C26 Play a Game!

"Alright, if there are no questions, let's form a line and wait for the Spirit Body Stones to be arranged," Gu Qiu instructed once more. Promptly, the youths on the platform began to queue up, while blood-red jade stones, each as tall as a person, were positioned around the perimeter.

Lin Tian, however, did not join the line; he simply stood in place, instantly becoming the focal point of the gathering.

Ye Hsing, Ye Feng, and others quickly took notice of Lin Tian. Ye Feng challenged him, "Lin Tian, what's your game? The assessment has begun, and here you are, motionless. Are you thinking of forfeiting?"

Ye Hsing's gaze shifted, betraying his uncertainty, yet he made no move to silence Ye Feng, equally puzzled by Lin Tian's actions.

"Senior Brother Lin..." Zhao Hai and Kong Ling looked on with concern, their faces etched with anxiety.

"Haha, Lin Tian, are you too scared to take the exam?" Ye Feng taunted, seeing Lin Tian's silence as an admission. "If you're afraid, then get off the stage quickly. Don't make a spectacle of yourself!"

"Ye Feng, what concern is it of yours?" Kong Ling snapped back, defending Lin Tian. "You're nothing but a vanquished foe of Senior Brother Lin. You have no right to make a scene here!"

"What did you say? Kong Ling, you little wretch! You think you can strut around just because you're in Lin Tian's favor? How dare you speak to me like that! Once Lin Tian is out of the picture, I'll make sure you..."

"Enough!" Ye Hsing's voice cut through the tension as he sharply rebuked Ye Feng, who was taken aback. Without another word, Ye Hsing delivered a resounding slap across Ye Feng's cheek.

The crowd was momentarily dumbfounded. Ye Hsing continued icily, "Brother Feng, consider the setting! What kind of drivel are you spouting?"

Ye Feng's face drained of color, and he quickly bowed his head, no longer daring to speak.

He recognized his blunder; with all eyes on him, especially in the presence of distinguished guests, his vulgar outburst was a disgrace to the Lin family.

"My apologies to all the esteemed elders and seniors present," Ye Hsing said, bowing respectfully with his hands clasped. "My brother spoke in anger without thinking. Please, forgive his rash words." The onlookers on the platform remained silent, offering slight nods in acknowledgment of Ye Hsing's gesture.

Ye Hsing turned to Lin Tian and questioned, "Junior Brother Lin, why aren't you lining up? We're in the midst of the assessment, and your absence shouldn't hold up the entire process."

"Exactly!" A middle-aged man next to the Spirit Body Stone barked out, striding over to Lin Tian. "Lin Tian! It's assessment time. Get in line now! If you don't, not only will you be disqualified, but you'll also face punishment according to our sect's laws!"

As he spoke, a sinister glint of murderous intent flashed in the man's eyes. With a gesture of his hand, several black-clad law enforcement disciples swiftly appeared on stage.

Observing the unfolding drama, Ye Dao exchanged a glance with Ye Hong and remarked, "Patriarch, that elder is Zhang Hai, a member of the Zhang family. It seems they're intent on targeting Lin Tian."

Ye Hong merely nodded, his expression grave rather than pleased. He was unsure of Lin Tian's intentions, but he was certain that Lin Tian wasn't one to make empty threats.

Sect Master Loong Zaitian and Imperial Guest Yang Pohai also took note of Lin Tian, their attention eventually shifting to Gu Qiu.

Feeling the pressure, Gu Qiu confronted Lin Tian, "Lin Tian! What are you thinking?!"

Only then did Lin Tian, who had remained silent until now, flash a sly smile and respond, "Elder Gu Qiu, I find the Spirit Body test rather pointless. Wouldn't a direct confrontation be more meaningful?"

The crowd gasped in disbelief at his audacious suggestion. No one had anticipated Lin Tian's bold critique of the assessment process.

Zhao Hai and Kong Ling were equally taken aback, completely at a loss as to why Lin Tian would make such an unexpected move.

Yet Lin Tian remained composed. This was all part of his strategy. He knew that to truly distinguish himself, merely passing the Inner Sect Test wouldn't suffice. He needed to be audacious and brazen enough to capture the attention of the influential figures. Otherwise, even if he passed today's test, the Ye and Zhang families would undoubtedly use all their resources to thwart and target him relentlessly.

He had no choice but to act this way; he had his sister's safety to consider, after all.

"Heh, Junior Brother Lin seems quite sure of himself," came a chuckle.

Ye Hsing joined in with a smile, "But confidence aside, Junior Brother, you still need to adhere to the assessment procedures, don't you?"

"Exactly! Who do you think you are, thinking you can change the rules with just a few words?"

Zhang Hai chimed in sharply, then turned and appealed, "Elder Gu! For someone like Lin Tian who doesn't know his place, it would be best to revoke his assessment eligibility!"

At that, all eyes turned to Gu Qiu. With a furrowed brow, he responded, "Lin Tian, there's a process for everything. You can't expect to change the outcome by objecting now."

"Oh, is that so? Well, never mind then."

With a nod, Lin Tian made his way to Zhao Hai and Kong Ling's side, ready to line up. "I'm ready to take the Spirit Body test."

"What's he up to now?"

"Has he lost his mind?"

The crowd buzzed with confusion. Lin Tian had gone from brazen to calm in the blink of an eye, leaving everyone baffled.

With a contorted expression, Ye Feng burst out, "Lin Tian! You're just stirring up trouble! What makes you think you're even qualified for this test? Unless you're claiming to have no Spirit Body and are trying to bluff your way through..."

"Don't you know whether I have a Spirit Body or not?" Lin Tian cut him off with a cold laugh, causing Ye Feng's cheeks to burn with embarrassment. The other disciples exchanged knowing glances; they were well aware of Ye Feng's previous defeats at Lin Tian's hands. Lin Tian's retort was a direct hit to Ye Feng's pride.

"Curse you, Lin Tian! What's with the arrogance? So what if you've awakened a fire attribute Spirit Body of the Common Level? You think you..."

"Who says my fire attribute Spirit Body is just Common Level?" Lin Tian interjected with a smirk. "For all you know, it could be a Law Rank Spirit Body."

"Law Rank Spirit Body? Ha!" Ye Feng laughed scornfully. "You think you're worthy of a Law Rank Spirit Body? In your dreams! Do you have any idea how rare that is? A Human Rank Spirit Body is one in a million, and Law Rank is one in ten million! In the entire Celestial Dragon Country, there are barely a hundred with a Law Rank Spirit Body, and each one is a person of immense stature. Do you really believe you possess such extraordinary talent?"

As the words were spoken, heads nodded involuntarily around the arena. They were well aware of the Spirit Body tiers, echoing Ye Feng's sentiments. A Spirit Body that ascended to the Human Rank, surpassing the Mortal Rank, was a rarity—one in a thousand. The Law Rank was even more elusive, a one-in-ten-thousand phenomenon, with few in the entire Celestial Dragon Country possessing it.

"Oh, and what if I possess a Law Rank Spirit Body?" Lin Tian inquired, a grin on his face.

"And what if you don't?" Ye Feng retorted with a sneer.

"Let's make it interesting. If my Spirit Body falls short of the Law Rank, my life is yours to do with as you please. But if it does reach the Law Rank, I won't take your life—it's not worth it. Instead, how about you just sever your arms and give me ten resounding kowtows?" Lin Tian proposed.

"You're on!" Ye Feng bellowed, his voice booming with disbelief that a nobody like Lin Tian could possess a Law Rank Spirit Body. "Remember, you said it yourself—no going back on your word!"

"Agreed, then it's settled," Lin Tian said with another smile, turning away from Ye Feng, prompting a shift in the crowd's gaze.

Before the test had even commenced, no one expected Lin Tian to strike such a wager with Ye Feng of the Ye family. The matter quickly slipped from their minds, though.

For the disciples on the platform, passing the Inner Sect Test was paramount; all else paled in comparison. However, the high-ranking individuals observing the scene were visibly intrigued by the unfolding drama.

Lin Tian internally acknowledged their interest, realizing that this incident had already captured the attention of the influential figures. It was now his opportunity to make a name for himself.

"The assessment begins now," Gu Qiu announced, watching Lin Tian rejoin the line before addressing the group once more. One by one, the disciples stepped forward to face the Spirit Body Stone.

"Place your hand upon the stone," commanded the elder standing beside the Spirit Body Stone. The disciples complied, and the stone soon radiated with light.

"Common Level Low Rank!"

"Common Level Middle Rank!"

"Oh? A High Rank of Common Level, impressive indeed. Keep striving..."

The crowd murmured as the Spirit Body Stone revealed varying intensities of blood-red luminescence with each disciple's touch.

The blood-red glow would coalesce into characters, reflecting the level and strength of the disciple's Spirit Body. Most were mere palm-sized Common Level characters, while the Middle Rank ones expanded to the size of a human chest, and the High Rank matched the size of a person.

Lin Tian had been closely monitoring the Spirit Body Stone's transformations, and upon unraveling its secrets, a cold smirk played across his heart.

He had detected a tiny scouting array within the stone, designed to manifest the strength of a disciple's Spirit Body. But for Lin Tian, manipulating this array was child's play.

"With my mastery over my own power, taking control of this array is far too easy. Plus, with my Peerless Spirit Body, I'll demonstrate the might of a Law Rank Spirit Body. This caliber of spirit body will likely astonish the entire Celestial Dragon Sect. It won't draw excessive attention to me, yet it will be enough to make the right people seek me out."

With his decision made, Lin Tian silently affirmed his plan.

As each individual ahead completed their assessment, Lin Tian's turn rapidly approached.

At that moment, countless eyes were fixed on Lin Tian, the recent exchange with Ye Feng still fresh in their minds.

Ye Feng's gaze was locked onto Lin Tian, skeptical that Lin Tian possessed a one-in-ten-thousand Law Rank Spirit Body aptitude.

Yet Lin Tian approached the Spirit Body Stone with a composed demeanor. Zhang Hai's voice cut through the air with a chill, "Place your hands on the Spirit Body Stone."

Lin Tian nodded in acknowledgment and laid his hands upon the stone, as all eyes around him widened in anticipation.