Famous Throughout the Outer Court

The Celestial Academy had been passed down since ancient times, its foundations nearly as deep as the history of mankind itself.

Every generation, dazzling prodigies came here to seek the Dao, only to be defeated on their path by others even more dazzling than themselves.

Some might stand proudly alone in their prefectures, commanderies, and counties, like immortal cranes among the clouds.

But the Celestial Academy was different.

As the foremost of the Great Xia Sacred Sect and the Seven Great Immortal Sects, geniuses here were practically a species crawling all over the ground.

You chased desperately, without rest day or night, only to discover in the end that hard work was nothing but a lie.

Just as now, everyone had already given up trying to sense the Heavenly Book and was craning their necks, waiting for Chu He to tell them what the book contained.

But with that sudden eruption of heavenly light and surging airwaves, panicked cries instantly rang out across the quiet Dao Comprehension Ground, along with countless figures springing to their feet.

Inside and outside the grounds, the crowd descended into chaos, like cold water splashing into boiling oil!

"Wh... what's happening to him?"

"Is he going to explode?"

"Explode, my ass! He's sensed the Heavenly Book! Ji You has sensed the Heavenly Book!"

Hearing the uproar filling the grounds and the roars of tigers and dragons in the sky, Chu He and Lu Qingqiu, who had been comprehending the Dao, were jolted awake. After a brief daze, they turned their heads in disbelief.

Ji You was now enveloped in Mystic Light, an indescribable aura rippling over his entire body.

Free and untroubled, auspicious, peaceful, and serene.

Wind and waves spiraled around him, yet did not pass through the Mystic Light, merely stirring his long hair.

His eyes remained tightly shut, his expression largely unchanged. The only strange thing was the spiritual radiance that flickered continuously from between his brows from time to time.

At this sight, Chu He and Lu Qingqiu were utterly stunned.

For who knew how many days and nights, they had sat here from dawn until dusk, consuming countless spirit pills and expending countless spirit stones.

Chu He had guarded against Lu Qingqiu, and Lu Qingqiu had guarded against Chu He.

Meanwhile, that self-taught rustic cultivator had only half of each day to comprehend the Dao and had yet to gather even a single strand of Mystic Light.

Even the instructors had said that among those at the Perfection of the Lower Three Realms competing for this year's Inner Court spots, there were only the two of them. Ji You was merely an accidental foil.

Yet today, heavenly light howled for him as he sensed the Heavenly Book.

Chu He stared for a long while, his face pale, before turning to Ban Yangshu. "Senior Brother Ban, isn't something wrong with his Heavenly Book sensing? I feel like something isn't right."

"No. This is what sensing the Heavenly Book is like."

"?"

Chu He's face turned even paler after hearing that.

Having been raised from childhood as Heaven's favored son and trained as a direct disciple of an immortal sect, he had always believed in one principle.

If ten were chosen, I would be among them. If five were chosen, I would be among them. If one were chosen, it would surely be me.

But now that person was not him. In an instant, he felt that the Heavenly Book had no justice.

After recovering from their daze, several people noticed Chu He's inability to accept it and suddenly recalled what had been said before.

This was the Celestial Academy. As part of the Great Xia Sacred Sect, you would always encounter people more talented than yourself, existences so far beyond reach that you could only look at their dust for the rest of your life.

But this time, the leading role had changed hands...

Ban Yangshu was also full of emotion. After watching for a long time, he suddenly remembered something and froze slightly.

He knew that sensing the Heavenly Book would trigger such phenomena, but there was something very strange about this.

Everyone who had sensed the Heavenly Book knew that one would first see a faint glimmer, then follow that light. Only upon obtaining a fateful opportunity could one sense the Heavenly Book.

Yet he had clearly seen that Ji You had not been in a state of Dao comprehension just now. He had even had his eyes open. How had he suddenly sensed it?

Ban Yangshu could not puzzle it out no matter how he thought, and as his gaze wandered, he saw great numbers of Outer Court disciples rushing over after hearing the news.

At the first quarter of the Hour of the Dog, in the Celestial Academy women's quarters.

Fang Ruoyao was sitting on her bed, repeatedly sensing the circulation of spiritual energy within her. She was suddenly roused by the noises outside the window, her eyes somewhat blank.

That morning, she had finally sensed the True Spirit within her body. After spending an entire day and receiving Pei Ruyi's guidance, she had finally entered the initial stage of Spirit Awakening.

From learning the Grand Principle of the Origin of the Dao to finally sensing her heavenly spirit, she had spent ten days.

Though it was merely the most rudimentary state of the Lower Three Realms, she was still greatly encouraged.

Because she knew that Ji You was still stuck at the Perfection of the Lower Three Realms, unable to advance even one step.

It made her feel that what she had said in Yuyang County—that she might not necessarily be inferior to him, merely that she had started later—had not been empty words.

She could not keep borrowing the title of Ji You's fiancée forever. Sooner or later, the truth would be exposed.

Therefore, she had to surpass Ji You.

Yet just then, she suddenly saw a senior sister hurry past her window, followed by a second, a third, and a fourth...

In the end, even a disheveled, slovenly senior sister followed them out of the women's quarters.

That senior sister seemed to be named Qiao Rong. She had been in the academy for four years, but her Divine Sense was weak, and she could not bear the cost of consuming pills over a long period. In the end, she had remained stuck at the stage of sensing the Heavenly Dao, unable to make further progress.

Two years ago, she had given up observing the Heavenly Dao directly and begun researching how to sense the Heavenly Book.

The last thread of hope in her heart had finally died, and she had been lying flat ever since.

In another half year, she might be expelled from the Celestial Academy. But expulsion was expulsion; it did not mean there was nowhere for her to go.

The Celestial Academy also had affiliated minor sects and mountain villas, much like the relationship between Fengxian Mountain Villa and the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion. They were spread throughout the world and returned once a year during the sect's Heaven-sacrificing rites.

And in recent years, Senior Sister Qiao Rong had held no interest in anything except the one thing she had sought but never obtained: sensing the Heavenly Book.

"Was it Chu He or Lu Qingqiu?"

After considering it carefully, Fang Ruoyao felt it should be Chu He.

Young Master Chu was descended from an illustrious immortal family and carried the bearing of a noble young master. Usually sparing with words and smiles, he nevertheless drew much attention from the female cultivators of the Outer Court.

Especially people like her who came from small places and had never seen such a figure before; they would always discuss him late into the night.

"Young Master Chu truly is an immortal-like figure..."

"It seems Lu Qingqiu won't be able to obtain this year's Inner Court spot."

After pondering for quite a while, Fang Ruoyao never once thought of her former fiancé. She then immediately got out of bed and followed the crowd toward the Dao Comprehension Ground.

Under the night sky, the Dao Comprehension Ground was packed to bursting. It was the first time Miss Fang had realized that the Outer Court had so many disciples.

At this moment, some people even stood upon spiritual radiance, hovering above the lake as they stretched their necks toward the center of the Dao Comprehension Ground.

It seemed that every generation had those astonishing geniuses who charged ahead alone, shattering the Dao hearts of countless disciples of their generation and leaving so many people unable to move forward.

Fang Ruoyao also rose onto her toes to look ahead, only to find that her gaze could not cross the crowd at all.

But just then, someone saw her and froze slightly. Remembering the rumor she had personally acknowledged, they pulled their fellow cultivators beside them and retreated to either side.

"?"

"What's going on..."

Ever since entering the Celestial Academy, Fang Ruoyao had become someone with no sense of presence.

After all, this was a place where status was determined by cultivation and family background. Her cultivation was the lowest, and her origins were humble, so that was only natural.

Yet now, seeing everyone make way for her, she suddenly felt somewhat flattered and overwhelmed.

There were also some who knew nothing and remained where they stood, but after their companions whispered a few words to them, they suddenly understood and stepped aside.

Carrying doubt and confusion, Fang Ruoyao walked in with some apprehension.