ASER - Chapter 164
Chapter 164: Limit
When A'Diao came out, she found herself in a corner of the peach blossom forest. Looking at her timetable, good heavens, only three hours had passed since she was teleported away. Did that mean the assessment had just ended?
"You're out? How do you feel..." Teacher Green Pepper emerged, like a VIP customer service representative dedicated to the top scorer. She arrived all smiles, but upon seeing A'Diao's condition, her expression froze for a moment.
Where was the beauty from before? Why was there a piece of charcoal now?
A'Diao patted the dust off herself. "There was a bit of a problem with my comprehension, suffered a backlash, and got struck by lightning... Is there a place to recuperate?"
Wristwatch: "..."
Illegally prying open a tombstone and still expecting to recuperate? Dream on! Lushan isn't so easily exploited!
One minute later.
From the wristwatch: +6666666!
The graceful and elegant Teacher Green Pepper was brewing tea. After a while, she saw a neatly dressed A'Diao emerge. She sized her up, a faint smile on her dignified face. "Released from confinement, your recovery speed is quite fast. You have quite a few treasures, I see."
Such a cunning person naturally wouldn't lack treasures, hence her ability to fully heal her injuries in minutes.
She was a young lady who took good care of herself.
A'Diao smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries. The two were about to leave to attend the closing ceremony of the examination when Teacher Green Pepper suddenly remembered something. "Oh, right, there's an express delivery for you from Heaven on Earth. It's core encrypted and came through Lushan's internal channels. It arrived while you were undergoing the inheritance—it should be from your master, sent as a prospective teacher candidate. Because it's important, I kept it for you temporarily."
She said this as she took out the item.
A'Diao took it, curiously examining it, feeling a little guilty: Did Qu Jiangnan know I knelt at someone else's grave?
Was it a package of candles or razor blades?
She opened the letter. Inside, there was only one line of text—"Wait one month before opening, otherwise you will be forever impoverished and never make a fortune."
A'Diao: "..."
Toilet: "..."
Why, Master? I just knelt hypocritically, I haven't switched allegiances. Why go to such lengths?
A'Diao wore a pained expression, but as she played with the package, she became thoughtful.
This person had always been meticulous and possessed a wildly imaginative mind; who knew what she was thinking now.
Teacher Green Pepper wouldn't try to fathom the thoughts of such individuals; she simply and quietly led A'Diao back to Peach Blossom Town.
Upon entering the town, A'Diao expressed her surprise, "I thought someone might try to assassinate me on the way, which is why I needed your close protection, Teacher."
Not close.
Teacher Green Pepper smiled and said casually, "Not really. Those sneaky individuals were mostly dealt with outside. If someone truly dared to kill on Peach Blossom Island, they would have to be at the Grandmaster level."
A'Diao: "Kill and run?"
Teacher Green Pepper: "They'd be buried with their victim."
A'Diao: "..."
Awesome, awesome!
So there must be a Grandmaster-level Lushan expert hidden here.
An old ancestor who survived from three hundred years ago?
As A'Diao was pondering, she walked into the Peach Blossom Town square while checking her scores on the wristwatch.
The assessment had just concluded. On the fifth stage leaderboard, she was ranked first, Dantai Ke second, Xia Yuanyuan third, Shen Huajing fourth, Mo Yuwo fifth, and Xiong Chumo sixth...
She paid attention to these five because they had passed the seventh level.
Out of 13,000 people, including A'Diao, only six had passed the seventh level.
Presumably, the other five also received Dao Tablet comprehension rewards.
A'Diao wasn't too concerned about the others. The top thirty were likely still the top thirty, with only a few anomalies rising quickly.
In the overall rankings, Song Ling was 12th, having reached the sixth level. Also at the sixth level was Xu Ye, ranked 18th. However, Han Zhuo was 55th and hadn't broken through the sixth level. Duanmu Qingyang and about a dozen others were at the sixth level, while the rest were at the fifth.
Further down, Baili Xianyun and others had stopped at the fourth level.
Huh? A'Diao saw Yue Xingxi ranked 22nd, but two unfamiliar names had also broken into the top twenty, pushing people like Che Jingyan and Nangong Liehe out of the top thirty.
These three were at the fifth level.
"Dongfang Wenyu, Guan Chen."
"They are the departmental representatives from Minghai University and Beichuan University, respectively. Indeed, their accumulated strength is finally showing. Impressive!"
These two ranked higher than Yue Xingxi, especially Guan Chen, who had surged to ninth in the overall rankings.
So only three university-stage students made it into the top thirty?
It seemed good, but... it looked like the academies dominated, and the university students had been thoroughly sifted, mostly ending up in the middle-tier scores.
Students around nineteen years old from various academies dominated the entire assessment, especially those from the Kyoto academies. Their quality was too high; they largely occupied the top three hundred spots.
Even Dantai Ke and the others were mostly in this age group.
"Yue Xingxi and these three probably concealed their aptitude and took special paths to enter the three renowned Kyoto schools. However, they officially went through the college entrance examination route to mislead others. They likely knew from the beginning that they couldn't compete with the academies, so they kept three promising talents for focused development. But even if their initial aptitude wasn't weak, the nurturing stage created a disparity."
Teacher Green Pepper accompanied A'Diao as she went to buy something. Perhaps she already considered A'Diao a Lushan person in her heart, so her words were more casual, and her demeanor more equal. "The younger you are, the more pronounced the golden growth curve, and the better the nurturing effect. So, Yue Xingxi and the others are only a year or two older than you, but they are actually at a disadvantage in this stage. Things like bone marrow light spots prefer to attach to younger life forms. With equal aptitude, they would definitely choose the younger ones. In their era, lifespan was like gold, and genetic activity was also crucial."
Lushan's foundation was extraordinary; any teacher there knew far more than teachers from other academies.
A'Diao was inherently eager to learn and curiously asked, "So, will only those from our assessment become Lushan members this time? I know Lushan will also be recruiting teachers next, and their assessment will be even stricter. So, Lushan's current generation of members will be these two batches of people."
There was an element of probing in her words, but Teacher Green Pepper didn't catch it and replied, "Not entirely. Do you know about internal selection in academies?"
A'Diao's original intention was to probe whether Lushan had many old relics left over from 300 years ago, but she unexpectedly heard the term "internal selection."
Holy crap!
She was greatly alarmed. No way, no way, there are even more incredible geniuses passing through internal selection? Then what are we, who are currently being assessed, considered? Second-rate?
Even if I get in first, I'll still be lower class?
A'Diao's expression was probably too obvious, as Teacher Green Pepper explained, "That's not what I mean. This internal selection concerns the bloodline inheritors left behind by generations of Lushan members. After passing rigorous internal selections, they inherit the qualifications of the previous Lushan generation and remain in Lushan. But rest assured, their aptitude is definitely not what you think of as 'gaining entry through the back door'."
That meant they were equally terrifying.
A'Diao thought about it carefully and understood. Lushan people weren't all childless; they naturally had descendants. And throughout history, through the connections within social circles, one's own people were naturally more trustworthy. Moreover, the descendants of the strong inherit genes through bloodlines, essentially forming the most superior pool of students. Of course, there were also many duds among them, but the overall success rate was very high; this had to be acknowledged.
Because this was a world of spiritual cultivation, not normal genetic succession.
"But in terms of status, you will be higher than them. They are not in the same class as you. In a sense, you are the key class, personally taught by the Mountain Head and some of Lushan's seniors."
Teacher Green Pepper's words calmed A'Diao's emotions. "Why? After all, their parents... they are the true Lushan people, aren't they?"
Teacher Green Pepper smiled faintly. "Because the Mountain Head believes they started in the most nurturing environment, enjoying the best resources and education. If a selection of equal difficulty were to retain them, their intrinsic value would naturally not compare to your batch. In terms of the group's average growth curve, yours will be higher, and the Mountain Head also places greater hopes on you. There is another reason—he has never looked favorably upon internally circulated bloodlines. That leads to aging, decay, and eventually, a foul stench."
"Lushan, like all powers, needs strong new blood. This is the healthiest form of generational succession."
"You know about the Heterodox Races, right?"
"Yes, the books mention them, though the coverage is sparse. They share a common origin with humans, but during the earliest period when spiritual energy first emerged, they mutated, and later became distinct from normal humans."
"The Mountain Head believes they are the truly terrifying group. Focusing only on one's own small plot of land will lead to a swift demise."
A'Diao was shocked at the time and quickly sensed that Lushan's internal affairs might not be harmonious. This wasn't surprising; even within a single bloodline, there were always sordid struggles, let alone a large group like Lushan, teeming with powerful individuals.
But what she cared about was that this Lushan CEO, who had designed the assessment, must be inherently unrestrained, disliked adhering to old systems, and was an extraordinary reformer.
He didn't want Lushan's generations to accumulate their own small factions, eventually leading to Lushan's internal division.
Since it was a school, it should possess the vibrant diversity of an academy, rather than becoming royalized or clannish.
Therefore, working backward to deduce this Mountain Head's background—he must not be an inheritor from Lushan's internal personnel, but rather new blood, formidable and powerful.
So... her prying open the tombstone was likely tacitly approved by him, perhaps even designed by him, precisely to nurture a promising seedling like herself.
So, she was schemed against?
If so, please let there be more such schemes in the future!!
A'Diao mused gleefully, completely unconcerned about gains or losses in terms of personal relationships.
Both Toilet and Teacher Green Pepper silently thought at this moment: Her strength is actually greatly related to this kind of personality. Calmness unswayed by emotions is the most terrifying form of will.
Teacher Green Pepper looked at the initially bustling crowd of examinees and spectators. It seemed that upon A'Diao's arrival, they had fallen mysteriously silent.
Staring intently.
Teacher Green Pepper silently added an internal supplement: Indifference, mostly unburdened by worldly emotions such as kinship, love, and friendship, is easily controlled by desires. And when desires are thwarted, even stronger self-emotions, such as resentment, apprehension, and anger, will arise...
This is the emotional cycle recognized by Buddhism; very few can transcend and escape it.
The examinees on the field clearly lacked the ability to escape this vicious cycle.
Their emotions towards A'Diao were intense, so intense that waves of mental power erupted.
Especially when they saw this person with a donkey meat sandwich in her left hand and milk tea in her right, and even making the dignified Lushan teacher, Green Pepper, help carry a bag with several bottles of milk tea.
Beast! Still eating, still drinking!
And drinking so many cups!
No matter how angry others were, or how complex their emotions, few actively approached A'Diao, except for one... Xia Sanlu.
This person was also something else, brazenly running over with a smile to ask where the milk tea was bought, as he wanted to drink some too.
A'Diao, when no conflicts of interest were involved, aside from using her sharp tongue to gather some mental power, never actively stirred up trouble, so she answered.
Xia Sanlu: "Thanks! But Miss A'Diao, you're truly amazing! We are all far inferior to you."
Cao Juanzhi also approached with grace, saying, "During the previous examination, it was unavoidable. If I caused any offense, Miss A'Diao, please forgive me. But Miss A'Diao, you are truly a sensation! Naturally, you are also a peerless beauty. It truly makes Juanzhi..."
A'Diao: "Admire me? I can give you a chance to be my backup."
Cao Juanzhi: "..."
How was he supposed to respond to that?
The people from Danzhou were all embarrassed. The backup system again?
Xia Sanlu suppressed a laugh, but then put on an affected air, attempting to curry favor... A'Diao took a sip of her milk tea and looked at him. "Want to marry in? You can. Be a backup first; I need to assess you."
Xia Sanlu was both surprised and delighted. "Really? Thank you, Miss A'Diao! I am sincere... Oh my, Miss A'Diao, your heart is truly vast! You don't even think I'm lowly, and you're so magnanimous! It's truly touching! You are indeed a fairy!"
Not far away, Duanmu Qingyang instantly became the target of countless gazes. She: "..."
Her fiancé was snatched, and her backup live-in son-in-law was also snatched?
And the other person even became a fairy.
A'Diao took another sip of milk tea and said seriously, "No, I also think you're lowly."
Xia Sanlu: "?"
A'Diao: "But I can be even lowlier than you."
Then she stuffed the wrapper from the finished donkey meat sandwich into his hand. "Here's a chance for you to show off. Throw it away."
Then she just walked away on her own.
Walked away.
Xia Sanlu: "..."
Cao Juanzhi: "..."
Trying to take advantage of her? She could walk the path of a sea king, leaving other sea kings with no path, defeating lowliness with lowliness.
Ptooey!
While A'Diao was KO-ing the two scoundrels, Shen Huajing and the others had already returned.
The time for comprehension had ended, and it was impossible to tell what each had gained. In any case, they all appeared calm, exuding an aura of composure as if Mount Tai could collapse before them without batting an eye.
But as soon as these five appeared, the somewhat quiet atmosphere surrounding A'Diao immediately began to stir with undercurrents.
Dantai Ke was also a person of great magnanimity. Upon seeing A'Diao, he was neither sarcastic nor hypocritical, but stood silently in a corner. Wherever he stood, a group of people gathered around him.
Including Dantai Yu, who was also in the crowd.
On Xia Yuanyuan's side was another group of cultivators from grassroots backgrounds.
And then there was Duanmu Qingyang and the hidden alliance of the Xie and Zhao families... followed by individuals like A'Diao, who were independent of the provincial regions.
She was originally alone, but unknowingly, students from the southern, northern, and other weaker provinces had gathered behind her.
A'Diao, however, didn't seem to care, appearing oblivious to it all, until a Lushan teacher arrived to announce the examination results.
The leaderboard was right there, so there was no need to state the results. He was here to announce...
"Those ranked 3000th and below are all eliminated. The remaining 3000 will enter the martial examination in half a month."
Holy crap! Directly cutting ten thousand people!
The entire place was in an uproar!
The crowd of examinees was also buzzing.
Too brutal.
"Among the 3000, rewards will be given according to ranking tiers. You can collect them back at Heaven on Earth."
After Lushan's announcement, the eliminated examinees were sad and helpless, but it was alright; they had probably mentally prepared themselves for their rankings.
At least they had completed the aptitude test. With their result slips, they could try their luck at other prestigious schools later.
It had to be said, people from prestigious schools were already privately contacting them.
The numerous selected examinees wouldn't return immediately either. Since the teleportation array was still there and Lushan's protection was still in place, they would reunite with their families for a while.
However, after everyone dispersed, Dantai Yu suddenly said, "Chen A'Diao, you were formidable this time, concealing yourself so deeply, stepping on everyone's heads to rise. We'll meet in the martial exam in half a month."
He gave a chilling smile. Everyone knew he was at the Star Realm. Even if he had suffered a setback at A'Diao's hands due to bad luck, he was still at the Star Realm, and he had qualified for the martial exam.
The expressions of most of the other two thousand-plus examinees present turned solemn and tense. Many looked towards A'Diao.
A'Diao looked at Dantai Yu, her gaze sweeping over Qiao Liushui, He Sijian, Qu Hanzhou, and others not far away who had been defeated by her. These people possessed strong aptitude; even after being KO'd by her several times, they still qualified for the martial exam based on their scores.
If you can't kill them, they still have a chance.
This was something that couldn't be helped.
However, A'Diao showed no emotional fluctuation, merely saying, "What do you mean, 'concealing'? It was just everyone sharing blessings and enduring hardships together."
Holy crap, those words? What kind of logic was that?
Dantai Yu remained silent. Qu Hanzhou said coldly, "You're quite good at justifying yourself."
In reality, they had no grounds. Most examinees knew this was a competition, and tactics were just part of it. But both sides had already torn off all pretenses; it was merely an exchange of harsh words.
Impotent rage.
But A'Diao didn't come out losing. Since she had already offended them all, there was no need to play the "leave some leeway" game. So, holding her milk tea, she looked innocent and said, "Why wouldn't it count? Everyone suffered together, right? As for blessings... my heavens, you've all seen such beauty as mine, don't you feel honored?"
Slender, beautiful fingers traced her own cheek, the corners of her lips curled slightly, her eyes deep and profound, stunningly beautiful and unrestrained.
"Every time I dream of such a fairy, I wish I could sleep with myself a thousand, a hundred times over. This time, I was fortunate enough to get cosmetic surgery, also out of my own desire, and immediately made myself look like this. But this is also for the benefit of all you brothers and sisters."
"What's wrong? Your mouths are spouting harsh words, but your eyes are being very honest, oh."
Her fingers paused on her red lips. She smiled.
She delivered the final line.
"Mediocre people, it's best not to make an enemy of desire."
"So, during the martial exam, you're welcome to continue staring at me. Take a few more looks; you won't have the chance later."
A double entendre.
Then she finished her milk tea and burned the cup to ashes in her palm.
The ashes trickled from the gaps between her fingers, dancing with the wind.
No one spoke, all captivated by the person before them at this moment, by that breathtaking beauty and sharp, demonic aura.
She had risen. Who dared to contend with her brilliance?
The second stage, the aptitude test, was over.
This was the conclusion.
And at this very moment, in the silent square, the slightly prosperous Peach Blossom Town, and the more tranquil and beautiful Peach Blossom Forest, only the peach blossom petals danced in the air, scattered and sentimental.
But from its bloom to its decay, it was never because of the love and affections of the mortal world.
Flowers bloom and fall in their own time, but when they are fragrant, a gentle breeze will naturally come.
But just then, A'Diao suddenly felt a scorching gaze. Turning her head, she saw a person at an entrance to the square. To be precise, it was a woman in a red robe riding a black horse. The robe was red with gold trim, embroidered with phoenixes. On her chignon was a gold and jade crown, giving her a somewhat dashing air, like a woman disguised as a man. Her features were extremely beautiful, a beauty like potent poison, an aggressive kind of beauty, and arrogant.
Her arrogance stemmed from the inherent strength and nobility in her eyes and bones.
It was also a nobility cultivated from a young age, with others kneeling and prostrating before her in awe.
That black horse alone must be priceless, its hooves like crimson flames, yet it trod without a sound, so she had arrived silently.
In her hand, she held a horsewhip made of flood dragon tendon. Her eyes were lazy as she looked towards their side...
Someone saw her, and soon, many people bowed to her in unison.
Including Dantai Sheng, Dantai Yu, and other members of the imperial clan.
But Dantai Ke addressed this person differently. He raised his hands in a salute, somewhat awkwardly, and said, "Greetings, Sister."
Grand Princess Dantai Zhuying of the Tang Song Empire, also the monarch's most favored child, her status comparable to that of the former crown prince.
She and Dantai Ke were half-siblings. However, Dantai Ke's birth mother was of humble status. After her death, he was adopted by Consort Xi, who was and still is the monarch's most favored consort. There was a fifteen-year age difference between her and Dantai Zhuying, but she had essentially watched him grow up.
So, was she here specifically to support her brother?
"Second place, huh?"
"Yes..."
"You think it's second place?"
Dantai Ke lowered his head and said solemnly, "Perhaps not even second. Two others concealed their identities."
"Afraid of our imperial family's assassination, I suppose."
Dantai Zhuying smiled. With this smile, her aura flourished. Her cool gaze swept across the entire assembly... and suddenly lingered on A'Diao for a moment.
A'Diao felt a bit awkward, finding the Grand Princess's gaze strange.
She said, "Truly beautiful."
A'Diao: "?"
She said, "Do you know I have many male consorts? I'm not picky about gender."
A'Diao: "!"
Dantai Zhuying laughed heartily, pulled the reins, and her steed pawed the ground. "Just teasing you. I have serious business today."
After she said this.
A huge light screen suddenly appeared in the sky.
Broadcast nationwide.
This light screen originated from the national air defense equipment, directly projecting to all parts of the country, and simultaneously relayed to everyone's technological devices.
A'Diao's first reaction was: No way, I just finished showing off and now I'm being nationally exposed? Such a grand display?
But then...
"By the Mandate of Heaven, the Emperor proclaims: Since ancient times, sage rulers have governed the world through education. Harmony between ruler and ministers ensures the stability of the state; harmony among the common people ensures peace in the land; harmony with foreign tribes ensures tranquility in all directions. Since Our ascension, We have followed the laws of former kings, blessed by Heaven. Ruler and ministers are united, the people live in harmony, the world is at peace, rivers are clear, seas are calm, weather is favorable, harvests are abundant, borders are peaceful, and the realm is prosperous. Now, facing the changes of the spiritual energy resurgence, We have observed the state of the nation, felt Heaven's grace, and perceived the flourishing of evil, the unceasing demonic spirits, and an indescribably chaotic situation. Guided by a dream from Our holy ancestors, to continue the old friendship between Our Tang Song and the Heavenly Spirit Clan, to forge an eternal alliance, a marriage has been decided..."
The imperial edict, which sounded very dignified and culturally profound but, to A'Diao, was long and tedious, finally ended.
She had only one thought.
So, is the Crown Prince marrying a woman from the Heavenly Spirit Clan as Crown Princess, or is the old Emperor marrying a new Empress?
By the way, how old is the old man?
Toilet: "88 years old."
A'Diao: "..."
A'Diao felt that perhaps everyone in the square at this moment shared her thought, including Dantai Ke and the others.
Basically, two words echoed in their minds—Holy crap!
But she quickly scanned their expressions and, after some speculation, formed a guess.
Why such a widespread announcement all of a sudden?
Logically, there was no need to make the announcement during the Lushan assessment; it seemed like competing with Lushan for prominence. The imperial family wouldn't engage in such petty squabbles unless this announcement carried some political significance—a warning?
So, someone didn't want this to happen and perhaps did something, like attacking the future Empress from the Heavenly Spirit Clan. That meant she was likely attacked on her way, because Teacher Green Pepper's tone when speaking of these Heterodox Races was quite wary. Clearly, the Heavenly Spirit Clan was terrifying; an attack in their home territory would be impossible.
So it happened on the way.
The future Empress of Tang Song was already on her way to the capital and had already been attacked once.
At this moment, a large contingent of guards and carriages suddenly entered Peach Blossom Island, and Dantai Zhuying waved her whip. "Return to the palace!"
The princes, their faces grim, had no choice but to follow and leave.
A'Diao suddenly understood: They're probably going to be investigated. Because once an Empress of such origin gives birth, the child will not only be legitimate but also possess the strongest spiritual cultivation aptitude, making them a 100% certainty to be listed as heir apparent. So, the attack most likely came from these princes and their backers.
Because once this new Empress arrived and became pregnant, any Crown Prince, any prince, would become yesterday's news.
It meant the old Tang Song Emperor had made a bold move, a royal flush that had ruined the future of all these princes.
A'Diao was very shocked, but a corner of her mouth twitched upwards.
Usually, she wouldn't laugh, unless... Hahahahahaha!
A'Diao, laughing wildly internally with her hands on her hips, after the imperial family members had left, slowly said, "Everyone, don't forget the skeletal remains you owe me. I have the list, you know. Pay up today. Hate me all you want, but you still have to give me the money. Moral integrity is important."
How could such an outstandingly beautiful and shameless person exist in the world?
Dantai Yu and the others: "..."
From Dantai Yu and others ++++!
A'Diao looked at the mental power leaderboard.
It was almost at one hundred billion.
If used for the Bloodline Origin Array, it could probably be maxed out.
In the Qu family, after the head of the Qu family returned, he immediately went to the back mountain. He spoke for a long time in front of a cave, and later, a voice emerged from within the cave.
"The plan needs some adjustments..."
"Yes."
Elsewhere, the imperial family and various major families were also experiencing turmoil.
Not just because of Chen A'Diao, but also because of the rise of Xia Yuanyuan and others, as well as the private alliance formed by the Duanmu, Xie, and Zhao families. These situations were all part of a larger scheme. And most importantly, there was the matter of the Empress.
It concerned the future direction of the Tang Song nation.
Compared to that, Chen A'Diao seemed almost insignificant.
At Heaven on Earth, after A'Diao returned to her residence, she waited for her reward.
First place in the aptitude test.
One hundred thousand skeletal remains, and a bag of crystals.
A'Diao opened the bag and looked inside, finding some golden, triangular crystal coins. However, they were definitely not currency issued in the ordinary sense.
"These are Star Coins that circulated among cultivators during the Primordial Era, right? Currency generally used starting from the Star Realm. Legend has it that its origin lies with the first cultivator who created the Star Realm during the Primordial Era. He accidentally obtained an alien meteorite and extracted a wisp of star power from it, thereby expanding the cultivation system upwards. Later, as the era developed, the territories of the Three Kingdoms expanded into the universe, controlling some ore planets and collecting star meteorites... Through mining, these star meteorites were made into Star Coins, which could serve both as cultivation energy and as a medium of exchange among high-level cultivators for trading equivalent or higher-level cultivation resources."
After all, once cultivators reached the Star Realm, ordinary currency (Star Coins) held little significance for their daily lives and had no value in circulation; Star Coins were the mainstream instead.
And the intrinsic value of these Star Coins was extremely high, because mining sites were scarce and the energy level was high. A'Diao held one. Logically, since she wasn't at the Star Realm, she shouldn't be able to absorb it. But since it was given to her, it must have a use.
"Can it be absorbed if one's mental body is strong and physique is sufficiently powerful?"
A'Diao asked Toilet.
Toilet: "Yes, general rules apply to ordinary people. In reality, some geniuses with sufficiently strong aptitude can ignore these rules. Theoretically, Dantai Ke or Xia Yuanyuan, anyway, anyone in your batch can absorb Star Coins."
"It is a higher form of energy than spirit cores. Absorption can comprehensively temper the physique, forging a body comparable to the quality of stars. This is also the main focus of cultivation in the Star Realm."
A'Diao understood. So, if Dantai Ke was also at the Star Realm, or even if he wasn't, he was extremely terrifying.
So, in the initial preliminary exam and some later assessments that tested physique... he had been holding back, precisely to conceal himself.
Sacrificing small gains for a larger objective.
Probably the other two big fish were the same.
Toilet: "Do you want to investigate the identities of those two?"
A'Diao: "No need, it's too much trouble. 3,000 people remained, but in the leaderboards, several hundred concealed their scores; the display only shows 2,600 ranked. Some are ranked lower and don't want to stand out; others are ranked higher and still wish to hide."
Toilet understood. "So, on the surface, you are still the biggest target."
A'Diao pressed her brow. "I'd like to hide like them, but I'm puzzled as to how they managed it. Invisibility? Disguise? Everyone was in confinement, and they should have known during the final climb, but the fog on the sixth level was very thick, so not seeing people isn't strange... It's not like they also have a Toilet, right? Hey, wait!"
"Do you think these two are from the Heterodox Races? Because it's a racial talent, innate, requiring no energy activation, so it wouldn't be exposed, nor would it be affected by confinement."
So, what Teacher Green Pepper had told her was also a kind of reminder.
Toilet pondered for a moment and felt it was highly possible. "If that's the case, you need to be careful. If the aptitude of Heterodox Races is equal to that of humans, then their combat power and methods are definitely far superior to humans, because their physique and talent upper limits are closer to those of demonic spirits. They were the earliest beings to benefit after the birth of primordial spiritual energy."
A'Diao nodded. "The Heavenly Spirit Clan is considered royalty among the Heterodox Races, one of the three imperial clans. However, the Heavenly Spirit Clan has been allied with Tang Song for generations. After the spiritual energy disappeared, these Heterodox Races also vanished, only reappearing now. Times are changing; even such powerful beings are making plans."
"And I... I'm counting money."
More accurately, she was counting bones.
She now had a total of 250,000 skeletal remains on hand, enough for a good wave of development. By the time of the martial exam in half a month, her meridians and mental threads should be able to double.
Toilet: "It's estimated that several Star Realm cultivators will try to kill you in the martial exam."
Among the 3,000 people, there was definitely more than just Dantai Yu at the Star Realm.
Judging cultivation level from aptitude, her situation in the third stage, the martial exam, was actually the most dangerous, because she would face all the experts who wanted to eliminate her.
It was related to the hatred from the competition's five stages; her threat was too great.
Those two from the Heterodox Races were very clever, so they hadn't revealed themselves, still using her as a target.
"Of course. So, if it gets really dangerous, I'll forcibly break through to Glimmer. If it doesn't come to that, this bunch of local ruffians isn't worth me compressing my own upper limit."
She had been preparing for this bloodline matter for so long; she absolutely couldn't let it end anticlimactically because of these local ruffians.
Did they even deserve it?
A'Diao took out the Lesser Spirit King's Dao Tablet. The terror of spirit attachment lay in the attachment itself, but it wasn't purely a mental attack. A'Diao needed to perfect it, to maximize her mental aptitude.
"This Lesser Spirit King's inheritance is the Six Paths Minor Tribulation, a mental attack in the form of a lightning tribulation... Using lightning to break through defensive armor, paralyze the body to weaken its state, and then directly attack the mental body. The attack effect is self-evident."
"Isn't this the lightning that struck me before? It seems it was weakened countless times, merely testing the strength of my mental body."
"Oh my god, his soul isn't still around, is it?"
"So scary."
The matter of misty rain lingered endlessly. In the wooden house, a barefoot Qu Jiangnan was scribbling and revising on paper, while scattered diagrams covered the floor, tables, and chairs.
On them were densely packed arrays and talismanic script, too profound for A'Diao's current level of understanding.
What she was doing, probably no one knew. But this place was so secluded; looking out the window, one could see a grave not far away, at the end of a profusion of flowers.
Beside it, green bamboo flourished, a lake lay serene, and flowers and plants were scattered about.
The wind came, stirring a wisp of hair by her ear, so gentle, also bringing with it a floral scent. She seemed to pause, but then looked up for a while, lost in thought, until she glanced at some information displayed on her optical computer.
Most of it consisted of messages from Jiang Zhou and Xie Jingyu, with occasional good news from students like Song Ling.
She hadn't gone. Not a single student complained; they all silently sent messages in the group chat, reporting their examination results.
The second stage had filtered out many people, but these individuals had all remained in Kyoto, waiting to see the assessment results of A'Diao, Song Ling, and the others.
She remained very silent, then lowered her eyes again, turned off the optical computer, and with slender, pale fingers, gently tucked a strand of hair, continuing her work.
Heaven and earth were utterly still.
But her face was exceptionally pale, bloodlessly so.
Fifteen days later, on the morning of the martial arts competition, at 7:30 AM.
A'Diao, who had been engrossed in cultivation, hadn't eaten for several days and was extremely hungry. Just then, her wristwatch beeped with a reminder about the assembly time for today's examination. Accustomed to it, A'Diao didn't pay much attention and directly crawled to the kitchen to get something to eat when she suddenly heard her phone beeping.
She wondered and picked it up to look.
It was a message from Qu Jiangnan. No text, only a notification.
She had been deleted.
A red notification, from the system.
A'Diao was stunned. What was going on?
Toilet: "Account hacked?"
A'Diao picked up a piece of bread, her eyes flickering. "No, something is very wrong. If she actively deleted me, something must have happened. But given her personality, if she's in trouble, she would know that deleting me is a way to alert me, easily luring me over. This doesn't fit her personality or way of thinking. It's definitely not to remind me of anything... because essentially, I'm safest here at Lushan. Unless..."
"Her account was really hacked."
Toilet: "?"
A'Diao spread jam on the bread, her voice calm. "The person who hacked her account deliberately sent me a message, wanting me to realize her situation is amiss, then lure me over, and finally ambush me!"
"Ten to one, it's those bastards from the Qu family."
"Do they think I'm that stupid, that I'll fall for it?"
A'Diao had initially thought so, but then a possibility occurred to her.
What if it was a double kill?
The siege against Qu Jiangnan was real, and the ambush against her was also real.
A'Diao suddenly thought of two things.
1. Why was Qu Jiangnan unwilling to come to Kyoto? Was the Qu family's power really that great? But from Teacher Green Pepper's reaction, Qu Jiangnan should have already passed some assessments and been listed as a reserve member, holding a certain status in Lushan and eligible for protection. So, there should have been no problem for her to come and observe the Lushan assessment, especially with Xie Jingyu and others present. So why didn't she come? Was she that indifferent? I don't know, but she is definitely a responsible person. Upright, inherently upright. This person must have a strong sense of moral responsibility. Therefore, there must be some terrifying existence that makes her dare not come to Kyoto, or she is up to something outside.
2. The day Qu Hanzhou provoked her, he showed no fear, but rather confidence and viciousness, as if her death was imminent. Why? She could basically waltz into Lushan. Even if she were besieged and failed in the martial exam, she could still enter Lushan with her current scores, given her strong aptitude. Yet Qu Hanzhou still... This kind of person must have something to rely on to be so arrogant. Otherwise, look at the Baili family. Don't they harbor murderous intent towards her? Look how low-key they are. Later, even Baili Xianyun didn't dare to make a peep. That's because they understand forbearance and weighing pros and cons. Just Qu Hanzhou... So either the Qu family has some terrifying trump card, or they are confident in ambushing and killing her.
Logically, after being schemed against by her with the Black Mountain Auction House, and considering her current achievements, the Qu family should have laid low and not dared to cause trouble. After all, they needed to concentrate their energy on dealing with the changing situation in the imperial court and the country.
Considering these two points.
Something was about to click in A'Diao's mind.
This was a sequence of events.
1. Qu Jiangnan is up to something in a certain place.
2. This place has been exposed.
3. The Qu family intends to capture her today, but while doing so, they also want to eliminate A'Diao in one fell swoop, luring her out of Heaven on Earth herself.
Having figured it out, A'Diao sneered. "Nice calculation, but I'd be a fool to go."
She said this, yet she put down the bread and took out that express package.
"Sending this for no reason, and after a month, which means half a month from now. Could she have guessed it long ago? What is she planning to do today?"
A'Diao frowned, then gritted her teeth and decisively opened the package.
Then... she stared blankly at the object contained within the crystal-clear, cold crystal casing inside the box.
A special preservation item, a specially protected object.
Toilet was also stunned.
This...
A bloodline?
Qu Jiangnan had sent a segment of a bloodline.
Whose bloodline?
A'Diao's face was wooden, but her eyes glanced aside, noticing that the jam on the bread beside her hand had somewhat diluted and spread, an ominous, bright red, flowing on the snow-white stone countertop.
Like blood.
This scene was too ill-omened.
A'Diao snapped the box shut with a pa sound and cursed, "Damn it! Is Qu Jiangnan out of her mind!"
The Demon Fox bloodline, she had seen what it looked like!
This was Qu Jiangnan's own bloodline. So active, almost perfectly intact. Clearly, it had been dug out while she was alive.
After cursing, A'Diao took a deep breath and glanced at the clock on the wall.
Twenty-five minutes left.
Lushan concerned her future and her life. Qu Jiangnan was merely a passerby in her life.
A'Diao subconsciously picked up her phone, intending to contact Jiang Zhou and Xie Jingyu, but then she abruptly remembered that the vassal imperial families were now considered thorns in the side of the imperial imperial family, and Jiang Zhou was merely a member of the academy alliance... If they were to suddenly leave, those spies would undoubtedly find out, possibly launching a second wave of assassinations and then blaming it on the Qu family, leaving the Zhao and Xie families to swallow the bitter pill.
This was why Qu Jiangnan maintained a certain distance from them.
This person had always been unwilling to implicate others.
Now, the Qu family was deliberately cueing her, as if they knew for certain that she would go.
A'Diao took a deep breath and put down her phone.
The house was very quiet.
Three seconds later, somewhere in Heaven on Earth, an old man opened his eyes.
"Slipping out at this time?"
He reported this information to the Mountain Head. The Mountain Head tapped his finger on the tabletop and replied, "Everyone must bear the consequences of their own actions. Lushan only wants geniuses who can afford to pay the price."
He looked into the distance, his gaze profound.
Able to pry open Dao Tablets, and enter and exit Heaven on Earth to handle matters of the Black Mountain Auction House.
A strong mental body, possessing significant spatial talent, and had cultivated a doppelganger.
With so many trump cards, she must be confident in going.
In that case, he wanted to see what she was truly up to.
Or rather, what others intended to do to her.
Toilet had originally thought A'Diao would need to ask Xie Jingyu or Jiang Zhou about Qu Jiangnan's possible hiding place, but she didn't. Clearly, she already knew.
Because no one knew the details of Qu Jiangnan's daily life better than her.
Certain decorative items, books, blankets, and food habits in her Jinling Academy residence all indicated this person's reliance on that place, and her nostalgia for the past. This past was also connected to some older women. Considering the age, it likely wasn't her sister, but possibly related to their mother. And cups were often arranged in sets of three.
Could it be the sisters' favorite place?
Could it be their birth mother's hometown?
Could it be...
Anyway, A'Diao had pinpointed this region and then used the simple fixed-point teleportation small array from her spatial notes... This was very draining on her mental body and energy, especially since she hadn't reached the Glimmer rank yet, but she still created it.
Diannan, Huajun Mountain. The mountain was secluded, but the air was somewhat stuffy, as if it were about to rain.
Qu Jiangnan had risen early and poured herself a glass of water. Watching the water in the glass ripple slightly, her pupils constricted...
She looked up. Dark clouds roiled above the mountain peak ahead, and the entire house, inside and out, was locked down.
She saw a group of black-clothed individuals mysteriously appear in the gloomy, sultry air.
The leader pulled down his hat, stood in the courtyard, and offered her a faint smile.
Three Star Realm cultivators, twelve peak Glimmer cultivators.
The Qu family. This was quite a grand lineup, and they had clearly given Qu Jiangnan sufficient importance.
The family was prolific, with abundant resources, and had cultivated many experts. Even if they were merely piled up with resources, their destructive power was undeniable.
This time, they were determined to succeed.
"My dear niece Jiangnan, you've played outside for so long, it's time to come home. Even if you don't want to come home, don't you want to see your little nephew?"
He beckoned, and a subordinate from behind pulled out a handsome five-year-old boy.
Qu Jiangnan looked at the boy through the window, saw his resemblance to her sister, and the shared bloodline within him.
She took a sip of water and put the glass down.
Clang.
Terrifying mental threads were released, erupting from underground, piercing the boy's brain with mental threads.
Buzz... Bang!
His head exploded.
His true form, a disguised adult man, was also revealed.
Qu Jiangnan said nothing, but outside, Qu Yong ground his yellowed teeth. Looking at the corpse on the ground, his eyes were filled with greed. This is the secret technique.
Mental type?
Truly terrifying.
"No wonder you took that Chen A'Diao as your disciple. Looks like you passed the secret technique to her, huh? What an ungrateful wretch." Qu Yong was somewhat resentful, yet he also smiled, attempting to stir her emotions with his next words.
"However, she's on her way here too. With her intelligence, she must have guessed. By the time she gets here, it'll probably be half a day later. At that time... I'll wait for her right here."
Qu Jiangnan's expression changed slightly, and Qu Yong seized the opportunity, decisively waving his hand.
"Take her down."
"Don't let her die. Otherwise, do as you please."
His tone was cold and malicious.
Everyone simultaneously summoned their bloodline totems. A group of people, a group of bloodline demon foxes, their powerful bloodline talents collectively activated a hypnotic state, attempting to control her immediately. Because they had to capture her alive, this was also related to the fact that most of the participants were core members of the Qu family.
They must capture her alive!
Qu Jiangnan's mind indeed seemed to be controlled...
The effect of a group of Qu family talent users collectively manipulating was too terrifying; even a peak Star Realm cultivator would be instantly controlled.
Not to mention, two of the three Star Realm cultivators on their side were at peak Star Realm.
Seeing Qu Jiangnan controlled, Qu Yong was overjoyed and approached to grab her...
Suddenly, Qu Jiangnan's eyes snapped open, starlight shining brightly in her pupils. Countless light feather threads tore out from her body.
Simultaneously, she activated the three array disks contracted within her body.
Buzz...
One array disk covered the house and courtyard; another array disk covered the entire mountain forest.
The two array disks activated simultaneously, erupted simultaneously, and the aura released from her body was terrifyingly outstanding.
She was breaking through to the Star Realm.
But the scale of the breakthrough was so intense it was as if she were breaking through to Grandmaster.
Because... an aptitude holder of magnificent and starlit peak quality, once they break through, will receive the Dao of Spirit's recognition. This was something the Kyoto Principal had mentioned after learning her background from Xu Zhaoyin.
Extreme Star Realm.
Even among the top one hundred golden prodigies of the Primordial Era, not all necessarily obtained this Dao of Spirit recognized aptitude.
It manifested in Qu Jiangnan, so her aptitude was not just a mere mental body of 300.
Her meaning was probably "more than 300."
How much exactly, no one knew, but once she broke through... she would directly possess the strongest combat power within the Star Realm, hence she was hailed as an Extreme Star Realm cultivator.
Qu Yong and the others were horrified, and Qu Yong instantly thought of the ancestral warning—if a female in the family possesses outstanding talent, disaster will surely follow.
"Kill her!!!"
Qu Yong shrieked... Everyone rushed towards Qu Jiangnan.
Amidst the terrifying Star Realm power fluctuations, dark clouds rumbled with thunder in the sky, revealing cracked halos of starlight.
She was breaking through, and borrowing the power of the tribulation lightning to activate the entire mountain forest array disk.
The entire mountain was churning with terrifying spiritual power, but she glanced at the attacking Qu Yong and the others, her eyes indifferent, her lips slightly pursed.
But in the end, she still glanced into the distance.
That child is here?
Then I can't delay.
Qu Jiangnan suddenly felt a bit of regret, but still unhesitatingly activated the third array disk within her body.
Buzz... The array disk came alive, manifesting at a grave.
Three array disks interlocked.
The range grew larger, the commotion more terrifying. The entire Diannan region felt it. Many cultivators were shocked, demonic spirits were terrified, and mortals were bewildered...
The energy data detected by the equipment kept soaring.
"What on earth is happening? Is someone breaking through?"
"What's wrong!!"
"Holy crap!! This energy intensity has surpassed the Grandmaster level..."
"Quick, lock on!!!"
At this time, A'Diao had just teleported to Diannan. Her head was spinning, and she felt nauseous. Before she could stabilize herself, she sensed this terrifying fluctuation. Looking up, she saw the sky thundering. This was because the spatial energy field was undergoing a concentration effect, as if someone was pushing Diannan's energy field...
"Damn! My crazy master has gone crazy!"
She was both shocked by the terror of Qu Jiangnan's aptitude and uneasy about such a commotion. Was this a breakthrough?
Why didn't it look like it?
If she really wanted to break through, why send me her bloodline? Doesn't she know this could easily lead to a failed breakthrough and being struck dead by tribulation lightning?
A'Diao activated her mental body threads, quickly sensed the precise mountain location, and then took out a stack of mid-range teleportation talismans...
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
Swoosh!
Continuous teleportation.
At this time, in the core area drawn by the three array disks, the house had already begun to turn to dust. Qu Jiangnan hadn't moved from her spot from beginning to end. The water glass shattered, tables and chairs destroyed. She coldly watched her blood relatives struggle in the array, their blood forcibly drained...
Of course, she herself was experiencing the same.
"Mountain Yin Array, Spirit Devouring Array, Qu Jiangnan, what on earth are you doing! You're crazy! Ah!!!"
Regardless of whether they were Star Realm or Glimmer, they were like ants within it, wanting to escape, yet finding no way out.
But they didn't get to hear her voice.
From beginning to end, she didn't say a word, only glanced at the grave emitting terrifying black qi, then lowered her head and smiled faintly.
Then she reached into her heart, pressed her palm, resonating.
Her other hand touched her glabella.
All her mental body concentrated.
She whispered a sentence.
"Land of the Undead, souls gather by the millions... I offer my starlight as sacrifice."
"May you, sister... return to the mortal world."
She looked up, tears in her eyes, yet smiling.
And then...
The mountain forest collapsed. The originally beautiful garden surface all cracked, and beneath several meters of soil, countless white bones were revealed.
This place was once a famous burial mound and mass grave in Diannan.
At this moment, black qi suddenly released from these white bones and blood-red soil... countless vengeful souls and fierce ghosts emerged...
They surged into the array, tearing and devouring everyone. And she, as the heart of the array, was also within, even entangled by these terrifying ghosts and swept into the sky.
The sacrificer... devoured by ghosts, then offered to the main subject of the sacrifice.
At this moment, she too was being torn apart.
And the tribulation lightning still descended.
Heaven and earth darkened, mournful howls unceasing, as if dragging it into the distant past, that tragic past.
Then, she saw a streak of light suddenly flash in the distance, appear, and then fly over.
She saw it, her fingers twitched slightly, but her vision was quickly covered by lightning and resentful ghost qi.
One, two, three.
Third second.
Everything ended. She fell.
A certain stingy disciple falling rapidly from the sky used her fastest speed, but she really didn't have much energy left for teleportation, so she could only chase down...
Gently, Qu Jiangnan landed on the surface of the lake.
Fourth second, A'Diao arrived. Amidst the rippling water, she reached out to grab her.
What her palm touched... all shattered.
A bloody mess, completely stirred and diluted by the rippling water and flowing current.
Just like tomato juice, once in water, it disperses.
A'Diao scooped upwards with both hands, only seeing bloody water and minced flesh flow through her arms, clothes, and even fingertips.
She paused for a moment, then immediately exchanged for the Bloodline Origin Array.
Exchange, max level, activate.
A'Diao, with a dull ache in her head, gritted her teeth and persisted. But this Bloodline Origin Array was terrifying. Upon activation, it pulled back the blood and flesh that was about to disperse...
But it was still scattering. A'Diao immediately put Qu Jiangnan's segment of bloodline into it.
Come back, come back, quickly come back!
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