"Master Zuoqiu, are you certain the child was afflicted by Star Rectitude Hall's Celestial Sound Word Spirit Great Art?" In the main hall of the academy, an elderly man with graying hair and beard inquired solemnly.
The main hall was unusually crowded with several founding members that day. Since the matter involved a prestigious sect like Star Rectitude Hall, everyone treated it with utmost caution.
Master Zuoqiu replied calmly, "The Word Spirit mark has been removed by me. Judging by the level of power, it must have been left by a Celestial of elder rank."
A remarkably youthful-looking man pondered and said, "If so, it was indeed Zhen Yunzi who acted. Did the child say anything?"
Master Zuoqiu sighed lightly, "The child is exceptionally resilient and intelligent. I suspect he knows everything in his heart but refuses to speak. He likely understands that speaking would serve no purpose."
"Inter-sect conflicts seem unlikely. Zhen Yunzi has been stuck at his bottleneck for over fifty years—he probably lacks the energy to stir trouble. This is most likely a personal grudge. Our intervention might only provoke sect-wide repercussions. Let's set this aside for now, though it's unfortunate for those children," the elderly man shook his head.
"You mentioned the East Sea Myriad Immortals Assembly in your message yesterday. What's that about?" another founder asked. "Though the Mountain Sect and Ocean Sect bear no enmity, they've always kept to their own domains. By extending a favor to the Myriad Immortals Assembly, do you have some greater plan in mind?"
Master Zuoqiu smiled, "The Sea Fall comes once every five hundred years. In the past, both the Ocean and Mountain Sects suffered greatly from it. With the Sea Fall approaching, why shouldn't the two sects join forces? Though their cultivation methods differ, there are still opportunities for collaboration."
The youthful-looking man expressed surprise, "This matter is too monumental. The Immortals of both sects are as numerous as stars. How can our academy alone facilitate such an alliance?"
"Every great undertaking needs a pair of hands to give it the initial push. What follows cannot be determined by anyone—we can only observe how destiny unfolds. Why shouldn't our academy be that initial push?"
After a long silence, one member said, "Let's first observe this year's disciple selection. If the Myriad Immortals Assembly accepts this goodwill, they'll surely respond accordingly. We'll wait and see."
Another sighed, "The five-hundred-year Sea Fall is truly a calamity. In the past, major sects sent numerous envoys to investigate beyond the seas, but after all these years, no news has returned."
Master Zuoqiu also sighed, "Enough—there's no use discussing this further. The academy's Spiritual Qi Net will take two more days to complete. I request two more founders remain at the academy as a precaution. Tomorrow, a new instructor will arrive, and I'll arrange subsequent cultivation matters."
The Spiritual Qi Net at Young Phoenix Academy took a full three days to complete. The disciples were thus given a three-day holiday—something they hadn't enjoyed since arriving at the academy. Though each continued their daily cultivation, they inevitably became somewhat lax compared to before.
The impact of the recent sword-flying accident gradually faded. The academy reissued stone swords to the disciples, with the internal spiritual energy channels of each blade inspected by three academy founders to ensure absolute safety before distribution.It was said that Mo Yanfan had rescued Lin You and brought her back to the Fire Lotus Temple. No one knew exactly what methods A Jiao had used to hide her, but she was eventually found in an inn in a bustling city. True to her word, Lin You had been well-fed and well-cared for. By the time she was found, she had even gained some weight. Strangely, she had no recollection of being appointed as an instructor at the Academy, nor did she know why she had been staying at the inn for so long, or who had brought her there in the first place.
Since Lin You was unharmed and had even gained weight, and the Academy couldn’t provide any leads on the perpetrator, the Fire Lotus Temple had no choice but to let the matter drop, treating it as a minor incident.
However, this meant Lin You’s appointment as an instructor at the Academy had to be canceled. The new instructor for Water-based Immortal Techniques was another female disciple from the Fire Lotus Temple—gentle-spoken and shy, a stark contrast to the impostor Lin You from before.
After a three-day delay, training finally resumed. Hu Jiaping flipped through the student roster and announced, “Since the previous instructor Lin You was an impostor, the Spiritual Root Attribute Test results are void. We’ll retest everyone today. Two students’ attributes have changed. Unfortunately, that single Earth-attribute Spirit Root was an illusion—let’s all forget about it.”
Luo Chengji and Miao Lanxin sighed and shook their heads in disappointment. They had thought they’d witnessed a once-in-a-millennium single Earth-attribute Spirit Root, but it turned out to be a mistake. That fake Lin You had really caused a lot of trouble.
Hu Jiaping continued, “Aside from Water-based techniques, the foundational Immortal Techniques for Metal, Fire, Earth, and Wood have all been taught. Starting today, we’ll officially regroup into teams of four, with each instructor leading one team for focused training. Two months from now, once Water-based techniques are completed, we’ll hold a test on the five elemental foundational Immortal Techniques. To avoid the hassle of regrouping again—and to save me some effort—you brats better all pass. If anyone fails, don’t bother leaving—I’ll just toss you down below.”
This regrouping was far more deliberate than the previous random trio assignments based on dormitories. Beyond balancing the five elements—Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—they also had to consider individual aptitudes. For example, weaker students couldn’t be grouped with the strongest, as it would be detrimental to both sides. After careful consideration of aptitudes and elemental balance, the new four-person teams were finalized.
As it turned out, Li Fei was still grouped with Ji Tongzhou and Lei Xiuyuan, but this time, Baili Gelin joined them. Among the four, Ji Tongzhou had a single Fire attribute, Lei Xiuyuan a single Metal attribute, Li Fei was primarily Water with a secondary Earth attribute, and Baili Gelin was primarily Wood with a secondary Water attribute—just enough to cover all five elements.
When Li Fei heard she was grouped with Baili Gelin, her heart leaped with joy. Baili Gelin, beaming, immediately ran over, grabbed her hand, and swung it excitedly. “This is great, Li Fei! We’re finally in the same group! I’ve always wanted to be with you!”
She seemed genuinely happy, with no trace of gloom on her face. Li Fei felt slightly relieved. She loved seeing Gelin like this—carefree and cheerful. Whatever had been weighing on her before, Li Fei hoped she could leave those shadows behind.
Ye Ye and Baili Changyue came over as well. Ye Ye grinned and lightly tapped Baili Gelin’s head. “Well, now that you’re in Li Fei’s group, don’t drag her down.”
Baili Gelin stuck out her tongue at him and laughed. “I know you’re thrilled! Now that I’m out of the way, you can spend time alone with my sister!”"Small in size but big in heart," Ye Ye tapped her head again and was about to speak when a male disciple approached from behind. Blushing, he whispered something to Baili Gelin, who immediately said, "Sis, you guys chat first. I've got something to attend to."
The three of them watched silently as she walked away arm-in-arm with the boy. Baili Changyue mused, "Gelin seems a bit off. Her heartbeat was so loud when she saw that boy."
Ye Ye chuckled and took her hand, saying leisurely, "The little one has reached that age. Truly small in size but big in heart."
Baili Changyue still looked puzzled. "No, what I mean is... she's never been like this before."
Ye Ye smiled. "It's good for her to make more friends. Don't worry so much."
With that, he nodded at Li Fei and led Baili Changyue away. Li Fei still didn't understand their cryptic conversation. She watched Baili Gelin's retreating figure—standing far off with the boy, whispering intimately, now laughing, now pursing her lips, her expressions more vivid and lively than ever. The tears from days ago seemed like a dream.
Soon, Hu Jiaping approached with a grin, patting Li Fei on the shoulder and whispering, "So? I arranged for all your old acquaintances. Happy? No more squabbles in your trio this time?"
So it was his doing. Li Fei felt both exasperated and amused. This teacher was always so unserious.
"Sir, thank you for saving me in the Restricted Area," she said, realizing she hadn't thanked him yet. Now was the perfect opportunity.
Hu Jiaping grinned again. "From now on, I'll be guiding your group of four. The tough days are ahead. If any of you slack off in your training, I'll toss you overboard—and this time, no one will save you."
Li Fei was surprised. "Sir, what will you teach us?"
Hu Jiaping paused. "I'll teach you... uh, the Five Elements separately. Why?"
Li Fei gave a small "oh," her face betraying a hint of skepticism. She'd assumed he only taught Sword Flying and Alchemical Furnace cultivation, having never seen him do anything else.
Hu Jiaping immediately felt insulted. "Hey! What's that look for? I'm a direct disciple of No Moon Court's Guangwei Zhenren! What's going on in that little head of yours? Don't just stay silent!"
Well, after two months of seeing him idle about, she'd practically lumped him together with the lizard demon who cooked at the northern eatery.
"Alright, enough joking," Hu Jiaping coughed, rubbing his nose. After a moment's thought, he suddenly asked, "By the way, about your Master... is there anything more you can tell me?"
At the mention of her Master, Li Fei immediately grew excited. "Do you have any leads on him? Or on the senior disciple?"
"No, nothing," Hu Jiaping quickly denied, looking slightly troubled. "It's just that there's too little information about your Master. The more you share, the easier it'll be to inquire within No Moon Court."
Last time, she had indeed been too vague. Li Fei recounted in detail how her Master had adopted her—a scruffy old man who loved alcohol, always had a pipe in hand, wore a perpetual grin, knew a smattering of Arcane Arts, and spent his days dragging her around to swindle people by posing as a great immortal.Hu Jiaping listened intently, remaining silent for a long time after she finished speaking. Finally, he murmured as if talking to himself, "Ten years ago... pulled from the river..."
He fell into deep thought, silently gazing at her without a word.
"Sir, does any of this ring a bell?" Li Fei asked anxiously.
After a long silence, Hu Jiaping spoke softly, "Apart from me, have you told anyone else about these things?"
Well... quite a few people knew about it... Li Fei couldn't even count how many were aware.
He continued, "I've noted down all the details about your adoption. I'll make inquiries for you as soon as possible. And..." He hesitated before adding, "Don't speak of these matters to others from now on."
"Why?"
Hu Jiaping replied calmly, "I fear your Master might have been fleeing from enemies. He left you to avoid implicating you. If you keep telling people about him and someone with ill intentions hears, what if they capture you to use as leverage?"
This was something she'd never considered! Li Fei recalled how she'd mentioned her Master to many people during her journey. Though never in as much detail as today, it was still inappropriate. She nodded hurriedly, "You're right, sir. I won't speak of it again."
He reached out and patted her head, his hand resting on her crown for a long while. For some reason, Li Fei thought she glimpsed a fleeting shadow of sorrow cross his face - so brief it might have been an illusion.
"Don't worry. Since your senior brother is a heaven-sent genius, he'll surely keep you safe."
His voice was very soft. The hand on her head soon withdrew as he turned and walked away.
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