Qi Shiyun noticed the Heavenly Sword's speechlessness and explained, "My lord, I'm casting a wide net to catch more fish. Among these ninety-one people, someone is bound to rise above the rest and become a source of support for me. Whichever one of them wins, I win in the end."
The Heavenly Sword sighed with feeling. "Your Chosen of Heaven Lineage really knows how to play the game better than our Heavenly Sword lineage."
Qi Shiyun shook her head. "Among all the martial artists under heaven, swordsmen rank among the top three in number, even if they aren't the largest group. Everyone in the Nine Heavens who studies the sword automatically joins your ranks, my lord, so the Heavenly Sword lineage has never declined. We Chosen of Heaven are different. We can only rely on ourselves. My teacher selected me in just the same way back then."
The Nine Heavens consisted of nine grandmasters on the Heaven Ranking, nine factions, and, in fact, nine different paths of cultivation.
It was just that few outsiders knew that last point.
"My lord, don't be fooled by the fact that I've found ninety-one chosen children of heaven. Compared with the swordsmen under your command, their numbers are still much smaller," Qi Shiyun said.
The Heavenly Sword nodded.
That was true enough.
"It's far too difficult for your Chosen of Heaven Lineage to grow. How many chosen children of heaven were there in your generation?"
Qi Shiyun's expression remained calm. "Thirty-six. I was the only one who made it through. All the others died. So I learned from my teacher's experience and mistakes, and found more chosen children of heaven to spread the risk."
A trace of sympathy suddenly entered the Heavenly Sword's eyes.
He knew the inside story.
The Chosen of Heaven Lineage had a very high ceiling and a very low floor, and the dangers were especially great.
"If all ninety-one chosen children of heaven you selected die... will you die too?"
Qi Shiyun shrugged. "I'll work hard to protect them and try not to let every last one of them die."
"The Dragon-Supporting Immortal Art really is the finest example of how the winner becomes king and the loser becomes an outlaw."
The Heavenly Sword was thoroughly impressed.
Qi Shiyun corrected him. "My lord, there is no Dragon-Supporting Immortal Art. There is only the Heavenly Selection Immortal Art."
The sympathy in the Heavenly Sword's gaze deepened as he looked at Qi Shiyun.
The dragon generally referred to the true dragon, the Son of Heaven-His Majesty the Emperor.
Dragon Aiders: helping someone become the true dragon, the Son of Heaven.
Rumor had it that the Nine Heavens possessed immortal cultivation legacies, and indeed they did. What the Chosen of Heaven Lineage inherited was the Dragon-Supporting Immortal Art.
But cultivating the Dragon-Supporting Immortal Art meant joining the Succession Struggle. Only by winning that struggle could one bring the Dragon-Supporting Immortal Art to full mastery.
Thus, among the Nine Heavens, the Chosen of Heaven saw the greatest turnover. Its members were also the most likely to "suffer cultivation deviation" or "die by suicide."
Win, and you soared straight into the heavens. Lose, and all Nine Clans were wiped off the board.
It was the immortal path compulsive gamblers loved most.
So many Chosen of Heaven had died over the generations that the Dragon-Supporting Immortal Art was eventually renamed the Heavenly Selection Immortal Art.
Its public purpose likewise changed from "supporting the true dragon, the Son of Heaven" to "supporting chosen children of heaven."
But the Heavenly Sword knew the inside story. The upper ranks of the Nine Heavens knew it. The imperial princes knew it better still.
So the Chosen of Heaven remained the most dangerous lineage within the Nine Heavens-courted, watched, feared, and pitied.
"If Lianshan Xin really proves useful, and if he has talent in the way of the sword, I'll give him a chance to join the Heavenly Sword lineage."
The Heavenly Sword spoke suddenly.
Qi Shiyun nodded. "Of course. Our Chosen of Heaven Lineage never forces anyone. In fact, every true disciple of the Chosen of Heaven Lineage joined willingly. The world has undergone a great upheaval, and spiritual energy is scarce. How difficult it is to pursue Immortal Cultivation in this day and age! Standing above the nine heavens and looking down upon the world has always meant nine chances of death for one chance of survival. There has never been an immortal path where you could sit back and reap the rewards."
The Heavenly Sword gave a slight nod.
He agreed with that view.
But he would never choose that path.
Using the Great Yu Imperial Family, with its thousand-year legacy, as cultivation material really was like an old god of longevity hanging himself-one had to be tired of living.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
Things felt fairly good on Lianshan Xin's end.
Opening the door, he saw Kong Ningyuan wearing a worried expression.
"How did it go?" Kong Ningyuan asked at once.
Lianshan Xin thought for a moment and gave an uncertain answer. "Not bad, I suppose. Lord Heavenly Sword still wants to test me some more. He hasn't ruled anything out."
Only after destroying the Qu Family would he truly have latched onto the Nine Heavens' powerful backing.
Kong Ningyuan was somewhat surprised by this answer. He had thought Lianshan Xin would have no chance at all.
"Brother, if you ultimately fail Lord Heavenly Sword's test, I'll find a way to get you into one of the other three great academies next year."
Kong Ningyuan offered Lianshan Xin a fallback.
But Lianshan Xin declined it. "There's no need. If I fail Lord Heavenly Sword's test, I'll take the academy's regular written examination."
Lianshan Xin was not eligible for the martial examination. That required reaching the Meridian Opening Realm.
"No."
Kong Ningyuan glanced into the room, then led Lianshan Xin aside and asked, "Brother, if you really pass the written examination and get assigned to the martial division, what will you do?"
Lianshan Xin did not understand. "If I pass the written examination, I'll obviously be assigned to the scholarly division."
Kong Ningyuan smiled bitterly. "I knew you didn't understand how things really work, brother. The Four Great Academies are different from other academies. At the Four Great Academies, scholarly students fight better than martial students."
"Huh?"
Lianshan Xin was stunned.
"It's not just the Four Great Academies. Within the imperial court, civil officials fight better than military officials too. In our Great Yu, being able to fight is the first step toward becoming an official. Those who only know how to fight become military officers. Those who can fight and have brains become civil officials."
Lianshan Xin: "..."
Great Yu really did brim with martial vigor.
No wonder it had held the world in check for a thousand years.
"You're only a Body Tempering Realm martial artist. The scholarly division certainly won't take you. But if you go to the martial division, you won't be able to beat anyone. Brother, take my advice. If this doesn't work out, wait another year and join another academy," Kong Ningyuan urged.
Lianshan Xin was puzzled. "Brother Kong, wouldn't I face the same situation if I joined one of the other three great academies?"
Kong Ningyuan explained, "It's different. The Four Great Academies have a rule: recommended students won't be expelled, no matter how poorly they perform in their year-end assessments. Their assessments are also much easier than those of regular students. This is the preferential treatment the Four Great Academies give these worthy talents."
More like the preferential treatment the Four Great Academies give privileged children.
Lianshan Xin grumbled inwardly, but said nothing aloud. After all, he had a chance to become one of those privileged children himself.
He was an ordinary man. He did not hate privilege; he only hated not being among the privileged.
"Brother, if you take the recommendation route, with your intelligence, you'll certainly be able to stay until graduation and earn yourself recognized standing. But if you enter through the regular examinations, even I'll have difficulty helping you. The martial division is full of reckless brutes. Your life really could be in danger." Kong Ningyuan offered the warning in all sincerity.
Lianshan Xin nodded. "Thank you for the warning, Brother Kong. I understand. Right now, I still have a chance to become a worthy talent, so I'll give it everything I've got first. Brother Kong, I suggest you give it everything your father's got too, and leave the academy to enter official service as soon as possible. That way, we'll both have bright futures."
Before you continue