Chapter 25: Azure Cloud (3)

This threat proved effective. The subsequent spirit testing was indeed much more peaceful. The brightest glow only showed the fifth realm, and the spirit-testing stone never again burst.

However, the lively atmosphere stirred up earlier was impossible to calm now.

He Tingdong and his group were toward the back of the queue. They heard incessant clamor from the line. Someone had peeked at the name list the reception senior brother left on the table and read the names aloud. Several iconic major surnames dropped like thunderclaps among the crowd. Moments later, several youths left the queue with dark faces.

Various discussions and debates filled the air.

“Those hoping to find inheritances through studying at Azure Cloud Academy this year can give up. There’s absolutely no chance for Five Sects slots. Might as well go knock on mountain gates directly.”

“Easy for you to say. If knocking on mountain gates were that easy, why would we come to Azure Cloud Academy?”

“Has Azure Cloud Academy gone mad? Why are all these inner sect direct disciples coming? Are their own sects about to collapse? Or do they not have enough inheritances? Coming to compete with us?”

“Holy shit! What am I seeing? The young master of the Xiangli clan, the young palace master of Yuanchen Palace, plus young masters from the Fu clan, the Lin clan… Are the Five Sects and Seven Surnames holding a meeting?”

“Isn’t this normal? Think about who opened Azure Cloud Academy. This place was originally their family’s private reserve.”

“Do direct disciples also need to attend school? They don’t look like people lacking talent in their own sects, right? What could they possibly learn here? Aren’t the teachers their own family members? Why not just ask questions on the spot?”

“Probably… to pick fights? Are the noble scions of each sect planning to stay at the academy for four years, explore their opponents’ capabilities in advance, and prepare for the Nine Luminaries Competition eight years later?”

“True. The Azure Cloud Rankings haven’t been updated in fifty years, right?”

“There are minor changes at the bottom, but the top hasn’t moved. Guili Sword Immortal has dominated the rankings for fifty years.”

“I heard the Guili Sword Immortal is also coming to Azure Cloud Academy as a teacher this time.”

“So this whole group came to find people to spar with?”

“I don’t know about others, but as far as I know, the young palace master of Yuanchen Palace brought his child bride this time to study and see the world.”

A piece of gossip suddenly inserted itself into the discussion. The originally anxious emotions were instantly redirected. The air seemed tinged with a few hints of ambiguous sentiment. A silence fell, followed by waves of suggestive laughter.

“Bringing a bed-warmer to school—that child bride really is a beauty though. The young palace master has quite the fortune.”

“Raising a suitable furnace from childhood—only these heaven’s favorites know how to play.”

…

Fu Fengyan perked up his ears to listen to the gossip. His lashes trembled slightly as he leaned close to He Tingdong’s ear. “What’s a child bride?”

He Tingdong’s expression wasn’t pleasant. He took a deep breath and covered Fu Fengyan’s ears. “Not a good term. Don’t learn it.”

Fu Fengyan nodded and made a mental note.

The queue rapidly advanced. Perhaps the discussions here were too unpleasant to hear—moments later, heavy pressure descended, and a silencing spell fell upon everyone before the mountain gate.

Deathly silent.

The reception senior brother sat behind the table with a dark face, half-raising his eyelids, glaring fiercely at each person who came for testing. Behind him stood a formation cultivator, sneering at everyone as if they would kick troublemakers from halfway up the mountain to the foot if anyone said one more word.

Azure Cloud Academy only began expanding enrollment this year. In previous years, even the lowest-status students were collateral branches of aristocratic families. Each one a clan heir, their tempers naturally weren’t too good, and they couldn’t stand others gossiping behind their backs.

Several who led the discussions were eliminated before even testing, without any explanation given.

In a flash, the queue shortened by another section. Soon, it was He Tingdong’s turn.

He skillfully pressed his hand down, released spiritual power, and attacked the stone with full force. The spirit-testing stone lit up with a peaceful glow.

The reception senior brother’s expression gradually became milder. “He Tingdong, third realm, pass.”

Behind him, Fu Fengyan raised one finger and lightly pressed. The spirit-testing stone’s glow dimmed slightly. The reception senior brother didn’t even lift his head. “Fu Fengyan, second realm, pass.”

After recording their names, they could proceed upward to the Sword Pavilion trial grounds. The trial for sword cultivators was very simple. Azure Cloud Academy would deploy a mechanical puppet before them. As long as they could withstand the puppet for a quarter-hour without being knocked unconscious, they passed.

As for this puppet’s techniques, it was said to be a one-to-one replica of the Guili Sword Immortal’s combat performance when he first made his mark at the Nine Luminaries Competition fifty years ago. At their age, being able to last a quarter-hour under the current sword dao champion’s hand—even if it was a projection from fifty years ago when the immortal lord’s sword technique was still immature—was enough to prove decent sword dao talent.

There weren’t many sword cultivators this year, only about thirty people. However, there was only one puppet. Everyone was still queuing, though the line advanced extremely quickly. Five or six people had already been swiftly knocked away by the puppet and regretfully left.

The puppet’s speed was dazzlingly fast, each strike heavy as thunder. When the wooden sword swung, one could hear dragon-like roaring wind sounds. The oppressive feeling was extremely strong.

Currently, the number of sword cultivators who passed the test remained at zero.

The reception teacher here sat on a stool, propping his head drowsily.

He Tingdong looked forward and saw the pair who had left together earlier. They were still queuing. The white-robed figure with a high ponytail gripped his sword, staring thoughtfully at the puppet. The youth in green clothes pressed close to his side, occasionally turning to whisper. His long hair was half-bound, cascading behind, braided with silver threads for fixing. Each strand of hair curved just right, secured with jade hairpins and gold clasps. Flowers dangled from his hair, fully revealing his delicate, beautiful face—an androgynous beauty.

Many people were watching him.

He seemed somewhat unaccustomed to such gazes and moved his body closer to his companion. Soft and fragrant as jade, he was instantly embraced by the waist and half-held in an embrace.

Someone was secretly laughing and teasing. The youth pretended nonchalance, but his face flushed bright red.

He Tingdong watched for a moment, then looked away, feeling somewhat disgusted.

Daoist Lord Xuanxiao and his wife Zhang Duixue—a young married couple, deeply in love. Their relationship was very good. For the first twenty years, they were famous and praised in poetry, the kind of good that could serve as a model cultivation world couple.

For the latter forty years—shattered dantian, limited lifespan, imprisoned at the mountain gate, ignored by all, coldly treated and forgotten loneliness.

Before Daoist Lord Xuanxiao became the Immortal Alliance’s leader, he was Yuanchen Palace’s young palace master, Xie Xuanxiao.

Tiangang Pavilion’s Yuanchen Palace—one of the Five Sects Under Heaven.

As the palace master’s only son, he was born a spirit embryo, carrying Xuantian Spiritual Fire. In the dao of techniques, he needed only slight effort to reach the pinnacle.

Zhang Duixue was the old palace master of Yuanchen Palace’s adopted son—without father or mother, picked up as a child and brought back to the sect. With decent root bones, he was sent to be Xie Xuanxiao’s attendant. The two were inseparable, but their relationship was always lukewarm, not particularly close.

Until Xie Xuanxiao turned sixteen and nearly drowned. After waking, his temperament changed. He suddenly became mature and steady, his cultivation advancing a thousand li daily. He began taking charge of some Yuanchen Palace affairs. His methods were ruthlessly cunning, privately solving quite a few hidden sect problems for his father, then grasping certain real power.

A year later, he became engaged to the small attendant who had always followed him.

The cultivation world rarely had people getting engaged at such a young age. After all, cultivators lived extremely long lives. As Yuanchen Palace’s future master, his dao companion choice naturally required utmost caution.

The palace master naturally disagreed.

In short, an ugly scene unfolded within Yuanchen Palace. Xie Xuanxiao’s spiritual fire went out of control and burned half the palace.

Later, he got his wish and won the beauty.

But He Tingdong remembered the youth’s beautiful, hazy eyes under the flowers and moon. Drunk on wine, lying in the flower bushes, his ink-black hair hanging to his knees like a misty silk satin.

“He loves me very much, really loves me. Status, position, cultivation—whatever I want, he’ll give me. He treats me so well…”

“But sometimes I feel my life shouldn’t be like this.”

“Clearly such a perfect life. He and I will be together lifetime after lifetime, in love for a hundred years, a thousand years.” The peerless beauty looked up at the moon, eyes full of confusion. “But sometimes when I wake at night, in certain moments, I desperately want to escape.”

“You should laugh at my ingratitude.”

“My husband treats me so well.”

“So well…”

At that time, He Tingdong didn’t understand either, because everything Xie Xuanxiao did was truly flawless.

Until a year later, an attendant appeared at Xie Xuanxiao’s side. Black robes, carrying a long sword, his entire body radiating untamed coldness.

His features were ninety percent similar to Zhang Duixue. The only difference was in expression.

The black-robed attendant’s eyes were cold and piercing like exposed blade edges, while Zhang Duixue was soft and confused—a beautiful and harmless flower.

He had been completely tamed since youth, unable to grow even the slightest thorn for self-protection.

Xie Xuanxiao’s gaze uncontrollably fell on the other person.

Zhang Duixue was abandoned, even his sorrow silent.

“He doesn’t love me.” The youth’s hollow eyes held not a trace of spirit. “From the beginning, he loved someone else. I just happen to look like that person. Now that there’s someone more similar, he doesn’t want me anymore.”

Yet later, when Zhang Duixue truly died, Xie Xuanxiao went mad with grief, killed a pile of people, and set fire to the Thirty-Three Heavenly Palaces to commit suicide and die for love.

Thinking of what he saw before dying in the eighteenth life, He Tingdong felt his head throbbing. He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

It’s okay. There’s still time.

Zhang Duixue was seventeen this year. The two of them had been together for over two years, right in the honeymoon phase. At this time, their feelings were indeed stronger than gold.

However, there’s no wall that can’t be undermined, only a hoe that swings too slowly!

In previous lives, Zhang Duixue never entered sword dao. He studied techniques with Xie Xuanxiao at Azure Cloud Academy but wasn’t particularly proficient. His grades were mediocre. After four years, he returned to Yuanchen Palace to become the palace master’s wife, a decorative vase who made soup and warmed beds.

Several more people were knocked away by Qin Tan’s puppet. Finally, it was Zhang Duixue’s turn to test. He held his sword, hair loose, sleeves wide. He had a kind of gentle softness like flowing wind and returning snow. Encouraged by his lover with a pat on the shoulder and a forward push: “You go. I’ll wait for you.”

The youth nodded and went forward with his sword.

He Tingdong stepped one pace left, moved forward, and shouted loudly: “Wait!”

His shout interrupted so suddenly it startled the sword cultivator examination senior brother who was slacking off.

Xie Xuanxiao also frowned in displeasure, looking over at him. However, before he could exert pressure, an even fiercer gaze locked onto him. Xie Xuanxiao felt like a thorn in his back. His line of sight shifted slightly and met Fu Fengyan’s eyes.

The two began glaring at each other.

He Tingdong directly ignored that brief murderous gaze. He first bowed to the examination senior brother, then pointed at Zhang Duixue with righteous indignation: “Senior brother! This is the puppet of the Guili Sword Immortal! This person has disheveled hair and strange clothes. Those wide robes and flowing sleeves—where’s the appearance of someone wanting to be a sword cultivator!”

“This delicate young master is just going through the motions. I strongly suggest you cross him off to avoid wasting time.”

The examination senior brother’s gaze also lingered on Zhang Duixue’s clothes for a moment. He frowned—indeed, it didn’t look like someone seriously taking the exam.

The Guili Sword Immortal was very strong with many fanatical fans. The examination senior brother counted as half of one. He waved his hand. “You can’t wear these clothes. They’re not convenient for fighting. Once you go up, your hair and sleeves will get tangled immediately. You won’t last three moves.”

He Tingdong stood to the side with folded arms, nodding. “Exactly, exactly. Better not fight. Otherwise, if it hurts, he’ll cry here and need someone to comfort him while he drops teardrops.”

The youth’s face turned white with anger. Killing intent suddenly surfaced in his soft, watery eyes as he loudly refuted He Tingdong: “I won’t!”

However, this voice was too loud, too rough. He froze for a moment, coughed lightly, and softened again. “If the clothes aren’t right, I’ll just change.”

He removed his cumbersome robes and casually tossed them aside. In pure white undergarments, he tied up his sleeves and gathered his long hair into a束. Holding his sword, he was now light and unencumbered. He looked at He Tingdong, his voice carrying hidden anger: “Is this acceptable now?”

He Tingdong tilted up his chin and snorted.

Zhang Duixue stormed in angrily, a few broken flower petals falling from his head.