Chapter 48 Research Conference 1 Chu Xingjin was the first to know this news...
After a long period of general education, formal courses have finally opened their doors to the new students.
Today, after all the new students submitted their learning intentions, the first swordsmanship class finally began.
Chu Xingjin possesses a metal-attribute celestial spiritual root, a talent naturally suited for swordsmanship. Chu Xingjin's intention is naturally to become a swordsman.
The person who treated him kindly and secretly told him that the instructor of the research association was surnamed Guo, who happened to be the instructor of swordsmanship class. In order not to disappoint his instructor's high regard, Chu Xingjin arrived very early and was the first person to arrive at the swordsmanship class.
Commander Guo arrived even earlier than him, and his face lit up with a smile as soon as he saw Chu Xingjin: "Xiao Jin, you're here early."
Chu Xingjin was already intelligent. After a whole month of learning and growing at the clan school, he was no longer the little waiter he used to be. He had learned how to get along with his teachers and elders.
"Commander Guo, I feel that I was born to be a sword cultivator, so I naturally came here as soon as possible to receive your guidance."
Commander Guo was very satisfied. He was getting on in years and cherished talent even more. From the moment he saw Chu Xingjin's previous performance, he knew that this man was a suitable candidate and might be able to inherit his mantle.
He is a rare swordsman in the entire clan school, and even in the entire Jinling City. His appreciation is something many people would rather die for.
"The most important thing for a sword cultivator is diligence. If you are this diligent, your future is definitely limitless."
"That depends on whether Commander Guo is willing to mentor me. If Commander Guo is willing, I will definitely be able to become one of the top sword cultivators in the future."
"Good, good, good, that's ambitious. You'll definitely become one of the top sword cultivators in Golden Spirit City."
Chu Xingjin thought to himself that his goal was not Jinling City, but the entire Western Regions, and even the entire cultivation world.
He would have said such things directly in the past, but not now. He has learned how to maintain his humble image and how to maintain the appearance that Commander Guo likes.
Commander Guo was increasingly satisfied with what he saw, and immediately assigned Chu Xingjin a task: "There's still plenty of time. What sword cultivators need most is diligence. Before the others arrive, you must swing your sword a thousand times."
Chu Xingjin was very obedient. He immediately picked up his sword, stood on the open ground, and began to swing it.
While waving, he also shouted slogans in a loud voice, counting the number of repetitions.
He didn't care at all about the hundredth one.
He wasn't the kind of person who couldn't endure hardship. Since he had decided early on that he wanted to become a sword cultivator, he practiced swordsmanship regularly, so this was no problem for him.
By the time he reached the five hundredth, he began to struggle. Sweat streamed down his forehead, soaking his hair and sticking strands to his forehead, ruining his originally handsome appearance and giving him a disheveled look after his hard work.
By the time he reached seven hundred, his arms had begun to tremble. Other disciples arrived at the school one after another, and each one couldn't help but glance at Chu Xingjin as they passed by.
The questioning gaze scrutinized Chu Xingjin from head to toe, as if wondering why this person was wielding a sword at this time and place.
Chu Xingjin wanted to glare back, but out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of Commander Guo.
The commander was still watching this place; this was one of the tests the commander was testing him, and he could not afford to be negligent in the slightest.
Chu Xingjin's shouts rang out again, both to encourage himself and to intimidate others with his numbers of several hundred.
What are you looking at? So what if he looks disheveled now? He's the kind of person who planned to swing his sword a thousand times this morning. How can these lazy and sluggish people compare to him?
When he counted to nine hundred, he saw people who were both unexpected and yet perfectly reasonable come to the school.
It is Xie Jiaoyue.
How did she end up here? Aren't furnaces usually used for practicing alchemy, weapon crafting, talismans, and other auxiliary Taoist arts? Especially alchemy, combined with medical cultivation, it's respectable, noble, and not tiring, perfectly matching Chu Xingjin's imagination of his future partner.
But upon closer reflection, Xie Jiaoyue should indeed be here. She also possesses a metal-attribute celestial spiritual root and is among the most suitable people to cultivate the sword path.
In the past, Chu Xingjin would have immediately thought that Xie Jiaoyue had come for him, that she was just a tagalong who wanted to stick by his side, and he might even have been smug about it.
But for some reason, he couldn't think that way right now.
Instead, a sense of crisis filled his mind.
Unbeknownst to him, Chu Xingjin had already elevated Xie Jiaoyue's status in his heart, gradually transforming her from a vassal to a rival.
What does Commander Guo like about him? It's nothing more than his performance in the entrance exam and his talent for having a metal-attribute celestial spiritual root. But Xie Jiaoyue has all of these. Could it be that one day, Commander Guo, who values him so much, will turn his attention to Xie Jiaoyue and regard her as the one who can inherit his mantle?
Thinking of this, his hand, which was wielding the sword, began to tremble.
No, no, no, that's not true. Commander Guo once said that what he admired most about him was his sharpness—his unwavering and resolute spirit.
No matter how talented Xie Jiaoyue is, she can't escape the constraints of being a furnace or cauldron. Her heart is too soft, and she will let the safety of others influence her choices. Such a person can't possibly forge the sharpest sword.
Therefore, the person most suitable to cultivate the sword is still him, not Xie Jiaoyue.
Chu Xingjin's gaze still involuntarily followed Xie Jiaoyue.
He watched as Xie Jiaoyue walked towards Commander Guo, chatting and laughing happily with him, her eyes filled with vigilance.
After seeing Commander Guo and Xie Jiaoyue exchange a few words, Chu Xingjin finally unleashed his first thousand sword strike.
"One thousand!" he shouted, using his sword to brace himself against the ground, barely managing to stay upright.
Chu Xingjin walked unsteadily toward Commander Guo, interrupting Xie Jiaoyue and Commander Guo's pleasantries: "Commander, I have completed the first cultivation project you assigned."
Commander Guo nodded in satisfaction when he saw that Chu Xingjin had completed the assigned task without any mistakes: "Alright, you can join the team now."
While life there is peaceful and serene, those who observe it may feel a mix of emotions.
Xin Rong is also a sword cultivator, and he came to help as the senior instructor from the previous year.
Xin Rong, who had been observing the area, nudged the person next to her: "Wow, this person arrived quite early, and even received individual instruction on cultivation techniques from their master."
This is a rare occurrence; it seems Commander Guo values Chu Xingjin highly.
He patted the shoulder of the person next to him reassuringly: "Don't be discouraged. Chu Xingjin is talented and can indeed withstand greater training intensity than the average person. Let's not compare ourselves to him, let's just take it one step at a time."
My junior brother: Why am I even more upset after being comforted by my senior brother? QAQ
Commander Guo clapped his hands: "Since you have all chosen sword cultivation, you must be aware of this. However, sword cultivation is the most difficult path among all cultivation paths. Therefore, I am giving you a chance to withdraw. Before the end of today's training, if you feel that you cannot withstand the intensity of sword cultivation, you may leave at any time and choose another path."
His very first words stunned many people.
Fear, although they were not entirely unprepared, still made people very scared.
Chu Xingjin looked at Xie Jiaoyue beside him. He both hoped that Xie Jiaoyue would leave and did not want her to leave.
He wanted to defeat Xie Jiaoyue fair and square, to make Xie Jiaoyue understand who the true born swordsman was.
Over the next morning, the poor freshmen finally understood what sword cultivation was and what the intensity of sword cultivation was.
Commander Guo then issued a series of orders: "Everyone, swing your sword a thousand times."
"Stand in a horse stance, and don't stop until I tell you to."
"push-up."
Xin Rong was initially gloating on the sidelines, thinking, "Hehe, it's time to let these kids experience the hardships he went through back then."
Before she could gloat for long, Xin Rong was forced to join the cultivation team with just a look from Commander Guo.
Good heavens! He thought he could finally get a day off, but now he's going to be ruled by Commander Guo's iron fist again.
At first, each disciple could still think about various things, and Chu Xingjin could even secretly compete with others.
No, he was just competing with Xie Jiaoyue; no one else was even worth his attention.
But as time passed, Chu Xingjin, who had already trained much longer than the others, was almost out of breath. He had no time to think about anything else and used all his willpower to keep himself from collapsing.
By the end of the morning, everyone was exhausted and collapsed on the ground, with only Xie Jiaoyue and Xin Rong still able to stand.
Xin Rong had been cultivating for several years, under the tutelage of Commander Guo. Although this intensity was tiring, she could still manage it.
Xie Jiaoyue's hands and legs were trembling, but she was indeed standing.
It was obvious that she was only holding on through sheer willpower.
Commander Guo was very impressed. He pointed and said, "You're not bad. Everyone else should learn from you. Willpower is an important aspect of sword cultivation. Sword cultivators are the backbone of the entire cultivation world, and they must never fall."
His gaze was focused on Chu Xingjin.
Chu Xingjin felt the pressure from his superior's gaze, and he lowered his head to hide his resentful expression.
He's practiced for so much longer than Xie Jiaoyue, how can you compare them?
But Chu Xingjin managed to prop himself up using the force of his sword.
Commander Guo was satisfied. Before leaving, he gave Chu Xingjin a private instruction: "From now on, come an hour early every time."
With just one sentence, Chu Xingjin's previous resentment dissipated. So what if Xie Jiaoyue stood at the end? The teacher still admired him the most.
He was the only one among the division commanders who revealed the news of the academic conference.
Trembling, Chu Xingjin followed behind the trembling Xie Jiaoyue, eager to confirm his advantage.
Want to show off.
"Jiaoyue, from now on we'll be rivals. We might run into each other at school or elsewhere. I won't hold back just because you're my fiancée."
The "other places" naturally refer to the academic conference.
He enjoyed this feeling that only he knew, which gave him a sense of superiority and comfort.
Xie Jiaoyue didn't hear the weak voice behind her; instead, she was drawn to the strong voice in front of her.
The person, clearly dressed as a teacher, bowed to Xie Jiaoyue and said, "Miss Xie, I've come to discuss the research conference with you."
The unfamiliar teacher said respectfully, "If it weren't for Miss Xie's generous sponsorship, the Jinling City Clan School probably wouldn't have been able to hold the research conference. How about we name this research conference the Bright Moon Research Conference?"
Chu Xingjin, who was behind him: ? ? ?
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