A friendly reminder

"Head up the mountain now. Don't linger here!"

The unfinished words of Teacher Hu echoed in his ears. With one hand on his sword hilt, Shi Lai thought back briefly and remembered which point in time he had returned to.

Looking at the boy with the mocking face ahead, who reluctantly turned back to answer, Shi Lai had a thought.

Because of that Feng Mo guy, I used Reloading a Save four times before. Including this latest one, that makes five. The time penalty only kicks in at seven, so I can kill him one more time for fun? Then die one last time before logging off, and when I log in next time, I can reset to seven Reloading a Save uses again without worrying about a time penalty...

He could also watch the story cutscene he hadn't quite understood again. Perfect!

At that thought, he was about to throw aside his crutch, draw his sword, and spring up to kill, but just then, a large hand suddenly pressed down on his sword-drawing hand!

Startled, he turned to see Xia Yi looking at him sternly. "When Tianshu gathers, murderous intent emerges. Child, don't let desire control you!"

Shi Lai: ???

Why was this guy acting one way before a reload and another way after it again?

The boy with the mocking face ahead had no idea he had escaped death. Holding the register, he cast Shi Lai a sidelong glance and hurried up the mountain for the assessment.

In the distance, Luo Ti watched this scene from hiding and felt slightly disappointed. Only when Shi Lai stepped forward to fill out the form did he stroll slowly over from afar, as though simply wandering about.

"Hu Jun, how many promising talents have signed up for our Holy Academy so far? And how many have passed the assessment?" he asked from a distance.

Hu Jun, who was guiding Shi Lai through the form, paused, then hurriedly stood to answer. "Deputy Dean, what brings you down here? Including this one, a total of 287 students have registered. So far, 78 have passed the assessment."

Lieyang City had a population of over a million, with nearly ten thousand boys and girls of the appropriate age, but the aptitude requirement alone barred the vast majority.

"Good. Thank you for your hard work." The slightly plump Luo Ti smiled and nodded, his manner genial, though inwardly he wondered, Why is this newly registered student looking at me so strangely?

It was like... he couldn't quite say what it was like, but in any case, it made him very uncomfortable.

Still, since Xia Yi had already suppressed Shi Lai's "when Tianshu gathers, murderous intent emerges," someone of his standing naturally couldn't make trouble for Shi Lai.

He turned his gaze to Zhou Xiaoxian. "Xiao Xian, congratulations on Condensing the Tianxuan Star. It seems you're certain to be among the next Four Little Talented Women."

"Thank you, Deputy Dean," Zhou Xiaoxian said respectfully. "Deputy Dean, this is the master I just apprenticed myself to..."

"Ahem!" Xia Yi coughed, preventing Zhou Xiaoxian from saying his name, and offered a casual compliment:

"My thanks to the Lieyang City Holy Academy for cultivating such a suitable successor to my legacy."

Luo Ti hurriedly replied modestly, "You flatter us, you flatter us. Senior, you must be the one who severely injured Feng Jiedushi with a single blow this morning? This junior is Luo Ti. My respects, Senior."

Shi Lai's expression involuntarily grew even stranger. These two... hehehe. They were just fighting to the death, and now they're being so polite to each other. How weird. After a pause, he asked curiously, "What are the Four Little Talented Women? Are they related to the Four Great Talented Women?"

Severely injured Feng Jiedushi with one blow? What did Teacher do? Zhou Xiaoxian had just shown her surprise when his question made her hurriedly tug at Shi Lai's sleeve, signaling him not to be rude by interrupting Xia Yi and Luo Ti's conversation with questions. Unfortunately, Shi Lai completely failed to understand and persisted, "Is it something you can't tell me?"

"There's nothing we can't tell you." Xia Yi smiled. "This is basic cultivation knowledge. Since Xiao Xian already knows it all, I didn't explain it to you. The Saint Souls cultivators condense generally fall into three types. The first is the common Saint Soul, compiled by our predecessors, such as the Sword Scripture, Saber Scripture, Deception Scripture, and so on.

"The second is the realized Saint Soul. After someone accomplishes certain deeds, Father God recognizes them and turns those deeds into a Saint Soul. For example, the Shooting the Halberd at the Camp Gate Saint Soul that Military Commissioner Feng Shuhu used when he fought me this morning was a Saint Soul realized by the War God Lü Bu long ago.

"The third is the heaven-bestowed Saint Soul, obtained through selection, such as the Four Little Talented Women His Excellency the Deputy Dean mentioned."

[You received cultivation guidance from Xia Yi]

[You gained a small amount of experience]

"Common, realized, heaven-bestowed... skill categories?" Shi Lai looked thoughtful, then asked again, "How does that selection work? Can I... oh, wait, Four Little Talented Women..."

He scratched his head. Guess I don't qualify, huh?

"For boys, the selection is for the Four Little Talented Scholars."

Zhou Xiaoxian said, "As long as you're under eighteen and in the Holy Academy's Beginner Class, you can obtain one of those two heaven-bestowed two-star Saint Souls, the Four Little Talented Scholars or the Four Little Talented Women, through selection. They're a great help to future cultivation."

"The next selection is in eight days. If your assessment goes well in a little while, you could indeed take part. But even if you pass the written assessment, you'll still have to compete against second-year students like us in combat. I'm afraid you won't have much of a chance...

"As for the Four Great Talented Scholars you just mentioned, that's something only our seniors in the intermediate class need to consider. They're selected from all the intermediate students in Zhi Prefecture's seven academies, once every three years. It's much harder."

"Huh? Talented scholars have to fight too?"

"Literary talent is talent, and martial talent is talent too."

Besides, the Saint Soul Continent valued martial talent more.

"Gotcha!" Shi Lai nodded.

[Ding! You activated a quest: Join the Lieyang City Holy Academy's Beginner Class, participate in the selection for the Four Little Talented Scholars in eight days, and secure a place.][Quest reward: Heaven-bestowed two-star Saint Soul, Four Little Talented Scholars (valid for one year, increases cultivation speed fivefold)]

[Accept?]

I-it's an experience booster?

I accept! Of course I accept!

Seeing Shi Lai suddenly become excited, Xia Yi could more or less guess what had happened. Smiling, he said, "Xiao Xian, don't underestimate Shi Lai. Who says he won't have any chance in eight days?"

Hehehe, the old man's right! Shi Lai grinned broadly, while Zhou Xiaoxian looked slightly surprised.

Even Luo Ti gave Shi Lai a few more looks with an unusual expression, inwardly surprised that Xia Yi thought so highly of this junior. His earlier plan to use the boy to probe Xia Yi seemed somewhat ill-considered. Fortunately, Xia Yi had stopped things in time, and he hadn't actually made a move.

"Indeed. Until the very last moment, the outcome remains undecided. Xiao Xian, don't become careless just because you've condensed your Tianxuan Star. Every year's heaven-bestowed selection produces a surprise or two. Some children simply prefer to conceal their abilities in everyday life."

He offered this advice with apparent earnestness.

Zhou Xiaoxian hurriedly said, "Thank you for your guidance, Deputy Dean."

Luo Ti nodded, his plump face all smiles and exceptionally amiable. Then he said to Xia Yi, "Senior, there is something I hope you won't consider meddlesome of me to mention.

You had best pay some attention to your safety in the coming days. Feng Jiedushi isn't someone who will swallow an insult. Although word is spreading that you severely injured him with a single blow, his actual injuries may not be as serious as the rumors claim.

"I know you are highly powerful, Senior, but two fists can hardly contend with four hands. He is, after all, our Zhi Prefecture's military commissioner and commands a considerable force. Among the commanders and deputy commanders of the various cities alone, eight across the seven cities are at five-star jade balance, and our Lieyang City has two."

Xia Yi chuckled. "Thank you for the reminder, Deputy Dean Luo. I'll be careful."

Luo Ti nodded slightly. "Hu Jun, continue registering this promising young talent. Senior, I still have things to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

"Go ahead." Xia Yi watched him depart, the corners of his mouth twitching, his expression almost matching Shi Lai's.

Once he was far away, Luo Ti's expression shifted uncertainly!

It seems this six-star kaiyang expert doesn't know about the Xia Family legacy tied to Zhou Xiaoxian and merely took her as his disciple by chance. Damn it! Why did it have to be Zhou Xiaoxian?

Whew... fortunately, he's out in the open while I'm in the shadows! Even if Feng Shuhu can't deal with him, my friendly reminder today will leave him completely unguarded against me, creating an opportunity to eliminate him! The Xia Family legacy is my only hope of glimpsing the realm of a Yaoguang King. I must get my hands on it!

A ruthless look flashed across his slightly plump face, then he frowned faintly. Come to think of it, the way that boy registering looked at me... it was like he was looking at... an idiot? An idiot? How utterly inexplicable!

"Hmph! Absolutely outrageous!"