She is Jianxiu

Once inside the tower, another two years have passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhao Chun closed the book and casually tossed it aside. The not-too-thick, not-too-thin scroll floated up into the air and landed back on the shelf intact.

As a member of the Xuanmen (mystical sect), two short years was more than enough time for her to thoroughly examine the academy's books. Even the subjects of literature and rites/music, whose collections far exceeded those of martial arts, were read by Zhao Chun without exception. It could be said that she had grasped eight or nine tenths of the fundamental principles of the Xinxue (Mind Learning) school. Unfortunately, the collection didn't contain much content directly pointing to the Great Dao, which confirmed her previous suspicions—

While the School of Mind may seem to accept a wide range of disciples and teach without discrimination, it has not extended any of its core tenets to these minor branches.

Therefore, branches like the Gushe Academy in Jinlai Kingdom cannot make any progress no matter how long they cultivate. Ultimately, this is because the academy itself does not provide any path for advancement. If one wants to find a way out, the only option is probably to go to Danqiu Mountain.

No wonder Suotu Yi was so determined to fight her to the death for a spot at the Danqiu Forum.

In the past two years, in order to know herself and her enemy and to prepare for the Danqiu Conference, Zhao Chun not only read through the books in the building, but also specially selected books that were suitable for her to study diligently. One reason was to eliminate the dross and retain the essence, and to find the parts that were beneficial to herself. The other reason was that she wanted to learn from the methods of several martial arts disciplines so that she could try them out at the Danqiu Conference, and avoid using Taoist magic from the beginning and becoming the target of everyone's criticism.

For some reason, Qianming Realm has always held people in contempt for those in the smaller realms, yet its attitude towards Qi Refining cultivators remains unclear. Sometimes it seems like they are distant and wary, but if one carefully considers it, one can discover that within this seemingly ambiguous relationship lies a degree of appeasement and co-optation.

Zhao Chun had inquired and found out that among the four branches of the Danqiu School of Mind, the Shaoshi branch had many Qi Refining cultivators, which was her next goal.

Now, through studying ancient texts, she has mastered several martial arts techniques that she can use freely. If she dedicates herself to honing them for a period of time, even if they cannot compare to the Divine Slaughter Sword Qi, there will probably be few people in the same realm who can withstand them.

However, today's matter is urgent, and the day of the Danqiu Forum is approaching. In any case, these martial arts techniques are just means to test the strength of others, and whether one is proficient or not is secondary. Just then, Yingtai Zhiqiu, the head of the Martial Arts Department, sent an order, so Zhao Chun packed up her things and prepared to go and give a reply.

Her confinement order was personally issued by the Grand Master Mi Tian, ​​and as soon as the order was given, Zhao Chun's household quickly became deserted.

The reasons weren't as simple as worshipping the powerful and belittling the weak. After Suo Tuyi died, several third-rank scholars lost their lives in succession. In addition, the Fang family was reduced to the lowest rung overnight. How could others not know who was behind this? To get involved in Zhao Chun's mess at this critical moment would really be asking for trouble.

The powerful families fell silent, and the academy lived in fear for a while. Yingtai Zhiqi and others usually pretended to be deaf and dumb, closing their doors and ignoring outside affairs. This was the first time in two years that Zhao Chun had been summoned.

After careful consideration, she realized that this audience should be about the Danqiu Forum, so she moved her feet and arrived at the palace of the Grand Master of Ceremonies in a few steps.

The three chief priests of the Gushe Academy rarely got into fights, so it was difficult to say who was stronger or weaker. However, in terms of the three disciplines of documents, rites and music, and martial arts, the first place undoubtedly belonged to the document discipline, which was led by Zuo Zhouyun, followed by the rites and music discipline led by Gong Huasu.

As for the Martial Arts subject, which had few participants, it was often relegated to a supporting role to the Literary and Etiquette subjects. Therefore, Yingtai Zhi Qiu, the head of the Martial Arts subject, was the least fond of arguing with others. When Suo Tu Yi was alive, he received guidance from the Grand Master of Ceremonies and would offer a few words of advice from a distance. After Suo Tu Yi's death, Zhao Chun took over his position, and Yingtai Zhi Qiu never made any effort to curry favor with her. Otherwise, he wouldn't have waited until today to summon her for the first time.

The Imperial Academy is located atop Mount Tian, ​​surrounded by clouds and mist, a secluded and tranquil place. As Zhao Chun landed at the gate, a scholar of the fourth rank quickly stepped forward. This man was not wearing a crown or hat, but simply had his hair tied in a bun. His attire was also quite different from that of the people in the academy; instead, he wore short clothes, looking neat and clean.

He first bowed to Zhao Chun, then raised his hand to lead the way, saying in a light tone, "Master Zhao, please come in quickly. The Grand Master is already waiting in the main hall."

The two stepped into the door and walked forward a few steps. Without needing to turn through any corridors, the scenery on both sides suddenly changed, and Yingtai Zhiqiu was right in front of them.

This elderly man, a second-rank cultivator holding the high position of libationer, had completely white hair and beard. His appearance was quite different from the white-haired, youthful-looking, and ruddy-faced cultivators of the Daoist sect. Apart from his relatively clear and bright eyes, his skin was covered with numerous spots and deep wrinkles, giving him the appearance of someone who was very old.

Zhao Chun, the head of the academy, had not seen many people. When she returned from meeting Mi Tian, ​​she wondered if all second-rank scholars would have such strange and peculiar physical appearances as the former. However, after seeing Yingtai Zhi Qiu, she rejected her previous idea.

It seems that his body is indeed what makes him special.

What surprised her even more was that, despite both being at the second rank of cultivation, one was a majestic and powerful figure with three heads and six arms, while the other couldn't even hide his physical deformities. The difference between them was more than just a world of difference!
Moreover, Yingtai Zhiqiu is still the head priest of the academy!

Zhao Chun's eyes flickered, but her face remained expressionless. After paying her respects to Yingtai Zhi Qiu, she accepted his kind offer and sat down at the lower seat without saying much.

This was her first time meeting the Chief of the Imperial Secretariat, but it wasn't the first time he had met her.

Yingtai Zhiqiu had a kind expression, but his eyes lingered on Zhao Chun for a few more moments. With each glance, he couldn't help but feel complicated emotions at the sight of the restrained yet still vibrant blood and life force emanating from the other person.

It is said that Qi cultivators devour the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, which is the root of all evil and the cause of the destruction of a world. However, when they truly experience the great supernatural powers of these cultivators, none of the Four Veins Academy can help but feel envious.

Ignoring everything else, the advantage of having undiminished vital energy and an enduring spiritual body is enough to keep scholars of the Mind School studying it until old age.

Unfortunately, the Xinxue school regards the Qi Refining tradition as the root of all evil. Even on Danqiu Mountain, these Taoist techniques are forbidden objects that disciples are not allowed to explore, let alone spread to the academies of various countries.

Yingtai Zhi Qiu sighed inwardly, remembering the main purpose of summoning Zhao Chun today. He then raised his hand and waved it, and a snow-white object, about the size of a thumb, fell to the ground.

Zhao Chun took it in her hand, and with the knowledge she had accumulated over the past two years, she immediately recognized its true nature—it was a genuine scholar's bone! (End of Chapter)