Chapter 31: Azure Cloud (9)

The houses in the Langhuan Pavilion were different from the plainness of the Sword Pavilion; in comparison, they were more luxurious and spacious. Of course, the main point was that to learn array talismans and immortal scripts, one needed a lot of money and sufficient background. Those immortal scripts, spiritual words, and array talismans all had to be learned from a young age, guided by someone. Those who could enter the Dao through arrays at this teenage age were basically all children from noble families.

Of course, except for Yue Qianxun, who switched careers halfway and achieved success in twenty-five days.

However, although Yue Qianxun was a new face, because he knew a huge number of array talismans, his array setting technique was fast and accurate, and he could construct and modify new array scripts himself, one could tell at a glance that he had inherited from some big shot. Yet he was low-key, never showing off his inheritance outside, burying his head in study every day, not sparing half a glance for others, emitting an aura of dominance that said “you trash are not worthy of communicating with me,” leaving everyone baffled.

Someone so unfathomable usually had a big background, so naturally, no one dared to provoke him.

Therefore, Yue Qianxun lived very comfortably during this period.

The accommodation conditions in the Langhuan Pavilion were different. This branch could be said to be exclusively for noble families. Therefore, with jade towers and golden pavilions, one spacious room was equivalent to a courtyard in the Sword Pavilion. High beds and soft pillows, big windows. Stacks of talisman papers were placed on the spacious desk, and spiritual stones were packed in lacquer boxes, placed casually on the table for anyone to take.

Outside the big window was a lake view. When the light shone, the shimmering waves reflected in the house, the water light rippling, even the paper surface seemed to glow, revealing a golden luxurious atmosphere.

Yue Qianxun led He Tingtong and the others into the Langhuan Pavilion. Because of the banquet, everyone had gone to attend, and the whole building was empty.

“I heard them say that the library of Azure Cloud Academy was gifted by Yuanchen Palace. The ancient immortal scripts inside were all copied from the library of Yuanchen Palace. So Xie Xuanxiao has privileges and can live alone in a separate small building.” Yue Qianxun pointed to the secluded small building at the innermost part. “But he set up an array to seal the outside of his building. It’s not that easy for us to enter.”

He Tingtong put his hands behind his back and looked at Yue Qianxun. “How do you think about that array? Is it difficult to solve?”

“Of course, it’s very difficult.” Yue Qianxun said honestly, tucking the loose hair hanging by his head behind his ear, revealing the left half of his face covered with scars, staring at He Tingtong, his face full of “you are making things difficult for me.”

“His spiritual power is too high, I can’t change it at all. And if I touch it, there will likely be movement on this array, and Xie Xuanxiao will sense it.”

He Tingtong crossed his arms, frowning slightly. “Have you been lazy recently?”

Yue Qianxun bristled: “You can question my ability, but not my character! I memorize ten basic array talismans every day and have never stopped!”

He Tingtong: “Then why don’t you go look at high-level spirit arrays? Memorizing basics every day, you’ll only know some basics in the end. There are many copies of unique books from Yuanchen Palace in the Langhuan Pavilion. Have you read them?”

Yue Qianxun fell silent. After a moment, his tone was low and sheepish: “…Haven’t seen them.”

He Tingtong immediately became earnest. “Xiao Yue, I know you’ve worked hard, but studying requires methods. Look, the reason you can’t solve Xie Xuanxiao’s array now is that you haven’t broadened your knowledge. You need to upgrade, upgrade, understand?”

“Do you usually watch how Xie Xuanxiao sets up arrays?”

Yue Qianxun shook his head. “What he knows is way beyond us. Even the assessing senior brother can’t compare to him. So he usually just sits there playing.”

He Tingtong patted his shoulder and said seriously, “See, he doesn’t even study. Learning is like rowing upstream; not advancing is to drop back. Otherwise, let’s set a small goal. In four years, you surpass Xie Xuanxiao and become the boss of the Langhuan Pavilion, how about it?”

Yue Qianxun pointed at himself and laughed absurdly. “Me? Surpass Xie Xuanxiao? He Tingtong, you must be joking.”

“I’m not joking.” He Tingtong said seriously. “I think you have a promising future. Your talent is much better than his. Xie Xuanxiao is nothing special.”

Yue Qianxun shook his head repeatedly. “If it’s so easy, why don’t you do it?”

He Tingtong blinked. “I want to learn the sword. Arrays are not my forte.”

Yue Qianxun had a look of “you are playing me.”

He Tingtong was silent for a moment, then sighed: “How about this? If I can break this array, you will study hard then and strive to surpass Xie Xuanxiao, how about it?”

“I’m only at the third realm and a sword cultivator. If I can do it, you definitely can too, right?”

Yue Qianxun looked at the vast array in front of him, then at the small sword cultivator in front of him. After a while, he nodded hesitantly: “…Okay.”

He Tingtong immediately turned around and started digging a hole.

Yue Qianxun: “????”

“Encountering this kind of protective array, you can pry it open bit by bit from the weak points of the array script. For such a large array, it’s basically interlocked. But, as the saying goes, an ant hole can cause the collapse of a thousand-mile dike. As long as there is a slight flaw, you can peel off the cocoon and draw the silk, completely dismantling its protection.” He Tingtong dug the hole with spiritual power extremely fast. “However, for someone cunning like Xie Xuanxiao, the weak point of the array script must be at the very center of the large array. So we just need to dig to the bottom of the building.”

Fu Fengyan also took out two shovels from behind, handed one to Yue Qianxun, and instructed: “There is still one day left. While that white-faced steamed bun is drinking outside, we have to dig under the house.”

Yue Qianxun: “We?”

He Tingtong and Fu Fengyan turned their heads together, staring at him with faint smiles. “Or you leave?”

Yue Qianxun: “…”

He could only accept his fate and pick up the shovel. The three of them squatted in the corner in a flash, observing the flow of spiritual power, and started digging Xie Xuanxiao’s foundation.

While digging hard, he asked in confusion, “Why are you going through so much trouble to get in? Is there any treasure?”

He Tingtong didn’t even raise his head, concisely saying: “Stealing a person.”

Yue Qianxun’s hand paused. “????”

The swaying water shadows fell on the bed curtains, rising and falling, dazzling the eyes.

Zhang Duixue woke up again. This time there was no one beside him. He lay paralyzed on the bed with his limbs spread out, half-squinting his eyes, counting the beads above in boredom.

He was very tired. After being brought back by the Young Palace Master, he was first soaked in water and scrubbed at least three or four times. After confirming there was not a speck of dirt on him, Xie Xuanxiao tried to save his hair. But unfortunately, it really couldn’t be fixed. The braids couldn’t be braided up, so he could only let those broken hairs stick up messily, baring fangs and brandishing claws, not dignified or well-behaved at all.

He knew the Young Palace Master might be angry, so he used the method he used most often to please him. He kissed Xie Xuanxiao’s eyes and called him husband. Then for a day and a night, he had been half-conscious. When he had the strength to get up, he found that the test time was approaching, but he was locked up.

Restrictions were placed on all doors and windows, and a circle of runes was branded on his wrist, like an invisible chain, locking him in this spacious and empty room.

Zhang Duixue was very angry. After waking up, he threw a tantrum at Xie Xuanxiao, asking to be released. But apart from getting himself fucked for nothing for another while, it didn’t have any other effect.

The Young Master of the Fu clan treated guests, and Xie Xuanxiao went to the banquet. Before leaving, he hugged him and told him to be obedient, wait for Xie Xuanxiao to come back, and go to the final test together tomorrow. Only this time, not as a sword cultivator, but as a magic cultivator.

He opened his hands. Both hands were wrapped tightly, with wound medicine applied inside. His palms were densely itchy, but he couldn’t scratch them.

He knew this medicine best. It was for healing wounds and removing scars, usually used for beauty by the female family members in immortal mansions. Soon his hands wouldn’t hurt anymore and would become fair, delicate, and soft again.

But he wasn’t happy at all.

Xie Xuanxiao clearly knew how much he wanted to learn the sword. He had worked so hard. In these fifteen days, he was tormented to death, shedding several layers of skin, forcibly enduring it, not to switch to being a magic cultivator following the Young Palace Master’s connections during the final test.

But Xie Xuanxiao hugged him and said he couldn’t bear it.

Couldn’t bear for him to be injured, couldn’t bear for him to suffer, couldn’t bear for him to leave too far.

Zhang Duixue was the person Xie Xuanxiao cherished in his heart. He didn’t need to hold a sword, he just needed to be happy.

But he wasn’t happy now.

Zhang Duixue turned over and decided to ignore Xie Xuanxiao for the next month.

Feeling extremely aggrieved in his heart, he buried his head in the pillow, wiped his tears on it, closed his eyes, and thought of nothing.

After an unknown amount of time, he heard thumping sounds coming from underground. Opening his eyes alertly, he got dressed, listened for the sound, and finally found a clue on a floor tile by the bed. Something was drilling through, and it was huge!

His pupils contracted. Not knowing what monster it was, he looked around, found a lampstand and held it up, aiming at the loose brick, waiting for the thing to rush out so he could stab down immediately!

He saw a thin iron sheet suddenly extending from the edge of the square floor tile. Then the array script attached to the ground suddenly dimmed a little, shaking like water waves, and then a circle with a diameter of half a meter was drawn out. With two cracks, the floor tile arched up.

Zhang Duixue’s gaze was sharp. He stabbed down with the lampstand, vowing to send this monster to the west!

But before he could make a move, he suddenly heard a sneaky cricket-like sound. “Zhang Duixue, are you there?”

This voice… His wrist paused, he immediately threw the lampstand away, went up and pried with ten fingers, prying open the upturned floor tile. Then he saw a dusty human face popping out from the pitch-black underground hole, holding a Night-Luminescent Pearl, waving at him. “Tomorrow is the final test. I came to ask you, are you going to participate?”

The hole was narrow, only accommodating one person. Someone behind him asked in a muffled voice, “He Tingtong, have you dug through? It’s so crowded here ahhh!”

Then from underground came Fu Fengyan’s muffled voice, “Don’t squeeze forward, you touched my leg!”

He Tingtong ignored the commotion below, just staring at him and continuing: “Are you leaving or not? If not, we’re leaving.”

Zhang Duixue looked at this hole, his heart ached, he sobbed, steeled his heart, and jumped down directly. “Go! I’m coming right now!”