"Well, I didn't expect someone to have already completed the assessment!" said Shi Protector with a look of surprise after checking it for a while.

At this time, Shi Protector and the others had already seen that there happened to be a red-faced young man who had completed the assessment, took the sign representing the completion of the assessment, and ran towards the square.

The rest of the people were also attracted by Shi Protector's words, and looked towards the red-faced young man.

The content of this assessment is already quite difficult. It has only been less than an hour and a half now, and someone has actually completed it, which makes the Shi Protector and the others in charge of the assessment surprised.

Of course, there are also people who have noticed this red-faced young man for a long time, and they don't show too many surprised looks.

The young man gasped, with a happy expression on his honest face, and handed the sign to the stone protector. Then, as if he had finally let go of the big stone in his heart, he sat on the ground, and the expression on his face was replaced by relief and exhaustion.

Although this young man was born with divine power and his talent was not ordinary, he was already extremely tired from completing the assessment so quickly.

For this teenager who can complete the assessment so quickly, Shi Protector is obviously quite important. On a black charcoal face, there was a rare pleasant expression, and he praised the young man a few words. And he called for the boy to rest in a shady place in the square.

Ding Qi, who was on the mountain road, saw the red-faced young man complete the assessment from a distance, and he couldn't help but feel anxious again.

Soon, though, he turned his head and focused on the steps at his feet. Ding Qi knew that if it weren't for this, he would most likely have stepped into the air and fell on the mountain road. Sprinkle the water that you have managed to draw cleanly. By now, Ding Qi had completely lost his strength. Both feet also lost sensation and could only move up the steps mechanically.

Originally, at the beginning, Ding Qi still had the energy to estimate the time, but now he can only inject all his energy into his legs, and there is no such idle time at all. I don't know how much time is left.

However, seeing that someone had already completed the assessment, Ding Qi also knew that time was running out. But he was still far from filling the entire large water tank, which made him extremely anxious.

Thinking about things in his heart couldn't help but make Ding Qi a little distracted. Accidentally, he stepped on the air and was about to fall. Fortunately, Ding Qi was in a hurry, and immediately squatted down, moving the center of gravity of his body downward, and barely stabilized his body.

With a long sigh of relief and peace of mind, Ding Qi knew that now was not the time to worry indiscriminately, and it was the right thing to pick up the water. Stabilizing his mind, Ding Qi gritted his teeth, picked up the water one step at a time, and moved it up one step at a time.

I don't know how long it took, Ding Qi was pouring a bucket of water he picked into the big water tank, and a bell rang from the square. It was also announced that the two-hour assessment time had passed.

Ding Qi, who had long understood the meaning of this bell, heard this sound and sat on the ground, and could only smile bitterly in his heart. Although he had tried his best, he still did not fill the large water tank before the time arrived.

Ding Qi, who has been using all his energy to carry water, only then does he have time to check the surrounding situation.

When the bell rang, there were more than twenty teenagers near the halfway point of the hill where the sink was placed. Now these teenagers are all sitting on the ground with a depressed face, their faces full of frustration, and most of them have big teardrops. There were seven or eight relatively young teenagers, and they sat on the ground and cried.

Ding Qi was also depressed in his heart, but his mental maturity was far from being comparable to that of children of the same age, and he was not enough to cry. After sitting on the ground for a while, I barely managed to adjust my emotions.

Of course, there is also a strong element to this. Because among the stories of the rivers and lakes that Ding Qi has heard, those heroes of the rivers and lakes, no matter what kind of predicaments and setbacks they face, they can face them calmly and will not be discouraged.

Tintze felt that he had to at least be like them.

Ding Qi also knew that a young man with true qi like him actually had another chance. The Stone Protector and the others, who were in charge of the assessment, would check their meridians to judge their cultivation qualifications.

But Tincey doesn't have any expectations for this. He clearly knew that his cultivation qualifications were very average, and it was impossible for him to be selected.

While the teenagers were sitting on the ground in a gloomy state, dozens of Qingyun Sect disciples rushed to the mountainside and brought them to the square, who had been exhausted.

In the square, in addition to the stone protector and others, there are also children who have completed the assessment. Among them, two teenagers were lying on the ground and appeared to be in a coma. It is estimated that after filling the water tank, my heart was relieved and I passed out of exhaustion.

Including the two unconscious teenagers, a total of eight children completed the assessment. These teenagers are all born with strong muscles and bones, different from ordinary people, and they are good talents and beautiful jade for practicing martial arts.

Looking at these eight children, Ding Qi was naturally envious.

Next, just as Ding Qi knew, a child like him with true qi in his body was called out separately and conducted a probe of his cultivation qualifications.

In the case of Ding Qi, there are more than 20 people in total. They stood in the square, carefully inspected by the stone protectors one by one.

What surprised Ding Qi was that Wei Zhuo, who was extremely arrogant, did not pass the assessment of carrying water and filled the big water tank. However, it was different from the other twenty or so teenagers who were nervous, waiting for the stone protector to inspect them. Wei Zhuo didn't have any nervous look on his face, and he didn't look worried.

Seeing this, Ding Qi looked at the Wei Hall Master with a smile on his face, as if he understood something. He knew that with the help of the Wei Hall Master, a big man of the Qingyun Sect, no matter what Wei Zhuo's true qualifications were, he was already bound to become an inner disciple.

Half an hour had passed, and the stone protector had already checked more than ten children, and it would soon be Ding Qi.

Among these more than ten people, there are three children who have passed the inspection and become inner disciples.

Looking at the three children with ecstasy on their faces, Ding Qi couldn't help but feel hope in his heart, hoping that a miracle could happen to him.

Soon, the Stone Protector began to check on Ding Qi's condition, but to his disappointment, a miracle did not happen, and he was beaten into the ranks of the unsuccessful.

When it was Wei Zhuo's turn, Shi Protector was almost like a formality, and soon announced his qualification. Let Ding Qi, who had already guessed some of the inside story, sigh.

Just when Ding Qi no longer cared about the surrounding situation and was just waiting for himself to be sent down the mountain, an unexpected noise arose around the square.

What caused the commotion was a group of people led by a black-robed man.

This black-robed man looked no more than thirty years old, but his eyebrows revealed a sense of vicissitudes. If you have deep experience in the rivers and lakes, you can see at a glance that the black-robed man is by no means as young as he seems, but a top master with profound skills that can delay the aging of his body.

I don't know if it's an illusion, Ding Qi found that when he saw this black-robed man, the smile that Shi Protector often wore on his face suddenly froze, but it quickly returned to normal.

"Deputy Sha Master, why are you here. The stone protector greeted the black-robed man and said with a respectful salute.

The black-robed man laughed twice, and then said, "Why, the old man is not welcome." ”

At the same time, the black-robed man looked towards the group of people who were originally in charge of the assessment. Swept by the eyes of the black-robed man, many people showed uncomfortable looks, while others nodded slightly to the old man.

Ding Qi, who noticed that the situation in the square had become strange, couldn't understand what was going on for a while, and couldn't help but look at the black-robed man curiously.

Actually, it's no wonder that Ding Qi doesn't understand. In this case, only people within the Qingyun faction can figure out the reason.

This black-robed man known as the 'Sha Deputy Head' is one of the contenders for the position of the head of the Qingyun Sect now. It is the rival of another deputy head supported by the Stone Protector and the Lord of the Guardian Hall.

Those who were uncomfortable with the black-robed man were some people who supported another deputy head like the stone protector, and the ones who nodded to the black-robed man were of course his supporters.

"Where, how dare your subordinates. Hearing what the black-robed man said, Shi Protector hurriedly denied it with a smile.

The black-robed man didn't care about Shi Protector's smile, looked at the eight children who had passed the assessment and said, "Are these eight people the new disciples of my Qingyun Sect this year?"

"The deputy head of Huisha, exactly. The stone protector next to him replied respectfully.

Then, the stone protector said, "These eight people have passed the first level of assessment. There are also some disciples who have true qi in their bodies, and the test has not yet been completed. ”

Hearing what the stone protector said, the black-robed man looked at Ding Qi and the others with interest. This deputy gang leader of Sha is a person who has been killed for a long time, and his every move unconsciously has a terrifying aura, which ordinary adults can't afford, and how can ordinary children bear it. Being looked at by the black-robed man like this, an invisible power emanated from this person, and the teenagers were all trembling with fright.

In Lao Zhangtou, Ding Qi, who had felt similar power many times and had long been accustomed to it, was not greatly affected.

Deputy Sha Boss was also aware of his situation, and he was not surprised by the reaction of the teenagers, but after seeing Ding Qi's reaction, the black-robed old man's gaze was obvious on him, and he quickly looked away.

After glancing at Ding Qi and the others, the black-robed man laughed: "Well, since these babies haven't been checked yet, then the old man will help and see what the level of the inner disciples of the sect is this year." ”

After speaking, the black-robed man walked towards Ding Qi and the others.

Seeing the actions of the black-robed man, Shi Protector's face suddenly became ugly, and he hurriedly went to stop him: "Assessing the disciples in the sect is a matter within the subordinate's business, how dare there be a deputy head of Laosha." ”

Just when the stone protector wanted to stop the black-robed man, the deputy gang leader of Sha turned around and glared at the stone protector fiercely, letting the stone protector not advance or retreat, and froze in place for a while.

Next, the black-robed man made it clear that he could not trust the results of the stone protector's examination, and began to examine more than twenty children one by one again.

The hall master looked at the black-robed man who was inspecting with a pale face, looking like he dared to be angry but didn't dare to speak. Then, he looked like a stone protector again, and looked at him vigorously. However, at this time, the stone protector could only show a rather embarrassed smile at the hall master, and shook his head helplessly.

The results of the black-robed man's examination were no different from those of the stone protector. The same three teenagers were selected as inner disciples. Soon, it was Tinzi's turn.

Unlike the carelessness of the other children, the black-robed man was obviously interested in Ding Qi and looked at him carefully.

"Is there something on my face that can't be done?"

Ding Qi also felt the change in the black-robed man, secretly glanced at the black-robed man, and thought worriedly.

How did he know that he had easily withstood the power of the black-robed man before, and it had already aroused this person's interest.

"Reach out. The black-robed man said lightly.

Since the stone protector had already been inspected once, Ding Qi had already mastered it.

The black-robed man squinted his eyes and carefully checked Ding Qi's qualifications, but after a while, the black-robed man showed a disappointed look on his face and shook his head secretly.

"It's a pity, the qualifications are really poor!" said the black-robed man in an undetectable voice.

Then, the black-robed man walked up to the next boy and checked it.

Hearing the evaluation of the black-robed man, Ding Qi secretly smiled bitterly in his heart. Fortunately, he was already aware of his situation, but he didn't care too much. It's just boring to wait for the black-robed man to finish checking and send their batch of losers back.

However, during this waiting time, something happened that surprised Ding Qi.

Wei Zhuo, who had originally been selected as an inner disciple by the Shi Protector, was actually unqualified by the black-robed man. During this period, neither the Stone Protector nor the Hall Master dared to say a word of objection.

Wei Zhuo, who had already been designated as an inner disciple, did not expect this kind of thing to happen at all, and he was at a loss for a moment, and instantly froze in place. In the end, he looked at the Wei Hall Master like a helper, but what he got was a helpless and wry expression on the Wei Hall Master.

Seeing this, Wei Zhuo seemed to understand something, and finally fell to the ground, crying wow, completely lacking his previous calm appearance.

Compared with people like Ding Qi, who had long been prepared for defeat, Wei Zhuo is much more pitiful now.

Later, after the inspection of the black-robed man, two more people were selected as inner disciples.

However, all this has nothing to do with Ding Qi.

After the assessment was completed, the children who were not selected were rearranged to the hut at the foot of the mountain, and waited until the next morning to be sent back to their respective places.

By the time all the children, Shi Protector and the others had already left the square, the black-robed man stood on the edge of a rather steep cliff with his hands behind his back, looking into the distance. Next to him, several people were accompanied.

"Master Sha, this time we have swept the face of the Stone Protector and the Hall Master, will it be a little unfavorable to the actions in half a month. A middle-aged man beside the black-robed man said with some concern.

The black-robed man turned his head and chuckled: "Lao Guan, you are good at everything, but you are too cautious in doing things, and you are a little forward-looking." Both of them are loyal supporters of Zuoyang's people, and there is no possibility of winning over to our side at all. In this case, there is nothing wrong with borrowing today's incident to give them a dismount and let them know some measure. ”

Then the black-robed man sighed, and then continued: "Besides, the Wei Hall Master used his identity to open the joints of the Stone Protector and select his nephew as an inner disciple, which was originally against the rules of the sect. I'm in charge of the precepts within the door, and I can't let anything happen that violates the rules of the gang. That kid from the Wei family, I have checked, his qualifications are really average, and he has not reached the qualifications of an inner disciple at all. If you really investigate it, it won't be like I'm suppressing them. I didn't let the two of them think about the cliff for three days, I already gave them enough face, do they still have an opinion. ”

"That's what the sand boss said. The person known as Lao Guan nodded and said.

Thinking of something, the black-robed man continued: "Lao Guan, has there been a result of the matter of the child named Ding Qi that I asked you to inquire about?"

"Back to the head of the sand department, there are already results. That kid was recommended by Ding Shan, a walker from the outer gate, and he had no background. Is there anything strange about this child? Lao Guan frowned slightly, looking puzzled.

The black-robed man shook his head: "It's not weird, I just think this kid is not bad in temperament." ”

Lao Guan nodded clearly, and then said: "Since Sha Zhangmen thinks that this son is still useful, it is better for me to let this person be included in the quota of inner disciples." ”

The black-robed man shook his head again: "No need, this person's qualifications are too poor, and it will be difficult to have any great achievements in the future, and there is no cultivation value." Besides, I am responsible for the internal precepts, and I also need to set an example, so I can't break the rules of the internal assessment and let people grasp the handle. Now is the critical moment for me and Zuo Yang to compete for the head, and there can be no negligence. Let this man go back from whence he comes. ”

"By the way, that Ding Shan should be one of the people who were just promoted by the sect a year ago. Although this person is a small person, I think he is a person who can do things, you happen to have arrangements to go to Liangcheng tomorrow, so go with Deacon Li and try to win over this person. This kind of little person may be able to play an unexpected role at a critical time. The black-robed man commanded again.

The person who is called Lao Guan naturally nods yes and writes them down one by one.

After the black-robed man and his party discussed some other things on the mountain, their figures quickly disappeared from the mountain.

Ding Qi didn't know that his fate would inadvertently compete with the head of the Qingyun faction, and even in the hands of these Qingyun faction bigwigs, after a few turns, he finally returned to his original trajectory.

The next day, he finally got into the carriage back to Liangcheng.

At the back of the car, looking at Qingyun Mountain, which was getting farther and farther away from him. Ding Qi felt that the martial arts world that he had dreamed of, with swords and swords, was also like Qingyun Mountain, getting farther and farther away from him, making him look gloomy.

Ding Qi also didn't know that it was the failure of the inner disciple assessment this time that made him unexpectedly embark on a path of immortal cultivation that was hundreds of times more exciting than the world of Jianghu martial arts and transcended the world. No one could have predicted that the relationship between him and this Qingyun Sect was far from over, and it would completely change the fate of both sides a few years later.