How Are We Different? (13) Please Bookmark and Vote!

Inside a cave at the top of the gorge.

Xia Manggan stood at the entrance, gazing helplessly at the clouds above.

There were indeed quite a few divine senses sweeping over him from within the clouds.

More than twenty in total.

Some of those divine senses even assumed his soul was not at a high enough level to detect them, probing him far too excessively.

Whoosh~~~

Xia Manggan's divine sense burst forth from within his body, forming an invisible seal around him.

As for the three particularly excessive divine senses, which even tried to probe the interior of his divine body—

He split off several strands of divine sense and met them head-on.

It was one thing to let the divine sense of someone who might become his master in the future inspect the inside of his divine body.

After all, if he wished to take a master and seek the Dao, his master needed to know some of his background in order to teach him according to his aptitude.

But any random person wanted to inspect him...

Who the hell did they think they were?

"Eh, this little fellow's soul has reached the divine sense level?"

"It really has. He used divine sense to seal off his surroundings... Ah, fire!"

"It's a divine sense attack!"

"This little fellow knows a soul secret art."

The expressions of the three Primordial Spirit Daoists changed abruptly.

One of them, a burly middle-aged man who had only entered the Primordial Spirit Daoist level in recent years, felt as though his soul had been scorched by flames and cried out in pain.

"He is a descendant of the imperial Xia Mang Clan. How deep do you think his family's foundation is? Do you really think that merely cultivating a few more years than him means you can bully him for being young?" Immortal Hanshan glanced at the burly man and snorted coldly. "You brought this upon yourself."

The burly man shrank his neck.

Even though his soul still throbbed with pain, he did not dare make another sound.

The other Primordial Spirit Daoists secretly laughed at the sight.

Ever since their Headmaster Senior Brother had returned and mentioned that a monstrous genius who had comprehended the true intent of the Great Dao of Life and Death would be entering the Academy to take a master and cultivate—

Before Xia Manggan had even arrived, the matter of his master had already been decided through "friendly" discussions among several immortals of the Black-White Academy.

Now, with the other party's master right there, it was understandable to use divine sense to take a close look out of curiosity.

But they had even wanted to investigate the secrets of his divine body!

Weren't they asking to be beaten?

Even if Xia Manggan had not retaliated, Immortal Hanshan probably would not have let them succeed.

After this incident—

The Primordial Spirit Daoists all withdrew their divine senses, no longer daring to inspect him recklessly.

As they exchanged glances, their eyes were filled with astonishment.

He was only at the Purple Mansion stage.

Not only was his Dao comprehension extraordinarily high, but his soul was also this powerful.

And he possessed a soul attack secret art powerful enough to make even Primordial Spirit Daoists suffer.

One had to know that the Primordial Spirit Daoists of the Black-White Academy normally possessed the strength of Earth Immortals or Loose Immortals when outside.

For Xia Manggan to achieve this much—

It could only be said that ordinary disciples recruited by the Black-White Academy were geniuses among elites, monsters among geniuses.

But Xia Manggan was a monster among monsters!

Xia Manggan opened his eyes.

Whoosh~~~

Within his sea of consciousness, the Buddha figure that seemed to illuminate the Myriad Worlds like the Sun Star gradually faded away.

This was his visualization method—

Inner Observation of Great Sun Tathagata Buddha.

It was the visualization method contained within the Body Refining Divine Ability he cultivated.

When visualizing the Buddha's body, it could not only condense the soul and strengthen divine sense, but also draw upon the Supreme star beyond countless spaces—the Sun Star.

It could thus help increase the speed at which he absorbed divine power and temper his divine body.

For him, it could not have been more suitable.

Ordinarily, even though this visualization method had the effect of protecting the soul, it would only be effective after external divine sense, divine thought, or Yin entities such as vengeful ghosts entered his sea of consciousness.

But in his first life after transmigrating, he had been Emperor Gan Yang Pan in the Yang God World.

And he had been Emperor Gan Yang Pan after surviving nine Thunder Tribulations.

During this month of secluded cultivation, he had combined the techniques of soul thought attacks that he had excelled in during his previous life with the Great Sun Tathagata Dharma Body visualized through Inner Observation of Great Sun Tathagata Buddha...

In the end, he created an attack secret art specifically for souls—Spirit Refining Technique.

It could imbue divine sense with the scorching characteristics of True Fire.

Any divine sense or divine thought it touched would instantly feel as though it had thrust a hand into a blaze, causing unbearable pain.

As for the stronger might of the Spirit Refining Technique—

Because the time had been too short, and he had no soul secret arts from this world to use as reference, he did not continue deducing it.

Just then—

Whoosh!

A figure rushed in through the cave entrance. After landing and putting away a flying sword, he revealed himself as a youth dressed in beast hide.

"Ji Ning."

Xia Manggan looked at the newcomer.

It was Ji Ning, who had entered the Puppet Formation after him.

"You know me?"

Ji Ning froze in astonishment.

In his view, Xia Manggan was of imperial lineage. Even when facing Beishan Yin, he had shown no courtesy and called him directly by name.

He had even taken Beishan Yin's son, Beishan Hu—a noble young master whose status was comparable to Beishan Baiwei's—as a follower.

Why would such a top-tier powerful figure have someone like him in his eyes? How could he possibly remember his name?

But Ji Ning quickly reacted, realizing that his instinctive question had been somewhat offensive. He immediately clasped his hands in apology. "I didn't expect that after only one meeting at Cave of Carefree, and with a month having passed, Brother Xia Mang would still remember Ji Ning."

"You helped me earn two thousand jin of Essence Liquid. How could I forget that so quickly?" Xia Manggan said with a smile. "Besides, we are joining the same sect and taking the assessment on the same day. That makes it even more fated."

"We are indeed fated."

A friendly smile appeared on Ji Ning's face as well. Though I regard him as a goal to surpass, he does not necessarily have to be an opponent. He can also be a friend.

Just then—

Boom!

Crash!

"Break!"

Amid several explosive sounds and furious roars—

Several more figures charged through the lightning attacks of the Puppet Formation and rushed into the cave.

After entering, they first warily surveyed their surroundings before turning their gazes toward Xia Manggan.

After all—

Even Ji Ning, who had entered afterward, had relied on escape techniques and sword arts to find gaps among the thousands of lightning bolts, using a trick to pass through the lightning zone.

But Xia Manggan, the first to break through the lightning zone, had not used any tricks at all. He had directly endured every bolt of lightning with a magic treasure and passed through.

The gap in strength displayed by that was perfectly clear to all of them.

A black-clothed youth clasped his hands toward Xia Manggan. "Fellow Daoist, I am—"

Before he could finish speaking, Xia Manggan turned away and continued watching the Puppet Formation below.

He had greeted Ji Ning because Ji Ning was the world's chosen son, a person of great fortune. He was central to many events in the original story and would also be Xia Manggan's fellow disciple in the future.

As for everyone else?

They could not even enter the Black-White Academy. They were not even qualified for a nodding acquaintance with him, so Xia Manggan could not be bothered with them.

"..." The black-clothed youth secretly fumed and swore bitterly that he would definitely enter the Black-White Academy.

The other young cultivators beside him had originally intended to get acquainted with Xia Manggan as well.

Now that they saw the black-clothed youth hit a wall, they immediately abandoned the idea.

He really is arrogant.

Ji Ning thought, Considering that, the fact that he took the initiative to greet me was already giving me considerable face.

At that thought, Ji Ning secretly shook his head.

Was he actually feeling pleased just because someone had taken the initiative to greet him?

The influence of strength and status truly was immense.

The second trial, the Puppet Formation assessment, had a time limit of one incense stick.

Very soon—

"The time for one incense stick has ended."

As the middle-aged man in Shuimo Daoist robes shouted loudly, the eight hundred and ten dragon heads below the cave entrance stopped at the same time.

The cultivators still struggling to charge upward tried to continue flying.

But they were blocked by a flash of light like thick ink, flung out with a sweep of the middle-aged man's sleeve.

The light seemed to be Origin Force, yet it formed an enormous landscape painting in the air.

The landscape painting rapidly expanded, like a half-real, half-illusory world, enveloping all nine hundred-plus eliminated young cultivators before carrying them back toward the Academy entrance.

"The Great Dao of Heaven and Earth?" Xia Manggan nodded slightly.

As expected of a Primordial Spirit Daoist from the Black-White Academy.

Based solely on the Dao comprehension revealed through that move of transforming Origin Force into a painting, he could crush many Earth Immortals and Loose Immortals.

"Haha, I saw the change in that little imperial fellow's expression just now."

"Among the Primordial Spirit Daoists of our Academy, Junior Brother Shuimo's Dao comprehension ranks among the top few. He has cultivated for only a short time and looks young enough to intimidate him a little, showing off our Academy's foundation."

"Exactly."

Above the clouds—

The Primordial Spirit Daoists who had been watching Xia Manggan conversed through divine transmission.

Because of Xia Manggan, even the Primordial Spirit Daoist assigned to oversee this entrance assessment had been carefully selected and deliberately arranged.

Whoosh!

Ink Daoist teleported into the cave.

"Greetings, Senior."

Ji Ning and the others all bowed respectfully.

"Greetings, Senior." Xia Manggan clasped his hands as well.

"Mm." Ink Daoist gave Xia Manggan a slight nod, then swept his gaze over Ji Ning and the others.

This time, aside from Xia Manggan, nine others, including Ji Ning, had passed the Puppet Formation assessment.

"You." Ink Daoist pointed at a blue-clothed youth whose eyes flickered nervously. "You used a Dao talisman and violated the rules. Will you leave on your own, or shall I send you away?"

"I would not dare trouble you, Senior." The blue-clothed youth gritted his teeth and immediately transformed into a streamer, flying out through the cave entrance.

"Your name is Mu Zishuo?"

Ink Daoist then looked at a white-robed youth. "Take out your Puppet and let me inspect it."

This was one of the rules for the Black-White Academy entrance assessment, meant to prevent examinees from using any external objects apart from their own strength.

Standing nearby with nothing to do, Xia Manggan used the Eye of Fortune to inspect the Fortune Values of those in the cave.

The highest still belonged to Ji Ning, the world's chosen son. Compared to his Fortune Value of 1,000 a month ago, it had now risen to 1,100.

Furthermore, as time passed—or rather, as he drew closer to becoming an official disciple of the Black-White Academy—Ji Ning's Fortune Value increased more and more rapidly.

It seems Fortune Value is not fixed. Taking a master, joining a sect, obtaining a fortuitous encounter, learning a great divine ability, or even befriending a person of great fortune can all increase it.

Xia Manggan thought, And the closer one gets to such an opportunity, the faster Fortune Value rises.

After looking at Ji Ning, he turned to the others.

Sure enough—

Mu Zishuo's Fortune Value was also rapidly rising. It had already reached 234, far surpassing ordinary Purple Mansion cultivators and even the vast majority of Wanxiang Daoists.

As for the Fortune Values of the others, they had not changed at all.

Clearly, even if they had passed the second round of the Black-White Academy assessment—

They would ultimately fail to enter the Academy and become official disciples.

Thus, their Fortune Values would not fluctuate.

The Eye of Fortune can be used to gauge a person's gains and encounters over a period of time in the future, granting a method similar to seeing through one's destiny.

Just as Xia Manggan was pondering this, Ink Daoist spoke. "The nine of you have passed the most basic entrance screening. Next comes the final screening. Pass it, and you will become disciples of the Black-White Academy. Fail it, and we can only send you back.

"There's still one final screening?"

Ji Ning was secretly shocked.

Out of more than nine hundred people, only nine remained, yet they still had to be screened again?

No wonder those who could enter the Black-White Academy were all the most monstrous geniuses.

After following Ink Daoist through the deep cave for a while, they arrived at a fork in the path.

"This is the final entrance assessment."

Ink Daoist pointed at the nine branching paths ahead. "Beyond each of these nine forks, one formal disciple of our Black-White Academy stands guard."

What?

The expressions of Ji Ning and the other seven changed.

Formal disciples of the Black-White Academy were guarding the paths?

They were all disciples who had cultivated some of the finest techniques and possessed all sorts of supreme methods!

Meanwhile, all of them were only at the early Purple Mansion stage in Qi Refining. How could they compare?

"Don't worry." Ink Daoist reassured Ji Ning and the other seven. "The guards you encounter will only be formal disciples at the Purple Mansion level. They will be permitted to use only a single method, while you may go all out. And you need not defeat the guarding disciples—breaking out of the cave will count as success."

Hearing Ink Daoist say this, the expressions of Ji Ning and the other seven improved somewhat.

"You."

Ink Daoist looked at Xia Manggan. "Take the first path on the left... Be careful. Don't let your guard down."

After saying this, he turned to Ji Ning and the others. "Choose freely among the remaining eight paths. Once you have successfully passed through, we will gather at the summit of this mountain."

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh~~~

Ji Ning and the other seven all looked toward Xia Manggan at the same time.

He had been directly assigned a path.

Ink Daoist had even reminded him to be careful.

Could the guarding disciple Xia Manggan had to face be different from theirs?

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