Chapter 203: Back To School [PART 2]
Liu Qing closed her eyes and breathed deeply to calm her nerves and center her focus. When she opened her eyes again, they were filled with fierce determination and unwavering concentration.
She slowly and carefully injected her qi into the ball once more, then began the delicate process of moving it through the complex pattern.
Xiang Yu thought to himself that he had yet to come up with a proper way to actually teach talisman and formation creation because of the spiritual sea limitation. However, he could still perform meaningful aptitude tests using this method. This particular test focused heavily on concentration and precise qi control, which were the most important fundamental skills in both talisman making and formation crafting.
For those disciples who managed to pass this test, he would need to teach them the theoretical foundations and provide them with a mind refining cultivation method to see if they could successfully unlock access to their spiritual sea. Still, he knew he had to be extremely cautious about this approach, as mind cultivation methods were quite dangerous, especially when practicing them this early in one’s cultivation journey. He had learned this firsthand when he first began learning the Mountain Heart Sutra.
Liu Qing continued slowly guiding the ball through the intricate pattern, her movements steady despite the chaos happening around the ball. Beads of sweat began forming on her forehead as the chaos intensified. The watching disciples exchanged uncertain glances, murmuring quietly among themselves as they observed her struggle.
"Is it really that difficult?" one whispered.
Liu Qing continued steadily navigating the twists and turns of the blueprint pattern. Her breathing became shallow and controlled until she stopped breathing altogether. The ball moved at a snail’s pace, trembling slightly under her guidance as the increasingly chaotic forces within the device tried to pull it off course.
After what felt like an eternity, she finally managed to guide the glowing orb through to the other side of the pattern. The moment it reached the endpoint, the ball erupted in brilliant green light, signaling success. Liu Qing immediately released the breath she’d been holding, her shoulders sagging with relief as exhaustion washed over her.
Xiang Yu’s face broke into an approving smile. "You passed," he announced, genuinely impressed by her performance. He thought to himself that she had completed the test faster than he’d anticipated.
"You will be overseeing the tests for both the School of Talismans and the School of Formations," he continued. "To test candidates for the School of Formations, just press this button."
He demonstrated by pressing another button on the gadget. The light nodes flickered momentarily before rearranging themselves into an equally complex but fundamentally different pattern.
Xiang Yu thought to himself that although concentration was essential for both professions, they required different types of mental focus. Talisman making demanded steady, unwavering attention, while formation crafting required more dynamic, adaptive thinking.
"This is a simple qi gathering formation blueprint for those testing for the School of Formations. The rules remain the same," he explained to the gathered group.
He turned back to Liu Qing. "Can you handle this responsibility?"
She bowed respectfully. "Leave it to me, Grand Elder."
"Good," Xiang Yu replied with satisfaction.
He then addressed the remaining crowd. "For all the others except those who passed the cooking test and those interested in medicine, you can leave since it’s getting late. I’ll have Liu Qing inform you when your specific school will be conducting tests."
A wave of disappointed murmurs rippled through the crowd as disciples realized they wouldn’t be tested today. Slowly, reluctantly, they began to disperse, casting jealous glances at the ones left as they walked away.
After the crowd thinned, Xiang Yu approached the ten disciples who had successfully passed the cooking test. He reached into his spatial ring and retrieved sets of high-quality cooking utensils he had crafted, distributing them evenly among the group.
"You should return to your quarters and practice independently," he instructed them. "I’ll inform you where to gather once we finish constructing the Secondary Professions Pavilion."
His expression grew more serious as he continued. "But don’t slack off just because you’ve joined a school. There will be cats and rats to test your progress, and if you fail, you’ll be expelled."
The disciples exchanged puzzled looks, their faces scrunched in confusion.
"Cats?" one asked hesitantly.
"Rats?" another added, equally bewildered.
Xiang Yu sighed, realizing he’d used terminology from his previous world that made no sense here. He then explained what CATs and RATs were to the disciples. Since it was a school, it was nice to teach them this terminology as well.
"Alright, class dismissed," he announced with a wave of his hand.
As the cooking school disciples departed, chattering excitedly among themselves, Xiang Yu found himself smiling nostalgically. He thought to himself that his dream job had always been to become a teacher back on Earth.
I guess it’s never too late to pursue old dreams, even in a second life.
...
"Alright, you guys follow me," Xiang Yu spoke, addressing the remaining group of medicine school candidates. The small cluster of eager disciples fell into step behind him as he led them toward where the injured disciples were waiting for treatment.
"You’ll watch everything I do, I’ll also explain each step along the way, so make sure to pay close attention," he instructed. "When we’re finished with all the patients, I’ll test your understanding."
The aspiring medicine students nodded earnestly, their faces bright with anticipation and slightly nervous. Xiang Yu thought that testing for the medicine school was somewhat easier than the other professions, though it wasn’t nearly as reliable since it mostly evaluated memory rather than practical skill. Still, there wasn’t much he could do about that limitation for now. At least it would help him identify those with genuine interest and basic comprehension abilities.
"Okay, who’s going first?" Xiang Yu called out, this time addressing the crowd of injured disciples who had been patiently waiting for his attention.
One disciple immediately stepped forward. He offered a respectful bow before settling onto the wooden stool Xiang Yu gestured toward, wincing slightly as he sat.
...
Author’s Corner.
This really takes me back. For those who forgot, CAT = Continuous Assessment Test, RAT = Random Assessment Test.
I really hate rats.