Chapter 47: The Phantom Revitalizes the Cultivation World (47% complete)
Friends can be close or distant. When Su Xiaoyao and her two companions went to an open area to meet up, Shen Suqi and her two companions happened to walk over. On the other side, Xu Lingyou and his three companions, who had been waiting in the same spot, were also in a cheerful mood.
The three small groups met and exchanged knowing smiles.
Because of Xiao Tingyuan's excellent cooking skills, Helian Yi's attitude towards them improved a lot. Even Su Xiaoyao couldn't help but sigh, "Indeed, the way to a person's heart is through their stomach."
Helian Yi first nodded to them in greeting, then gave Su Xiaoyao a determined look: "Su Xiaoyao, I don't want my opponent to lose in the illusion selection."
His tone was flat, but there was always a hint of sarcasm in his words.
"I should be saying that to you," Su Xiaoyao said, spreading her hands with a bright smile, not at all annoyed by his provocation. "Being too ambitious can sometimes be an obstacle to progress. You should be glad that the selection and assessment in the illusionary realm is not ranked, otherwise I can imagine how depressed you would be after you finally got rid of your ambitions."
Helian Yi chuckled: "You're quite confident. What, don't you have any ambition at all?"
“Ambition can’t put food on the table. As long as I’m happy, that’s all that matters.” Su Xiaoyao shrugged, completely at ease. “Don’t even think about seeing me make a fool of myself.”
"Alright then." Helian Yi nodded thoughtfully. "I'll wait and see."
"The talismans have been distributed! Miss Shen is giving you all some good stuff. Come quickly to pay your respects and receive them."
Shen Suqi mysteriously took out a stack of talismans, smiling with immense pride.
Knowing that she had learned the Five-Star Talisman Cultivation Technique and must have some good things on hand, the others reached out without hesitation when they saw her generously sharing.
"Thank you, Miss!" Shui Fan replied crisply and decisively.
"This humble woman greets you," Su Xiaoyao said in a sweet, melodious voice.
"Greetings, Miss Shen." Even the usually aloof Helian Yi was willing to cooperate.
"What is this? I've never seen runes like this before." Xu Lingyou held the talisman in his hand and examined it repeatedly, confirming that he had never seen the runes on it before.
Ever since he was tricked by a fake talisman before leaving the Liuyun Sect, driven by a deep-seated resentment, he studied talisman books diligently and learned to recognize all kinds of runes.
But he had never seen the one that Shen Suqi took out before.
Shen Suqi was definitely not the kind of person who would harm her friends for the sake of the test. She solemnly took out the rare talisman and explained that it was definitely a precious and rare talisman.
"This is a talisman I drew based on the Dao Ancestor's secret manual. It has the effect of resisting illusions. I don't know if the talisman will work in this level of illusion, but I'll give it a try. I've drawn a lot of these talismans while practicing this chapter."
Xu Lingyou looked at her with an indescribable expression: "You've drawn so many... Don't you feel exhausted and drained of spiritual energy after you finish drawing?"
"No, I'm different from others, otherwise how could I have been...chosen?" Shen Suqi was like a beautiful and self-aware peacock proudly displaying its tail feathers. "I practice drawing talismans until my hands are sore."
Xu Lingyou had mostly interacted with ordinary cultivators before, but after meeting these new friends at the Lingzhou Grand Gathering, he discovered that there were many geniuses in the world.
Shen Suqi, who draws talismans with almost no spiritual energy consumption; Helian Yi, who cultivates as easily as drinking water and is a born prodigy; Shui Fan, the powerful and naturally gifted prince of the Merfolk; Su Xiaoyao, who only started cultivating at the age of sixteen and caught up with everyone else in just three years; Xiao Tingyuan, whose cooking is imbued with spiritual energy; and Jiang Yun, who can suppress the overwhelming ghostly aura of the sacred Soul-Summoning Banner and is completely uncorrupted by the thoughts of wronged spirits…
A group of geniuses are all equally matched, each possessing unparalleled talent.
And one day, he was going to have to compete against these geniuses.
Xu Lingyou gripped his sword tightly and thought to himself that he needed to work even harder.
"They're all here."
Su Xiaoyao suddenly heard a voice behind her.
The phrase "in the midst of a sea of people" may not have been directed at her, but she had a strange intuition that she had encountered her destined nemesis.
She turned around and met a pair of dark eyes as deep as an abyss.
The newcomer had slightly upturned phoenix eyes, which added a touch of frivolous evil to his refined and handsome face. He was dressed casually in black, and a silver chain with interlocking links was wrapped around his strong waist. Upon closer inspection, one could see that each link of the chain was engraved with intricate and precise runes, which shimmered with a mysterious silver light as he walked.
"Oh, isn't this my defeated opponent, Seventh Young Master?" Su Xiaoyao greeted him eagerly, but her words were full of sarcasm.
007 scoffed and stood with his arms crossed at a distance from them: "Helian Yi, you've really surprised me. I always thought that Young Master Helian was as upright and aloof as the rumors suggested, but I never expected that he would be so petty and pretentious in private."
His gaze fell on Helian Yi with great interest, looking him up and down: "I used to think that you scions of noble families were all the same, always putting on airs and acting all high and mighty. You're arrogant too, but not in an annoying way. I'm looking forward to facing you later."
“I’m looking forward to it too.” Helian Yi turned slightly to the side, revealing the two curved blades on his back.
Su Xiaoyao was indignant: "Hey, you treat him as a rival, but what about me? How can you completely ignore me? I also deserve some credit for the quarterly rankings sniping, okay?"
"Heh." 007 sneered, "You started this crappy trend of targeting the top three on the leaderboard. Do I need to make threats to deal with you? Haven't you noticed that everyone who passes by has to give you a second look? Su Xiaoyao, the public enemy of the entire leaderboard who led Jiang Yun and Xiao Tingyuan to do all sorts of heinous things?"
"You guys are quick at gathering information." Su Xiaoyao touched her nose. "But the evaluation of it as heinous is still too high. Xiaoqi, you should take it back."
“My name isn’t Xiao Qi.” 007 proudly raised his chin. “Su Qingqian is my name.”
"Your name even has 'scroll' in it, no wonder it's you," Su Xiaoyao commented with a smile. "I hope you don't keep rolling around and end up always ending up second on the list."
Su Qinghuan chuckled, gave him a provocative look, and turned to leave.
Su Xiaoyao's gaze remained fixed on his back until he went into the crowd and gathered with a few friends before she looked away.
"Did I snipe him many times?" She stroked her chin, lost in thought.
"He's only been ranked a few times on the overall leaderboard. You've been so lenient with him that he's only been unlucky enough to fall for you three or four times. But you've been pushing Xiao Jiang to snipe him on the game leaderboard a lot more often," Xiao Tingyuan said tactfully.
"That was Xiao Jiang's doing. He really has his priorities backward, actually holding a grudge against a naive and kind-hearted girl like me." Su Xiaoyao shook her head.
"How's your preparation for the beauty pageant going?"
The familiar voice reached her ears, and Su Xiaoyao's eyes lit up.
She turned her head with a grin and looked at the tall girl holding a pen and notebook, saying, "Of course we're guaranteed to win! Xiao Yao is worth two people!"
Jun Huilian gave a thumbs up: "Then I'm relieved, junior sister."
"Okay, senior sister~"
The cheerful Su Xiaoyao and the unrestrained Jun Huilian, who uses an alternate account to express himself, can't stop chatting when they meet.
Su Xiaoyao immediately praised, "The island your master created is incredibly powerful."
"You figured it out?" Jun Huilian's smile widened. "Not many people can tell that the island itself is a spiritual artifact. I think you can directly choose the advanced artifact refining course in the future."
"Can we still choose our own courses?" Su Xiaoyao asked, perking up her ears.
"Of course you can. If you want, you can learn about spiritual artifacts, talismans, and medicines. In the modern cultivation world, various cultivation techniques and secret manuals have been severely lost, so my master decided to teach you everything."
Will your master show up today?
Having just discussed the power of the Heavenly Dao Ancestor not long ago, Su Xiaoyao is still highly curious and attentive to this figure who is revered as a god.
“There are rules that prevent my master from appearing in the cultivation world, but she will send out a divine sense to watch over you all at all times,” Jun Huilian said with a meaningful smile, speaking the truth in his words.
"Then I'd better do my best." Su Xiaoyao blinked. "When I enroll, I want to be the best junior sister to my senior sister."
“I’m really looking forward to it.” She had high hopes for the leader she had carefully selected.
Of the five out of six, she favored Su Xiaoyao the most, even though she had prepared a "big gift" for Su Xiaoyao...
Jun Huilian glanced at the time and felt it was time to go behind the scenes to get back to work.
To weave a dreamlike world that captivates thousands, and to project the vision thousands of miles away with spiritual power while resisting the pressure of the "rules," one cannot do it without focusing one's energy.
"The headcount is done. I have to go prepare other things. Good luck to you all."
"Okay, okay, wait for me to share the joy of victory with you." Su Xiaoyao stretched out her index and middle fingers and made a "V" sign.
Jun Huilian loved her playful personality so much that she wasn't afraid of ruining her persona even while wearing a disguise. She blinked her right eye, sending a encouraging look.
The images of the illusion began to be projected, and a huge sky curtain rose from the ground. At the same time, tens of thousands of people who had obtained the assessment quota saw the sea churning up waves. The already powerful storm grew even larger, and lightning began to flash frequently in the middle of each wave.
The storms completely unleashed their power, unleashing their full force.
"Those eliminated after the assessment will be teleported to the shore. From then on, only disciples registered with Tianyan Academy will be allowed to enter and exit freely. The storm surge has the characteristic of becoming stronger when it encounters a strong opponent. If you try to force your way in, don't blame me for not warning you in advance."
“It’s Xiao Ye’s voice,” Su Xiaoyao said in a low voice.
Many people recognized the voice. These days, everyone knows that there are two law enforcers, a man and a woman, in the first level of the island. Their strength is unfathomable. They have driven out all those who did not meet the requirements for entering the island but insisted on forcing their way in.
It can't be said that they attacked; they simply waved their sleeves, and the intruders were swept into the storm by an invisible force, including many Nascent Soul stage cultivators.
With just two people, one could clearly feel the unassailable authority of Tianyan Academy.
The difference in strength was too great, and Jun Huilian gave off a smiling tiger vibe, so no one dared to provoke her. Apart from Su Xiaoyao, who was carefree and could put her arm around anyone, no one dared to disturb her.
However, she was still very approachable and would ask newcomers a few questions, so even though they didn't talk much, everyone remembered her voice.
"Boom!"
Like many others, Su Xiaoyao instinctively looked up at the sky after hearing the thunder.
Then we witnessed the wind and clouds begin to become murky, and after a low, oppressive thunder and lightning, a huge crack appeared in the sky.
Golden light surged forth from behind the crack, enveloping the entire sea area in less than three breaths.
Not only the people on the island, but also people on the coasts of the four continents witnessed this scene.
News spread rapidly during this period, and almost everyone knew that Tianyan Academy was opening its gates today. However, everyone was busy with their own affairs. Many of them had heard the rumors and lamented that they were born at the wrong time, but they did not know the other inside information.
For example, the existence of a sky canopy.
The moment the celestial canopy appeared, the skies over the four continents changed color. Those unaware of the situation thought the cultivation world had finally reached its end. Upon hearing the information shared by others, their emotions fluctuated greatly, and they thought with tears in their eyes and a smile on their face, "Perhaps being born at this time is not so bad."
At least they will witness a miracle.
“Heavenly Dao Ancestor…” The sect master of the Xuantian Sword Sect coughed up blood.
The mask of hypocrisy was torn off, and the forces that had previously gone to great lengths to curry favor with him flocked to the central sea area of the four continents. He felt the coldness and provocation he had never experienced since he ascended to the top of the cultivation world.
Even though he gritted his teeth, he didn't dare say anything more.
Even if it's just a title, immortals at that level can sense it. They won't be moved by ordinary conversations or praise, but if there are any negative comments, it depends on the immortal's mood.
Even though he considered himself the number one cultivator in the cultivation world, he dared not test the temper of the Heavenly Evolution Ancestor.
He knew deeply that kindness and irritability were not contradictory, just as elegance and ruthlessness could coexist within him.
The sect master of Xuantian Sword Sect closed his eyes, comforting himself that with the path to immortality opened, the actions of Tianyan Daozu were not entirely detrimental to him.
He also sent his grandson to a university. His grandson is upright, kind, and exceptionally talented. Presumably, he will not be rejected by the Heavenly Dao Ancestor, nor will he fall behind others.
He felt ashamed that he had so painstakingly sent his most beloved grandson to study under the very person who had caused him to end up in this predicament.
However, faced with absolute overwhelming strength, he didn't even have the thought of putting up a fight, let alone cursing behind his back.
The sect leader of the Xuantian Sword Sect angrily turned and walked towards the spiritual vein he had arranged.
He stopped halfway through his journey, unable to resist turning back to look up at the magical sky.
He tried it, and as long as he was in one of the four continents, he could see the whole scene no matter which angle he stood at. The sky didn't seem to be placed in the air, but rather it seemed to be placed in everyone's brain.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but shudder.
Is it possible for every immortal to possess such power? Probably not.
Is this the Heavenly Dao Ancestor, the number one genius in the cultivation world ten thousand years ago...? This is what the number one should look like.
Realizing that his already wavering Dao heart was beginning to falter, the Xuan Tian Sword Sect Master impatiently clutched his chest, and after much deliberation, decided to postpone his seclusion and finish watching the assessment first.
A powerful person may not be able to manage tens of thousands of examinees. He harbored a secret, negative expectation and continued watching.
At the same time, people across four continents flocked to the streets, all keeping their heads up, afraid of missing a miracle.
Wenren Ji stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze deep and profound.
"Your Majesty's wisdom and foresight are truly admirable!"
Below the steps, a large group of ministers knelt, many with fine beads of sweat on their foreheads.
Three years ago, Wenren Ji, who had thoroughly stabilized the foundation of the country, began to reveal his unquestionable nature. One after another, the old ministers who had been in control of the government were humiliated and stepped down. They finally witnessed Wenren Ji's true methods.
Thinking back to three years ago when Wenren Ji wanted to select children to send to Tianyan Academy, and they all turned down the opportunity with doubts, they almost burst into tears.
Wenren Ji stood on the high platform, looking down at everything and taking in their ever-changing expressions.
Fear, frustration, regret, jealousy...
He smiled with satisfaction.
What could be more interesting than making those who once doubted him kneel at his feet in regret?
Today, he will make those who have questioned him kneel here and repeatedly reflect on what they missed because of a momentary lapse in judgment.
"A miracle has occurred, a rare sight in thousands of years. As pillars of the nation, you ministers naturally need to know more than the common people in order to educate them. So please join me here to witness this."
The courtiers complained bitterly, but could only agree.
Wenren Ji brewed a pot of tea, recalling the fleeting glimpse of Jun Huilian's back, and felt that she looked somewhat familiar.
He chuckled self-deprecatingly, thinking, "Having walked the path of an emperor, how could I possibly recognize any deities?"
I just wonder how my teacher is doing now. She is also a student of Tianyan Academy. Will she appear in the sky?
Regardless of how people from the four continents feel, the candidates on the island are the most direct and impactful.
Su Xiaoyao witnessed the golden light surging from the crack slowly condensing into a half-human figure.
It must have been a woman in red, but she was blurred and indistinct through the mist, making it difficult to see clearly. The only thing that was clear was a pair of cold, golden eyes.
No, it's not gold.
Su Xiaoyao's eyes widened.
It was covered by the golden light of merit!
The phantom slowly raised its eyes, the cold calm in its gaze penetrating the heart.
"It is hoped that we, the younger generation, will cultivate ourselves and our minds on the path of spiritual practice, and always remember that Heaven rewards diligence."
"Yes, we will follow the teachings of the Dao Ancestor!" The crowd dared not look directly at him, but bowed their heads and answered with excitement and respect.
The phantom left a word of advice and nodded slightly before crumbling into light and shadow a moment later.
In the last second before her divine sense withdrew, Su Xiaoyao inexplicably raised her head.
Among tens of thousands of people, she suddenly met the gaze of the illusory figure.
Overwhelming pressure washed over her, blurring her vision, but making her hearing exceptionally sharp.
"Lonely soul from another world, you do not belong here. Return to where you belong."
She heard that solemn yet gentle and kind voice say this.
Su Xiaoyao suddenly froze.
Aside from systems that transcend this time and space, no one knows her origins.
With just one glance, the illusory figure revealed her identity.
"Am I hallucinating? Did you...did you hear that? She said..."
Su Xiaoyao stiffened her neck and struggled to turn her head, wanting to ask her friend for help.
"Hehe, gacha pulls... I'm so lucky, another 100% drop rate today..."
"Brother Lin! I've finally become your junior sister!"
"The number one person below the Heavenly Dao Ancestor? Ha! I, Helian Yi, never submit to anyone. If I'm going to do something, I'll be the number one in the world!"
“Mother, Yun’er made a good friend at school today. His name is Sisi.”
"Hahahaha, the little Shen family, hahahaha, the little Shengqi Palace..."
"..."
Su Xiaoyao felt a force pulling her apart; she was both terrified and expectant, and could only grit her teeth and say:
"Old Xiao! Little Jiang!"
"Hey! Xiaoxi!"
"Wake up, all of you! If you don't wake up soon, you won't be able to see me one last time! We've known each other for a while, at least see me off!"
An overwhelming wave of dizziness surged into her brain, and Su Xiaoyao was pulled into a dark abyss by an irresistible force.
My vision was blurry, and I was swaying precariously.
Just as she was about to lose consciousness, a warm power surged from her dantian, allowing her to regain her balance.
Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains and fell on Su Xiaoyao's face, causing her to unconsciously furrow her brow in her sleep.
"Ring ring ring ring!"
The piercing alarm clock made my head ache, and a hand reached out from under the covers and slammed it hard against the incessantly noisy alarm.
With an impatient gesture, Su Xiaoyao's fair hand lifted the blanket, her face contorted in extreme impatience as her messy hair was disheveled.
She groggily opened her eyes, feeling her back soaked with sweat. Her pajamas were sticking to her body uncomfortably. She opened her eyes a crack and glanced down casually.
"What the hem of this pajama is? It's so uncomfortable around my neck, I can't sleep at all. It's only good for looking good..."
She sat up unhappily, her irritated expression suddenly freezing on her face.
"Wait, pajamas?!"
Su Xiaoyao suddenly looked down and stared wide-eyed at the cartoon pink rabbit on the cotton clothes, sitting on the bed in a daze.
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Author's note: Today, I was diligent! And I proudly held my head high!
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