The Entrance Exam Begins

Yun Jing was idly crushing a calming pill, mixing it with incense. When he sensed her arrival, he let out an impatient "Tsk~"

The little lion that had just squatted by his feet quietly retreated again.

As the little medical immortal walked into the courtyard, she heard his sound and quickly retreated silently.

Reaching the doorway, she ran right into Yuan Tuo, who was returning.

"Did I make a mistake by stepping in with my left foot first?" the little medical immortal asked fearfully.

Yuan Tuo patted her shoulder reassuringly. "It has nothing to do with which foot you stepped in with. That girl is gone, and your task is complete."

"Phew~" The little medical immortal breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good."

She left, her back looking quite cheerful.

Yuan Tuo watched her with envy, then walked heavily into the house.

He replied to Yun Jing, "Master, she has been sent off towards the North Sea. She said she wanted to find her own way back."

"Mm," Yun Jing responded indifferently.

Yuan Tuo rejoiced inwardly. Did it really go that easily? It seemed his master didn't have any special feelings for her, just saved her incidentally.

Then he heard his master give an order, "Investigate her."

Yuan Tuo: "...Yes."

The conclusion had been reached too early.

Meng Anli traveled through the Gobi Desert, crossed rivers and lakes, passed through human settlements, and headed south, not daring to stop along the way.

Finally, amidst falling peach blossoms, she returned to the Heavenly Realm, to the small town beneath Xuantian Academy.

She sat down in a teahouse to rest. Just as she was about to remove her veil, she overheard people at the next table discussing.

"Today is the entrance examination. Shouldn't we go and see if there are any exceptionally talented individuals?"

"We don't start school for another seven days. I want to drag it out until the last moment. No matter how exceptionally talented they are, I'll meet them eventually."

"That's true."

Meng Anli abruptly stood up and ran outside. How could it be today?

She thought she still had two days. Had she miscalculated?

She ran to the entrance and saw someone dismounting. She pressed a jade pendant into his hand and then remounted his horse.

"Meng Anli of Chongwu Mountain is borrowing your horse. You can find me in the Shen class at Xuantian Academy!"

As the words fell, her figure had already disappeared around the corner.

The young man who had dismounted held the jade pendant, looking stunned and disbelieving.

"Did I just get robbed?"

At the entrance plaza of Xuantian Academy, the crowd was immense.

A long line snaked through the middle, with people testing the Spirit Testing Stone one by one.

The Spirit Testing Stone could display the inner core's attributes and the tester's cultivation level.

Only those who reached the Foundation Establishment stage in spiritual power would pass the first entry test. There were three more tests after that.

The students lined up themselves, except for the person in the third position. Beside the girl who looked like a water lily, there was a flamboyant young master.

He was beaming, exuding an air of arrogance that suggested he had never faced any setbacks.

He was gently reassuring the girl, "Wanwan, don't be nervous. You'll definitely pass the test."

The crowd whispered amongst themselves, "Isn't that Meng Xiuchen, the Third Young Master of Chongwu Mountain? He's truly spirited, even more handsome than the rumors say."

"He's so good to his sister, so gentle."

"But isn't his sister Meng Anli? Why is there another sister? Is it his fiancee?"

"No, his fiancee is Lu Yao. Look~ the one standing next to them."

A young woman stood not far away. She wore a red, fitted outfit, her black hair tied up high, and her features were sharp and deep.

At this moment, her beautiful large eyes were glaring at Meng Xiuchen, filled with fury.

She clenched her fists tightly, as if she were about to rush forward and hit him.

Meng Shiwan turned to her and smiled, then shivered slightly. "Third Brother, why is that sister looking at me like that?"

Meng Xiuchen glanced back at her and frowned. "She's always been unruly. You don't need to mind her."

He moved closer to Meng Shiwan, shielding her completely.

A gentle mist of tears welled up in Meng Shiwan's apricot eyes. "Third Brother, you're so kind. But is that sister really okay?"

"She's fine. It's your turn, hurry up and test."

"Okay." Meng Shiwan placed her hand on the Spirit Testing Stone, and it quickly displayed:

[Inner Core Attribute: Fire]

[Level: Golden Core initial stage]

The crowd gasped.

"She's already at the Golden Core initial stage?"

"So many people tested were only at the Foundation Establishment stage, and she's already at the Golden Core stage."

"You know, after studying here for three or four years, one might not even reach the Golden Core stage."

"What a genius."

The teacher administering the entrance test exclaimed in surprise, "With such a high level, why is she only coming to the academy now?"

Meng Shiwan smiled shyly.

Meng Xiuchen, feeling honored, proudly said, "She only started cultivating a year and a half ago."

"What?"

The crowd was even more astonished.

"She reached the Golden Core initial stage in just a year and a half."

"This is truly a genius."

"Many people are considered geniuses among geniuses if they form a Golden Core in a year and a half, and she not only formed a core but also advanced two levels."

"How can we prove she cultivated it herself and didn't steal it?"

Amidst the harmonious discussion, a discordant voice emerged.

Everyone looked over and saw it was Lu Yao.

Meng Xiuchen's smile froze, and he reprimanded her, "Lu Yao, you're shouting and talking nonsense. Have you no shame?"

Lu Yao stepped forward, "Whether I have shame or not isn't your concern. I ask you, where is Anli?"

"Sister," Meng Shiwan chimed in softly, "My sister is ill..."

"You don't need to call me sister; I don't have a sister like you," Lu Yao interrupted her, then asked Meng Xiuchen, "Ill? What kind of illness keeps her sick for over a year and prevents anyone from seeing her?"

Meng Xiuchen started to speak.

Lu Yao quickly added, "Anli has a fire-element inner core and is also at the Golden Core initial stage. Did you perhaps dig out her inner core and give it to this girl, then lock her up so we can't see her?"

Meng Xiuchen yelled uncontrollably, "Nonsense!"

Lu Yao suppressed her anger and calmly said, "You're getting flustered."

"I... who's flustered?" Meng Xiuchen retorted.

Meng Shiwan's eyes welled up with tears, "This sister, I achieved this through my own hard work. How can you slander me without any proof?"

"Whether it's slander or not will be known if you bring Anli out for a confrontation."

"Sister is ill and cannot receive visitors."

"I've already scouted Chongwu Mountain and your residence, but I can't find Anli anywhere," Lu Yao anxiously asked Meng Xiuchen, "Where exactly is Anli?"

Meng Xiuchen seized on this, "How dare you secretly scout Chongwu Mountain and our residence?"

"I'm only asking you," Lu Yao, having lost all patience, moved closer to grab him, "Where is Anli?"

Meng Xiuchen shoved her away forcefully, "You've gone too far. With such lack of manners, how can I possibly marry you?"

Lu Yao stumbled back from the push and cursed, "If it weren't for Anli, who in their right mind would agree to marry a hypocrite like you! If you don't tell me where Anli is today, no one is getting out of here easily."

She flicked her whip.

Meng Xiuchen raised his hand, shielding Meng Shiwan behind him.

Meng Shiwan grabbed his arm and turned back to ask the testing teacher, "Teacher, is this sister from this academy? How dare she disrupt the entrance test?"

The teacher advised, "Lu Yao, let's discuss this privately. This is the entrance test."

Lu Yao ignored him and lashed out with her whip towards Meng Xiuchen.

The students queuing in fear scattered in all directions.

Meng Xiuchen caught her whip, his wrist flicked, and Lu Yao's whip flew from her hand.

Meng Xiuchen coldly sneered, "Guards, take this madwoman who is bullying my sister away."

Two strong men dressed as household guards appeared, each grabbing one of Lu Yao's arms and twisting them behind her back.

She was completely unable to resist.

But she still yelled, "Meng Xiuchen, you bastard, you harmed your own sister, may you die a terrible death! Meng Shiwan, you, with your unknown origins..."

Meng Xiuchen coldly shouted, "Muzzle her!"

Just as the guards' large hands were about to cover Lu Yao's mouth, a hoarse shout came from the back of the crowd.

"Stop!"