Indestructible Scripture

"Class A, rank 1,000: Wang Teng. Fifty low-grade Spirit Stones per month..."

"Class A? Could Shen Yi really be a once-in-a-generation genius? Was everything before just an act?"

"Impossible. I think his grades were too poor, and he was expelled from the Immortal Academy."

"Right, that must be it!"

Li Yue heard the crowd's speculation as well, and inwardly found himself agreeing with it.

"Class A, rank 10: Li Yue. Eighty low-grade Spirit Stones per month."

If there had been anything today that could make Li Yue smile, it was probably this.

"Rank 10 in Class A. My hard work wasn't wasted, nor did I let down my clan's support."

Li Yue found Shen Yi in the crowd. The instant he saw his calm, composed expression, his face darkened again.

"Class A, rank 3: Jiang Miaoyi. One hundred and fifty low-grade Spirit Stones per month; Class A, rank 2: Yuwen Yue. One hundred and fifty low-grade Spirit Stones per month."

"Could the top-ranked Class A student really be Shen Yi? Impossible. Absolutely impossible!"

The crowd suddenly fell silent. Everyone waited for the final name. To stand out among tens of thousands, his comprehension had to be extraordinary.

Shen Yi rose to his feet, the muscles in his face trembling slightly as anticipation filled his heart as well.

"Top rank in Class A: Shen Yi! Two hundred low-grade Spirit Stones per month!"

Hearing this, Shen Yi felt a weight lift from his heart, and his face gained several traces of confidence. Was he finally about to take the first step on the path of immortality?

"Shen Yi! Shen Yi! Shen Yi!"

The crowd shouted Shen Yi's name. This was the result personally announced by Feng Yang, Dean of the Immortal Academy. Li Yue hung his head in despair; every cry from the crowd was like a sharp blade piercing his heart, leaving him in such pain he could barely breathe.

"I... lost!"

Seeing Li Yue's dejected expression, Shen Yi did not step forward to continue mocking him. Though Li Yue was detestable, there was no need to beat a dog that had fallen into the water. Besides, when facing this child who took joy in helping others, Shen Yi was afraid he might let slip and say thank you.

As for the wager, with tens of thousands of people present as witnesses, Li Yue presumably would not dare deny it.

There was still one final simulation opportunity today. Now that Shen Yi had successfully become the top-ranked Class A student, he could not wait to simulate the life ahead.

"Begin simulation!"

Year One: You became the top-ranked Class A student of Ninghai Immortal Dao Academy and obtained a large quantity of cultivation resources.

Year Two: Your aptitude was limited. Even with a large quantity of cultivation resources, you still failed to achieve Qi Condensation. Unable to pay the exorbitant tuition fees, you were sent by the academy to mine Spirit Stones in the mineral veins.

Year Three: You toiled every day, digging Spirit Stones.

Year Four: You still dug Spirit Stones every day.

Year Five: You continued digging Spirit Stones every day.

Year Six: Though you still dug Spirit Stones every day, your years of hard work greatly improved your constitution. When the time was ripe, you began attempting Qi Condensation. An accident occurred: the Spirit Vein Tide happened to erupt, and you absorbed too much spiritual energy, causing your body to explode and die.

Why was it still this result?

Though Shen Yi was unwilling to accept the final outcome, the experience of his previous simulations allowed him to keenly identify the crux of the matter.

"So the reason I can't achieve Qi Condensation and break through into the Qi Condensation Realm within a year is that my constitution isn't strong enough!"

Shen Yi recalled what he had learned last night. General Principles of Cultivation recorded: temper the body, refine qi, then establish the foundation.

"So that's where the problem lies. I haven't even entered Body Forging First Level yet. That's the gap between me and those who entered the Body Forging Realm long ago."

At this moment, Shen Yi awoke from the joy of becoming the top-ranked Class A student. Recalling the various records in the classics, he felt as if the gates to a new world had opened before him, filling him with countless questions.

"Tomorrow, I'll need to ask my instructor for guidance."

At this time, within Ninghai Immortal Dao Academy—

Feng Yang held Shen Yi's examination paper in his hand, frowning with worry as surprise and delight mingled in his heart.

"Shen Yi's comprehension is exceptional. The Li Family has to consider its reputation, and besides, the sponsorship they offered is simply too much."

Feng Yang cherished talent, and he cherished money too. He did not want a talent like Shen Yi to suffer a loss, nor did he want the Li Family's sponsorship to fly away.

"I see that kid Shen Yi hasn't even reached Body Forging First Level. Why not grant him the right to select a Body Forging cultivation technique from the first floor of the Scripture Repository? Tell him the Li Family is willing to pay on his behalf, provided the wager is canceled."

"Cultivation, after all, is about Social Graces."

The next day, Shen Yi arrived at the academy early, carrying a thick stack of papers in his hands. They were all questions he had organized the night before, and he wanted to take advantage of the day to ask his instructor and have them answered.

"Instructor, you say that heaven has four seasons, and that the Five Elements generate and restrain one another. Then is it possible that the seasons and the Five Elements can affect a cultivator's breakthrough and advancement?"

"If a demonic cultivator takes murder and evil as his great ambition in cultivation, yet delights in rescuing others, does that count as going against his true heart and leaving his thoughts unsettled?"

"And one more thing—do you think the Red-Haired Omen mentioned in books truly exists? If we encounter it, what should we do?"

"One more question: does cultivation pursue the heartless Heavenly Dao, or loyalty, righteousness, and human feeling?"

"As for cultivation, of course it's about Social Graces!"

At that moment, Feng Yang's voice was like celestial music, warming the heart of the duty instructor who had been trapped in deep waters and raging flames, nearly bringing tears to his eyes.

Shen Yi was clearly a troubled youth, and every one of his questions was beyond the explanation of a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like him.

"Shen Yi, come with me."

Seeing the duty instructor's embarrassed predicament, then the thick stack of papers in Shen Yi's hands, Feng Yang's face immediately darkened. He quickly called Shen Yi out after him, walking ahead in silence.

It was Shen Yi's first time meeting the Dean, and seeing the stern look on the other's face, he naturally found it inappropriate to speak. He simply followed behind in silence.

"Li Yue's affair has disgraced the Li Family. They want to settle this matter privately." Feng Yang paused before continuing, "Don't worry. The Li Family isn't so petty that they'll secretly cause you trouble. They've also promised to let you choose any body-tempering art from the first floor of the Scripture Repository as compensation. The Li Family will pay the price."

What a joke. With me, Feng Yang, mediating between them, even if the Li Family wanted to target Shen Yi in secret, they would have to think it over carefully.

Feng Yang thought this to himself as he watched Shen Yi.

Hearing this, Shen Yi was delighted. The Li Family truly were such kind-hearted people. He would have to "get closer" to them more often in the future.

"Everything shall be decided by the Dean."

Shen Yi gave a slight bow, indicating that he would abide by Feng Yang's decision in all things. This display greatly pleased Feng Yang. He knew the times and understood when to advance and retreat—rare indeed!

Inside the Scripture Repository, Shen Yi stopped at every step, carefully flipping through one cultivation art after another. Though Feng Yang had repeatedly hinted that the Li Family was enormously wealthy and told Shen Yi to choose something expensive so he would not lose out, Shen Yi had his own plans. The expensive ones might not suit him, but whatever suited him had to be expensive.

"Yellow-grade Mid-tier 'Iron Mountain Art,' three thousand Spirit Stones; Yellow-grade Mid-tier 'Golden Bell Art,' three thousand Spirit Stones; Mystic Grade Mid-tier 'Indestructible Scripture,' incomplete volume, three thousand Spirit Stones."

"Once this 'Indestructible Scripture' is mastered, heaven cannot bury you, earth cannot cover you. One may achieve Body Spirit Manifestation; with but a single drop of blood, one can reconstruct the fleshly body. A secret scroll of divine power like this is intolerable to the Heavenly Dao, which is why only the Foundation Establishment fragment remains, reducing it to Mystic Grade Mid-tier."

Feng Yang held the Indestructible Scripture in very high regard, and a look of regret appeared on his face.

"Is there still a chance of gathering the complete version?"

"There is, but the possibility is slim."

"Then I'll choose this one!"

Shen Yi gripped the Indestructible Scripture, a flash of confidence crossing his eyes.

Feng Yang was somewhat surprised by Shen Yi's choice, but he did not stop him. Everyone had their own path.

As for the Li Family, he could make another profit from them.