I rely on learning to achieve immortality.

The second test is approaching.

When Xu Zhou returned to Baicaotang, he found that several of the familiar faces were gone.

Not only that, the atmosphere was even more oppressive. Almost no one was talking; everyone was engrossed in studying their books. A few people were reciting aloud, their voices so loud that Xu Zhou noticed they were even making mistakes while reading.

Of course, the inner disciples remain the same as always.

Just like last time, Xu Zhou didn't bring any books. Instead, he found a corner to rest his eyes and relax.

Seeing this, someone cursed, "What's so great about being ranked fourteenth?" The voice was clear enough, but he ignored it.

Soon after, the second test began.

This time the questions were more complex than before, and the identification of medicinal properties involved were more difficult, even requiring analysis of the influence of the year on the medicinal properties.

The sound of the disciples turning the pages in front of the hall seemed to quicken as a result.

Xu Zhou answered even more smoothly this time than last time.

After many days of contemplation, he no longer needed to memorize the properties of those medicinal herbs.

The connections between some of the spiritual herbs gradually formed in his mind, creating a clear network.

Many questions can be answered correctly without even needing to memorize them.

Finally, the results were announced.

"First place: Xiao Bing."

"Second place, Sikong Tu."

"Third place..."

Xu Zhou counted and found that his ranking had actually improved to eleventh, a full three places higher than last time!

This improvement is quite significant, especially considering that one of the three people he surpassed was an inner disciple.

"It seems that the starting point for inner disciples is not so difficult to catch up with."

"There is still some hope of getting into Baicaotang."

He then looked at the rankings of the other people.

He didn't care about the inner disciples, but another outer disciple, Peng Hu, who had previously ranked fourth, had suffered a setback this time, dropping to fifth place.

Xu Zhou was somewhat surprised.

The other person, like himself, came from an outer sect, so he probably hadn't had much time to study the "Spirit Herb Scripture" before. Even so, he achieved fourth place in the first test, so his comprehension was definitely not bad.

I thought they could hold their own against the inner disciples, but to my surprise, their ranking actually dropped in this test.

He glanced sideways in the direction where Peng Hu was standing.

Peng Hu's face was extremely gloomy at this moment. He was already in poor condition, and now there were a few more gray strands in his messy hair. His eyes, which were already bloodshot, were even redder, and his hands were trembling slightly.

He stared intently at his ranking, then after a long while, he snorted coldly and turned to leave.

A disciple from the outer sect was standing quite close behind him and, not having time to dodge, was bumped into and nearly fell over.

"That's why they're losing their composure."

Xu Zhou heard laughter coming from the inner disciples, seemingly discussing Peng Hu.

"When he first came in fourth, I thought he was amazing. But now I see, he's just average."

"Outer disciples have a weaker foundation, and they only have ten days to learn. How could they possibly compete with us?"

Xu Zhou sighed inwardly and turned to leave.

Ten days later, when he saw Peng Hu again, the latter finally brought a book.

In front of Baicaotang, by the still dim light of dawn, Peng Hu held a book and kept turning the pages, as if unwilling to waste a single moment.

Watching from the sidelines, Xu Zhou couldn't help but admire the other person's focus. The inner disciples were still as noisy as ever, yet in such an environment, they could still maintain a firm gaze and immerse themselves in the classics. In terms of concentration, they were not much different from his own deep learning state.

This time, Peng Hu's ranking did not fall, but it did not rise either.

The inner disciples were like high mountains, firmly blocking him in fifth place. He was on the verge of being eliminated, and if he wasn't careful, he might even be left behind.

Upon seeing the rankings, Peng Hu swayed slightly, and it appeared that he had bitten his lip until it bled.

Xu Zhou had a premonition that the other person might be in an even worse state the next time he saw him.

...

Inside Baicaotang.

Several deacons gathered together to discuss matters concerning the hall.

"The sect's required amount of Azure Spirit Water for the next three years is as follows."

"The raw materials have been agreed upon, and we should receive them from Caizhentang next month."

Once one task was finished, the next task would begin immediately. Since everyone was a long-time partner, the process proceeded smoothly and efficiently.

As the meeting drew to a close, the deacons gradually relaxed.

Someone casually remarked, "By the way, do you have any ideas about recruiting apprentices outside the main hall?"

"Old Zhang, why are you suddenly talking about this?" Another deacon frowned. "Many fellow disciples are paying attention to this. This time, most of the apprentices will be selected from their nephews and nieces—who would expect us to take in an outer disciple who knows nothing?"

Old Zhang replied, "That's not entirely true. If an outer disciple is truly outstanding, it's perfectly acceptable to admit them. There have been precedents for this before."

"How many exceptions have there been over the years? This time will probably be the same."

"That's right. And if they choose an outer disciple, you'll have to deal with the elders of the unsuccessful candidates when they come over, Old Zhang."

Seeing that the situation was getting a bit noisy, the other deacons couldn't help but speak up: "Alright, alright, let's not talk about private matters in the open. If this gets out, it won't have a good impact."

An older deacon said, "By the way, I looked at the rankings for this test earlier, and there was an outer disciple named Peng Hu who seemed quite ambitious. He might actually have a chance."

The steward who had previously rejected Old Zhang's idea thought differently: "Senior Yuan, you are developing pill formulas day and night, so I'm afraid you don't have time to see them in person."

"I passed by the front hall before and saw Peng Hu. He's probably been studying the 'Spirit Herb Classic' day and night to pass the test, and he's in very poor condition. This is only the third test, and there are still two months to go. I don't think he can keep it up."

"Yes, I'm in charge of grading the papers. Peng Hu's paper is not very good. His handwriting is messier than before. I guess he studied too fast."

"That's a bit of a shame."

Yuan Lao's aged face revealed a hint of regret: "This Peng Hu seems to have some talent, we can still consider him."

The other deacons shook their heads: "There are many talented people, but Peng Hu lacks patience. What Baicaotang needs are apprentices with good talent and even more outstanding patience. Otherwise, if you are accompanied by so many alchemical and medicinal texts every day, you won't last more than two years without patience."

"Let's see. If Peng Hu can stay in the top five until the last day, we might be able to discuss it."

"Then we'll have to deal with our fellow disciples coming to our door to protect their cubs."

Everyone laughed.

At this moment, the deacon in charge of grading the papers suddenly said:

"Besides Peng Hu, there's another guy named Xu Zhou who seems to have some connections as well."

Xu Zhou?

The deacons immediately became curious: Who is this person?

"Let me see," Old Zhang picked up the assessment materials on the table, flipped through a few pages, and raised his eyebrows slightly. "This Xu Zhou seems to be quite interesting. He's been ranked higher and higher in the three tests."

The others couldn't help but ask, "So what's his current ranking?"

"Tenth place."

"cut."

The others shook their heads: "Let's not talk about that."

Tenth place was not enough to warrant discussion among the deacons present.

Old Zhang sighed softly and put the documents back in their place.

However, the mild-tempered Deacon Yuan smiled slightly: "No need to jump to conclusions. Don't forget that we don't only look at grades. Those who can endure tedious learning and make steady progress can also be recruited."

The others, unable to refute, said helplessly, "Since Senior Yuan has said so, let's wait two months and discuss it again depending on the situation."

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Let's finish the rest of the official business quickly. I have other things to do."

The deacons changed the subject and continued with their tasks.

...

Time flies in the mountains, and in the blink of an eye, seven tests have already been conducted.

There are only about two weeks left until the end of the assessment.

The eighth test has ended, and the rankings have been announced.

Peng Hu, sixth place.