Gold and Silver Terrace

Time flew by, and the sun set at dusk.

Gongsun Yan was exceedingly patient, teaching Xu Yan the Edict Script almost word by word. The latter did not let his mind wander either, listening intently and often picking up his brush to take notes.

Over the afternoon, Xu Yan gained much, learning many Edict Scripts he had never known before.

For instance, the Edict Script for "mountain" had seven forms of writing, each corresponding to a different mountain's bearing. Lofty mountains required heavy strokes, precipitous peaks used pointed tips, and rolling ranges used curved lines.

Such abundant knowledge still required time to digest.

Gongsun Yan slowly rose and stretched lazily. He yawned, his white hair drifting slightly.

Seeing the Gongsun Seal Master acting so casually from the corner of his eye, Xu Yan found that he did not possess the slightest airs of a Purple Mansion Path cultivator.

Gongsun Yan said, "Edict Scripts have a long and distant history. Nearly all the killing Edict Scripts from the primordial era have been lost, but the Patriarch of my Gongsun lineage once obtained a divine ability."

As he spoke, Gongsun Yan suddenly raised his foot. His Daoist robe fluttered sharply as he took a fierce step forward!

Xu Yan's vision blurred, and Gongsun Yan's figure abruptly vanished from where he stood! His expression changed in shock as he looked a hundred zhang behind him, only to find Gongsun Yan already standing there with a smile on his face.

Then, he casually took several more steps in succession. Starlight seemed to flash beneath his feet as his figure shrank the earth to inches, flickering in and out of sight.

This footwork was far more unfathomable than the Chaos Step recorded in the Eight-Nine Profound Art!

The Chaos Step could only shrink the earth to inches in one direction, over a limited distance, and it consumed Mystic Qi.

Yet this method moved like a fish in water, and Gongsun Yan had not released any Mystic Qi at all.

Xu Yan's eyes widened as he watched, filled with astonishment.

"Xu Yan, since you have entered my Talent Academy, I naturally will not treat you poorly. This art is called the Big Dipper Seven Stars Edict Movement Method. It is a hereditary divine ability footwork of my Gongsun Clan. Once cultivated to great mastery, you may traverse a hundred zhang in a single circuit, and no one will be able to brush even the corner of your robes."

Gongsun Yan's voice entered his ears. Xu Yan looked around, yet could not see his figure. He saw only seven streams of starlight flowing and turning, utterly impossible to discern with the naked eye!

With no other choice, Xu Yan could only bow toward the starlight.

"Seal Master, I will never forget your kindness."

The moment he raised his head, he saw starlight flowing before him as Gongsun Yan appeared in front of him, a jade scroll clutched in his hand.

Seeing this, Xu Yan immediately received it with both hands.

"This jade scroll records this method. It is all written in primordial Edict Script cursive. Before you have fully recognized the forms of the Edict Scripts within, do not attempt to cultivate this art. Otherwise, your divine sense will be damaged," Gongsun Yan said gravely.

"This disciple will remember it well." Xu Yan cupped his hands.

After returning to his cave abode, Xu Yan shut the door tightly.

There were quite a few things he needed to do. He calmed himself and sorted through his thoughts.

The Hundred Academies gave newly admitted disciples a one-year grace period. During that year, no Daoist instructor would come to assess them. Once the year had passed, Performance Auditors from the Dragon Ridge Hundred Academies would come knocking.

Performance Auditors, like the Hundred Academies' inspectors, were Daoist officials under the Performance Audit Hall of the Taiyuan Divine Sect.

Neither the Taiyuan Divine Sect nor the Dragon Ridge Hundred Academies was a place of kindness. They could not possibly let disciples eat and drink for free here, unless it was somewhere like the Talent Academy, where there were exceptionally few disciples. But if that happened, even the Dao Academy would have to close its doors.

Though the Dragon Spine Mountain Range possessed vast and unbroken currents of heaven and earth's vital energy, it would still be affected if there were too many disciples.

Cultivating mystical arts and studying Edict Scripts.

During this period, Xu Yan did basically that every day.

In his spare time, he studied the Six Strategy Plate within his cave abode. As for the Manifest Sage Method, Plum Blossom Qimen, and the Big Dipper Seven Stars Edict Movement Method, Xu Yan would not rashly attempt to study them until his Edict Script had reached a certain standard.

On the morning seven days later, Xu Yan sat cross-legged within his cave abode.

He pinched a Dragon Breath Pill between his fingers and swallowed it.

Pure vital blood and Mystic Qi spread through his abdomen, like rushing rivers surging through his Spirit Meridians.

Boom!

As he circulated the Eight-Nine Profound Art, Xu Yan's black robe billowed and his long black hair flew wildly. He controlled his Mystic Qi and charged toward the Heavenly Threshold Pass at the seventh layer of Spirit Meridians within his body.

The further one advanced in Pulse Opening, the harder these barriers became to break.

Xu Yan spent the entire morning at it. Even after the medicinal power had been completely exhausted, the seventh barrier remained unbroken.

Through his divine sense, he could tell that the seventh barrier had loosened considerably. If he took another pill, he would be able to break through it successfully.

"Only one Dragon Breath Pill remains."

Xu Yan's gaze darkened slightly.

He could not take it now. Any medicine was three parts poison. Though the Dragon Breath Pill's medicinal power in his body appeared to have been refined, much of it had settled within his Spirit Meridians and required time to be washed away.

If he took another pill and refined it now, his foundation might become unstable.

In that case, the quickest method of seeing results was to practice divine abilities.

With that in mind, Xu Yan walked out of his cave abode and performed the Hundred Sword Art in the small courtyard, controlling six Wenjin Shuttles as sharp golden qi filled the skies around him.

He then attempted to perform the Primordial Seven Resonances.

With his current Mystic Qi and magical power, he could already unleash the seven-resonance Primordial Chaos Palm. Its might was terrifying; with one palm strike, he could flatten the summit of the small mountain beneath his feet.

Boom!

He raised his palm and struck toward the sky. Tyrannical Primordial Mystic Qi rolled forth, blotting out the heavens and covering the earth. The air instantly darkened, while thunderous rumbles echoed in every direction.

After practicing for half an hour, Xu Yan withdrew his art, panting heavily.

It was already afternoon. Xu Yan should have gone to Talent Peak to study Edict Scripts with Gongsun Yan.

However, because Xu Yan's progress in studying Edict Scripts over the past seven days had far exceeded Gongsun Yan's expectations, their lessons had been changed to once a week.

The rest of the time, Xu Yan digested the knowledge he had previously learned on his own and recognized the forms of Edict Scripts.

"It is time to try alchemy..."

Xu Yan rummaged through his Qiankun Bag. He still had over a thousand spirit stones, enough to purchase medicinal ingredients and attempt alchemy.

If the flawless Embryonic Pills produced by the Tianshu Bottle were exposed, they would cause an enormous uproar. Thus, Xu Yan could only refine pills himself.

As he was thinking, a Gold Whistle Talisman suddenly flew down from the sky.

Xu Yan seemed to realize something and immediately reached out to catch it.

The entire Dragon Ridge Hundred Academies covered several thousand li. Gold Whistle Talismans made communication between disciples exceedingly convenient, with messages arriving in just a few breaths.

Xu Yan had thought it was from Fang Che or Yan Qihu, since ten days had passed since they entered the Dao Academy and they should have settled down by now. Other Dao Academies differed from the Talent Academy; they had many disciples.

Unexpectedly, it was a Gold Whistle Talisman sent by Qin Yiren.

Xu Yan pinched it between two fingers and activated it with his divine sense. A familiar, cool voice entered his ears.

"Brother Xu, are you well? Yiren is cultivating at Chongxu Dao Academy. I heard that Brother Xu joined the Talent Academy. Has your cultivation been going smoothly? If you have leisure time, perhaps we may have a chance to speak, sit and discuss the Dao, and explore the matters of cultivation together."

"Qin Yiren."

Xu Yan muttered her name.

This woman was a direct-line disciple of Tiandu Immortal City, and all the immortal cities in Cang Province conducted business as Dao merchants.

Tiandu Immortal City had quite a reputation. He wondered whether the immortal city had medicinal ingredients for refining Dragon Breath Pills or Heaven Mending Pills.

That Gongsun Seal Master also went to immortal cities when purchasing spiritual wealth and spiritual materials.

Thinking this, Xu Yan said, "I am deeply honored by Fellow Daoist Qin's concern. As the saying goes, better to meet by chance than choose a day—why not meet at Gold and Silver Terrace today?"

The Gold Whistle Talisman turned into a stream of light and shot into the distant sky.

Xu Yan turned to return to his cave abode, intending to tidy up before heading to Gold and Silver Terrace. Yet five breaths later, the Gold Whistle Talisman arrived again from behind him. Xu Yan stopped and turned around to catch it.

"Very well. I will wait for you at Gold and Silver Terrace."

Qin Yiren's divine sense voice entered his ears.

Xu Yan fell into thought. He returned to his cave abode and packed his things, bringing along the Taiyi Alchemy Book. Then, Xu Yan activated his token and sealed the entire cave abode.

For the first time in ten days, he stepped out of the Talent Academy's grounds.

Xu Yan controlled his Mystic Qi and flew swiftly toward the depths. The Dragon Ridge Hundred Academies Dao Rules naturally recorded Gold and Silver Terrace's location, and Xu Yan fled toward the central region all the way.

About half an hour later, after traveling more than three hundred li and passing the mountain gates of two Dao Academies along the way, Xu Yan looked ahead and saw a broad, level peak.

This peak was not tall, only fifty zhang high, but it was extremely wide, as though it had been sliced cleanly in half at the waist. Its summit stretched a hundred zhang across, and he could faintly make out dense clusters of halls and pavilions, as well as market stalls.

At the mountain gate entrance to Gold and Silver Terrace, Xu Yan focused his gaze and saw a familiar beautiful woman.

Qin Yiren had changed out of Tiandu Immortal City's silver robes and into Chongxu Academy's white Daoist robes.

Her hair was gathered into a single ponytail, pinned with a green crown. Her features were cool and elegant, like an immortal blossom. Many disciples passed by her, yet could not help stealing a glance.