August 19th, light rain.
The Spiritual Qi Net that had been erected around the Academy had been completely removed today. Celestials from various sects shuttled endlessly through the skies, and the clamor from the grand Martial Training Field in the west could be heard from afar. This was the Academy's annual grand event—only on the day when major Immortal Sects selected new disciples would the Academy be so lively.
Before the hour of Chen had even arrived, the disciples reluctantly left the Disciple Rooms they had lived in for a year, watching helplessly as the lizard demon women locked the gates. The place would be thoroughly cleaned to welcome the incoming new disciples.
Sixteen disciples gathered in the open space before the Disciple Rooms. No one spoke; all remained silent, listening to the bustling noise from the western island. The fifteen-day break had temporarily eased the children's sorrow of parting, but now, the livelier it became, the more an indescribable feeling welled up in their hearts. The delayed pang of separation was only now beginning to surface.
Hu Jiaping had donned his Mianfu Robes again today, standing at the edge of the island with a smile as he gazed into the distance. Of the Academy's five instructors, only he remained; the other four had returned to their respective sects to continue their cultivation.
"Why is everyone so quiet?" He turned back to look at the silent disciples. "Take this chance to laugh more and see more. The next time you return to the Academy, it'll be as instructors."
His words only deepened the children's melancholy, with several female disciples even tearing up.
Hu Jiaping couldn't help but laugh. "Why be sad? You should be happy! Look—so many powerful Celestials and renowned sects are gathered over there, all for you. Once you become formal disciples of an Immortal Sect, there’ll be even more interesting things ahead! Isn’t it wonderful to return here as instructors someday and share your own cultivation stories with new disciples?"
The light drizzle dampened the children's hair as they all stared toward the western island, where numerous Immortal Sects awaited—one of which would become their new home.
"Ge Lin, have you decided which sect you want to join?" Li Fei whispered. Ye Ye had already chosen the Earth Treasury Gate, but she didn’t know if the sisters would go together.
Baili Gelin loosened the belt of her Disciple uniform and replied indifferently, "Not yet. I'll see. Ugh, I ate too well these past few days at the prince's residence—my belt is tight. A life of luxury really is harmful."
Li Fei didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Suddenly, several boys who had always been close to Baili Gelin approached, their expressions serious. The one leading them, a boy surnamed Zhao, spoke up: "Ge Lin, I’m planning to join the Embrace Sky Sect. Will you come with me?"
The other boys also named the sects they intended to join, asking if she would go with them. Baili Gelin froze for a long moment but didn’t answer, only smiling sweetly at them. Her smile silenced their arguments, and they exchanged glances before finally pushing the Zhao boy forward again. He stammered, "G-Ge Lin... which one do you like? Who do you want to join the same sect with? It’s the last day—you should at least decide now."
The boys had likely spent their break reflecting and finally saw through Ge Lin’s charms, now laying their cards on the table and refusing to play childish games any longer.
Baili Gelin smiled gently and said in a soft voice, "I’ll go with whoever treats me best. Who do you think that is?"The little boys exchanged glances again, but this time they weren’t fooled by her as before. The boy surnamed Zhao frowned and said, “You’re nice to everyone—it’s not sincere at all! You don’t really like anyone, that’s why you say things like this! You’re a bad girl!”
Baili Gelin’s expression turned cold. After a moment, she replied icily, “Yes, I’m a bad girl. Stay or leave, it’s up to you. It’s not like I forced you to be nice to me. How ridiculous.”
The boys hadn’t expected her to say such things and immediately began arguing around her. Baili Gelin frowned. “What are you doing? Not happy? Did I ever beg you? If you’re unhappy, just leave. Who asked you to fawn over me?”
Li Fei stood nearby, flustered and unsure how to mediate. Should she comfort the boys by saying Gelin truly liked them? Or comfort Gelin by saying the boys all liked her? Something about this whole situation felt off…
Ye Ye shook his head in exasperation. “What a mess!”
He had always disapproved of Gelin’s behavior and simply washed his hands of her.
After arguing for a while, the boys eventually scattered. Baili Gelin stood alone at the edge of the island, her damp little braids swaying in the wind, but she herself remained motionless. Worried, Li Fei approached and whispered, “Ge Lin… are you okay?”
Baili Gelin turned her head and smiled faintly. “See? These are the people who claimed to like me, yet in the end, they all left me in a huff.”
Li Fei hesitated. “That… isn’t really liking someone, is it?”
Shouldn’t genuine affection be mutual and exclusive?
“Right, it’s not liking at all.” Baili Gelin continued to smile. “Even in the rain, the Academy’s scenery is still so beautiful. Don’t you want to take it all in? You won’t get to see it much longer.”
Now that she mentioned it, it really was beautiful. Li Fei stood beside her, and the two admired the Academy’s rain-drenched scenery together.
Suddenly, Hu Jiaping adjusted his rain-drenched ceremonial hat, stood up, and summoned a cloud beneath his feet. “Alright, follow me.”
The children held their breaths in excitement, lining up neatly before flying on their swords toward the Martial Training Field. The vast field was already packed with people, making even Ji Tongzhou a little nervous. He muttered, “There are so many Immortal Sects here?”
He searched for a long time but couldn’t spot anyone from Star Rectitude Hall in the dense crowd and finally gave up.
The enormous Martial Training Field was lined with white stone tables and chairs arranged in concentric circles from the edge inward. The sixteen disciples landed neatly in the center, their legs trembling nervously at the sight of the sea of onlookers. How exactly would the new disciple selection proceed? Would they have to fight each other in matches?
Hu Jiaping grinned. “Look at all these people—they’re all here for you today.”
This year’s cohort had only sixteen disciples, but each was a rare talent. In recent years, the major Immortal Sects had largely stopped accepting ordinary disciples. With the Sea Fall’s arrival, only prodigies were sought now—some children with exceptional aptitude could even achieve immortality in just a few decades. The records detailing the sixteen disciples had already been thoroughly scrutinized by the elders, with Lei Xiuyuan and Ji Tongzhou naturally becoming the most sought-after candidates. As soon as the disciples arrived, a wave of murmurs surged through the crowd, everyone searching for Lei Xiuyuan and Ji Tongzhou.Previously, there was talk of a female disciple with a single earth attribute Spirit Root that had various Immortal Sects rubbing their hands in anticipation, ready to make their move. Unfortunately, Zuoqiu Xiansheng later personally retested her Spirit Root attributes, revealing a mediocre primary water and secondary earth combination, dashing everyone's hopes for nothing.
Naturally, the five elemental Spirit Root attributes have their common and rare distinctions. Attributes like water and wood are so abundant they're practically overflowing—nothing special at all. Metal and earth attributes are the rare ones—one excels in attack power, the sharpest spear, while the other is an impenetrable shield, the sturdiest defense. Some minor sects would weep with joy just to have a Celestial with a primary metal Spirit Root.
This year, the two prestigious sects, No Moon Court and Star Rectitude Hall, had the most attendees, each bringing over a hundred members—mostly elders from various branches and divisions, each accompanied by one male and one female disciple.
Dongyang Zhenren scrutinized all sixteen disciples but couldn't spot the little girl he had sent here that day. Greatly puzzled, he turned and grabbed Zuoqiu Xiansheng, asking, "Where's that little girl? Wasn't she supposed to be here this year?"
Zuoqiu Xiansheng glanced at Li Fei and smiled faintly. "Isn't that her over there?"
Dongyang Zhenren saw her clear spirit, elegant bones, and delicate features. Even as a formidable Celestial, he couldn't help but be utterly astonished. "How has she changed so much?!"
He wasn't senile yet—it had only been a year. The girl he had sent from Green Mound to the Academy was dark as charcoal, looking seventy to eighty percent like a boy. How had she transformed like this in just a year? Though a closer look at her features did reveal some resemblance, and as the saying goes, "A girl changes eighteen times before adulthood," this child had changed far too drastically!
Zuoqiu Xiansheng laughed heartily. "The Academy's environment nurtures people well."
As they spoke, the sixteen disciples had already dispersed. The new disciple selection wasn't about competing against each other or standing around to be chosen. Sects could pick disciples, and disciples could also choose sects. Today, many elders from various Immortal Sects had come to let the children learn about the different sects and select the one most suited to them.
"The elders are all amiable—ask whatever you want," Hu Jiaping's words still echoed in their minds. "If you take a liking to a sect, you must pass their test to officially join. Each of you has three chances to choose different sects. But if you fail all three tests, well, there's no helping it—pack up and go home to farm."
The children scattered nervously, wandering aimlessly in different directions. Unexpectedly, many elders from the Immortal Sects swarmed forward, though most still maintained their dignity, remaining seated.
Li Fei scanned the crowd for a long time when suddenly she spotted a white-bearded old Celestial smiling at her from not far away, standing atop a large gourd—none other than No Moon Court's Dongyang Zhenren.
Her eyes lit up, and she hurried toward him, calling out, "Dongyang Xiansheng."
Dongyang Zhenren said warmly, "Little girl, I'm quite surprised you managed to pass all the Academy's tests."
Earlier, when he heard she had a single earth attribute, he had lamented for a while. But after Zuoqiu Xiansheng retested her, her Spirit Root attributes turned into the most common primary water and secondary earth, greatly diminishing the interest of various Immortal Sects.To be honest, what kind of prodigy hadn't the No Moon Court seen? All he knew about Li Fei's special constitution was that it could repel Demon Qi. He was unaware of what had happened in the Academy's restricted area, so he didn't think it was anything particularly extraordinary. Taking this little girl as a disciple was truly a bit of a dilemma.
But since he had made a promise a year ago, how could he go back on his word to a child? He then continued, "If you wish to enter the No Moon Court, you must first pass the elders' test to determine which branch you wish to join. If you want to become my disciple, you—"
Before he could finish, he suddenly sensed something—the bronze bell atop the Book Collection Pagoda rang melodiously. Another Immortal Sect had arrived.
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