The whole assembly hall heaved sighs of relief once they saw the color change. Some of the senior members with high cultivation even lit up when they saw the color on the crystal ball especially the elders on the platform. Some even started tearing up as they knew what the orange color signified. It meant Murong Yan had orange pillars.
They knew the higher the grade of the pillar, the better the chances of making it to higher realms.
If Murong Yan had white pillars, she would have an almost impossible chance of reaching the peak of the foundation establishment realm, let alone breaking through to the core formation realm. But she had an orange-grade pillar which was above white pillars and red pillars.
Even if it was a low-rank orange-grade pillar, based on the intensity of the color, it was still an orange-grade pillar and with it, she had a high chance of reaching the peak of the foundation establishment realm as long as the resources were there and with some luck breaking through to the core formation realm was not an impossibility either.
Those who knew the significance of that color held their breaths in excitement.
Yang Qing also took a brief pause to transmit his voice to Murong Yan and explained the significance of the color. He did it out of goodwill in case the clan didn't have such information.
Murong Yan's eyes lit up when she heard the significance but then dimmed when she heard of the other grades that were above her. Yang Qing didn't withhold the information since it was better for her to expound her horizons now rather than later. Though he didn't tell her about purple grade pillars since they were so rare and there was no need to. He only reached the gold grade.
After that, he took out a cracked grey stone steel that had a few cracks all over and placed it on the floor.
It looked unassuming like it was part of the foundation of some old building.
"This is a heart steel. You'll pour a drop of your blood essence in it and it will show other details that can't be shown with the foundation white haze stone," Yang Qing said as he motioned for Murong Yan to start when she was ready.
Yang Qing was deliberately vague with the details since the stone's main purpose was to find out if she used forbidden techniques to reach her realm which usually came at the sacrifice of her lifespan. If that were the case then the evaluation would be considered a fail.
The Order instituted such a measure to prevent the unranked organization from using forbidden means, all for the chance of moving up.
Before this method was instituted, there would be organizations where the older members who were at death's door would use a forbidden art to push their realm briefly at the foundation establishment realm then perish a few months after the evaluation.
This meant other than risking the lives of the members of these unranked organizations, it also increased the workload of the Order as they did rank demotions. The heart steele by Yang Qing's feet was used to address this issue. It was an ascendant-grade artifact and was but a replica of the real thing which was a saint-grade treasure found in the ruins of some ancient sect and fell into the Order's hands.
…
Murong Yan grimly bit her hand as she poured out a drop of her blood essence on the steel, which shimmered for a second, as a few words appeared on it.
Cultivation realm peak of the 1st stage of foundation establishment,
Status, stable
Lifespan, 1,067 years
Bloodline affinity, wind.
After the last word, the sentences remained in the steele for a few minutes before it all disappeared and the steele went back to its blank look.
"With that, I can affirm that your cultivation base is real. I Yang Qing. by my authority as a superior core court judge of the Order, hereby approve the promotion of the Murong family to a rank 5 organization and with it the accorded privileges and stipulations," Yang Qing loudly announced as the assembly room exploded into a loud cheer and roar.
Clan members from young to old started weeping as they hugged each other. Even the elderly men at the platform were no different as they looked to the skies with tears in their eyes.
"Grandpa I did it," Murong Yan said as she jumped into the embrace of Murong Jie who patted her back as she sobbed.
Zou Yi, like the softy he was, almost let out a few drops however Yang Qing's presence gave him the motivation he needed not to let a single one through. Zou Liqin didn't have such reservations as she smiled with reddened eyes as she stared around the room.
Yang Qing smiled in gratification at the mood. No matter how many times he has experienced it, the feeling is always novel every time.
He drafted an official certificate on a yellow-brown scroll which he then stamped with his medallion and formed a couple of seals on the scroll which flashed with a blinding sight before a voice echoed out.
"Received,"
A record of the certificate had appeared in the records hall of the Order. When the Murong family decided who they'd send to the Order for their quota, that record would be their entrance ticket and proof of identification.
He created another certificate and stamped it which he then handed to the clan patriarch who was still smiling.
"Thank you very much judge Yang Qing," Murong Jie said with his voice shaking as he held the scroll like a precious treasure.
"All the best to your Murong family. We will not be staying since I have a long schedule but do enjoy your celebration and I hope there will be more.
Murong Yan, don't forget what I said, blaze on ahead," Yang Qing said as he held both Zou Yi and Zou Liqin's hands and disappeared into a grey cloud of smoke.
Despite their shock, all the members of the Murong family present stood up as they deeply bowed towards the exit door.
