The small bath was filled with clear, azure water, exuding a refreshing and pleasant fragrance. Li Fei took her time washing thoroughly, then carefully dried her hair and body with a towel. Lifting the bamboo curtain, she saw a red and white garment spread out on the bed—it was the disciple uniform of Young Phoenix Academy.
The disciple uniform of Young Phoenix Academy was simple yet elegant in design. Rumor had it that the fabric used was extraordinary, capable of warding off evil and resisting water and fire. Some even sought to purchase these uniforms at high prices, making them quite valuable. The uniform consisted of two layers: a soft and snug inner undergarment and a resilient, flowing outer robe. Female disciples had an additional skirt—though it looked simple, wearing it was anything but.
In Li Fei’s memory, the most complicated outfit she had ever worn was the dress her Master had bought for her, which had separate top and bottom pieces and an overly long skirt. Yet, the academy’s disciple uniform was several times more intricate than that dress, with all sorts of long and short straps, inner and outer layers. Where exactly was she supposed to tie that extra skirt—inside or outside?
It took her a great deal of effort to finally put on the uniform properly. Adjusting the bronze mirror, she saw the reflection of a young girl’s face.
Perhaps because she hadn’t been exposed to wind and sun for nearly two months, her once-dark skin had lightened somewhat. Paired with her thick eyebrows and large eyes, she no longer looked as boyish as before. Though her hair was neatly braided into a plait, her bangs and the ends of her hair stubbornly stuck out, much like her own temperament.
Satisfied that her clothes and hair were in order, Li Fei slung her bag over her shoulder and opened the door. After twenty-five days on the Rainbow Deer Carriage, they had finally arrived at Young Phoenix Academy.
This year, the academy had admitted eighteen new disciples—half as many as in previous years. The black-veiled woman had once let slip that this year’s Second Selection was the most difficult in history, implying that these eighteen disciples were all exceptionally talented prodigies.
Walking past a row of pear trees, Li Fei reached the open area ahead, where most of the children had already gathered. All of them were dressed in their disciple uniforms, standing against the backdrop of snow-white pear blossoms and distant mountain scenery. Though they were not yet true Celestials, the transcendent aura of the Immortals was already beginning to show.
"Xiao Bangchui!" Baili Gelin waved at her from the front. Ye Ye nudged her and reminded, "You got it wrong again. After all these days, you still can’t correct it."
She giggled and immediately corrected herself, "Li Fei, over here!"
Li Fei was still getting used to her new name. It had been better recently, but in the first few days after the name change, Ge Lin and the others kept switching between "Xiao Bangchui" and "Li Fei," creating utter confusion. Often, when they called her "Li Fei," she would freeze for a long moment before realizing they meant her.
"The disciple uniform is so hard to wear. It took me forever," she said, shaking her head as she walked over.
"Big Sis, you look amazing in this," Lei Xiuyuan gazed at her in admiration, his praise sincere. "So heroic and dashing."
Having lightened in complexion after nearly a month in Huaguang County and another month on the Rainbow Deer Carriage, coupled with good food and rest, she had developed a fresh and lively glow. The well-tailored uniform also helped—gone was her former wild, tomboyish air. At first glance, she even appeared to be a striking young girl.
Baili Gelin came over with a smile and took her hand. "Of course! Li Fei just never bothered with appearances before. If she did, she’d definitely be a beauty! Li Fei, your eyebrows are a bit thick—I’ll trim them for you later. And I’ll teach you some simple hairstyles too. No more braids all the time..."Dashing and heroic? Li Fei looked down at herself—she was short, young, and skinny. She couldn’t fathom how she could appear dashing or heroic. Everyone was probably just being polite.
The truly stunning ones were the Baili Sisters. Their hair and lips, once dry and brittle from hardship, had regained their luster. Under the sunlight, their cheeks seemed almost translucent, delicate as two little sprites. Ye Ye beside them also carried an extraordinary air. Though still young, his every movement exuded a bearing distinct from the others.
But the most surprising was Lei Xiuyuan. He had initially looked like a seven- or eight-year-old child, but after two months of good food and rest, he had grown as tall as Baili Gelin. His sparse, yellowish hair had thickened into a glossy black, his sunken cheeks had filled out, and with his rosy lips, pearly teeth, dark brows, and bright eyes, he was as pretty as a girl.
They were the ones who had truly emerged like butterflies from cocoons. Just standing there, they drew the occasional glances of other children—admiration mixed with astonishment, since everyone remembered how they had all looked like little beggars just two months ago.
Ye Ye suddenly remembered something and smiled. “By the way, Li Fei, do you know who that Zuoqiu Xiansheng who named you is?”
Li Fei shook her head. “I don’t. He looked very old, and that black-veiled woman seemed to respect him a lot.”
Ye Ye said, “I just heard—he’s actually one of the founders of Young Phoenix Academy. That’s an incredibly distinguished Celestial.”
Everyone was shocked. Young Phoenix Academy had been established for at least several hundred years—how old must Zuoqiu Xiansheng be?
“It’s common for Celestials to live for centuries, even millennia,” Ye Ye explained to these ignorant children. “In renowned sects like No Moon Court and Star Rectitude Hall, some of the rarely seen elders are thousands of years old. Think about it—if Celestials didn’t have long lifespans, why would royal families scramble to send their talented descendants to cultivate? Only by living long and mastering profound Immortal Techniques can they deter covetous enemy nations.”
Baili Gelin grimaced and shook her head. “I wouldn’t want to live a thousand years. Being an old person for a millennium sounds terrifying!”
Everyone laughed. Lei Xiuyuan blushed and murmured, “But I hope Big Sis can live a thousand years.”
Baili Gelin teased him, “All you ever talk about is Big Sis this, Big Sis that. She has a name now—why do you want her to live a thousand years?”
“I can’t just call Big Sis by her name,” Lei Xiuyuan hastily waved his hands, eyes shining with admiration. “Big Sis is so amazing—she’ll definitely become a powerful Celestial in the future. Of course she can live a thousand years.”
Seeing him still so timid and subservient, Baili Gelin sighed. “Xiu Yuan, none of us are that much better than the others. We all passed the Second Selection and got into Young Phoenix Academy. You should have some confidence! Otherwise, how will you become a great Celestial in the future?”
Lei Xiuyuan blushed harder and shook his head vigorously. “What abilities do I have? I only passed because Big Sis was there! If I were alone—”
“Enough of that,” Li Fei cut off his stammering excuses. She couldn’t stand his spinelessness. “There’s a limit to how useless you can be.”She was prepared for Lei Xiuyuan to burst into tears with reddened eyes, but to her surprise, he froze for a moment, his face showing an expression of almost troubled contemplation. After a pause, he said softly, "Big Sis, do you look down on me?"
Li Fei shook her head. "No, I just think you have such excellent talent—why be so self-deprecating?"
Back on the windy, snowy peak, while Ye Ye and the others had to meditate to ward off the cold, Lei Xiuyuan had stood tall against the snowstorm, completely unbothered. He clearly had great talent, so why was he still so weak and timid?
Lei Xiuyuan froze again, then gradually relaxed his furrowed brows and smiled. "Big Sis really knows how to talk."
Baili Gelin teased him again. "Yeah, yeah, in your eyes, there’s only your Big Sis. Do you even dare to call her by her name?"
He immediately began waving his hands frantically. "H-how could I dare?!"
Sigh. Talking was useless. Li Fei shook her head. Maybe this was just his innate timid personality.
After following the black-veiled woman through the carriage door, the scenery before them suddenly opened up—an incredibly vast mountaintop. Opposite them stretched an endless sea of clouds, the sky above pristine blue, while the layers of clouds below rolled like crashing waves, breathtakingly magnificent. At the cliff’s edge stood a stone platform lined with dozens of stone swords, alongside a slender, leaf-shaped green boat whose purpose was unclear.
"Only new disciples arriving at the Academy for the first time are permitted to use the Passenger Boat once. After this, if you want to leave the Disciple Room, you’ll have to fly on your own. Only when you can fly will you truly begin your cultivation."
The black-veiled woman landed lightly on the Passenger Boat. The narrow leaf-like vessel hovered at the edge of a sheer cliff, her black veil even swirling with wisps of white mist. The children couldn’t help but feel nervous—this was a genuine bottomless abyss! Even knowing the Immortal Technique would prevent them from falling, fear was inevitable.
Ji Tongzhou was the first to jump on. The moment he stood on it, the boat swayed violently, turning his face deathly pale. He barely managed to steady himself before collapsing.
Once someone took the lead, the rest followed easily. Soon, the Passenger Boat was filled with people. The black-veiled woman tapped her foot lightly, and the boat shot forward like an arrow, piercing through thick clouds and mist. The first thing that came into view was a towering snow-white pagoda, its body wreathed in rainbow light, surrounded by celestial birds—a sight of overwhelming grandeur.
The black-veiled woman gave a brief introduction. "This is the Book Collection Pagoda. The first ten floors hold books, while the floors above store various Curse Seals. Beyond the twentieth floor, only those with a handwritten letter from Zuoqiu Xiansheng may enter. If anyone trespasses—whether they end up dead without a whole corpse, lose limbs, or have all their blood drained—the Academy takes no responsibility."
…Was this any different from a threat? Beside them, Baili Gelin’s face had turned green with fear.
The boat continued its descent at an angle. Only then did everyone realize the Book Collection Pagoda was built on a floating island. A quick glance revealed countless such islands suspended in midair—some with buildings, others with springs, and some with only plants and trees. There were no bridges connecting the islands; the only way up was to fly. No wonder ordinary people could never approach the Young Phoenix Academy. Without flight, even a monkey would plummet to its death.
What would the Young Phoenix Academy be like? All the children who had passed the trials had wondered this. Previous guesses—like it being underwater or underground—were all wrong. The Young Phoenix Academy floated in the sky.“So beautiful…” A girl nearby sighed in admiration. The breathtaking scenery had long made the children forget their fear of being high in the air. The passenger boat descended diagonally, passing through numerous floating islets as the mist gradually thinned. Below them, five enormous floating islands suddenly came into view.
The central island housed a grand hall, resplendent in gold and jade. Before the hall lay vast white stone tiles, and only from above could one see that the black streaks on them formed an intricate talismanic incantation. The black circle at the center resembled an eye, giving off an eerie vibe.
To the east, west, south, and north of the central island were four equally large islands, each with its own distinct scenery—some dotted with courtyards, others adorned with emerald waters and lush greenery. From above, the five islands, seemingly connected yet separate, resembled a blooming flower. The further they descended, the more vast and magnificent the islands appeared.
Li Fei felt as though she were in a dream. Was this really where Celestials lived? Islands floating in the sky, with endless veils of mist below instead of the boundless blue sea. Pristine white immortal birds soared gracefully through the clouds, while cranes lingered leisurely among the green trees and clear waters, some flying, others dancing—scenes she could never have imagined even in her wildest dreams.
Overwhelmed by the sight, she couldn’t suppress a surge of excitement, her body trembling slightly. She had truly arrived here. If her desperate struggle before had been for her Master, the exhilaration she felt now was perhaps more for herself. Her unknown future, mysterious and unpredictable, utterly captivated her.
“These five islands will be where you cultivate for the next year,” the black-veiled woman’s introduction was as concise and forceful as ever. “The main hall is off-limits under normal circumstances. Regular martial training fields and specialized cultivation halls will be led by instructors. The dining area is to the north—meals are provided based on your name tag, free of charge. But if you don’t learn to fly in a day, you won’t eat for a day.”
The children erupted into murmurs. No food if they couldn’t fly? Such a harsh and terrifying regimen! What if they learned too slowly? Would they starve before mastering flight? No wonder this was the Young Phoenix Academy. The children fell silent, awed and fearful.
“Disciple rooms also provide three meals a day.” Whether it was an illusion or not, everyone thought they heard a hint of malice in the black-veiled woman’s cold chuckle. “One tael of silver per meal.”
Wait—did they hear that right? One tael of silver for a single meal? The Academy charged for food? And at such an exorbitant price? What kind of delicacies cost that much? The children were stunned. Their idealized vision of the Young Phoenix Academy was shattered—it turned out to be just like the mundane world outside, demanding silver.
The black-veiled woman lightly tapped the passenger boat with her toe, and it drifted gently to land on the southern island. Surrounded by greenery and dotted with delicate courtyards, the place was serene, with only the whisper of the wind breaking the silence.
“These are the disciple rooms. In previous years, the Academy admitted many new disciples, but this year’s numbers have halved, so each of you can have your own room. The envelopes have numbers—move in according to your assigned one.”
She handed each of them an envelope and added, “Inside are the cultivation schedules for August. Study them at your leisure. That’s all for today. Gather here at mao hour tomorrow. Latecomers will pay ten taels per meal and be penalized for three days.”
Ten taels! Was this the Young Phoenix Academy or a money-extorting academy? Amid the children’s exclamations of shock, the black-veiled woman slowly vanished.
OpenNovel