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Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: The Family Test.

After the bath, the sisters felt fresh and light.

It was New Year's Day. As they walked through the manor, they saw houses decorated with lanterns and garlands, shining brightly in the night.

Looking at it, Mu Zi felt a warm nostalgia.

In this life, the Mu Manor had given her protection and warmth. She would not let that disappear. She needed to speed up her cultivation.

"Sister, I want to participate in the family test this year," Mu Zi said.

Mu Lingsha, lost in her thoughts, was surprised: "Isn't it too early? You can take the test until you're eighteen."

The Mu Manor's family test was for the clan's youth. Each person could participate only once, and it was considered a rite of passage.

Those who passed received rewards, and the higher the score, the more valuable the prize.

To maximize the benefits, most chose to take the test at seventeen or eighteen. It was rare for anyone to attempt it earlier.

Mu Zi was only thirteen. At this age, many hadn't even started cultivation, let alone taken the test.

"Little sister, you have great talent. In just a month, you reached the third level of Body Tempering. In two years, you might reach the ninth level and get the highest score," Mu Lingsha persuaded.

Mu Zi asked curiously, "What are the criteria for scoring?"

Mu Lingsha explained: "In our test, age doesn't matter. Only achievements are considered."

"The scores are divided into four levels: outstanding, good, satisfactory, and unsatisfactory," Mu Lingsha explained.

"The fourth level of Body Tempering is satisfactory. The fifth is low-level good, and the sixth is high-level good."

"From the seventh to the ninth is outstanding, from low to high, respectively."

"For example, last year I reached the eighth level of Body Tempering and received an average outstanding score. The reward was a Earth Fruit, a third-rank spiritual medicine."

"A Earth Fruit?" Mu Zi asked thoughtfully. Among third-rank medicines, the Earth Fruit was the most ordinary. In the original, Lin Dong at the underground exchange traded two drops of diluted Ancestral Stone essence for such a fruit.

Mu Lingsha's average outstanding score brought such a modest reward—the Mu Manor's resources were clearly inferior to the Lin clan in Qingyang Town.

Recalling the original, Mu Zi knew that the top three in the Lin clan's test received a Blood Zhu Fruit, a third-rank medicine with healing properties, which was much more valuable than a Earth Fruit.

Moreover, the Lin clan's rewards were given out annually, while in the Mu Manor, an average outstanding score did not appear every year. The difference between them was huge.

Mu Lingsha at seventeen reached the eighth level of Body Tempering, surpassing her peer Lin Xia. Her talent was impressive.

"Is the highest score the ninth level of Body Tempering?" Mu Zi asked curiously.

Mu Lingsha nodded: "That's right. Reaching the ninth level by the age of eighteen is the highest score."

"What about breaking through to Earth Yuan at eighteen? It seems the clan doesn't even dream of such a genius," she added.

At these words, a silhouette flashed through Mu Lingsha's mind.

"Lin Dong from Qingyang Town, he's only fifteen or sixteen, and he's already broken through to Earth Yuan. What a talent!" Mu Lingsha exclaimed.

"But, little sister, you reached the third level of Body Tempering in two months. Is your talent really much worse?" she added.

Mu Lingsha didn't know the truth, believing that Mu Zi had used five first-rank medicines, and she was mistaken in her assessment.

Mu Zi continued: "What's the reward for the highest score?"

Waking from her thoughts, Mu Lingsha replied: "The highest reward is something else! A full three Earth Fruits!"

Seeing the excitement and dreaminess on her sister's face, Mu Zi felt uneasy. Mu Lingsha's eyes shone at the thought of third-rank medicines, while in major clans, they were probably consumed like candy.

Calming her excitement, Mu Lingsha continued: "And that's not all. The one who gets the highest score will become the clan's 'seed' and receive special patronage."

"And most importantly—access to all the Mu Manor's martial arts."

"Oh?" Mu Zi's eyes lit up.

Her talent for martial arts was exceptional, and with the Rebirth Seal, she could achieve a lot by studying all the manor's techniques.

Mu Lingsha added: "Little sister, there are three months left until the test. You're currently at the third level of Body Tempering. If you wait two years, you might get the highest score."

Mu Zi frowned: "Only three months? Not a lot of time."

Lin Dong with the Ancestral Stone had an almost unlimited supply of medicines, but even he needed almost ten months to reach the ninth level of Body Tempering. Although his talent for Yuan Li was average, Mu Zi couldn't shorten this time to three months yet.

"Do I have to wait another year?" she muttered.

The plot had already begun, and Mu Zi didn't want to lose another year. One wrong step, and you fall behind forever. Perhaps without this year, a decade later, when facing the Emperor of Foreign Demons, she would remain a mere ant, unable to change anything.

Being reborn and possessing outstanding comprehension, Mu Zi could not accept this.

"By the way, besides the cultivation check, there's also a combat test," Mu Lingsha added suddenly.

"A combat test?" Mu Zi asked, frowning.

Mu Lingsha explained: "To ensure no one focuses solely on cultivation and can demonstrate the power of their level, the clan appoints examiners to check combat skills."

"Usually, you don't have to defeat them; it's enough to gain recognition."

"The final score is a combination of two tests. Cultivation is more important, but if someone manages to defeat an examiner above their level, they will receive the corresponding score."

"However, to defeat an examiner above your level, you must completely overcome them."

Mu Zi's eyes lit up: "So, if I defeat a ninth-level Body Tempering examiner, regardless of my level, I'll get the highest score?"

Mu Lingsha shook her head: "That's only theoretically possible. In Body Tempering, each level is vastly different; fighting above your level is almost impossible."

"Besides, the examiners are experienced masters of the Mu Manor, with years of practice. Their martial arts—both in rank and mastery—surpass the skills of the youth. Defeating them is almost impossible."

Mu Zi remained silent, not agreeing. In her mind, she was calculating: could she defeat a ninth-level Body Tempering master in three months?

Noticing her silence, Mu Lingsha decided that her sister had given up on the idea of participating in the test this year.

Mu Lingsha sighed with relief. After a long persuasion, she seemed to have talked her sister out of it. The family test is a rite of passage. Participating at thirteen is too early, and she wanted Mu Zi to live without worries for a few more years.

"Little sister, are you hungry? It's New Year's Day; Dad is cooking himself! We need to eat our fill!"

Mu Zi exclaimed joyfully: "Really? Uncle is always so busy; you rarely get to try his cooking. I'll indulge today!"

Mu Lingsha giggled: "Ha, Dad's cooking is simply a wonder! If his cultivation talent were half as good, he would have already become a Yuandan-level master."

The sisters, laughing and chatting, walked away, but Mu Zi firmly remembered the family test in three months.

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