This Is My Newly Accepted Student!

After Qiu Ru's incident, Kuang Cheng had consulted the "Summer Law Immortal Regulations" and found what he believed to be the key to breaking the deadlock: Fang Ruoyao, who had become a Celestial Academy disciple.

But what Ji You saw was different.

What he saw was a Perfection of the Lower Three Realms who had entered the Immortal Registry before even reaching adulthood.

He was not truly Young Master Ji and knew little about Fang Ruoyao. Yet judging by how she had come to break off the engagement while he was bedridden, Miss Fang was clearly not someone worthy of trust.

Since she could not be trusted, he might as well do it himself.

Thus, no matter how the outside world raged and stirred, he remained unmoved. He shut himself away and charged ahead. Though it was nine deaths and one life, he stubbornly weathered the remaining ninety through sheer force of character.

At this moment, chrysanthemum leaves carpeted the empty courtyard, and everyone stood silent as cicadas in winter. At last, a scholar named Guo Ziying turned his head and opened his mouth tremblingly.

His words were not very fluent, yet those few words alone made everyone shudder.

"P-private... cultivation...?"

"Isn't it a beheading offense for commoners to cultivate immortality in secret...?"

At those words, even Fang Ruoyao lifted her eyelids slightly, jolting awake from her shock.

That was right. It was a beheading offense for commoners to cultivate immortality in secret. This was an iron law of Great Xia. No matter how overwhelming his immortal aura was, he could not escape it. But she was different—she was an orthodox immortal cultivator chosen by the Celestial Academy.

Their identities and standing were worlds apart!

Upon hearing this, Kuang Cheng pondered for a moment, then silently gripped a white porcelain bottle resting on the table, his hand trembling faintly.

As for Ji You, he was already striding into the front hall of the government office like the wind.

Yet the instant he stepped inside, a fierce fist intent suddenly smashed toward his face, followed by a coarse, cold expression.

"?"

Before Ji You could speak, his expression sharpened. Spiritual light burst forth around him as he skimmed backward close to the ground, and the blast of air instantly sent the potted plants by the doorway flying.

A sneak attack?!

The fist intent pursued him. Seeing there was nowhere to evade, Young Master Ji immediately raised an arm to meet it, his fist crashing out like thunder. He used offense as defense, with the force of a mountain collapse.

As their fists collided again and again, waves of air churned wildly. The porcelain bottles placed in the hall seemed unable to bear the strain, countless fine cracks instantly spreading across their middles.

In truth, this punch had not come without reason.

During the earlier discussion in the front hall, Cao Jinsong had been somewhat anxious to protect the Qiu family girl. His words had been rather sharp, making others misunderstand him as using his power to bully people.

The Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion ranked second beneath heaven, and Bao Yongsheng, the chief guard commander, naturally did not fear the Celestial Academy's name all that much.

Especially since the Qingyun Immortal Regulations stated that no one was permitted to interfere in another sect's affairs without authorization. Cao Jinsong could not explain the connection and only put on airs, naturally making the atmosphere in the front hall increasingly tense.

It was at that moment that Ji You appeared.

When he had driven back the yamen runners at the county office entrance, it had been his first time making a move. He still did not know how to control his aura, and so he gave off an air of seething killing intent. Like firewood tossed into a pile of cotton, it ignited at a touch; it was only natural for others to think someone harbored malicious intentions.

Now, after their exchange of blows, Ji You retreated three steps and could not help baring his teeth as he shook his hand.

Bao Yongsheng likewise retreated three steps. Suppressing his churning blood and qi, he curled his fingers into claws once more and lunged straight for Ji You's throat. With a sweep of his hand, the rushing air sounded like tigers roaring and dragons chanting.

Ji You had no real combat experience. Relying only on instinct, he swung his arm across and struck downward, meeting those tiger fingers that blazed with the might of Wind and Thunder head-on. Then he borrowed the force to retreat again, spiritual light rolling over his body like a raging tsunami.

The people who had followed from the covered corridor were already dumbstruck, as though their eyes had gone blank.

It was their first time witnessing the miraculous wonders of immortals.

What left them even more dazed was that one of those overflowing with immortal intent was Ji You...

After a long while, Jia Sicong, Dong Wei, and the others came back to their senses. They saw that the young ladies in the courtyard were all biting their lips, looking utterly distracted, and felt a faint sourness in their hearts. Before dying, that bastard had at least gotten to shine brilliantly for once!

But what happened next left them unable to make a single sound.

For the chief guard commander, whose fists could shake mountains, suddenly stopped. He looked at Ji You suspiciously, seemingly astonished.

"You're this young, yet already at Perfection of the Lower Three Realms?"

"Not merely Perfection of the Lower Three Realms."

Cao Jinsong rose to his feet with wide eyes. "And he has not even reached adulthood..."

Ji You frowned. Wasn't that supposed to be my line?

He had never revealed this cultivation, which practically reeked of sneaking around. Even when cultivating, he covered the windows with black curtains. Not even the Qiu family knew, much less outsiders.

Still, it saved him the trouble of explaining. But since he had not shown off himself, it somehow lacked a little flavor...

Cao Jinsong had no idea what he was thinking. He only stared fixedly at Ji You.

He had made it. He really had...

To reach the Nirvana Realm in a day, then enter perfection that very night—even if one hour were used as ten, it would still fall far short!

But the very instant Ji You crossed the threshold into the hall, he had sensed that something was different.

Just like that, he had succeeded.

Bao Yongsheng was looking at Cao Jinsong, then at Qiu Ru, then at Ji You. Suddenly, he frowned.

Even when seizing someone to refine medicine, one had to investigate their identity clearly. Especially that little girl, whose spiritual light reached the crown of her head. If she had not been born with it, then there must be an immortal behind her. Failing to investigate could easily invite disaster.

And someone so young, yet connected to the Qiu family matter—there was only one person who fit both conditions.

"Could this be Young Master Ji?"

"I am Ji You. Today, having emerged from seclusion after comprehending the Dao, I happened to hear a rumor from my younger sister. I did not quite understand it, so I... came here to take a look."

Upon hearing this, Commander Bao's expression changed drastically.

At this moment, Cao Jinsong also rose and walked into the hall, standing with his hands behind his back. "That's right. He is a new student of our Celestial Academy. Could it be that Commander Bao thought Cao would truly interfere in another sect's affairs for no reason at all?"

Pei Ruyi: "?"

Ji You: "?"

Bao Yongsheng naturally did not believe the old dog's words, but no matter what, he would not be taking this little girl away today.

Perfection of the Lower Three Realms was not some extraordinary realm. One could perhaps throw one's weight around in the mortal world, but in the world of immortal cultivation, it merely meant one had finished preparatory school and stepped onto the proper path.

Fengxian Mountain Villa alone had seven or eight people at this level. It was nothing rare.

But what made this Young Master Ji valuable was the prerequisite that he had not yet reached twenty.

The Seven Great Immortal Sects of the Qingyun World had once reached a consensus: anyone who attained Perfection of the Lower Three Realms before coming of age would surely enter the Upper Five Realms in the future.

Though Fengxian Mountain Villa had inherited the Xuan Yuan Dao lineage, it was ultimately not the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion. Offending a future Upper Five Realms cultivator of boundless potential for the sake of a medicinal pill to nourish oneself was no wise move.

After pondering for a long while, Bao Yongsheng looked at Ji You. "These past few days, rumors have been spreading throughout Yuyang County that I intend to use little girls to refine medicine. But I have never said such a thing. I came today precisely to clear up this misunderstanding, yet before I could speak, Young Master Ji arrived."

Cao Jinsong frowned. Damn old fox.

After a long silence, Ji You suddenly smiled. "Misunderstandings are indeed common."

"Oh?"

"Commander Bao may not know this, but one day, when I was begging for food at a restaurant, I ran into an old friend. I thought he had come to mock me, but unexpectedly, he was exceedingly generous and treated me to ten baskets of fresh dumplings."

Jia Sicong: "?"

Commander Bao broke into a smile. "Since it was a misunderstanding, it is good that it has now been cleared up. But Young Master Ji need not necessarily enter the Celestial Academy, must he?"

Ji You glanced at Cao Jinsong. "What do you mean by that, Commander Bao?"

"Just now, I saw that your strikes were fierce and forceful, your spiritual energy vast and surging. You are exceptionally suited to the Dao lineage of our Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion."

"Is that so? Yet although that may be true, the immortal elders of the Celestial Academy once promised me that after entering the academy, they would teach me the finest immortal arts, grant me the most precious magical artifacts, give me high-grade spirit stones, and even arrange for the most beautiful senior sisters to study alongside me. I am truly rather torn."

Cao Jinsong: "?"

Bao Yongsheng gritted his teeth. "What one hears cannot compare to what one holds in hand. Do not worry, Young Master. I shall return at once and ask the villa lord for instructions. He recently acquired an excellent spirit sword."

With that, the five people from Fengxian Mountain Villa rose. They did not even bother leading their horses away, instead crossing ten zhang with every step as they left the county office.

Seeing this, Ji You fell into thought.

There were no other immortal cultivators around him, so he had never had much sense of his own worth. Only when he saw the other side leave in such haste did he suddenly understand a little.

Meanwhile, Kuang Cheng in the crowd suddenly relaxed and slowly loosened his grip on the vase in his hands.

In contrast, all the other people who had come to see them off were taut with tension, finding the whole thing utterly inconceivable.

Was it not a capital crime for commoners to cultivate immortality in secret? Then why did they feel... as though someone was about to strike it rich?

"Young Master...?"

Qiu Zhong had been protecting his daughter throughout all this. Only after seeing the immortal cultivators who meant to take her away flee did he let out a trembling question.

Ji You turned to look at him. "This matter is settled."

"Th-then... what exactly happened?"

"The scholar next door told me that a Celestial Academy disciple could save her, so I stayed up all night, and then I became a Celestial Academy disciple."

Dong Wei, Jia Sicong, Fang Ruoyao, and the others gathered at the entrance all felt their lips twitch after hearing this.

Cao Jinsong, meanwhile, sprang straight to his feet and spoke in delighted surprise. "Young Master Ji, do you mean that? Are you certain you wish to become a Celestial Academy disciple?"

"I will not enter the Xuan Yuan Immortal Mansion, after all—I do not enjoy eating people. But I have only just broken through, and spiritual energy seems to be running wild within me. May I return first to regulate my breathing, then travel with you to Shengjing in a few days?"

"Wonderful, splendid!"

Cao Jinsong stood with his hands behind his back, brimming with heroic spirit. "Come forward. I shall personally use spiritual energy to cleanse your spiritual essence!"

Ji You fell silent for a moment. "When I was drinking tea this morning, I set a kettle of water on the stove. I left in a hurry, and I think I may not have put out the fire."

Though Cao Jinsong's face remained calm upon hearing this, his heart was shaken beyond measure.

Breaking through a realm in a single night was one thing, but he had even found time in between to drink tea? This boy's talent and temperament were both far from ordinary.

Ji You then smiled and cupped his hands in farewell to Cao Jinsong before turning to leave. Yet a thread of blood inopportunely spilled from the corner of his mouth, and he swiftly wiped it away with the back of his hand.

Qiu Ru was tiny, and when she looked up, she saw the vivid red at the corner of his lips, as well as the blood between his teeth. Her eyes widened.

Seeing this, Ji You pulled his lips into a smile and shook his head at her. Without drawing attention, he led the father and daughter out through the main gates of the county office, while the world before his eyes had already begun to spin.