Chapter 53 Slander and Revitalization of the Cultivation World: 53% Complete

Xiao Tingyuan raised his elbow and nudged Jiang Yun, then winked at Su Xiaoyao.

Jiang Yun knew what he meant without even looking, so he told him to relax.

Anyone with eyes could see that Su Xiaoyao's state of mind had undergone a tremendous change after she stepped out of the illusion. The lazy and unreliable girl of the past revealed her sharp claws, and her rarely seen high spirits were just like before when she only had the top spot in her eyes.

They could tell that Su Xiaoyao was different from usual, but at the moment they didn't understand what that meant.

They are now only happy that she has emerged from the illusion unharmed.

Su Xiaoyao tilted her head slightly, unafraid of the glaring sunlight, and looked at the real sun. Bathed in the warm sunlight, she felt exceptionally cheerful.

"Hey, everyone's here." Su Qingqian leaned over with a cheeky grin, feigning surprise. "I thought you finished early and went to rest, but it's surprising to see you dragging it out until the very last minute."

Hearing 007's sarcastic tone, Su Xiaoyao wasn't annoyed; she simply glanced at him lazily.

She couldn't help but think of Su Xiaogua.

Whenever that guy finds himself firmly in second place again, he often comes over with that annoying expression, trying every possible way to win back some ground verbally.

Thinking this way, her gaze towards Su Qinghuan became tender.

"What kind of look is that?" A strange shiver ran down Su Qinghuan's spine, and his keen intuition made him lean back.

Su Xiaoyao smiled kindly: "No, I just felt that if I came out a little later, it would make the person who was fighting for second place happy, which would be worth it. Anyway, this doesn't depend on the ranking, so I'll let you have it."

Her "magnanimity" did not make Su Qinghuan happy.

He snorted coldly: "Your illusion is difficult, but the corresponding reward is also high. I advise you not to talk nonsense with me here now. Quickly find a place to refine the overflowing spiritual power, and don't waste the Dao Ancestor's gift."

Su Xiaoyao was stunned for a moment, and only after circulating her spiritual energy again did she notice that her dantian was too full.

Unexpectedly, this guy wasn't there to mock her, but rather to kindly remind her.

Although his tone was still cheeky, it was surprisingly cute.

"Thank you so much." Su Xiaoyao has always been clear about gratitude and resentment, and she will repay anyone who shows her kindness.

Su Qinghuan frowned and looked her over unwillingly: "I really don't know why the Dao Ancestor took a liking to you. You survive by possessing a body, you have talent by marrow cleansing, and you are ranked by sniping."

He wasn't a bad person; he just said a few words to her out of jealousy, which wasn't enough to upset Su Xiaoyao.

She put on a humble smile and said, "Yes, yes, I have failed the Dao Ancestor's painstaking efforts before."

Her attitude was calm and composed, and Su Qinghuan opened his mouth but couldn't utter any other sarcastic words.

He arrogantly turned his face away and said nothing more.

Su Xiaoyao placed her hand on her dantian, where a warm current was flowing, and said to the person beside her, "I'll find a place to digest the spiritual energy right away."

"Go quickly, Jun Laiye said there will be a day of rest after the illusionary realm assessment ends," Shen Suqi said.

“Let’s go, I’ll protect you.” Jiang Yun took the soul-summoning banner from behind her back and approached her, saying this.

Seeing this, Xiao Tingyuan also said, "I'll go too."

"No, you can't go." Helian Yi stopped them immediately when he saw what they were doing.

He took out three defensive Saint-grade spiritual artifacts from his storage space and tossed them to Su Xiaoyao, who caught them in a flurry.

She looked at him with a questioning gaze.

Helian Yi looked at Xiao Tingyuan and said, "I want to eat now."

Su Xiaoyao glanced at the precious treasure in her arms, then at her bewildered friend. After a moment's internal struggle, she decisively said to the latter, "The world needs you; you belong to a wider world!"

Xiao Tingyuan: "...I would believe you if you had at least two breaths to think."

Su Xiaoyao leaned closer to him and whispered, "Helian Yi will definitely feel embarrassed to ask for the things he gave away. He'll share one with you when he's done using them."

Xiao Tingyuan's gloomy expression immediately turned cheerful: "Alright, what do you want to eat? I'll prepare it for you after you've digested the spiritual energy."

Su Xiaoyao exclaimed happily, "I want to eat steamed lamb, steamed bear's paw, steamed deer tail, roast duck, roast chicken, and roast goose..."

She simply recited a list of dishes.

Xiao Tingyuan readily agreed, considering the sacred-grade spiritual artifact.

Helian Yi: "..."

He was a cultivator whose strength surpassed theirs; he was neither deaf nor blind.

When dividing up his property, couldn't we at least avoid doing so for him?

He originally intended to lend out defensive magical artifacts like he had done with Shen Suxi's breakthrough last time, but after a few words, the artifacts became Su Xiaoyao's, and he was really embarrassed to ask for them back.

He doesn't lack a few sacred-grade spiritual artifacts, but he's only given them away for less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and this guy is already offering them up to him right in front of him. How can Su Xiaoyao be so shameless?

Su Xiaoyao has no shame.

Su Xiaoyao and Xiao Tingyuan reached an agreement and went their separate ways.

Before leaving, she didn't forget to grab Jiang Yun and say to Helian Yi with a grateful expression, "Boss Helian is so generous."

Having been flattered, Helian Yi found himself speechless.

He looked at Xiao Tingyuan with a resentful expression: "I also want to eat steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, and steamed deer tail."

Xiao Tingyuan said arrogantly, "It's not about what you want to eat now, but what I want to do in my mood."

Helian Yi: "Don't forget whose spirit artifact you just obtained."

Xiao Tingyuan calmly returned the gaze: "I don't care whose things they are, Xiao Yao gave them to me."

"Ha." Helian Yiqi laughed. "I knew normal people shouldn't spend too much time with Su Xiaoyao."

Xiao Tingyuan felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this.

Without realizing it, he had started to emulate Su Xiaoyao.

However, his self-reflection lasted only a moment before he straightened his back and said, "I deserve it all."

His remaining conscience compelled him to add, "But if Xiao Yao wants some, I can prepare a serving for you."

"Me too!" Shen Suqi quickly raised her hand. "Old Xiao, we've been friends for over ten years!"

Xiao Tingyuan figured that since he was doing a little bit or a whole table of food anyway, he simply said, "Come on, everyone, eat and drink your fill and get ready for the next assessment."

Thus, the private meal that Helian Yi paid for turned into a lively and bustling gathering.

Shen Suqi winked at him: "Thanks to Helian, you're in luck."

"Hmph." Helian Yi glared coldly.

Despite their verbal sparring, everyone actually remembered Helian Yi's generosity and chivalry.

They suddenly realized that the aloof young master Helian was not so unapproachable after all.

He also does ordinary things, such as standing up for his friends, rescuing his opponents from illusions, and being generous without considering personal gain or loss.

This experience strengthened the bonds between the group.

After Su Xiaoyao digested the abundant spiritual energy in her body, her cultivation level stabilized at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm.

His state of mind underwent a qualitative leap, and the superficial foundation brought about by the Marrow Cleansing Pill also became solid.

After expelling the toxins from her body, she hurriedly took a shower and went to have a big meal. When she arrived, she found Jun Huilian and Jun Feibai there as well.

"You must be hungry after just advancing in the game, come and eat," Jun Huilian called out to her.

Su Xiaoyao happily went over to get a bowl: "Even though I've been fasting, seeing all this delicious food still makes me hungry."

"I see you've been eating quite well in the illusion for the past two weeks," Jun Huilian said with a smile. "There are quite a few dishes that I've never seen before."

"Oh dear, that's such a pity. I should have memorized the recipes before coming back. I've been so busy with the college entrance exam that I haven't paid attention to them at all," Su Xiaoyao said frankly, recalling the past.

“I’d like to visit your old little world if I get the chance,” Jun Huilian said casually. “It’s a completely different place from the cultivation world; it’s really novel.”

Su Xiaoyao paused, her expression seemingly casual, but her fingers holding the bowl turned slightly white: "Time travel is a rare occurrence, and worlds definitely don't allow each other to interfere with each other."

"That's true, but it's not a complete ban. As long as you have absolute strength and don't interfere with the other world, it'll be fine," Jun Huilian said while eating.

Su Xiaoyao picked up a piece of braised pork with her chopsticks and suppressed her wandering thoughts.

Jun Huilian subtly curled the corners of his lips: "By the way, is the college entrance examination in your area similar to ours?"

When the topic of the college entrance examination came up, Su Xiaoyao perked up: "It's different."

Jun Huilian looked on with curiosity: "The illusionary realm broke through too quickly. I only see you doing problems every day, and I haven't seen your real college entrance examination scene yet."

Su Xiaoyao waved her hand and said, "It's a good thing I didn't see it. I don't want to go through the college entrance exam again and then be told that it was just a fake illusion, or I would go crazy."

"Is it really that exaggerated?"

"It's really that exaggerated!"

Su Xiaoyao shook off her gloom and started talking fluently, naturally creating a small corner for her and Jun Huilian to chat again.

Su Xiaoyao shared a lot of knowledge from the original world, and Jun Huilian listened intently.

After learning about the entire college entrance examination process, Jun Huilian suddenly smiled and said, "What a coincidence, your next exam is also a written test."

All eyes turned to them.

Although the specific details of the next assessment were announced well in advance, no one knows what the written test will actually cover.

When she spoke, they realized that there was an employee of Tianyan Academy right in front of them.

She might only need to reveal a little bit to give them more information than others.

Therefore, everyone at the dinner table simultaneously pricked up their ears.

Jun Huilian said casually, "I'm one of the question setters. We've compiled a huge question bank, from which you will be randomly selected. The exam covers a wide range of topics, and how many of your favorite questions you get depends on luck."

Su Xiaoyao nodded: "This assessment method is good, there's no need to worry about anyone cheating."

"Being able to cheat is their skill, seeing the same questions after cheating is their luck, and if the person next to them happens to know the answer to the same question, that's their fate." Jun Huilian smiled knowingly.

Su Xiaoyao raised her eyebrows slightly.

It sounds like they have no intention of catching the cheater; instead, they seem to be enjoying the spectacle.

She then thought again and realized that this assessment was personally overseen by the Heavenly Dao Ancestor, who was a gentle person who would send her back to the past to say goodbye; he wouldn't be so wicked.

After Jun Huilian finished speaking, he felt he had eaten enough and got up to take his leave.

"I'm going to restart the canopy for the next assessment. You guys rest for a bit and then go assemble," she said.

After watching her leave, her friends gathered together to discuss the exam questions.

“There are many people discussing this on the intranet, but when it comes to truly useful knowledge, everyone is keeping quiet and speaking in a very vague way,” Xu Lingyou said.

Huangfu Mian raised a very important point: "I remember that Brother Lin once had a booklet that contained a map of the Misty Forest and a complete list of flora and fauna. I think it's possible that our assessment will be so detailed that it will involve distinguishing between plants and animals."

"Then wouldn't we rogue cultivators be in a great position? Our knowledge is far broader than that of those cultivators who advance by consuming pills." Shen Suqi exclaimed with delight.

"No wonder they say the assessment is absolutely fair. Whether it's the illusion or the questions, we're all on the same starting line." Su Xiaoyao deeply respected the Heavenly Dao Ancestor and silently became a fan of the Dao Ancestor.

"Huh?"

Just as they were having a heated discussion, Shui Fan, who was used to wearing magical artifacts to reduce his presence, suddenly sat up from his recliner.

He looked up: "There's a strange comment under Jiang Yun's illusion photo."

"What?" Su Xiaoyao asked in surprise.

Shui Fan held up a communication stone that was provided to each person and showed them the projection.

The comment that was pinned to the top seemed to indicate that the person making the comment had some knowledge of Jiang Yun:

[Breaking through the illusion in the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, it seems that this heartless bastard has already forgotten the fact that you killed his entire family. You're still not satisfied with your cursed fate that killed 120 members of your family? You had to come to Tianyan Academy to seek revenge! You hang out those eerie, ghost-summoning banners all day long, as if afraid people won't know you've switched to ghost cultivation. Are you cultivating the ghost path because you're afraid your entire family will come back to haunt you? You treat the past lightly, not seeking revenge, but instead brazenly coming to Tianyan Academy to chat and laugh with a bunch of people. Why should such an inhuman being be allowed to remain? Why should this heartless wretch's breakthrough image be posted on the internal network?]

The intensity of his words and the venom in his speech suggested that he harbored an irreconcilable hatred towards Jiang Yun.

Su Xiaoyao's heart tightened.

After stabilizing her realm, she watched Jiang Yun's breakthrough as if it were a TV drama while taking a bath. His speed in breaking through the illusions was too fast, and he clearly didn't reveal anything.

This person knew everything about his past.

Jiang Yun silently raised his head, his already cold face now covered with an even thicker layer of frost.

"What nonsense is he spouting!" The good-tempered Xiao Tingyuan was the first to get angry. "Xiao Jiang quickly passed through the illusionary realm because his inner strength was unshakeable, but he actually twisted it into... He deserves to die!"

His family is a minefield.

"Who is this guy?" Shui Fan was displeased. "So what if he's a ghost cultivator! Does anyone still discriminate against demons and ghosts these days? I want to have a go with him. What kind of skill is it to hide behind an anonymous intranet? If you've got the guts, reveal your name!"

Someone dared to insult a friend he respected!

The merman's fiery temper couldn't be contained.

After spending time together, the others came to understand Jiang Yun's taciturn character, and they all became angry.

"A rat that only dares to hide behind the internal network." Wu Ji said disdainfully.

Huangfu Mian was furious: "Do you really think nobody knows who he is? Brother Lin and the others are watching his every move! Don't think you can shake Jiang Yun's number one position with just a few words."

Helian Yi sneered: "You think you can make Jiang Yun's Dao heart unstable by slander? Get your brain working."

Jiang Yun already had a name in mind. Seeing his companions' righteous indignation, his brow softened slightly. Just as he was about to speak, Su Xiaoyao took out her communication stone without a word, a cold smile on her face. She still hadn't changed the verbal tic she brought back from the original world:

"I laughed. You think you can do whatever you want just because you're anonymous? There's no such thing as letting someone run rampant in the cultivation world. Give me five minutes, and I'll find out which dormitory he lives in right away."

"Then."

Su Xiaoyao spoke slowly and deliberately, narrowing her eyes dangerously: "What kind of ability is it to be so arrogant online? Let's meet him offline and see what kind of monster he is."

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Author's note: Updates will stabilize after the holiday. Tomorrow is a make-up workday, another tough day (sighing cat.jpg).