74: Gold Medal Butler

Three days later, the day of the assessment.

The assessment location was set in a specialized area in the back mountain of Hundred Flowers Valley. When Hua Qianying arrived with Qin Feng, several Elders were already waiting in the field, including that Elder from the Library; he still maintained that same unruffled appearance. Additionally, some Inner Sect Disciples and Deacons had come to observe upon hearing the news, their gazes toward Qin Feng filled with curiosity, scrutiny, and even a fair amount of doubt. A male Disciple who had just entered the Sect a few days ago could actually move the Palace Master to make an exception for a Deacon assessment; in their eyes, this was simply unprecedented.

The chief examiner was a serious-faced, solemn middle-aged female Elder surnamed Yan, the Chief Elder of the Discipline Hall, whose cultivation had already reached the Mid-stage Martial King level.

"Qin Feng, Elder Hua must have already explained the assessment rules to you. There are three stages: the 'Path of the Heart's Inquiry', the 'Hundred Flowers Formation', and 'Skill Discernment'. Each stage is worth one hundred points, and you must reach sixty points to pass. If you pass all three stages and your total score is among the top ranks, you will be granted the position of Deacon according to custom. Are you prepared?" Elder Yan's voice was cold and hard, devoid of any emotion.

"This Disciple is prepared," Qin Feng responded calmly with a cupped-hand salute.

"Good. The first stage, Path of the Heart's Inquiry, begins now!"

With a wave of Elder Yan's sleeve, the originally ordinary mountain path before everyone distorted for a moment, and a misty stone step path that could only accommodate one person emerged, winding deep into the mountain forest with no end in sight. This was the Path of the Heart's Inquiry, which contained a powerful illusion Formation that pointed directly at the core of one's heart to interrogate their will.

Qin Feng did not hesitate in the slightest and stepped inside.

In an instant, the surrounding scenery changed drastically! It was no longer the birds and flowers of Hundred Flowers Valley, but had transformed into the blood-and-fire-intertwined battlefield of Star South City! The savage grins of the Barbarians, the tragic cries of his compatriots, Xiao Chun's panicked face, Xia Xue's blood-stained figure... countless tragic images surged like a tide, battering his mind!

"Hold on! You must hold on!"

"Brother Qin Feng, save me!"

"Brat, give me your life!"

Various voices intertwined, attempting to stir up the fear, sadness, anger, and despair within his heart.

However, Qin Feng's Dao Heart had long since been polished as hard as a rock through repeated brushes with death and the tempering of the intelligence System. He knew very well that these were all Illusion Elephants, and his eyes remained clear throughout. He saw the fear but chose to face it; he felt the sadness but transformed it into strength; and facing the anger, he maintained his composure.

He climbed upward step by step with steady paces, his speed not slowing down in the slightest. Those Illusion Elephants were like waves crashing against a reef, shattering one after another.

Outside, the Elder responsible for monitoring the Formation looked at the speck of light on the jade plate in her hand—representing the fluctuations of Qin Feng's mind—which remained steadily at an extremely high level, and a hint of astonishment could not help but flash in her eyes.

In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Qin Feng's figure walked steadily out of the mist at the end of the Path of the Heart's Inquiry, his expression as usual, with only a few fine beads of sweat seeping from his forehead.

Elder Yan glanced at the score on the jade plate—ninety-five points! A slight ripple finally appeared on her icy face. Such willpower far exceeded that of an ordinary Grand Martial Master; even many who had just entered the Martial King realm might not necessarily be able to obtain such a high score so easily on this path!

"The first stage, pass. Score: ninety-five." Elder Yan's voice was still flat, but a low clamor had already broken out at the side of the field.

The corner of Hua Qianying's mouth curled up in an imperceptible arc.

"The second stage, Hundred Flowers Formation!"

As Elder Yan's voice fell, countless flower petals emerged out of thin air on the open ground ahead—red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple. They were brilliantly colored and instantly formed a magnificent yet murder-filled giant flower Formation. The petals danced and swirled, sometimes shooting out like sharp arrows, sometimes entangling like vines, sometimes emitting a hallucinogenic fragrance, and sometimes condensing into a giant floral palm that struck downward!

This Formation was ever-changing with diverse attack methods, designed to test the challenger's adaptability and practical combat skills.

Qin Feng took a deep breath. His qingming sword did not leave its scabbard; he simply used his fingers as a sword and flitted into the Formation like the wind.

Circulating the Primordial Unity Qi Art, his Internal Energy spread throughout his body, and his perception was magnified to the limit. He did not clash head-on with the Formation but instead wove through the gaps in the petal attacks like a swimming fish. Sword Qi flickered at his fingertips as he tapped, flicked, or slashed, precisely dispelling the incoming petal arrows and cutting through the entangling vines, breaking force with skill.

He was well-prepared for the hallucinogenic fragrance, holding his breath while his Internal Energy circulated on its own to dispel the small amount of foreign energy he had inhaled. Facing the condensed floral palm, he executed exquisite movement techniques, narrowly avoiding the frontal impact while simultaneously pointing a finger of Sword Qi at the core node of its energy flow, causing it to collapse.

His movements were as smooth as flowing water, as if he had already seen through all the variations of the Formation, always managing to neutralize the most dangerous attacks with the least amount of consumption. This was thanks to his rich practical experience and precise control over power.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the light of the Hundred Flowers Formation gradually faded, and the petals dissipated. Qin Feng stood in the center of the Formation with steady breathing and tidy clothes, looking as if he had just taken a leisurely stroll.

The monitoring Elder looked at the comprehensive data displayed on the jade plate, such as the time taken to break the Formation, the number of hits received, and the consumption of Internal Energy, and announced the score again: "The second stage, Hundred Flowers Formation, score—ninety-five!"

The discussion at the side of the field grew even louder. If the Path of the Heart's Inquiry tested one's internal self, then the Hundred Flowers Formation tested one's solid external capabilities. To be able to reach such a level in this ever-changing Hundred Flowers Formation, this boy's combat ability could be called terrifying!

The smile in Hua Qianying's eyes grew even deeper.

"The third stage, Skill Discernment. Qin Feng, which skill do you choose to be assessed on?" Elder Yan looked at Qin Feng.

"This Disciple chooses Alchemy." Qin Feng was well-prepared. He carried the Medicine King Valley Legacy; although he had only recently begun to touch upon it, refining some basic Medicinal Pills was more than enough, and this was also the skill that most easily demonstrated "value."

He was led to an adjacent Alchemy room, where several common Yellow Rank Medicinal Pill Materials were prepared.

Qin Feng chose to refine the yellow rank high grade Medicinal Pill, the 'Qi-Recovery Pill'. This was a pill commonly used by Martial Artists and Martial Masters to quickly recover Internal Energy; its refining difficulty was moderate and could best demonstrate basic skills.

He washed his hands, focused his mind, drew the earth fire, and preheated the Pill Furnace. His movements were neither fast nor slow, yet they carried a unique rhythm. The timing of adding medicinal herbs, the control of the heat, the Fusion of medicinal liquids, the hand seals for condensing the pill... every step was as precise as if measured by a ruler.

He did not use those profound techniques from the Medicine King Valley Legacy, but relied solely on the exquisite control of Internal Energy from the Primordial Unity Qi Art, combined with his own solid medical and pharmacological knowledge, to refine this batch of Qi-Recovery Pills to near perfection.

Half an hour later, the Pill Furnace opened, and twelve round, full, evenly colored, and clearly veiled Qi-Recovery Pills lay quietly at the bottom of the furnace, all of High Grade quality! The success rate was one hundred percent!

After the Elder from the Alchemy Workshop responsible for judging inspected them carefully, he could not hide the admiration in his eyes and gave a score: "The third stage, Skill Discernment, Alchemy, score—ninety-five!"

Three stages, all ninety-five points! A total score of two hundred and eighty-five points!

This result not only easily passed the Deacon assessment but also broke the record for the highest score in the Hundred Flowers Palace Deacon assessment in nearly fifty years!

The side of the field was silent; everyone was shocked by this result. Those who had originally looked on with doubt now only had amazement and complexity left.

Looking at Qin Feng, a hint of what could be called a gentle expression finally appeared on Elder Yan's icy face: "Qin Feng, you have passed all three stages of the assessment with excellent results, and your total score has broken the record. According to the Palace rules, you are granted the position of Deacon. Furthermore, because your results are outstanding, you are specially bestowed the 'Gold-Medal Deacon' token!"

She held up a token in her hand; it was not the Silver Medal of an ordinary Deacon, but a gold medal that was translucent and radiant all over, with the words 'Hundred Flowers' carved on the front and 'Gold Deacon' carved on the back!

Gold-Medal Deacon! In the Deacon hierarchy of the Hundred Flowers Palace, this was the highest level, with greater authority, more resource allocations, and even the ability to participate in discussions of certain Sect affairs to a limited extent!

"Thank you, Palace Master! Thank you, Elders!" Qin Feng stepped forward and respectfully received that heavy Gold-Medal Deacon token. It felt warm in his hand, and he could faintly feel the special Formation fluctuations contained within it.

Hua Qianying could no longer suppress the smile on her face at this moment. She stepped forward and patted Qin Feng's shoulder, her tone filled with joy and pride: "Good! Good boy! You really didn't let this big sister down! A Gold-Medal Deacon—this is an honor that many veteran Deacons haven't been able to obtain even after toiling for over a decade!"

She then turned and spoke loudly to the surroundings: "From this day forward, Qin Feng is a Gold-Medal Deacon of my Hundred Flowers Palace! He shall enjoy the corresponding authority and resources! You all must treat him with the friendship of fellow Disciples and must not create difficulties without cause!"

"Yes, Elder Hua!" The surrounding Disciples and Deacons bowed in response one after another, their gazes toward Qin Feng having already changed, becoming a few degrees more respectful.

Holding the gold medal, Qin Feng felt the power and responsibility it represented. He did not feel much pride in his heart; instead, he became even more clear-headed. This was only a beginning; having obtained a higher platform also meant facing more eyes and challenges. The threat of the Yin Demon Sect had not yet been resolved, and the factions within the Hundred Flowers Palace also needed to be handled carefully.

But regardless, he had taken this first step with absolute firmness.

On this day, the name of Gold-Medal Deacon Qin Feng officially resounded throughout the Hundred Flowers Palace.