Lu Xianbing was also brimming with excitement.
Three Star Casting Pills, that meant fifteen hundred Taoist Merit points. Added to his previous rewards and the top-grade Star Casting Pill his family had prepared for him, Lu Xianbing felt confident there was an eighty percent chance of forming a top-grade Star Core!
Watching his excited disciple, Mountain Master Dong Zhao continued, "Don’t rush to be happy, that’s not all! According to the rules of the National Taoist Institute, our Jinshan Taoist Institute has the highest number of candidates entering the autumn exam among the seventy-four counties in six states, winning first place.
As a rule, the National Taoist Institute has rewarded our Jinshan Taoist Institute with fifty Star Casting Pills and five top-grade Star Casting Pills.
Therefore, I’ve decided to give an additional Star Casting Pill to each disciple participating in this year’s autumn exam.
All disciples entering the autumn exam will receive an extra Star Casting Pill on top of that.
Besides, as a reward for greatly contributing to the honor of our institute, your Senior Brother Xu Jin will be awarded three additional regular Star Casting Pills and three top-grade Star Casting Pills, Wang Weisheng will receive two additional regular Star Casting Pills and one top-grade Star Casting Pill, and Zhang Han will get one additional regular Star Casting Pill and one top-grade Star Casting Pill."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Han, Wang Weisheng, and Xu Jin were overjoyed.
The rewards were excellent.
A regular Star Casting Pill was worth five hundred Taoist Merit points, and a top-grade Star Casting Pill was worth two thousand Taoist Merit points.
Especially for Xu Jin, just from this round of rewards, he had received five regular Star Casting Pills, adding to the first round, he had eight, which alone meant four thousand Taoist Merit points.
Three top-grade Star Casting Pills equaled six thousand Taoist Merit points.
That added up to ten thousand Taoist Merit points.
What was the value of ten thousand Taoist Merit points?
Converted, at least worth ten thousand taels of silver!
But, while ten thousand Taoist Merit points could be exchanged for ten thousand taels of silver, ten thousand taels of silver couldn’t buy ten thousand Taoist Merit points!
"You can all collect your rewards at the Foreign Affairs Hall."
Soon, all the disciples were rushing excitedly towards the Foreign Affairs Hall, but as Xu Jin was about to leave, he received a transmission from Mountain Master Dong Zhao.
Not only was Xu Jin asked to stay, but Wang Weisheng and Zhang Han also remained.
That made Xu Jin’s eyes flicker with curiosity; the ones left were the top three of Jinshan Taoist Institute’s autumn exam. Could there be more rewards?
"Hmm, you’ve all heard about the talent selection, haven’t you?" As soon as Mountain Master Dong Zhao started talking, the three of them tensed up.
The matter of selecting talents had been discussed among the disciples in private, but most were not concerned.
Typically, only one from each state would be chosen by Star Hall.
Unless one was an unparalleled genius, it wasn’t their turn.
In the past, it was often the first place from the State Taoist Institute who was selected.
But today, both Wang Weisheng and Zhang Han turned their gazes towards Xu Jin.
As the first place in this autumn exam, Xu Jin would surely be selected for talent pick... Then...
For a moment, both Wang Weisheng and Zhang Han looked at Xu Jin with concern.
"Firstly, I can assure you that the disciples from our Jinshan Taoist Institute will not be selected for talent pick this year; you can focus on your cultivation! Additionally, in light of your performances, I, as Mountain Master, will personally reward you with one regular Star Casting Pill each, hoping it helps you." Mountain Master Dong Zhao said.
Zhang Han and Wang Weisheng couldn’t help but beam with joy.
To them, each additional Star Casting Pill represented a higher chance of forming a top-grade Star Core.
With such successive rewards, they felt their chances of forming a top-grade Star Core were significant.
They were naturally very happy.
Xu Jin, however, was somewhat indifferent.
Including the second challenge’s rewards, he had as many as eleven regular Star Casting Pills in his possession, and now with the Mountain Master giving another, that made twelve.
And with the number of top-grade Star Casting Pills, including the reward from the fifth challenge, he had eight.
"Since Xu Jin is also the number one in Yan State, according to the National Taoist Institute’s rules, Xu Jin will be awarded an additional top-grade Star Casting Pill."
Zhang Han and Wang Weisheng could only envy such a reward.
But envy was all they could do, as Xu Jin was not only the first in Yan State, but also the top scholar in the national autumn exam. Such rewards were quite normal.
Afterward, Mountain Master Dong Zhao gave the three of them some tips for Star Casting, and then he kept Xu Jin behind alone.
"Xu Jin, do you feel like your hands are overflowing with Star Casting Pills? Does this reward seem unimpressive to you now?" asked Mountain Master Dong Zhao.
"Not really. Even a regular Star Casting Pill is worth five hundred Taoist Merit points. How could I feel nothing for such a valuable thing?" Xu Jin replied with a smile.
Dong Zhao was taken aback, then laughed; it was normal. A child from a poor background having such thoughts was completely natural.
"Xu Jin, have you ever wondered why the National Taoist Institute, as well as State and County Taoist Institutes, knowing this, would still award top talents like you so generously?
Doesn’t the National Taoist Institute fear wasting cultivation resources?
You know, under normal circumstances, casting a top-grade Star Core within a Second-tier Star Domain with three or four regular Star Casting Pills plus three or four top-grade Star Casting Pills has more than a ninety percent chance of success.
As for a Top-Grade Star Core, it’s a matter of fate and can’t be sought after.
So why would the National Taoist Institute reward you with so many Star Casting Pills?" Dong Zhao asked.
Without Mountain Master raising the question, Xu Jin had not thought about it.
Xu Jin had just been thinking about what to do if he ended up with an excess of regular Star Casting Pills.
He thought about saving them for his sister’s use, or even selling them for silver if he was short on money.
After all, they were a scarce resource!
But Dong Zhao’s question made him realize there was a problem.
"Please enlighten me, Mountain Master," Xu Jin asked earnestly for guidance.
"That’s because the Taoist Institute has different expectations for top talents like you compared to ordinary disciples.