The arena beneath Lin Shuang’s feet rises.
But with a single sentence from her, the mountain-like arena stalls mid-air.
Wang Heng, the elder of the Shanhai Sect who is overseeing the match, has his beard twitch. “A cultivation knowledge test…?”
His aged eyes sweep over Lin Shuang’s face, carrying a hint of dissatisfaction.
But he quickly suppresses it.
Lin Shuang nods.
Zhu Jiao from the Baihua Sect has a flushed face; she had nearly unleashed a powerful move moments ago.
All three disciples of the Wanseng Sect close their eyes briefly.
Their blood qi is surging.
They had already begun to build up their attacking techniques, and their bodies’ defenses against the sharp aura had solidified.
The arrow was on the string, seemingly about to be released—
But then she said… written exam?
Elder Wang Heng suddenly waves his hand, and the arena disappears.
Lin Shuang’s trio, along with disciples from the Baihua and Wanseng Sects, instantly fall to the ground.
Then, a grass-thatched study hall large enough to accommodate about thirty students rises into the air.
Inside the study hall, desks and writing tools are already prepared.
“One hundred and twenty questions, with four incense sticks’ worth of time to answer.”
As Elder Wang Heng explains the rules, nine folding screens depicting mountains and rivers descend into the hall.
“During the team battle, you may replace your combat disciples at any time, but only once.”
“The replaced disciples may not return.”
Upon hearing this, Zhu Jiao and the other two from the Baihua Sect, and the three monks from the Wanseng Sect with shining foreheads, all simultaneously turn their gazes toward Meng Zi, the member of Lin Shuang’s trio.
Meng Zi, carrying a large blade, had originally intended to choose a seat at the desk but now glares back at them.
“What does that mean?”
“Why are you all looking at me like that? What’s with those looks?”
What kind of looks?
Naturally, it’s the look that says you’re not capable.
From the previous rounds, everyone knows that Meng Zi is the one in Lin Shuang’s team with no connection to wisdom or strategy.
Although all sects participate in the same trial, they are in different realms.
The disciples from the other five sects know little about Lin Shuang’s trio, not as much as the observing disciples who have a more direct perspective.
But by the time of the Queen Level, their group had all appeared before Lin Shuang again.
The Baihua Sect, which loves collecting gossip, and the Wanseng Sect, which practices silent meditation and focuses their skills on hearing, now have a good understanding of Lin Shuang, Meng Zi, and Huangpu Yuan’s personalities and characteristics.
Meng Zi has an impulsive and straightforward personality, easily revealing his thoughts.
This perfectly fits the character of a blade cultivator.
The cultivation knowledge test with one hundred and twenty questions covers all subcategories of cultivation content: music, alchemy, artifacts, formations, talismans…
Only those who have diligently studied the basics of cultivation or possess extraordinary talent, able to understand everything at once, would dare to say they have absolute confidence in such an exam.
Let alone a rough and unrestrained blade cultivator like Meng Zi?
At first glance, Meng Zi seems like a student with a major weakness.
Bian Bo Cai from the Baihua Sect, with a flamboyant demeanor, shows a look of great confusion, gazing doubtfully at Lin Shuang. “Junior Miss Lin, are you sure you want to compete with us in this?”
The team battle will have three rounds, and whoever wins two rounds first will be the top among the middle and lower levels of this gathering!
Why doesn’t Lin Shuang seize the opportunity to choose a competition topic that favors her team?
Bian Bo Cai gradually falls into suspicion. “Or are you not planning to let Brother Meng participate in this round? Are you going to replace him with that music cultivator Mei Xin, or the formation cultivator disciple?”
Music cultivators and formation cultivators have stronger spiritual awareness than ordinary disciples.
In terms of broad knowledge and memory, they can barely compete with the Wanseng Sect, but still fall short compared to the Baihua Sect, known for their writing skills.
This question puzzles Bian Bo Cai, who cannot understand why Lin Shuang would give the Baihua Sect an easy point.
Could it be to make up for the damage to the Baihua Sect’s Daoist heart during the previous round in Zhao’s territory?
“Hey hey hey, what do you mean not letting me participate?”
Meng Zi slams the paper and ink desk in front of him in dissatisfaction.
“Do you look down on me? Bian Bo Cai, if you lose to me in this written exam today, anyone who dares to not give me ten thousand spirit stones, I’ll make you pay!”
Bian Bo Cai: “…”
He falls silent, taking out a bamboo-framed paper fan and slowly unfolding it to show Meng Zi the piles of paper inside.
As the fan moves, the pages of the scrolls keep flipping.
——The Most Hilarious Cultivation Techniques
——Single Life Rankings
——Condensation Yuan Rankings
Kong Miaoke from the Baihua Sect then heavily places the embroidery frame behind her back.
She slowly pulls off the red cloth covering it, revealing the embroidery on the frame.
——The Great Compendium of Cultivation Talismans
——Baihua Sect Embroidery Techniques Explained
——Seasonal Dress Guide
Zhu Jiao from the Baihua Sect, with her sleeves fluttering, has all the seasonal flowers on her robe fully blooming, each flower bud condensing into densely packed, colorful words.
——Applications and Alchemical Analysis of Hundred Flowers and Herbs
——Favorite Flowers of Elders from Various Sects
…
[…]
[Why did the Qing Shui Sect suddenly decide to compete with the Baihua Sect in knowledge? Why didn’t they just attack them directly!]
[The Baihua Sect has written half of the books on the various sects’ scrolls, besides the elders of each sect.]
[All the competition explanations and rankings of the various condensation yuan and refining spirit levels are set by them.]
[As long as there are places with grass, trees, flowers, and seeds, there are no secrets for the Baihua Sect. If there are secrets, they are only limited to cultivation levels.]
[Among the same level, the Baihua Sect is the best in knowledge assessment!]
[In previous competitions, the Baihua Sect often took first place. The team battle’s reserved event is the Baihua Sect setting the questions, which must include a written exam.]
[Ah.]
Meng Zi, who boastfully wanted to bet money, stares at Bian Bo Cai’s fan surface filled with books, his eye corners twitching.
“Ah, Junior Brother Meng, Junior Miss Lin, you really underestimated our Baihua Sect.”
Bian Bo Cai shakes his head, sighing.
“Since you insist on giving the Baihua Sect such a big favor, we can only accept it and return the favor another day.”
“This year, we will take it easy!”
The expressions of the three disciples from the Wanseng Sect also show helplessness.
The leading monk, at the peak of the sixth layer of condensation yuan, lets out a sigh.
[The outcome is already decided!]
[In the three rounds of team battle questions, the Baihua Sect will definitely take first place. The first round of Qing Shui chooses a written exam, which they will surely lose to the Baihua Sect.
In the second round, the Baihua Sect ranks second, so they will set the questions again, another written exam—twelve sects’ knowledge quiz or four realm common knowledge, the Baihua Sect will win again!
In a best-of-three match, the Baihua Sect will take first place, and the other two sects will have no way to recover.]
[Help—what’s wrong with Lin Shuang from the Qing Shui Sect?]
[Ah, she’s too confident.]
[The previous overwhelming victories have made the Qing Shui Sect lose their heads.]
[Unfortunately, no matter how many advantages they had before, this round will consume them.]
[I had hoped to see a showdown, but it seems it’s gone.]
[The middle and lower-level battle will be decided by two written exams, which I never expected.]
The words float and linger for a long time.
Even Senior Sister Lihua, who was explaining, has now fallen silent at this moment.
Because no matter what she says, it seems like she is prematurely celebrating the Baihua Sect’s victory and declaring disdain for the Qing Shui Sect’s arrogance.
She can only remain silent.
But in the projection, Meng Zi, who was shocked by the folding fan, soon shows not fear, regret, or despair on his face, but a look of deep regret.
“Brother Bian from the Baihua Sect, so it’s you!”
Meng Zi looks at Bian Bo Cai, finally understanding the matter.
He is greatly regretful, “Ah, why didn’t you tell me earlier? When is your new book coming out?!”
Bian Bo Cai is very surprised, and his flamboyant smile can no longer be hidden. “Junior Brother Meng, so you are a fan of my books.”
“Ah, I’m waiting for your new book to come out together, so I can sell the previous chapters at a high price.”
Bian Bo Cai: “…?”
Damn it.
He really has no common language with such an unappreciative Meng Zi!
“Junior Miss Lin.”
Bian Bo Cai turns around with a blank expression, looking toward Lin Shuang. “It’s time for you to replace this fellow. Our Baihua Sect is generous, we can give you time to discuss and carefully consider which more knowledgeable disciple you want to send up.”
“I can tell you right now, in the second round of the team battle, the Baihua Sect will still set the questions, testing cultivation knowledge!”
Lin Shuang covers her forehead and gives Huangpu Yuan a look.
She signals him to take Meng Zi, who has angered the enemy, aside.
When Huangpu Yuan presses Meng Zi into the far-right desk of the first row, the three disciples of the Wanseng Sect have already changed to a substitute disciple at the fifth layer of condensation yuan.
“We will not replace any disciples.”
Lin Shuang smiles modestly at Bian Bo Cai and the Wanseng Sect.
She herself takes a seat in the middle position of the first row.
[? The Qing Shui Sect is not replacing anyone?]
[The only reason not to replace is that the Qing Shui Sect believes they can endure until the third round of the team battle—the Wanseng Sect’s question round. Therefore, they need Meng Zi’s combat power and combined techniques.]
[The team battle has always had three rounds, but this time all three sects have entered simultaneously. If the last sect wins once, how will the victory be determined? Considering the previous scoring? Is that what the Qing Shui Sect is planning?]
The observing disciples are confused.
As for Lin Shuang, she doesn’t give the disciples much time to think.
After sitting down, she looks toward Wang Heng, the elder of the Shanhai Sect.
As she had expected, just like in Zhen Chuan, in the team battle level, the supervising elders will, like the little red Li Min at that time, personally enter the nine thousand trials to oversee the competition.
Therefore, this round, she not only wants to win the team battle but also use the Ymie Pavilion’s hand to confirm a suspicion she had long before.
Lin Shuang immediately smiles at Elder Wang Heng.
“The Qing Shui Sect is ready, we can start anytime.”
Elder Wang Heng nods. “Good.”
He ignores the situation of the other two sects and immediately announces.
“All sect disciples should take their seats immediately. During this round of answering, you are not allowed to look at any books.”
“Also, each sect has two opportunities to consult their elders during the examination process.”
After he speaks, three ethereal figures appear in the study hall: Elder Yu Lu of the Baihua Sect, Elder Tan of the Qing Shui Sect, and Master Wunan of the Wanseng Sect. Each of them throws out two specially made communication talismans.
“I will be the chief examiner.”
As Elder Wang Heng speaks, he continuously walks among the nine desks in the thatched study hall.
“If I catch anyone looking at books or secretly communicating through spiritual awareness, they will be immediately expelled from this level of the team battle and lose their qualification for the top three positions.”
In front of each of the nine disciples from the various sects, four unlit purple incense sticks are placed.
Nine exam papers are scattered down.
Suddenly, the first question appears on the paper in front of everyone.
[1. Which of the following alchemy steps is correct.]
Immediately, four young cultivators with different cauldrons jump out from the ink-scented exam paper.
One carefully pours the refined purple spirit essence into the burning cauldron;
One squints, pinching a smoking rejuvenation pill from the cauldron with two fingers;
One pours several pieces of blackberry grass and the essence in the jade bowl together into the cauldron;
One adjusts the heat while slowly pouring in spiritual water.
The four alchemy cultivators repeatedly perform the above operations.
The three disciples from the Wanseng Sect immediately hold their heads.
[Help. Does the Wanseng Sect buy their pills from the Qidan Sect?]
[Generally, the higher the inner sect disciples’ cultivation level, the more specialized they become.]
[Ah, what a sin. Every time I see this kind of test, I get scared, because each option seems very plausible.]
[The Qidan Sect is here, and the first question’s purple spirit grass involves the refinement of fourth-tier pills. This question is difficult; I dare say that even inner sect disciples of the Qidan Sect might answer incorrectly if they are careless.]
This question bank is clearly set up for the twelve sects of the Eastern Region.
Regarding the content of pills, due to the existence of the Qidan and artifact sects, the difficulty is significantly increased.
In the projection, the three from the Baihua Sect, Bian Bo Cai included, also think hard before finally writing their answers.
Meanwhile, in the scene, Huangpu Yuan’s expression while reading the question is one of disdain.
But he quickly answers, reaching out and tapping the fourth alchemy cultivator on the head, knocking it off the paper!
Lin Shuang, however, is leisurely, using her spiritual brush to point at the forehead of the fourth alchemy cultivator.
[They chose the same one?]
[Is it correct?]
[Qidan Sect disciple: Correct.]
[?? They actually got it right!]
[So Lin Shuang and Huangpu Yuan are also knowledgeable and well-read? No wonder she chose the written exam!]
The three from the Baihua Sect, including Bian Bo Cai, also selected the correct answer.
Although they don’t know alchemy, they are aware of the characteristics of hundreds of flowers and herbs.
Their cultivation process is about communicating with flowers and knowing everything about their field.
[Now let’s see how Meng Zi from the Qing Shui Sect does!]
Meng Zi is scratching his head, fourth-tier alchemy knowledge is not something a blade cultivator like him can easily know.
The number of questions in the question bank is too large to be solved by memorizing in advance.
But Meng Zi, after looking at the ‘four alchemy actions that keep repeating’, suddenly becomes confident.
“I know!”
[?]
“If three are short and one is long, choose the long one.”
“If three are long and one is short, choose the short one.”
[???]
Meng Zi instantly chooses the fourth cultivator who simply adds water.
[Meng Zi answers the first question correctly!]
“Huh,” Meng Zi slams the table, gaining confidence. “What? Alchemy questions are actually this easy!”
[…??]
[!]
Lin Shuang, who is answering the second question faster than expected, is even quicker.
[Lin Shuang answers the second question correctly!]
[Lin Shuang answers the third question correctly!]
…
[Lin Shuang answers the ninety-eighth question correctly!]
[Lin Shuang answers all one hundred and twenty questions correctly!]
“Ah, it’s simpler than I thought. Oops, I answered too quickly, what should I do for the next three incense sticks?”
“I didn’t ask the proctor elder if I could read novels after finishing.”
[…???]
[…]
The mountains and rivers screen blocks her muttering and answering situation.
But it can’t block the observing disciples’ projection perspective.
They hear and see it all clearly.
Bian Bo Cai from the Baihua Sect, who is sitting in the second row and answering the fastest, has only reached question eighty-two!
He is already very fast, and each question he answers is correct.
Yet he is still slower than Lin Shuang!
How is this possible?
On the observation mountain of the entire Baihua Sect, there is a silence.
Although Bian Bo Cai seems flamboyant, his life plant is actually unremarkable and even relatively weak green grass.
Useless green grass is everywhere.
It has little value and cannot be used in medicine. Yet, though the wild fire burns it not entirely, the spring breeze brings it back to life. Bian Bochai, with his Foundation Gathering sixth-stage cultivation, can surpass all the Foundation Gathering disciples in Donghua Realm, all because his innate spirit plant is ubiquitous. The four-realm knowledge and secrets he possesses go far beyond what ordinary people can imagine. He has anonymously written books for over a decade, returning still as a mere Foundation Gathering cultivator. Ten years ago, when he published his book, he had already listed himself as “Foundation Gathering sixth layer,” and he remains at this cultivation level today. It is not that he lacks talent, but his cultivation has been suppressed by elders, preventing him from advancing to Spirit Refining. Because once he reaches a higher level, the secrets his innate spirit herb can uncover will expand, possibly touching on the private matters of entering the Void or even the secrets of Tribulation Crossing. Elder Yu Lu personally intervened, suppressing his cultivation and preventing him from progressing further. Otherwise, one day he might accidentally stumble upon the secrets of Tribulation Crossing and die without even knowing why.
“Junior Brother Bian actually lost to Lin Shuang…”
“…I don’t understand. How could Lin Shuang do this?”
“Lin Shuang is clearly a sword cultivator.”
On the viewing hill of the Hundred Flowers Sect, murmurs spread.
Only Zhao Keran, who was explaining this round in the projection, showed a sudden realization, “This is what they call ‘learning at the fastest pace.'”
[???]
[!]
“As long as you master the correct reading method, you can read ten lines at once.”
“As long as you perform long-term spiritual consciousness memory training, you can become widely knowledgeable and have a good memory.”
Zhao Keran, in the projection, her round face glowing, said.
“If it’s a contest of cultivation or martial skills, the Hundred Flowers Sect still has a slim chance of winning.”
“But if it’s a selection of comprehensive knowledge from various sects, sorry, the moment it begins, the Hundred Flowers Sect has already lost.”
[???]
[…!]
“The Hundred Flowers Sect,” Zhao Keran sighed, gazing appreciatively at Bian Bochai, who was furiously writing in the image. “You losing to my senior sister is no injustice.”
“Next time, learn from this lesson. Don’t challenge my senior sister again, oh well.”
[…]
[……..]
In the projection, Lin Shuang didn’t even take time to review her answers.
The moment she finished answering all 120 questions, the system displayed that she had answered all correctly, leaving her momentarily at a loss.
“I have nothing else to do now, so I’ll just calculate how many questions Meng Zi got right.”
[?]
She had nothing else to do.
She could even calculate the score of Meng Zi sitting beside her?
Why didn’t you calculate Huangfu Yuan’s score?
You’re really something.
The disciples watching from the viewing hill were speechless.
“Maybe Huangfu Yuan can defeat Zhu Jiao?”
As if hearing the words from the projection, the Lin Shuang in the projection supported her forehead.
She analyzed in a low voice.
“I can defeat Bian Bochai from the Hundred Flowers Sect.”
“If everyone answers correctly, I answered faster, so I should win.”
“I have the experience of doing thousands of mock exams from the ‘Three Years of Gaokao, Five Years of Simulations.'”
“And when my first spiritual consciousness reads the first question, my second spiritual consciousness is already looking at the second question, and my third spiritual consciousness is looking at the third question…”
[?]
[???]
[…]
Lin Shuang was quite confident, “I finished reading all 120 questions in three breaths. Then, with 108 spiritual consciousnesses, I divided them into odd and even numbers.”
“The odd-numbered ones solve the problems, and the even-numbered ones verify the solution approaches.”
[??]
“Am I faster than Bian Bochai? That’s certain, right?”
“One point for the Qing Shui Sect.”
“Then there’s Huangfu Yuan. His knowledge and memory are no worse than mine. No, in the past ten years, I only had access to the knowledge within the two libraries of the Qing Shui Sect. In terms of breadth of knowledge, he might even surpass me.”
[???]
[What? She read all the books in two libraries? And remembered them all?]
[What… Huangfu Yuan is even more knowledgeable and has a better memory than her, who has read two libraries worth of books?!]
The text was in a frenzy of discussion.
But Lin Shuang remained calm.
Life is finite, but learning is infinite.
But after all, he is of the demon race bloodline.
The demon race reaches adulthood at a hundred years old.
To infiltrate the Qing Shui Sect without revealing the peculiarities of the demon race and to take control of the Rongbao Shop, he must have endured immense hardships, forcing himself to study numerous books.
Because in an environment full of dangers, with no one to rely on and no one to trust, he could only depend on himself.
In this hundred years of experience, every piece of human knowledge was engraved into his marrow, accompanied by hatred and danger.
“I also shared the problem-solving techniques with him. He should be the second fastest after me.”
Indeed, just a few breaths after Lin Shuang finished her analysis, the Huangfu Yuan in the projection put his brush down as if he understood her thoughts.
He never even picked up a brush or ink, only using his palm wind to press his answers onto the paper.
Then he picked up the brush, leisurely writing his name at the top of the answer sheet.
[Qing Shui Sect’s Huangfu Yuan answered all 120 questions correctly!]
[This…]
[What’s going on with these two from Qing Shui Sect? Are they actually disguised disciples from the Hundred Flowers Sect?!]
[Hundred Flowers Sect! I really appreciate it! What’s going on with you this year?]
[Ah, so the Hundred Flowers Sect is going to lose?]
[No, there’s still a chance! As long as Meng Zi gets a lot wrong, Qing Shui Sect will still lose.]
In the projection, Lin Shuang supported her forehead.
“Meng Zi is hard to say.”
Indeed, as she looked at the 120 questions on the answer sheet, she hesitated with a doubtful expression.
“He’s competing with Kong Miaoke. Both of their personalities are bold and straightforward, easily influenced by fluctuating emotions.”
“They’re prone to carelessness and making mistakes.”
Almost as soon as she finished speaking, a sound of frustration came from the third seat in the second row in the projection.
Indeed, Kong Miaoke held her brush, her expression full of regret.
“…This question was asking which one was wrong…”
“I read it the wrong way… Oh!”
[…]
Lin Shuang tapped the paper.
“Question 40 suddenly changed from asking for the correct answer to asking for the incorrect one. She’s likely to be careless.”
Indeed, in the projection, Kong Miaoke was scratching her head and groaning in front of question 40’s incorrect answer, wishing desperately that Senior Sister Zhu Jiao could reverse time.
Unfortunately, she couldn’t.
“After making a careless mistake and losing points, she must feel regret in her heart.”
“Her answering style will become overly cautious, thus slowing her speed.”
“So, she should finish around the same time as Meng Zi.”
[…]
“But carelessness is hard to change in an instant. After answering thirty or forty questions correctly, she might make careless mistakes again.”
“Oops!”
Almost as soon as Lin Shuang finished speaking, another cry of despair came from Kong Miaoke’s seat in the projection.
The text in the projection froze.
The disciples on the viewing hill of the Hundred Flowers Sect remained silent and speechless.
In the past, everyone just focused on martial contests without all these twists and turns.
The Hundred Flowers Sect had almost always been far ahead in knowledge assessments, and they had never taken seriously the influence of ‘exam mentality.’
But once in the exam hall, the day’s performance and daily accumulation would both affect the results.
“Don’t worry, Meng Zi will also make careless mistakes! Lin Shuang said they’re both rough!”
But as soon as this text floated by, in the projection, just as Meng Zi was about to quickly write his answer, with a slap, five fine ink-like talisman patterns suddenly appeared between the five fingers of his writing hand.
In an instant, five red rope rings tightened, embedding into the skin of his fingers.
“Ah—painful, painful, painful!”
“I know, I’ll read the question again!”
Meng Zi took a deep breath.
[!]
[Talismans? Lin Shuang prepared them in advance!]
[But even so, it can only ensure that Meng Zi answers the questions he’s familiar with correctly. For the ones he doesn’t know, he’ll still make mistakes.]
But soon, Meng Zi’s surprised voice was heard.
“Hey? Isn’t this the mock question Lin Xiaoshuang gave me?”
“Wow, isn’t this the one she said had an 80% chance of appearing on the exam?”
[What?]
[What…!]
“What do you mean, she made me memorize all of these.”
“The seventh-level Nishang Melody, how many people are needed to play it together for maximum power? Of course, it’s 74 people from the Ni Clan, because—you can just die!”
[???]
“Hahaha, with this exam, I don’t even need to use a communication talisman to ask Elder Tan.”
“I, Meng Zi, am truly a prodigy of heaven and earth!”
[Meng Zi answered 52 questions correctly]
[Meng Zi answered 53 questions correctly]
…
Lin Shuang actually guessed the questions correctly and even taught Meng Zi ‘strange memory techniques’ in advance.
Today, Meng Zi performed beyond expectations with stable output!
But when he reached question seventy, he gradually started scratching his head in frustration.
The later the questions, the more likely they were to cover topics he hadn’t reviewed.
Even the master of guessing questions, Lin Shuang, couldn’t be 100% certain to have anticipated all the exam questions.
Finally, Meng Zi encountered a question he couldn’t answer, not even a pun could save him.
He stood up to use the ‘Elder, please help me’ lifeline.
But to everyone’s surprise, when Meng Zi stood up, he directly refused the communication talisman from Elder Shui Qiantan that floated over.
“That, can I just ask Lin Shuang directly?”
Wang Heng: “?”
Elder Shui Qiantan, who was already ready to answer outside: “?”
[… Makes sense, she answered all 120 questions correctly.]
[An elder might answer incorrectly, but Lin Shuang is known to have answered all correctly.]
[…]
Wang Heng, the proctor, quickly walked over, looking at Lin Shuang, who was idle and already sleeping on the table.
Then he looked at Meng Zi, his white beard trembling.
Having presided over the cultivation knowledge exams for many years, he had never encountered such a situation.
“Are you sure?” Wang Heng’s sharp gaze fixed on Meng Zi.
Meng Zi nodded.
If one can ask an elder for help, why not a fellow disciple?
What’s the difference?
But Wang Heng’s sleeves flared, and a rule stone flew out from the cliff wall.
“You can only ask one question.”
“If it involves other questions, you will be disqualified, and your score will be cleared.”
Meng Zi frowned, nodded, “Okay.”
“Which question do you want to ask?” Wang Heng glanced at his paper.
Meng Zi lowered his head, “Music cultivation, question ninety-three.”
Wang Heng narrowed his eyes and instantly woke Lin Shuang.
Huangfu Yuan, sensing something, also lifted his head.
Lin Shuang rubbed her eyes and got up, “Is it over? Four incense sticks, everyone has finished?”
But in an instant, qin, zither, yueqin, bamboo flute, erhu… dozens of music cultivation instruments surrounded her.
A solemn voice, not Wang Heng’s, echoed in the classroom.
“When three walk together, one of them must be my teacher.”
“Not being ashamed to ask those below is also a gain.”
“However, for us cultivators, each step is a struggle against the Dao of Heaven…”
The Dao of Heaven?
The Dao of Heaven’s opportunity?
Lin Shuang instantly became alert.
So did Huangfu Yuan.
Other disciples answering questions all heard this voice, lifting their gazes involuntarily toward the front row.
Because Lin Shuang stood up, everyone saw the commotion around her.
“On the cultivation path, if one’s heart method takes a wrong step, it may lightly damage the meridians, or severely destroy the dantian.”
The solemn voice seemed to linger.
“Therefore, in this academy, the one being asked must have an A-grade in the relevant cultivation specialty for this question.”
“Otherwise, the disciple’s asking privilege for this round will be revoked.”
Meng Zi opened his mouth.
[!]
[Such a rule?]
“Practicing techniques, a slight mistake can lead to great errors. Practicing according to incorrect answers may cause one to go awry and even suffer from spiritual backlash. The elders are doing this for everyone’s good.”
“It makes sense. It’s reasonable.”
Meng Zi turned his head, helplessly looking at Lin Shuang, who had already stood up.
In the second row of the Hundred Flowers Sect and the third row of the Wanseng Sect in the projection, all eyes turned to her.
A glimmer of sympathy and regret flashed in their eyes.
Elder Wang Heng spoke, “Lin Shuang, choose a music cultivation instrument and accept the academy’s music cultivation evaluation.”
“If it’s not an A-grade, Meng Zi’s asking privilege for this round will be void.”
“It will be considered as your failure to answer.”
Meng Zi tensed instantly, his throat moving.
Bian Bochai from the Hundred Flowers Sect shook his head, “Where did Meng Junior Brother get this confidence? Why use such a trick, not asking the elders, but asking Lin Shuang.”
“Sigh.” Kong Miaoke also stopped writing, “It’s hard to get an A-grade in music cultivation.”
Although they couldn’t talk to each other, they still sighed from their seats.
For no other reason,
Just feeling sorry for Lin Shuang.
Her real score in sword cultivation must be an A-grade.
Her talisman skills wouldn’t be too bad either.
But music cultivation?
Sigh.
What is Meng Zi doing?
Although whether Meng Zi can ask this question or not, the Hundred Flowers Sect will definitely be the first in this round of cultivation knowledge, but the Qing Shui Sect and the Wanseng Sect are still competing for second and third place.
Lin Shuang and her companions are excellent opponents.
In Zhao’s family, they made the Hundred Flowers Sect suffer.
The Hundred Flowers Sect hopes that this year’s second place will be the Qing Shui Sect!
Bian Bochai showed a reluctant look, shaking his head, “If Lin Shuang’s talent in music cultivation is so high, she wouldn’t have chosen sword cultivation.”
“Doesn’t the Qing Shui Sect’s outer sect even have music cultivation classes?” Kong Miaoke muttered to herself.
She presides over the outer sect competitions and knows the outer sects of each sect well.
Lin Shuang spent ten years in the Qing Shui Sect’s outer sect.
But before she could finish her thoughts, Elder Wang Heng removed the screen, “To avoid accusations of bias in the future, let all the disciples here bear witness.”
In his hand, a celestial stone shaped like a pipa flew out in an instant.
Similar to the Sword Stele, the Immortal Sound Stone can assess a music cultivation disciple’s mastery of musical techniques.
The pipa-shaped fairy sound stone, from bottom to top, consists of the back of the hand, the pipa back, the neck, and the head.
When a music cultivator plays a melody, if their spiritual energy reaches the head of the instrument, it is considered an A-grade!
“Lin Shuang, choose a musical instrument,” Elder Wang called her name.
Meng Zi breathed nervously.
Lin Shuang nodded and instantly chose the erhu closest to her, seemingly at random.
[?]
[Does she really know how to play it?]
“Isn’t she a sword cultivator with three perfected sword techniques, and also a third-stage talisman master… and now a music cultivator too?”
“Zhao, do you know?” Sister Pear asked first.
But Zhao Keran immediately shushed her heavily, her face serious and alert.
Sister Pear: “?”
The next moment, she saw Zhao Keran already in a meditative posture.
In the projection stone, Lin Shuang had already taken the erhu into her arms.
But before playing, she took out a pair of noise-cancelling talismans from her bag of holding and plugged them into her ears.
Then she handed a pair to Meng Zi and Huangfu Yuan.
[?? Is it going to be that bad?]
Then, under the astonished gazes of Elder Wang and the other disciples, she picked up the long bow of the erhu.
She closed her eyes.
She struck a graceful pose, placing the bow on the strings of the instrument.
For an instant, the sound of sawing wood loudly echoed within the projection!
[!]
[I… Grandmaster!]
[Ah!]
The erhu’s sound, which should have been mournful, seemed instead like endless, unceasing creaking of wood under strain in her hands.
Lin Shuang herself wore an expression of complete delight, swaying her head rhythmically.
Elder Wang Heng trembled as he extended his hand, “Can we not—”
Continue any further.
But before he could finish, within the academy hall, Kong Miaoke, the weakest disciple of the Hundred Flowers Sect, and a fifth-stage disciple of the Wuseng Sect, both dropped their brushes and ink onto their desks in an instant.
Their heads slowly tilted sideways, their bodies went limp, and they collapsed…
Elder Wang’s expression changed instantly.
[!]
“What!”
Lihua, who had been explaining the duel, was suddenly terrified.
“Is this the melody entering dreams?!”
Meixin’s ultimate move—Let’s sleep together, right here, right now, you and I!
Yet, the original tune had been truly beautiful and moving!
But Lin Shuang…
Yet within the projection, not only Kong Miaoke, even Meng Zi, who had earplugs in his ears, couldn’t help but yawn after a while.
However, the red string between his fingers suddenly tightened, stopping his yawn halfway.
And the pipa’s spiritual stone, its glow, instantly surged to the peak at the head of the zither—the highest A rank!
[Third-tier melody entering dreams: A+!]
[!]
[…!]
Elder Wang Heng in the academy hall immediately fixed his dark eyes on Lin Shuang.
The sound of sawing wood had not yet stopped.
It continued until the piece ended.
Only then did Lin Shuang smile, rise, and return the erhu to him, “Elder, may I now answer on behalf of Senior Brother Meng?”
She glanced at Meng Zi, who, despite his talisman-laced red string, had a dazed look in his eyes, then at the six disciples behind him from the Hundred Flowers Sect and the Wuseng Sect, all already fast asleep.
Entering dreams.
Among equals, it’s difficult to resist.
Not to mention that none were prepared and they were all so close by.
Even if awakened, their consciousness would be attacked, leaving them in a weakened state for a long time, unable to return to their peak.
Meng Zi—already practically illiterate.
Wuseng Sect—already practically illiterate.
Kong Miaoke—reduced intelligence.
Bian Boxiang—reduced intelligence.
…
This was only the first round of the team battle; there would be at least another round to follow.
But already, the intelligence of the three from the Hundred Flowers Sect was severely impaired.
They were now on par with Meng Zi on an average day.
Lin Shuang calmly returned to her seat, as if she hadn’t done anything extreme at all.
“Elder, aren’t you going to wake them up?”
[…]
[……….]
[!]
What so-called cultivation knowledge test? Is martial combat inferior to scholarly debate?
False.
She chose the cultivation knowledge exam precisely for this moment.
Three rounds of team battle, first round, one dream melody, and everyone’s consciousness was weakened, affecting the outcome of the next two rounds!
When she goes all out, even her allies fall under hypnosis!
Anyway, Meng Zi was already pretty dumb, so there wasn’t much room for further decline.
“My apologies, cultivation is ruthless; evil cultivators show no mercy.”
Zhao Keren in the projection also opened her eyes from meditation.
Her cultivation level wasn’t high enough; hearing the zither’s sound had affected her too.
But fortunately, she was far away, and had prepared in advance, so it wasn’t a serious issue.
At this moment, she looked on with admiration and gratitude.
“I finally understand. During this team battle assessment, in the midst of her busy schedule, my senior sister still managed to teach us all such an important lesson about survival.”
[?]
“On the battlefield, facing evil cultivators, who will engage in a contest of knowledge with you?”
Zhao Keren suddenly seemed to grasp the truth.
“The moment we become naïve, we’ve already lost.”
“Today’s loss was only a team battle. Tomorrow’s loss could cost our lives!”
“Let all seniors and juniors from the Hundred Flowers Sect, the Wuseng Sect, and the other nine sects remember this forever—never be naïve!”
“…It could cost your life.”
[!]
“No need to thank me. Seniors and juniors from all sects, best of luck.”
[…]
[……….]
[Ha—]
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