Li Yunxian finished her exam and walked out of the testing room, only to be greeted head-on by a massive crowd of her classmates.
Looking at her classmates’ hands holding banners like, “No matter how you did, I still love you!” and “Don’t worry about failing, I wore slippers today, I can ‘drag’ you ashore!”…
Li Yunxian’s expression grew solemn as she took a step back.
What Liu Wu couldn’t accomplish, her dear classmates had managed to do.
“Don’t run! Let us love you a bit!” The sharp-eyed classmates instantly spotted Li Yunxian’s intent, cackling as they charged toward her.
In the end, the thoroughly trampled Li Yunxian:
She’d rather go beat up a Foundation Establishment Stage cultivator ▽-∇.
All around her were the noisy voices of her classmates, probably saying things like how satisfying it felt, or how the flying sword from the sky was just too cool and they wanted to see more.
In the end, it was a teacher who came to her rescue.
This teacher was also the one who had talked to Li Yunxian about transferring schools.
She looked at Li Yunxian, her gaze full of emotion: “I didn’t expect you could actually do what you said.”
Li Yunxian smiled.
Compared to the difficulties she’d faced before, the thing with Liu Wu was just a minor problem.
The teacher only sighed for a moment before getting to the point.
“Now that you’ve finished your exam, you’ll probably be heading to a Special Academy soon. There are two things the school still needs to tell you.”
Li Yunxian looked at the teacher, making a show of listening seriously.
“First, you’ve never received special education before, so you’re unfamiliar with the rules and codes cultivators should know.”
“There’s still some time before you leave Jincheng, so before that, go to the Special Class for two days of basic knowledge lessons.”
Li Yunxian naturally had no objection—she really needed this. She nodded obediently, “Okay, Teacher.”
“And the second?” Li Yunxian asked.”
“The second is…” The teacher stared at Li Yunxian, pulling out a payment code, “The Iron Display Board on the playground cost eight hundred. Please compensate for it.”
Li Yunxian:
“Only now did she remember the poor, innocent display board she’d sliced in half with a single sword strike, just to make a point.”
“…Oh, okay.” Li Yunxian paid up, her voice dry.
Right after, Li Yunxian recalled the second innocent object she’d damaged.
“What about that chair?” she asked.
That chair, the one that had pinned Liu Wu, had also suffered a tragic fate.
“That was an act of bravery, so the criminal pays for that.” The teacher answered, drawing a clear line between public and private matters.
After saying this, the teacher couldn’t help but laugh, reaching out to pat Li Yunxian’s shoulder. “Well done! Keep up the good work!”
Li Yunxian’s eyes curved in a smile. “Okay, Teacher.”
“Now… The Academy Bureau Chief is waiting for you in the principal’s office. Go ahead.” The teacher gently pushed Li Yunxian’s back, signaling that she could leave.
Then, this teacher—so kind and gentle to Li Yunxian—turned to face the crowd of students and instantly showed what it meant to change faces.
“So full of energy, aren’t you! The Xiuzhe Exam is coming soon, you know! Since you’re all so energetic, get back to your classrooms and do your practice papers!” The teacher’s face was fierce.
Groans filled the air.
No longer needing to take the Xiuzhe Exam, Li Yunxian saw this miserable scene and quickly slipped away, heading to the principal’s office.
Inside, both the principal and Chen Shuzhang were present. When they saw Li Yunxian arrive, the principal tactfully left the room.
“Sit.” Chen Shuzhang gestured.
Li Yunxian sat down across from Chen Shuzhang without any hesitation, and soon saw a metal ring, about the size of a bracelet, placed in front of her.
Li Yunxian’s eyes flickered.
She could sense that, although its refining method differed greatly from what she knew in the Cultivation World, this was undoubtedly a storage artifact.
Li Yunxian looked up, her eyes asking Chen Shuzhang what this meant.
“Because of a lapse in personnel management at the Academy Bureau, you suffered a lot of trouble and harm. This Wrist Storage Ring is compensation from the Bureau. What’s inside is a personal apology from me.” Chen Shuzhang spoke succinctly.
Understanding the situation, Li Yunxian finally picked up the Wrist Storage Ring to take a look.
Sensing it briefly, Li Yunxian saw that, though the space inside wasn’t large, there were fifty low-grade Spirit Stones inside.
Li Yunxian’s eyes immediately lit up.
This was exactly what she needed!
Spirit Stones, unlike pills, could be used directly for Cultivation without any side effects. They were perfect for her.
What was in the ring would be enough for her at Qi Refining First Layer to cultivate for quite a long time.
Li Yunxian’s view of Chen Shuzhang instantly improved.
With her experience, she could see that during her confrontation with Liu Wu, Chen Shuzhang had been wavering and indecisive.
Li Yunxian didn’t have a good impression of people like that.
But the fact that he had acted without hesitation against the Demonic Path cultivator in the end did redeem him somewhat in her eyes.
Now, he’d managed to pull his approval rating from negative back to zero.
“Thank you, Bureau Chief.” Li Yunxian responded crisply, indicating that all past grievances were settled.
Chen Shuzhang naturally heard the meaning in her tone and chuckled.
Such straightforward people were rare.
Looking at the young, energetic Li Yunxian, Chen Shuzhang’s eyes were full of emotion and a hint of envy.
When he discovered Liu Wu had fallen into the Demonic Path, the pity he’d felt was not just for Liu Wu, but also for himself.
Cultivation, seeking the Dao—one cultivates the Dao, but also the heart.
His own will wasn’t firm, and he habitually avoided conflict, so he’d never been able to break through the Great Completion of Qi Refinement and achieve Golden Core.
But that was just his nature—there was nothing to be done.
With Li Yunxian’s temperament, her path in Cultivation would surely take her much further than his.
Chen Shuzhang was also a graduate of the Four Great Academies, and had seen many geniuses more talented than himself. Jealousy had long since worn away, so he felt nothing unnecessary.
After sighing, Chen Shuzhang brought up something else.
“Do you know about the Qingteng Class of the Four Great Academies?”
Chen Shuzhang asked, but didn’t wait for Li Yunxian’s answer before continuing, “That class only takes 25 students each semester, and they get the best cultivation resources the Academy has to offer.
“To get in, you have to take the Qingteng Selection Exam and place in the top 100.
“And only those with a Xiuzhe Exam score above 700 can take the selection exam.”
“Your academic test score is estimated to be 124 points. With your aptitude score, you’ve already exceeded the 700 mark.”
At this, Li Yunxian raised her eyebrows.
She thought back to her academic test, wondering why the invigilators kept staring at her as she worked.
This really was, in the literal sense, having people watch her test score.
“When the official results are out, I’ll submit your name. In seven days, someone will arrange for you to depart for the capital.
“If you have any questions, you can ask the Special Class teachers, or just ask me directly.” As he spoke, Chen Shuzhang took out his phone and showed her his friend QR code.
Li Yunxian:
As an old relic from the Cultivation World, she was still a bit unaccustomed to the conveniences of modern technology.
Li Yunxian took out her phone and added Chen Shuzhang as a friend. But since she had questions now, she simply asked Chen Shuzhang face-to-face.
“What’s the format for the Qingteng Selection Exam?” Li Yunxian asked.
Chen Shuzhang smiled, “The selection is simple—it’s a fight.
“Whoever knocks everyone else down is number one.”
Cultivators have to battle other races, Hunters, and so on—combat ability is naturally a key standard.
But there’s no combat test in the Xiuzhe Exam.
It’s not because they don’t care, but because there’s no point in wasting the Academy’s time watching a bunch of weaklings peck at each other on stage.
Just look at the data—it’s simple and quick.
***
Previously, Chen Shuzhang hadn’t mentioned the Qingteng Selection Exam content, thinking it wouldn’t be difficult for Li Yunxian, so he’d subconsciously skipped over it.
“But… Most candidates in the selection exam are at least at Qi Refinement Third Layer.” At Qi Refinement Third Layer, one could use spells, and combat power increased greatly, “
Some even reach Qi Refinement Sixth or Seventh Layer.
Most cultivators start training from a young age. Very few prodigies with high stats are still only at Qi Refining First Layer by the time they take the Xiuzhe Exam at eighteen.
“Those geniuses with higher cultivation can even fight people like Liu Wu, who was at Foundation Establishment Stage.”
The gap between geniuses and ordinary people is greater than that between humans and dogs.
Chen Shuzhang still remembered Li Yunxian’s two strikes—clean and efficient, with not a hint of wasted swordplay—but he worried she might become arrogant about her swordsmanship, so he reminded her a bit.
But after saying so, as someone who preferred moderation and balance, Chen Shuzhang still added a word of comfort:
“Don’t worry, there aren’t many like that. For you, making the top hundred won’t be a problem.”
Hearing this, Li Yunxian thought to herself, family knows their own affairs best.
…That’s still a problem.
She could kill a Hunter with one sword, and even dared to kill Liu Wu with one strike, but she couldn’t just go and kill all her classmates.
If she didn’t kill, with her current physical state at Qi Refining First Layer, she could only use two or three sword techniques at most.
At this, Li Yunxian’s thoughts shifted, and she looked speechlessly at Chen Shuzhang.
Now she understood why Chen Shuzhang had been so generous, stuffing her with so many Spirit Stones.
It was to help this fledgling survive the selection exam.
She didn’t know whether she should praise Chen Shuzhang for being considerate.
“I’ll do my best.” Li Yunxian replied, not giving too many promises.
Her current situation was more like reincarnating and starting over, and with the game shop, the resources of the Four Great Academies’ Qingteng Class didn’t hold much appeal for her.
Li Yunxian only wanted to find a place with a bit more spiritual energy to cultivate.
Thinking of this, Li Yunxian couldn’t help but ask Chen Shuzhang, “Is there anywhere in Jincheng with more spiritual energy, a place better for cultivation?”
When she asked this, Li Yunxian felt it was only natural. The best place for cultivation must surely be wherever the strongest person in Jincheng—Chen Shuzhang—was.
That’s how it was in the Cultivation World, after all.
Pretending to be an innocent eighteen-year-old new to cultivation, clueless about everything, Li Yunxian wanted to act ignorant and leech off Chen Shuzhang’s spiritual energy.
Chen Shuzhang truly hadn’t expected Li Yunxian to ask such a question, and his gaze grew complicated as he looked at her.
He knew this girl lacked common knowledge about cultivation, but this was really something else.
“…The closer you are to the city’s edge, the denser the spiritual energy. But it’s also more dangerous.”
“Outside the city, there are Monster Beasts, strange phenomena, and also Demonic Path cultivators and Hunters.”
“So we cultivators generally live near the boundaries, to fend off these dangers and protect the ordinary people in the inner city.”
Li Yunxian:
Now she understood why she always felt the spiritual energy was so thin wherever she went.
Her parents were actually pretty wealthy, and the place they’d left her was right in the city center.
Which also meant it was the place with the least spiritual energy.
Truly, her wealth was both her making and her undoing.
Actually, in the Cultivation World, mortal cities and villages were mostly built in places with less spiritual energy.
Li Yunxian just hadn’t expected…
“This city center really has too little spiritual energy!” Li Yunxian complained.
Chen Shuzhang burst out laughing: “Jincheng’s location is remote, so there isn’t much spiritual energy, but it’s not that bad.”
As he spoke, he pointed at the ground: “They’ve buried artifacts underground to disperse spiritual energy.”
“When spiritual energy reaches a certain threshold, places with lots of people can easily spawn strange phenomena.”
“Those things are a pain to deal with.”
“You never know when they’ll appear. Some strange phenomena are immune to physical damage, making them hard to handle and likely to cause casualties among ordinary people.”
“This is the best way—guaranteeing life and production.”
Li Yunxian thought of the Cultivation World and nodded in agreement.
Another sigh.
No wonder this place could support a population of eight billion!
Li Yunxian curiously asked, “If there’s no spiritual energy in the city center, why do all the cultivator students study at Jincheng No.1 High School?”
Jincheng No.1 High School was also located right in the city center.
Chen Shuzhang grinned:
“They’re here to learn culture and basic skills, as well as spells and weapons. There’s barely enough time for those lessons every day—they don’t need to cultivate at school, so why would they need spiritual energy?”
“By spending more time with ordinary people, growing up together, they’ll see ordinary people as their own kind, and develop a sense of responsibility to protect them.”
If they were all isolated, what kind of society would that be?
Li Yunxian saw the faint pride on Chen Shuzhang’s face as he said this, and her own expression softened.
When she first crossed into the Cultivation World, she’d also spent many years struggling among mortals, slowly cultivating and training in swordsmanship, before finally achieving success.
In her long years of cultivation, that period was actually very short, but it was the most fundamental and important time in her whole journey.
This guy actually knew how to be a decent person.
Li Yunxian found herself liking Chen Shuzhang a bit more.
And Chen Shuzhang also realized what Li Yunxian was getting at with her questions, and straightforwardly gave her a suggestion:
“If you want to cultivate in a place with more spiritual energy, since there’s only a few days left, just find a hotel near the city boundary.”
“If you can reach Qi Refinement Second Layer, that would be even better, less conspicuous.”
“In the Qingteng Selection Exam, there are always a few people at Qi Refinement Second Layer each year.”
After saying this, Chen Shuzhang patted Li Yunxian’s shoulder, “You’ll meet a lot of geniuses then—some with eight or nine hundred, even a thousand points—but those are all just external things.”
A bright light.
“Cultivation level can be measured, talent can be measured, physique can be measured, but temperament cannot.”
“Those things only determine how fast you can cultivate, but temperament determines how far you can go.”
“You need to stay true to yourself. Don’t end up like me…”
Chen Shuzhang wanted to say something, hesitated, and then, worried about the pink elephant effect, just gave a wry smile and said, “Just don’t end up stuck at Foundation Establishment like me.”
Li Yunxian looked at Chen Shuzhang’s dejected expression and nodded, “Mm, I will.”
Li Yunxian had gotten all the answers she wanted.
She stood to bid Chen Shuzhang farewell, but when she opened the door to leave the principal’s office, she turned back to look at him.
“Bureau Chief, I don’t know what you think of your own heart, or why you’re stuck at Foundation Establishment.”
Li Yunxian spoke.
“But I think, under Heaven’s will, all beings are equal. No one’s heart is destined to only reach a certain stage.”
“I think, maybe the reason you’re stuck at Foundation Establishment isn’t your heart itself, but that you think… your heart isn’t good enough.”
After saying that, Li Yunxian nodded calmly at Chen Shuzhang and bid him farewell once more.
Chen Shuzhang stared dazedly at the now empty doorway, her gaze—seeming to see right through him—still lingering in his mind.
His heart trembled.
Was it all because he thought he… wasn’t good enough?
Ty for the translation 🌸