"When Lin You jumped down, Mo Yanfan's heartbeat had never been so loud." Baili Changyue, now back to normal, began recalling the scene. "I don't know what their relationship is, but those two must be extremely familiar with each other."
Baili Gelin was still utterly confused: "What were you all saying about Nightmare Art and Lei Xiuyuan? What happened? Was that Lin You trying to harm Lei Xiuyuan? Did she steal the Nightmare Art? Why would she want to harm Lei Xiuyuan? And how is she a fake Lin You? I'm completely lost!"
Ye Ye explained: "Lin You's attitude toward Mo Yanfan was far from normal. She likely disguised herself as a teacher to enter the Academy for Mo Yanfan's sake. Earlier, her words carried more resentment than anger, suggesting there might be some ambiguous history between them. Though her identity remains unclear, Zhen Yunzi called her a 'demoness,' so she must be from one of those unorthodox sects. Presumably, Mo Yanfan taught her Star Rectification Hall Immortal Methods like the Celestial Sound Word Spirit Great Art, yet she turned around to harm Lei Xiuyuan. The reason is unfathomable—perhaps only Lei Xiuyuan knows the truth."
Baili Gelin wrinkled her nose in disgust: "Ask him? We'd be lucky to get a single truthful word out of him!"
Li Fei nodded silently in agreement. There was still one thing she couldn't figure out: the culprit who tried to harm Lei Xiuyuan had been exposed, but he had once told her that this matter started because of her. Yet she had no memory of that Lin You whatsoever. How exactly did it "start because of her"?
She glanced back at Lei Xiuyuan. His expression was calm as he leaned quietly against the doorframe, lost in thought. Even though his would-be murderer had been exposed, he showed no signs of relief. It was rather strange.
Ye Ye turned to Baili Changyue: "What do you make of Zhen Yunzi?"
Baili Changyue frowned slightly, pondering for a long moment before answering: "His words may not be entirely truthful, but he is, after all, a senior figure from a major sect. I... I truly can't figure him out."
She shook her head and fell into thought again.
Meanwhile, all the disciples who had been stunned by the Celestial Sound Word Spirit gradually regained consciousness. Zuoqiu Xiansheng offered a few words of encouragement before leaving. Hu Jiaping looked at them with a wry smile and finally raised a finger: "You kids are something else. You tried to impeach a teacher, only to end up exposing a fake one. Now the test is postponed—happy now?"
The children were still dazed at first, but upon hearing the test was delayed, they all brightened up.
Miao Lanxin said gently, "They've already progressed much faster than previous batches of students. A delay of a month or two won't hurt. A solid foundation will help them master Advanced Immortal Techniques more effectively in the future."
Only Luo Chengji remained out of the loop, murmuring in shock: "Teacher Lin was fake? Then where is the real Teacher Lin? And who was that impostor?"
Hu Jiaping sighed and patted him. "Since that demoness impersonated Teacher Lin You, the real one must have already fallen victim to her. Earlier, when she was struck by the Celestial Sound Word Spirit, though she didn't finish her words, we can guess—she's from the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly, isn't she?"
"East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly?" Clearly, none of the others had heard of this name, their faces blank with confusion.Hu Jiaping said, "I heard it from Master. The world is vast, and the methods of cultivation and immortality are incredibly diverse. In coastal regions, many Immortal Sects practice methods vastly different from ours in the mountains. They seem to be divided into 'Mountain Sect' and 'Ocean Sect.' We belong to the Mountain Sect, while the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly is part of the Ocean Sect. Being near the sea, they must have access to unheard-of cultivation methods from overseas... They walk their single-plank bridge, and we walk our broad road—traditionally, we’ve never interfered with each other. It’s baffling why they would provoke the Academy."
Seeing the children overjoyed about the postponed test, chattering noisily, he frowned and scolded, "The morning cultivation isn’t over yet! Why are you all making such a racket? Hurry to the Martial Training Field and practice on your own! Where’s the enthusiasm from earlier?"
The children quickly agreed and left, chatting and laughing.
Wait, where was the child affected by the Nightmare Art? Hu Jiaping looked around. His name was Lei Xiuyuan, right? First, he was sick, then afflicted by the Nightmare Art—his issues never seemed to end. He had no idea about the Nightmare Art incident and wondered how Mo Yanfan discovered it and even summoned Zhen Yunzi.
"Lei Xiuyuan!" he called out loudly. He still needed to discuss the Nightmare Art matter with Zuoqiu Xiansheng.
The courtyard was silent. Had he already left? He sure slipped away fast!
Li Fei and the others followed the disciples, flying on their swords toward the western Martial Training Field. Baili Gelin chattered nonstop along the way, "Li Fei, what’s this about Lei Xiuyuan being under the Nightmare Art and trying to jump off a cliff? When did that happen?"
Just as Li Fei was about to answer, Lei Xiuyuan suddenly shot up from below on his sword. Had he recovered? Had the person harming him been caught, finally giving him relief?
Lei Xiuyuan flew at an incredible speed. Seeing him heading straight for her, Li Fei dodged angrily, "What are you doing?!"
His shoulder brushed past her sleeve as he urgently shouted in the wind, "Move aside!"
Stunned, Li Fei watched his sword streak into the sky like lightning. She had never seen anyone fly so fast—no, no one could fly that fast. In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished into the high clouds, leaving the other disciples marveling in awe.
Just then, Baili Gelin screamed, "Sister! Where are you flying?!"
Was Chang Yue in trouble too? Li Fei turned and saw Baili Changyue’s stone sword bucking wildly like a crazed horse, jerking up, down, left, and right—sometimes fast, sometimes slow. Sweat beaded on Baili Changyue’s forehead as she struggled to control it.
Ye Ye shouted urgently, "Chang Yue! Steady! Don’t move! I’ll catch you!"
He rushed toward her, but her sword suddenly tilted upward, shooting straight up like lightning. After a burst of speed, it halted abruptly, swaying violently again. Baili Changyue’s balance faltered—she was on the verge of falling.Ye Ye lunged but missed. Just as he was about to give chase, he saw her sword streak like a meteor toward the cliff face of the island. At that speed, even if she didn’t fall to her death, the impact would leave her half-dead. It was too late to intervene now. Baili Changyue’s body, like a helpless and fragile little bird, slammed violently into the unyielding cliff. The stone sword beneath her feet, no longer enveloped in spiritual energy, plummeted into the abyss, and she too fell limply after it.
“Sister!” Baili Gelin shrieked, leaping after her without hesitation. Li Fei desperately reached out to grab her but missed. Suddenly, Ye Ye, still on the opposite side, leaped from his stone sword and caught Baili Changyue mid-fall. With no sword beneath him now, he held her tightly as the three of them tumbled downward. Several nearby disciples, unable to dodge in time, were struck, and two or three were knocked off their swords, falling into the abyss.
The sudden turn of events left Li Fei frozen in shock. By the time she regained her senses, three figures streaked like lightning into the abyss, vanishing into the mist. Moments later, they reappeared—Hu Jiaping and the other two instructors, each clutching a disciple, their faces pale with fright.
“What the hell are you brats doing?!” Hu Jiaping roared. “How could you fall after all this time learning sword flying?!”
The children were too terrified to speak. Miao Lanxin examined Baili Changyue in his grasp and sighed. “She’s severely injured and needs immediate treatment.”
“Severely injured?” Hu Jiaping exclaimed. “She didn’t even hit the ground! Stop being ridiculous, you little fools! Tell me what just happened!”
Li Fei rushed forward. The thought of Gelin, Changyue, and Ye Ye nearly falling into the abyss left her breathless, and for a moment, she almost leaped after them in a reckless impulse. Now, seeing her friends temporarily safe, she couldn’t hold back her tears. Much of her usual composure had been a forced act, and now, overwhelmed, her mind went blank.
“Why are you crying? What happened just now?” Hu Jiaping hated dealing with weeping girls. “Stop crying! What was—watch out! Move!”
Before Li Fei could react, a gust of wind and a shadow loomed overhead. She looked up just as a tremendous force struck her, sending her stone sword flying and hurling her backward. In that split second, she felt her back collide with someone else. Amid the screams, she had no time to see anything before dense mist swallowed her.
“Damn it!” Hu Jiaping immediately dove after her on his sword, but all three instructors were already holding other disciples. By the time they set them down and gave chase, it was too late.
“All disciples, assemble in the Martial Training Field! No one moves!” he barked, then turned to the others. “Instructors Miao and Luo, take these children to the Disciple Room and fetch Zuoqiu Xiansheng!”
One mishap after another—who could endure this? What was wrong with the Academy this year?
The terrified children huddled in the Martial Training Field, some of the more timid girls even crying. No one had imagined that sword flying could lead to such a fall. The recent events were too horrifying, and now no one dared to attempt sword flying again, all keeping far from the island’s edge.Hu Jiaping took out the disciple roster and began calling names. After three rounds of roll call, he confirmed that no disciples remained in the Disciple Room or elsewhere, finally realizing that three disciples had fallen. These three... truly, misfortunes never come singly.
Though he hadn't witnessed Baili Changyue's group falling, he'd clearly seen Jiang Lifei's accident. Lei Xiuyuan had plummeted from above and crashed into her, sending the petite girl flying. By sheer coincidence, Ji Tongzhou happened to be sword flying past and was struck by her midair. Thus, all three had tumbled down. What made it worse was that these three all possessed rare single-attribute Spirit Roots—losing even one would be devastating, let alone three at once.
The pressing questions were: Why had Lei Xiuyuan fallen? And how had Baili Changyue sustained such severe injuries?
Puzzled, Hu Jiaping noticed the remaining disciples were too terrified to sword fly back to the Disciple Room after witnessing the accidents. Deciding not to push them, he instructed them to wait at the Martial Training Field while he flew to the Disciple Room alone.
Zuoqiu Xiansheng was already examining Baili Changyue's injuries. Her clothes were soaked in blood, as if she'd crashed into something hard—half her bones seemed shattered.
Hu Jiaping approached silently, at a loss for words. Too many incidents had occurred since Zuoqiu Xiansheng's return. If these were coincidences, they were far too convenient.
Wood Elemental Spiritual Energy soon enveloped Baili Changyue's body, with an icy-blue healing net forming over her. Wisps of aquatic spiritual energy mended her broken form. Zuoqiu Xiansheng glanced at the other unconscious children and remarked, "At least she's the only one injured. Teacher Miao, do you have her sword?"
Miao Lanxin wordlessly handed over three stone swords, looking ashamed. "I don't know which is hers. I only managed to grab these."
Taking the swords, Zuoqiu Xiansheng channeled spiritual energy into them. Testing two yielded nothing, but with the third, his expression shifted slightly.
"The spiritual energy channels inside this stone sword have been damaged," he said, inspecting it closely. "The perpetrator's control over spiritual energy was extremely precise—beyond what even elite disciples could manage. This was deliberate."
Hu Jiaping paled. "Who would do this? Is someone targeting the Academy?"
Zuoqiu Xiansheng ignored the question, continuing, "The girl's injuries came from hitting the cliff face. With her sword's channels destroyed, she lost control and fell... You said three others fell too?"
After Hu Jiaping recounted what he'd seen, Zuoqiu Xiansheng pondered before speaking. "It seems Lei Xiuyuan fell for the same reason. While this appears provocative, there's more to it. Wasn't Lei Xiuyuan previously afflicted by Nightmare Art? This was likely another attack on him."
Hu Jiaping frowned. "But wasn't the culprit that woman from the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly? She fell into the restricted area—she couldn't have escaped so soon. Could they have accomplices? Is the Assembly challenging us? Or do they have some grudge against that boy Lei Xiuyuan?"Zuoqiu Xiansheng smiled faintly and said, "The members of the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly are all low-key individuals. With the Sea Fall approaching, they are too preoccupied with their own affairs to bother provoking our Mountain Sect. Lei Xiuyuan is merely a child with a clear and uncomplicated background—how could he be connected to the Ocean Sect? That woman from the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly doesn’t possess profound cultivation; she couldn’t have severed the veins of the Stone sword. Moreover, though she only spoke a few words, she clearly has a rough and impatient temperament—hardly the type to act with such meticulousness, let alone employ Nightmare Art. The one who tampered with the sword must be an extremely cautious and careful individual. Only someone exceptionally attentive could have discerned and severed those veins. The one who used Nightmare Art and severed the Stone sword’s veins is likely the same person."
Seeing his reasoning was well-founded and logically sound, Hu Jiaping couldn’t help but ask, "Does the master already suspect who it might be? And what is their purpose?"
Zuoqiu Xiansheng did not answer, merely lowering his head in silence as he stroked the sword.
Hu Jiaping pondered carefully, then suddenly paled in realization. "Could it... could it be that person just now..."
It was already strange for a Celestial of Zhen Yunzi’s stature to suddenly appear at the Academy. Star Rectitude Hall, a renowned and prestigious sect, had always prided itself on its aloofness. Even if the Academy had a few prodigies this year, they would never stoop to sending someone to spy. Moreover, after Zhen Yunzi’s inexplicable arrival, he swiftly exposed Lin You and implicated Lei Xiuyuan in the Nightmare Art incident. While it all seemed like a natural coincidence, upon closer inspection, there were many unnatural elements.
Furthermore, severing the veins of the Stone sword with Spiritual energy—Hu Jiaping knew he couldn’t do it, and none of the other masters present likely could either. Aside from Zuoqiu Xiansheng, the only one capable was Zhen Yunzi.
But why? What benefit would Star Rectitude Hall gain from targeting the Academy?
Zuoqiu Xiansheng’s expression darkened as he murmured, "Without evidence, this is mere speculation. Do not speak recklessly. In my view, it’s likely a personal grudge... The Academy must not provoke conflict first. This person’s sect holds immense influence, and stirring needless infighting between sects would be unwise. Starting today, the Academy will erect a Spiritual Qi Net—not a single bird or insect will be allowed in or out. I will immediately summon the other founders to discuss this matter. As for those three disciples who fell into the Restricted area, they should be unharmed, especially since Young Master Mo and A Mu are down there. Jiaping, after using the Passenger Boat to return the other disciples to their rooms, go down and search for them—alone."
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