They crossed an empty grass-filled courtyard on their way to a building with a large door flanked by marble pillars. Four pictographs were shown on the wall—an ankh surrounded by two serpents and angel wings, a hammer, a medicinal cauldron, and a runic diagram. These were the four main professional schools, and many other schools were subsets of them.
“Senior Partner Lu has vouched for your competence as a grandmaster formation master and talisman artist, so I’ve already submitted your application for a silver membership badge,” Gan Quan said. “As a silver member, you can sponsor up to five master-level professionals as bronze members. However, they’ll need to obtain approval from their respective occupations here in Haijing.”
“I was unaware of this detail, but it shouldn’t be a problem,” Cha Ming said, nodding. “Spirit doctor, alchemist, spiritual blacksmith, and formation master, right?” he asked his disciples. He regretted not discussing the particulars since his return.
“Actually…” Yue Bing said, stepping back. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to obtain the approval of my association. I’ll wait outside if that’s more convenient.”
Cha Ming frowned.
Jin Huang winced. “I may have upset a few people in my organization, so I’ll have to recuse myself.”
Cha Ming’s frowned deepened.
“Same here,” Ling Dong said.
Cha Ming facepalmed and cursed himself for being so negligent. I really should have taken the time to talk to them, he thought. He’d neglected his duties as their master for far too long. Now, it seemed only Zi Long might be allowed inside, but he figured that, given his stubborn temperament, he’d refuse to enter without his brother and sisters.
“Is there really no other way?” Cha Ming asked. He’d hate to have wasted their time in bringing them here. Haijing was a haven for professionals, and anyone who studied here advanced by leaps and bounds. Their motto was “For Science.” He hadn’t imagined there would be any problems in bringing them here.
“There is,” Gan Quan said, nodding slowly. “They would need to become members by obtaining grandmaster qualification in any profession. If they are unable to do so through regular means, we happen to have a means unique to Haijing Academy: the Nine Illusions profession trial. It’s costly to activate, but if your disciples can prove to the formation that they have the skills of a grandmaster professional, they’ll get their membership regardless of sponsorship. Their professional organizations would be unable to object.
“This isn’t an uncommon thing. Some people feel they’ve been discriminated against or denied advancement due to status or wealth. They journey to Haijing City to prove their mettle through the trial, and as a result, certifications obtained here are universally recognized. It won’t earn them forgiveness if they did anything too egregious, of course.”
“When can they take this test?” Cha Ming asked.
“Allow me to report this matter to the headmaster,” Gan Quan said. “It won’t take long, but expect an audience.”
With that, the man excused himself and entered what seemed like a mansion not far from the administrative building.
A few hours later, Cha Ming, Gan Quan, and a few other elders were chatting in a large audience hall. Huxian was somewhere else in the city, doing whatever it was that demons did to alleviate boredom.
Many normal members had trickled in. All four of his disciples, including Zi Long, had opted to take the test. They were seated before a golden arch etched with blue runes representing various professions. The four main ones were glaringly obvious, but some of the lesser ones piqued his interest, like pyromancy and herbology. There were thousands upon thousands of runes, many unknown to him. He wondered if there were thousands of professions as well.
“Is this arch truly able to evaluate any profession objectively?” Cha Ming asked. “Such a thing doesn’t seem possible with a mortal artifact.”
Gan Quan smiled. “That’s because it’s a transcendent artifact with its own intelligence. Not only can it evaluate known professions, it can also name new ones if the profession deviates significantly from the original occupation it’s based on.”
Cha Ming nodded. “I was negligent. I returned to this plane from Jade Moon Planet just a week ago and didn’t take time to question their abilities or what they’d been through over the past year. I’d thought there would be more than enough time when we got to the city.”
“They’ll all pass,” a voice said from behind him. “But whether or not you wish to accept their results is a different question entirely.”
Cha Ming’s eyes narrowed. He knew that voice. He summoned his Clear Sky Staff, and the air around him crackled as he turned to look the new arrival in the eyes.
“Zhou Li!” Cha Ming growled. A soft boom echoed through the room as he broke the sound barrier, his powerful body appearing right before the unsurprised Zhou Li. The man smiled and lifted a black flame shield, repelling his attack. Flaming black chains darted out and tried to entangle Cha Ming, whose staff whirled around and deflected them.
“Order!” a voice yelled loudly.
Cha Ming calmed down and noticed everyone staring at him as though he were a madman. Zhou Li smirked.
“Don’t worry about it. It was only a small scuffle,” Zhou Li said. “He just doesn’t know the rules here. Haijing Academy doesn’t discriminate against the South like the North does. Members are forbidden from attacking each other within Haijing City. Moreover”—he flicked one of the gold medals on his robes—“as an elder, I should be benevolent and educate my junior.”
Cha Ming’s face twitched as he realized that Zhou Li’s cultivation had improved drastically since he’d last seen him. Somehow, he’d reached the peak of core formation. The two violet-gold medals on his robes marked him as a peak grandmaster seer and a peak grandmaster painter, of all things.
Seeing that his behavior was somewhat inappropriate, even if justified, Cha Ming straightened himself out and bowed slightly. “My apologies. I wasn’t aware of the rules here. I will
