CH 2

Translator: Amber.es | Editor : Bubbles | Proofreader: musk

“…The final assessment is an arena competition. Its content is up for you to decide, including usage of talismans, immortal techniques, spell formations, and beasts. You will need to select three formal disciples from Hongmeng Academy to compete against. The winner who wins three matches in a row will be admitted.”

On the high platform carved with white jade, the appointed disciple in charge of the assessment read out the content of the competition.

Under the stage, the freshmen waiting for the assessment to commence circled around.

“Chaoyun, that surnamed Jiang is looking at you again.”

In the crowd, Ye Chenxing pulled Ji Chaoyun’s sleeve. The examiner, Jiang Cheng, sat in the front of the viewing seats, looking in their direction with a smile.

Ji Chaoyun raised his eyes; their gazes met, before he faintly retracted his own. “Don’t bother.”

Ye Chenxing opened his mouth and wanted to continue persuading him, but the name of the first disciple who participated in the entrance examination was then called out from the high platform.

As expected, it was Ji Chaoyun.

Under everyone’s watch, Ji Chaoyun rose up and landed steadily on the high platform.

The appointed disciple bowed to him and asked, “Immortal friend, what kind of competition would you like to choose?”

Ji Chaoyun answered, “I want to test on martial arts; no magic arts or magical weapons are allowed in the test. If the weapon falls on the ground or any part of the body leaves the white jade platform, it is a loss.”

As soon as he said this, the appointed disciple stiffened. He subconsciously looked at Jiang Cheng in the audience.

Jiang Cheng made no secret of his taunt. “Not using magic arts? Do you think that the entrance examination of Hongmeng Academy is to have a mortal fight? Truly, though your mortal body has ascended, you still can’t win on stage.

Ji Chaoyun’s expression remained unchanged. “The rules did not mention this being forbidden.”

“Never mind, don’t you regret it.” Jiang Cheng tilted his head slightly and said to the person next to him, “Go, right the wrong.”

Behind him, a handsome young man stood up, tapped his toes, and gently descended in front of Ji Chaoyun.

The audience was in an uproar.

As soon as Ji Chaoyun had asked to compete by using martial arts, many people present had already responded. Most of the disciples of Hongmeng Academy were born with immortal knowledge. When it came to immortal arts, they stood much higher compared to their mortal self-cultivation counterparts. Only when comparing with swordsmanship would the odds of winning be even greater.

But Jiang Cheng sent Song Zhifei.

This Song Zhifei had ascended from the Mortal Realm, just like them. He’d created his own swordsmanship style in the world, and had established his sect with this sword method.

Song Zhifei’s martial style was without a doubt—

—Too impulsive.

For a while, all those who knew the friction between Ji Chaoyun and Jiang Cheng thought so.

In these hundred years, Hongmeng Academy opened their mountain to recruit wandering immortals. If Ji Chaoyun lost, he would have to wait another hundred more years to enroll. For immortals, a hundred years was nothing, but to climb up Hongmeng Mountain meant that they’d gone through extraordinary hardships. Who was willing to stop right at the gate of Hongmeng Academy?

But Ji Chaoyun held no concern about these. His wrist turned, and a slender immortal sword appeared in his hand, its silvery radiance quickly fading. The spiritual aura was sealed.

Opposite him, Song Zhifei drew out his scimitar1 and also withdrew its spiritual aura.

Song Zhifei looked at the sword in Ji Chaoyun’s hand, and he seemed a little regretful. “Climbing Hongmeng Mountain is not easy. Why bother to provoke that dude?”

“Provoke?” Ji Chaoyun mockingly repeated. He wanted to say something, but held back. He raised those dark and silent eyes, and coldly stated, “I have never provoked anyone.”

“You…”

Ji Chaoyun saluted Song Zhifei. “Master Immortal need not say much. Let us get started.”

The golden gong sounded on the white jade stage. Song Zhifei took the lead.

The scimitar whistled past the air, like a dragon darting through the sky. A white light flashed, the blade rapidly approaching Ji Chaoyun’s body. An unavoidable move.

Instantly, Ji Chaoyun’s figure abruptly twisted. His body curved in an extremely nimble manner and dodged the incoming scimitar.

Strands of blue silk fell to the ground under the blade. Jiang Cheng’s expression changed.

Song Zhifei didn’t see how the opponent evaded his moves. His eyebrows jumped instinctively, and the opponent’s sword had pierced through its cold sword force. Song Zhifei hurriedly blocked with the back of his scimitar. The shrill sounds of the blades clashing echoed on the white jade stage.

Ji Chaoyun’s figure was thin, even appearing a little weak, but no one expected that his swordsmanship had such a killing intent, his moves cold and harsh with a hint of cruelty.

Although it was just a series of back and forth, in the hearts of everyone present, all knew.

Song Zhifei would lose.

“Zheng—”

Above the white jade stage, a loud noise rang out, followed by a long scimitar which rolled down the stage.

Before heading up the platform, Ji Zhaoyun had set the rules. Once the weapon fell on the ground, it was a loss.

Silence shrouded the white jade stage. Then, a long while later, thunderous applause shook the place.

Song Zhifei’s expression was unexpectedly unperturbed. He straightened up and gave a ceremonial salute to Ji Chaoyun. “This immortal friend’s martial arts is eloquent. This one is convinced.”

Ji Chaoyun: “You are too kind.”

Song Zhifei left the white jade stage. As Ji Chaoyun looked at his retreating back, his gaze met Jiang Cheng’s.

“Master Immortal Jiang Cheng, are you coming?”

His voice, though extremely soft, was deafening. Song Zhifei paused, and the cheers above and below the white jade stage halted.

Among the silence, Ji Chaoyun looked at Jiang Cheng calmly and asked, “You, do you want to fight me?”

.

“…The one you’re talking about is him?”

Behind the white jade stage stood a tall and exquisitely built residence. Looking from the inside out, it had a panoramic view of the whole white jade arena, the best viewing point.

Someone reclined against the cloud-shrouded canopy curtain and took a sip of the wine cup.

“Yes, Your Highness, it’s that kid,” the people surrounding him hurriedly responded. “There are only a few people in the academy who can compare to Song Zhifei. To be able to easily overcome him, this child seems to be worth a thing.”

“No.” The man put down the wine cup. Just at this moment, his sleeve was blown away by the wind, revealing a pair of slender, pale white hands with well-defined bones.

The man tapped his fingertips on the table and said leisurely, “Song Zhifei didn’t try his best.”

“What? Did Song Zhifei go easy on him?”

“It can’t be. I heard that Jiang Cheng announced yesterday not to let that surnamed Ji take one step beyond the gate of the academy. How could Song Zhifei dare to allow under his nose—”

“Song Zhifei’s personality is upright. Maybe he couldn’t stand Jiang Cheng’s bullying methods anymore?”

This person’s words stirred up a thousand waves. Up above on the exquisite storey, everyone was focused in their discussion.

“Who said he went easy?” The man raised his eyebrows, effortlessly halting the discussion. “I just said that Song Zhifei didn’t try his best.”

“The scimitar is for killing, with extremely evil tendencies. Once the scimitar is out, someone would bleed. In this small ring, would he dare to fight a freshman with his full strength?” he lazily stated. After a pause, he sneered.

“Jiang Cheng, this idiot, playing with the new kid but causing himself to be played in the end.”

The exquisite building they were at was called Dengyun Tower, the tallest building in Hongmeng Academy.

Dengyun Tower had a wide unobstructed view, holding a huge collection of books, but it was not open for ordinary disciples’ usage. The only person who had the right to use the Dengyun Tower was the champion of each tournament of the Hongmeng Academy.

And since fifty years ago, this place was the sole property of a certain person.

The second prince of the Feng clan, Feng Qi.

Feng Qi enrolled in the academy more than 50 years ago, and went through five top-ranking competitions, winning the top spot every single time. He was the only one who dared call Jiang Cheng, the tenth-ranked master in this academy, ‘an idiot’.

None dared continue this sentence. In the upstairs of the exquisite building, it was all hush.

After a moment, someone suddenly opened his mouth. “Look, Jiang Cheng is on stage!”

“He actually wants to do it himself? It won’t be a true victory if he wins, but if he loses, it’ll be a disgrace. What is he thinking?”

“Don’t rush, I just heard that it was that surnamed Ji kid who took the initiative to get Jiang Cheng to come on stage.”

“What? Isn’t this asking for his own death?”

As the people discussed, the golden gong sounded and the fighting ring was reopened.

Looking down from the Dengyun Tower, the two figures flashed on the white jade platform, their movements so fast that the fight could hardly be distinguished with the naked eye.

Feng Qi squinted his eyes, a look of interest gradually appearing in their depths. “Who told you that the kid surnamed Ji used his full strength?”

.

There was a loud noise on the white jade stage, and the two figures jumped away from each other. Jiang Cheng staggered back a few steps, and his sword edge stabbed into the ground as he stabilized his body.

Looking closely, a thin layer of cold sweat had formed on his forehead.

Ji Chaoyun held his sword to the side, quietly saying, “It is useless. You cannot beat me.”

“How, how could it…” Jiang Cheng’s expression was extremely gloomy.

He couldn’t even beat a freshman kid?

There was utterly no sound around the fighting ring, all eyes seemingly piercing him. Feeling this unprecedented humiliation, unwillingness churned in Jiang Cheng’s thorny gaze. His glare deepened. “It is not always certain who wins or loses!”

Several imperceptible spiritual strands rose from his fingertips and sank into the long sword. Then, Jiang Cheng’s body rose into the air, his sword piercing straight towards Ji Chaoyun.

“I have said it—” Ji Chaoyun was about to swing his sword to meet the blade. In that instant, he instinctively sensed something. A glimmer of astonishment flashed in his eyes.

But it was too late. The sword he swung couldn’t be retracted. The blades clashed at each other as if on target.

Ji Chaoyun abruptly stepped back before the weapon was released. His entire arm was shaken severely, pained and numbed. His mind blanked out for a moment.

Before Ji Chaoyun could think of how this person suddenly reversed the situation, Jiang Cheng’s final move came upon him. The sword’s edge reflected the murderous intent, appearing into Ji Chaoyun’s eyes.

Instantly, out of the corner of his eyes, a bright, uncontrollable light flashed across.

He couldn’t catch this sword—

he was going to lose.

But a golden light suddenly flew out from the crowd, unnervingly hitting Jiang Cheng’s blade.

Jiang Cheng was forced to deviate and Ji Chaoyun did not let this opportunity pass him by. He lifted his leg and swept out, kicking Jiang Cheng in the chest. The latter’s whole body flew back with this kick.

Jiang Cheng rolled back a few feet, and hurriedly stabilized himself at the edge of the white jade stage, never completely rolling off it.

But most of his body was already outside the white jade stage.

Jiang Cheng had lost.

Not a sound could be heard. Jiang Cheng’s face turned blue and then quickly red. Exhausted, he stood up and yelled, “Which bastard did—”

“If you cheat while fighting a newly enrolled kid, Jiang Cheng, shouldn’t you be ashamed?”

A calm and clear voice sounded out leisurely. Ji Chaoyun was startled. The blood on his face drained, and he dropped his head to look below the stage.

The crowd parted on both sides, and a lone figure walked out.

The speaker wore a light gold brocade robe with a red gold phoenix pattern embroidered on it, giving it a sense of grace and elegance. Among this clear and bitter winter, where disciples wore uniform attires, it seemed out of place in Hongmeng Academy.

His eyebrows were strong and handsome, and under his slender and sharp eyes, there was a small red birthmark at the edge. With a lazy glance, he portrayed an indiscernible cold arrogance.

“Your position as the chief examiner is over,” Feng Qi said, “I’ll tell the Supervisory Committee to change the person. Scram.”

Jiang Cheng gritted his teeth. “You dead phoenix, you don’t think—”

Feng Qi coldly interrupted, “Little young master Jiang, if you don’t scram right now, are you waiting for the Immortal Elder to personally head to Dufeng Island to explain everything to the island’s master and wife?”

Jiang Cheng’s voice choked. His face flushed red, and gritting his teeth, he squeezed out, “Fine… I’ll leave!”

Jiang Cheng cursed and jumped off the white jade stage. The appointed disciple judged the situation and immediately announced that Ji Chaoyun had won another match.

But Ji Chaoyun did not care about any of this. He stared at Feng Qi with his eyes, his pale, drained face full of disbelief.

Is it you?

“Little Dragon, be good. I really should go.”

“I don’t want to leave either, but… I’m sorry.”

“I will be back, Little Dragon. Wait for me to come pick you up.”

You… have returned, right?

Ji Chaoyun’s lips moved, as if quietly calling out a name. But no one heard what he was saying. All the freshmen waiting for the assessment were cheering and celebrating Ji Chaoyun’s second straight victory.

Under this heated atmosphere, only Feng Qi sensed it. He turned his head to look at Ji Chaoyun, with a slight doubt in his eyes.

“…Friend Ji, there is one last match left. Who do you want to fight with? Friend Ji?”

Someone was calling him, but Ji Chaoyun heard nothing. He stared at Feng Qi, his eyes greedily tracing the other’s face.

He couldn’t remember how long he hadn’t seen this face. Two hundred years, three hundred years, or even longer.

The long march of time was long enough to obscure all memories. He blankly stared at the person below the stage, without even noticing that the restlessness and discussion in the audience had stopped.

The people beside Feng Qi stepped away silently, leaving only Ji Chaoyun and Feng Qi quietly looking at each other in front of the white jade stage.

After a while, Feng Qi stretched out his hands, feeling a little amused. “What, you wish to fight with me?”