Chapter 32 032 Exam
Venerable Yuheng disagreed. "That child has only recently reached the Nascent Soul stage and is still consolidating his cultivation. He has never left his cave. How could he possibly seduce a female disciple? Besides, Yu'an is gentle and kind; she is not that kind of person."
These words were met with a cold snort from both Fairy Nanqiao and Venerable Xueqiao, both of them wearing expressions that said, "You can know a person's face but not their heart."
When it came to Dai Jia, Venerable Yuheng smiled. "Senior Brother is still the most popular with the female disciples!"
Venerable Qinglian was handsome, truly as pure and aloof as a blue lotus, extremely refined and elegant. Venerable Yuheng also had a deep and mysterious face, and was also a handsome man. However, his aura was profound and unfathomable, and most disciples were afraid of him, especially the female disciples, who dared not even harbor any feelings of admiration.
Therefore, female disciples of the Sword Sect with good aptitude would generally choose Venerable Qinglian.
Therefore, Venerable Qinglian already has three direct disciples. Besides the eldest disciple, who is male, the other two are female. He also has two outer disciples.
Judging from his expression this time, he will probably still accept Dai Jia as his disciple.
In fact, the sect elders are now all interested in Song Chi and her three female disciples. They feel that these four have such good fortune, and their future achievements may be limitless.
Even though the other three of them are not particularly talented, it doesn't stop them from wanting to take them on as disciples and train them personally to see what their future holds.
"What should we do with these two now?" Fairy Nan Qiao asked.
Venerable Xueqiao immediately said, "Pass down the message that the four of us have recently been thinking of becoming mortals and wish to select one or two disciples as our students. Have each disciple fill out the form again."
Fairy Nan Qiao was furious: "I'm not a Venerable One either!"
"Just add one more thing: those with excellent water-elemental aptitude must choose an elder from the Linglong Sect as their master."
Venerable Xueqiao rolled his eyes at Fairy Nanqiao. This girl only has a brain for dancing; she's inflexible in everything else.
"Senior Brother Xueqiao is right!" Fairy Nanqiao was unaffected by his eye roll and immediately smiled broadly.
The next day, when Song Chi and his group entered Qingxue Palace, they heard the disciples saying that the Venerable One intended to select disciples.
"Maybe we have a chance too!" many people said in a dreamlike tone.
Song Chi: "..." This didn't happen in the book. What kind of trouble is this now!
For the sake of the Golden Core Secret Realm twenty years from now, she doesn't want to see even the slightest change in the plot.
As for choosing a Venerable One as a teacher, even if the Venerable One were truly free and itching to take on a disciple, it wouldn't be her turn.
She didn't take it to heart at all.
The Linglong Sect has been very generous this time, allowing anyone with an excellent water-elemental root to choose an elder as their master. Song Chi and the others encouraged Cheng Yao to try her luck, since it would be a good thing to have an extra person to fill the position, regardless of whether she was chosen or not.
Cheng Yao thought so too.
When they arrived at the classroom, the bell rang. Mo Shubai entered the classroom, spread his sleeves, and distributed yesterday's scrolls to the disciples, asking them to fill them out again.
“Each disciple, whether a sound cultivator or a sword cultivator, must select one Venerable One,” he emphasized.
I don't know what's gotten into Qi Zhenmo, but he's laughing so hard his shoulders are shaking.
Song Chi was speechless. She looked around and found only two sound cultivators... no, there was one more, the one who had successfully reached the Nascent Soul stage in the past few decades.
However, this one was rather lazy. After achieving success on the righteous path, he went out to travel and did not allow the title of Venerable to be attached to him.
Yet, his name is clearly written on this scroll—Venerable Yun Huai.
This person also has a name in the book. Because he is similar to Hua Shalan, the sect leader of the Southeast Jade Ruins Immortal Sect, both of them have some serious illnesses. His sound cultivation is highly accomplished through the Illusionary Sound Bewitching Technique, which is probably due to the unique development of the bewitching effect of the wood spirit root into a magical art.
Now that Song Chi has that Green Leaf Magic Treasure, he has indeed been working on illusion magic.
Of course, this isn't the reason for choosing this person's name. It's simply that they're unlikely to accept her as a disciple, since they're probably wandering off somewhere in the cultivation world.
Just pick one, it doesn't matter which one you choose.
But to everyone's surprise, Qi Zhenmo couldn't even laugh anymore after finishing filling in the scroll; he stared at it and started to facepalm. Ye Qingyu and the others turned their faces away, seemingly not wanting to look at her anymore.
Song Chi rolled her eyes. Did she think she could fill it in?
In fact, this time several Venerable Ones came directly with their divine senses to watch the spectacle. Upon seeing this, they were all speechless.
"Why did you put that scoundrel Yun Huai up there?"
Venerable Xueqiao and Venerable Tonghua exchanged a glance, both with expressions that were hard to describe. This junior brother was originally their master's biological son. He was handsome, but his temperament was almost unparalleled. Moreover, he was fond of brothels and had been going out drinking and carousing since he was a teenager.
He should just drink with courtesans, but instead he came to their house to be beaten. The harder the courtesan beat him, the more spirit stones he gave her.
Back then, our master almost died of anger because of this scoundrel. Before his passing, our master looked helpless and asked his two disciples to take care of Yun Huai.
“His personality is set in stone, and I know you can’t control him. Just make sure he doesn’t cause any major trouble.”
To say that Yun Huai would commit any heinous acts of betrayal and abandonment of his master would be an understatement. He simply has some peculiar hobbies and is incredibly lazy; he has no inclination to do such bad things. Master is overthinking it.
Moreover, Yun Huai was quite... impressive, achieving the Nascent Soul stage at a mere three hundred years old. Although his cultivation technique was truly appalling... he did succeed. For the next twenty or thirty years after his success, he seemed to have vanished from the entire cultivation world, leaving no trace.
If it weren't for the fact that his natal jade pendant was still hanging in the Respect for Teachers Hall, Venerable Xueqiao and Venerable Tonghua would have been genuinely worried that this kid had gotten into some trouble somewhere, or that he had gone off to explore some ancient tomb and lost his life.
In short, both Venerable Ones were speechless upon seeing the name appear on the scroll.
Even without being physically present, Mo Shubai could imagine the expressions on his master's face. He had met that junior uncle once or twice, and his temperament and hobbies... were truly not for outsiders to know. Therefore, upon reaching Song Chi's side, he used his spiritual power to erase Venerable Yun Huai's name from the scroll.
"Venerable Yun Huai is traveling the world and is not currently in the sect. Please select another Venerable!"
Song Chi: "..." I knew it, there really are a lot of things to do in the sect.
Moreover, Qi Zhenmo rested his chin on his hand, looked at her, and chuckled.
Ye Qingyu rolled her eyes and sighed helplessly, still maintaining a dignified demeanor.
Song Chi ignored them. As for the question of which of the two Sound Cultivation Venerables to choose next?
Although it's impossible for her to be chosen, what if the Venerable One suddenly has a change of heart and feels a connection with her, and actually takes her as a disciple?
Although the chance of this happening is less than one in a billion, it's still best to be a little cautious.
At that moment, Song Chi was holding a pen, and for some reason, Jiang Linyue and Su Qiwu's movements were very stiff, as if one of their ears was perked up, listening to what she was writing.
Ye Qingyu also glared at him fiercely, her eyes carrying a warning.
Even Cui Xue Ruo bit her lip, smiled, and turned her head to look over.
Ji Minghuang, with a roguish air, propped her chin on her fan and looked over with a smile.
Not to mention, even Su Yu seemed to be paying attention to this side, and even Mo Feiyun's cold air seemed to seep through her back.
Song Chi: "..." Seriously? It's not like I stole your master!
Several venerable beings outside the window were all staring intently at the scroll with great interest. Venerable Yuheng even made a bet.
"I think this child will choose Brother Xueqiao."
"Why?" Venerable Tonghua was displeased. Every music cultivator would want to decipher that ancient melody. Those talented disciples all chose to become her disciples; this child would surely make the same choice.
Venerable Qinglian laughed and said, "This child seems to be someone who hates trouble. Which of your geniuses is easy to get along with? If it were me, I would also prefer to avoid them."
Venerable Xueqiao fanned himself with his fan and smiled slightly. He had already guessed this.
"Second Junior Sister, you've lost this time."
Venerable Tonghua didn't believe it. "Let's wait and see!"
Then Song Chi was seen rubbing his chin and glancing back and forth between the names of the two Venerable Ones, looking as if he was having a hard time choosing.
Finally, I glanced at Shu Bai's side several more times.
Venerable Tonghua: "...It seems that the color of sparse white is still the most captivating to women."
Venerable Xueqiao frowned. He had finally found a promising talent with such profound musical skills; he couldn't let love ruin his character. Sure enough, Shu Bai's face was a menace. This kid would have to be kept away from his junior sister from now on.
Song Chi glanced at Immortal Master Mo Shubai a few more times because he was thinking that if she became Venerable Xueqiao's disciple, wouldn't the Immortal Master become the Senior Brother?
It's actually quite amusing to think about.
But it's just for fun; such a thing is impossible.
She then picked up her pen. Naturally, she would write her name under the tutelage of Venerable Xueqiao, as Venerable Tonghua's side had too many protagonists, which was extremely troublesome and would hinder her original intention of cultivating immortality.
She'd have to be crazy to choose that side.
But Song Chi soon discovered that her pen was moving to the left, under the name of Venerable Tonghua.
She suddenly became angry. "Ye Qingyu, stop!"
This time, Mo Shubai happened to walk over. Ye Qingyu only received a glare from Song Chi before turning her face away and walking away.
Song Chi was then able to quickly write his name under the name of Venerable Xueqiao. The immortal master then promptly put away the scrolls and continued his lesson.
Half a month later, Qingxue Palace was placed under martial law and began the apprenticeship examination.
When Song Chi walked into the examination room, he felt completely relaxed. He hadn't expected to pass.
Most of the other disciples were in a tense state, but there were also some like her who were just lazily taking the exam, with an attitude that they didn't care whether they passed or not.
The exam is divided into two sessions, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning session is a cultural test, and the afternoon session is a magic test.
Song Chi's examination room was still in the Guihai class, and in her own seat. Of course, there were only about ten people in the entire classroom now, and each person was separated by a sea and a spiritual energy shield.
There's no way you can plagiarize.
At the beginning, Shen Wenyan was the proctor, and the immortal master Song Chi wanted to leave a good impression on him.
After all, she'll most likely be attending this immortal master's sound cultivation class for the next seven years.
So she's facing a problem. If she takes the test casually and clearly gets many basic questions wrong, won't that give the immortal master a bad and unruly image? That would be detrimental to her future.
But what if I study hard and pass? Cheating on the spell test seems even harder. After all, those immortal masters all have discerning eyes.
So Song Chi wrote very slowly, wishing he could capture the spirit of war and conquest in every single word.
As Shen Wenyan passed by her, he chuckled to himself, "When the Immortal Master is reviewing the papers, neat handwriting is all that's needed. There's no need to write so beautifully."
Song Chi: "..." She didn't really want to write her handwriting so beautifully, sigh.
She slowed down a little. She still wanted to make mistakes, but if she got these basic questions wrong, then she really must be out of her mind.
And Shen Wenyan seems to have a pretty good impression of her? Every time he passes by her, he stops to take a few more glances.
I dare not make a mistake under any circumstances. But what can I do if things continue like this? Half an hour later.
Song Chi felt this wouldn't do. She immediately circulated her spiritual energy to make her face paler, and as Shen Wenyan passed by, she raised her hand and said she needed to use the restroom.
This was naturally agreed to.
Then, at a snail's pace, she slowly circled the academy before finally going to the restroom. Everywhere was covered in snow, and the plum blossoms in the plum grove were in full bloom.
Song Chi leisurely strolled through the snow in search of plum blossoms before slowly making his way back at a snail's pace.
She took the time it takes for an incense stick to burn this time. Her ability to stall for time is truly exceptional.
I'll write more slowly from now on, since I estimate I won't have enough time and I won't be able to finish about a third of the questions.
"What is she doing?" Song Chi was not in the examination hall, but instead in the backyard of Qingxue Palace picking plum blossoms, swinging back and forth, leisurely enjoying the snowy plum grove scenery.
Venerable Xueqiao was speechless. He remembered the apprenticeship examination at Qingxue Palace, which took two full hours in the morning. He hadn't studied seriously and couldn't even finish answering the questions. How could Song Chi have secretly gone out for such an elegant pastime of searching for plum blossoms in the snow?
Mo Shubai recently investigated the words and actions of the ordinary Foundation Establishment disciples and learned that many of them were afraid of failing the assessment but not being able to become disciples, fearing that after being transferred to the inner sect, they would have no immortal masters to guide their studies. Therefore, they all planned to simply complete the ten years of study at Qingxue Palace. As a result, they took this exam casually, just to familiarize themselves with the question types for future tests.
The main point is this: I want to pass the exam, but I also want to fail it.
Judging from Song Chi's behavior in filling out the application form for becoming a master, Mo Shubai guessed that she probably also thought that she had no hope of becoming a master, so she wanted to stay at Qingxue Palace for another seven years.
He said all this, and his master closed his eyes in exasperation, then waved his sleeve.
"Shu Bai, you go and proctor the exam. Keep a close eye on her; if she dares to fail, I'll skin her alive."
Song Chi returned with plum blossoms and entered through the back door, only to see Mo Shubai standing at the front door, giving her a long, intense look.
Then, he whispered a few coded messages to Shen Wenyan, and then Shen Wenyan quietly left.
He smiled at her before leaving, and then Mo Shubai became the proctor.
Although the disciples witnessed this scene, they didn't find anything unusual. Perhaps Immortal Master Shen Wenyan had something urgent to attend to.
Song Chi also thought so.
But if it were Mo Shubai, she would feel even less burdened. Since he wouldn't be teaching at Qingxue Palace anymore, she didn't need to care about his opinion of her.
Therefore, Song Chi wrote his characters even more neatly this time, bringing out the spirit he had when he was practicing calligraphy, and making sure that every character had a steady and powerful stroke, with sharp edges and corners.
"Do your best on the exam!"
As a result, Mo Shubai passed by her location and gave her a stern warning with his divine sense. Even his eyes were extremely serious!
Song Chi: "..." Immortal Master, you don't understand anything at all.
It's not that she didn't want to do well on the exam. Actually, controlling the score is harder to write than trying to get a good score! She had no other choice, did she?
But she persisted, shamelessly stalling. Mo Shubai passed by her again, his gaze turning icy cold.
He is usually a bit expressionless and has a rather indifferent look in his eyes, but it's rare to see him treat people with such icy coldness.
Song Chi then had to start writing a little faster.
Then, at that moment, a small array flag suddenly jumped up from Qi Zhenmo's seat next to him.
Then the flag tilted its head dramatically and glanced at her paper, and a mocking laugh appeared in her mind.
"You're writing so slowly. You don't want to fail the exam, do you?"
So what! I'm not some chosen one like you, someone who becomes a genius after having their spiritual roots cleansed. You don't understand anything!
"I've deduced from the secrets of heaven that the secret realm you're thinking of will arrive at least seven or eight years earlier than expected. Hmm, that will catch the cultivation world off guard once again. And the Azure Sword Sect's selection criteria for disciples are based on choosing from among the Foundation Establishment disciples who have passed the apprenticeship examination in this world."
"You don't have to believe me, hahaha!"
Then the flag veered and landed inside the table.
Song Chi: "..." She now felt that Qi Zhenmo must have a very important background. After all, when they were scrambling for the Foundation Establishment Pill, he was the one who got there first, even before the female lead and her supreme cultivation family.
She couldn't help but quickly form a hand seal under her desk, secretly divining whether she truly wouldn't be able to enter the secret realm if she failed this time.
The pentagram turned out to be black, which is a very bad omen!
If she passes the test, she will be able to enter the secret realm, which will be a great blessing!
The pentagram appeared then, and Mo Shubai saw it from the side. He just stared at her quietly.
"Do your best on the exam!" This time the tone was even sterner.
But this time, he didn't even need to urge her; Song Chi's back was instantly covered in a cold sweat. She only had one hour left, and she had to complete twice the amount of questions others had.
Damn it, this is going to be a disaster!
But she was determined to go to that secret realm no matter what, even if it meant being showered with knives!
Immediately, Song Chi's ten fingers started cracking, and then he concentrated and began answering questions furiously.
Mo Shubai and Venerable Xueqiao were speechless upon witnessing this scene.
It must have been Qi Zhenmo who revealed something to Song Chi, letting the child know that as long as she passed the test, she would definitely be able to become the Venerable's disciple, so she began to work hard.
Fortunately, there is still an hour left, so it's not too late.
"This brat doesn't understand anything." Thinking about how much effort he had put into getting this girl as his disciple, Venerable Xueqiao shook his head. He secretly cursed her as a heartless scoundrel, feeling that taking this brat as a disciple would likely bring him more trouble in the future.
But I really love talent too much... Oh well, I'll figure out how to cure this annoying habit later.
His venerable presence would surely frighten the child.
Song Chi then felt the same anxiety he had felt during his college entrance exams, and wrote furiously. Just as the final bell rang, he finally finished the last essay question on sound manipulation techniques.
My back was soaked with sweat, and my forehead and nose were also covered in sweat.
When I put down my brush, I was practically slumped in my seat, completely exhausted. It felt like I'd just fought a major battle!
When Mo Shubai took away the test paper, the way he glanced at her showed no sympathy whatsoever, and even seemed to think she deserved it!
How could she have known it would turn out like this? After all, she hadn't planned to pass the test, so she didn't have the mindset of consulting the oracle before such an important matter.
I should consult the oracle more often from now on. The divination method of the escaped immortal is incredibly effective!
However, as she left the classroom, she remembered that Cheng Yao had also been giving up. Could it be... that she just casually took the test and then wouldn't be able to go to the Golden Core Realm afterwards?
Song Chi soon ran into Cheng Yao and asked her how she passed the exam.
Cheng Yao wore an expression of utter disbelief. It turned out that the examiner was a Golden Core Immortal Master from the Linglong Sect. She had tried to cheat, but instead, she had been whipped several times with spiritual energy. "Don't even think about trying to fool me. Take the exam properly!"
That immortal master was a disciple of the Eighth Elder, Immortal Master Nan Qiao, and her name was Shi Min. Although she was very beautiful, she was also very strict. She taught the previous generation of disciples the Linglong Sect's techniques.
Cheng Yao was already a bit timid, and was intimidated by the immortal master's stern words. She immediately finished writing the entire paper neatly.
All four of us in the dorm are known for our academic prowess; we generally have no problems with our studies.
"Oh no, I'm afraid I won't be able to get away with the academic subjects this time. And the magic test this afternoon... I'll be even less likely to get away with that."
Cheng Yao felt utterly hopeless.
Song Chi breathed a sigh of relief. "Then let's do our best on the next exam. Maybe we'll get an unexpectedly good result."
If the divination is correct, then it is indeed an unexpectedly good result.
"Now, this is the only way to think about it." Cheng Yao is a person who can understand everything and is best at letting go of herself. She smiled quickly.
The four met at the entrance of Qingxue Palace and went to eat, which is not mentioned here.
In the afternoon's magic exam, Song Chi had a proper attitude this time. Her voice was already quite good, so she passed easily.
The person who assessed her was Immortal Master Shen Wenyan, and he recorded her magic skills as "excellent".
Most disciples receive a "mediocre" rating. Those rated "poor" are clearly those who haven't properly grasped the intricacies of spiritual energy circulation, and naturally receive a scolding, leaving with a face full of shame.
There aren't many disciples left who are listed as "superior." It seems the "excellent" designation has only been given to a few geniuses like Ye Qingyu!
However, in terms of the subtle control of sound magic in the early stages, Song Chi is indeed quite good, and he believes he can still compare with Ye Qingyu and the others.
As for later on, it depends on aptitude and cultivation level... well, there's not much to say. A genius is a genius after all; what can a little greenhorn like her compare to them?
Song Chi's mood was so-so when he left Qingxue Palace.
She was confident she would pass the test; after all, 60% of her disciples passed.
But next, I'll probably end up like the original owner—failing to gain favor with the powerful figures and being transferred to the Inner Sect's Tianheng Division. After that, I'll do some tasks, accumulate resources, and then participate in the half-day cultivation enlightenment sessions held by the Golden Core senior brothers every ten days.
In short, we've reached a point where it's basically a matter of the master leading you through the door, but the rest of the practice depends on the individual.
I definitely can't audit Qing Academy anymore. But compared to the chance to enter the secret realm, auditing Qing Academy's seven years of classes seems insignificant.
The sect had already distributed the sound cultivation techniques for the Foundation Establishment stage. In fact, whether or not one had a master to guide them didn't seem to matter much.
Song Chi actually wanted to audit the music training class. She hadn't even learned all the pieces required for the Qi Refining stage, let alone those for the Foundation Establishment stage.
As a result, she had no choice but to go to the library and copy a set of music tracks, including both Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment.
Then I plan to learn it on my own.
Anyway, the sect's patriarch was a great person. All the music cultivation pieces he set up had corresponding spiritual plant music cultivation tasks.
She followed these steps one by one, and it wasn't actually that difficult.
She audited the immortal masters' sound cultivation classes, not for superficial issues like spiritual energy allocation. She wanted to observe the immortal masters' emotional distribution and what it felt like to grasp that mysterious energy.
After all, she herself... has no feelings.
How happy she was in her past life, being a person without emotions. And how much more painful that is now!
She had previously asked Mo Feiyun to put into practice the idea of having a passionate love affair. As it turned out, she didn't have that quality.
Alas, what a painful realization this is.
Fine, I'll just try each piece a thousand times over. I don't need to grasp the other emotions or energy; grasping that cold and indifferent energy is just as good. Although this mystery is the most elusive, I must persevere no matter what.
According to Qi Zhenmo's deduction, the secret realm might erupt in about twelve or thirteen years.
She needed to devise some killer moves beforehand. After all, it was a secret realm where countless lives were lost. Last time, in the Immortal Spirit Secret Realm, only 50% survived, slightly better than the one or two out of ten mentioned in the book. But the Golden Core Secret Realm was mentioned in the book as a place where tens of thousands of people went in, and only a few hundred survived…
What a killing field this was! Song Chi could hardly bear to think about it!
But she and Song Jun had to go this time. If they could gamble this out, their whole family's future would be bright. Then they could truly relax and relax.
Just do it.
Without wasting any time, Song Chi went to the library to copy the music, then immediately accepted two tasks and headed to the herb garden.
From now on, she will not only work hard to improve her cultivation level, but also to improve her musical repertoire. She must relentlessly practice and refine her ultimate move, especially the one utilizing the green leaf magic weapon. She must create a super-psychedelic melody that will ensnare her opponent's heart the moment they hear it!
Speaking of this, she really wanted to become the disciple of the wandering Venerable Yun Huai. In the book, he was portrayed as a wicked and alluring figure, a veritable temptress. But he wasn't a temptress at all; he was clearly a deadly weapon. Unfortunately, she didn't have that opportunity.
As for exam results and such, she couldn't be bothered to pay attention.
It's simply a matter of following the script. Following the script is good; that way, she'll still have loopholes to exploit in that secret realm.
Having the script in hand is a huge advantage.
Seven days later, the results will be released. The list will be posted at Qingxue Palace at dawn.
Many disciples had been unable to sleep all night, and the entire Peach Blossom Mountain was bustling with activity early the next morning.
Because Qingxue Palace was closed for classes recently, Song Chi had planned to go to Qingyun Pavilion early in the morning to take on a sound cultivation task, and was too lazy to even check his grades.
In any case, it's just a matter of seeing my name among that bunch of inner disciples of the Tianheng Division.
But they couldn't stop Dai Jia from arresting people.
"Let's go take a look. Maybe we'll get lucky and be selected."
She was so nervous her face turned pale; she hadn't slept a wink all night. She even got up in the middle of the night to practice her swordplay for a while.
Song Chi and the other two are all fine. Xi Ya is in a sure win situation, so there's nothing to worry about.
Cheng Yao is naturally easygoing, like a dandelion seed that can land anywhere. Song Chi knows the script, so he's even more certain.
So I decided to keep Dai Jia company, lest she faint from being too disappointed or too happy.
This person did indeed become a disciple of Venerable Qinglian in the book, but only as an outer disciple. Even so, she fainted from excitement after taking only a few steps to Merlin.
"Let's go then."
Song Chi and the others accompanied Dai Jiafei as she leaped out, but the good-for-nothing was so nervous that she wobbled unsteadily. The three of them had to help her along.
Then they arrived at Seigaku Palace, only to find that the notice board was already crowded with disciples.
At the appointed time (7-9 AM), a disciple called out, "The steward who posted the notice has arrived!"
Two blue-robed stewards flew in from the direction of the Tianheng Division and landed in front of the notice board as the bell rang.
The first list posted by the deacons showed the majority of the disciples who had passed the examination and been selected for the Tianheng Division.
The blue list was densely covered with the names of the disciples. Many people craned their necks and stood on tiptoe to look, and soon a variety of voices, some joyful and some dejected, could be heard.
"Hey, you passed, didn't you? Then why were you feeling so bad last night!" Some were particularly excited about passing the inner disciple assessment.
"I failed again. That's it. I only have one more chance." Each disciple can only take this assessment three times. Failing three times results in being demoted to the outer sect. It's a truly humiliating experience. Therefore, some are extremely frustrated.
Dai Jia's hands and feet had stopped trembling, and she was unusually strong. She pulled the three of them through the crowd and squeezed to the front.
Then she watched for a while.
"No way, you two are serious... You really didn't plan to pass the exam?"
Because Song Chi and Cheng Yao's names were not listed above.
Song Chi was now in a panic. "Impossible!" She knew her own abilities very well; she was confident she would pass this test no matter what!
Cheng Yao found it strange. "That's impossible. I was...forced to answer the questions very seriously. There's no way I couldn't have failed, right?"
Then the two of them quickly scanned the list of disciples. After searching for a while, they still couldn't find their own names.
Cheng Yao frowned slightly, then smiled. "It's not a big deal if I didn't pass." She figured she could spend another seven years at Qingxue Palace.
Song Chi's heart sank. If he couldn't pass this time, he might not be able to enter the next secret realm. This exam was the key to unlocking the secrets.
But there was no way she couldn't pass! Even though she dawdled for half an hour in the first half, she still managed to finish the questions. She was confident she would pass no matter what. The second half, the spell test, was even less likely to fail, because she clearly saw that Immortal Master Shen Wenyan had written an "Excellent" on it. That evaluation was equivalent to that of genius disciples like Ye Qingyu.
If someone like this is still to be deposed, then there is no justice in the world!
"Don't worry," Xi Ya said gently, "You might all be on the first two lists of immortal rankings."
Song Chi and Cheng Yao both wore expressions of disbelief. However, Song Chi thought Cheng Yao was more likely to be the one, because she had been tested on both sound cultivation and Linglong Sect magic in the second half of the exam. According to her, she passed the sound cultivation test, but surprisingly, she also passed the Linglong Sect test. Even though her Water Linglong Dance was quite clumsy.
Song Chi felt that Cheng Yao's unique water spirit root must have been noticed by the Eighth Elder long ago.
Her name will likely appear on the second list of immortals soon.
At this moment, two more deacons arrived and posted the second list of immortals. The entire area in front of the notice board fell silent for a moment as the dark red list was displayed.
"Cheng Yao, look!" Dai Jia's voice trembled with excitement. "It's under the Eighth Elder's name! Look, your name is under the Eighth Elder's name! I'm not mistaken, it's definitely not there."
She even used her spiritual power to wipe her eyes to confirm that it was authentic.
Cheng Yao's face also turned pale. "How could this be? How could it be? My Linglong Sect techniques are clearly not... that good." She actually wanted to say they were very bad, but she was surrounded by other disciples, many of whom were eagerly looking at the list of talented disciples. She dared not say that she was not good enough, otherwise, if she appeared on the list, wouldn't that mean that the Masters were blind?
But she did see two names under the name of Fairy Nan Qiao, and hers was the second one.
Then she quickly exclaimed in surprise, "How come Xue Qingyan also went to the Linglong Sect? Wasn't he supposed to be a pill cultivator?"
Xue Qingyan was already quite famous among the previous disciples, and after his spiritual roots were cleansed by spiritual fruits obtained in the secret realm, his aptitude is now firmly in the ranks of geniuses, thus his reputation has only grown stronger. Everyone had already heard about how his Water and Wood Life-Giving Technique caught the eye of the Eighth Elder, Fairy Nan Qiao, but because of his love for alchemy, he might become the Seventh Elder's disciple.
But who would have thought that this kid would actually go to the Linglong Sect!
Song Chi: "..." This is different from the book. How could this be? Wasn't Xue Qingya supposed to have received the Dao of Alchemy in the Immortal Spirit Secret Realm and become an outstanding alchemist in the future? Although she was actually a bit inferior to Xi Ya in terms of alchemy, she would still be one of the top alchemy masters in the cultivation world in the future.
Why isn't he following the script? He's going to dance at the Linglong Sect!
Could it be that the script changed after he teamed up with Mo Feiyun and Ye Qingyu to attack Yin Qiang in the secret realm?
She did indeed remember seeing Xue Qingyan's blue-clad figure flying over after her before she landed. However, she hadn't encountered Xue Qingyan since leaving the secret realm.
Oh no. Because of her tiny butterfly wings flapping, the script has been changed! Xue Qingyan has probably encountered the Daoist inheritance of the Linglong Sect, and thus abandoned alchemy to learn Linglong Sect magic.
This change originally had nothing to do with her. But now, the last thing she wants is for the plot to be altered, otherwise the script she holds will be invalid.
Of course, he hadn't passed the exam yet... Thinking of that ominous black divination, Song Chi frowned deeply.
How do I enter the secret realm next?
"Look! Senior Sister Wei Lingxiu has become a disciple of Fairy Jingrui." Fairy Jingrui, Venerable Tonghua, and Venerable Xueqiao are actually fellow disciples, but Fairy Jingrui is an outer disciple. She has never held any position in the sect and lives alone by Qinglan Lake, the northernmost point of the sect.
It is said that her criteria for accepting disciples are that they must be extremely beautiful and intelligent, and that their three spiritual roots of metal, water, and wood must all exceed ninety, preferably with similar roots.
Wei Lingxiu perfectly met all of the above conditions.
This does match the script.
Of course, it was a foregone conclusion that Xi Ya's name would appear under Fairy Xueji's name. Moreover, Fairy Xueji and Xi Ya were listed first, as Fairy Xueji had not accepted any other disciples and had only accepted Xi Ya.
The remaining disciples were from the previous year and those from the same year with whom Song Chi and the others were not familiar. They were each appointed as elders or personal disciples or outer disciples by the elders or masters.
The number of people is actually not large, only about twenty in total, who have this honor.
As for the main characters like Cui Xue Ruo and her group, they are naturally not on these lists. Their names will soon appear under Venerable Tonghua's name.
At this moment, two more deacons pointed to the golden immortal list.
By this time, Song Chi was in a bad mood and the surroundings were noisy, so she didn't bother to look at anything.
But Qi Zhenmo suddenly appeared beside him.
"Oh no, you haven't been accepted as a disciple by the True Immortals. That makes sense! True Immortal Yu'an is still in seclusion, how could he possibly come out to accept disciples?"
Qi Zhenmo's teasing voice made Song Chi roll his eyes.
However, she quickly perked up. She didn't see Qi Zhenmo's name under the Fourth Elder, Lan Zhu Sanren's name; Lan Zhu Sanren was the one who presided over the Tianji Sect.
She couldn't help but smile crookedly. "You didn't fail the Fourth Elder's test, did you?"
Qi Zhenmo burst out laughing. "There will be a surprise later!" he said.
Song Chi's eyes widened. "No way, with such terrible sound cultivation skills, a Venerable One actually agreed to take you as a disciple?"
Qi Zhenmo rolled his eyes and clicked his tongue, too lazy to pay her any attention.
By this time, Cui Xue Ruo and the other talented disciples had all flown over. They watched the golden list unfolded by the deacons from a distance in the air, without getting any closer.
Whether that result comes or not, they probably already know.
Soon, the first golden list indeed belonged to Venerable Tonghua. Below it, the names of Cui Xue Ruo and several others were densely written, without missing a single one.
The other disciples all responded with a knowing "Oh." Everyone knew that these descendants of dragons and phoenixes had come to the Azure Sword Sect for the ancient music, hence their calm reaction.
The second image is of Venerable Yuheng, and Qi Zhenmo's name appears prominently on it.
Song Chi could certainly fit two duck eggs in her mouth. "Your aptitude..." She opened her mouth but stopped, because Qi Zhenmo did indeed have the three spiritual roots of metal, water, and earth, and they had all been cleansed quite well. Therefore, if he wanted to cultivate the sword path, there would be no problem.
But his nonchalant demeanor showed absolutely no trace of the bearing of a swordsman. And he had never been seen using a sword!
Song Chi really wanted to ask Qi Zhenmo what his background was, and whether he had given gifts to Venerable Yuheng, which was why the Venerable accepted him, a second-rate swordsman, as his disciple.
However, just as the list of Venerable Qinglian was about to be opened, Dai Jia's face turned so pale that she had difficulty breathing, and her fingers were trembling.
Then, very quickly, she saw her name appear above it. She felt as if she were surrounded by water, unable to breathe, completely stunned.
If it weren't for Song Chi and the other two using their spiritual power to push her, she probably would have fainted from forgetting to breathe.
"I didn't misread it, my name is on it!"
"Yes, we are," Song Chi and the others replied confidently.
"Still...still a direct disciple, I...I can't breathe. This can't be real!"
Dai Jia is really about to faint this time.
Beside her was a beautiful female disciple in green robes who couldn't help but stare at her warily for a moment.
This one was the previous generation's swordsmanship genius, named Shi Wan'er, with both her metal and water spiritual roots at ninety-nine. Furthermore, she's portrayed as a love-struck character in the book; she secretly traveled from the icy lakes of the north to the southwest to become a disciple. The reason is simple: ever since she saw the face of the Azure Lotus Venerable in the jade mirror when she was thirteen, she has been deeply in love.
Therefore, she was willing to give up the path her family had paved for her, the opportunity to become a disciple of the Venerable of the Xuantian Sword Sect, one of the four great immortal sects, and instead ran to the Qingjian Sect.
Song Chi found it hard to imagine what kind of love could lead to such a bold and wild decision. Most importantly, she was only thirteen years old, yet she decided she would only ever love the Azure Lotus Venerable—that's what the book said. Anyway… Song Chi looked at Shi Wan'er, somewhat speechless.
In her past life, she would only offer respect and blessings, and maybe peek at some gossip. Now, she's actually a little envious. If she had that romantic mindset, she could definitely go much easier and further on the path of music cultivation. Damn it!
No one had any doubts about Venerable Qinglian accepting Shi Wan'er as his disciple, after all, she was a genius.
Although Dai Jia's spiritual roots were washed away, one was 95 and the other was 92. It would be acceptable to accept them as outer disciples, but to accept them as personal disciples is a different story.
Many disciples exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions filled with doubt. However, others whispered, "It is said that those who receive the spiritual fruit's cleansing are favored by Heaven, possessing immortal roots and making their path of cultivation much smoother. At least a Nascent Soul stage is within their grasp!"
The rumor spread with great detail, and soon many disciples nodded hesitantly.
In fact, Cheng Yao had been looked down upon by some people for becoming a disciple of the Eighth Elder.
Upon hearing these messages, many disciples began to look at her with kindness.
Then everyone's gaze drifted to Song Chi, but thinking of her spiritual root's average value, which had been refined from seventy-seven to eighty-eight, they couldn't help but smile. What was more famous than Song Chi herself was actually her spiritual root aptitude. Many people seemed speechless when it was mentioned.
Even a person with a spiritual root of 90 or higher has a chance of reaching the Nascent Soul stage. You could say this person is unlucky, since they received a spiritual fruit to cleanse their aptitude. Or you could say they're lucky, since their spiritual root is simply disappointing.
As for the last list, many people no longer care.
Venerable Xueqiao has only taken on one disciple so far: Immortal Master Mo Shubai. And what about Immortal Master Mo Shubai's appearance? What about his extraordinary talent in the metal, water, wood, and heavenly spiritual roots? He's also a member of the Mo family, one of the eight great clans. In terms of status, talent, and appearance, he's first-rate! Who can compare?
Even though they recently accepted Immortal Master Youqin as their disciple, everyone felt it was because Immortal Master Youqin had an excellent personality and was very likable. So, after much patience, Venerable Xueqiao made an exception and accepted her as his personal disciple rather than an outsider.
Even so, Master Youqin's three spiritual roots—metal, water, and wood—are all at least 92, with the other two at 93 and 95 respectively. This is more than enough to qualify her as a genius disciple, and accepting her as a personal disciple would be a way to gain the respect of others.
Among the disciples of both generations, those who are geniuses in music cultivation are all among the sons and grandsons of dragons and phoenixes, and they have all become disciples of Venerable Tonghua.
It is highly likely that Venerable Xueqiao will continue to refuse to accept disciples, just as he has done in the past.
Therefore, many people started to leave, and Song Chi scratched his head, also wanting to go.
Dai Jia finally came to her senses and grabbed her hand. "Let's see, maybe, maybe we'll hit the jackpot!" Even she herself didn't quite believe what she was saying.
Song Chi: "..." Okay, let's take a look.
Then the golden list was displayed!
"Ah! Am I seeing things?"
"How could this be!"
"How is that possible?"
"With her spiritual root aptitude, she could actually be noticed by a Venerable One?"
"Could it be that the immortal root is truly so important that it can make a Venerable One disregard aptitude?"
Not to mention the disciples around him who were so surprised they were speechless, some even exaggeratedly slipped and fell.
One of them even went so far as to slip and fall right in front of Song Chi, to show just how shocked he was.
Song Chi couldn't help but glance at the sky. Then, tilting his head, he examined the golden list and couldn't resist asking the steward who had posted it.
"May I ask, steward, could there be a mistake?"
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Author's Note: [Cat emoji][Cat emoji]
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