Chapter 40: Azure Cloud (18)

“Here, since you want points so badly, why don’t you fairies play a big one with me? The Dean chose the Wandering Spirit Realm for the final test. If we don’t go to liberate the spirit, wouldn’t we be wasting the Dean’s good intentions?” Xiangli Lingze raised his hand, pointing at the images of people fighting under the long path. “Let’s liberate this place together. I’m sure we can become the top of the final test and make our names known throughout the academy.”

On the main road, cultivators of more than ten realms were fighting to the death with the black cavalry. Corpses were strewn all over the long street. Pavilions, white jade, and black jade were all churned into a ball of sludge by the sword energy.

He Tingtong stroked his hair and smiled gently at Xiangli Lingze, then turned around. With one hand around Fu Fengyan’s waist and the other grabbing Yue Qianxun’s arm, he walked towards a secluded place. “Oh my, only one day left. Let’s go, let’s go, Little Junior Brother, let’s find a place to drink tea.”

“Fairies aren’t willing?” Xiangli Lingze leaned against the corner with his qin, not looking elegant like an ordinary music cultivator at all. Dressed in martial attire with narrow sleeves and long boots, like a martial artist, he smiled frivolously, his tone full of malice. “Then I’ll go play with Xie Xuanxiao and the others. Just happened to find something interesting, for example… Fairy, your chest fell off.”

Xiangli Lingze took out a ball of paper from his bosom, pinched it with his thumb and fingers, held it high, looked left and right, and teased: “Hey, torn from the Tao Te Ching.”

He Tingtong looked down at his chest; the stuff was still there. He turned to glance aside. Fu Fengyan’s chest was flat, and there was a bulge on his waist. Probably because the clothes were too loose, it fell out while walking, and he was completely unaware. Only when reminded by Xiangli Lingze did he realize it and reach out to touch it.

He Tingtong’s mouth twitched. He linked arms with Fu Fengyan, restraining his movements, and walked forward without looking back, as if he hadn’t heard the voice behind him. He only gave Zhang Duixue a faint look when turning his head. Zhang Duixue received it, rubbed his wrists, grinned ferociously, and ducked into a side alley when passing by.

Xiangli Lingze didn’t expect them to really leave without looking back. He clicked his tongue somewhat boringly, threw the paper ball away, picked up the qin, changed direction, and planned to find a few new teammates.

If he couldn’t beat Xiangli Xuan in everything, then staying in Azure Cloud Academy would be meaningless.

However, if he was uncomfortable, those who rejected him shouldn’t think of being comfortable either. He didn’t mind causing some trouble for others… Besides, Xie Xuanxiao really owed him a favor.

Walking dozens of steps in the narrow alley, Xiangli Lingze’s steps paused. He looked at the teenager in front, dressed in scholar robes and holding a qin case. His eyebrows raised in disdain. “What? Fairy changed her mind and can’t bear to leave me?”

“Of course I can’t bear it.” The teenager’s clear voice sounded from behind him. “Aren’t we planning to root out the problem, lest someone go to inform and cause trouble for us?”

Xiangli Lingze turned his head and saw two people standing side by side behind him, blocking his retreat. The “girl” in the green silk skirt no longer spoke with a pinched voice, standing with hands behind back, looking at him with a smile.

“Fairy doesn’t want to talk anymore?” Xiangli Lingze showed no fear on his face. He leaned against the wall, looking carefree and at ease. “Just accompany me to liberate the spirit, turning trouble into help, getting both points and people, isn’t it the best of both worlds?”

“Very punchable, right?” He Tingtong rubbed his knuckles, making crackling sounds. He didn’t answer Xiangli Lingze, but looked up at Zhang Duixue on the other side.

“Indeed a bit.” Across most of the alley, the teenager responded, shaking the cloth to reveal the wooden board underneath and two long swords. He kicked the board away, drew the double swords from his sleeves, holding blades in both hands. “I hate lechers the most in my life. Can we beat him up?”

He Tingtong reached out. Yue Qianxun ran out from the corner with great situational awareness, offering the sword. He Tingtong grabbed the hilt, laughing low. “Beat lightly, don’t kill him, still useful.”

Xiangli Lingze held the qin, a trace of cold sweat seeping from his forehead, but still wearing a nonchalant smile on his face. He took a step back, holding the qin horizontally. “One fifth realm, two second realms, one third realm. To be honest, you can’t keep me.”

“Weren’t we here to discuss cooperation? Have you heard of a phrase called harmony breeds wealth? Shouting about fighting and killing will only make me hold a grudge against you…”

He Tingtong drew his sword and charged, his voice carrying a bit of inexplicable resentment. “Beat first then talk. If you hold a grudge, then we’ll beat you a few more times.”

Xiangli Lingze: “…”

The trial this term was quite boring. Because Xie Xuanxiao was bent on fighting people plus finding his wife, and gathered all the evil sins at the beginning, so that some quick-handed people gathered all points very early. Everyone suddenly lost the thought of competition, and the whole atmosphere was very relaxed.

Whether inside or outside the Wandering Spirit Realm, nothing interesting happened. The most exciting thing was just Xie Xuanxiao’s array being broken and him being pinned down and kissed.

Because his array technique was easily solved, a formula was secretly passed around: to defeat a magic cultivator, kiss first. That day, several students in the Langhuan Pavilion cursed loudly after returning from the back mountain trial field.

But this was the only bit of excitement.

Since then, a bunch of people played hide-and-seek, hiding here and there. Neither magical combat nor spirit liberation could be seen. Only distinct black and white houses arranged densely like chess pieces on a board, people coming and going inside. At most, small conflicts broke out. Because heavy injuries were not allowed in the secret realm, most stopped at a point, dull and boring.

Many senior brothers and sisters who were watching at the beginning left. Some stayed here purely because there were many people in the square, lively, and they came to play cards.

Moreover, because Xie Xuanxiao allied with Fu Baiyu and Xiangli Xuan early this year, there were no tit-for-tat rivals among the major noble families. There was almost no suspense for the top rank, and no one even opened a betting pool.

When there was only one day left for the final test, the Guili Sword Master finally arrived.

Getting the news that the person had arrived, the Dean personally welcomed him at the gate. “Sword Master Qin, hope you have been well?”

In front of the boundary stele of Azure Cloud Academy, the young man stood tall and straight, in narrow-sleeved snow-white clothes, standing alone at the gate reading the academy motto. Hearing the words, he nodded in agreement. “I am very well. Is the Dean well?”

“Very well, very well. Since you are willing to come, even if this old man had any lingering illness, seeing you makes it better.” Dean Xu looked at Qin Tan smilingly, as if seeing some great treasure.

Qin Tan was exchanged from the Sword Sect Leader with a huge favor. That old man, the Sword Sect Leader, was reluctant at first, saying Qin Tan had a straightforward and rigid temperament, didn’t know how to be flexible, and was not suitable for teaching and educating people.

Dean Xu had dealt with so many sword cultivators and knew that sword cultivators were more or less straightforward. But it didn’t matter, as long as there was a limit, not beating people to death was fine.

What’s more, Qin Tan was famous outside, at most solitary and somewhat withdrawn. How could he be as fierce and evil as that little old man said? Isn’t this very polite?

He knew what the Sword Sect Leader said was all bullshit. He just didn’t want his own seedling to come over and help. Fortunately, he was firm enough at the beginning.

“Dean Xu, delayed on the road, came a bit late, made you wait for a long time.” Although the young man had a cold and severe face, his eyes were gentle, with a smile on his lips, light as a spring breeze.

“Didn’t wait, didn’t wait. Just the last eleven hours left, a good time to select students.” Dean Xu reached out his hand and led Qin Tan straight to Polishing Jade Mountain.

Dean Xu privately wanted to add more connections to the academy, especially young talents like this who would shoulder the inheritance of various sects in the future and hadn’t taken disciples yet.

His nephew Xu Jingzhen had been dragged over by him to teach for a few years long ago. Before the year, his cultivation encountered a bottleneck, and he was thrown down the mountain by the Immortal Alliance Leader for trial. Don’t know when he can come back. Fortunately, as soon as he left, a top of the Azure Cloud List could be filled in. The Sword Pavilion could be considered to have someone to hold the scene.

Leading the person to the front of the Polishing Jade Mountain wall, the young man sat on his right hand side.

The Sword Sect of Shangxuan Realm was the head of the five sects. When the Guili Sword Master came, naturally greetings were indispensable.

The Yuanchen Palace elder observed his cultivation. When meeting at the Immortal Alliance the year before last, he was only at the tenth realm. Now he couldn’t see the bottom clearly. Presumably, after a year of travel, Qin Tan’s cultivation broke through again. It was so fast that it made people grind their teeth.

“There are a total of three hundred and twenty-six students entering the final test this year. Fifty-six have been eliminated now. Excluding those who haven’t gathered enough points, there should be about two hundred left.”

The Dean stroked his beard and looked at Qin Tan.

The scenes on the mountain wall switched messily, most of them frozen on Xie Xuanxiao and the others. Seeing Qin Tan lacking interest, the Dean asked, “Do you want to see sword cultivators?”

“Is there a roster for the final test admission?” Qin Tan asked him in a low voice.

“Naturally there is.”

“May I have a look?”

Dean Xu flipped through, took out a roll of roster from his bosom. “Is there anyone Sword Master is familiar with?”

Qin Tan closed the roster and said calmly: “Just looking.”

“There are only sixteen sword cultivators entering the final test this year, and only one has been eliminated so far.” The Dean moved the image on the recording stone. Scenes passed one by one. Some were slacking off, some were fighting with evil sins.

Qin Tan looked steady, watching those jumping images without much expression, until the image settled on a small alley.

Four against one.

The “girl” with hair coiled like a rabbit roughly kicked the music cultivator flying in mid-air down. Another blue-skirted “girl” snatched the guqin and carried it on her back. The green-skirted girl and the teenager in moon-white scholar robes tied the person up and beat him violently. Beside them, a teenager wearing a cloak clapped and cheered. The scene was chaotic and unbearable to watch.

Within the Nine Provinces, due to their special status, music cultivators were mostly treated preferentially. Even if disliked, it wouldn’t be this brutal.

Music cultivators were different from other cultivators. They mainly cultivated mental methods. The Clear Sound lineage in Wuhua Realm was of great use in regulating the sea of consciousness and heart domain, and cleaning up evil sins in the sea of consciousness. Who would have thought they would see three sword cultivators beating up a music cultivator?

Although this was a trial and everyone was treated equally, wasn’t this winning too unfairly?

Seeing this, the expressions of the several teachers from the Heavenly Sound Pavilion were somewhat displeased.

Dean Xu felt a headache and hurriedly wanted to cut the image, but unexpectedly, Qin Tan beside him suddenly laughed, low. When he looked over, he found him looking serious, as if that laugh was an illusion.

“Don’t change,” Qin Tan leaned against the back of the chair and said lightly: “Just watch them.”