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Translator: Amber.es | Editor: Bubbles | Proofreader: musk

For the next few days, Ji Chaoyun went to class during the day and to Dengyun Tower to sort out ancient records at night.

Although Feng Qi said that he would not let him slack off, that person seldom came to the pavillion, let alone supervise the progress of Ji Chaoyun’s arrangement of the classics collection. Without that annoying phoenix, Ji Chaoyun was happy to locate one by one the scriptures that he had never had the chance to read, studying each scroll very carefully.

But cultivation could not be accomplished overnight. Even with the collection of books from Dengyun Tower, Ji Chaoyun’s cultivation progress was still far from that of ordinary disciples.

The Dao class was not bad. Ji Chaoyun had already memorised the few Dao scriptures that needed to be studied in the Yellow level; it didn’t take too much of his attention. In comparison, the immortal cultivation technique class in the afternoon was not so easy to muddle through.

The Black and Yellow level 2 training classes had Kai Yang-jun in charge. However, the cultivation of immortal techniques focused on honing oneself. The immortal lord did not need to be there in person everyday. Therefore, the cultivation class usually sent a few high-level disciples to supervise the training.

The training class of these second-level disciples was held at the back of a mountain, at the Swordplay Arena.

On the grass, there stood numerous lofty stone figures.

Next to each stone-shaped man were five men assisting each other in combat. Victory was won upon crushing the stone heart within a stone figure’s chest, but these sculptures each had the height of two people, with extraordinary strength and nimble movement. After three days, no team had yet to successfully destroy a stone heart.

With a loud bang, Ji Chaoyun took a few steps back under the last blow of the stone figure, his knees dropping to the ground.

Ye Chenxing hurriedly ran towards him. “Chaoyun, are you okay?”

Ji Chaoyun’s forehead dripped with a thin layer of sweat. He shook his head, and raised his hand to press it against his heart. His eyes faintly flashed with a radiant light that could not be suppressed.

After a long time, he relieved the dizziness from the wasting away of his celestial power.

“I’m fine. You continue.”

Before them, the stone man who had been beheaded by them quickly returned to its original appearance.

—Once a disciple left the attack range of the stone man, it would be regarded as a failure of the challenge, and the stone-made adversary would automatically repair itself.

Ye Chenxing exclaimed, “Look at your face. Is this what you should look like? We’ve been practicing for almost four hours. Let’s take a break.”

“I—”

Without waiting for Ji Chaoyun to answer, a disciple beside them suddenly said, “Resting again? Since you’re so precious, why don’t you go back and lie down. Why continue training?”

Ye Chenxing angrily argued, “What are you saying?”

“Am I wrong?” The man retrieved his weapon and held it, scoffing. “Didn’t you notice? Our team has the slowest progress, all because of his mistakes every time. And now you still want him to rest?”

“How can you blame Ji dage1?” Bei Ran retorted. “Pinning the stone man down consumes the most energy. Why not try it yourself?”

The disciple snorted. “Isn’t he the one claimed to have the best martial arts, comparable to even the Heaven-level disciples? What, he can’t even deal with a stone man? Sure enough, the rumors are right, cheating to come into the academy. How good can he be.”

Ye Chenxing rebuked angrily, “What nonsense are you talking about!”

“Am I wrong?” The disciple said. “It’s spread all over the academy that he will get kicked out if he can’t pass the quarterly exam. If he has no problem enrolling in school, why would the immortal elders make such a decision? A low-grade spiritual root. How he survived the Hongmeng Mountain trial and passed the entry assessment, only he knows!”

Ye Chenxing was furious. He was about to stab the man with his sword, when he saw a white shadow flashing in front of him. The edge of a sword firmly blocking against his own. Ji Chaoyun stopped in front of him and whispered, “Still in class. What are you planning to do?”

“But he—”

“Can’t argue so you want to fight. A guilty conscience huh, why should I be afraid of you?”

Ye Chenxing pushed Ji Chaoyun away. The latter was so exhausted that he could not stand firmly for a while, and staggered back, bumping into another figure.

The latter supported him. In a panic, Ji Chaoyun apologised, “Sorry, I..”

He raised his head, but then froze.

The man in front of him was handsome, standing firmly upright. His expression was slightly uncomfortable, and he quickly let go of his hand like lightning.

It turned out to be Jiang Cheng.

The disciples who came to supervise the daily practice differed each time. Today, it was Jiang Cheng.

Ji Chaoyun cursed secretly in his heart.?‘Enemies on a narrow road indeed.‘ He stepped back when something suddenly fell out of his arms.

The embroidered golden phoenix purse rolled on the grass, falling right by Jiang Cheng’s feet. Ji Chaoyun’s heart tensed. He was about to pick it up, when the latter bent down and picked up the purse.

Jiang Cheng’s action was pure instinct. After he straightened up, he realised what he had done. His hands froze in the air. The next second, the purse in his hand was pulled away forcefully.

His face cold, Ji Chaoyun said, “Thank you.”

“..” Jiang Cheng’s lips moved, as if he wanted to say something, but he ultimately kept it down. He glanced at the few people present and coldly questioned them, “What were you doing just now?”

The disciple who had been nitpicking immediately replied, “Answering to shixiong, it’s all because Ji Chaoyun keeps making mistakes time and time again. This disciple simply wanted him to take note of stuff but they wanted to raise their hands against me..”

Jiang Cheng’s eyebrows dipped, but before he could speak, someone behind him suddenly said, “I thought it was something big. So it’s this little thing that caused this ruckus?”

This voice was not unfamiliar. Ji Chaoyun followed the sound. It turned out to be Xu Zixing.

Xu Zixing had partnered with Jiang Cheng for patrolling. He sneered, “Do you know why you are allowed to practice with the stone figures? Because the first season’s exam after enrollment is a trial in the secret realm, and the first challenge there are troops of these stone figures. The strength the stone figures are presently using less than 30% of those in the secret realm. If he can’t even get through this, he might as well not even attend the exam.”

Ji Chaoyun’s eyes shook. The hands hanging by his sides gradually clenched.

It would’ve been better not to state this. As soon as these words came out, the disciple immediately panicked. “Then what should we do? This person always drags us down. If this goes on, even with two more months of practice, we won’t be able to pass. If you don’t believe me, ask Qi Xuan. Am I right?”

The little disciple who had not spoken was suddenly called. In a panic, he hugged his sword. “I.. I..”

“You what you. If you fail the quarterly exam because of him, you can’t even cry!”

Ye Chenxing couldn’t bear it. “You shut up. How has Chaoyun affected us—”

“No need to say further,” Ji Chaoyun interrupted. He raised his eyes to Jiang Cheng and said calmly, “I withdraw from this team.”

Jiang Cheng’s eyelids twitched. Xu Zixing sarcastically said, “Withdraw? This grouping will continue to be used until entry to the secret realm. What, the one who triumphed through the entrance examination using martial arts to enter the academy, also wants to be the first to pass the quarterly exam on his own?”

“You are seriously—”

Ye Chenxing wanted to say something more but Ji Chaoyun raised his hand to stop him. He shook his head. “It’s fine, you continue to practice. I.. I’ll take a break.”

He had used too much of his celestial power. At this moment he only felt dizziness, the sight in front of his eyes turning black. Ji Chaoyun turned around to leave when he suddenly heard Jiang Cheng utter behind him, “Fool.”

Ji Chaoyun slowed.

Jiang Cheng continued, “The stone figure formation needs to have five or six people to crack it. Even if you can do it for a while, how will you pass the quarterly exam?”

“Whatever I’m going to do, does it have anything to do with you?” After saying this, Ji Chaoyun straightened his back and walked away.

Jiang Cheng stepped forward, but was barricaded by another.

Ye Chenxing stood in front of him and warned, “No need to trouble Jiang shixiong. If I remember correctly, Jiang shixiong should still owe our Chaoyun an apology.”

“..Unsure when Jiang shixiong will honour it?”

Jiang Cheng’s complexion switched between blue and white. He ultimately glanced at Ji Chaoyun’s back as he left, cursing in a low voice, before turning away.

Ji Chaoyun walked under the trees’ shade beside Swordplay Arena, then leaned against the trunk of a tree. He slowly exhaled, lowered his head and stared at his palm. The immortal power he managed to briefly gather was pitifully little, and gradually it dissipated.

Ji Chaoyun stared for a long time before letting out a bitter laugh. “Really turning into a waste.”

At that moment, a voice suddenly sounded from behind him, “You’re too impulsive.”

This voice was extraordinarily familiar. Ji Chaoyun turned around; a handsome young man was slowly walking towards him.

It was Song Zhifei.

He gave a warm smile to Ji Chaoyun and continued calmly, “I heard everything just now. It was not your fault, but you should not be so impulsive.”

Song Zhifei was a gentleman. Although he lost to Ji Chaoyun in the ring, he had no hard feelings towards him. Ji Chaoyun had a good impression of him so his tone softened as well. “The secret to solving the stone figures lies not in cultivation techniques, but in teamwork and finding the keys to the formation. They are unwilling to cooperate with me. Their hearts are not in unison, it is useless to force them.”

Song Zhifei obviously did not expect him to think so thoroughly. A little stunned, he shook his head. “Even though the hearts of the people are not united and forcing is quite useless, it simply just needs a process. In the end, it’s you who are stubborn.”

Ji Chaoyun looked far away from Swordplay Arena and said in a light voice, “If I wasn’t stubborn, I wouldn’t be standing here today.”

Song Zhifei did not say anything. He was silent for a moment. “It’s not that there is no precedent of a single person passing through the secret realm before.”

“Who?”

Song Zhifei stared at Ji Chaoyun and slowly uttered a name, “Feng Qi.”

“Feng Qi was the only disciple who entered the Heavenly Class upon entry, and in the first year of admission, all disciples had to participate in the same secret realm trials. He was the same as you back then, he did not ask for any allies and thus entered the secret realm alone.”

“How did he do that?”

“I don’t know,” Song Zhifei said. “Feng Qi entered school earlier, not many people know about this matter. And what happened in the secret realm is not known to outsiders as well, so no one knows how he broke the stone man formation. If you want to know, you may need to ask him personally.”

Ji Chaoyun’s eyes displayed a complex look, and he did not answer.

The little demon dragon had always been very clear. In this academy, the person he hated the most was Jiang Cheng. But ever since the appearance of His Second Highness Feng, who had the exact same face as the one in his memories and behaved in an exaggerated and indescribable manner, that person had taken the lead and became the top of the ‘Most Hated People’ list of his life.

Song Zhifei saw his hesitancy and wanted to persuade him again when he saw Ye Chenxing and Bei Ran walking shoulder to shoulder from a distance. He swallowed the words that almost left his mouth, and said warmly, “I will say up to here. Farewell.”

Ji Chaoyun: “Thank you, Song shixiong.”

Ye Chenxing pulled Bei Ran closer. He looked at Song Zhifei’s departing back and asked, “Isn’t that Song Zhifei? What did he say to you?”

Ji Chaoyun shook his head. “It’s nothing. Why are you both here?”

“You quit. Why would we stay?” Ye Chenxing grabbed his shoulders and gave a simple-minded smile. “We both quit so we’ll be a group of three.”

Ji Chaoyun: “Ridiculous. That stone formation requires five people and more to break. You both should stop acting like this..”

“Should we then watch you run into the trial alone? How can we be brothers?” Ye Chenxing interrupted. “And, who said we won’t pass the assessment?”

“What do you mean..”

“I just talked to Big Brother Ye.” Bei Ran raised his hand and his eyes were bright. “I just thought of several ways to deal with it. Although we are short on two people now, it should still be applicable. Do we want to try?”

Ji Chaoyun was startled, looking at Bei Ran’s eager expression. He turned his head to look at Ye Chenxing beside him, and suddenly felt a soreness in his heart.

He almost forgot; he was no longer alone.

His gloomy mood gradually calmed down. He slightly smiled at the two of them. “Fine. Let’s try it once more.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he was slapped on the back by Ye Chenxing. “Try a fart! Rest first, look at your face!”

The original emotional sentiment disappeared. Ji Chaoyun was pushed and staggered. He gritted his teeth and looked back. “Ye Chenxing, you got addicted to pushing me? Even pushing me towards Jiang Cheng’s direction.”

Ye Chenxing’s expression froze. He weakly explained, “No, it wasn’t me who pushed. Don’t tell me it’s the little kid who pushed you back then?”

Bei Ran nodded firmly. “No. It was you who pushed. I clearly saw it.”

Ji Chaoyun tilted his head. The corners of his mouth curved slightly.

The next moment, Ye Chenxing’s screams came from under the shade of the trees. “..Ah ah ah, sorry Chaoyun, I was wrong, don’t let the bugs bite me!”

Song Zhifei walked through Swordplay Arena and straight into the pine forest. He soon saw a tall figure standing under a tree, seeming to have waited for a long time. Song Zhifei walked behind him and asked with a smile, “Are you satisfied now?”

The man turned around. It was Feng Qi.

Feng Qi leaned against the ancient pine trees. He wrapped his arms around his chest, and said in dissatisfaction, “What satisfaction? I asked you to help give him a few pointers. Instead you pushed him to me.”

Song Zhifei: “I thought that His Second Highness Feng would want to personally guide him.”

“Who said that?” Feng Qi raised his eyebrows. “As far as his cultivation base and bones are concerned, isn’t it using a talented person for an insignificant use?”

Song Zhifei had a smile on his face.

Feng Qi cleared his throat, righteously speaking, “However, if he really comes to plead with me, I guess I’ll have to reluctantly help and teach him.”

“Alright, I’ll head back to Dengyun Tower first, to avoid..” His words trailed off, not finishing the rest of his sentence.

Song Zhifei’s smile deepened.

Feng Qi loved serenity. No matter how good Dengyun Tower was, it was not as good as Wenqu Peak. Therefore, he rarely stayed in Dengyun Tower at night.

As for why he wanted to head there today, it was simply because he was afraid Ji Chaoyun couldn’t find him, and would also be too embarrassed to go to Wenqu Peak

Song Zhifei understood his intentions. He said, “Then I will thank Your Highness on behalf of Ji shidi.”

Feng Qi pretended not to hear. He turned and walked towards the depths of the pine forest.

Feng Qi stopped when he was far away.

“Ji shidi..” He gently repeated this name, with a hint of sourness in his voice that he didn’t notice. “That little demon dragon, not even calling out shixiong and yet wants me to teach him. Must be joking.”

The author has something to say:

The vinegar phoenix is online.

As a form of respectful address: Big brother Ji