Peace in the fairyland (7): Little stove¹

Amidst the groans, the test papers in front of the young disciples were taken away by the two immortals.

What followed was the time of waiting for the scores, which was even more stressful than the test itself, especially for those outer disciples who had ranked low in the last ten-day test. They felt like every second was a year. They wanted to know the results as soon as possible, but were also afraid to know the results. They even hoped that the results would never come out, and their hair was so tangled that it was about to stand on end.

The actual situation was that in less than an incense stick of time, the test scores of all the disciples came out. The young people who received the test papers again looked at the bright red scores on them with either relief or worry. No matter how they felt, they had to face the arrival of the second test.

The outer disciples and servants, totaling more than 1,200 people, were divided into two teams at this time. They lined up to have the two immortals check their progress in cultivation. According to the different progress of their cultivation, they would also receive four levels of “A, B, C, and D” and three types of scores of “High, Mid, and Low”.

The grading standard for cultivation progress was actually determined based on the performance of the same batch of disciples. For example, Li Shunchen, who was now at the third level of Qi training, should always get an “A-high” score if he were placed among the outer disciples of previous years.

But now, because his classmates included Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian, who were at the fifth level of Qi training, Li Shunchen could only get a score of “A-mid”. The three disciples at the second level of Qi training were rated “A-low”, and the rest of the disciples who broke through to the first level of Qi training were all rated “B-high”.

As for the disciples who had not made a breakthrough, who made up the vast majority of them, they would receive corresponding scores based on the amount of spiritual power they had accumulated in their bodies.

In less than half an hour, all the disciples’ cultivation scores came out.

Headmaster Dugu threw two scrolls of brocade into the air. Thousands of disciples immediately stared at the two scrolls of brocade, nervously waiting for the final comprehensive ranking to be announced.

As usual, one scroll of brocade displayed the achievements of the outer disciples, and the other scroll of brocade displayed the achievements of the servants.

After paying attention to their own rankings, everyone focused on the scores of the disciples at the end of the outer disciple rankings and the top of the servant rankings.

The monthly exam seemed to be better than the last ten-day exam. The scores of about twenty outer disciples were not as high as those of the top forty servants. In other words, these twenty people were in greater danger.

After giving everyone some time to react, Dugu Shanhai sternly warned:

“The rankings of your first monthly exam since you entered the sect have been announced. Although there will be no penalties for this monthly exam and the outer disciples will not be eliminated, some of you must not be complacent. Time is running out for you. If you don’t want to be eliminated, you must get a higher score.”

Although the custom was that the last ten outer disciples after the monthly exam would be eliminated and become servants, it also depended on the actual situation. If the scores of these ten people were higher than the top ten servants, they would naturally not be eliminated.

After the warning, Dugu Shanhai smiled again and said gently:

“Next, I will announce the rewards for the top ten students in this monthly exam. First, you will have the opportunity to enter the library to read.

In addition, other teaching immortals have prepared gifts for you.

In the Talisman Class, Immortal Song has prepared various talismans for you, in the Alchemy Class, Immortal Luo has prepared Guyuan Pills for you, and in the weapon refining Class, Immortal Zhao has prepared storage bags for you.”

Having said that, Master Dugu waved his hand, and ten rewards flew to the outer disciples who ranked in the top ten in the overall score.

However, the people around could only see a bunch of purse-shaped storage bags, and no one could see what was inside the storage bags.

What they could see was that after receiving the storage bags, some people immediately showed expressions of surprise on their faces, which was enough to show that the rewards they received were quite generous.

Thinking of this, everyone couldn’t help but look at Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian. Speaking of generous rewards, these two guys who ranked in the top two should have received the most rewards.

As a result, after Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian took the storage bag and examined it, they hung the storage bag around their waists with a normal look on their faces, without revealing any expression, which disappointed those who wanted to peek in on the excitement.

Headmaster Dugu was very satisfied with these talented disciples and gently reminded them:

“Okay, the ten of you should head to the library now.”

After finishing speaking, Immortal Dugu Shanhai and Immortal Hua Manyue left the lecture hall together, leaving the space to the young people.

Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian had been looking forward to the opportunity to read in the library, and they immediately looked at Wu Wei together.

After all, they had only been concentrating on cultivation for the past month, and their activities were limited to the outer disciples’ courtyards and the lecture hall. At most, they took a walk in the landscape garden, and their understanding of other areas of the Qingyang Sect’s outer sect was very limited.

Wu Wei, who followed the two of them every day, was naturally aware of this and quickly led them to the library.

The other eight people were surrounded by people who came to congratulate them. After a while, they realized that Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian were missing. After knowing that Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian had left first, they hurriedly said goodbye to those who tried to please them and went to the library.

Headmaster Dugu was standing in front of the library waiting. When he saw Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian approaching him, he smiled and nodded to them, then said:

“Song Fengyu, the Immortal Master of your Talisman Class, told me that you two are very talented in talismans. My wife and I both know that you two are very talented in cultivation. Now you have both been promoted to the fifth level of Qi training, which is a little different from your peers. After careful consideration, I plan to arrange for you two to take separate classes.

This way, your cultivation progress will not be hindered by others, and you can continue to move forward. What do you think?”

What did they think? Of course they were surprised. Did this mean they would give them a little stove?

Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian looked at each other and nodded repeatedly to show their willingness.

Of course they were willing. After all, when attending group classes, the immortal who taught had to take into account the majority of ordinary disciples, and the speed and progress of teaching had to be controlled.

But for Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian, some course contents seemed too lengthy and outdated, and some repetitive contents were a waste of time.

For example, in the martial arts class, they had already learned the Cleansing Dust Technique, Light Body Technique, Clearing Mind Technique, Rope Technique through the magic jade slips, and had even started to practice the fifth Shield Technique on their own. However, among the outer disciples and servants in the same batch, only a few have begun to practice magic techniques.

The result was that when Master Dugu was teaching, he could not take into account Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian who were running too fast and kept pushing the course content forward. Instead, he had to consider other disciples and slow down the progress.

The gap in their learning progress was too great, and forcing them to take classes together not only wasted Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian’s time, but also made the other disciples feel uncomfortable.

After a month of adaptation, Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian themselves realized the problem. The solution they thought of was to strive to enter the library and learn by themselves by reading a large amount of information. This was also their usual way of understanding the mission world.

Of course, a better way would be to let the immortals teach the two of them individually according to their learning progress. Each class did not need to last a full hour, and they could quickly advance their learning and cultivation progress.

However, this method was just an idea, they were not brave enough to apply for it.

But what they never expected was that the headmaster and the other immortals would actually take the initiative to help them open a little stove!

It was not the duty of the immortals to open a little stove for them, they were taking a great advantage!

Overjoyed, Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian immediately thanked Master Dugu sincerely, and stated that they would work hard to cultivate and would not let down the kindness of the immortals.

Dugu Shanhai nodded with a smile and gave a few more words of encouragement.

The proposal to give separate lessons to the two was actually first proposed by Immortal Song Fengyu of the Talisman Class, who also took the initiative to lobby Immortal Luo Qi of the Alchemy Class and Immortal Wang Teng of the Formation Class. Only then did Immortal Song apply to Moutain Elder Dugu for the permission.

Immortal Dugu Shanhai and Immortal Hua Manyue had similar ideas in their minds. After careful consideration, they agreed to give it a try.

Seeing that they had reached an agreement, Zhao Xuhai, the head of the weapon refining class, simply agreed to take some time to try giving individual lessons to Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian to see how effective it would be.

“Since you are all willing, you don’t have to go to class at Si hour in the future. Just wait outside the lecture hall before noon.

The immortals will take you back to their respective courtyards for teaching. The teaching mode of each immortal is decided by them. Of course, if you feel that you are not adapting well, you can raise it as soon as possible. “

When Dugu Shanhai gave instructions to Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian, the other eight outer disciples who had ranked in the top ten happened to come over.

Headmaster Dugu gave all the kids some instructions about the rules and taboos after entering the library and then let them in. As for what kind of content they would take this opportunity to read in the library, Headmaster Dugu would not restrict them and gave them space to express themselves freely.

After watching a group of young men enter the library, Headmaster Dugu left, leaving only a few servants who followed the outer disciples in front of the library gate.

The other servants started chatting with each other, but Wu Wei stood there with a dazed expression for a long time without moving.

“Wu Wei, what are you doing?” The familiar servant chatted with Wu Wei for a while and noticed that he was abnormal, so he asked in confusion.

Wu Wei was finally awakened. Feeling the curious gazes around him, the corners of his mouth twitched, but in the end he just shook his head and said nothing.

What could he say? Did he see the head of the outer sect kindly tell Xia Ruize and Cheng Huai that the immortals were willing to give them individual lessons? If he hadn’t seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have believed it at all!

Wu Wei was just too shocked, but not stupid. No matter how others asked him, he finally said nothing. He turned around and left the library and went to the kitchen. He wanted to order lunch for his two senior brothers.

In the same pot of meat, there was the most delicious piece with both fat and lean parts; in the same fruit, there was also the sweetest piece. He had to keep an eye on the best part, which should belong to the two senior brothers.

From the outside, the library looked like an exquisite three-story building with flying eaves and corners, and its style was simple yet gorgeous. Only after entering, you would find that there was a lot of secrets inside.

New disciples were allowed to enter the first floor of the library. Those standing at the door looked inside and were amazed to find that the library was tall and spacious, with no end in sight!

On the bright bluestone floor were rows of fragrant bookshelves, with jade slips neatly placed on them.

In this library that embodied the experience and hard work of countless predecessors, everyone who entered felt insignificant, dared not speak loudly, and even walked lightly.

The shocked young men were stunned for a moment, then focused their attention on a jade tablet facing the entrance of the library.

According to the suggestion of Master Dugu, this stone tablet was the general catalog of the first floor of the library. People who entered the library could first browse the stone tablet so as to quickly pick out the content that interested them.

After all, everyone who entered the library had a limited stay time, and young people who had just achieved excellent results in the monthly exam could only stay for half an hour.

Compared to the short stay, the library seemed too big, and precious time could not be wasted walking back and forth aimlessly searching.

Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian quickly focused their attention on the jade stele, and a catalog page as big as a movie screen in a theater suddenly appeared in their minds.

The two people’s spiritual power swept across the catalog, and they knew clearly what jade slips contained what contents on this page of the catalog and where the jade slips of interest were located.

Immediately afterwards, a new page of directory appeared in their minds, and as usual, the two of them quickly searched for the jade slips of interest in it.

Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian stood there for a few minutes, then they finished looking at the names of all the existing jade slips on the first floor of the library, and walked towards the location they had memorized.

The two of them walked in different directions tacitly, and while walking they assigned in their mind network what contents of the jade slips each person should record. With their tacit cooperation, they could double the effect of half an hour.

On the other side, when other young people focused their attention on the stone tablet, a catalog page also appeared in their minds, but this catalog page was only the size of the desk they used in their daily lives.

Because their mental strength could not handle more information at the same time, they could only finish one page of the catalog before moving on to the next.

However, the directory page was relatively small and the content displayed at the same time was relatively small, which might not necessarily be of interest to the young disciples. In addition, they always subconsciously turned to the next page of the directory to see more content, so they unknowingly spent a lot of time in front of the jade stele.

After Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian left the stone tablet first, the others realized that they could not waste all their precious time in the library looking at the catalog, so they made up their minds to stop browsing the catalog and instead search for the jade slips they were interested in from the catalogs they had previously browsed.

The first floor of the library was so huge that putting ten people in there was like putting ten small ants in there. It was difficult for them to bump into each other.

Especially Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian, relying on their powerful mental strength, the two of them almost walked and looked along the way, without stopping at all.

Xia Ruize concentrated his mental power highly. When he found the jade slip he had picked out in advance, he poured his mental power into it. The information in the jade slip immediately appeared in his mind.

Xia Ruize soon discovered that the contents of each jade slip were more or less hidden. He didn’t care. He quickly memorized the open part of the content in his mind and went to look for the next jade slip.

The same was true for Cheng Huaiqian. Although his mental power was not as high as Xia Ruize’s, it was still far beyond the level of the natives of the mission world, and he was also quickly receiving a large amount of information.

When half an hour was up, the young people who were originally scattered throughout the library found themselves sent to the gate of the library in the blink of an eye.

The wooden door slowly closed in front of them, indicating that their time of reading in the library was over.

A few young men were still not satisfied. When they were about to face each other and discuss the contents of the jade slips they had found, they saw Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian actually performing the Light Body Technique on them and then quickly ran away.

Because they had added the light body technique to themselves, they could leap several meters every time they stepped on the ground. They were as light as a swallow, and before they knew it, the two of them had already run far away.

The other young disciples were speechless and had lost interest in communicating with each other. They walked towards their rooms in deep thought.

When Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian returned to the room, Wu Wei had already prepared lunch and was waiting for them, as well as information about the locations of the immortal courtyards.

After thanking Wu Wei, Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian ate lunch while exchanging the information they had previously obtained in the library in the mind network.

“I think the most critical message for us is probably that there are big crises in this mission world as well.”

Xia Ruize raised his eyebrows slightly. Generally speaking, most of their main missions were related to the crisis in the mission world. The difference lay in whether the mission required a certain degree of crisis relief or a complete resolution of the crisis.

Therefore, Xia Ruize was very sensitive to relevant information. He quickly sorted out the information he had obtained from the library in his mind and said slowly:

“I noticed a special word in some records related to the raw materials of elixirs and refining tools: ‘Behind World’.

According to my guess, this word should refer to some dangerous places, and these places have other common characteristics that distinguish their names from “secret places”, “dangerous places”, etc.

What’s even more interesting is that once it comes to the detailed description of ‘Behind World’, the content of the jade slip becomes blurred, as if something is being deliberately concealed.”

Cheng Huaiqian nodded in agreement, and then said:

“I have roughly guessed what the sect’s senior disciples were doing from some of their travel notes. It seems that after reaching a certain level of cultivation within the sect, they need to constantly go out to gain experience.

There is a point here that overlaps with the information you found. Most of the destinations of those disciples’ training mentioned “Behind World”.

Of course, the details are also blurred, but I always feel that this Behind Worldis the main destination for those who practice Taoism. Even the sects vigorously train young disciples to make up for the consumption in the Behind World.

The outer disciples who entered the sect three years earlier than us are still studying in the sect, but many of the disciples who entered the sect six years earlier than us have been training outside for many years. If we can get in touch with them, we may be able to learn more about the Behind World.”

At this point, Cheng Huaiqian suddenly laughed and said:

“Maybe it won’t be that troublesome. As long as our strength continues to improve rapidly, relevant news will most likely be placed directly in front of us.”

Xia Ruize repeatedly expressed his agreement and believed that this day might not be too far away.

The previous magic mission world had the longest initial period, where they were given ten days of pure learning time before being sent to the battlefield.

This time they had entered the mission world for a month, but apart from the occasional pop-up item introduction, the system had never issued any mission requirements. It seemed that this was a completely free world for them to explore at will.

As time went by, they no longer dwelled on it.

After all, the world of immortal cultivation was a mission of the Golden Book Area, and it may not be completely in accordance with the previous mission experience, but what was certain was that there was an invisible big hand that would push them into contact with danger.

What they had to do was to improve their strength as much as possible and make better preparations before that.

The two of them quickly exchanged the information they had collected, and ate their meal as usual. Wu Wei, who was standing beside them, was completely unaware of the conversation between the two.

However, the two of them only exchanged information and did not let these trivial matters occupy too much of their energy. After lunch, they immediately devoted themselves to cultivation.

The day after the monthly exam was the talisman class. Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian did not attend the morning class, but had lunch early and then went to wait next to the lecture hall.

Wu Wei went to class on his own. He had asked Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian the day before, and both said that he did not need him to accompany them. He could go to class if he wanted to, and practice on his own if he wanted to.

Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian had always been conspicuous, and no one else tacitly occupied the seats they usually sat in. As soon as the class started, many people noticed that the two were absent.

Li Shunchen was a little depressed. When he left the room, he saw that Xia Cheng and the other person’s room door was closed and there was no movement. He thought they had come to class first, but it turned out not to be the case. Could they have been so immersed in cultivation that they missed the time?

What the young disciples didn’t expect was that their confusion was finally answered by Master Song, the talisman teacher himself. Master Song said proudly:

“You guys should keep working hard. If one day you can be as good as them, the immortals can teach you individually.”

Immortal Song said this by himself. No one reacted at first, and everyone was wondering what he meant.

Until someone noticed that Immortal Song had just walked past the seats where Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian usually sat, and then looked at the two empty seats, they suddenly realized something and their eyes widened.

The young disciples were so shocked that they didn’t even care that Master Song was still patrolling the crowd, and started whispering with the people around them.

“What exactly did Master Song mean? It can’t be what I think!”

“Senior Brothers Xia and Cheng are not here! The immortals are teaching individually! Putting it together means…”

“Oh my god, why is there such a big gap between people? What did those two people eat to grow up?”

……

Wu Wei, who was sitting among the servants, heard someone familiar ask him:

“Wu Wei, Immortal Song doesn’t mean that Senior Brothers Xia Cheng will not attend classes with us in the future, but will be taught by the Immortals alone, right?”

As soon as Wu Wei was asked this question, he felt that everyone around him was looking at him, which made his heart beat fast.

Wu Wei thought that since Immortal Song had said it himself, the news had already spread and there was nothing to hide, so he nodded and acknowledged it.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the lecture hall.

The Immortal Song Fengyu, who was watching the disciples practicing drawing talismans, listened to the boys’ exclamations and discussions, and pretended not to hear them. He still had a smile on his face and looked like he was in a good mood.

At noon, Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian, who were waiting outside the lecture hall, saw Immortal Song Fengyu fly out of the lecture hall and throw a brass water bottle at them with a smile.

The water bottle was better at flying against the wind, and by the time it flew in front of Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian, it was already more than one meter high and two meters in diameter.

“Sit on it. My kettle is very stable.”

Immortal Song said cheerfully, his eyes showing fondness for the two talented disciples.

He couldn’t wait to experience the feeling of teaching a talented student alone. It would definitely be a completely different experience from teaching those dull students in the academy.

Xia Ruize and Cheng Huai dived onto the water bottle and sat on the lid. Then they saw the water bottle fly steadily and follow Immortal Song towards the distant mountains.

This experience was so interesting that Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian couldn’t help but laugh.

The disciples who had left the room quickly saw the three people’s backs flying away and stood there in a daze. The news spread throughout the Lecture Hall immediately.

When the water bottle fell again, it landed in a flower forest planted with pink flowers. Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaishen, who had been flying high in the sky in the water bottle, saw the mountain full of pink flowers from a distance. They didn’t expect that it was the mountain where Song Fengyuxian grew up.

There was an exquisite pavilion in the center of the flower trees. Song Fengyu brought Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian into the pavilion, asked them to sit down at the jade table, and prepared to give a lesson here.

“Don’t be nervous or anxious. You are still young and full of energy. But I am not. I am old. Just think of it as letting you two young guys accompany an old man like me. Hahaha…”

Song Fengyu Immortal sat opposite the two of them. He waved his hand and took out a set of tea sets. He brewed a pot of spiritual tea and with a flick of his finger he pushed two cups of the spiritual tea in front of Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian, smilingly inviting them to drink tea.

Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian looked at Master Song, who had a middle-aged face and said that he was old. Even though they already knew that cultivators were very long-lived and their true age could not be determined by looking at their appearance, the two of them, who were not very familiar with this, still felt a sense of incongruity. However, all these distracting thoughts disappeared after they took a sip of the spiritual tea.

The mellow and rich spiritual tea was directly integrated into the spiritual power of Dantian as soon as it entered the mouth. It was even purer than the spiritual power and had the effect of purifying the spiritual power.

In addition, it seemed as if countless pores throughout the body were opened up, and the spiritual energy between heaven and earth entered the body directly through the pores. Although it did not enter the dantian to condense into spiritual power, it spread throughout the body to nourish the skin, flesh, and bones.

Feeling warm and comfortable all over, Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian both wanted to yawn lazily, and then take a nap in each other’s arms under the sun in the flower forest.

Fortunately, they were still rational and knew that class had to start. They picked up the exquisite jade teacup and took another sip, continuing to experience the effect of the spiritual tea.

Unfortunately, there were only three sips of the spiritual tea in the exquisite little teacup. After Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian finished drinking it, they spent some time digesting the effect of the spiritual tea. Then they opened their eyes and looked at Immortal Song Fengyu with expectation.

“Hahaha, you two are smart. Although this stuff is good, you can’t drink too much now. These three sips are enough for you to digest for half a day. Okay, come on, draw the talisman and let me see your current progress.”

Song Fengyu smiled happily, shook his head, and flicked his fingers. A set of talisman paper, cinnabar and a brush were placed in front of Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian. The naughty brush also tapped Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian on the head.

Xia Ruize touched his forehead with a smile. The stack of talisman papers that Master Song gave them during the last talisman class had really been used up by them. Master Song was really a good man, so he gave them another stack.

He then held his breath and concentrated, using a brush dipped in cinnabar to draw talismans on the talisman paper. In one go, he drew five talismans, namely the Cleansing Dust Technique, the Light Body Technique, the Clearing Mind Technique, the Rope Technique, and the Observation Technique. Each talisman was a finished product.

Then Xia Ruize smiled at Immortal Song embarrassedly and said, “I haven’t mastered the shield technique very well yet, so I can’t draw the talisman. Recently, my energy has been mainly focused on conquering the weapon technique. It’s a bit difficult, and the progress is relatively slow.” There was a hint of shame in his words.

Song Fengyu’s hand, which was about to put the spiritual tea into his mouth, suddenly stopped. He looked at Cheng Huaiqian, who had also drawn five finished talismans and then sat up straight. He was doubly shocked.

Could the outer disciples now draw five kinds of talismans within a month after entering the sect? Was he too old and couldn’t keep up with the times? Before this, he had personally witnessed that the most talented person in the art of talismans could only draw one talisman successfully within a month after entering the sect…

Don’t underestimate the difference between one and five, as if it’s just a matter of numbers. In fact, every time you master a new talisman, you need to put in a lot of effort… Well, at least that was how he knew it. As for whether it was the same for the two guys in front of him, he really couldn’t say now…

Song Fengyu was extremely regretful at this time. He regretted that it was too late for him to suggest that these two young guys open a little stove! He should have given them individual lessons from the beginning. Maybe they would have achieved more than this now!

The Qingyang Sect’s system for training young disciples was already perfect enough. Song Fengyu had always believed that other sects could not compare with the Qingyang Sect in this respect, but now he suddenly realized that this system was still a bit rigid in front of such a peerless genius.

Fortunately, he had a keen eye for talent and promptly discovered the unlimited potential of these two young guys, so he did not delay them any further.

A lot of complicated thoughts flashed through Song Fengyu’s mind in a very short time, and then he gathered them all together. The only thing that showed outwardly was that his hand that was putting tea into his mouth paused slightly before continuing the action. Then he heard Immortal Song say calmly:

“Very good, then I can teach you some in-depth things…”

In less than half an hour, Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian felt that they had gained what they could have gained in the previous three large classes.

All three of them are quick-witted and could communicate with each other very quickly. Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian were very talented and had the ability to draw inferences from one instance and apply it to other similar situations. When Song Fengyu taught them, he felt as relaxed and comfortable as flowing water. He was very happy to be a teacher.

In the end, he had to stop teaching because Immortal Song found that given Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian’s current level of cultivation, it was not appropriate to impart more new content to them, so he had to remind them to practice more on their own after returning.

However, looking at the two young men who took away a dozen talismans and a bucket of cinnabar from him, Immortal Song Fengyu felt that this problem might no longer exist by the time of the next class.

As for the supplies that he casually gave away, they were just a drizzle to him. He couldn’t let the two kids continue to use both sides of the talisman paper. That would be too shabby.

The extremely enjoyable class ended. After watching the two little guys disappear behind the layers of flower trees, Song Fengyu randomly picked a flower tree that he liked, lay comfortably on the trunk, and looked up at the unknown place in the sky through the tender pink flowers.

Song Fengyu stared at it for a while, then suddenly took out a gourd of Luling wine, closed his eyes and poured it into his mouth. He didn’t care even if a lot of it spilled. He closed his eyes, smiled, and muttered to himself:

“If you had received the best guidance back then…”

The sound gradually faded away and Song Fengyu fell into a deep sleep. He could only see the person he wanted to see in his dreams. The next time he would open his eyes would probably be when he attended class again.

———

It was good for the immortals to open their own little stoves, except for one annoying thing, which was that they needed to climb up and down the mountains.

All the immortals who gave lectures were powerful beings in the Golden Core Stage or even Nascent Soul Stage stage. They all owned their own hilltops with their courtyards built on them. This made it difficult for Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian. After class, they had to go down the mountain by themselves and return to Qingyang Mountain where the outer gate was located.

According to the route Wu Wei found out for them, the journey between here and there would take about half an hour if it was closer, and more than two hours if it was farther away.

Fortunately, the two were never rigid people. As they walked down the mountain, they shared their gains from the talisman class.

Immortal Song Fengyu seemed to have a special preference for pink flowers and trees. At a glance, the entire mountain was pink and white, which was truly a beautiful sight. Walking among the flowers and trees, the two of them seemed to be filled with fragrance.

Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian were in a good mood. After discussing the course content, they simply practiced the techniques while walking.

The weapon skills that Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian each obtained recently unlocked some of their content, introducing a skill called “Weapon Control Technique”.

The Weapon Control Technique could be said to be the most basic art of controlling weapons in the world of immortal cultivation. It was very important and difficult. The two of them spent several days figuring it out on their own before they could barely perform the Weapon Control Technique.

Walking on the stone path between the flowers and trees, the two of them continued to cast weapon-defending techniques on their weapons.

Because they hadn’t mastered it well enough, not every time they casted a spell, they would be successful.

If the spell failed, the weapon would naturally have no feedback, but even if the weapon defense spell was successfully cast, their weapons would at most give a slight shake in feedback.

Fortunately, the jade slip introduced the different performances of each stage of practicing the Weapon Control Technique. The two of them were looking forward to the day when they could practice the Weapon Control Technique smoothly. They practiced continuously with extra patience, trying to get through this stage quickly.

Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian continued to practice the Weapon Control Technique, and constantly reflected and discussed, and verified the contents of the technique with the jade slips, constantly deepening their understanding of the Weapon Control Technique.

As they practiced, the two of them ran out of spiritual energy, so they simply found an empty spot and sat down to start practicing mental techniques to restore their spiritual energy.

Fortunately, formations were set up throughout the Qingyang Sect to protect the lives of young disciples. The small animals in the mountains were either curious or ignored the noise made by Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian, but there was no attack.

In this way, the two of them were not in a hurry to travel. They walked and stopped, practiced and cultivated in cycles, and finally returned to the outer disciples’ area near dinner time.

After finding the big kitchen and having a hot dinner, the two of them walked into the courtyard, talking and laughing. They were both in a good mood because they felt that they had gained a lot in the afternoon.

However, the people who had been waiting for them for the entire afternoon were not in such a good mood.

After learning from the talisman class that the immortal was giving Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian individual lessons, many outer disciples became interested in Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian again.

Starting from noon, curious people kept coming to the courtyard where Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian lived to try to find out the news, but to their disappointment, no one was seen every time they came.

After waiting for a long time, some people began to feel irritated.

So when they finally saw Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian, someone immediately jumped up and asked loudly: “Why did you come back just now? Where did you go?”

Xia Ruize, whose conversation was interrupted, glanced coldly at the person who was talking and the other disciples who were watching the excitement beside him, and walked back to the room without saying hello.

Cheng Huaiqian, who was a step behind, sneered at the person who was shouting and asked, “What does it have to do with you?”

After saying that, he slammed the door shut.

Leaving behind a room full of young disciples with stunned expressions.

“These two have such bad tempers! Did we provoke them? Why are they so weird to us? No wonder they have conflicts with Senior Brother Huangfu. What weird personalities they have!”

The young disciple who had lost face in public was stunned for a moment before he reacted. He immediately complained with a feeling of grievance, then looked at the others, trying to gather allies to complain together.

But the others looked at him strangely, and some even stood up and walked away from him subconsciously. A young disciple who was grabbed by his arm had no choice but to frown and advise:

“Brother Huang, we are here to ask for advice from the two brothers, not to pick a fight. Please control your temper and behavior!”

“Haha, now I know why there was a rumor that the two senior brothers disliked the man surnamed Huangfu as soon as they met. I really underestimated the people in the world. There are actually people who can make people dislike them as soon as they open their mouths. It’s really the result of ugly people causing trouble!

Now, you have upset the two brothers with just one sentence. They don’t want to see us anymore and are not willing to answer our questions. I really regret letting some people with no idea what they are to get in. It’s really embarrassing!”

Another outer disciple directly mocked the senior brother named Huang, then waved his sleeves and left first.

Many people looked at the tightly closed doors of Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian, then looked at the bewildered people in the yard, and realized that nothing could be done today, so they shook their heads helplessly and left.

What a big deal! They were just discussing what questions to ask Brothers Xia Cheng, but the person they waited for finally came back, but got irritated as soon as they saw him, and their entire afternoon was wasted.

Among the young disciples who gradually dispersed, some complained that Senior Brother Huang was too rude in his words. Naturally, there were also people who complained in their hearts that Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian were too arrogant. It was not a big deal, but they had to go as if they had done something to them. Alas, it was really hard to please them.

Senior Brother Huang, who jumped out first, saw that everyone around him had left and no one agreed with him. Feeling guilty, he did not dare to do anything alone in Xia Ruize and Cheng Huaiqian’s courtyard, and left in shame.

Notes

1. A metaphor for special treatment ↩︎