Why Is Your Face So Warm?
Five days later, the seasonal examination officially began.
From the hour of Chen until the hour of Wu, the disciples remained in their classrooms for the written examination on Daoist scriptures.
Ji Chaoyun was diligent and studious. He had long since committed every scripture required of Yellow-rank disciples to memory, so this examination posed no difficulty for him at all.
After the written examination ended, everyone rested briefly before heading to the Sword Practice Grounds for the secret-realm trial.
The areas normally divided off for cultivation and sword practice had now been replaced by one teleportation formation after another.
The examination had not yet begun, so the formations remained inactive, but many disciples were already gathered around the Sword Practice Grounds waiting.
“I’ve never even heard of the last two essay questions!”
“If I’d known, I would’ve actually memorized the material properly. I don’t even know if I’ll pass now.”
“What are you complaining about? At least I’m here to rank below you. I barely knew how to answer anything.”
...
Wails rose from the disciples in every direction.
Ye Chenxing, by contrast, looked thoroughly pleased with himself. Lowering his voice, he said, “Chaoyun, you’re incredible. You predicted more than half the questions on the written examination. I’m certain I’ll pass this time.”
Ji Chaoyun smiled. “It was just a coincidence.”
“What coincidence? That’s skill.” Ye Chenxing hooked an arm around Ji Chaoyun’s shoulders and grinned. “Once the seasonal examination ends tomorrow, we’ll have a rest day. How about going down to the Mortal Realm and having a proper day of fun?”
“That...” Ji Chaoyun was just about to answer when a sudden chill crawled up his spine.
He raised his head.
Feng Qi was striding quickly toward them, his eyes fixed ominously on the two of them.
Ye Chenxing immediately released Ji Chaoyun and said quickly, “I suddenly remembered Senior Brother Chen from the Profound rank wanted to speak with me. I’ll go find him first!”
Bei Ran said, “Wait, I’m coming too!”
“You two, wait—”
Before Ji Chaoyun could finish, the two had already fled at astonishing speed and soon vanished from sight.
He stiffly turned around.
Feng Qi raised his brows slightly, the triumph in his eyes plain to see.
“What did you want to see me for?” Ji Chaoyun asked from within the pine forest beside the Sword Practice Grounds.
Feng Qi stepped half a pace closer, lowered his head, and spoke quietly. “I’m giving you one last chance. Are you really not going to read the secret manual I gave you? The secret-realm trial isn’t as simple as you think.”
“I’m not reading it.”
Feng Qi clicked his tongue. “Stubborn.”
Despite his words, there was no anger on his face.
Feng Qi lowered his gaze toward the person standing close before him. Unable to resist, he reached out and pinched Ji Chaoyun’s cheek.
“I want to help you, yet you won’t even give me the chance. Really... why is your face so warm?”
Ji Chaoyun turned his head away. “Stop putting your hands on me.”
Ji Chaoyun’s body temperature was naturally lower than an ordinary person’s. Even now, with an unusual warmth in his skin, he was still cooler than most people.
The difference was subtle, yet Feng Qi noticed it immediately.
Feng Qi rubbed his fingertips together and smiled. “Did I get too close and make you shy?”
“Ridiculous...”
In the distance, Immortal Lord Kaiyang, who was responsible for supervising the examination, had already arrived, which meant the trial was about to begin.
Ji Chaoyun turned to leave.
“Wait. I’m not done talking.” Feng Qi raised a hand and placed it on Ji Chaoyun’s shoulder, only for the latter to dodge away.
Yet within that brief instant, a faint light flashed at Feng Qi’s fingertip and disappeared into Ji Chaoyun’s hair.
The spiritual power was so faint that Ji Chaoyun did not notice it at all.
Feng Qi’s smile faded, and he said seriously, “There are many traps inside the secret realm. Once you fall into one, it can be extremely difficult to escape, and you can easily get hurt. Be careful.”
Seeing that Feng Qi was genuinely concerned, Ji Chaoyun finally nodded. “Thank you. I know.”
Ji Chaoyun returned to the Sword Practice Grounds.
Immortal Lord Kaiyang announced the start of the examination, and everyone entered the secret realm simultaneously according to their assigned teams.
When Ji Chaoyun opened his eyes again, he had already been transported into a forest of stone.
Jagged stone pillars and peaks towered before them.
The three exchanged glances before cautiously stepping inside.
The so-called Stone Figure Formation naturally involved far more than defeating a single stone figure.
Countless strange rock formations filled the stone forest, constantly alternating between illusion and reality. It was extremely easy to lose one’s way, while the true stone figures remained hidden somewhere among the false ones.
The stone forest was completely silent.
Ji Chaoyun suddenly stepped on a loose stone slab.
His heart jolted. “Careful!”
He grabbed the other two and retreated several steps.
In the next instant, the entire area beneath the slab collapsed deep into the ground.
Loose stones tumbled downward, only to be blasted into pieces by concealed weapons and mechanisms hidden inside the pit.
Ye Chenxing looked down into the crater and swallowed. “Th-This secret realm... surely no one actually dies in here?”
Ji Chaoyun said, “...Better to be careful.”
Just as Feng Qi had warned, the stone forest was filled with traps.
The three had to avoid mechanisms while searching for the stone figures, causing their progress to become extremely slow.
Ji Chaoyun stopped.
He raised a hand to touch his forehead.
The unusual warmth beneath his palm made his brows draw together slightly.
At the same time, another faint restlessness was beginning to spread from somewhere deep within his body.
...It couldn’t possibly be this coincidental.
“Chaoyun, what’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?” Ye Chenxing asked.
Ji Chaoyun shook his head. “I’m fine.”
He raised his head toward the air above them.
A glowing screen hung overhead, and the number displayed on it remained seventeen.
This represented the seventeen teams currently inside the Stone Figure Formation.
This place was not yet the true secret realm.
Only after breaking the Stone Figure Formation would they be transported into the actual examination grounds.
The order in which teams broke through the formation would determine the order in which they entered the secret realm.
There were a total of fifteen hundred demonic creatures within the secret realm, and defeating each one awarded a single point.
Once defeated, the creatures would not reappear.
In other words, the later they entered, the greater their disadvantage.
If Ji Chaoyun ranked among the bottom five Yellow-rank disciples in this seasonal examination, he would be expelled from the academy.
His two companions had clearly noticed his concern as well.
Bei Ran asked, “Brother Ji, what should we do now?”
Ji Chaoyun thought for a moment. “Go up onto the stone peaks. Follow the plan.”
“All right.”
The two nodded and leaped upward, landing on two stone peaks to the east and west.
Ji Chaoyun took several talismans from inside his robes.
He quietly recited an incantation and raised his hand. The talismans flew outward and attached themselves to the center of the surrounding stone walls.
“Break!”
Ji Chaoyun rapidly retreated.
Almost simultaneously, several stone peaks before him exploded with a tremendous roar.
As he continued retreating, he flung more talismans from his sleeve. In the blink of an eye, the entire small section of stone forest around him had been destroyed. Broken rock flew everywhere, and amid the rolling clouds of dust, one spot seemed to move in a distinctly unnatural way.
“Chaoyun, I see it! Northwest!”
Ye Chenxing shouted.
The three rushed northwest at the same time.
When the dust finally cleared, they had already surrounded a stone pillar from all sides.
The seemingly lifeless pillar suddenly twisted and changed.
Its jagged surface continued to grow and rise until it finally transformed into a towering stone figure.
At the same time, the number on the glowing screen above them finally changed.
Fifteen.
Two teams had already entered the secret realm ahead of them.
Ji Chaoyun merely glanced at the number and paid it no further attention.
The secret-realm examination was taken by both Profound- and Yellow-rank disciples.
More than half of the participants had entered the secret realm before, so naturally they would break the formation faster than Ji Chaoyun’s group.
He glanced at his two companions.
The three exchanged a nod, raised their swords, and charged toward the stone figure together.
☁
Outside the secret realm, higher-ranked disciples gradually gathered around the Sword Practice Grounds.
Whenever examination day arrived, the entire academy received a day off.
Most disciples normally spent all their time cultivating and had nowhere in particular to go even during rest days, so they came to watch the examination for entertainment.
Several light mirrors floated in a semicircle above the Sword Practice Grounds, projecting scenes from throughout the secret realm.
At present, only two teams had entered, both consisting of Yellow-rank disciples.
In the distance, Feng Qi sat against a tree branch, watching the light mirrors from afar with his brows slightly drawn together.
For some reason, unease had been lingering in his heart all day.
He could not explain where it came from.
Could something really happen?
Feng Qi leaned against a branch with his eyes closed, trying to rest despite his growing agitation. A voice came from beneath the tree. “I knew Second Highness Feng would come. What is it? Couldn’t rest easy?”
Feng Qi opened his eyes and said irritably, “Song Zhifei, shouldn’t you be supervising the examination with Jiang Cheng? What are you doing here?”
Song Zhifei replied, “Jiang Cheng reported himself ill today and isn’t participating in the supervision.”
Feng Qi had been distracted all day and truly had not noticed whether Jiang Cheng had come.
He gave a cold snort. “He probably doesn’t want to see Ji Chaoyun.”
Song Zhifei smiled without answering.
Then he said, “I quite like that little dragon’s temperament. It’s no wonder Your Highness takes such good care of him. It’s merely a pity that he doesn’t seem to understand Your Highness’s intentions.”
“Intentions?” Feng Qi’s gaze changed subtly. “What intentions do you think I have?”
Song Zhifei said, “What I think isn’t important. What matters is whether Your Highness has realized your own feelings.”
Feng Qi’s breath caught. It was as though something had lightly struck his heart, and without the slightest warning, all those subtle feelings he had kept secret and buried deep within were laid bare beneath the light of day.
Feng Qi neither refuted him nor showed the slightest change in demeanor.
He regarded the man beneath the tree for a long while, then said with a hint of deeper meaning, “Song Zhifei, you truly deserve your reputation as the academy’s first disciple to ascend from the mortal realm and enter the Heaven-rank. Setting aside your cultivation for the moment, when it comes to conducting yourself and handling affairs, Jiangcheng falls far short of you.”
Song Zhifei said, “Thank you for the praise, Your Highness. I’ve said all I have to say. I’ll return to supervising the examination.”
He turned to leave when he suddenly heard Feng Qi speak quietly from behind him.
“I heard Jiang Cheng will return home to inherit the position of Island Lord once this academic year ends. If you have nowhere to go afterward, Cloud-Ascending Tower will welcome you.”
Song Zhifei’s steps paused.
He answered politely, “I am doing perfectly well in the Supervisory Hall for now. Thank you for Your Highness’s kindness.”
Feng Qi gave an unreadable cold snort and said nothing more.
He leaned his head back against the tree trunk once again.
☁
Within the stone forest, Ji Chaoyun’s group was still struggling against the stone figure.
The stone figure used in the actual examination was several times stronger than those they had practiced against before.
Even with excellent coordination, the three still found the battle extremely difficult.
As his spiritual power continued draining away, Ji Chaoyun’s discomfort became increasingly obvious.
Even his reactions had slowed considerably.
“Chaoyun, watch out!” Ye Chenxing shouted.
Before Ji Chaoyun could react, he suddenly saw a figure rushing toward him.
Ye Chenxing stepped directly in front of Ji Chaoyun and took the stone figure’s punch squarely across his back.
He gave a muffled grunt.
The two stumbled backward together and fell into a pile of broken rock.
A stone cut a bloody line across Ji Chaoyun’s cheek.
He ignored it and immediately threw out two talismans to restrain the stone figure, then helped Ye Chenxing upright. “Are you all right?”
Ye Chenxing’s face was deathly pale. He silently cursed for a while before finally managing to speak. “...This thing hits way too hard. Good thing I can take a beating.”
“Brother Ji!” Bei Ran shouted from the distance. “We can’t keep going like this. What do we do?!”
The two simultaneously looked toward the glowing screen above them.
The number displayed there had already fallen to eight.
There were eight Profound-rank teams and nine Yellow-rank teams participating in this examination.
In other words, at least one Yellow-rank team had already entered the secret realm.
“There has to be another way...” Ji Chaoyun murmured.
How exactly had Feng Qi done it during his own examination?
All new students were required to participate in the seasonal examination three months after enrollment. Feng Qi had entered the academy late, leaving less than a month before that season’s examination.
The Immortal Venerables had originally intended for him to wait until the next one. Feng Qi, proud and unwilling to yield, had insisted on participating and easily taken first place in the secret-realm martial trial.
Ji Chaoyun had originally assumed that Feng Qi had simply relied upon overwhelming cultivation and forced his way through.Yet not long ago, Feng Qi had clearly tried to tell him the secret behind the Stone Figure Formation.
Could there really be another method?
While the three remained deadlocked, the number above them began dropping with increasing speed.
Seven.
Six.
Five.
Four.
Three...
Only three teams remained.
His physical discomfort and the pressure of time instead made Ji Chaoyun’s thoughts unusually clear.
He forced himself to calm down and looked around. Over the past three months, he had studied the stone figures thoroughly.
If there truly was another solution, it could only lie within the stone forest itself.
The stone forest was filled with strange jagged rocks, uneven and difficult paths, and countless hidden traps...
“There are many traps inside the secret realm. Once you fall into one, it can be extremely difficult to escape, and you can easily get hurt. Be careful.”
Feng Qi’s words from before they entered suddenly echoed in Ji Chaoyun’s mind.
Traps.
It was as though a ray of light suddenly pierced through layers of dark clouds.
Everything became clear.
Ji Chaoyun shouted, “The traps! Lure it into a trap. Use the terrain to pin it down, then trigger the hidden mechanisms against it!”
One incense stick later, the number displayed above the stone forest dropped directly from three to zero.
The final three teams entered the secret realm at the same time.
Towering fir trees blocked out the sky. The forest was heavy with dampness and bitterly cold.
A flash of light appeared among the trees.
Ji Chaoyun stepped out of the teleportation formation, a fine layer of sweat covering his forehead.
In the distance came the sound of flowing water.
A winding stream passed through the forest.
Ji Chaoyun slowly walked over, dropped to one knee, scooped up some water, and washed his face.
Looking closely, his fingers were trembling almost imperceptibly.
Ji Chaoyun wiped the droplets from his face and raised a hand to summon a glowing screen.
Two ranking lists appeared upon it, separately recording the current scores of the Profound- and Yellow-rank disciples.
The disciple currently ranked first among the Yellow rank already had seven points.
Meanwhile, the final three teams to enter the secret realm consisted of thirteen disciples in total.
Every one of their names still had a zero beside it.
Ji Chaoyun stared at his own name at the very bottom of the rankings.
He gave a faint, self-mocking smile, dismissed the scoreboard, and rose to walk deeper into the forest.
☁︎₊˚⊹ The Author’s Jade-Slip Aside ⊹˚₊☁︎
The thing you’ve all been waiting for is about to arrive.
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