The Textbook Ran Away

At first, when Mo Cuidao took out the first two refining techniques and handed them to Ning Ri, the elders watched with the mindset of enjoying a spectacle...

Zhou Hai, who already knew something of Ning Ri's talent for techniques, was especially gleeful at his misfortune.

Hand refining techniques to Ning Ri, and Ning Ri would learn every last one of them!

Mo Cuidao had a hard and foul temper. He was famously old-fashioned within the sect, one of the more stern and traditional elders in the Heaven Defying Sect.

That was how artifact refinement was: high standards, meticulous conduct.

Thus, only Mo Cuidao would lose his composure after being asked whether he liked the sea. The other elders would have answered such a question with smiling eyes.

And now, seeing Mo Cuidao stumble over Ning Ri, watching his face turn greener and angrier by the moment, they became even more delighted. It was not that they bore any ill intent; they simply had a mischievous streak and enjoyed teasing Mo Cuidao over harmless matters.

It could also be considered adding a little fun to the otherwise quiet disciple trial.

But as they watched, they suddenly felt that something was wrong... They knew very well that Mo Cuidao was indeed a serious and upright man, but that did not mean he was a fool.

If Mo Cuidao had truly been angry, there was no way he would keep stuffing cultivation methods into Ning Ri's hands one after another. That was when they finally realized something was off...

If Mo Cuidao truly felt humiliated and enraged, should he not have directly taken out a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Method and handed it to Ning Ri?

With Ning Ri's talent, he absolutely could not learn a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Method.

And you, Mo Cuidao, why did you keep pulling out complete systems of artifact-refining techniques?!

What were your intentions?

Were you planning to have Ning Ri join Casting Sea Peak the moment he came out?

Now they understood at last—

They elders were probably Mo Cuidao's entertainment.

At this moment, upon hearing Zhou Hai's accusation, Mo Cuidao said in a deep voice, "You are mistaken, Elder Zhou!"

"It is precisely because this is a disciple trial that I must act impartially."

"He has not met the requirements for the trial to end, so I must honestly continue."

"This disciple trial stipulated that the trial could only end once the bandit died or disappeared beyond the trial-taker's range of perception."

"Now that Ning Ri has controlled the bandit, if I do not honestly let the bandit produce cultivation methods, what else can I do?!"

"Are you asking me to violate sect rules? I cannot do that!"

"Therefore, I must do this!"

"I must give him techniques!"

"Besides, I truly do feel humiliated."

"He keeps learning the techniques I take pride in. How am I supposed to face that? And you still want to stop me? How can I stop? You cannot stop me anymore..."

At this point, Mo Cuidao took a deep breath and twisted the corners of his mouth twice, forcing down their upward curve before continuing sternly, "Otherwise, my Dao heart will shatter."

Everyone immediately fell silent. They all felt as though they had come to know Mo Cuidao anew.

How was this bastard so shameless?

After two seconds of silence—

Zhou Hai immediately flew into a rage. "Shatter what? Humiliated over what? What Heaven-Defying bullshit are you spouting? You were clearly holding back laughter this entire time?!"

Below, the Inner Sect disciples watched as the elders grew agitated and began their Dao Discussion, and they could not help exchanging bewildered glances...

So they too began whispering among themselves, sitting down to discuss the Dao.

"This Ning Ri is really something. He has not even entered the sect yet, and he has already made two male elders quarrel fiercely over him. If Ning Ri truly liked that whatever Yang Yiyang, then wouldn't that be... Damn, a beauty who brings calamity."

"That is understandable. Junior Brother Ning really does have a certain handsome elegance..."

"Senior Brother, please watch your words. The overall situation has yet to be decided, so how is he already your junior brother? Does Ning Ri have anything to do with your Casting Sea Peak? Ning Ri will obviously join our Joyful Union Courtyard..."

"Haha, is your Heaven-Defying Path to make Heaven laugh itself to death with jokes? Give it up. Your Joyful Union Courtyard is just a niche group of cultivators whom Ning Ri respects. Junior Brother Ning has the bearing of the masses; he is not suited for a strange place like yours."

"Spout your Heaven-Defying bullshit..."

Meanwhile, the dozen or so trial-takers who had yet to formally enter the sect had all completed their trials.

Listening to the disciples behind them and the elders before them discussing matters, their eyes were vacant...

Wh-what exactly was this sect doing?!

Why did they feel that both the elders and disciples had an air of messing around?

Was it still too late to leave the sect?

Just then.

Bzz—

An invisible force swept across the entire scene.

Elder Guan Yan spoke with an unpleasant expression. "Cautionary Talisman!"

"You are making such a racket. What kind of conduct is this?!"

An invisible force brushed over them, and everyone immediately fell silent...

At the same time.

Within the water screen.

Ning Ri and the bandit had long since forgotten where heaven and earth were.

This showed the advantages of artifact refinement—

Mo Cuidao's ability to divide his attention was simply too powerful!

Even while he was discussing the Dao with the other elders, he did not forget to "sort out" the artifact-refining system for Ning Ri.

One book after another...

He never stopped!

With Mo Cuidao's "furious" assistance, Ning Ri had by now established a complete and comprehensive artifact-refining system.

So long as he had sufficient materials, Ning Ri could complete an entire artifact-refining production line: constructing a Refining Furnace, selecting materials, personally refining artifacts, maintaining magical treasures, refurbishing them, and recasting them in the furnace.

There was also a collection of more miscellaneous knowledge, such as [Recycling and Reuse of Second-Hand Magical Treasures], [Selecting Raw Material Suppliers and the Ten Major Sales Locations], and [A Discussion of Possible Career Changes for Artifact Refiners Who Fail in Their Later Years]...

What did it mean to go from beginner to artifact-refining tycoon?

This was it.

At the same time, Ning Ri looked at the bandit. As he seized every opportunity to learn frantically, his heart beat like a drum—

This was bad!

This bandit...

Was Elder Mo Cuidao of the Heaven Defying Sect, wasn't he?!

Mo Cuidao was not a fool, and Ning Ri was even less of an idiot.

Back when he had first finished learning fire control, Ning Ri had already sensed that something was amiss.

After seeing the bandit pull out technique after technique, if he still had not realized it, then there would have been something wrong with his brain.

How could this possibly be a real bandit?!

What Qi Refinement bandit could take out so many techniques from a great sect?

At that moment, Ning Ri finally came to his senses—

His earlier "failure" in the Heart Questioning trial was likely not a genuine failure. It had been an act put on by the Heaven Defying Sect to make him believe he had been eliminated.

The classic fake trial.

And after leaving the Heaven Defying Sect, encountering the girl calling for help and the vicious-looking bandit on the road... Those two stereotypical characters were likely the real trial.

At this moment, he was probably still within the disciple trial!

And the person overseeing his true trial should have been Mo Cuidao.

Thinking of this, Ning Ri could not help falling silent.

The other party must have heard what he had just said about having held him when he was young...

It really was embarrassing to accidentally fabricate a family connection...

Ning Ri continued to think—

If his guess was correct, the theme of this trial should have been righteous action.

So long as he saved the woman and defeated the bandit, he would be considered to have passed.

Then...

A new question arose.

Not only had he defeated the bandit, he had also robbed him...

How was that supposed to count?

Did it count as passing, or failing?

But regardless of how the disciple trial ended, what Ning Ri cared about more was the techniques.

Even after seeing through the bandit's identity, he did not expose him. Instead, he continued learning artifact-refining techniques like mad.

One had to know, this was artifact refinement!

If he wanted to handcraft a nuclear bomb, would he not need artifact refinement to do it?

Laziness was the driving force behind humanity's progress, and greed was the ladder of humanity's progress.

Ning Ri wanted to progress too badly!

Wealth and honor were sought amid danger. Since Mo Cuidao was willing to let him learn, he would learn until he dropped dead.

Even if there were problems with the techniques, it did not matter. He had already discovered a new function of the panel—optimization!

And since he had already consumed a whole set of artifact refinement, if the Heaven Defying Sect still eliminated him, then with no road ahead and no path behind, he would go see whether the Golden Strategy Immortal Sect or Lingxi Immortal Sect accepted people...

For that reason, Ning Ri simply kept repeating one sentence to the bandit:

"I've learned that one."

"Give me another."

He even wondered whether the bandit would take out a Foundation Establishment Cultivation Method next...

But just as he was indulging in that fantasy, he suddenly saw the bandit leap to his feet and bolt. He was incredibly fast, and the aura that erupted from him had clearly far surpassed the Qi Refinement realm.

Ning Ri: "?"

This was bad!

My textbook ran away!

When the bandit ran beyond Ning Ri's range of perception, before Ning Ri could make any move, everything before his eyes instantly vanished and was replaced by a vast white void.

It was the waiting area he had entered before beginning the disciple trial.

Ning Ri's expression changed, and a thought sprang into his mind—

This trial had probably ended!

The moment that thought arose, a mixed feeling of regret, emptiness, and melancholy instantly drove away the fulfillment he had felt while roaming the ocean of knowledge.

Regret, emptiness, melancholy...

With that thought in mind, Ning Ri walked toward the exit. Blazing light instantly filled his vision, and he could not help narrowing his eyes slightly. When he opened them again, he had returned to Kite Plaza.

At that moment, everyone's gazes converged upon him.

As Ning Ri became the most eye-catching handsome fellow in Kite Plaza, his face did not redden and his heart did not race. There was little emotion on his face, only faint calmness, making him seem like a heartless man.

He had long since grown accustomed to being the center of attention.

When he practiced saber techniques in the village, he received even more looks.

An old artist's stage presence was steady as a mountain!

At the same time, Ning Ri did not feel awkward inside.

Even though among the countless gazes, one was particularly cold and hostile...

He could have figured out with his backside that it most likely belonged to Prince Liang, Liang Chengdao, whose identity he had borrowed.

He merely thought that he would need to sincerely apologize to Prince Liang later, while another thought turned through his mind—

Look at the mess this had become...

After one trial, he had turned into Liang Chengdao and gained a relative in Mo Cuidao.

Had they not all died socially!

If the trial was some sort of illusion, they should have said so beforehand.

Then he would not have trapped the bandit and Elder Mo in his Infinite Tsukuyomi.

At the same time.

The gray-robed Elder Guan Yan slowly approached, stopped before Ning Ri, and smiled warmly. "Young Friend Ning, thank you for lending a helping hand. Please wait to one side. The trial results will be announced shortly."

Ning Ri could not read Elder Guan Yan's attitude toward him, so he could only bow neither humbly nor arrogantly. "Yes, thank you, Elder!"

He no longer tried to guess the result of his trial. Whether it was good or bad, he only needed to wait...

After bowing and offering his thanks, Ning Ri walked calmly toward where the trial-takers had gathered and plopped down beside Gao Hong.

Only Gao Hong could be considered an acquaintance.

In the distance, Zhou Hai and Mo Cuidao had originally intended to come over and exchange a few friendly words, but Ning Ri walked too quickly, so they could only give up.

When Ning Ri sat down, several trial-takers could not hide the fear in their eyes as they looked at him...

This guy was too terrifying.

Who learned things like that?!

If the disciple trial was an elimination contest, would they not all be eliminated by Ning Ri?

Gao Hong, seated beside Ning Ri, looked at him with bright eyes full of admiration. "Ning Ri, you are incredible!"

"Brother Gao flatters me."

Ning Ri smiled, then lowered his voice and asked, "Brother Gao, how much did you see just now?"

Gao Hong was no fool. He knew what Ning Ri wanted to ask and directly lowered his voice as well. "Liang Chengdao came out faster than I did. The two of us basically watched the entire process."

Hearing this, Ning Ri understood...

This wave had been witnessed from beginning to end.

Then he gave Liang Chengdao in the distance a friendly smile...

Liang Chengdao snorted coldly and stopped looking at him.

The disciple trials had originally proceeded very quickly, but Ning Ri's appearance had delayed them slightly.

Now that Ning Ri had come out, the results were soon announced.

The Heaven Defying Sect had eliminated one person!

This person had harbored resentment after being eliminated by the Heaven Defying Sect. After descending the mountain, he had vented his anger through murder. Even after killing the bandits, he still felt it wasn't enough...

He had even planned to lay hands on that woman. Thus, he suffered his second elimination...

Killing bandits was not a problem, but laying hands on that woman meant his evil intentions had gone too far.

Naturally, someone like that could not be kept.

What the disciple trial assessed was not strength.

One had to know that among those taking part in the trial were even several ordinary people who had yet to officially begin cultivating. The bandits they encountered were likewise merely petty thieves whom ordinary people could handle.

What this simple disciple trial truly assessed was character.

Anyone with even remotely decent morals could pass.

Thus, this disciple trial involved none of that messy nonsense about Dao hearts, wisdom, combat techniques, and so on. It was simply a very basic assessment.

Yet while the trial was basic, the trial-takers were anything but.

They had not expected there to be a villain among them, much less a Ning Ri.

Ning Ri had forced the bandits to hand over cultivation techniques, then made the woman he had saved hand over her techniques as well. That alone would have been one thing, but he learned them on the spot. Learning them on the spot would have been one thing too, yet he even claimed he had learned them before and forced the other party to keep handing things over...

Because of this, even though there was a beast among the trial-takers, everyone else's attention still uncontrollably focused on Ning Ri...

At the same time.

The elders were also discussing the matter:

"Strictly speaking, this batch of trial-takers is fairly normal."

"Ning Ri counts as normal too?"

"Of course he does."

"Ning Ri's methods are impressive. He is quick-witted and intelligent, knows how to protect himself, and understands what matters most to him. There is nothing abnormal about that."

"Exactly."

Someone raised an objection. "There's already a little beast who killed people to vent his anger, and you still call this normal?"