Everyone Wants to See the Celestial Academy First

"When you connect with the Heavenly Book, there's first a faint glimmer of light, fleeting like a shooting star."

"Those with destiny can easily follow the light and be led before the Heavenly Dao. At that time, all the myriad paths of the world will unfold above your head, but the time is short. You'll comprehend as much as you can."

"However, if you are not fated with the Heavenly Book, you won't be able to catch up even if you try your hardest. It was the same for several of my brothers and sisters from the same period."

"Six years ago, some of them saw that beam of light multiple times, but ultimately couldn't enter."

The next morning, in the Dao Comprehension Arena.

Chu He and Lu Qingqiu had tried for two days but couldn't sense the Heavenly Book. They then sought out Ban Yangshu, an inner court disciple recommended by Prince Chong.

This Senior Brother Ban had successfully sensed the Heavenly Book in the outer court and smoothly entered the inner court. He was now already in the Profound Heaven Upper Realm.

Following in the footsteps of seniors was the fastest way to cultivate.

Ban Yangshu was quite upright, and Prince Chong was also paying attention to the matter of sensing the Heavenly Book, so he didn't hold back anything, answering every question.

Lu Qingqiu and Chu He listened thoughtfully, as if they had gained some insight.

"By the way, what about that Perfection of the Lower Three Realms cultivator named Ji You? Why haven't I seen him?"

"He... he went to the Sword Testing Forest again today."

Ban Yangshu was slightly taken aback. "Dual cultivation of martial arts?"

Lu Qingqiu nodded, also very perplexed.

She believed Ji You had felt the difficulty of comprehending the Dao in the Dao Comprehension Arena last night. She thought he would abandon the minor path of martial arts and comprehend the Dao from morning till night like them.

But the reality was that he still went to the Sword Testing Forest today, which was truly baffling.

And Lu Qingqiu wasn't the only one who felt it was unexpected. Instructor Wang in the Sword Testing Forest was also very curious about what this maverick competitor for an inner court spot was thinking.

"I heard that Lu Qingqiu and Chu He have already gathered a strand of Xuan Guang. Why do you still have the mind to come and learn martial arts?"

"Didn't they say that if you can't break through the realm, you might be expelled from the Celestial Academy? I need to have at least one skill to rely on. Maybe I can even go up the mountain and become a fierce bandit."

"?"

Ji You held a wooden sword, continuously slashing, thrusting, and stabbing in the forest. "Instructor Wang, have you ever seen a fierce bandit?"

Instructor Wang chuckled upon hearing this. "Shengjing is the capital of Great Xia, and with the Celestial Academy here, what bandits would dare to act wildly here?"

"Are you interested in seeing one? I heard that fierce bandits also practice dual cultivation of martial arts, and their swordsmanship is quite exquisite."

"Could it be that the Meng Xinghun you mentioned was actually a fierce bandit?"

Ji You sheathed his sword and wiped the sweat from his forehead. "For just one tael of silver, I can introduce you to one, Instructor Wang."

Instructor Wang looked at him for a while, then took a tael of silver from his sleeve. "When do we go see them?"

"Now."

"?"

Ji You dropped his wooden sword and ran. Standing far away, he turned back and said, "Instructor, I have no money to eat. Consider this a loan, and I will definitely repay you with both hands in the future."

Wang Xin'an stood there stunned for a moment, then his eyes suddenly widened. Holy crap, this guy is a real damn fierce bandit!

In a flash, Ji You arrived at the Immortal Cuisine House and filled his stomach with the silver.

However, this couldn't go on forever. He still needed to find a way out.

He was an anomaly, having infiltrated a legitimate great sect as a rogue cultivator from the countryside. He had no family backing him, and even his livelihood was a problem.

It wasn't that embarrassing to not be able to enter the Dao, but starving to death would be quite humiliating...

After Ji You finished eating, seeing that it was still early, he got up and went down the mountain, deciding to check on Old Kuang, who was preparing for his exams.

He wasn't familiar with Shengjing and only knew that the place where Kuang Cheng lived was called Chunhua Post Station. So, he asked for directions all the way and finally arrived at a very familiar place.

This was a very quiet alley during the day, but Ji You had seen its nights.

At night, this place was full of dissolute youths, full of people with yellow hearts...

?

Ji You wasn't sure at first until he found the post station and saw Kuang Cheng. At that moment, Kuang Cheng was in a cramped room, studying classics with a cone piercing his head, a burnt-out oil lamp on the table, its wick slumped limply on the lamp edge.

Hearing footsteps, Kuang Cheng turned his head.

"Brother Ji, why are you here?"

"Didn't you say you found a quiet place full of scholarly atmosphere?"

Kuang Cheng couldn't help but sigh and close the book. "Across the street was originally a bookstore, but who knew it would change into a brothel five years ago? And the Shengjing city map I have is from eight years ago."

Ji You pulled over a stool and sat down. "Was it intentional or unintentional? You could have found another place, right?"

"But the price was so fair, and it was the only place that offered a desk and provided lamp oil."

"So, how prepared are you?"

Kuang Cheng pondered for a moment before replying, "Previously, I only had a sixty percent chance of success. Now, I'd say it's eighty percent."

Ji You raised an eyebrow slightly. "That confident?"

"His Majesty is holding a special imperial examination this year, and the number of people to be recruited will far exceed that of previous years."

"Why did such a change occur?"

"There are rumors that His Majesty feels the current court is too stagnant and wants to select a batch of new officials to rectify the administration."

Ji You remained impassive after hearing this, merely nodding slightly. He thought to himself, Now that immortals walk the earth, imperial power is weak. No matter how they rectify things, it will only go so far.

It's just a matter of replacing the people around him with ones he finds more pleasing.

However, the reform of official administration also involved many matters concerning immortal sects.

For example, the collection and supervision of taxes and offerings, the harvesting and transportation of spiritual herbs and mineral veins, and the circulation and turnover of pills.

If any mistake were made, it would affect the whole situation and might stir up more trouble. It was even possible that Shengjing would be in an uproar in a while.

"Brother Ji? Brother Ji?"

"Hm?"

Seeing him snap back to attention, Kuang Cheng couldn't help but ask, "Don't just talk about me. How are you doing at the Celestial Academy? Is your cultivation going smoothly?"

Ji You placed his hands on his knees. "Everyone is competing for a spot in the Inner Court now. We go to sense the Heavenly Book every day. It's said that if you can sense it successfully, you're basically in."

"Has anyone succeeded?"

"A hair's breadth away, a thousand miles lost."

Kuang Cheng nodded after hearing this. "It seems cultivation, like studying, is not easy. But in the end, Brother Ji will win. There won't be any surprises there."

Ji You chuckled at this. "Do you know who those people are? Young masters from immortal cultivation families, young ladies with mines at home. They can just buy pills worth thousands of taels on a whim!"

"But Brother Ji is still confident, isn't he? You're just used to never saying anything until things are accomplished."

Kuang Cheng was even more confident than him. "Perhaps you're already thinking about becoming the Sect Master."

Ji You was silent for a long time. "Actually, I'm out of money for food. I was thinking of stealing your five taels of silver."

"?"

"Hurry up!"

Kuang Cheng's mouth twitched a few times. Finally, he took out a deflated coin purse from his satchel and pulled out about eight taels of broken silver.

Upon seeing this, Ji You's brows furrowed instantly. He stared, finding it unbearable that the bulging wallet was no longer full, as if his own money had been stolen and spent.

He pointed to the brothels and entertainment streets outside the window and couldn't help but ask, "You scholar, are you always indulging in lewdness?"

"Indulging in lewdness? Indeed, before entering the examination hall, my heart cannot find peace."

"No, I mean, do you feel like today hasn't ended if you're not indulging in lewdness?"

Kuang Cheng was stunned for a long time. Finally, he looked out the window following Ji You's finger, his face flushing crimson. He instantly understood the subtext. "Nonsense, Kuang Cheng is a gentleman!"

"Then my money... no, where did your money go?"

Ji You felt the words were a bit hot in his mouth and immediately spun 360 degrees, almost saying the right thing.

Kuang Cheng glanced at his coin purse, disbelieving. "This is my money!"

"Never mind whose money it is. You haven't even been in the capital for three days, and how could such a large bag of silver be spent so quickly?"

"I donated it."

Kuang Cheng mumbled as he tied his coin purse. "Winter is coming in just a few months, and there's an orphanage in the west city that doesn't even have quilts. I saw it when I went to the bookstore to buy books, and on impulse, I donated it."

Ji You was silent for a long time, still feeling a bit heartbroken about his money.

Uh, no, his money.

The two outstanding young men who came from Yuyang County are now left with only these few taels of broken silver. And they still want to meet the winds of destiny? This is hilarious.

Ji You pushed back the small amount Kuang Cheng handed him. "Forget it, Brother Zhuangyuan. Don't starve to death before the exam. Let's go."

"Brother Ji, don't just focus on the Inner Court disciples. Remember to aim higher, become the Sect Master!"

"Got it."