Ji Ning Felt the Gap! (Bonus Chapter 1) Please Bookmark, Please Vote!

"Ding."

"Beishan Xuantang's Dao Heart has been damaged. The host has plundered 100 Fortune Value. Merit Points increased by 500."

He couldn't take it anymore?

Xia Manggan thought coldly.

His character had been flawed to begin with. Now that his Dao Heart was damaged, he would be even more useless in the future.

Xia Manggan had never shown mercy to those who harbored ill intent toward him.

He had not killed Beishan Xuantang on the spot only because killing before even entering the Academy would be detrimental to him later on.

Besides, for certain people, not killing them could sometimes be even more painful than killing them.

He looked at his Personal Panel.

After passing the series of entry assessments,

his Fortune Value and Merit Points had changed considerably compared to before he came here.

During his month of secluded cultivation earlier,

in order to comprehend the Dao better, he had spent 1,000 Merit Points to use "Super Epiphany" twice.

As a result, he had only 265 Merit Points left.

Now, the [Merit Points] field showed 1,370, while the [Fortune Value] field had become 574/10000.

Other than the 100 Fortune Value he had plundered by striking at Beishan Xuantang, as well as the system's feedback rewards,

the rest had all come from the shock and amazement of the Primordial Spirit Daoists and Immortals watching the battle.

[I have enough Merit Points to exchange for Super Epiphany twice more.]

Xia Manggan felt delighted as he followed the corridor toward the mountaintop.

...At the same time.

The Primordial Spirit Daoists above the clouds all wore expressions of regret.

"Senior Brother Iron Hand is truly innocent. His disciple failed to live up to expectations, yet he was dragged into being punished as well."

The burly Primordial Spirit Daoist shook his head. "A hundred years' worth of Essence Liquid quota... Martial Uncle Xuanguan was truly ruthless. A full ten thousand jin of Essence Liquid, gone just like that."

The Black-White Academy had very few disciples. Altogether, there were only a little over thirty Primordial Spirit Daoists.

With fewer people, each person received more resources.

Thus, each Primordial Spirit Daoist's yearly Essence Liquid quota was one thousand taels, or one hundred jin of Essence Liquid.

Confiscating a hundred years' worth of quota meant ten thousand jin of Essence Liquid.

That much Essence Liquid could buy a decent Heaven Rank high-grade magic treasure. It was equivalent to the entire net worth of an ordinary Primordial Spirit Daoist outside the Academy.

Yet because of Beishan Xuantang, it had been suspended just like that.

As for Beishan Xuantang, the one responsible for all this, he was a third-generation Formal Disciple of the Wanxiang Realm. His hundred-year quota was also one thousand jin of Essence Liquid, equivalent to an Earth Rank top-grade magic treasure.

Moreover, third-generation disciples had lower realms and weaker strength, making it precisely the time when they needed Essence Liquid and magic treasures the most.

Without this hundred-year quota, he would have to venture out and risk his life on his own in the future.

The more often one risked one's life, the greater the chance of dying and having one's Dao dissipate.

Therefore, confiscating a hundred years' worth of Essence Liquid quota was an extremely severe punishment.

But in this Primordial Spirit Daoist's eyes, Beishan Xuantang had brought it upon himself.

After all, cultivators could be scheming and ruthless, but they still had to consider whom they were dealing with.

Against a fellow disciple who was about to join the Academy, he had violated the rules by using an Earth Rank magic treasure beyond the restrictions, then directly tried to kill him. That was no longer merely scheming or ruthless—it was vicious and cruel.

No punishment would be too severe for such a person.

"Indeed. Junior Brother Iron Hand has suffered an undeserved calamity. But didn't you see Martial Uncle Hanshan's anger? If Martial Uncle Xuanguan hadn't spoken first, Martial Uncle Hanshan's punishment for Junior Brother Iron Hand and Beishan Xuantang would likely have been even harsher."

"If you ask me, a disciple like Beishan Xuantang should be expelled from the Academy. Look at Yinxue Wenjian, another guardian. He was also forced by that little fellow Ji Ning to use a flying sword beyond the restrictions. Yet why didn't he try to kill Ji Ning?"

"Yes, Yinxue Wenjian is quite good. He's a little arrogant, but he's sufficiently open and aboveboard. A win is a win, and a loss is a loss."

"Speaking of which, that little fellow Ji Ning has truly excellent insight and spiritual intuition in the Dao of the Sword."

"Indeed. If not for that little monster from the Xia Mang Clan, Ji Ning would have been the strongest among this batch of new disciples."

...The Primordial Spirit Daoists discussed the matter among themselves before dispersing back to their respective residences.

Xia Manggan also arrived at the peak.

Of the other eight people who had originally participated in the final assessment, only Ji Ning and Mu Zishuo remained.

The two were standing together, talking as they waited.

"Brother Ji Ning, did you hear those murmurs of 'life' and 'death' just now? I was in the middle of the trial when that voice suddenly sounded by my ear. The Puppet I was controlling nearly got hit by the guardian senior brother. If the guardian senior brother hadn't also been affected, I might not have passed this assessment."

As Mu Zishuo spoke, his face still showed lingering fear.

"I heard them." Ji Ning nodded, his gaze distant.

I wonder what level of strength the guardian disciple that Young Master Xia Mang encountered possessed. Was he also as strong as the Yinxue Wenjian I faced?

With his strength, even if that guardian disciple were comparable to Yinxue Wenjian, he should have finished by now.

Why hasn't he appeared yet?

I forced the guardian disciple to reveal his true strength. Xia Manggan should be capable of doing the same.

He still hasn't emerged from the corridor. Could it be...

Xia Manggan and a Purple Mansion Realm Formal Disciple of the Black-White Academy have truly fought in earnest, clashing head-on?

As Ji Ning pondered and guessed, he saw Xia Manggan, dressed in gray, slowly walk up to the peak.

"Brother Xia Mang." Ji Ning cupped his hands. "Congratulations."

"Xia Mang? Imperial family?" Mu Zishuo was startled and hurriedly looked at Ji Ning.

"He is from the imperial family. His name is Xia Manggan." Ji Ning transmitted mentally. "The murmurs of 'life' and 'death' that you heard earlier were from the secret art used by Young Master Xia Mang."

"So it was him." Mu Zishuo was astonished. Then he cupped his hands toward Xia Manggan, who was approaching. "Brother Xia Mang, my name is Mu Zishuo. Congratulations on passing the assessment. We'll be fellow disciples from now on."

"Congratulations to you as well." Xia Manggan smiled and nodded.

He did not ignore Mu Zishuo outright, as Ji Ning had worried he might.

"Brother Xia Mang, how strong was the guardian disciple you encountered?" Mu Zishuo asked curiously. "For a Primordial Spirit Daoist to specifically assign you that corridor, the final guardian disciple must have been quite formidable, right?"

Ji Ning also looked over attentively.

He was curious about this question as well, but unlike Mu Zishuo, he was not so straightforward and lively that he would simply ask whatever came to mind.

"Not bad." Xia Manggan smiled. "A Late Wanxiang Stage disciple. His temperament was poor and his personality somewhat twisted, so I taught him a lesson."

"A Late Wanxiang Stage Formal Disciple, and you taught him a lesson?" Mu Zishuo secretly clicked his tongue.

Just how strong was this Young Master Xia Mang!?

"Late Wanxiang Stage, with a somewhat twisted personality..."

Ji Ning asked in astonishment, "Brother Xia Mang, could the one you encountered have been Beishan Xuantang?"

"You know him?" Xia Manggan was startled, then understood. "Right, you're friends with Beishan Baiwei. He must have introduced him to you? It was Beishan Xuantang. He's a petty man who is especially skilled at disguising himself. If you meet him in the future, be careful not to associate with him too deeply."

"It really was him." Ji Ning was shocked.

The last time he and Beishan Baiwei had come to the Black-White Academy in advance, they had happened to encounter Beishan Xuantang.

At the time, Beishan Xuantang had been surrounded by a crowd of Black-White Academy Formal Disciples and carried himself with great pomp. He was clearly a prominent figure among the Academy's disciples of the same generation.

Even such a person had been taught a lesson by Xia Manggan...

Ji Ning realized

that the gap between himself and Xia Manggan was likely far greater than he had imagined.

My thanks to Lord Drunken Dream Carefree for the 5,000 + 1,500 reward, along with three monthly votes.

Originally, Suifeng had planned to add an extra chapter only after the novel went premium, for every ten thousand in rewards.

I had not planned any extra chapters during the new-book period, since the daily updates were already more than twice those of other new books.

But... I simply could not refuse such generosity.

Taking this opportunity, I would also like to thank the lords who rewarded me yesterday and the two days before that.

I just finished writing this chapter, so consider it my thanks to all of you.

After this, there will be no extra chapters during the new-book period unless someone becomes a league leader.

Everything will be made up after the novel goes premium. One extra chapter for every ten thousand in rewards.

So, if you lords think the novel is decent and have the means to spare,

you can send some rewards. In any case, Suifeng will not let you spend money for nothing.

Luo Mo Sui Feng offers his thanks!