Ji Yuanchi woke up with a start. She sat on the bed, drenched in sweat, looking at the moonlight outside the window, unable to fall back asleep.
Today, after she and Xu Yuehuai registered together, they parted ways. Ji Yuanchi gave her a Pu family token, which allowed her to freely enter and leave the Pu family and was also a symbol of her status.
Xu Yuehuai looked at the jade pendant in her hand from side to side. The pattern on it looked very familiar, but she couldn't remember where she had seen it before.
*
Time flies, and the day of enrollment at Qingcheng Academy arrived in the blink of an eye. Ji Yuanchi's family had made preparations well in advance. Grandpa Pu looked at his granddaughter with reluctance, "You've only been back for a short time, and you're not fully recovered yet. You should rest at home. Why do you have to go to that academy to suffer?"
Grandpa Pu sighed, while Ji Yuanchi walked to the door with a smile. "Alright, Grandpa, I want to go and learn with my benefactor. I can tell that Miss Xu is a person with a broad vision. I think I can learn a lot from her. Besides, I also want to repay her kindness!"
Grandpa Pu sighed and said, "Be careful on your journey. If anyone dares to bully you, just come back and tell me. I will definitely seek justice for you!"
Xu Yuehuai arrived at the foot of the academy mountain early in the morning. There were many people at the foot of the mountain, a sea of people. When Ji Yuanchi arrived, he spotted Xu Yuehuai in the crowd at a glance.
Xu Yuehuai is observing this method of entering the sect.
There were people guarding the steps, and there was a space in the middle that was not occupied, presumably reserved for the elders who would be arriving later.
Time passed second by second, and as the surrounding spiritual energy twisted, a group of people appeared out of thin air on the steps.
The leader looked a bit older, and the others were scattered around him.
"Everyone, we've gathered here today, presumably all to gain admission to our Qingcheng Academy." Once everyone had arrived, a person dressed in academy attire said, "I am Quan Cang, the chief disciple under Dean Fu Jia, and also the person in charge of this recruitment ceremony."
Xu Yuehuai stood idly below the stage, but when everyone heard Fu Jia's name, they all gasped.
"Fu Jia? Is she the one I know?"
"Right? Besides her, who else in this academy is named Fu Jia?"
"Ahhh, my first assessment happened to coincide with Dean Fu Jia's disciple recruitment. Does this mean I can also become Dean Fu Jia's disciple?"
You're overthinking it.
...
"Within the academy, there are three main categories: alchemy, weapon crafting, and talisman making, as well as two independent courses: martial arts cultivation and ghost cultivation."
"Our assessment of each cultivator mainly consists of three categories and one independent course: martial arts. We don't require everyone to be an expert in each of these categories, but everyone must be able to do all of them."
Quan Cangguang spent half an incense stick's time just introducing the content of this assessment. "Now, if anyone finds it too difficult, they can withdraw in time. Once you enter the academy, you cannot withdraw voluntarily; you can only be passively eliminated. All assessments are accompanied by danger, so please choose carefully."
A woman stood next to Quan Cang, holding a sword, looking impatient. "It's the same every year. Why bother signing up if you're so afraid of death!"
The woman spoke quite loudly, and many cultivators in front of her heard her.
Xu Yuehuai sized up the woman, his eyes filled with an ambiguous emotion.
"Miss Xu! I'm here!" Ji Yuanchi finally managed to squeeze next to Xu Yuehuai, and she couldn't be happier.
"Miss Xu, have you decided which elder you want to become a disciple of?" Ji Yuanchi asked, looking at Xu Yuehuai.
Xu Yuehuai shook her head. She hadn't thought about that, since she knew a little about alchemy and weapon crafting.
Ji Yuanchi's eyes widened immediately. "This is something we need to think about carefully. If we can choose a good elder, then we won't have to worry about cultivation resources in the future!"
“Look, like Senior Brother Quan Cang, he’s extraordinary. He’s a rare genius in talismans and was successfully taken in by Fu Jia, the dean of the Talisman Department.” Ji Yuanchi roughly understood that Xu Yuehuai probably didn’t know this news.
Xu Yuehua nodded, already having made up her mind.
On the other side, Jin Nan and his group, who had traveled a long way to Qingcheng, were also in the crowd. Shi Zhi stood in the crowd, tall and handsome, and many girls around him stared at him.
Jin Nan and the others had spent too much time in the Ghost Domain Forest, and when they arrived in Qingcheng, it was the last day to register. After finally resting for two days and catching their breath, they immediately had to participate in the assessment.
So I didn't communicate with Shi Zhiyu much. When I saw that Shi Zhiyu was also going to participate in the academy selection assessment, I couldn't help but wonder, "Is Senior Brother also going to participate in this assessment?"
Shi Zhiyu didn't speak, but glanced at him indifferently, "From the moment you arrived safely in Qingcheng, your affairs have nothing to do with me anymore, and we are no longer fellow disciples."
These words struck Shi Zhi like a thunderbolt from a clear sky, leaving Ding He and the others utterly shocked.
Jin Nan's first reaction upon hearing this was not shock, but rather delight. He asked, "What do you mean, Senior Brother? Does Senior Brother intend to leave the sect?"
Upon hearing this, Yu Er became anxious. "How could our senior brother leave the sect? Don't talk nonsense, he is our senior brother!"
Jin Nan's expression turned sour after what Yu Er said.
Ding He didn't speak; he stared intently at Shi Zhiyu, waiting for his response.
Shi Zhi said, “That’s right. I was entrusted by your master to bring you to Qingcheng. Now I have fulfilled his request. What you do or what happens after that has nothing to do with me.”
Even if the three of them couldn't understand what was being said, they finally realized what was happening.
After severing ties with them, Shi Zhi did not leave immediately, but his eyes kept darting around, and it was unclear where he was looking.
After Quan Cang finished speaking, they officially began the first stage of admission. "This first stage of admission is very simple: walk up these thousand steps, and you will succeed."
Quan Cang smiled and said, "Everyone, the freshman assessment has officially begun. I will be waiting for you at the finish line! Please come up as soon as possible within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."
After Quan Cang finished explaining the contents of the first level, many people felt that it was too easy and was just a test of physical strength.
In the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, you can always get up there by running a little.
Xu Yuehuai looked at the restless people around her. After Quan Cang led a group of people away on their swords, everyone couldn't wait to start running up, pushing and shoving, each wanting to be the first.
Ji Yuanchi was about to follow the crowd, but seeing that Xu Yuehuai was still standing still, she stopped as well.
"Aren't we leaving?" Ji Yuanchi adorably poked her head in front of Xu Yuehuai's eyes, staring at her with a curious look.
Xu Yuehuai chuckled softly, "Wait a little longer."
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