Everything has been going well since I entered Tianshu Academy…
I thought it would be hard to make friends in a short time, but after I beat a few of them, we became much more familiar…
Kuang Cheng became the top scholar, and he hopes I become the Master-in-charge. I've inquired, the Master-in-charge hasn't taken any Personal Disciples, but he's over three hundred years old, so I might not outlive him…
That’s it for now. Live well. Young Master will find time to go back.
After replying to Old Qiu, Ji You left Bishui Lake Garden and met up with Lu Qingqiu and the others.
It wasn't just the six of them; there was also Ban Yangshu and another Outer Courtyard Disciple named Ji Qirui, whose family was originally a Worldly Family to Lu Qingqiu's family, and he also had some connections with the Inner Courtyard Master-in-charge of Tianshu Academy.
He hadn't met Ji You before, but he had heard about the commotion he caused in the Outer Courtyard, and his eyes were full of curiosity.
“Is this the one who observed the Heavenly Book?”
“That’s right.”
Ban Yangshu nodded, gazing at Ji You.
He heard the other day that Ji You didn't consume Medicinal Pills or use Spirit Stones, yet he had already condensed five streams of Mystic Light, which filled him with admiration.
He himself was still stuck in the Tongxuan Upper Realm after entering the Inner Courtyard, unable to achieve Integration Dao, but Ji You possessed such great perseverance that he might go further than himself.
A private Cultivator from the countryside, he was truly Heaven-Defying all the way.
Amidst their brief conversation, the group traveled by Spiritual Qi and arrived at Hongding Restaurant in the eastern part of the city.
This building is quite famous in the capital, claiming to be the number one building in the world, and only descendants of Immortal Sects and imperial relatives are qualified to enter.
Inside, both the shopkeeper and the waiters are Cultivators of the Lower Three Realms; while this cultivation might not be much in Tianshu Academy, it is considerable among the common people.
As the few of them took their seats, there were courtesans singing and dancing gracefully, a delightful sight.
Bai Rulong and Qian Yunxiao were very excited, thinking they had come to the right place; it was when watching these things that their Dao Heart was most clear!
Only Ji You, for some unknown reason, had a vision of a fragrant, fair, jade-like foot violently kicking him in his mind, which made the women in front of him seem somewhat common and vulgar.
Oh no, could it be that I have some extraordinary preference?
Ji You couldn't help but drink the wine in his cup, feeling a bit stimulated.
Ban Yangshu had been observing him all this time, and at this moment, he couldn't help but sigh slightly.
He had no distracting thoughts even before Ascension to Immortal Ascension, and he even disdained physical beauty; no wonder he could sense the Heavenly Book.
Such a clear Dao Heart also showed that this child was indeed extraordinary.
Subsequently, the dishes were served, and the banquet officially began. Lu Qingqiu, as the host, spoke some very polite words.
Her family was in the Spirit Mine business and intended to befriend those with extraordinary talent, especially someone like Ban Yangshu.
Although the Yunzhou Ban Family was also a Worldly Family, it had actually been in decline for a long time. If Ban Yangshu didn't make further progress, he would have to leave the academy on his own, and even if he returned home, he wouldn't achieve anything. He would naturally choose to join other forces.
The Tongxuan Upper Realm might not be much in Tianshu Academy, but outside, it was still a top-tier expert.
Lu Qingqiu’s voice was very pleasant, soft and gentle, melodious and lingering, like a spring breeze caressing one's face, making everyone at the table smile.
Only Ji You listened for a long time, and his heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
Oh no, I really don't seem to like gentle ones…
Besides the polite words, Lu Qingqiu also asked something that made Bai Rulong, Qian Yunxiao, and the others very curious: what exactly was the Inner Courtyard like?
Speaking of this, a sense of pride naturally appeared on Ban Yangshu's face.
“The Inner Courtyard has thousands of Disciples, divided into five halls: Zizai Hall, Jixiang Hall, Chang Sheng Dian, Dustless Hall, and Wuyu Hall. I belong to Zizai Hall, and Junior Brother Ji is the same as me.”
“The Inner Courtyard also has Instructors whose Dao methods are profound, but Personal Disciples can be personally taught by the Hall Master.”
“Currently, Zizai Hall and Dustless Hall have Personal Disciples and are relatively peaceful, but the other three major halls are constantly vying for power, very similar to the Outer Courtyard.”
“That Junior Brother who entered the Inner Courtyard last year was quite ambitious and chose Chang Sheng Dian, vowing to obtain a Personal Disciple spot. This year…”
Ban Yangshu looked at Ji You, thinking that this year's Inner Courtyard spot would probably belong to him alone.
Ah, Junior Brother Ji is truly focused and engrossed when eating.
Ji Qirui was more concerned about another matter. He raised his cup to Ji You and said, “Junior Brother Ji, I’ve heard a lot about you in the Inner Courtyard. I heard you not only comprehended the Heavenly Book but also practice Dual Cultivation of Martial Dao?”
When rumors about Ji You circulated in Tianshu Academy, two terms were always included: private Cultivator from the countryside and Dual Cultivation of Martial Dao.
This was to create a contrast and to prove that his talent was indeed extraordinary.
It was much like the saying, “Even though he goes to the internet cafe every day, he still ranks first in his grade every time. Isn’t that infuriating?”
Ji You looked up upon hearing this and replied, “That’s right, I know a little about Fist and foot techniques.”
“But Martial Skills are ultimately minor Dao. With your extraordinary talent, why waste time on this?”
“It’s a personal hobby.”
Upon hearing this, Ban Yangshu said, “In fact, pure Dao Cultivators are mostly in the north, while there are many Martial Dao Dual Cultivators in the south. The character ‘Jian’ in spirit mirror Mountain was changed because the previous Master-in-charge was a sword fanatic.”
Lu Qingqiu, Bai Rulong, Qian Yunxiao, and the others listened intently, nodding continuously, but in their hearts, they actually agreed more with Ji Qirui’s idea.
The south has many small countries and frequent conflicts, so the practice of martial arts has been passed down for thousands of years.
But habit is habit; no matter what, Martial Skills ultimately do not help in cultivating the Dao.
Senior Brother Ban was famously eloquent in the Inner Courtyard, always able to say things people liked to hear.
As time passed, the dishes on the banquet table gradually ran out, and the night outside the window grew deeper.
The few who were originally unfamiliar with each other were now chatting happily, and even Ji You would occasionally say a few words. During this time, Lu Qingqiu suggested inviting them to be guests at the Yunzhou Lu Family, and everyone readily agreed.
This was Lu Qingqiu's purpose in hosting.
If she couldn't enter the Inner Courtyard, she wouldn't stay long in Tianshu Academy, but inviting some people back was still a gain.
The drum on the city tower signaled the third watch, and the few of them left the restaurant.
At this moment, the sky outside was incredibly deep. There were no longer any people in the city, only some Immortal Cultivators who gathered Spiritual Qi to ward off the cold passing through the streets.
Shengjing is the center of the mundane world, and it is not uncommon for the Seven Great Immortal Sects to dispatch their Sect-outside walkers, who are not bound by the curfew.
However, upon reaching Yong’an Gate, Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui suddenly stopped and couldn't help but look around.
Then, Ji You also frowned and looked towards the dark place where there were no lights.
For some reason, they had just felt a malicious aura lingering nearby, but it quickly vanished.
Lu Qingqiu only had two streams of Mystic Light, so she naturally wasn't as sensitive as Ji You in matters of “Tongxuan” and didn't notice anything.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, perhaps…”
Just as Ji You was about to answer, his body, without thinking, suddenly raised his hand and pushed Lu Qingqiu, who was standing in front of him, away.
Then, his body quickly leaned back, and he retreated a zhang amidst the surging Qi waves beneath his feet.
It was also at this instant that a pair of crimson eyes were exposed in the darkness. The assailant was shrouded in Evil Qi, which permeated the air, and moved as fast as lightning, grabbing with five fingers formed into hooks.
Seeing the two evade, the shadowy figure suddenly darted and directly seized Bai Rulong and Qian Yunxiao.
“Evil Seed?”
“How can an Evil Seed appear in Shengjing?”
Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui were greatly alarmed and immediately drew their swords, striking horizontally at the Evil Seed with a resounding sword hum.
Just as they were about to cut the person down, an muffled sound came from the other side of the night. The two instinctively turned around and saw a white electric light instantly strike, its sound like splitting a mountain.
“Rongdao Realm?!”
“Quickly retreat, don’t fight head-on!”
Ban Yangshu pulled Ji Qirui back, and a scorched mark instantly appeared on the ground, the original stone bricks exploding into dust with a “bang.”
But after this lightning spell fell, the opponent did not stop. Instead, he gathered lightning in his palm again, stepped out with fierce wind waves, and slapped forward horizontally.
Ban Yangshu and Ji Qirui rolled to dodge, then struck with horizontal fists, their Fist Intent as fierce as mighty wind and thunder.
However, the opponent was always one Realm higher, directly blocking with a backhand, then striking with a fist, sweeping across the shoulders of the two, like an iron hammer smashing down hard.
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