Chen Jinshu immediately sat up straight, respectfully placing her potted Xuanming Ice Lotus before her, waiting for Gu Zhēnrén inspection.
Gu Zhēnrén strolled to the first disciple nearby, briefly glancing at the potted plant in front of them and giving a slight shake of his head.
"Barely acceptable."
In the pot before the disciple, a small seedling had just sprouted about an inch tall—its species unidentifiable.
Chen Jinshu couldn't help but feel puzzled. "Even a sprouted spirit seed is only 'barely acceptable'? What exactly are Gu Zhēnrén standards?"
Looking closely, the seedling's leaves seemed a bit pale—likely due to malnutrition.
"Could it be… he expects the spirit seed to grow exceptionally well?" she mused quietly.
Upon hearing his seedling had passed, the disciple visibly relaxed. He rose and respectfully bowed to Gu Zhēnrén. "This disciple is dull of mind. I've done all I could to cultivate this spirit seed. I humbly ask for your guidance."
"Your manners are decent. Since you asked, I'll give you a few pointers."
"Your seed has barely taken root. Aside from malnutrition, the soil you chose is problematic."
"You must understand the specific conditions each spirit plant needs. For example, this Golden Branch Flower must be planted in deep black pine soil to grow properly…"
Gu Zhēnrén went on and on. Although he directed his critique at one disciple, much of what he said benefited everyone listening.
"Thank you, Zhēnrén!"
Gu Zhēnrén gave a small nod and moved on to the next disciple, only to shake his head again.
"Barely acceptable. Go home and properly review your cultivation methods. The roots of your spirit plant are exposed."
With a disappointed expression, he proceeded to the third disciple. Upon seeing a light green sprout about two inches tall, his expression finally softened.
"Acceptable. But you must understand the water needs of your plant. Yours clearly got overwatered..."
Time passed as Gu Zhēnrén inspected each seedling one by one. Only one disciple's cultivation met his standards, earning them a rare spirit seed directly from him—much to the envy of the rest.
"A spirit seed from Gu Zhēnrén was no ordinary item—possibly a rare Tier-2 or even Tier-3 spirit seed."
Chen Jinshu was seated further toward the back since there hadn't been many spots left when she arrived. Just as a trace of nervousness started to rise in her heart, Gu Zhēnrén furious voice suddenly rang out, making her heart leap.
"Will you admit it, or shall I help you?"
Gu Zhēnrén sharp eyes locked onto a disciple holding a bright yellow Gardenia spirit flower, his tone cold. With a thud, the disciple fell to his knees, face pale and full of fear. "This disciple admits their mistake! Please forgive me, Zhēnrén!"
"I've been teaching you to cultivate spirit herbs—yet you bring me a ready-made one, thinking you could deceive me?"
"If you failed to grow it, I could understand. At most, I'd scold you. But to cheat in front of me—unforgivable!"
Gu Zhēnrén shook his head in deep disappointment.
"This disciple knows they were wrong! Please, Zhēnrén, have mercy!"
"Mo Yun! Take him away! Strip his outer-sect disciple status and demote him to manual labor. He is forbidden from reapplying to the outer sect for five years!"
His gaze swept across the room before calling loudly to one of the Foundation Establishment seniors outside.
"Yes!" Shen Mo Yun responded swiftly, pushing open the main hall doors and entering.
He gave Gu Zhēnrén a slight bow before, with a stern expression, grabbing the cheating disciple like a helpless chick and carrying him away.
"Anyone else who cheated—confess now, and I'll lessen your punishment!"
"I was momentarily blinded by greed. Please forgive me!" One disciple knelt and pleaded. Soon after, five or six more disciples followed, all begging for mercy.
"Unbelievable! Disciples these days have truly fallen. So many cheated on a simple spirit seed exam? What a disgrace to my name."
"You—since you confessed first, three years of manual labor, no reapplication during that time. The rest—four years!"
"Jun Hao! Take them all!"
With a casual wave of Gu Zhēnrén hand, the offending disciples were sent flying out of the hall, their cushions and pots left behind. Even those potted plants were tossed out without a second glance.
Chen Jinshu noticed several of them had been the same students who were late last time. "So even they turned to this..."
"These rotten insects ruined my class!" Gu Zhēnrén huffed coldly and moved on.
Not long after, he arrived at the three cushions in front of Chen Jinshu—her original spot before she'd moved.
"It's her!" Chen Jinshu hadn't paid much attention earlier, but now saw clearly—sitting in her old seat was none other than Gui Xinxin, the same person who'd tried to borrow her notes.
"Well, well! Another one hoping to slip through the net? Do you think I'm some doddering old fool?"
Gu Zhēnrén merely glanced at Gui Xinxin's potted plant, and his eyes suddenly sharpened with an unreadable smirk.
"This pot... it is indeed mine," Gui Xinxin stammered, kneeling. "But... the spirit seed I originally obtained mysteriously decayed after ten days... I had no choice but to find the same species and cultivate a new one. Please forgive me, Master!"
"Lies upon lies! Your seed's shell was mildly decayed, but the core was untouched. And you gave up that easily?"
With a flick of his hand, the seed in her pot flew into the air, hovering before him. He gently scraped its surface, revealing healthy dark-green twin leaves beneath the rotted layer.
"What excuse do you have now? Cheating is cheating. And such a flimsy lie, too."
"Jun Hao! Take her as well. Give her the same punishment as the first one."
As Gu Zhēnrén voice echoed outward, Gui Xinxin collapsed to the ground, her eyes blank, soul drained.
"Zhēnrén, I truly didn't mean to cheat! I thought it was ruined!"
"Save it. I'll tell you the truth now. Every seed you received had a hidden mark, detectable only by a Golden Core-level cultivator like me—precisely to prevent dishonest tricks!"
He snorted coldly, gaze sharp as ever.
Some disciples who had gained respect for Gu Zhēnrén during his last lesson now found themselves stunned by how ruthlessly he acted. No argument was tolerated once punishment was decided.
"No, Zhēnrén, please! I worked so hard to get into the outer sect—I don't want to be reduced to a laborer again!"
Seeing Di Jun Hao approach, Gui Xinxin panicked and kowtowed repeatedly. Gu Zhēnrén ignored her and moved to inspect the next disciple. Suddenly, Gui Xinxin's eyes darted to the front—and she shouted:
"Zhēnrén! That person cheated too!"