ASER - Chapter 141
Chapter 141: Bloodline
A'Diao was deep in thought when she suddenly sensed fluctuations in the nearby airspace. She narrowed her eyes and remained silent. Meanwhile, the Qingzhou Academy Principal made a move, controlling the flying boat to release something from the rear cabin.
Buzz, buzz, buzz. Heavy metal lumps flew out from the hatch, transforming directly into winged metal mechanical warriors. Flying like streaks of light, they launched a preemptive strike and defeated the lurking warships.
The commotion outside was too loud; everyone crowded by the windows to watch.
"Attacking us?" Chi Cheng was somewhat surprised. "We're just going to take an exam. Is this necessary?"
Hang Xiujin mused, "Logically, the chances of passing are very low. Are they just trying to kill us?"
Actually, over a hundred people were going this time. They seemed excited, but everyone knew in their hearts that few had much hope. Still, it was a chance to strive, to see the world, and there were benefits to it.
But in their view, the most promising were undoubtedly the three prodigies from Qingzhou Academy. Those three were said to have their own travel plans and weren't with them at all. Why would the enemy attack?
A'Diao chewed her pan-fried bun, sipped her milk tea, and swallowed, guessing the reason: either Song Ling and Xie Jingyu's matter was exposed, or her own, Chen Adiao's, matter was exposed, or it was because of Han Zhuo, or...
A'Diao glanced at a certain place and Jiang Zhou, her lips curling.
Pah!
At the Chen Commandery Xie Clan, a few days after Xie Jingyu had sent Song Ling back to Danzhou, Qu Jiangnan arrived.
"Have you registered?"
Qu Jiangnan nodded. "Registered. Just waiting for the notification."
Xie Jingyu sighed in relief. "Lushan Academy doesn't just accept students; they also accept teachers, but the requirements are even stricter. If you can get in, then that Third Prince won't be a threat to you anymore."
"Yes, I hope I can. It's very difficult." Qu Jiangnan sighed. Just as she was about to discuss Song Ling's matter with Xie Jingyu, they both received news that the Empress had passed away. Their expressions were varied.
Not entirely surprised, but neither showed any joy.
"Although all three kingdoms are in chaos due to the resurgence of spiritual energy, and imperial power is generally strengthening its rule, our Tang Song Nation's situation is the worst. The Emperor is old, the Crown Prince is weak and unstable, the Empress has died, and the princes are numerous, strong, and ambitious. If such an imperial family cannot suppress the powerful nobles, and the powerful nobles are unwilling to be subdued..."
Xie Jingyu clearly felt that since the resurgence of spiritual energy, various factions had been targeting the three vassal kings of different surnames.
Whether to suppress or destroy, their intentions were certainly not good. Even the imperial family wished to uproot the three vassal king clans.
"The spirit of the founding ancestors is less than one-tenth of what it was. These are difficult times." Xie Jingyu knew that if her father and brothers hadn't consulted her first and swiftly arranged the marriage alliance with the Zhao Clan, she might have been forcibly married off to one of those princes or targeted by other powerful clans by now.
Qu Jiangnan lowered her eyes and said faintly, "I received news. My family previously gave me a choice: either marry the Third Prince or enter the palace."
Xie Jingyu was stunned. Then, realizing something, her face turned green. "Are your father and the others insane?!"
Qu Jiangnan's expression was profound. "No, this is their cleverness. They knew I would never choose the Third Prince. Jingyu, you have to admit that in this world, many petty people scheme, and profit is paramount. If I enter the palace, firstly, the Emperor is old and cannot father more children, so I could only use my beauty for pillow talk, which would be an internal aid to the prince the Qu family is trying to win over. Secondly, if by some chance the Emperor, with the help of some drugs from the spiritual energy resurgence, could still father children, then if something happened—a young and weak heir with strong maternal relatives—they would gain immense benefits."
Xie Jingyu sneered, "Aren't they afraid you'll turn against them?"
Qu Jiangnan's expression was indifferent as she looked into the distance. "Who knows? Perhaps they think they have some leverage over me."
"Don't be foolish. Whatever leverage it is, don't fall for it. Tell me first if anything happens." Thinking of the death of Qu Jiangnan's eldest sister, Xie Jingyu was thoroughly disgusted with the Qu family and didn't want to mention them again. She changed the subject, "I wonder who His Majesty will appoint as the next Empress. They must be fighting to the death for it now."
If one who already had a prince became the succeeding Empress, that prince would immediately become the legitimate son, gaining a noble status that could rival the Crown Prince, the eldest legitimate son, in terms of ritual propriety.
"I don't know. Comparatively, the biggest contention now is probably the marriages of these princes."
Qu Jiangnan thought of certain matters and frowned. "I heard that many principal consorts and concubines in the princes' mansions have died accidentally recently."
She had originally guessed that the Third Prince already had a principal wife and was only trying to provoke her out of unwillingness to accept his previous humiliation, seeking to redeem himself. She hadn't expected him to genuinely have designs on her.
But it wasn't for any true affection.
What true affection could Imperial men have? Qu Jiangnan glanced at the spiritual power dancing on her fingertips, then looked at Xie Jingyu.
A glint in Xie Jingyu's eyes, and she said no more.
Everything was understood without words.
It was now past October, autumn, a time when things should be plump and abundant before winter. However, Kyoto's spiritual energy was so rich that there was no sign of autumn withering; instead, things flourished even more.
After the Qingzhou Academy's flying boat crossed the Qianyu Liu River, its direction of travel was not towards the capital city of Kyoto. At least, everyone's devices indicated they were off course. Someone asked, and the Qingzhou Principal said lightly, "Who told you the Lushan Academy preliminary selection was within Kyoto?"
"Your batch of candidates has already registered online, but you need to go to a designated point to complete your registration, pick up your identity wristwatches, and then enter the assessment period. However, there are still two days until the assessment day, so there's no need to rush there now. According to the plan, we will first take you 108 people to a place."
Song Erhu: "Is this place important?"
Qingzhou Principal: "Very important."
Jiang Zhou: "It concerns whether you can pass your assessment, you know."
"Holy crap! Really?" The group was extremely curious.
But A'Diao was somewhat absent-minded, legs crossed, looking out the window. Perhaps because her mental body had changed so much recently, her sensitivity was increasing.
"I heard that the stronger one's spirit, even if not a psychic-type, the stronger their senses become. To a certain extent, one can even predict good or bad fortune. Is this a bad omen or a good one for me?"
Toilet: "Be confident. It can't possibly be good."
"Damn!"
A'Diao looked inward at her mindscape. Her previous plan was based on her understanding of her original mental body, but she had underestimated the impact of its explosive growth on the speed of stripping mental threads. She had overachieved the task, even reaching over ten thousand mental threads. Coupled with the travel days, it had now reached twenty thousand.
Just right. She had repaired and reorganized the twenty thousand mental threads into an even stronger Whale Net. Her mental body could now passively and freely defend against all psychic-type mental attacks below the Glimmer Realm.
This could be considered mental body armor.
According to Toilet, this was a unique secret technique; others couldn't copy it even if they wanted to.
Because to possess such a super-strong mental body like hers and also know spiritual imbuement was basically impossible.
"Sigh, forget it. The situation in Kyoto is unpredictable. No matter how smart I am, I can't guess the fortune. I'd better read a book first."
Regarding the previously set cultivation plan, although other basic goals were achieved, the most important spiritual imbuement work had exceeded expectations, and she had also achieved a 'fen shen' (clone/avatar). But A'Diao never expected to encounter such a Waterloo with her third small goal, which was tackling her bloodline.
"How is this possible? With my strong aptitude, I actually have no discernible bloodline."
During those days, A'Diao tried to use the Han Clan's Bloodfire Secret Manual and the "Dan Yuan Fluid Technique", studying two corpses + the thirteenth-level Snow Demon King's inherited bloodline manifested in its pupils. Through researching the bloodlines of human experts and demon spirit experts, and integrating this knowledge with the secret manuals, she attempted to work on her own bloodline. Benefiting from the success of the Whale Net, she privately thought she could achieve something in this area too.
The result!
Zero achievements!
She even wasted a precious corpse and consumed over a thousand relict bones.
A'Diao was heartbroken by the loss. Later, she had to divert her energy and time to spiritual imbuement, but thinking about it now, she still felt indignant. This was also why Song Ling and the others looked at her with dark, weary eyes.
Her Zhao Ritian 'fen shen' went out to stir up trouble, catch traitors, and eliminate dissidents in various places. So much classified work didn't give her a headache; instead, it excited her. After all, she loved secretly harming people—er, eliminating scum.
But this matter truly made her head buzz.
Could it be that she really didn't have any awesome bloodline?
Did Heaven grant her such awesome aptitude to encourage her to be a "first-generation success"? Not to rely on her ancestors?
A'Diao was muttering to herself while reading, racking her brains over bloodline research, but was soon reminded that they had arrived.
The flying boat had landed. Everyone came out to look.
Beautiful mountains and clear waters, a Buddhist temple deep in the mountains, so beautiful it seemed unreal. But the expectant expressions on everyone's faces collectively collapsed.
Jiang Zhou said gleefully, "Well? Important, right? We'll kowtow and pray from the foot of the mountain to the summit, stay for a day, offer three incense sticks in the morning and evening, and even Buddha will be moved by you."
Everyone: "..."
A'Diao had actually expected this, but seeing this old temple deep in the mountains, she subconsciously thought of that old Daoist temple. She lowered her gaze, collected her thoughts, walked over to buy a box of stinky tofu at the foot of the mountain, and started climbing by herself.
Tuoba and the others saw her and immediately followed.
Chen Adiao never suffers a loss. Following her is never wrong!
People from other academies watched, feeling quite perplexed. This... who was the real leader of Danzhou Academy? And even if they followed her, why buy stinky tofu together?
Jiang Zhou of Danzhou Academy was known for his cunning and had extensive connections within the Academy Alliance. That Chen Adiao clearly didn't look very strong, yet she was so arrogant just because she latched onto Qu Jiangnan's thigh. Had she obtained some secret information related to the assessment?
The Qingzhou Principal put away the flying boat. Several principals discussed the upcoming arrangements. When they turned to instruct their own students, they saw a crowd rush over and buy out the stinky tofu stall.
This made other tourists extremely curious, thinking it must be something good, and they also started queuing up.
At the front, Song Ling, following A'Diao, looked around. "The incense burning in this mountain is decent, but not overly prosperous. I wonder why the principals chose this place. There must be some deeper meaning."
A'Diao: "Probably not. They're just stalling for time. I feel like they don't want to arrive at the preliminary selection site too early. Maybe the situation there is very dangerous, so they're avoiding it, or they think we can't withstand the onslaught from the geniuses already at the selection site."
Song Ling was surprised, but after a thought, she understood. "At the Xie Clan, I met one of their geniuses—the most outstanding one, 19 years old, already at the Glimmer Realm. This person has always been in Kyoto's strongest academy, living a secluded life. I also heard him say that in their academy, there are no fewer than ten people like him."
A'Diao instantly felt that the stinky tofu wasn't fragrant anymore.
"Has the land in this godforsaken place, Kyoto, been consecrated? How do they cultivate like this?"
She herself was currently just barely stuck at the peak of the Transcendent Realm. It wasn't that she couldn't break through to the Glimmer Realm; it was purely because she wanted to unearth her bloodline before breaking through. The Transcendent Realm focused on spiritual pills and meridians, while the Glimmer Realm focused on bloodlines. This was the main cultivation work for each stage. Without a bloodline, her Glimmer Realm would be much weaker than that of those who had one.
Who would have thought her bloodline excavation would turn up nothing but loneliness.
It wasn't that one couldn't become strong without a bloodline. Some peerless experts created their own first-generation bloodline from scratch, which was also awesome. But the ancestors' "rice" was very fragrant, and A'Diao didn't want to waste that effort, especially since she didn't have that many resources to spend on it.
Her cultivation progress was completely stuck. She was now a little shaken—if all those top prodigies in Kyoto were at the Glimmer Realm, she might have no choice but to break through to Glimmer as well. Otherwise, she would be at too much of a disadvantage and couldn't let it affect her ranking.
Song Ling saw her cheeks puffed out, not even having time to swallow the stinky tofu, and chuckled. "But the Princess said it's actually not that scary. Those people are already at the top and are sure to get into Lushan Academy; they won't take up the regular spots. The ones I need to compete with are those in the upper-middle tier. And you, you need to fight for ranking, the higher the better. Lushan Academy is very realistic; it doesn't provide a uniform platform for students who get in. The stronger you are, the vastly different the cultivation resources and status you receive will be."
This information was quite useful to her. A'Diao swallowed the stinky tofu. "Those people's families must have many corpses and relict bones, right? And bloodline fossils. But there should also be prodigies from humble backgrounds."
Song Ling nodded. "Yes, there are prodigies like that, but few. Most have family support. And the top families have abundant resources of this kind. We hope for a single corpse, some relict bones, while they are born controlling entire ruins, even multiple ruins. For example, those from the Imperial Kinsmen are practically swimming in a sea of resources. Therefore, their strength is often not individual but collective; a group becomes strong together, from grandparents and parents to them... It's just that from a development curve perspective, these younger generations definitely have more prospects. Lushan Academy is the best proof. There's no chance for those over 25, unless they try for Lushan Academy's teaching qualification, but that's too difficult, even harder than our assessment."
Ordinary people cultivate with spirit cores, but they use the spiritual essence within relict bones to build their foundation from the start, using various bloodline fossils to stimulate their bloodlines. How can you compare with them?
Same starting line, but alas, different modes of transportation.
"But Lushan Academy also accepts teachers?" A'Diao suddenly thought of Qu Jiangnan, but that was her life, and A'Diao couldn't meddle. The thought flashed by, and she nodded. "That sounds terrifying. But did she remind you of anything else? What are you leading up to?"
Song Ling was silent for a moment, then said, "Kyoto has many dandies."
A'Diao: "..."
Just as she finished speaking, both their wristwatches received messages simultaneously.
Xie Jingyu and Qu Jiangnan had simultaneously sent them messages. The content was singular: avoid those young masters from noble and imperial families. If entangled or if they sensed they were being targeted, they should immediately go to the principals and inform them.
A'Diao's expression was hard to describe. She was relatively fine; her outward appearance was merely somewhat pretty but rustic and unsophisticated. Most dandies wouldn't even look at her. But Song Ling was truly in a difficult position; even a sackcloth couldn't hide her beauty, so she had to be especially careful.
But this was similar to past situations. These dandies hadn't been very restrained before either. Why such an urgent reminder now?
Their eyes met, and they both understood instantly.
The Empress had died. The princes needed stronger support. And what could a woman of good birth and superb aptitude help them with?
Stronger offspring.
Could even the Empress's death represent some kind of conspiracy? For example, only by her death could her position be vacated...
Then it wouldn't just be a matter of lust, but a more forceful appropriation, one that couldn't be refused. And it would involve forming stable transactions with the woman's family—marriage alliances.
Ah, such a world, such a power system.
But in this world, how many women were willing to resist, able to resist, and successfully resisted?
Most would probably submit to their families.
Actually, if the other party was decent, like Xie Jingyu preemptively securing the Zhao Clan, that would be quite comforting. The fear was encountering scum like the Third Prince.
Facing him for a meal for three days would be enough to give one stomach cancer.
Song Ling's expression was one of utter disgust, while A'Diao sneered.
"I guess we'll soon know the identity of the new Empress."
Her unspoken guess to Song Ling was: this new Empress must be very young, very beautiful, supremely noble, and possess extraordinary aptitude, enough to satisfy the old Emperor. Because the resurgence of spiritual energy brought not only spiritual energy but also longevity and youth.
Isn't the universal wish of every emperor before death—to borrow another five hundred years from Heaven?
To show their sincerity, the candidates didn't use spiritual power and diligently climbed to the mountaintop. But just as they reached it, they found A'Diao had already arrived, chosen a room, taken a bath, and was now eating spicy fried peanuts given by a young monk from the temple, answering Rao Xueya's questions while eating.
A'Diao: "Huh? What? I just thought whoever arrived first got to pick their room."
Rao Xueya: "? Isn't there some secret? Then why did you buy stinky tofu!"
A'Diao: "To eat, of course. Why else would I buy it if not to eat?"
Rao Xueya: "Then you walked up step by step?"
A'Diao: "I can't very well fly in the sky eating stinky tofu, can I? I flew up after I finished eating. Otherwise, how could I pick the best room?"
Rao Xueya: "You must have done it on purpose! Stinky A'Diao! Deceitful!"
From Rao Xueya +177777!
From...
A wave of Mental Power was generated from the group from her own academy, not to mention those from other academies.
Song Erhu and the others felt greatly humiliated. They pulled Tuoba aside and secretly asked him, "She's so bad, why don't you hit her? It's not like you can't beat her."
Tuoba could only tactfully say it wasn't good to hit girls. In reality, when he turned his face away, he looked utterly dejected.
If he couldn't win, he'd die.
If he could win, he'd "happily receive" a sharp-tongued, pampered wife.
Which would you choose?
However, as A'Diao and a few others were talking and about to enter the Buddhist hall to offer prayers, they saw two armored soldiers guarding the entrance outside the main hall.
And no one was seen entering or exiting.
A'Diao, being perceptive, stopped immediately and gestured for those behind her to step back. A student from Qingzhou Academy raised an eyebrow, clearly not intending to listen to A'Diao, and was about to go forward when Tuoba quickly pulled him back and shielded him.
Before long, people came out from the hall. Accompanied by a group of monks, several lavishly dressed children of officials emerged. They were of various ages, mostly in their teens and early twenties, exuding an air of natural grandeur, arrogance, and indifference. One young master, fanning himself, swept his gaze over A'Diao's group, narrowed his eyes, and asked with a smile, "There are truly many people coming for the Lushan exams recently. I've seen another batch."
An old monk bowed his head. "Young Lord Heir has sharp eyes. This is already the third wave today."
"Excellent. I wonder how many will pass. May Buddha bless them, so they can become my classmates."
"Such words from you. Are you that confident you'll pass?"
"Just seeking good luck. Let's not delay, or it would be a pity to miss the Baili family's elegant gathering."
"Ha, I think you're afraid of missing Baili Xianyun."
"None of your business!"
Deep affection between siblings, chatting and laughing merrily, while other humble individuals could only be blocked outside the hall, waiting with bowed heads, meekly trying not to attract attention.
This person saw A'Diao and her group looking ordinary, meek, and well-behaved. The energy he sensed from them wasn't strong, at most low-grade Transcendent Realm. He didn't pay much attention and soon left with his people.
Once they left, A'Diao looked up at their flying boat, her gaze indifferent.
Mentioned the Baili family? It seems their relationship with the Baili Clan is quite good.
However, Cheng Zhang behind them couldn't hold back and coldly said to the Qingzhou Academy student, "Are you brain-dead? Didn't you see their guard detail is that of a ducal or marquis household? People like that have at least Star Realm protection when they go out. And we are all commoners now. If a conflict really happened, we could be beaten to death without any need to report to officials. Even if your Qingzhou Academy wanted to make trouble afterwards, the other party would only need to send some gifts as an apology, and it would be over. More assertive ones might even turn the tables and blame us."
"You may not fear death, but we from Danzhou do!"
Previously, the Baili Clan sent people to assassinate Chen Adiao. Afterwards, they bore no responsibility whatsoever; sending some gifts settled the matter. This incident had given them a great revelation and cast a shadow.
This was the true outline of this world.
Looking at this ducal/marquis household today, how could they be weaker than the Baili Clan? They had narrowly avoided disaster.
Damn, it scared the cold sweat right out of them.
Yuan Shu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, remembering how his own father had repeatedly warned him dozens of times a day a few days ago to keep a low profile and not offend people. He subconsciously glanced at Chen Adiao.
This is what his father had said at the time.
"Right now, in your class, Chen Adiao has the strongest background. Although Song Ling is strong, she's not from the main bloodline branch, and there's internal rejection of her within the Song family. She also doesn't like to use the Song family's influence. It's this Chen Adiao... I see that although she and Chen Ran lack father-daughter affection, she can precisely negotiate terms with him, repeatedly using Chen Ran's power to seek benefits, and even bringing greater power to the Chen family. Such a person is terrifying. You've offended her repeatedly, but she hasn't taken it seriously. That's because of her magnanimity; she doesn't care about such trivial matters. But people in Kyoto won't be like that. Let me put it this way: if you're walking on the street and someone's horse sees you and kicks its hoof, they'll think it's your fault and can have you beaten to death on the street in minutes."
"My son, this world is very dangerous. Be a bit more cowardly, save your life."
"When you finish the Lushan exams, you definitely won't get in, but if your results are a bit better, you might get early admission to a good school, receiving higher-level education before the college entrance exams. After a few years, you can return to Danzhou to serve as a high official, gradually planning your future. Only then will you have some capital to prevent people from directly beating you to death."
Yuan Shu felt a bitter taste in his mouth. His father's past frustrations indeed showed foresight. This place, Kyoto, was terrifying.
No, they hadn't even reached Kyoto yet!
The Qingzhou Academy student probably understood the severity of the situation now but couldn't let go of his pride. His face flushed red, and he still wanted to argue, but Song Erhu, coming up from behind, grabbed him by the neck.
"Next time you're so reckless and implicate us, I'll kill you!"
Releasing his hand, Song Erhu thanked A'Diao for her reminder.
A'Diao looked at him and was polite in return. "It wasn't me who reminded you; it was those monks."
She had noticed the look in the eyes of the monk beside the guards at a glance.
Only then did everyone realize that the old monk, while being polite and kind to the visitors, had also subtly shielded them from most of the attention with his words.
But why such caution?
Song Ling: "It means someone encountered a similar situation before and died. The old monk simply doesn't want to see anyone else die."
She, Hang Xiujin, and a few other girls had been immediately shielded by the tall Tian Zhongye from the very beginning.
Hang Xiujin was very surprised at the time. But when she looked up at the tall, sturdy, and honest-looking Tian Zhongye, she thanked him in a low voice, only to see him casually say it was nothing, without even looking at her, and eagerly rush off to snatch peanuts with Tian Zhongxiang and others.
Hang Xiujin: "..."
The people from Danzhou Academy... are all quite the characters.
Although these nobles and imperials had seen countless beauties and surely wouldn't be so desperate and reckless, it was always wise to be cautious and vigilant when facing unknown situations. After all, this was a world ruled by imperial power; it couldn't be changed just by them crying injustice, unless... they were strong enough, and those protecting them were also strong enough.
Gu Yuntang and others, intending to probe, asked the old monk and found out it was indeed a ducal/marquis household.
The Cao family of the Cheng Yuan State Duke Manor, a hereditary title passed down without demotion, and they even possessed an Imperial Danshu Iron Certificate.
A behemoth on the same level as the Baili Clan.
The ones who came were also the young masters and ladies of the family. Among them, the young man was the Young Lord Heir, Cao Juanzhi, a student at Kyoto's top academy.
Because he was the heir, the future Duke Cheng Yuan, his status was even higher than Baili Xianyun's.
Theoretically, apart from a Young Marquis like Han Zhuo, everyone else was an ant in his eyes. Even the Li Kaizhi siblings, because they weren't heirs, didn't hold much value.
However, it wasn't the Cao family who killed someone. It was an Imperial Kinsman who came yesterday. Because a few students, unaware of the situation, were being noisy and annoyed him, after being reprimanded, one of them was defiant and was directly beaten to death.
Everyone fell silent for a moment.
They felt the dead student was foolish, and also deeply felt the terror of power.
"The extremes of power are usually found at the very top and the very bottom. The middle layer generally lives in a relatively comfortable zone. But once you enter either extreme, you will deeply feel its terror."
"Now, you are entering this zone, which also means you have become adults."
After Jiang Zhou and the others came up and learned of the situation, they reminded everyone.
A'Diao actually didn't take this matter too seriously. Neither she nor Song Ling were without trump cards now; it was just that less trouble was better than more.
If she were truly provoked, she could bury the other party's entire family alive in this ancient temple, then directly flee abroad, join the military there, and return in a few years with troops to slaughter their entire clan.
Nation and family? Heh!
Buddha? Heh!
After drawing more than ten fortune sticks in a row, all of them "worst possible luck," Tuoba and the others couldn't help but laugh. A'Diao wasn't angry at first, but then she saw Han Zhuo next to her, with a cold face, disdainfully shake the container once, and an "excellent luck" stick flew out.
This person even frowned and said coolly, "So easy? It must be inaccurate. Truly uninteresting. Only you all care so much."
With Zhao Ritian not around, Han Zhuo reverted to being that noble, stunningly handsome, cold, and melancholic Young Marquis.
A'Diao's face was wooden. Just as she was about to teach Han Zhuo a lesson, she saw Song Ling, who had finished offering incense, walk over.
Han Zhuo smiled. "Sister..."
A'Diao narrowed her eyes, immediately slumped onto the prayer mat, lowered her head, and sighed, "I knew I was an unfortunate person..."
Tuoba and the others got goosebumps all over.
Hearing this, Song Ling glanced at A'Diao, then picked out all the "excellent luck" sticks, removed all the other sticks, and finally handed the fortune stick container to A'Diao.
A'Diao shook it once.
"Wow, an 'excellent luck' stick! Heavens, today I'm the happiest girl in the world!"
A'Diao gleefully left with Song Ling.
Han Zhuo: "..."
Gu Yuntang said thoughtfully, "I remember on the flying boat, she gave this Chen Adiao a lot of food. It should have been bought at Sea-Sky One Hue Resort Villa."
"Seems like it. I was wondering why she hadn't finished eating it all. Looks like she bought it specially for someone else."
"Now I finally know what 'domineering older sister doting on a pampered young wife' means."
Li Yuankai: "And also 'a lifetime of misplaced love'."
Thanks to Brother Zhao's superb literary skills, these scions of noble families deeply believed that such literary works were beneficial for handling similar crisis situations. They had diligently studied many and could now use them readily.
From Han Zhuo +388888!
Now, they had a more detailed understanding of this Chen Adiao from Danzhou Academy, who was clearly second-in-command yet acted like the boss: unremarkable, rustic, a foodie, occasionally sharp-tongued, consistently meekly cautious, loved to take small advantages (like snatching rooms), and a pampered young wife noticed and even doted upon by the entire class.
Overall, she was a somewhat unique young girl, but that was all.
However, what they didn't know was that after A'Diao and Song Ling left, Song Ling asked her what was different about that Buddhist hall.
"I now know why the principals brought us here."
"Hmm?"
"The dharma body inside that Buddha statue is the corpse of a first-generation Grandmaster Realm cultivator, likely a Buddhist cultivator. There are restrictions under the statue's outer shell, so it's not afraid of attacks. But this Buddhist temple has a considerable foundation. If one is sincere, they should be able to form insights through their thoughts. When you have time, you can use your mental body to connect and worship more; perhaps you can gain some understanding regarding cultivation realms."
She wasn't there for fortune sticks; she was actually trying to sense the corpse inside the Buddha statue. Vaguely, she could touch the Buddhist intent present on it.
It counted as a gain.
But there should be a lot of such Buddhist intent in this temple.
Buddhist intent and Daoist intent are similar; both are a kind of intent. Gaining more insight into them wouldn't be a loss.
A'Diao went from one Buddha statue to another, offering prayers. Each time, she put on a disguise of piety. Later, she reached a small Buddha statue in the innermost, most desolate part.
This small Buddha statue looked a bit shabby, as if roughly molded by hand from clay. Not only was it unadorned, but it was also quite ugly. However, A'Diao immediately sensed that this small Buddha statue was probably the most powerful one in the entire ancient temple.
She couldn't understand what was hidden inside; her mental body couldn't sense it either, but she still knelt and prayed.
It wasn't exactly sincere prayer; she just released a large number of mental threads to permeate it. In an instant, she saw a brilliant starry sky, and the starlight within it seemed to connect into the meridians and body of a human form.
She saw all the points and lines.
Her first thought then was—isn't this a bloodline distribution map? But why were all these bloodline points surrounded by meridians and hidden?
Could it be...
A'Diao pondered for a long time and finally had an epiphany.
"Holy crap, maybe it's not that I don't have a bloodline, but that my bloodline is sealed?!"
After her realization, A'Diao completely memorized its internal meridian light points before getting up. But when she turned around, she was startled and almost attacked subconsciously. However, she didn't, merely showing a stunned expression.
Because outside the small, desolate cave of the Buddha statue was a suspended corridor spanning a cliff. Below the corridor was a gorge with a waterfall. The railings were damp from the mist of the nearby waterfall, and this person was standing on the railing.
Dressed in a white robe of silver satin, hair tied up with a jade coronet, tall and jade-like in complexion, a sword hanging from a slender waist. The entire person seemed enveloped in the distant mist, and as it was the time when the morning sun's radiance was at its best, a gentle light shone upon the world, concealing an unparalleled beauty from the mortal realm.
For a moment, A'Diao couldn't even tell if this was a man or a woman, only that this person was very tall, with an elegant and cold aura.
Possessing the aura of a refined and upright gentleman.
"That is a bloodline curse. Do not probe too much; it will be detrimental to your cultivation."
That voice, like a spring in an empty valley, was just a bit cold. And A'Diao felt his gaze on her was strange, as if filled with disgust, yet also conflicted.
After saying this, without waiting for A'Diao's reaction, he turned and disappeared into a mist of light.
A'Diao: "?"
A deity descending to the mortal world?
A'Diao was very sure that the other person's mental body had evaded her senses, indicating they were very strong, at least Star Realm, and a Star Realm cultivator with an exceptionally strong mental body.
How long had he been watching her? Or had he been there from the beginning?
A'Diao broke out in a cold sweat. She turned back and began to subtly inquire with Jiang Zhou.
"In this ancient temple in the mountains, is there any handsome man who looks like a deity, has an unparalleled temperament, superb cultivation, and is like a walking snow pine of the Cangshan Mountains?"
A'Diao thought her description was very detailed.
Jiang Zhou frowned. "Did you ask Buddha for a partner? Such high standards."
A'Diao: "No, I'm talking about a reclusive expert."
Jiang Zhou: "Reclusive experts generally don't marry. You can forget about it. What are you dreaming about all day? Don't think you can get carried away just because your Teacher Qu isn't here. Pray properly to your Buddha instead of asking for some man!"
A'Diao: "!!!"
She wanted to explain, but it turned out many people had heard her frantically praying to Buddha and muttering about seeking marriage every time.
Her requests were quite numerous, so she prayed for a long time each time, even more devoutly than a rich woman praying earnestly for a son.
Now, no one believed her anymore.
However, A'Diao did confirm that Jiang Zhou and the others genuinely didn't know. She then tried to probe the old monk, but he also just said, "Patron, feel free to ask; whether Buddha grants you a man depends on Heaven's will."
The old monk either genuinely didn't know or was concealing something. A'Diao then asked about the temple's history, and the old monk immediately became eloquent, boasting from the "first generation three thousand," saying it was a place where a celestial maiden of a divine race had descended, and that the Buddha statues here were personally molded by her...
A'Diao: "???"
"Do you take me for a fool? What couldn't a celestial maiden do, yet she chose to mold Buddha statues? Does she like playing with mud? And what kind of aesthetic sense is that, to mold such ugly Buddha statues?"
Forget it.
A'Diao could only suppress her curiosity and began to ponder the expression and tone of the celestial handsome man when he mentioned the bloodline curse.
It seemed the other person either detested this curse or detested her.
So her bloodline was cursed?
What the hell.
A'Diao couldn't help but look into the affairs of the Chen family ancestors... even going so far as to contact Chen Xun.
Central Academy of Sciences. Chen Xun pressed his temples. Suddenly seeing a message, he was stunned for a moment, his eyes lit up. After opening and reading the message, he fell slightly silent.
Xiao A'Diao: "Asking, did any Chen family ancestor do something so shameless that they were cursed for it? To the extent that their reputation was ruined and they weren't recorded in the family genealogy..."
Chen Xun's expression was grave. He hadn't expected A'Diao to have investigated this far.
His fingers subconsciously rubbed his sleeve, but he still replied quickly.
Chen Xun: "Not too clear, but it's true that the Chen family has had few descendants in recent generations. Maybe we really were condemned by Heaven, it's not certain. But don't be afraid. In this generation, Father being able to have four children is already quite good."
There was a hint of sarcasm in his words.
Xiao A'Diao: "What if it's because the children's mothers were capable? What if Father just benefited from their light? What if the Chen family bloodline is still very unlucky?"
Ugh, Chen Ran would be furious if he saw this.
Chen Xun: "Possible. Since the children's mothers were capable, then they probably inherited more of their mothers' bloodlines anyway, right? In any case, none of the four children resemble him. What do you think?"
Xiao A'Diao: "That's true. The ugly ones are ugly, the smart ones are smart, and the not-ugly ones are stupid."
Chen Xun: "..."
His younger sister was truly as good at twisting the knife as she was in childhood.
A'Diao saw Chen Xun reply.
Chen Xun: "In my eyes, you've always been very cute."
Toilet thought A'Diao would be moved. Instead, she paused, then thought: Isn't this still saying I'm ugly?
Toilet: "..."
This person's prejudice and estrangement towards the Chen family members had been consistent for years. Chen Xun's task of warming up his sister Diaodiao was no small feat.
However, what they didn't know was that after Chen Xun sent the message, he organized the materials at hand, opened the door, and was escorted away under guard.
His ordinary face held a compelling composure.
As he passed through a corridor, an arrogant young man with arms crossed watched him leave and said with a smirk, "Chen Xun, I told you before, I'd make you get out of the Central Academy of Sciences. Now, I've done what I said."
"Also, I wish you a bright future, though I imagine it will be difficult. After all, your family's bloodline... haha!"
A'Diao felt Chen Xun was hiding something from her, but not intentionally concealing it; it was also a kind of reminder for her.
The Chen family ancestors had probably really caused some trouble that screwed over their descendants.
It was possible Chen Xun's inability to cultivate was related to this. But since he didn't say it outright, it meant he wanted her not to worry about it, thinking it wouldn't affect her?
But it was indeed true that she couldn't unearth her bloodline.
What else did Chen Xun know? Why was he always so secretive with her, afraid to speak plainly?
This damn Chen family, could they just give her a break...
If her bloodline was truly cursed, she had to try to break the curse. If not, she would have to directly break through to the Glimmer Realm.
But she was unwilling!
The next day, a worried A'Diao left the ancient temple with the flying boat and arrived at the preliminary examination designated point in two hours.
This was a suburban area, planned with various landing points for flying ships and a large open space. There was no chaotic, bustling scene because it was heavily guarded all around, with mechanical birds patrolling. Any suspicious individuals would be killed on sight.
People from Lushan Academy were already there, looking very plain in green robes with black sashes. One held a loudspeaker and shouted, "Welcome, all examiners, to one of Lushan Academy's preliminary examination points, Exam Point 13, Tiger Skin Green Suburbs! All examiners, please enter the circle. Escorting teachers, please go outside the circle. Identity wristwatches will be distributed in an hour. You can cause trouble, you can stir things up, but you cannot resort to violence. Otherwise, we won't do anything to you, nor will we cancel your examination qualification; we'll just kill you, carry your corpse back, and Lushan Academy will cover all funeral expenses."
Everyone: "..."
Who would dare cause trouble now?
Students from the five prefectures obediently entered the circle. Although they didn't cause trouble, observing their surroundings soon stirred some ripples.
The eagles of the Southern Five Prefectures had been at odds with the Northern Five Prefectures for generations.
Today, unluckily, they ended up at the same preliminary exam point. Even more unluckily, the publicly acknowledged top three from the Southern Five Prefectures weren't here, while the Northern side was full of experts. Many were already sneering and taunting the people from the Southern Five Prefectures.
Unfortunately, the other side was powerful, and their strongest few completely outmatched Song Erhu and his companions.
A'Diao: "..."
"Is it time for a verbal battle since physical fighting is not allowed?"
"Do I have to make an appearance and stir things up?"
Just as A'Diao was eager to try, she suddenly felt a chilling, eerie draft, followed by a strange ringing of bells.
Turning her head to look, she saw a coffin flying in the sky. A person was sitting on the coffin lid, and several small yellow paper figures were flying beside them.
Gusts of sinister wind, an aura of ghostly gloom—definitely an underworld character.
Toilet: "This person stole your thunder."
A'Diao: "..."
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