Chapter 43: Jia Yi Bing Ding
Chapter 43: Jia Yi Bing Ding
Is it snowing?
No, it isn't.
But to everyone present, it seemed as if snowflakes had suddenly begun to fall.
These snowflakes were confined to the area around Li Hao, within the three-foot range of his sword.
Each snowflake exuded a piercing cold, a result of the sword's light refracting, just as the technique's name suggested: Snowfall.
The technique's level was True State...
In front of Li Hao, the burly youth's pupils rapidly contracted, and he stood frozen in place.
In his field of vision, the countless snowflakes swirled like a storm, intense and overwhelming. But this storm was held in the palm of the young man, as if he wielded the power of heaven and earth!
The biting cold did not engulf him; instead, a single snowflake gradually drifted from the storm, lightly brushing past his cheek.
It was slightly cool.
The burly youth instinctively reached up to touch his face, feeling a slight pain, but there was no blood.
His eyes widened, and his body tensed, holding his sword like a valiant swordsman, yet his arm trembled, unable to make a move.
Soon, the illusion of snowflakes vanished as if in the blink of an eye.
Li Hao casually tossed his sword back onto the weapon rack, where it slid neatly into its scabbard. The clink of the hilt closing was like the sound of ice breaking, and the burly youth snapped out of his trance, his body trembling. Everyone else in the room also came to their senses.
Just now, everyone had seemed to be trapped in a dream.
But was it really a dream?
An eerie silence settled over the scene.
Until Li Hao's amused voice broke the silence, asking, "Now, can I consider this as passing the test?"
The burly youth came to his senses, still dazed, and stammered, "Y-You won."
There had been no actual combat, for the burly youth was not even a match for one strike. He hadn't even had the courage to draw his sword, losing completely.
The other Tan Gong Academy students watched Li Hao in shock. They had thought Li Yuanzhao was already formidable, but this was even more astonishing.
What kind of sword technique was this?
It was definitely of the Supreme Rank, and he had executed it to perfection!
No wonder they thought so. Although the Falling Snow Sword Technique was of Upper Grade, its power at the True Form Level was such that even a Supreme Rank sword technique at the Perfect Level would slightly pale in comparison...
"What a marvelous sword technique!"
"Good heavens, it felt like I was seeing an illusion. I saw snowflakes!"
"Me too, this is incredible!"
"The sword techniques of the Divine General Manor must be top-notch. He must have practiced it to the Perfect Level, how long must that have taken?!"
Everyone came to their senses, all looking at Li Hao in amazement.
They had heard of the Divine General Manor's reputation, but today they had truly witnessed its greatness.
Si Xiaolan stared at Li Hao in amazement. With such a superb sword technique, there was no doubt that Li Hao had the ability to pass the first two stages of the test.
These were the peers of a Divine General family? They were all truly monsters?!
"Bro Hao!"
Beside him, Li Yuanzhao was even more excited. He hadn't expected Li Hao's sword technique to be so profound. His perspective was naturally higher than these noble scions, and he recognized the Falling Snow Sword Technique that Xue'er had once performed.
However, Li Hao's execution was clearly beyond what Xue'er had achieved back then. He even felt it surpassed the Perfect Level.
Li Hao smiled at the excited Yuanzhao but said nothing.
He felt a twinge of nostalgia, wondering how far the little girl from the Sword Hut had progressed with this technique.
Recalling the times he had guided her in the courtyard, a smile tugged at his lips, but he quickly composed himself and said to the burly youth, "So... which way do we go next?"
"Ah? Oh, oh... just go straight ahead, and you'll find a teacher waiting for you."
The burly youth quickly replied, a hint of awe in his eyes.
The starting point for the nobility was indeed far beyond what ordinary people could match.
Li Hao nodded and led Li Yuanzhao past the burly youth, walking leisurely up the small path and stairs.
Behind them, the crowd watched the two figures disappear, only then snapping back to reality.
At that moment, someone suddenly thought of a question:
"Why did they have invitations? Could it be that their strength is such that they don't need to be tested?"
These words made everyone realize the truth, and they fell silent.
Earlier, they had assumed it was because of the Divine General Manor's prestigious lineage, feeling a slight resentment. But now, they understood.
Si Xiaolan's face changed slightly, and she bit her lip, realizing she had misunderstood them.
The Tan Gong Academy, standing for centuries, was no place for empty fame. It would not resort to underhanded means to curry favor with the powerful.
...
...
Inside the mountains of the Tan Gong Academy, on a vast stone square.
Many young figures gathered here, all focusing on the stone stele in the center, studying the techniques inscribed on it.
At the edge of the square, two old men sat in a corner, playing a game of chess.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, one of the stout, thoughtful old men slapped his thigh, exclaiming, "I almost forgot! There are two more invitations we haven't picked up yet."
"You mean the ones from the Divine General Manor?"
The gray-robed elder raised his head in confusion and said, "It shouldn't be a problem, right? The young lad from the Divine General Manor easily passes the trials. Even if you don't receive him, he can still come over."
"If it were anyone else, that would be fine, but didn't you forget? Marquis Xingwu's child is a cultivation waste, only capable of Body Cultivation. It was all the talk of the town about ten years ago, but it's been quiet since then."
The short, plump elder hurriedly stood up and said, "If he falls and dies at the second trial, we'll be in big trouble!"
"This..." The gray-robed elder was also startled. After all, this was Marquis Xingwu's only son. He quickly added, "Then you should hurry."
The short, plump elder nodded and whistled. A gust of wind howled, and a massive bird with a wingspan of about twenty feet raced over from the distance. Many young figures standing before the nearby stone pillars looked up in awe as the bird slowly landed in front of the elder.
"I'll wait for you..." the gray-robed elder said.
Watching his old friend ride the bird away, his chess game interrupted, he couldn't help but mutter, "If I had known, I would have sent five Invitations back then. No need for an extra tag."
He then lowered his head to look at the chessboard.
Suddenly, he realized something was off and cursed, "You damn scoundrel, you're running away because you're losing!"
...
The short, plump elder's name was Shen Yunqing. Despite his name, he was not light at all. He rode the demonic bird and flew toward the second trial.
Apart from escaping the chess game, he was genuinely concerned about the second trial. He hoped that the old Tang there knew about the child's situation and could guide him over the cliff.
Suddenly, he glanced down and saw two figures walking together on the mountain path, dressed in fine silk and exuding an extraordinary aura.
The patterns on their clothes were all too familiar to him. They belonged to the Li Family of the Divine General Manor!
"Hmm?"
Surprised, Shen Yunqing immediately had his mount descend.
The bird's cries and the strong wind swept over their heads. Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao stopped and looked up, seeing a huge demonic bird with three eyes landing a few yards above the ground.
A short old man sat on the bird's neck, leaning forward to look at the two. He seemed to find something that confirmed their identities and immediately broke into a smile, leaping down from the bird's back.
Waving his hand to let the bird fly away, he smiled warmly at the two and asked, "Are you the Young Masters from the Divine General Manor? Which courtyard do you come from, and what are your names?"
Seeing how polite he was, Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao were not too surprised. Given their prominent backgrounds, people usually treated them with great respect, even among the elite and powerful.
"This is my brother, Li Hao. I am Li Yuanzhao."
Li Yuanzhao said, his round face showing a bit of a simple, honest look, but his small eyes sparkled with sharpness.
Shen Yunqing immediately glanced at Li Hao, a realization dawning on him. A long-lost memory resurfaced in his mind. The young man Emperor Yu had bestowed a name upon over a decade ago was Hao... Li Hao.
It must be him.
Shen Yunqing's face showed no surprise. He nodded slightly at the two and said with a smile, "They didn't give you any trouble, did they? Let's go; I'll take you to the gathering point ahead."
He assumed they had come this far with the help of the Invitations.
Li Hao and Li Yuanzhao were not familiar with the old man, so they didn't talk much on the way.
The three of them walked leisurely, and Li Hao looked around, admiring the mountain scenery. He thought that the environment of Tan Palace Academy was quite pleasant. If he were to stay here for a long time, it would be a feast for the eyes and a delight to the soul.
Soon, they reached the end of the square.
There were over a hundred people gathered around three stone pillars.
"This is..." Li Yuanzhao looked at Shen Yunqing in confusion. He also spotted Li Yun and his sister, who had arrived earlier, both standing in front of the least crowded stone pillar.
"Those who have made it this far are eligible to enter Tan Palace Academy and are considered formal disciples", Shen Yunqing explained with a smile, stroking his beard. "However, among the disciples, there are varying levels of talent. Tan Palace Academy is divided into Class A, B, C, and D, based on each student's aptitude. This ensures that those with lower aptitude don't hold back those with higher aptitude, and those with higher aptitude don't bully those with lower aptitude."
"That's why we have these three stone pillars. They record three different cultivation techniques: Lower Grade, Middle Grade, and Upper Grade!"
"Each has a different level of difficulty."
"Within three days, those who grasp the Upper Grade technique will enter Class A. Those who grasp the Middle Grade technique will enter Class B. Those who grasp the Lower Grade technique within three days will enter Class C. If no one grasps any technique within three days, they will be placed in Class D."
Shen Yunqing smiled and added, "If you are in Class D and fail to rank in the top three in the semester exams, you will have to take a makeup exam. If you fail the makeup exam, you will be asked to leave the academy."
Li Yuanzhao understood.
Li Hao asked, "What if they refuse to leave?"
Shen Yunqing, who had been smiling, was taken aback. Refuse to leave?
(End of Chapter)
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