Chapter 12

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After finishing her test, Li Yunxian stepped out of the examination hall and immediately faced a crowd of her classmates. Looking at the banners they held—“No matter how you did, we love you!” and “Don’t worry about the test; I’m wearing slippers, so I can carry you ashore!”—her expression turned serious as she took a step back. What her dear classmates had accomplished was something even Liu Wu had failed to achieve.

“Don’t run! Let us shower some love on you!” The vigilant classmates quickly caught on to Li Yunxian’s attempt to escape and, grinning mischievously, rushed toward her one by one.

In the end, Li Yunxian was thoroughly overwhelmed. She would have preferred to go and fight a Foundation Establishment cultivator instead. Around her ears buzzed the chattering of her classmates, probably saying how satisfying it was, or how cool the flying sword was, and that they wanted to see more.

Finally, a teacher appeared to rescue her—the same teacher who had advised her to transfer schools. Looking at Li Yunxian with a deeply moved gaze, the teacher said, “I didn’t expect you to actually accomplish what you said.”

Li Yunxian smiled faintly. Compared to the difficulties she had faced before, the issue with Liu Wu was trivial. The teacher’s sigh was brief before moving on to the main point.

“Now that you’ve finished the exam and will soon be attending the special academy, there are two things the school needs to inform you about.”

Li Yunxian looked at the teacher attentively.

“First, since you’ve never received special education before, you’re unfamiliar with the rules and codes that cultivators must follow. There’s still some time before you leave Jin City, so before then, you’ll attend two days of common knowledge classes in the special class.”

Li Yunxian had no objections; she indeed needed this and nodded obediently. “Okay, teacher.”

“And the second?”

“The second…” The teacher stared at Li Yunxian and took out a payment code. “The iron display board on the playground cost eight hundred. You’ll need to compensate for it.”

Li Yunxian was speechless. Only now did she remember the innocent display board she’d split in two with a single sword strike for intimidation’s sake.

“…Alright.” She dryly paid the money.

Then, recalling the second item she had damaged—the chair Liu Wu was nailed to—she asked, “What about the chair?”

“That was an act of righteous bravery; the culprit must compensate for it.” The teacher spoke matter-of-factly.

After saying this, the teacher laughed and patted Li Yunxian’s shoulder. “Well done! Keep it up!”

Li Yunxian’s eyes curved into a smile. “Okay, teacher.”

“Well… the academy director is waiting for you in the principal’s office. Go ahead.”

The teacher gently pushed Li Yunxian’s back, signaling she could leave. When the kindly teacher turned to face the crowd of students, his expression instantly changed.

“You all have so much energy! Don’t you know the college entrance exams are coming? Since you’re so lively, back to your classrooms with you, and get to work on your tests!” His face turned fierce.

Wails filled the air.

Seeing this grim scene, Li Yunxian, who no longer needed to take the entrance exam, quickly left for the principal’s office.

Inside the principal’s office, both the tall principal and Director Chen were present. Upon Li Yunxian’s arrival, the principal tactfully left the room.

“Have a seat,” Director Chen gestured.

Li Yunxian did not hesitate and sat opposite him. Soon, she noticed a metallic ring about the size of a bracelet placed before her.

Her eyes flickered.

Though the crafting method differed greatly from the cultivation world she knew, she recognized it as a storage artifact.

Li Yunxian looked up to silently ask Director Chen what this meant.

“The academy acknowledges its management shortcomings caused you much trouble and harm. This bracelet is compensation from the academy, and the contents inside express my personal apology,” Director Chen said succinctly.

Understanding the situation, Li Yunxian picked up the storage bracelet and examined it.

After a brief mental probe, she saw it contained fifty low-grade spirit stones.

Her eyes immediately brightened.

These were exactly what she needed! Unlike pills, spirit stones could fully substitute for spiritual energy in cultivation without side effects.

The stones inside would sustain her—currently at Qi Refining stage one—for a long time.

Li Yunxian’s expression softened considerably.

Given her experience, she clearly saw Director Chen’s earlier evasive attitude during her confrontation with Liu Wu.

She had little fondness for such people.

However, since he ultimately took decisive action against the demonic cultivator without hesitation, he regained some goodwill in her eyes.

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At this moment, his favorability rating had shifted from negative back to neutral.

“Thank you, Director,” Li Yunxian said briskly, signaling that the past incidents were behind her.

Director Chen, recognizing her tone, chuckled. Such straightforwardness was rare.

Looking at the young, spirited Li Yunxian, his eyes held both admiration and a hint of envy.

When he discovered Liu Wu’s fall into the demonic path, his pity was as much for Liu Wu as it was for himself.

Cultivation is about the Way, and also about the heart.

His own spirit was weak; he habitually avoided conflict and thus remained stuck at the Foundation Establishment stage, unable to reach the Golden Core.

But that was his nature, beyond his control.

With Li Yunxian’s temperament, it was likely she would advance far beyond his path.

Director Chen, a graduate of the four great academies, had seen many geniuses surpassing him. His envy had long faded, leaving no extra thoughts.

After this reflection, he shifted to other matters.

“Do you know about the Qing Teng class at the four great academies?” he asked casually, not waiting for an answer. “This class admits only 25 students each semester and enjoys the best cultivation resources.”

“To enter, you must take the Qing Teng selection test and rank within the top 100.”

“But only those with a cultivator exam score above 700 can participate.”

“Your cultural exam scores are impressive, expected to be around 124. With your quality score, you exceed the 700 threshold.”

Hearing this, Li Yunxian raised an eyebrow.

She wondered why several proctors had been watching her during the exam.

It was literally to check her test scores.

“When the official results come out, I’ll submit your name. Seven days later, arrangements will be made to send you to the capital.”

“If you have questions, ask the special class teachers or me directly.” Saying this, Director Chen pulled out his phone and displayed his friend QR code.

Li Yunxian was speechless.

As an old-fashioned cultivator, she found adapting to modern conveniences a bit awkward.

She added him as a friend but, having questions, decided to ask them face-to-face.

“What’s the format of the Qing Teng selection test?” she asked.

Director Chen smiled. “It’s simple—fighting.”

“Knock everyone down, and you’re first.”

Since cultivators must battle aliens and hunters, combat ability is a crucial criterion.

However, the cultivator selection test has no physical strength assessment.

Not because it’s unimportant, but because it would waste time watching novices brawl on stage.

It’s easier and quicker to check the data.

Director Chen had omitted this detail earlier, thinking it posed no difficulty for Li Yunxian and instinctively ignored it.

“However… most participants have at least Qi Refining stage three,” he added. At stage three, cultivators can use spells and have increased strength. “Some are as high as six or seven.”

Most cultivators start training young; few geniuses with all high stats remain at just Qi Refining stage one by age eighteen.

“Those high-level geniuses can fight at the Foundation Establishment level, like Liu Wu.”

The difference between geniuses and ordinary people is greater than that between humans and dogs.

Director Chen recalled Li Yunxian’s clean and efficient sword strikes, lacking any superfluous techniques, but also worried she might become complacent. He gently warned her.

Still favoring moderation, he quickly added, “Don’t worry, those kinds of opponents are rare. Making the top 100 will be no problem for you.”

Hearing this, Li Yunxian smirked inwardly.

…There was still a problem.

She could kill a hunter with one sword strike, even Liu Wu, but she couldn’t just kill all her classmates with one stroke.

If she didn’t kill, with only Qi Refining stage one physically, she could only manage two or three sword moves.

Thinking this over, she looked at Director Chen speechlessly.

She now understood why he was so generous with the spirit stones.

They were to sustain her during the selection test.

She wasn’t sure whether to praise his thoughtfulness.

“I’ll do my best,” she said without making grand promises.

Her current situation was akin to a rebirth cultivation, supplemented by a game mall. The resources of the four Qing Teng classes weren’t as enticing to her.

She just wanted to stay somewhere with slightly more spiritual energy.

With this in mind, she asked Director Chen, “Where in Jin City has more spiritual energy and is better for cultivation?”

She naturally assumed the best place would be where Director Chen, the city’s strongest, resided.

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In the cultivation world, that was always the case.

Being a pure novice now at eighteen, just beginning cultivation without much knowledge, Li Yunxian wanted to pretend ignorance and simply soak up spiritual energy near Director Chen.

Director Chen was genuinely surprised by her question, his gaze complex.

He knew she lacked cultivation knowledge but this was extreme.

“…The closer to the city outskirts, the denser the spiritual energy, but also the more dangerous.”

“Outside the city lies monsters, anomalies, demonic cultivators, and hunters.”

“So we cultivators usually live in the border areas to fend off these threats and protect the ordinary people inside.”

Li Yunxian was speechless.

She now understood why spiritual energy felt so sparse wherever she went.

Her parents were well-off and left her a residence in the city center—the area with the least spiritual energy.

Truly, fortune was both a blessing and a curse.

In the cultivation world, most mortal cities and villages were built in areas with low spiritual energy.

What she hadn’t expected was…

“The city center’s spiritual energy is just too thin!” Li Yunxian complained.

Director Chen laughed heartily. “Jin City is remote; the energy isn’t plentiful but not that bad.” He pointed to the ground. “There are artifacts buried to disperse spiritual energy.”

“When spiritual energy reaches a certain level, places with dense populations tend to produce anomalies naturally.”

“Those are troublesome. They appear unpredictably; some are immune to physical damage and hard to deal with, often causing casualties among ordinary people. That’s actually the best-case scenario, making life and production more secure.”

Li Yunxian nodded in agreement, recalling the cultivation world’s situation with a renewed sense of understanding.

No wonder the city could support eight billion people!

Curious again, she asked, “If there’s no spiritual energy in the city center, why do cultivator students attend school at the First High School here?”

The school was also in the city center.

Director Chen chuckled, “They study culture, common knowledge, and practice spells and weapons skills. There isn’t enough time daily for cultivation, so no need for spiritual energy at school.”

“Interacting with ordinary people, living and growing together, helps cultivators see mortals as their own kind, fostering the desire to protect them.”

“If they were isolated, what kind of thing would that be?”

Watching Director Chen say this with a hint of pride and a softened expression, Li Yunxian felt a connection.

After her transmigration to this cultivation world, she also spent years among mortals, slowly cultivating Qi and swordsmanship, growing step by step.

In her long cultivation journey, this brief period was the foundation and most vital.

This person seemed decent.

Li Yunxian’s respect for Director Chen grew.

Sensing her intent behind the questions, Director Chen gave a straightforward suggestion: “If you want to train where there’s more spiritual energy, you have a few days. Just find a hotel near the city border and stay there.”

“If you can advance to Qi Refining stage two, that’s even better—less conspicuous.”

“There are always a few stage two practitioners in the Qing Teng selection.”

Patting her shoulder, Director Chen continued, “You’ll meet many geniuses scoring 800, 900, even over 1,000, but that’s just external.”

“Cultivation level, talent, and innate constitution can be measured, but heart cannot.”

“Those factors determine how fast you cultivate, but heart decides how far you can go.”

“Stay true to yourself. Don’t end up like me…” He hesitated, wanting to say “lacking sharpness,” but worried about unwanted implications. He forced a wry smile and said, “Don’t stay stuck at Foundation Establishment like me.”

Li Yunxian saw his dejected expression and nodded. “I will.”

Having received all the answers she sought, Li Yunxian stood to bid farewell.

Opening the principal’s office door to leave, she glanced back at Director Chen.

“Director, I don’t know what you consider your true heart to be, that you remain at Foundation Establishment,” she said calmly.

“But I believe, under the heavenly way, all beings are equal. No one’s heart limits them to a certain cultivation level.”

“I think the reason you’re stuck isn’t your heart, but that you believe… your heart isn’t good enough.”

With that, she nodded lightly in farewell.

Director Chen stood frozen, staring at the now empty doorway.

Li Yunxian’s eyes seemed to see right through him, leaving a deep impression.

His heart was shaken.

Was it all because he thought he wasn’t good enough?