Chapter 1 001 Young Master Mu is using blood tests to find someone
"Mother, this stone says that there are ferocious beasts in the forest and that you should not go out alone. So, is it still okay to take a look around?"
Shen Zhiwei: "It means that if you encounter a man-eating beast, you are more likely to survive if you run faster than others. So it depends on how fast you are at controlling your sword."
The immortal master Sang Jing, who came to guide them, listened to the conversation between the mother and daughter. His lips twitched slightly, but he quickly recovered.
The immortal masters in the Tianyuan Palace of the Yuanyuan Realm all have a very standard expression: gentle and refined, never smiling, and all the same.
Sang Jing's cultivation is top-notch, but that doesn't mean he's not a gossip.
The entire Mount Sumeru is divided into four realms. Although Tianyuan Prefecture is open to all, and cultivators from all four realms can enroll, Shen Xiaochan comes from the foot of Mount Sumeru.
The foot of Mount Xuyu is also known as the First Heaven, which is the lowest level of the four realms.
Now that Shen Xiaochan has obtained the qualification to enroll, a minor cultivator from the Tianyuan Mansion has appeared in the first level of the Heavenly Realm for the first time. This is something that has never happened before.
Sang Jing also secretly observed the Shen family mother and daughter.
Although the mother and daughter came from the foot of Mount Sumeru, they had some connections. Shen Zhiwei was the head of the Bixia Sect of Kumu Mountain. The place was small, and the sect was not large either, but they had some resources and managed to raise a daughter who could enter the Tianyuan Palace.
Shen Zhiwei's name was plain and simple, suitable for both men and women, but she was a vibrant and beautiful woman. With fair skin and cherry lips, she was quite beautiful, and even in simple clothes, her beauty could not be concealed.
Moreover, Sect Leader Shen's attire was not plain either. Her clothes were plain in color, but the material was top-grade brocade and snow satin. She wore a blue and red magic sword at her waist. Although it was not drawn, Sang Jing judged that it was at least a second-grade magic weapon, and it looked like it was made by Tianlingfang.
Although the Yuan Yuan Celestial Attendants all had pale complexions, they were very sensitive to big brands. Their eyes were like X-rays, able to roughly estimate the price with a single scan.
A mere sect leader at the foot of Mount Xuyu can actually afford to support a minor cultivator from Tianyuan Palace; he's certainly got some skills. I've heard that this Sect Leader Shen is the mistress of some great cultivator, secretly pregnant with a daughter, and currently has no apparent Daoist partner. Of course, this is just a rumor, and whether it's true or not is unclear.
Sang Jing also noticed that Shen Zhiwei had a face-enhancing hairpin in her hair. This hairpin could subtly adjust a person's appearance, changing it by three or four parts, making the person look similar to their original appearance but not so much that they would be recognized.
Even with the face-suppressing hairpin, she's still so beautiful. Then what was Sect Leader Shen's true appearance like? She must be quite shrewd; though she hails from the foot of Mount Xuyu, she hasn't wasted her looks. Sang Jing even secretly wondered if Sect Leader Shen's true face was some great cultivator's prized possession, kept hidden like a forbidden treasure.
As for her daughter, Shen Xiaochun, she was only eleven years old this year. She was a very spirited little girl, and her dark hair was neatly combed by her mother. On her first trip to Yuan Yuan Tian, Shen Xiaochun was also dressed in new clothes. She looked quite smart and pretty. The girl had big, round eyes and kept looking around.
The little girl is beautiful and seems very brave; she's not shy or timid at all.
Shen Zhiwei noticed Shen Xiaochun's eagerness to try, so she tugged at her arm and warned, "Once we get to Tianyuan Prefecture, you're not allowed to be naughty, cause trouble, or go into the forest to play with monsters."
"Don't think that just because you're not under my watchful eye, I can't control you. Your mother has her own ways."
Shen Xiaochun clung to Shen Zhiwei's arm and said coquettishly, "Mother, I know. I miss you so much when I can't see you, how can I possibly have the heart to play?"
Her daughter's words were as sweet as honey, but Shen Zhiwei remained skeptical.
Shen Xiaochun: "Even if I go into the forest, I will definitely not be alone. Before I go, I must have a sword-flying contest to see who is faster. I will definitely find someone who flies slower than me."
Shen Zhiwei: "..."
She curled her fingers and gave Chen Xiaochan a sharp tap on the forehead.
Shen Xiaochun covered her forehead, looking aggrieved: She was just joking.
Sang Jing, who was guiding the new students, couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. He knew what kind of atmosphere Tianyuan Prefecture had. It was true that Tianyuan Prefecture was the best cultivation academy in the four realms, but there were also many twists and turns inside, so the atmosphere was definitely not pure.
In short, it's not easy to get by in Tianyuan Prefecture.
However, the Shen mother and daughter clearly did not realize it, and their relaxed attitude was truly remarkable.
Mount Sumeru supports the four realms, which are connected by a celestial ladder. After three thousand steps, one enters the second heaven; after six thousand steps, one enters the third heaven; and after nine thousand steps, the Primordial Heaven is within sight.
Sang Jing stopped in his tracks: "Since you two are new to Yuan Yuan Tian, as instructed by Young Master Mu, we would like to trouble each of you to collect a drop of blood for Young Master Mu to examine."
This young master Yuan Yuantian is quite domineering, but Sang Jing speaks as if it were perfectly reasonable.
Due to the influence of the Great Evolution Immortal Venerable, Young Master Mu's status is extremely noble.
The several immortal families residing in Yuan Yuan Tian were all arrogant, yet they obediently cooperated with the blood test.
As for why Young Master Mu wanted a blood test, there are many different opinions and no consensus.
Some say that Young Master Mu is wary of his greatest enemy, the wicked and bloodthirsty evil cultivator Tanlang, fearing that he will bring disaster to the world, hence he takes great precautions against him.
Some say that Young Master Mu is infatuated with a stunningly beautiful female cultivator and can't forget her. However, she refuses to hide away, so Young Master Mu is searching for her everywhere, preparing to stage a dramatic scene of forceful seduction.
In short, the rumors are quite spicy and dramatic.
Shen Zhiwei nodded: "I have heard about this."
She took out a needle and quickly pricked herself and Shen Xiaochun twice, collecting two drops of blood from each of them and putting them into a glass bottle.
At the Gathering of Immortals in Tianyuan Prefecture, the parents of the young cultivators have also gathered today.
Tianyuan Prefecture enrolls students every five years, and class names are assigned according to the year. The junior students of Class 4 of Gui Si have been enrolled for a year, and now a transfer student from the foot of Xuyu Mountain has arrived.
Among everyone, Rong Ying and her daughter Rong Tang received the most attention.
The Rong family was a first-class noble family in Yuan Yuan Tian. Rong Ying was the daughter of the main branch of the Rong family. Not only was she outstanding in appearance, but she also married very well. She gave birth to twins, a son named Xie Huaize and a daughter who took her mother's surname, Rong Tang, who is now eleven years old.
Rong Ying's wrists were as white as snow, adorned with a top-grade blood-red spirit bracelet. She didn't wear many accessories, but each one was exquisite.
While savoring her spiritual tea, Rong Ying listened discreetly to the gossip about Shen Xiaochan, who was supposed to transfer to the class. Rong Ying herself was somewhat dissatisfied, but she didn't show it. She also avoided getting involved in the discussions, lest she lower her status.
Being able to transfer to the class means she must have some ability. People aren't very familiar with Shen Zhiwei; there are rumors that she's a mistress of some powerful man, but nobody really knows much about her.
Therefore, the enthusiasm for discussing Madam Shen didn't last long. After a while, the conversation shifted to Rong Ying and her daughter, and everyone began to flatter them.
The annual exams will be in three months.
There were a total of six classes in the year of Gui Si, but the top student was definitely Rong Tang.
Tang Jie'er is highly talented and intelligent, and her magical artifacts are all top-notch.
Rong Ying thought so too, but she didn't say it out loud: "Don't praise Xiao Tang too much. She does have some talent, but she's definitely not number one. I'm just afraid that if she gets arrogant, she'll lose her patience and perseverance."
She added, "Furthermore, which junior cultivator who enters Tianyuan Prefecture isn't exceptionally talented? There are hidden talents among them who usually keep their abilities to themselves, only to surprise everyone during the annual examination. After all, the annual examination rewards in Tianyuan Prefecture are quite substantial."
Rong Ying's words were loaded with meaning; she was intolerant of any wrongdoing and could not stand anyone using such underhanded tactics.
When she was being tapped in this seemingly real yet feigned manner, Rong Ying always had a smile on her face and seemed very amiable.
Everyone echoed this sentiment, surrounding the Rong family mother and daughter as if they were the center of attention.
Rong Tang was tired of hearing these words and secretly curled her lip.
She didn't know that her mother, Rong Ying, loved such occasions. Although she kept a straight face, she enjoyed hearing people flatter her.
Miss Rong Tang found it boring and her eyes darted around.
Jiang Yingxue, who was also a junior in Class 4 of the Year of the Snake, shrank back a little.
She came from a humble background, from the second heaven of Mount Sumeru, and such occasions usually went unnoticed.
There weren't many junior cultivators from the second level of cultivation in the class; including Jiang Yingxue, there were only four in total, and they were usually ignored.
She felt something moving in her sleeve, and seeing that no one was paying attention to her, she took it out.
It is a small fairy doll made by Tianlingfang. It can jump, run, and even wield a sword. The workmanship is very exquisite.
Jiang Yingxue secretly saved up spirit stones to buy them herself. She knew her parents would definitely not allow it. The Jiang family wished that their daughter would devote herself to cultivation and would never allow Jiang Yingxue to waste her time on frivolous pursuits.
Jiang Yingxue tossed it, and the Wind Fairy deftly somersaulted in her palm.
"It's kind of interesting."
Rong Tang leaned closer, finding it amusing, and stared intently at it: "Let me play with it."
Jiang Yingxue was somewhat displeased. She had been saving spirit stones for almost half a year, eagerly going to Tianlingfang every month to check it out. Last month, she had finally saved enough pocket money to buy her beloved Wind Fairy.
When she first got the car last month, Jiang Yingxue applied the oil three times according to the maintenance guide.
She even bought the little figure's sword, lotus seat, and cultivation hut with the fairy tree in front of it all. Every day, she also spent half an hour making accessories and clothes for the wind fairy by hand, mainly to save money.
This is faith, don't you understand! What do you mean by "let her play around"? Jiang Yingxue felt that this tone of voice was quite disrespectful to the Wind Fairy.
Jiang Yingxue, being a young cultivator, was not very talkative and turned her face away from Rong Tang, letting Rong Tang know that she was unwilling.
Rong Tang was taken aback, then sneered: "So cold and aloof, as if someone's trying to steal you away."
At this moment, Rong Ying also heard the noise and glanced at the two girls.
After a brief murmur, Jiang Yingxue heard Rong Ying say in a tone that was both amused and exasperated, "Xiaoxue, you're quite stingy. It's just a small trinket. My A-Tang usually exchanges it with others to play with. Do you think she's afraid of swallowing your things?"
Jiang Yingxue's face was flushed, and she remained silent.
Rong Ying thought the child was rather petty.
Born into a lower realm, and deliberately putting on a pitiful act, anyone who didn't know better would think their daughter was incredibly domineering. These trivial trinkets weren't bought for Rong Tang because her family didn't value them; they weren't really interested in them.
At this moment, a hand slipped the Wind Fairy out of Jiang Yingxue's hand; it was Jiang Yingxue's biological father, Jiang Yizhi.
Besides Jiang Yizhi, his biological mother, Min Xuezhi, was also there. Normally, only one parent needed to attend the Gathering of Immortals, but since the Jiang family had finally produced a golden phoenix who could ascend to the Heavenly Origin Palace, the couple took it very seriously and both came.
The couple hadn't been able to say much before, but now that Jiang Yizhi had taken the Wind Fairy from their daughter's hand, he was sternly scolding her for being stingy and saying how the family usually raised her. Turning his head, Jiang Yizhi also changed to a smiling face: "It's just a child's toy, it's not worth much. Tang-jie likes to play with it, so don't be polite."
Min Xuezhi pointed her finger at Jiang Yingxue's forehead and said, "I told you to study hard all the time, but you're messing around with this. You're so hesitant and can't even speak properly."
Jiang Yingxue angrily raised her head, her eyes filled with tears, looking very angry.
Jiang Yizhi handed the Wind Fairy to Rong Tang, but Rong Tang refused to take it with a cold face. Jiang Yizhi then pretended to be an uncle who knew she was embarrassed and forced it into Rong Tang's hand.
Rong Tang casually tossed it aside, coldly saying, "Who cares!"
The wind fairy was smashed into three pieces, and her head was also cut off.
Jiang Yingxue put the shattered Wind Fairy in her handkerchief and burst into tears.
The atmosphere was very awkward.
Jiang Yizhi and his wife also felt uncomfortable.
Jiang Yizhi: "Why are you crying? It's just a little gadget, and you bought it without permission. Instead of focusing on your cultivation, you spend all your time fiddling with these things, completely neglecting your cultivation."
Min Xuezhi used a gentle, roundabout tactic: "Don't scare our daughter, and don't scold her. But Xue, you need to know that your father and mother are doing this for your own good. Focus on your cultivation, and once you've successfully advanced in your cultivation level, you can play with these little things later, okay?"
She felt that if her daughter were to advance to a higher realm, she would definitely not care about these little trinkets anymore, so she used delaying tactics.
Jiang Yingxue suddenly turned her head and flew away on her sword.
Meanwhile, the Shen family mother and daughter ascended to Yuan Yuan Tian and entered Tian Yuan Mansion.
Although Sang Jing, the guide, had a formulaic expression, he was quite meticulous and thoughtful as a tour guide, explaining the rules of Tianyuan Prefecture in great detail.
"All the junior cultivators in Tianyuan Prefecture are exceptionally talented, the pride of heaven, one in ten thousand. Therefore, this place is especially sacred. So, apart from the cultivators who teach here and the junior cultivators who study here, adult cultivators are restricted by the restrictions of this place and cannot use their cultivation techniques."
"Of course, such a wonderful restriction could only have been set up by the Great Evolution Immortal Venerable. What a marvel of creation! We mediocre people would not even dare to dream of such a wonderful technique!"
When Sang Jing mentioned the Great Evolution Immortal Venerable Mu Shuangxing, his tone became less indifferent and even a little excited, clearly showing he was a true fan of the Immortal Venerable.
"With this protection, Tianyuan Mansion can maintain its superior status and not be hindered by various immortal sects and aristocratic families."
"Because of this cause and effect, the statue of the Immortal Venerable also stands here. By the way, he is also the most handsome man in the Four Realms."
Shen Xiaochun exclaimed, "This statue of the immortal is enormous!"
Shen Zhiwei: "The immortal venerable one has the appearance of a celestial being. It is said that he lives in seclusion and rarely goes out, yet he erected a statue here so that we can glimpse his peerless appearance. He truly brings blessings to people."
This benefit is pretty good.
Sang Jing felt something was off, but couldn't quite put her finger on it.
The statue of the celestial being occupied the entire mountain; it was extremely sacred and majestic, and could be described as incredibly beautiful.
Her appearance was like that of an immortal, as if she were floating in the clouds.
After visiting the Immortal Statue, the next attraction is the Hundred-Foot Icefall. The waterfall is about 100 feet high, with flowing ice creating a magnificent sight. There's a small figure on top, looking like he's about to jump.
Shen Xiaochun asked eagerly, "What kind of cultivation is this student doing?"
Sang Jing couldn't keep his composure any longer; he was startled. It turned out that a minor cultivator from Tianyuan Prefecture was preparing to jump off the waterfall!
If she really jumped, it would be an accident. Other teachers from the academy rushed over and tried to persuade Jiang Yingxue: "Xiaoxue, it's all a small matter, don't worry about it. Besides, think about your parents, they've worked so hard for your future—"
Jiang Yingxue was initially a little hesitant, but upon hearing about her parents, her eyes reddened even more, and she jumped down in a flash.
Shen Zhiwei nudged Shen Xiaochun, urging her to hurry up and save the person.
Shen Xiaochun conjured a magic sword and darted away at lightning speed, like a dog chasing her, as fast as lightning and as swift as a shooting star.
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com