It was only later that Ji Tongzhou learned their group had actually been the first to pass the test—and also the most severely injured. Especially Jiang Lifei. Zuoqiu Xiansheng said if they had arrived any later, she would have certainly died.
Pushing open the door, he found the sun already setting in the west. Just then, he caught sight of Hu Jiaping hurrying over, still wearing his Mianfu robes, clearly having had no time to change. Spotting Ji Tongzhou emerging, Hu Jiaping’s eyebrows immediately lifted.
"You all had quite the adventure," he said, walking up to the despondent and regretful boy and patting his shoulder. "Don’t be upset. All the academy founders are inside—none of them will come to harm."
Ji Tongzhou remained silent for a long time before suddenly asking in a hoarse voice, "Jiang Lifei… she really won’t die, will she?"
She had saved him. Among the four of them, only she knew Earth Defense. If she hadn’t exhausted every last drop of her spiritual energy to erect two layers of defense at the end, he would have been severely injured too.
A wave of intense self-loathing washed over him. He had always believed himself the strongest in their group, but in reality, he wasn’t. Baili Gelin wielded Wood Element Immortal Techniques with remarkable flexibility, and at the critical moment, it was her who restrained the Tutelary Croc’s movements. Lei Xiuyuan, needless to say, was sharp-minded, quick and precise in tactical arrangements. Even Jiang Lifei had saved his life in the end. As for himself? Aside from impatience and more impatience, he hadn’t contributed anything useful.
What he found hardest to accept wasn’t just being saved by a girl—it was finally seeing his true self clearly.
Hu Jiaping, unusually gentle, reassured him, "How could an Immortal disciple die so easily? Don’t worry. You’ve all passed this test. Put your mind at ease and go rest."
Ji Tongzhou shook his head. "I want to wait for them."
"Baili Gelin and Lei Xiuyuan won’t recover until tomorrow. As for that little girl, it’ll probably take several days. You look terrible—go back now and return tomorrow."
With a light push from Hu Jiaping, Ji Tongzhou found himself stepping out of the courtyard. In the distance, he saw Lan Ya and a few sycophants rushing over. The moment she spotted him, Lan Ya’s eyes reddened again, and she began sniffling and crying. The sycophants crowded around, their flattering words rising in chorus, but he only felt irritation. He didn’t want to hear a single word—nor did he want to speak any.
Hu Jiaping quietly pushed open the door and slipped inside. In the inner room, Baili Gelin and Lei Xiuyuan lay on separate beds. Their injuries were superficial, but prolonged exposure to the Ferocious Beast’s Demon Qi had overwhelmed their bodies, leaving them unconscious.
The most severe case was the little girl in the innermost room. Three or four academy founders stood solemnly by her bed, their expressions grave. A bright, ice-blue Healing Net hovered over her, with each founder continuously channeling spiritual energy into it. Yet, judging by their expressions, the situation didn’t seem optimistic.
Hu Jiaping clenched his fists unconsciously, realizing his palms were drenched in sweat. He couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
"Zuoqiu Xiansheng," he called softly.
The white-haired elder nodded slightly and murmured, "Her injuries are too severe. All her ribs are shattered, and eighty percent of her internal organs are damaged. If not for the immense spiritual energy within her, she would have died on the spot. I’ve already given her the Taiye Golden Elixir, but whether it’s the elixir or the healing through spiritual energy recovery—these are merely the feeble efforts of mortals. Whether she lives or not still depends on fate."
Hu Jiaping’s mouth tasted faintly bitter. "This was my mistake," he muttered. "I shouldn’t have chosen the Ferocious Beast Tutelary Croc. I should have warned them beforehand…"The Ferocious beast Tutelary Croc possesses the art of feigning death, making it impossible to guard against.
Zuoqiu Xiansheng sighed, "Every disciple must undergo truly life-and-death trials to grow. A fall into the pit, a gain in your wit. You can remind them this time, but not every time. Constant protection will only cultivate fragile flowers unable to withstand storms. Those who emerge from the Academy become elite disciples, even direct disciples, no matter which sect they join. This is the very purpose of the Academy's founding. Go now. Staying here will only make you anxious. Don't let emotions cloud your judgment."
Hu Jiaping glanced quietly at Li Fei lying on the bed. Covered in blood with a sunken chest, her breathing was extremely faint. His heart raced, and he couldn't bear to look any longer. Gritting his teeth, he turned and left.
Is this what they call keeping her safe?
After an unknown amount of time, one of the founders suddenly spoke, "Continuing to channel spiritual energy is futile now. Whether she lives or dies depends on tonight. All we can do is wait for the outcome."
Everyone sighed deeply and withdrew their hands from the healing net. One particularly youthful-looking member remarked, "This child's innate talent is ordinary, yet her body contains an unusually abundant amount of spiritual energy—quite rare. She might not die. Perhaps by morning, she'll overcome this calamity."
Another sighed as well, "So young yet so righteous in spirit. Regardless of her aptitude, such broad-mindedness is characteristic of those destined for greatness. Let's hope fortune favors the virtuous."
Zuoqiu Xiansheng remained silent for a moment before saying, "Everyone may return. I'll keep watch tonight and inform you immediately if anything changes."
The room soon fell silent, with only the sound of uneven breathing flowing gently. Li Fei felt as if she were both asleep and awake—aware of everything happening around her yet unable to move or respond, her body devoid of sensation... Or perhaps that wasn't quite accurate. She couldn't even feel the existence of her own body.
Was this the feeling of death? Had her soul left her body? Why hadn't she gone to the underworld?
The thought that she might be dead brought a pang of sorrow. There was so much left undone—her Master, her senior brother, her cultivation, her friends... The four of them had finally grown close, and now she was dead. Strangely, these thoughts brought more numbness than grief. Perhaps because death was now inevitable? Sorrow and regret were meaningless; only numbness remained.
Then she suddenly remembered Ri Yan, who had been hiding as a strand of her hair. Now that she was dead, what would become of him?
The light before her eyes abruptly darkened, and she felt herself sinking. Was this the sensation of descending into the underworld?
Down, further down. After an unknowable time, an enormous Nine-tailed Fox appeared before her. Curled up in a massive ball, his nine long tails wrapped around himself as if in deep slumber.
Ri Yan? At the thought, Li Fei found herself before him. On his heaving back was something like a blood-red seal, pulsing with his breath. Could this be the seal he'd mentioned—the one that trapped his demon Qi during the Year of Calamity?
She wanted to reach out and touch the fox's lush, snow-white fur. As the thought formed, she seemed to regain a body. Slowly, she approached him and stroked his furry face twice—just as she'd imagined, soft and warm.The Nine-tailed Fox's large ears suddenly twitched, and his narrow, eerie green eyes slowly opened, staring at her for a long while. Suddenly, his eyes filled with astonishment: "Why do you look like this?! What happened to you?"
Li Fei smiled at him: "Ri Yan, I think I'm going to die. It's a shame Master and Eldest Brother couldn't be found. If I die, can you escape alone?"
His eyes instantly widened: "Die? How could you die! Do you know where this place is?"
She shook her head: "But I seem to be badly injured, beyond healing. During today's test, we encountered the Ferocious beast Tutelary Croc, and I was hit by its tail."
Ri Yan roared angrily: "What nonsense! How could a lowly Ferocious beast like that kill you!"
The way this fox stubbornly refused to accept the truth was oddly amusing. Li Fei stroked his furry face again—now she could finally touch him, but it was a shame she was dying.
"If I die, you should escape quickly. There are many founders in the Academy. If they catch you, you'll really be done for."
Ri Yan seemed unable to endure this foolish conversation any longer. He suddenly stood up, his nine long tails swaying dreamily. He lowered his head, his gaze burning as he stared at her and said, "This isn't the underworld—it's my consciousness. You've entered my consciousness and met me here. I'll only say this once, so listen well. First, you haven't shed your shell yet, so you can't die. Second, the fact that you've entered my consciousness means your body has suffered severe damage and you're about to be forced into a complete shell-shedding. Third, shedding your shell completely now would be disastrous for you. Instead of wasting time here with nonsense, you should focus on suppressing it."
Li Fei was stunned. She wasn't dead? Shell-shedding?
She stared blankly at him and couldn't help but ask, "You... still won't tell me... what I really am?"
Ri Yan said coolly, "What good would knowing that do you now? You're from the Central Land. Aside from having a special constitution, you're no different from ordinary people. Focus on cultivating immortality. In the future, your achievements will far surpass those Academy founders."
Was that a compliment? Had the sun risen from the west today? Ri Yan was actually praising her! Li Fei wanted to hold her jaw to keep it from dropping.
"Look at your stupid expression!" The enormous white Nine-tailed Fox sneered at her disdainfully. "Right now, you're just a fool! Get out of here!"
She panicked: "Wait, when will you wake up? Is there anything I can do to help you?"
"A few more days. You want to help me? Hmph, just use Spirit Inhalation and Exhalation more often! With the pitiful amount of Spiritual energy you have now, I'd be embarrassed to even use it to pick my teeth!"
After his haughty declaration, his long tail suddenly lashed out. Li Fei felt an immense force expelling her, as if trying to drive her out of this darkness. She shouted in desperation: "How do I suppress the shell-shedding? You didn't tell me!"
His voice grew faint: "How should I know? I'm not you!"
Before he could finish, his voice vanished entirely. Li Fei felt her body grow heavy, as if she had crashed into something hard. She let out a cry of pain and opened her eyes to a familiar ceiling—was this the same Disciple Room she'd slept in after falling into the Restricted area last time? Had she been thrown back just like that?The massive healing net was draped over her, with spiritual energy flowing back and forth. Her chest felt numb, completely devoid of sensation, despite the fatal wound there. She tried to lift her hand, but her body was unbearably heavy. Her once agile limbs now seemed encased in a cumbersome shell, and she even had the impulse to shed this oppressive husk.
Could this be what Ri Yan called molting? She dared not move again, lying still with her eyes closed. Unsure how to suppress the molting, she could only repeat to herself like a mantra, "This is my body, this is my body." After what felt like an eternity, the wound in her chest began to ache. Gradually, the slight pain intensified into unbearable agony, and she couldn't hold back a cry of pain.
Zuoqiu Xiansheng, in the outer room, heard her immediately. He hurried in, his face alight with joy. "You're awake?"
Li Fei, pale from the pain, murmured, "It hurts... I... can't take it..."
He reached out and touched her sweat-drenched face. His hand felt warm and gentle, and suddenly the pain seemed to recede. Her consciousness grew hazy—oh no, was she starting to molt again? But this body felt sleepy; perhaps it wasn't molting after all?
"Sleep. You won't hurt when you wake," Zuoqiu Xiansheng's voice was faint, deepening her drowsiness. Unconsciously, she turned her head and saw the faint light of dawn outside the window.
Daybreak was near—that was her last thought before she sank into a deep, dreamless slumber.
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