Chapter 56 Advancement and Revitalization of the Cultivation World (56% complete)
Su Xiaoyao was momentarily dazed.
The person who came into view gave her a sense of familiarity from his face to his mannerisms, much like Wenren Cong in disguise.
But upon closer inspection, this person is completely different from Wenren Cong. Wenren Cong's gentleness and thoughtfulness are a facade. It might have fooled the naive college student who had never seen the world three years ago, but it's not interesting to look back on her now.
The gentle and refined demeanor he exuded seemed genuine, and even she, who had witnessed countless deceitful acts in the cultivation world over the past three years, could not find any fault in his expression or movements.
She subtly observed the other person: "You belong to the Wen family."
There is no doubt about this. The striking resemblance in their facial features proves that he and Wenren Cong must be related by blood. Furthermore, the man's words suggest that he knows her, indicating that they must have met in the mortal realm.
Wenren Juan nodded in acknowledgment: "Miss Su may not remember me. My name is Wenren Juan, and I have received your kindness in the past."
Su Xiaoyao looked doubtful.
Despite pretending to be completely ignorant, she had long been wary of the Southern Kingdom's royal family and had little contact with them while running her own business.
How can you talk about favors?
Seeing that she didn't remember, Wenren Juan smiled slightly and said, "Miss Su is kind and generous. She once gave alms in the south of the city. I received your kindness of giving me porridge when I was on the verge of death."
After thinking for a long time, Su Xiaoyao dug out a small fragment from a corner of her memory.
After she made money, she often ordered people to donate to charity in the south of the city, and would occasionally conduct surprise inspections to prevent her subordinates from cutting corners.
One day, she and Wenren Cong were passing by when she saw a poorly dressed boy covered in wounds lying in front of a carriage. She immediately wanted to help him, but was stopped.
Wenren Cong said that he was his uncle's unfavored illegitimate son, who was not talented and was dull-witted, and was often bullied by his elder brother.
The imperial uncle holds military power, and the eldest son is intelligent, capable, and has the potential to cultivate immortality. It's best not to offend them for the sake of a useless person.
At the time, her career was being hindered by Wenren Cong. She did not object on the surface, but secretly had someone send porridge to the poor child and told him that if he had no food, he could go to the south of the city to collect relief food.
This incident was merely a trivial trigger for her to discover Wenren Cong's true colors; little did she know that years later, fragments of the past would piece together the present situation.
“You are the son of Prince Su.” She carefully examined Wenren Juan’s features and could not reconcile them with his pitiful, emaciated appearance.
Wenren Juan's smile widened: "Yes, I am the son of Wenren Peng, a commoner."
Su Xiaoyao suddenly remembered: "Oh, I heard after I left that Wenren Peng and Wenren Cong rebelled, right? They planned for more than ten years to rebel in five minutes."
996 shared this story with her shortly after she left.
It can only be said that those who do many evil deeds will surely perish. The South has only been out of dire straits for ten years, and they are trying to break this peace for their own selfish reasons.
Unfortunately, due to unfavorable timing, location, and personal discord, the two powerful figures were ultimately imprisoned. The Southern Emperor ostensibly spared their lives out of consideration for their royal bloodline, but in reality, he treated them like two dogs, making their lives a living hell.
The families of the officials involved were also implicated, including the Su family.
After 996 told her about it as a joke, he never brought it up again. She was busy cultivating herself and let go of the unpleasant past.
The next time I heard news about them after so many years was during the entrance exam for Tianyan Academy.
"Although Wenren Peng and Wenren Cong committed serious crimes, my brother is kind-hearted and spared their lives. Now they should be watching the celestial canopy in the Prince's Palace." Wenren Juan deliberately mentioned Wenren Cong, implying that he was not doing well.
Su Xiaoyao: "They also have a royal residence to live in."
Wenren Juan stopped there, saying, "Your Majesty only allows them to earn their own living."
Su Xiaoyao smiled contentedly upon hearing this.
The royal residence naturally had to be kept clean and tidy at all times. The Prince's mansion was so spacious that even if Wenren Cong, who never lifted a finger to do housework, worked around the clock every day, he still couldn't keep up with the cleaning.
Wenren Cong was arrogant and proud. Being defeated and subjected to cold stares was more painful than being killed.
With her in a good mood, Su Xiaoyao became more enthusiastic towards people she barely knew: "Long time no see. Fortunately, you weren't implicated after Wenren Peng's self-destructive behavior. It seems you're doing quite well."
"Yes, thanks to my elder brother's protection, he sent me to the cultivation world to cultivate, which qualified me to enter the Heavenly Evolution Academy." He smiled easily.
Su Xiaoyao raised her eyebrows slightly.
If she didn't misunderstand him...
Having the qualifications to enter Tianyan Academy and being able to participate in the entrance examination of Tianyan Academy are two different things.
Seeing the other party's composed expression, she didn't think that the royal relatives personally selected and educated by the Southern Emperor would make a mistake in their words.
She recalled the scene before she escaped unharmed and seemed to understand something.
I mentioned it briefly when I was explaining 996 to her.
When the Southern Kingdom was invaded by evil spirits, the Golden Dragon Messenger took a long time to appear, and the kingdom was almost destroyed.
It's hard to say whether what's protecting the Southern Kingdom now is the lingering remnant of the dragon race from ten thousand years ago or the Heavenly Evolution Dao Ancestor who descended to the mortal realm to support the cultivation world.
It turns out that she had received the Dao Ancestor's favor long ago.
After understanding the cause and effect, Su Xiaoyao paused and sighed, "It is only right that His Majesty has stabilized the Southern Kingdom from the brink of collapse and has earned the favor of the Dao Ancestor."
“Miss Su is absolutely right. Before coming to the island, my brother instructed me to find you and apologize on behalf of Wenren Cong for his stupid and ignorant behavior.”
Wenren Juan did not deny it.
Su Xiaoyao felt a pang of jealousy at this roundabout, suggestive conversation, but since the person in front of her was a future classmate who was full of kindness towards her and also a student with connections who had been admitted to university through a special program, she patiently accepted the offer.
"There's nothing to apologize for; it was Wenren Cong's own crime."
She then asked, "Since the Dao Ancestor has other plans, why are you still participating in the entrance examination?"
Wenren Juan was used to using roundabout language, and he was momentarily taken aback by her bluntness, but he relaxed after a while.
He was no longer Wenren Juan, who lived in another sect and was unfamiliar with the place and had to be careful in his actions. Standing in front of him were his future classmates, and they were equals.
His mood brightened: "Although His Majesty selected me for the entrance exam, I still want to take it openly and honestly, so I can know the difference between myself and others."
"I see. Then keep it up." Su Xiaoyao saw through his cultivation level. She remembered that back then, Wenren Juan's cultivation talent was not high, which was why Prince Su discarded him like trash. It was not easy for him to carve out a path from the dead end.
Thinking of this, her eyes showed more appreciation.
They chatted for a while longer until a petite girl in red came over and called Wenren Juan away.
"Rong Jiao, slow down." Wenren Juan said helplessly as the little girl dragged him along.
"The heavens have opened, and His Majesty is watching us from the mortal realm. You should hurry up and memorize more things; you might be able to pass the exam," Nan Rongjiao said in a flurry.
After everyone left, Su Xiaoyao turned to Jiang Yun and Xiao Tingyuan and said smugly, "I'm happy to know that my enemies are not doing well."
"He specifically asked you to let him know, that's kind of him," Xiao Tingyuan said.
"Too friendly." Jiang Yun frowned. "Not like the behavior of royalty."
He also came from the mortal realm and knew the royal family's way of doing things.
Su Xiaoyao nodded: "Maybe I have a prejudice against people with the surname Wen, and I always feel that their intentions are not pure. Gratitude is one thing, but it's inevitable that students who are recommended for admission will be envied. If he had contacted me earlier, we might have been able to talk in the same class in the future. That's how people in the royal family are; they always have to weigh the pros and cons in everything they do. But it's nothing serious. I don't expect anything in return for doing this favor. At least he showed goodwill."
"So he's being particularly friendly to you because he's sure you'll get in?" Xiao Tingyuan said. "Putting everything else aside, he has a sharp eye."
Su Xiaoyao's performance in the illusionary realm was eye-catching, but her near-fall into despair was not particularly outstanding.
The friendly signals that the boy sends at this time are much more sincere than the conversation that begins after he enrolls in school.
“He was certain I could enroll not because he had good judgment, but because he knew that the Dao Ancestor had looked after me three years ago,” she said.
"You have a connection with the Dao Ancestor? You never shared this with us, Su Xiaoyao, you've changed." Xiao Tingyuan and Jiang Yun exchanged a glance, feeling inexplicably wronged, and couldn't help but accuse him.
What happened to the promise of being good partners and keeping no secrets? He didn't even hide something as secret as the passing down of the culinary mastery!
"I just remembered."
Su Xiaoyao recounted the story of how Jinlong had spoken up to help her three years ago.
The "fairy sister" who spoke up to stop others from harming her was probably either the Dao Ancestor himself or one of his disciples.
They had already heard her story of how she escaped, and now, thinking about the matter of revitalizing the cultivation world together, they understood the key to it.
Xiao Tingyuan said quietly, "You used to say that my character was like the protagonist in a storybook, but now it seems that you are the real protagonist."
Three years ago, when he was still unknown, he received the protection of the Dao Ancestor. How many people can have such treatment?
Su Xiaoyao blinked: "Xiao Aotian, don't be discouraged. Once I attain enlightenment, you will all ascend to heaven with me."
"You're not humble at all." Even the good-natured Xiao Tingyuan couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Jiang Yun's brows relaxed, and he placed his hand on the soul-summoning banner, full of nostalgia: "When I was a child, I often heard my parents talk about their hard-won survival amidst the chaos of the world. They often expressed their gratitude for the Dragon God's descent. I thought it was just a rumor spread by the emperor to control the Southern Kingdom, but I never imagined that the legend of the Golden Dragon protecting the country was true."
The county town where he lived was far from the capital, and any news or rumors from the capital that reached him were embellished and distorted.
The legend of the Dragon God's miraculous appearance was exaggerated to the point of being miraculous, and the National Preceptor's reputation for protecting the country was passed down by word of mouth as if he were an immortal in the world.
He initially didn't believe it, thinking the rumors were exaggerated.
"I didn't believe it when I first arrived either. Only after experiencing it firsthand did I understand why so many people worship the Imperial Preceptor and are willing to believe that there is a Dragon God protecting them in the South. The feeling of having someone to protect you in times of crisis is wonderful." Su Xiaoyao sighed. "In short, seeing is believing. The Golden Dragon's protective power lasted for ten thousand years before dissipating, which shows how powerful it was back then."
Has it completely disappeared?
"The fact that it remained silent for so long after the catastrophe ten years ago proves this point," Su Xiaoyao said.
Xiao Tingyuan said with emotion: "Before I met you, I had never been in contact with the mortal world. I always thought that ordinary people in the mortal world were as ignorant and foolish as the rumors said. Now I realize that I was just generalizing."
"It's not your fault. People are always skeptical of things they haven't seen with their own eyes. Let's go to the mortal world together sometime and I'll show you my and Xiao Jiang's hometown."
“Okay,” he readily agreed.
At this moment, Shen Suqi came over to capture Su Xiaoyao.
She scolded the three of them: "You're still chatting? You didn't even notice the seating chart was out. Be careful that if you're late, someone else might tamper with your seats."
"Oh, oh." Su Xiaoyao then noticed that there was an extra letter on the communication stone, which was a seating arrangement.
Shen Suqi grabbed her wrist and strode quickly: "Let's find our seats as soon as possible; we'll have enough time to check them. Don't let your guard down; everyone here is a competitor. People aren't what they used to be, and there's no protective barrier between the seats..."
She kept giving me instructions and advice.
The seating chart is clearly marked, and everyone can see red arrows indicating their location after clicking on it.
Along with the seating chart was a notice stating that "you must arrive at your seat within the specified time or you will be considered to have forfeited the assessment." No one dared to risk it at this time, and tens of thousands of people found their seats with extremely high efficiency.
"From the outside, this mansion doesn't look like it can accommodate so many people," the woman in red next to Su Xiaoyao muttered to herself as she looked around.
Su Xiaoyao recognized her as the girl who had dragged Wenren Juan away, and casually replied, "The space folding technique is based on the same principle as the Qiankun Bag that can contain all things, but it requires extremely high skill. Expanding a room into a mansion is already difficult, and only a Saint-level artifact cultivator can achieve this level of expansion."
Nan Rongjiao turned her head and stared at her for a moment before breaking into a smile: "Thank you for informing me, Manager Su."
Having not heard this address in a long time, Su Xiaoyao responded with a bright smile: "It's been a long time since anyone called me that. You recognize me."
Nan Rongjiao nodded: "Who in the capital hasn't heard of Manager Su's business success? It's a pity I didn't have the money to go to your restaurant in those years. Now that you've left, there's no point in going again."
A brilliant idea popped into Su Xiaoyao's mind. She subconsciously wanted to call out to Xiao Tingyuan, but then remembered that she was in the examination room and decided to wait until later.
Her attention returned to Nan Rongjiao.
"Nice to meet you." Su Xiaoyao said mysteriously, "Maybe we'll have to eat here again in the future."
Nan Rongjiao said with a smile, "Okay, then I'll wait."
She paused for a moment: "I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Nan Rongjiao, you may have heard of this surname."
Su Xiaoyao recalled: "The Nan family, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel in the capital, who favored his concubine over his wife and caused chaos in his household?"
Nan Rongjiao readily admitted, "Yes."
"I've heard something. I remember the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel had some involvement with Wenren Cong, didn't I?"
After realizing that Wenren Cong had two faces, she made two preparations herself, secretly collecting evidence of his bribery of officials. However, as a merchant, she had limited ability to participate in politics.
Although it was never used in the end, she placed the booklet in the restaurant, and the emperor's men could find it if they paid a little attention.
Nan Rongjiao said, "He is no longer the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. His Majesty found the list you left behind and punished the officials who had ulterior motives one by one."
Su Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow.
There's more to this story.
She couldn't help but hum a tune in her heart: I planted a seed, and finally it has grown into fruit; today is a great day.
Yes, a great day.
Su Xiaoyao felt as if she were standing on a vast grassland, feeling the gentle breeze, and gazing at the blue horizon merging with the verdant nature, her whole being was elevated.
Nan Rongjiao's exclamation brought her back to her senses.
"You...you broke through?!"
Su Xiaoyao belatedly realized that her cultivation level had advanced by a whole step, directly entering the late stage of the Golden Core realm.
Nan Rongjiao was stunned; she was stunned, and the bystanders were stunned too.
How can someone break through so easily? It really undermines the confidence of onlookers!
Su Xiaoyao belatedly touched the area around her heart, where it felt as if a long-standing blockage had been released.
The spiritual energy that had broken through and shifted surged wildly, forming a whirlwind around her.
She sat in meditation at the center of the whirlwind, and after a moment opened her eyes, which were clear and bright.
"Wow." She looked down in surprise, turning her hands over and over to examine them, feeling the power brewing within.
“You…” Nan Rongjiao looked at her with an indescribable expression, “Are the Su family blind? Even a divine blessing can make them squander their opportunities.”
Su Xiaoyao agreed with her statement: "They are blind and don't deserve it."
She felt the spiritual energy flowing through her body and was amazed by the sensation: "My mindset changed and it felt like I broke through the bottleneck period directly. I didn't realize that the difference between the late Golden Core stage and the early Golden Core stage was so great. I thought the mid-Golden Core stage was already amazing, but unfortunately, the mid-Golden Core stage only has a one-day trial card."
Those who heard this had tears in their eyes.
How many people in this world can advance two steps in a single day? That's too unfair, how can you even be so regretful!
Everyone secretly thought that Su Xiaoyao's performance was not particularly special. The only difference was that her illusion was made more difficult by the personal intervention of the Dao Ancestor.
Such a trivial matter, which was insignificant to the Dao Ancestor, actually allowed a cultivator to jump two levels in just one day!
They were consumed by jealousy, wishing they were the ones to gain the favor of the Dao Ancestor.
They once again realized the true nature of Tianyan Academy in changing their destiny. If they could gain the attention of the Dao Ancestor, even just a little guidance, they might reap more rewards than they had gained from years of hard work.
Of course, the onlookers didn't know that Su Xiaoyao's continuous advancement was entirely due to a combination of favorable timing, location, and people.
She was bound by her mindset from beginning to end. Although she could have reached a better state, she remained stuck in her ways. Jun Huilian only provided some guidance, allowing her to see through things and let go of those things that lingered in her heart, so that she could truly become the "Su Xiaoyao" of the cultivation world.
This medicine was swift and effective, dispelling the fog in her mind and allowing her to release the pent-up energy all at once, reaching the heights she was meant to reach.
Ultimately, this was the result of Su Xiaoyao's own efforts; Jun Huilian's ideas were merely adding fuel to the fire.
But it all looks very different to other people.
They only saw that Su Xiaoyao was treated differently by the Heavenly Dao Ancestor, and that a single illusion caused his strength to soar.
Spurred on by this, everyone perked up, and the atmosphere became several times more heated than before.
Perhaps some lucky individuals will receive preferential treatment in this assessment and achieve a breakthrough on the spot!
Jun Huilian, who was behind the scenes, was both amused and exasperated by this.
She wasn't so skilled that she could make someone break through simply by looking at them a couple of times.
Su Xiaoyao caused quite a commotion, but the chaos didn't last long as everyone's attention was focused on doing everything they could to win first place.
Everyone who comes here is an outstanding individual. If Su Xiaoyao, a rogue cultivator without any sect or faction, can achieve this, then they too can gain the favor of the Heavenly Evolution Dao Ancestor!
When the appointed time for the assessment arrived, the seemingly endless examination hall was completely silent, with everyone holding their breath as they waited for the test papers to be distributed.
Even if the examination hall is ornately decorated and magnificent, and even if the interior furnishings are countless and priceless, leaving people dazzled, no one cares about the surrounding environment.
Their hearts were completely focused on the screen that suddenly appeared in front of them.
The written test was not actually conducted with pen and paper; it was operated as if using a communication stone.
A water curtain rose around each person, blocking the view of those around them and allowing each person to be assessed independently.
However, some observant people have noticed that the water curtain does not actually block the view; its function is merely to obscure the view, and people in the middle can leave freely at any time.
This also means that if someone tries to cheat using special methods, the water curtain will not be able to stop them.
For a moment, some people's thoughts began to drift.
Without specific measures to prevent cheating, some people will naturally become restless.
Jun Huilian sat in the mustard seed space, propping her chin up and taking in the entire examination hall that held tens of thousands of people. No small movement could escape her keen eyes.
"Place your bet now." Feng Wujue pressed down a piece of jade with great interest. "Helian Yi has an exceptionally privileged family background and broader knowledge than others. He will surely win first place in this assessment."
Jun Feibai retorted, "He was clearly the one I bet on! How dare you steal him from me!"
Feng Wujue widened his beautiful red eyes and feigned innocence: "You bet on him to be first in overall score, I bet on him to be first in this single assessment, they are different."
Jun Feibai gritted his teeth: "If you steal mine, then I'll steal yours. I'll take Su Xiaoyao's place."
The little Pixiu placed a spirit stone on the table with a "thud".
"You're willing to spend even a single spirit stone?" Jun Huilian was speechless.
Jun Feibai said confidently, "The jade pendant you pressed down is mine too. We're even. A big Pixiu doesn't talk about a small Pixiu."
"Do you want to participate?" Lin Ming gently shook his folding fan, his gentle eyes fixed on Rong Ling.
Rong Ling did not participate in their argument, but sat there quietly.
On the table in front of her was a piece of white paper with the words "Short Answer Questions" written on it, and next to it was a magic mirror.
Lin Ming looked at the illusion mirror she was staring at and said with satisfaction, "So it turns out that someone with my personality can be so dedicated that I actually started grading papers ahead of schedule during the invigilation."
They wrote down several slips of paper and drew lots to decide which part of the papers each person would be responsible for grading.
Rong Ling had a set of "short answer questions" in front of her, and that was the part she was responsible for.
Now she is looking through the illusion mirror at the exam papers of the candidates who are answering the questions.
Such dedication is truly admirable, even if it's just a clone and not the original.
Rong Ling raised her eyes, her calm gaze even more serene than ever before.
"Don't make a sound, I'm thinking."
Lin Ming accepted the folding fan, raising an eyebrow in confusion: "We set the questions ourselves, is there anything else that puzzles you?"
"No, that's not what I'm thinking about."
Rong Ling turned to the side, gesturing for him to look at the examinee's paper.
A faint hint of resentment appeared on her cool face.
"I'm thinking about whether I should transform into a gentle sea god."
Then give them a vast ocean.
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Author's Note: Xiao Yao's personal unit is over. As the King of Volumes, I don't need to worry about anything else; I just need to adjust my mindset!
Let's give a warm welcome to the next "protagonist" of this stage – Xiao Jiang!
Note: All characters in this mission are equipped with main character attributes, and each character will grow stronger. However, some parts are described in detail while others are described briefly. For those who prefer brief descriptions, feel free to use your imagination, haha.
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