she had surpassed them in cultivation, continuing to court her would only make them appear increasingly overconfident and self-centered.

Most of the attention, however, ultimately settled on Liu Wuxie.

Everyone still remembered that when he had joined the Azure Flame Dao Hall, he had been nothing more than a ninth-level Heavenly Immortal. Yet how much time had passed since then? He had already advanced to the fifth-level High Immortal Realm. Such a speed of cultivation appeared frightening to anyone who witnessed it.

"He must have refined some heaven-defying pill to help Ye Linghan break through," an alchemist exclaimed.

As for Liu Wuxie himself, many still overlooked him. Even if he were to step into the True Immortal Realm, he would remain beneath the notice of the Profound Immortals present.

Whispers spread through the crowd as curiosity regarding the pill refined that day continued to grow.

"What kind of pill could allow a Profound Immortal to break through to the Origin Immortal Realm?"

The eyes of the Profound Immortal mentors burned with desire as they looked toward Liu Wuxie and Ye Linghan.

"If I could obtain such a pill, wouldn't I also have a chance to reach the Origin Immortal Realm?"

After all, obtaining such a pill could bring about a complete transformation in their cultivation.

Ignoring the countless discussions around them, Liu Wuxie and the others calmly took their seats in the area assigned to their class.

Each class had its own designated section, and several groups had yet to arrive. The assessment would not officially begin until everyone had gathered.

As the sun climbed higher into the sky, the intermediate-class assessment finally commenced.

"Just like last month, the classes may begin by exchanging pointers with one another," Zuo Yang announced as he swept his gaze across the plaza.

"Xiang Rulong, you traitor! How dare you betray Mentor Jiang? I challenge you!" An enraged roar erupted from the distance. At the same time, a powerful wave of energy surged straight toward the area occupied by Liu Wuxie's class.

After all, when Xiang Rulong joined Liu Wuxie's class, he had brought more than ten disciples with him, dealing Jiang Hongran a significant blow to his prestige.

Of course, Jiang Hongran still had many students under his guidance. Xiang Rulong's group represented only a portion of them.

The speaker possessed second-level True Immortal cultivation. With a single step, he crossed the distance and landed in the open arena at the center of the plaza.

That area had been specially designated for martial contests, while separate sections existed for alchemy, blacksmithing, talismans, and other disciplines.

Xiang Rulong snorted coldly and strode forward without hesitation. "Yu Hongsheng, what audacity!"

During the twenty-odd days he had spent studying under Liu Wuxie, his gains had been tremendous. He had long been eager to test himself in battle.

"That's strange. Yu Hongsheng isn't one of Jiang Hongran's students. Wasn't he from another class?"

The surrounding students immediately began discussing the matter among themselves.

Discussions broke out in every direction, and no one made any attempt to keep their voice down.

"The students Xiang Rulong took with him were all decent talents. Mentor Jiang naturally wants to recover his reputation. The simplest way is to find even stronger geniuses to defeat Xiang Rulong and the others."

Everyone already understood the situation, so there was no reason to conceal it.

Yu Hongsheng was temporarily placed under Jiang Hongran's guidance. Once Liu Wuxie's group suffered defeat, he would return to his original class.

The two stood facing one another in the arena as their auras collided head-on.

Although Xiang Rulong was only a first-level True Immortal, the pressure he released was not the slightest bit weaker than Yu Hongsheng's.

The two shared long-standing personal grievances, which were one of the primary reasons Jiang Hongran had chosen Yu Hongsheng for this confrontation.

"Xiang Rulong, today I'll teach you a lesson on Mentor Jiang's behalf. I'll show you the price of betraying him," Yu Hongsheng declared, clenching his fists, and a fierce wave of power burst outward from his body.

Standing nearby, Jiang Hongran swept a cold glance toward Liu Wuxie. Ever since losing the Fire Spiritual Pill in their previous wager, he had never forgotten the humiliation.

Jiang Hongran's roar thundered across the plaza like rolling waves. "Liu Wuxie, get out here!"

Liu Wuxie's brows furrowed as a chilling killing intent flashed through his eyes.

"Mentor Jiang, haven't you been slapped in the face enough already?" Rising to his feet, Liu Wuxie met Jiang Hongran's aggression head-on without showing the slightest intention of retreating.

Ye Linghan had originally intended to intervene, but Liu Wuxie stopped her with a simple wave of his hand.

He had nurtured Xiang Rulong and the others. Now was finally the time to harvest the results. In truth, he had been worried that no one would take the initiative to challenge him.

Since Jiang Hongran had volunteered to be the first, Liu Wuxie naturally had no reason to refuse.

Jiang Hongran's expression turned incomparably grim at Liu Wuxie's words.

According to Liu Wuxie's prediction, Tu Zhengbao should have been the first person to step forward. After all, Ye Linghan taught a spiritual array class, and martial combat had never been their strength. That was precisely why Jiang Hongran's impatience in making a move before Tu Zhengbao came as a surprise.

"I want to bet with you again!" Jiang Hongran declared.

Losing the Fire Spiritual Pill had never truly bothered him. What he cared about was recovering his reputation and avenging the students Liu Wuxie had taken from him.

After all, competition among mentors for talented students was commonplace in the Azure Flame Dao Hall. Over the years, Ye Linghan herself had lost more than a few promising students to other mentors.

"And how does Mentor Jiang wish to bet?" Liu Wuxie asked, a faintly devilish smile curling at the corner of his lips. At long last, the real spectacle was about to begin.

"If Yu Hongsheng wins, I want to know what pill you refined that day," Jiang Hongran said. According to the plan formulated earlier, he had intended to use the class assessment to force Liu Wuxie out of the Azure Flame Dao Hall.

However, circumstances had changed. The moment Ye Linghan stepped into the Origin Immortal Realm, Jiang Hongran had abandoned that idea.

His proposal caused countless people's eyes to light up. After all, it was the very question gnawing at everyone's curiosity.

"Very well," Liu Wuxie replied without hesitation, accepting Jiang Hongran's condition. "But if Xiang Rulong wins, what does Mentor Jiang intend to offer?"

The moment those words fell, waves of laughter swept through the plaza.

After all, Xiang Rulong's cultivation was a full level lower than Yu Hongsheng's. In every previous clash between the two, Xiang Rulong had always been the one defeated. Jiang Hongran had invested considerable effort to bring Yu Hongsheng over for this exact purpose.

In everyone's eyes, Jiang Hongran held a significant advantage in this battle.

Jiang Hongran flicked his sleeve with confidence and said, "If Xiang Rulong wins, I'll give up my position as a mentor." He believed that victory was already within reach.

"I have no interest in your position as a mentor," Liu Wuxie replied calmly. "I heard that you possess a strand of Indigo Moon Essence. If Xiang Rulong wins, that's what I want."

He had already learned the details of these mentors from Ye Linghan along the way. If he could obtain the Indigo Moon Essence, he could use it as a stepping stone to break through to the sixth-level High Immortal Realm.

Jiang Hongran was in a dilemma. The strand of Indigo Moon Essence was of great importance to him, and he was still missing several accompanying materials. Once he gathered them all, he would have a genuine chance of advancing to the Origin Immortal Realm.

Yu Hongsheng and Xiang Rulong remained motionless. Both understood that they no longer represented only themselves in this battle, but they also carried the pride and reputation of the mentors standing behind them.

"No. I still have use for the Indigo Moon Essence," Jiang Hongran refused after a brief moment of hesitation.

A trace of ridicule flickered through Liu Wuxie's eyes as he shook his head. "So Mentor Jiang spent all this time preparing, yet doesn't even have the confidence to accept the wager? That's rather disappointing."

The mockery in his expression became impossible to miss.

Jiang Hongran had prepared for this day for a long time. In the eyes of nearly everyone present, victory should have been a foregone conclusion. Even Jiang Hongran himself had believed so. Yet the moment he refused the wager, a crack had already appeared in that confidence. His hesitation revealed that he did not possess absolute certainty of victory.

His response caught the crowd completely off guard. After all, Jiang Hongran had been the one to issue the challenge, and he clearly held the advantage. Yet the instant he backed away from Liu Wuxie's condition, many spectators began looking at him differently, their gazes carrying unmistakable contempt.