The Assessment Process of the Seven-Star Sword Sect

Su Luo found a decent place to rest in Seven Star Town.

Well, it wasn’t exactly a great spot, as all the good inns had already been booked.

Just getting a small room was considered fortunate—such was the allure of the Seven Stars Sword Sect.

After arriving, Su Luo decided to take a stroll outside. There wasn’t much to see, really. She had already explored the area countless times during previous storylines.

But since she wasn’t busy cultivating, she had plenty of time to kill.

Boredom got the better of her, so she wandered aimlessly.

That’s when she noticed someone following her.

Wait, no—it wasn’t exactly stalking. The person wasn’t even trying to hide, just walking behind her openly.

Su Luo stopped and turned around to look.

The person, upon being seen, didn’t react much, though they seemed a bit embarrassed under Su Luo’s prolonged gaze and lowered their head.

Su Luo recognized her—it was the little girl who had saved her life in the forest.

What was her name again? Su Luo realized she had never asked.

Well, since it wasn’t anyone suspicious, Su Luo decided to ignore her. Just a random passerby, after all.

Su Luo continued her aimless wandering, glancing around casually.

But Little Yu kept following her.

Su Luo finally couldn’t take it anymore. “So, how long are you planning to follow me?”

“I feel uneasy in this place, but seeing you makes me feel safe,” Little Yu replied.

This was her first time in such a crowded place.

Ever since she started cultivating, Little Yu had developed a vague ability to sense the strength of others.

Seven Star Town was filled with powerful individuals, which only heightened her sense of insecurity.

She had come alone, tagging along with the group from Autumn Wind City, without any companions.

She had seen Su Luo on the giant bird earlier, but back then, Su Luo had been surrounded by people dressed in luxurious robes.

Little Yu couldn’t help but feel a bit inferior.

Even now, with Su Luo alone, she only wanted to follow from a distance, not intending to disturb her.

“Why are you here for the Seven Stars Sword Sect’s entrance exam?” Su Luo asked.

“I have nowhere else to go,” Little Yu admitted.

She was an orphan. After meeting Su Luo, she felt she couldn’t continue living as she had.

When she heard about the Seven Stars Sword Sect’s entrance exam, she decided to give it a try, seeing as she had nothing to lose.

“If you have nowhere to go, here’s some money. Find a place to stay and quietly wait for the exam,” Su Luo said.

“But...”

“No buts. Don’t follow me. I can’t give you any sense of security.”

Su Luo had long passed the stage of being a helpful, kind-hearted person. Now, she only lent a hand occasionally.

Besides, she was surrounded by antagonists, and anyone associated with her would inevitably meet a bad end.

With that, she completely shook off the little girl. What was her name again? Su Luo didn’t care. She wasn’t an important character in the story anyway.

Back in her room, Su Luo finally started writing her diary. She had been procrastinating lately.

**[Year X, Month Y, Day Z, Clear Weather]**

**The Seven Stars Sword Sect’s entrance exam has finally arrived. This time, I’m undoubtedly part of the plot, though, as usual, it won’t end well for me.**

**Let’s talk about the exam first. It’s divided into several stages.**

**The first stage tests talent. In the center of Seven Star Town, there’s a Star-Gazing Formation used to assess one’s innate abilities.**

**Not everyone can afford to use a talent-testing formation, and not all of them are accurate. However, the Star-Gazing Formation is renowned throughout the cultivation world for its high accuracy. The talent it measures holds significant weight.**

**In the Star-Gazing Formation, talent is ranked from one to ten, with one being the lowest and ten the highest. However, a tenth-rank talent hasn’t appeared in a long time.**

**Those with a third-rank talent or higher can proceed to the next stage of the exam. This stage alone eliminates a large number of participants.**

**However, being eliminated isn’t entirely without benefits. At least they receive a talent assessment from the Star-Gazing Formation, which can serve as proof of potential when applying to smaller sects in the future.**

**While the Seven Stars Sword Sect, one of the three major sects of the South Continent, might not care much about first or second-rank talents, smaller sects would treasure them. After all, the Seven Stars Sword Sect has the luxury of being picky, while smaller sects are just happy to have anyone.**

**My talent is at the third rank, barely passing. As for Lin Xuan, he’s at the fifth rank—not exceptionally high, but decent. This isn’t a story about a genius protagonist, so the main character is just slightly above average.**

**On the other hand, Li Siyi is at the seventh rank. With such talent, the Seven Stars Sword Sect would eagerly accept her. Of course, she still has to go through the exam, but for her, it’s just a formality.**

**The second stage involves climbing the Abyss. Despite its name, it’s just a deep, steep ravine that can only be scaled by climbing. Legend has it that this ravine was created by a single strike from a powerful cultivator of the Seven Stars Sword Sect in the past.**

**There’s not much to say about this stage—just climb. Along the way, bats will attack, but Lin Xuan uses his sword techniques to kill many of them, helping numerous participants. While this act doesn’t earn him extra points, it impresses the examiners.**

**This time, however, he doesn’t fall off the cliff, so he doesn’t learn any new sword techniques. But it doesn’t matter—he’s the protagonist. He’ll shine regardless.**

**This stage is a test of physical endurance and willpower. Watching everyone struggle to climb almost made me laugh, because I took the VIP route.**

**There’s a secret tunnel at the bottom of the ravine, winding through the mountain and spiraling upward. The path is longer, but it’s much easier than climbing.**

**This is my privilege, arranged by my father. There’s even someone from the Seven Stars Sword Sect to guide me, so everything goes smoothly.**

**The third stage tests comprehension.**

**Participants must gaze at the writings of a powerful cultivator. The longer they can endure, the higher their comprehension. Fifteen minutes is the passing mark.**

**This stage is undoubtedly tailored for the protagonist. This time, Lin Xuan lasts the longest, astonishing everyone with his exceptional comprehension despite his average talent.**

**As for me, I fail. But someone turns a blind eye, so I pass anyway.**

**The fourth stage is a talent showcase, where participants demonstrate their best skills.**

**Once again, Lin Xuan steals the show. His techniques, taught by an old master and honed through rigorous practice, are both impressive and aesthetically pleasing, easily securing his pass.**

**As for me, I simply swing my sword once and pass.**

**And just like that, I complete the entrance exam.**

**Of course, the story doesn’t end there. It’s my turn to shine.**

**After passing the exam, I get overly excited and mock those who failed.**

**Then Lin Xuan steps forward and exposes me, accusing me of cheating.**

**He’s right. The only reason I passed so easily is because I’m meant to serve as a stepping stone for Lin Xuan.**

**True to my role as the incompetent antagonist, I not only admit to cheating but also boast about it.**

**Instantly, everyone looks down on me.**

**Naturally, those who helped me cheat immediately cut ties with me, but they still declare that I passed.**

**Lin Xuan isn’t having it and confronts the examiner.**

**The examiner, not wanting to lose face, uses his aura to suppress Lin Xuan and sternly declares that there’s no evidence of cheating.**

**Even though I admitted it, there’s no evidence? What a joke. But since the examiner holds the highest authority, no one dares to challenge him.**

**Still, Lin Xuan glares at the examiner, refusing to back down even as the examiner’s aura nearly suffocates him.**

**Finally, another powerful figure from the Seven Stars Sword Sect arrives, defusing the situation.**

**In the end, Lin Xuan isn’t punished for challenging the examiner, and I still pass the exam.**

**Of course, I have to join the sect. I’m here to be humiliated by Lin Xuan later.**

**Thanks to this incident, Lin Xuan earns the respect of the other participants.**

**Lin Xuan is the kind of friend worth having—he stands up for what’s right.**

**There’s a bit more to the entrance exam, but I’m too tired to write about it. Time to sleep.**

With that, Su Luo waited for her rewards, collected them, and went to bed.

**[Diary completed. Reward: Speed +2, Strength +4.]**

**[Acquired special ability: What you see is what I want you to see.]**

**[You can adjust your cultivation level at will, up to your actual level.]**

Su Luo tested it out and found she could lower her Foundation Establishment cultivation to the Qi Refining stage.

In essence, it’s an ability to conceal her cultivation level.

Su Luo could already hide her cultivation, but in front of true experts, it was impossible.

With this system ability, even the most powerful experts wouldn’t be able to see through her.