Chapter 24: Azure Cloud (2)

Yue Qianxun was studying in his room.

He Tingdong had said that the closer to the exam, the less one could relax. His foundation was weaker than others, so naturally, he had to work harder. In matters of learning, the suggestions He Tingdong made were indeed quite reliable, so he listened earnestly.

Thus, every morning upon waking, he would first consolidate and review the three thousand formation talismans he’d memorized before. If he had energy left, he’d memorize ten more. Of course, if he wasn’t in good condition, he’d only memorize five.

Because his memory was quite good, usually after He Tingdong checked, he would offer gratified encouragement, then kindly add three small formation talismans for him to go with his meal.

Every day from head to toe was fulfilling. He simply couldn’t spare the mental space to think about random things. Truly studying from morning to night, even dreaming of arranging, solving, and drawing formations. The next day he’d wake and continue learning new ones. His brain was left with nothing but densely packed formation talisman knowledge.

When he walked around his room, he would subconsciously place ornaments in different positions. If he pressed some spirit stones inside and drew some minor immortal seal characters, he could probably activate a spirit-gathering formation on the spot.

However, they weren’t allowed to mess around in the courtyard, so Yue Qianxun could only fiddle around, satisfying his addiction to formation arrangement.

Probably because the three of them arrived early, the courtyard they were assigned was quite nice. Three small rooms, each person with a single room. The central courtyard had a level open space where they could practice and spar. The front wall was very tall, able to block the view. Quiet but not remote, with no one running over to exchange pleasantries and disturb them, sparing them quite a bit of trouble.

Thanks to Qin Tan’s blessing, this house was indeed a good location that the reception had seriously arranged.

Every morning when Yue Qianxun stood in the corridor holding a steamed bun and silently reciting formation texts, He Tingdong would spar with Fu Fengyan—without using spiritual power, purely comparing sword techniques.

Fu Fengyan’s sword technique moves were very standard, precise and methodical. He used the most orthodox Startled Swan Nine Forms of the current Immortal Alliance, typically used in sects to enlighten and strengthen young children’s bodies. When he raised his sword, his movements were rigorous to the point of being somewhat rigid. If recorded with a memory stone, it could almost be used as a basic sword technique model to teach children.

He Tingdong knew many things, varied and diverse. His sword technique integrated many schools. His mind turned quickly, his hand was steady, his heart calm. Each time his sword came out from a tricky angle, his sword style was unpredictable and impossible to guard against. Without using spiritual energy, he could always find angles to attack Fu Fengyan. However, the other’s hand was extremely heavy and his speed extremely fast. The nine basic sword forms, facing He Tingdong’s ever-changing variations, instead became the great way simplified—handling myriad changes with constancy, with ease to spare.

The two went back and forth, sparring for three or four days. Each gained some insight. He Tingdong began practicing wrist strength. When Fu Fengyan struck with his sword now, he wouldn’t just stiffly thrust straight. Sometimes unexpectedly, he’d pull some impossible-to-guard-against small moves.

However, although they didn’t suffer any injuries, their clothes were torn with quite a few cuts. At night, they’d light a lamp and huddle together mending. Fu Fengyan had never sewn before. His fingertips were pricked with several holes. He raised his finger, about to ask for gentle bandaging, when He Tingdong backhanded it into his own mouth. “Don’t hold it up. The wound’s about to heal already.”

Fu Fengyan: “…”

Now among the three of them, He Tingdong’s cultivation was at the third realm, Yue Qianxun’s at the second, and Fu Fengyan, to fit in a bit more, also suppressed his cultivation to the second realm, looking no different from an ordinary minor cultivator.

Three days before the Azure Cloud preliminary trial, He Tingdong found some free time and sorted through the things in his hands. Actually, their equipment was quite abundant. Qin Tan had given him a storage bag with a box full of spirit pearls inside, plus two spirit swords of quite good quality. The swords were light swords, suitable for young people to use, probably specially prepared for their competition.

In Yue Qianxun’s eyes was a Heart-Inquiring Mirror. He Tingdong remembered this was a Mystic-grade immortal artifact that grew with its master’s ability—quite an overpowered cheat. When Yue Qianxun was the Demon Lord, this mirror when activated simply killed without batting an eye. One glance could directly seal someone into the mirror world.

However, now Yue Qianxun’s cultivation was barely at the second realm, so this mirror could only manipulate the actions of mortals. Like on queue day, controlling people’s behavior. But if facing a cultivator, if their cultivation was even slightly higher than his, it was useless. At most it would make someone dazed or give them nightmares.

However, this thing paired quite well with formation cultivation.

Besides this, there was also a lantern.

An octagonal glazed small palace lantern. After breaking the chaotic spirit, it was what the Dragon Daughter had expelled at the time. Qin Tan thought it was too flashy and didn’t want it, so he tossed it to He Tingdong.

A small, bright lamp placed on the tabletop, emanating a very gentle pearlescent glow.

When Yue Qianxun saw the lamp, his eyes dimmed. He Tingdong asked if he wanted to keep it. He lowered his head, his overly long bangs covering his eyes and brows, his voice carrying an inexplicable stuffiness. “She threw it to you, which means she gave it to you. I don’t want it.”

The lamp the Dragon Daughter used when guiding ships with her lantern—it could illuminate, guide, and break illusions. Since Yue Qianxun didn’t want it, He Tingdong kept it himself.

Then dividing up the available items, He Tingdong said quietly to the two before him: “There are three more days until the Azure Cloud preliminary trial. The preliminary trial is actually very simple—it only tests cultivation and fundamentals. On exam day, we’ll take our number plates and first test whether our spiritual power qualifies. Then sword cultivators enter the trial field to test swords, and formation cultivators enter Langhuan to draw formations.”

“The test on the sword cultivator side won’t take too long—sword testing time is only a quarter-hour. But Langhuan Pavilion will be a bit different, with one hour for silently writing formations.”

“Xiao Yue, after we two finish testing, we’ll come find you.” He Tingdong patted Yue Qianxun’s shoulder. “You must work hard. Don’t let down all your diligent studying this past month.”

He Tingdong looked truly reliable and steady. When Yue Qianxun thought about the approaching exam, thought about those days and nights of being besieged by formation talismans during this period, when the painful times passed, he instead perceived from it a trace of satisfying happiness.

A study partner with such a broad knowledge base was simply like a second parent to him.

“Mm.”

Someone immediately responded, but the tone was cold and flat.

Yue Qianxun looked up and found Fu Fengyan had blocked He Tingdong again, blocking him completely tight without exposing a corner of clothing. He placed both hands on the table, those eyes staring fixedly at him. “Little brother, anything else?”

Yue Qianxun: “…”

He wanted to say, why don’t you move aside, I kind of want to acknowledge a big brother. But Fu Fengyan’s gaze was too frightening. He didn’t dare, so he timidly shrank back again. “Nothing.”

He Tingdong’s head emerged from behind Fu Fengyan. “It’s getting late today. Go rest early. The exam is the day after tomorrow. Get plenty of rest, and let’s strive together!”

The surging feeling in Yue Qianxun’s heart settled. He gripped the corner of his clothes tightly and nodded heavily. “You too.”

Then very tactfully went out, closing the door behind him.

He Tingdong tidied things on the table, handing Fu Fengyan one of the swords Qin Tan had given them. After quite a while, he pressed on the table and laughed. “You’re very wary of him?”

“He’s very close to you.” Fu Fengyan sat upright. His facial expression in the candlelight seemed somewhat solemn. “I’m afraid his feelings will change nature and cause trouble.”

“Probably not.” He Tingdong stroked his chin. Based on his judgment from over a dozen previous lifetimes, he said seriously, “He likes gentle ones, soft-hearted ones, easy to control, much older than him.”

Sheathing the long sword, He Tingdong stood up. “I’m not that.”

---

On the day of the Azure Cloud preliminary trial, the sky was clear for thousands of li.

Azure Cloud Academy’s realm test was very simple. One only needed to press on a stone and inject spiritual power to see the cultivation level from it.

He Tingdong and his group queued up. This time the queue advanced extremely quickly. The inner courtyard was indeed much quieter than the outer courtyard. Azure Cloud Academy didn’t permit bringing servants or attendants. Previously it was so blocked mostly because of those displays. Now after the numbers dehydrated, the students who could enter actually weren’t that many.

However, aristocratic families gathered with aristocratic families, and ordinary people also formed groups and clustered together.

The two sides were clearly demarcated, ignoring each other.

The queue advanced bit by bit. Walking along, suddenly ahead, a brilliant white light flared, flashing until people’s vision blurred. Then He Tingdong heard a sudden uproar ahead, mixed with onlookers’ exclamations.

“The spirit-testing stone shattered!”

“Is that crazy? Seventeen years old, sixth realm?”

“The sixth realm is just the spirit-testing stone’s limit. He burst the spirit-testing stone! Definitely more than sixth realm!”

“Who is that person?”

Amid the commotion, the agitated crowd slowly parted. Then a cold voice rang out faintly, “Did I pass?”

Then came the sound of the senior brother frantically replacing the spirit-testing stone, along with a perfunctory, “Passed, passed, go on in.”

That figure moved aside from the queue, standing to the side. White clothes with arrow sleeves, upright and towering posture, a sword across his waist. He faced away from the queue, his hair tied in an extremely high ponytail hanging straight to his waist, snow-white hair ribbon fluttering in the air.

A moment later, another brilliant light flared. This time the reception senior brother’s voice was better. “Cultivation fifth realm, pass.”

At this age, fifth realm cultivation was already extremely high. However, with a genius who burst the spirit-testing stone present, it seemed acceptable now.

Most people’s gazes fell on that upright youth. He Tingdong stared at the front from afar, watching the bobbing heads. Another faint figure emerged from behind—water-green sleeves, lush like spring colors on a mountain, drawing close to the first one, following behind the other, step by step, slowly walking away.

Fu Fengyan asked: “What’s wrong? Do you need me to also burst that little stone?”

He Tingdong laughed aloud. “Better not. Break another one and senior brother will start scolding.”

Before his words fell, another blinding white light appeared. With a crack, the spirit-testing stone shattered.