Rebirth of the Urban Demon Lord

Chapter 17 Comparison of Cultivation Levels

Chapter Seventeen: Comparison of Cultivation Levels

The young girl, Su Hui, was so angry that her face turned ashen, but she couldn't retaliate. She turned to Zhuo Yang and bowed, apologizing: "I'm sorry, Uncle. Meng Xiaojun isn't a bad person; he just thinks too highly of himself."

"Also, I... I didn't help you because you're handsome!"

Her face turned red before she could finish speaking.

"Uncle..."

Zhuo Yang didn't take Meng Xiaojun's words to heart at all, but he was bothered by the few times he was called "uncle".

Do I look that old?

With a slightly dark expression, Zhuo Yang tried to maintain a smile and asked, "Little girls, are you all naturally awakened Five Elements abilities? Are you from the same school, high school students?"

They had ulterior motives and wanted to trick this innocent young girl into revealing information.

Su Hui nodded quickly, her little face flushed and very cute: "We both awakened our powers two months ago. Xiao Jun has earth elemental abilities and is incredibly strong, while I have wood elemental abilities and am a sophomore..."

"Su Hui, that guy is no good, come back right now!" Meng Xiaojun shouted from afar, glaring at Zhuo Yang with wide eyes.

Su Hui was taken aback for a moment, then her eyes quickly became wary, and she hurriedly sat back down in her seat.

Zhuo Yang touched his nose. He was embarrassed to have been caught trying to trick the little girl.

"Haha, Brother Zhuoyang, aren't my students all quite unique?" Cui Yi put his arm around Zhuoyang's shoulder in a familiar manner.

The intimacy was excessive, making Zhuo Yang feel uncomfortable, as if the man was deliberately trying to win him over.

"Old Cui, it's about time, let's get down to business."

A woman sitting behind Cui Yi spoke without turning her head.

Zhuo Yang looked in the direction of the sound, but couldn't see the face clearly. However, the figure wrapped in a black leather jacket was a very standard double figure, with a neat ponytail at the back of the head, and the whole person exuded a sharp aura.

"A classic mature woman, and a master at that," Zhuo Yang thought to himself.

It's getting late; it's already 8 a.m. Daytime is the best time to explore ancient tombs; at night, the power of evil spirits becomes even stronger.

On the west side of the shop, a middle-aged man who appeared to be a mid-level manager of the company, exuding an air of authority, stood up and said in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, time waits for no one. Let's stop testing each other here. Let's set a goal. If everyone agrees, we'll work together to find the treasure, and the rewards will be divided according to how much effort we put in!"

No one responded immediately; everyone was watching their companions' expressions.

Zhuo Yang noticed that Cui Yi's group was the largest, concentrated on the east side of the shop, totaling twelve people, so they had the most say. On the west side of the shop, they were clearly divided into two groups of four people each.

Cui Yi stood up and said with a smile, "Since you have an idea, please share it."

The middle-aged man smiled smugly and said, "My name is Liang Yongqing, and I am a cultivator who has practiced for many years. I have a plan. Do you all know about the Dragon Court?"

No one responded; there was only silence.

"What is the Dragon Court?" Zhuo Yang asked with a smile.

A burst of disdainful laughter immediately followed, indicating that everyone present knew except for Zhuo Yang.

"The Dragon Court is the organization responsible for managing cultivators, but it rarely intervenes in the conflicts between cultivators," Cui Yi quickly explained to Zhuo Yang.

"Teacher, why are you always explaining things to a complete idiot?" Meng Xiaojun looked at Cui Yi with dissatisfaction. "Being with him makes me ashamed of people with awakened abilities!"

Zhuo Yang was looked down upon again, and smiled helplessly.

Cui Yi, being a good-natured person, could only manage a forced laugh.

On the west side of the shop, Liang Yongqing coughed twice and said, "Everyone knows about the Dragon Court, but did you know that the Dragon Court has developed an instrument that can assess the level of cultivators?"

"Why don't we use that machine to test everyone here? Those who reach a certain level can join the treasure hunt team, what do you think?"

Liang Yongqing's companion immediately agreed, showing that they had already discussed it beforehand.

The four people at the other table were dressed very plainly, like migrant workers. The oldest-looking one of them stood up and said in a low voice, "What level is considered passing?"

Liang Yongqing squinted and swept his gaze across the crowd: "The Dragon Court divides cultivators into four major levels: Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow. Each level is further divided into nine grades. The Heaven and Earth levels are beyond the reach of any of you here. As for the Profound level, I've heard that the requirement is to form a Golden Core, which already makes one an extraordinary expert."

"The Yellow level is the simplest. Anyone who can cultivate Yuan Qi can be ranked. The only difference is the strength of their True Yuan."

"Let's set a threshold: anyone who can reach the third rank of the Yellow level can join the treasure hunting team, how about that?"

As he spoke, he took out something the size of a walnut from his backpack.

"This is the testing instrument!"

The machine is very simple, with something that looks like a crystal ball on top and nine small lights in a row next to it.

The four people on Liang Yongqing's side had clearly discussed it beforehand, and the other group whispered among themselves before nodding in agreement. Cui Yi also had no objections, and a consensus was finally reached.

"Let me give you a demonstration first." Liang Yongqing said confidently, placing the instrument on the table and pressing his palm on top of the crystal ball.

The crystal ball lit up with a yellow light, and the small lights gradually lit up with red light from the bottom up. After four lights lit up, there was no further change.

"I am a fourth-grade Yellow-level cultivator with a fairly good cultivation level. I hope to cooperate sincerely with everyone!" Liang Yongqing said, cupping his hands in greeting.

His three companions also stepped forward for testing; two were classified as Yellow Level 3 and one as Yellow Level 4.

The four people at the table near the door stood up. All four of them were actually fourth-grade Yellow Rank, which surprised Liang Yongqing and his companions.

Zhuo Yang watched this unfold and sneered inwardly: "These guys can clearly sense the other's true energy fluctuations, yet they're putting on an act!"

The skinny guy with the pointed face and monkey-like features who had mocked Zhuo Yang earlier taunted him, "Teacher Cui and his students are all good, we trust them. As for you, you'd better get lost!"

"Hmph!" Zhuo Yang's face darkened.

Cooperative treasure hunting has always been a tradition in the cultivation world. After all, there aren't that many experts with real skills and confidence. To gain an advantageous position in a cooperative venture, demonstrating strength is essential.

Even gods get angry when they're constantly looked down upon!

"Hmph, let me go first!" Meng Xiaojun stepped forward, glancing disdainfully at Zhuo Yang. "Those who plan to slack off, take note: only true strength can secure your place!"

The results are in: Yellow Level 5, the highest among all those tested.

"See? This is real power!" Meng Xiaojun looked down at Zhuo Yang.

Those who had been tested watched coldly with mocking expressions. If Cui Yi hadn't shown goodwill towards Zhuo Yang, some of them might have thrown him out.

"Looks like I'll have to give it a try too." Zhuo Yang was curious about how the levels were divided, so he went to the table, placed his hand on the testing device, and silently began to circulate his Thunderfire True Essence...

The crystal ball immediately lit up with a bright orange-yellow light, and all the small lights on it were turned on.

"Ninth Rank of Yellow, Peak!"

The people in the shop all gasped in unison in shock.

Who would have thought that someone who exuded no arrogance whatsoever, looking no different from an ordinary person, would unleash a power at the peak of the ninth rank of the Yellow level...

The immature and eccentric young man, Meng Xiaojun, was dumbfounded. The uncle he had always looked down on was actually so powerful!

The teacher said that those below the Yellow Rank 3 are just ordinary awakeners or cultivators, and only those who reach the Yellow Rank 3 or above can be called cultivators.

"You must have a herniated disc, does it really need to protrude that much?"

Meng Xiaojun dared not utter the curses, fearing he would be beaten.