Hong Wei had already taken a look at the cultivation technique Guo Shan was practicing. Compared to Shen Feiyu's method, one that Shen had called basic and shabby, Guo Shan's technique was even more rudimentary. Not just by a small margin, but by a huge one.
Still, Hong Wei didn't dwell too long on Guo Shan's age or his weaker cultivation technique. In the end, he was simply glad to have summoned two cultivators this time. With that, he moved on to observe Li Jian, the Epic-ranked assassin.
Li Jian's cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment Realm, third stage. His cultivation technique appeared to specialize in stealth and lethal killing moves, which made sense, considering his Title.
He was an assassin, after all. There was nothing too surprising about that.
However, despite Li Jian being two whole stages higher than Shan Mei, Hong Wei didn't feel like he was necessarily stronger than her.
In the end, he couldn't say for sure.
Neither Li Jian nor Shan Mei matched the exact figures of the "Dark Assassin" or "Battle Maid" characters from the gacha games he used to play in his previous life. So, direct comparisons weren't so simple.
Deciding not to get caught up in that for now, Hong Wei instead let his thoughts wander toward a broader question.
How exactly were the characters being ranked?
Setting aside older characters like Seren, whose details he already knew well from his past life and who hadn't changed, what about the newer ones? Could he figure out the criteria now that he had done forty pulls?
He believed he could.
From what was displayed on the status window, he could summarize the core elements:
Lifespan.
Unique features, like rare bloodlines or special physiques.
Cultivation level.
Cultivation technique.
Those were the four main details shown.
And they were probably the system's basic criteria.
But if he were to add one more factor, one that wasn't explicitly shown but could be inferred, it would be potential.
After all, potential could often be deduced just from the existing information. Specifically, one could consider which cultivation level a character had reached at a given age. That alone could offer a glimpse into their future growth.
All that aside, at this moment, there was something else he had come to understand… and that was the male-to-female ratio.
If this were the game from his previous life, then the majority of the characters would have been female. But here, everything had turned out to be the exact opposite!
It wasn't just mostly male, it had become something even more extreme.
Over these forty days, aside from Shan Mei and Seren, he had only summoned two female characters in total. One from an earlier draw, and one today.
Because they were all newly generated characters, he didn't particularly mind at first. But if, one day, he were to summon a high-level character, especially someone ranked Legendary or higher, and it turned out to be a guy?
He knew he'd be disheartened!
After all, Hong Wei carried the ambition of gathering all his previous characters once more, no matter what. He was determined to draw them again.
Putting his complicated feelings aside, it seemed like Lu Fan had finally finished explaining things to the group of newcomers.
"Okay, aside from Guo Shan and Li Jian, the rest can leave," Hong Wei said.
And without delay, Lu Fan took the eight remaining people and led them away.
Hong Wei's gaze then landed on Guo Shan, the old cultivator.
Despite his age, in both body and appearance, he looked like a man in his forties… strong, calm, and capable.
He certainly seemed like someone who could handle any task he was assigned. Still, wanting to make sure, Hong Wei asked, "Does your age affect your ability to perform tasks?"
He wanted to understand Guo Shan's capabilities before assigning him a role.
Was he not worried about being lied to?
Not at all. The characters he summoned would never lie to him… and naturally they were absolute loyal.
"I can carry out any task you have for me, my lord," Guo Shan replied without hesitation. "In fact, you can treat me as someone stronger than the average fifth-stage Qi Refinement cultivator."
Guo Shan continued, explaining that although he was indeed older, he was still a cultivator. He was far from frail, and his body remained capable and steady. Not to mention, while his cultivation realm might be considered low, his many battle methods made up for it.
Hong Wei nodded at that, then gave his instructions.
"Alright then, go see Lu Fan first. See, if you need anything for your travels, and he can provide it. Then, write me a copy of your cultivation technique. After that, head out and begin scouting the surrounding areas."
"You're to search for any natural treasures that might help raise Qi affinity, or any pills that might serve the same purpose," he added.
"Besides that, just gather general information about the environment and the area's situation before you return."
"The most important thing is your safety," Hong Wei emphasized, his tone firm.
"No matter what happens, even if you find nothing at all, you must return before the six-month deadline to report your situation. Do you understand?"
Guo Shan, was genuinely excited to receive a mission, unlike the other eight. And so, without hesitation, he knelt down and replied enthusiastically, "I understand, my lord!"
And with that, Guo Shan left at once, full of energy.
After watching him go, Hong Wei finally turned his gaze toward Li Jian.
He didn't speak right away.
Instead, he stayed silent for a while, deep in thought. What he had in mind for this particular cultivator was more difficult and demanding than Guo Shan's assignment.
But in the end, he decided that he needed to handle this matter as well.
"Your mission will be harder," Hong Wei said at last.
"You'll probably need to travel a much farther distance."
Upon hearing just the first two sentences, Li Jian's expression shifted, pride flickered in his eyes, but he quickly composed himself and replied calmly, "I don't mind that, my lord. Just give me your command."
Hong Wei was satisfied with the response and nodded.
"Your task is simple in concept," he said. "Find a place rich with Spirit Qi. A place where we can eventually relocate and settle."
"Understood. I will depart immediately," Li Jian replied.
Even as he spoke, his body had already begun to fade from sight… clearly attempting to leave a strong impression.
But Hong Wei wasn't finished.
He quickly interrupted, saying, "On the way, if you come across anything that could help improve Qi affinity, try to acquire it."
"And also, leave behind a copy of your cultivation technique before you leave."
Finally, Hong Wei added one more warning.
"You have a deadline of one year. No matter what you find or where you go, you must return before then. Do you understand?"
He had to remind him again. After all, the last thing Hong Wei wanted was to lose such a capable subordinate due to carelessness or overconfidence.
Even if the epic-ranked character before him was a man… and though Hong Wei personally preferred subordinates who were more pleasing to the eye, namely women, that didn't mean he didn't value the others.
"I understand, my lord," Li Jian said, bowing deeply before vanishing completely.