Spring Light Is Bright

"Is that Fang Yuan, or Fang Zheng?" some students whispered, still unable to distinguish between the twin brothers Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng.

"It's Fang Zheng. Fang Yuan always has a cold expression; he never shows nervousness," someone answered.

"Oh, then this will be interesting. Fang Zheng is the only A-grade genius our village has had in three years." Everyone turned their gaze towards him.

Fang Zheng felt the pressure in their gazes, which made him even more nervous.

Standing on the stage, his fingers trembled slightly.

He unleashed his first Moon Blade, originally aimed at the straw dummy's chest, but due to his nervousness, it missed. The Moon Blade ended up embedding itself in the straw dummy's neck.

A soft gasp of surprise rippled through the young students.

They thought this was intentional, that Fang Zheng, confident in his attack technique, chose to aim for the neck instead of the easier-to-hit chest.

Their anticipation for Fang Zheng's subsequent performance grew.

Gu Yue Mo Bei and Gu Yue Chi Cheng also looked slightly grim. Only the Academy Elder and Fang Yuan could tell that Fang Zheng had made a mistake.

"That was close!" Fang Zheng exclaimed inwardly upon seeing the Moon Blade, feeling fortunate.

He took several deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down, and then fired two more Moon Blades. This time, he made no further mistakes, and both Moon Blades struck the straw dummy's chest, hitting their mark accurately.

This result caused the Academy Elder to nod, while Mo Bei and Chi Cheng relaxed. Fang Zheng's performance was on par with theirs, and it was up to the Academy Elder to assign the grades.

The other students let out sighs of disappointment. Fang Zheng's subsequent performance was unremarkable, leaving them slightly let down.

The following few rounds were uneventful. No one could perform better than Mo Bei, Chi Cheng, and Fang Zheng.

The young students began to whisper amongst themselves.

"It looks like the top spot today will be decided among these three."

"All three of them hit the straw dummy. I wonder who the Elder will favor."

"Wait, it's the last group, Fang Yuan is up."

"Oh, the C-grade 'cold genius'? Heh."

It wasn't until the last group that Fang Yuan calmly took the stage.

"It's that Fang Yuan..." Gu Yue Mo Bei glanced up at Fang Yuan, then lowered his gaze, not particularly interested.

"You got lucky last time, accidentally picking a Moonlight Gu with weak willpower, which allowed you to win first place. Let's see how you perform this time!" Gu Yue Chi Cheng crossed his arms, waiting to see Fang Yuan make a fool of himself.

"Brother... this time is different from last time. I've practiced diligently for so long, I'll definitely surpass you." Amidst the crowd, Gu Yue Fang Zheng pursed his lips, his fists unconsciously clenching.

He was naturally unconvinced about coming in second place during the last Refinement Gu assessment, despite his A-grade aptitude.

Especially after learning that Fang Yuan's victory was due to sheer luck, which made him even more resentful.

For Gu Yue Fang Zheng, defeating his brother Fang Yuan held a special and significant meaning for him.

Many eyes focused on Fang Yuan, and the Academy Elder's gaze also fixed on him.

Fang Yuan remained unmoved, his expression as cold as ever.

After standing firm, he channeled his true essence into the Moonlight Gu in his palm, sliced his hand, and unleashed the first Moon Blade.

The Moon Blade flew unusually high, soaring past the straw dummy's head and clearing the bamboo wall. It traveled nearly fifteen meters before its light dimmed and it vanished into the air.

"Pfft..." Someone couldn't help but laugh.

"That's a ridiculously wide miss," someone sneered.

"He truly is a genius, no wonder he got first place in Refinement Gu," another said sarcastically.

Years ago, when Fang Yuan composed poetry and displayed his precocious intelligence, it had already drawn dissatisfaction from these people. Later, winning first place in Refinement Gu through "luck" only intensified their discontent and added a layer of jealousy.

Many were eager to see Fang Yuan, the "genius," embarrass himself, and Fang Yuan's Moon Blade did not disappoint them.

Laughter erupted from the crowd.

The Academy Elder shook his head slightly, mocking himself for paying undue attention to Fang Yuan. He was just a C-grade, who had only won first place in Refinement Gu through a stroke of luck.

He had already decided in his heart that although Mo Bei, Chi Cheng, and Fang Zheng all achieved the same score, he would choose Fang Zheng as first place.

The rivalry between Gu Yue Mo Bei and Gu Yue Chi Cheng was a microcosm of the political struggle between the two powerful clan elders within the family. The Academy Elder had always been a neutral party, unwilling to get involved in the political vortex.

The Academy Elder leaned more towards the clan leader Gu Yue Bo, and Fang Zheng was a member of the clan leader's faction. Coupled with his A-grade aptitude, choosing him as first place would be a slightly biased show of care, which could also be accepted by the family's higher echelons.

A warm spring breeze blew, carrying the scent of flowers into the training ground.

Sunlight fell upon Fang Yuan, casting a solitary shadow on the ground.

His expression remained cold as he quietly gazed at the straw dummy ten meters away, the Moon Blade imprint in his palm emitting a faint aquamarine glow.

The first Moon Blade was, of course, intentionally misaimed. Now, with only two chances left to attack, and considering the Academy Elder's stance, if he wanted to secure first place, he had to create an attack effect far exceeding everyone else's within his remaining two attempts.

"With only two chances left, it's impossible. Brother, I've finally beaten you." Gu Yue Fang Zheng's eyes were fixed on Fang Yuan, unblinking.

From childhood to adulthood, the shadow his brother cast over his life was finally beginning to fade at this moment.

Fang Zheng felt victory was within his grasp, his fists unconsciously tightening, his entire body trembling with excitement.

"Brother, winning against you this time is just the beginning. From now on, I will defeat you again and again until I banish all the shadows in my heart. I will prove to our clansmen the excellence of an A-grade genius!" Fang Zheng told himself inwardly.

However, just then, Fang Yuan made his move.

His right palm became a blade, slashing through the void.

With a soft "chi," the azure light covering his palm detached, flying into the air and transforming into a crescent blue moonlight blade, shooting towards the strawman puppet.

In the very next second, Fang Yuan's right palm lit up with another layer of blue light.

He flipped his palm and slashed out a third moonlight blade diagonally.

His two attacks flowed seamlessly, perfectly timed.

Two moonlight blades flew out consecutively, separated by less than half a meter in the air.

Under the astonished gazes of everyone present, both moonlight blades accurately struck the strawman puppet's neck.

"This..." Fang Zheng's pupils constricted. A bad feeling suddenly surged in his heart.

In the next moment, the students, with expressions of surprise, slowly opened their mouths.

They watched as the strawman's head slowly tilted to one side, then fell from its neck, finally dropping to the ground. It bounced once, rolling a distance of two to three meters.

Fang Yuan had severed the head!

This outcome exceeded the expectations of everyone present.

"Is this luck or skill?" the Academy Elder frowned.

This same doubt swirled in the hearts of the other students.

For a moment, the training ground fell silent.

"How could this happen..." Fang Zheng muttered, his voice choked. He stared blankly at Fang Yuan, the surge of emotion in his heart vanishing, leaving him in a deep trough.

Fang Yuan narrowed his eyes, seemingly completely oblivious to the gazes fixed upon him.

Goo goo goo...

Beneath the blue sky and white clouds, a flock of colorful parrots suddenly flapped their wings and flew into the air. They trailed their beautiful, long tails, chirping as they circled and played in the sky.

Fang Yuan stood in the center of the training ground, looking up. Under the brilliant sunlight, the birds' colorful feathers were clearly even more dazzling and resplendent.

His expression was calm, as if he hadn't just severed the strawman's head at all.

"The spring sunlight is truly bright..." he sighed inwardly.