Star Martial Soaring Cloud

No two trees are the same, and no two people are the same.

The rain poured down, and every drop of water falling from the sky was unique.

But the transcendence at the very top comes with its own unique glory.

The higher you climb, the colder it gets; but from there, you can see all the mountains below.

Heaven does not care about one's origins or family background.

The path of spiritual cultivation is long and arduous.

Injustice, resentment, greed...

All sorts of emotions can disturb one's resolve to follow the Tao.

All of this is both important and unimportant.

Ultimately, it depends on how the practitioner chooses to proceed.

A single thought can lead to heaven and earth, a single step to hell; it's all up to oneself.

Are things pleasing? Am I saddened?

Neither of them affects the rising or setting of the sun and moon.

Take a step, raise your hands, and with every movement, even the Milky Way can be moved.

"Do they intend to never encounter danger again in their entire lives?" Wang Xiao pressed. "What's the point of such cultivation?"

"That's not the case," Su Qinhe explained. "They can easily create a cultivation environment like that on Demon Island—aristocratic families have their own exclusive cultivation spaces with spiritual energy concentrations far exceeding those on Demon Island, and they don't lack Immortal Ephemeral Flowers. So, a trip to Demon Island is completely unnecessary for them."

"If they encounter misfortune on the Demon Island, everything will be meaningless. They don't need to take such a risk; as long as they live, the power of their family can propel them to the Dragon Gate Divine Realm. Once they reach the Dragon Gate Divine Realm, the family's unique secret techniques and magical treasures will give them the capital to experiment and make mistakes. Only then will they dare to venture out and face danger. In short, they have an extra life!"

"How can a towering ancient pine grow in a courtyard?" Wang Xiao asked softly, his tone tinged with sarcasm. "Flowers that have always been sheltered in a greenhouse, no matter how beautiful they bloom, cannot withstand the ravages of wind and rain. Those scions of noble families who have never experienced danger or fought to the death, even if they step into the Dragon Gate Divine Realm, how much real skill do they possess? When they encounter a truly powerful expert, aren't they still utterly vulnerable?"

Su Qinhe smiled gently upon hearing this, her gaze towards Wang Xiao filled with admiration: "Brother Wang is right. They will also face hardships, just later. Many cultivators spend their entire lives without reaching the Dragon Gate Divine Realm; for them to steadily step into it is already the best choice for them. However, Brother Wang, you have underestimated the cruelty of aristocratic families. They provide them with better resources and support, but if they fail to live up to this cultivation, the families will abandon them swiftly. The feeling of falling from the clouds is something few can bear."

Wang Xiao immediately understood Su Qinhe's meaning and even felt that the aristocratic family's arrangement was quite reasonable.

Su Qinhe also came to the Demon Island alone; everything has two sides.

It's both a benefit and a crisis.

The path of cultivation is essentially about striving for higher and lower levels of attainment.

So what if a fish leaps to victory?

So what if you're number one in Longmen?

This practice by aristocratic families can prevent the early death of their core members.

They gave their children two lives, and those who survived near-death experiences will determine the family's attitude towards them.

Can they recognize themselves?

It means returning to a simple life, not vying for family benefits, nor seizing the family's name;

We will continue to forge ahead, singing all the way, and shoulder the glory of our family.

……

Existence is reasonable.

However, too many people will become the price for this "reasonable" outcome.

"With your talent and strength, it won't be long before you meet them again."

"Hmm?" Wang Xiao was slightly taken aback, looking at Su Qinhe with a puzzled expression. "What do you mean by that, Miss Su?"

"Because the fifth day of the third month next year will be the opening day of the Jixia Academy, which is held every five years." Su Qinhe spoke slowly, her tone solemn. "This is an opportunity that no cultivator wants to miss, especially for those of us who have the potential to enter the Dragon Gate Divine Realm. It is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Jixia Academy?" Wang Xiao frowned. He had never heard of this name before. "What's so special about this academy?"

"Cultivators at the Divine Realm are extremely rare, numbering only a handful across the entire Nine Provinces. Therefore, cultivating cultivators at the Dragon Gate Divine Realm is of paramount importance to any power," Su Qinhe explained. "That's why the Great Qian Dynasty, in conjunction with the Yun family of the Northern Plains, the Ye family of the Southern Frontier, and other major powers, specifically established the Jixia Academy, enrolling one hundred students every five years to gather the world's one hundred strongest cultivators who have just entered the Dragon Gate Realm, for them to cultivate together."

"There are no restrictions on these 100 cultivators. As long as they are cultivators at the Dragon Gate Consciousness Sea Realm, they can participate in the selection. If they pass, they can enroll."

"For this trip to Demon Island, all major forces will only select cultivators under the age of twenty-four. The competition for Demon Island is nothing more than a competition among peers."

"But the Jixia Academy is a competition among cultivators of the same level from all over the world. Regardless of age, background, or sect, as long as you are a cultivator from the Nine Provinces and have reached the Dragon Gate Consciousness Sea Realm, you can participate in the selection."

"This selection process might even include centenarian cultivators from the Dragon Gate's Sea of ​​Consciousness realm, as well as scions of aristocratic families!"

Wang Xiao's heart stirred upon hearing this, and he smiled, "Oh? Now that you mention it, Jixia Academy seems quite interesting."

"The most captivating aspect of Jixia Academy lies in its specialized teaching of methods for cultivating divine sense," Su Qinhe said with longing. "The academy has blessed lands specifically for training divine sense, which can rapidly enhance its strength. More importantly, the leaders of various major forces, and even the two powerful experts in the Void Realm of Divine Sense, Li Guang and Feng Tang, personally come to the academy to teach."

"Senior Brother Li Guang giving a lecture? Heh, why am I suddenly not so looking forward to it?" Wang Xiao thought to himself, "Isn't my current ignorance precisely the result of being taught by this expert in the Divine Sense Void Realm? However, I would very much like to meet Feng Tang, who is on par with Senior Brother."

"Besides, the academy also has countless rare cultivation resources, including cultivation techniques, secret manuals, rare and precious materials, elixirs, and magical treasures—everything imaginable. As long as you are strong enough, you can acquire them all. Moreover, you can cultivate alongside the world's top 100 newly arrived Dragon Gate cultivators, sparring and competing with each other, which will also help you improve your strength much faster."

Wang Xiao was overjoyed, a burning desire flashing in his eyes.

There are cultivation methods, guidance from famous teachers, and nearly a hundred powerful enemies.

For him, Jixia Academy was a timely help.

As for whether he can reach the Dragon Gate Divine Realm before March next year, Wang Xiao is not worried at all.

"Alright! I absolutely must go to Jixia Academy!" Wang Xiao said firmly, his eyes resolute.

Looking at the light in his eyes, Su Qinhe nodded gently: "With your strength, as long as you can successfully enter the Dragon Gate Divine Realm, you will definitely be selected for Jixia Academy."

"Until the results are in, nothing is certain!"

Faced with Su Qinhe's praise, Wang Xiao remained humble, which left Su Qinhe speechless for a moment. Normally, people wouldn't respond like that!

"Fairy Su, those things are too far off. Let's talk about the Demon Island first. For example, among the ten major powers, who are the people we need to watch out for? What areas do we need to be careful of? And how can we help you defeat Hua Ying?"

"It's not one of the top ten powers that's entered the island this time. For some reason, the Xuanyuan family didn't send anyone to Demon Island this time."

"What?"