Forge your destiny into a sword, slash your soul and ascend to immortality

Chapter 112 The Academy Festival Begins

From the information compiled by Mo Pin'er, Jing Qian gained a new understanding of the situation in the Yingfu Pagoda Realm.

Within the entire realm, there are exactly twenty-two forces that can be considered top-tier: twelve academies and lineages belonging to the human race, and ten dangerous lands corresponding to non-human demons and monsters.

These twenty-two top-tier forces all possess the power of the upper three ranks to suppress their fortune, and their foundations are incredibly profound.

However, among the many top forces, the Ying Clan is undoubtedly the best in the world and is in a class of its own.

The fact that the Ying clan dares to use their own surname to name the entire realm shows their status within it.

In the information provided by Mo Pin'er, the Impermanent Emperor once commented that, in terms of the Yingfu Pagoda Realm at this time, the other twenty-one top forces combined might not be able to contend with the Ying Clan.

Three thousand years ago, the Yingfu Pagoda Realm was not like this.

Back then, the Ying Clan, Yanfu Dao, and Chunyang Tian were the three powerful factions vying for supremacy, and all other forces were merely supporting actors to these three.

Unfortunately, with the arrival of the great calamity, both the [Yanfu Dao] and [Chunyang Tian] came to an end, almost disappearing from the realm, leaving only the [Ying Clan] to live in seclusion.

Mo Pin'er was unaware of the details of the calamity, as those who had personally experienced it, such as the "Impermanent Emperor" and the "Wudang Ghost Mother," remained tight-lipped about it.

Among the existing forces within the realm, many have intricate connections with [Yanfu Dao] and [Chunyang Tian].

Among them, the background of [Chunyang Ruins] is clear. It is the remaining force of [Chunyang Heaven], and its historical evolution is the clearest and purest.

Its leader, Master Shangxi, is the last generation of Chunyangzi of Chunyang Heaven. He is a master of the swordsmanship and has dominated the realm for three thousand years.

The forces associated with the original Chunyang Heaven include the Yuhua Sect, Cihangzhai, and Lingluo Palace, collectively known as the "Three Sects of the Mortal Realm," all of which were subordinate forces of the original Chunyang Heaven.

Correspondingly, the Wuchang Temple, the Blood River Sect, and the Mirror Cloud Shrine are collectively known as the "Three Sects of the Floating World," all of which are forces under the jurisdiction of the Jambudvipa Path.

The Divine Dynasty government under the Ying Clan was, in its early years, a rival of equal status to the "Three Floating Sects" and the "Three Yang Sects".

However, after the sect leader's demise and the passage of three thousand years, the Divine Dynasty Academy suppressed and controlled all its former competitors.

Nowadays, even these sects have to attend the academy's sacrificial banquet before recruiting disciples.

The difference before and after is quite significant!

Moreover, the original hierarchical relationships between sects were completely broken and rebuilt.

Those "three factions in the mortal realm" have long been estranged from the Pure Yang Ruins, no longer sharing the same close relationship, and no longer having any superior-subordinate relationship.

The "Three Floating Sects" regarded the [Yanfu Dao] as their enemy and annihilated the remaining traces of the [Yanfu Dao]'s legacy throughout the entire realm.

In addition, due to a special reason, the "Three Floating Sects" wished to erase the existence of the Pure Yang Ruins and gathered the power of the three sects to do their best to block the Pure Yang Ruins.

However, even though only Shang Xi remained in the Pure Yang Ruins, the power of the last Pure Yang Master made the people of these three sects dare not confront him directly, and they only dared to use some underhanded tricks.

The academy's sacrificial banquet was precisely where the "Three Floating Sects" made their move against [Pure Yang Ruins].

Because of the interference of the three sects, Chunyang Ruins has not had a truly high-quality disciple enter the sect for many years.

The disciples who were occasionally allowed to enter the sect were clearly several levels below in talent and posed no threat at all. Instead, they became tools to consume the resources of the Pure Yang Ruins.

Therefore, Jing Qian's choice of his first choice as his major has already attracted the attention of three top-tier forces.

At the academy's sacrificial banquet, if he showed even the slightest intention to choose the Pure Yang Ruins, someone would definitely try to stop him!
With the information Mo Pin'er had, combined with the jade slip provided by the Fan family, Jing Qian was finally able to figure out the ins and outs of the academy's sacrificial banquet.

After careful consideration, he gradually refined his action plan.

At this moment, with only one month left before the start of the sacrificial banquet, he only needs to complete the final step of his cultivation to be in the best possible condition to face the test.

While waiting for a new opportunity, he sat cross-legged in the secret room, immersing his mind once again in the space of the Life Stele, and started a new sparring match with [Qiongqi].

This time, he no longer needed to hide in the dimension. Wearing the [Sumeru Ghost Skin], he plunged headfirst into the sound wave net laid by [Qiongqi].

The sound waves gathered by the 【Star-Picking】 magic power could have caused his ghost skin to ripple, but they remained unbroken and withstood the attack.

Jing Qian remained still, using the sound waves of Qiongqi to test the functions of the newly formed ghost skin.

Although each impact of the sound waves consumed seven or eight [Life Essence] of Jing Qian's mana, the sound waves, like rubbing and grinding, exhausted Jing Qian's mana in just a few minutes, rubbing off his entire skin.

But he was extremely satisfied with the result!

In a real battle, he can maintain extremely high flexibility thanks to his two [Destiny]s, [Other Shore] and [Sumeru].

It's absolutely impossible for someone to break through a ghost's skin in just a few minutes.

At the academy's sacrificial banquet, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he couldn't openly use the power of [Sumeru]. If the cave was exposed, it would attract other variables, which would not be good.

With the [Sumeru Demon Skin], he is capable of handling 99% of combat situations.

If there is a real need to enter the [Sumeru] dimension again, it's only when the situation has become critical enough that you're ready to pack up and run away.

As for the issue of mana consumption, then just continue to improve your mana cultivation!
Jing Qian and Qiongqi had a great battle, refining their new combat system and rapidly improving their combat experience by using the Sumeru Ghost Skin, reaping abundant rewards.

After the great battle ended, he traveled through time again and descended into the vast ocean.

At this very moment, the nine-headed [Nine-Hearted Ghosts] have gathered in the vast sea, each gaining something.

As usual, Jing Qian used his sword to kill one demon and wiped them all out.

The nine-headed, seventh-rank sea monster transformed into a precious lifespan of fifty-seven years, replenishing Jing Qian's lifespan, which had just been depleted by two cycles of sixty years.

Then, gazing into the depths of the vast sea, he pondered silently for a moment before resolutely taking all of the [Nine-Hearted Ghost] back to his body, and in a flash, he vanished from the spot.

Mo Pin'er also has a deep understanding of the sea monster forces deep in the vast ocean.

Among them, the two most dangerous places, Dragon Pool and Kunpeng Cave, are both frequented by second-rank anglers.

Jing Qian's continuous sea traversal was a bit too arrogant, and his cave-heaven magic power was simply too obvious. After being pulled apart by the [Impermanent Emperor], he undoubtedly became much more low-key when facing a second-rank being.

Before the academy's sacrificial banquet, not wanting to cause any unnecessary trouble, he temporarily recalled all the scattered great demons.

Possessed by numerous powerful demons, Jing Qian's magical power increased tenfold, reaching the pinnacle of the [Dragon Elephant] realm in [Exorcism].

His lifespan was already sufficient, so he discreetly hid in the Fan family ancestral home, consuming another sixty years of his lifespan and triggering the [Knowledge of Destiny]:
【Destiny: Primordial Qi - Netherworld】

[Position: Destiny]

【The Sea of ​​Primordial Qi, the Pivot of Origin, the Source of Netherworld Qi】

From then on, he opened three springs in the Sea of ​​Primordial Qi, receiving abundant primordial energy.

His magical power and energy recovery speed far surpass those of his contemporaries; even Ying Shizi might not be his match!

Having nearly perfected his spiritual practice, Jingqian had no more regrets. He sat peacefully in the secret chamber, making his final adjustments to his breathing.

Within the sea of ​​consciousness, in the space of the destiny monument, a series of continuous battles and sparring began!
The two support characters, Qiongqi and Lei Niao, will also accompany him as part of the final mock exam.

A month has passed in the blink of an eye, and the Academy Festival has officially begun!
……

Behind Chunyang Ruins, Shangxi watched with satisfaction as the newly formed sword mark gradually rose, eventually reaching the upper-middle part of the Sword Grinding Cliff.

He raised his hand and touched the sword mark. The incomparably sharp sword energy within pierced his finger, dripping a drop of blood.

But he didn't care at all; only a sharp glint flashed in his dim eyes.

Finally, he was about to meet his new disciples, which was one of the few good things that Shangxi had encountered in all these years.

He straightened his clothes, raised his iron sword, and swung it towards the Sword Grinding Cliff, unleashing a sword beam.

The sword light landed on the Sword Grinding Cliff and then solidified.

Shang Xi was the only person in the entire Chunyang Ruins, and apart from the Sword Grinding Cliff in front of him, there was nothing of value there.

With just a single sword beam guarding him, he could descend the mountain without any worries.

Shang Xi took a deep breath, trying to rouse his exhausted spirit, and started walking down the mountain.

The mountain gate of Chunyang Ruins resembles a huge broken sword buried underground, with the Sword-Sharpening Cliff situated atop the sword's edge.

Shang Xi, with his back hunched, walked down a steep and narrow stone staircase.

He looked like an old man on his deathbed, without any of the demeanor of Chunyangzi.

After arriving at the foot of the mountain, he untied an old white ox that was tied to a tree, climbed on top of it, patted its head, and prepared to set off.

The old white ox was as thin as a rake, looking like it was about to die, but it was panting heavily as it rode on white clouds, carrying Shangxi into the sky.

The two of them headed towards Yingdu to attend the academy's sacrificial banquet. For this year's new disciples, Shangxi, unusually, personally went out to greet them.

Going back eight hundred years, this was his first time descending the mountain!
However, after flying only two miles, the surroundings suddenly changed dramatically. Floating clouds obscured the view, the bright moon hung high, and a river of blood blocked out the sun.

A violent surge of magical energy swirled around the old swordsman Xuanhe, who was riding an ox, blocking his path.

Shang Xi, however, remained calm and composed, showing no sign of being flustered by praise or criticism. He spoke:
"Quite a few people have come. Who wants to die first?"

His words were dripping with murderous intent!
But then, a person emerged first from the Blood River; it was none other than Xue Cang, the Star-Picking cultivator left behind by the Blood River Sect within the realm.

He bowed respectfully to Shang Xi and began to speak:
“Please do not be angry, Master. We have come here with no ill intentions. We are here to dissuade you from going down the mountain. The journey to Yingdu is arduous, and your health is not good. We are afraid that you might cause trouble and waste your energy.”

"We can swear to the Master that during this Academy Festival, our three sects will absolutely not violate the Academy's rules. Please rest assured, Master."

"As long as any disciple passes the sacrificial banquet assessment and is admitted to the Pure Yang Ruins, we will personally escort him up the mountain to see you."

Xue Cang did not come alone. Among the three images behind him—floating clouds, bright moon, and blood river—there were five other powerful beings at the [Star-Picking] level.

All the powerful figures from the "Three Floating Sects" within the realm have arrived here, demonstrating the full extent of their strength.

Even so, the six powerful figures engaged in a war of words, preferring to argue rather than take action.

Even though the last of the Pure Yang Masters was already on his deathbed, none of the six great cultivators dared to step forward.

Shang Xi raised his head and looked up at the sky. Suddenly, a crack appeared between his brows, revealing a pure white, pupilless eye. It rolled slightly before closing again. He spoke:
"Then swear an oath, and I'll wait here for the outcome!"

He showed no mercy and focused intently on the six great cultivators, each representing their respective sects, as they took turns swearing an oath.

After that, he ignored the six "Star-Picking" and sat comfortably on the ox's back, closing his eyes to rest.

He understood that as long as the other party truly swore not to use any underhanded tactics, his disciple's life would at least be safe.

Anyway, I'm going to overturn the table before I die, so it doesn't matter whether I do it sooner or later.

……

In front of the Fan family ancestral home, Fan Zhuoyi was helping two examinees pack their belongings.

Jing Qian and Fan Zhuoyan each wore a robe sewn by hand by Fan Zhuoyi after advancing to the [Hundred Refinements] level. Both were top-grade eighth-rank treasure robes, with elegant colors and simple designs, quite remarkable.

The two men were tall and handsome, and dressed in these precious clothes, they looked just like a pair of young masters from a noble family.

With Jing Qian's help, Fan Zhuoyan is now a top genius with two [Life-Locking Needles] in his hands.

He finally made it to this round of the academy's sacrificial banquet and was able to accompany Jing Qian.

Fan Zhuoyi looked at the two people in front of her and said:
"And I wish you both great success and that you achieve your goals in the imperial examinations!"

"Brother, if you don't do well in the exam, come back and take over the family business. Be sure to keep your life safe and don't be reckless."

"Sister, can't you wish me something good..."

Jing Qian laughed heartily and strode forward.

In this line of work, we won't give up until we achieve our goal!

His very bones and blood were boiling!

Fan Zhuoyan quickened his pace and led the way, heading straight for the academy at the heart of Yingdu.

In the twelve upper continents and twenty-four military continents of the Divine Dynasty, in the four years since the last Yin year, all the outstanding talents born here have been selected to undergo a round of arduous battles to seize a trace of [Sacrificial Feast Spiritual Energy] and compete for a position in the Dharma lineage.

This is a tradition that has remained unchanged for the past three thousand years in the Yingfu Pagoda community.

Sufficient competition is the fundamental reason why humans have always maintained their lead over other races.

The numerous sacrificial banquets pushed the methods of talent assessment to their extreme.

If you have genuine talent for spiritual practice, it is almost impossible for you to be overlooked at the academy's sacrificial banquet.

Fan Zhuoyan grew up here and is extremely familiar with Yingdu, especially the academy's sacrificial banquet.

As he led the way, he began to explain:

"Elder brother, once you turn that bend, you will officially enter the academy's grounds, and the sacrificial banquet will begin immediately, ushering in the first test."

"This test is called the 'Name Verification,' which examines our qualifications for the exam."

“I am protected by the Fan family, and each generation has one member who can participate in the sacrificial banquet.”

"My sister gave me this spot, but I feel unworthy of it."

“Brother, you have come all this way, so you must have the qualifications.”

"The real difficulty in this first hurdle is not in the qualification review itself, but entirely in the external man-made disaster."

As Fan Zhuoyan muttered to himself, he turned into a new street.

On both sides of the street stood long palace walls, each three zhang high, stretching for a li (about 500 meters) all the way to the gate of the academy.

At the corners of the palace walls on both sides, a dense group of people with serious expressions were gathered, many of whom were wearing masks.

Fan Zhuoyan continued:

"Only a minority of people are qualified to take the exam. The vast majority of cultivators never have the opportunity to enter the academy in their entire lives."

"But this struggle for the path has always been a matter of life and death!"

"The people around us are all guarding this place, all for the sake of snatching a jade token to enter the academy."

After saying that, Fan Zhuoyan took out a jade pendant from his storage treasure and hung it around his neck with a gold chain.

Then, taking a deep breath, he continued:
"There is an academy's magic array sealing this road. As long as your feet don't leave the ground at the same time, your magic power will be perfectly suppressed and you won't be able to use it at all. But as soon as your feet leave the ground, your magic power will be fully restored."

"Once you embark on this path, you either have to fight your way through these bandits by hand; or you can lift your feet off the ground and escape, giving up your chance; or your jade token will be stolen, which means you will fail the test and not even pass the first stage."

"Brother, I'll go ahead and wait for you at the end of the [Path of Name Verification]."

After saying that, Fan Zhuoyan stepped onto this unique path.

He raised his fists, and on each of his thumbs was a white jade thimble.

This is a family heirloom of the Fan family, a pair of fifth-grade [Floral Rings].

What Fan Zhuoyan held atop the ring was his pair of incredibly sharp [Life-Locking Needles] spiritual energy.

The magic needles extended from between his index and middle fingers, just like two hidden yet ferocious golden knuckle dusters.

This is what enabled him to fight his way through this path of thugs.

Fan Zhuoyan's steps were rapid, yet his feet never left the ground as he sprinted forward.

Finally, prey arrived, and the cultivators who had been lying in wait on both sides immediately surrounded it.

There were nearly a thousand cultivators along this mile-long road.

With so many people surrounding and attacking one person, where is the slightest bit of fairness?

Fan Zhuoyan, however, just kept charging forward, and whenever anyone dared to stop him, he would immediately throw a jab at the enemy.

His fist has an extremely strong barb, and whenever he throws a punch, he always aims at the enemy's vital point. If it hits, the enemy will either die or be seriously injured!
After walking only fifty meters, seven or eight cultivators lay dead behind Xiao Fan, each bleeding profusely.

Despite being a relatively new practitioner, his ruthless demeanor and decisiveness impressed Jing Qian.

Jing Qian, observing Xiao Fan's breakthrough, was shocked to discover that the group of thugs who besieged the candidates and snatched their admission tickets were mostly below the [Longevity] level in terms of cultivation. Their strength was not outstanding; they relied solely on their numbers.

Moreover, they faced even more restrictions, with none of them carrying weapons.

Xiao Fan was able to crush Jing Qian with lightning speed, and Jing Qian didn't feel any pressure at all.

A bunch of worthless scoundrels, not worth Jing Qian's time and effort.

He then transmitted his voice to the mythical cat in the [Void Realm] and asked:
"Are you done yet? Hurry up."

"Okay, okay, almost done!"

Within the [Void Realm], Qili is activating the [Void Furnace] to forge a massive bone hammer.

This bone hammer was made from the spine of a seventh-rank giant whale. It is extremely hard and heavy, and was specially made by Jing Qian.

After the kitten worked for a while, the bone hammer was finally forged and then Jing Qian took it out and held it in his hand.

The hammer is nearly two meters long, and the hammerhead is almost one meter long, making it a truly deadly weapon.

With the murder weapon in hand, he became even more reckless and charged straight into the [Path of Name Verification], heading towards the academy gate.

The surrounding enemies were just about to step forward when they were swept away by a giant hammer.

Jing Qian was like a dump truck that crashed into a sheepfold, killing everything in his path. Ordinary cultivators would surely die if they touched him.

Anyone who tries to gang up on him by relying on their numbers will end up in the same situation.

With the hammer flying, he soon caught up with Fan Zhuoyan, who was punching people repeatedly.

He called out and led Fan Zhuoyan to follow behind him, continuing forward.

The so-called first hurdle, the name verification, was easily overcome by Jing Qian and his companion.

This hurdle itself isn't too difficult; anyone with a strong physique can get through it.

Jing Qian not only has the destiny of "nurturing fleshy buds", but also has many powerful ghosts climbing on his body.

His physical strength has long surpassed that of a normal [Dragon Elephant] cultivator.

As he dragged the blood-stained bone hammer to the gate of the academy, a jade-colored spiritual light flew out from his body and landed directly on the academy gate.

Suddenly, the gate opened wide, revealing yet another beautiful scene inside!
Jing Qian, without hesitation, rushed in, followed closely by Fan Zhuoyan, who saved himself a lot of trouble.

It wasn't until he personally stepped into the academy that he was shocked to discover that it was actually a separate grotto-heaven!

Inside the academy's grotto, a group of powerful cultivators who had already passed the [Path of Name Verification] were waiting. A careful count revealed that there were already more than fifty of them.

Jing Qian and Fan Zhuoyan kept quiet and simply blended into the crowd, waiting for the next round of assessments at the sacrificial banquet.

The real challenge has only just begun!
Xiao Fan silently transmitted his voice:

"Brother, the second test normally examines the skills of cultivators. You can choose one skill from all the production skills such as inscription, food supplements and medicine, weapon forging, clothing weaving and skin painting to be tested."

“My family, the Fan family, is skilled in weaving, so this hurdle is no challenge for me. Elder brother, your fortune-telling skills are even more outstanding, so you should be able to easily advance all the way to the third hurdle.”

"Being able to eliminate less than one-tenth of the candidates in the first round is considered a good result, but the second round is not so easy!"

"If one is a rogue cultivator with a weak lineage, they will suffer greatly at this stage!"

(End of this chapter)