Almost instantly, Chu Song was surrounded by a crowd of fanboys and fangirls!
He politely greeted his fellow disciples, then scanned his surroundings. Finally spotting Tang Yao beneath a red maple behind the crowd, he immediately squeezed his way out and ran straight over.
Seeing an unfamiliar disciple approach, seemingly on very good terms with his little sister, Chi Wang's expression abruptly darkened.
A chill rose in the boy's eyes, yet his lips curled into a sinister smile. "What's your relationship?"
"What's our relationship to you?" Chu Song rolled his eyes. This guy had no sense of boundaries.
Who did this pretty boy think he was, sticking his nose into their business?
Their relationship? Comrades in revolution! But what damn business was that of this pretty boy's? He wasn't telling.
Chu Song even glanced at Tang Yao, seemingly saying, Good grief, where did you find this lunatic?
Sure enough, Chi Wang's expression was utterly ghastly by now. He reached out to grab Chu Song's arm.
But just as he was about to reach him, Tang Yao caught his hand. He lowered his head to look at the fair hand around his wrist.
Tang Yao steeled herself. "She's my friend! A good... sister."
Good grief, Chi Wang had been planning to grab that brat Chu Song and inject Devil Qi into him, hadn't he? Just as he had done to her earlier.
If one's Dao heart was stable, it would be fine. But if it was already unstable, adding a trace of nearly undetectable Devil Qi would slow future cultivation, and in serious cases, cause Qi Deviation.
She now suspected he had helped fan the flames of Jiang Yueyan's descent into devilhood in the novel. Otherwise, how could a single rejection from the female lead have turned him into a Devil Cultivator? He was the Profound Heaven Sect's head disciple, after all. How could someone who thought so highly of himself willingly fall into devilhood?
Chi Wang stopped as well. Without sparing Chu Song another glance, he walked straight to a nearby stone stool and sat down, kicking away a pebble at his feet.
A Devil Cultivator and a righteous cultivator could be friends?
This little sister really was funny.
Chu Song was utterly bewildered, but that didn't stop the two of them from tacitly turning their backs on each other.
Tang Yao didn't tell Chu Song about Chi Wang's identity for now, lest this blabbermouth beat the grass and startle the snake, scaring away her big fish.
She simply warned him over and over not to have any physical contact with Chi Wang!
Devil Qi was transferred to others through contact. Since she could convert her own, she should be able to help others convert theirs too, but it was still better to be cautious.
Chu Song gave a disdainful laugh.
Physical contact?
"Don't worry, I'm really not a cut-sleeve," he said quietly. Then he glanced at Chi Wang and grew so irritated that he lost control of his volume. "Him? Even if I were, I'd choose Jiang Yueyan over him!"
"Very well. Make sure you choose Jiang Yueyan when the time comes. Though he might undergo a little change." Chi Wang smiled sinisterly. "I hope you won't mind then, fairy."
At those words, Tang Yao's expression remained unchanged, but emotions churned inside her. Just as she had suspected, Chi Wang definitely had a hand in Jiang Yueyan's descent into devilhood in the novel!!
Meanwhile, Chu Song beside her was completely baffled, not quite understanding what Chi Wang meant.
Several lines of golden writing emerged in the tranquil sky. The crowd gasped as the first trial's rankings appeared before their eyes.
[First place: Tang Xiaocao]
[Second place: Chi Wang]
[Third place: Chu Xiaohua]
"Who's this Chi Wang? I don't think I noticed him much before."
"He actually surpassed Senior Sister Xiaohua and took second place!"
Everyone discussed it animatedly. Their conclusion was that this year's intake was simply a bunch of freaks!
There was no competing with them! They had thought there were only two freaks. Who would have imagined there were three?
No joke, it felt like these top three could be dragged out and knock a sword cultivator flat with one punch...
How were the rest of them supposed to survive?!
After the display in the sky disappeared, the formation for the second trial also revealed itself. A huge circular formation appeared in the middle of the square.
Immediately afterward, Duan Xiangyuan's figure appeared on the raised platform. He smiled in satisfaction. This year's disciples had all been such a pleasant surprise!
Talisman cultivators particularly feared enemies getting close. Once caught in a surprise attack, their lives could well be in danger, which was why he had arranged this round.
Duan Xiangyuan smiled. "I've only just hurried back, and you youngsters keep surprising me. You may well have the best physiques of any intake in a hundred years."
"Now! All disciples, please enter the teleportation formation and begin the second trial! Talisman drawing!"
Forgetting their earlier exhaustion, many disciples who had collapsed on the ground got up to enter the teleportation formation.
Tang Yao's trio followed the crowd into the teleportation formation. Once everyone was inside, the formation's barrier closed, emitting a pale blue glow.
When the light faded, a huge classroom lay before them, with rows of neatly arranged desks bearing talisman paper and wolf-hair brushes.
It was rather like a modern examination hall!
Tang Yao casually picked an inconspicuous seat and sat down.
The thought that she wouldn't be able to draw a thing in a moment...
Made everything go black before her eyes.
Meanwhile, Chi Wang pulled out the chair to Tang Yao's right as though it were only natural and plopped down.
Chu Song followed him with a deeply displeased expression!
He pulled out the chair to Tang Yao's left. This Chi Wang really stuck like a medicinal plaster.
Tang Yao, now seated between them: "?"
She looked left, then right.
No, seriously...
You two, could you please leave?
All three of the top three sitting together? Wouldn't everyone stare holes through them?
She couldn't draw talismans yet. Wasn't this going to be a public execution?!
Once all the disciples were seated, Elder Ling's voice echoed through the classroom again.
"For this trial, you will draw the relatively basic Flame Talisman. Anyone who successfully completes one will pass this trial. Your specific rankings will be determined by the talisman's grade and the time spent!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the strokes for drawing a Flame Talisman slowly appeared in the air, radiating a golden glow.
Hearing that time also counted toward their rankings, most people hurried to take their seats!
Though the Flame Talisman was a basic introductory talisman, drawing one of higher quality was still rather difficult!
While everyone was busy...
Tang Yao propped her cheek on one hand and idly surveyed her surroundings, beginning to observe.
Chu Song was holding his wolf-hair brush seriously, drawing slowly and meticulously. As the second disciple in the novel, he did have some ability, after all.
On her other side, Chi Wang snorted disdainfully. Rather than picking up a brush, he pressed one finger against the talisman paper. Faint dark red lines carrying Devil Qi emerged.
Yet the first stroke that actually appeared on the talisman paper was ordinary pale blue spiritual power.
Not a trace of Devil Qi leaked out throughout the process.
This brat definitely had some concealment Law Artifact on him, and its grade wasn't low...
If only she had a chance to get her hands on it.
Of course, a few disciples who weren't concentrating very hard on drawing their talismans also noticed Chi Wang's actions. They whispered among themselves, exclaiming, "That's Talisman Drawing with Intent!"
"How old is he? He already knows how to do that!"
Hearing these compliments, Chi Wang maintained his contemptuous expression, but still couldn't help curling his lips upward.
She was now a little curious. Given Chi Wang's ability, why had he ended up ranking below Chu Song in the novel...
Could it have been the third trial?
An incense stick's worth of time later.
Some disciples had already finished their talismans, banking on speed to win.
Their grades might not be very high, but they were fast!
They would have liked to improve them further, but their abilities were limited. They might as well aim for points through a fast completion time.
By now, some people also noticed that the talisman paper on Tang Yao's desk didn't have a single stroke on it. They began whispering and discussing it among themselves.
"Why hasn't Senior Sister Xiaocao started drawing yet? And she looks really sleepy."
Everyone had been somewhat worried about Tang Yao when a discordant voice interrupted.
"Could it be that she simply doesn't know how to draw one? Otherwise, she would've started long ago."
The crowd turned toward the voice.
Its owner was a girl of around fifteen or sixteen, staring openly at Tang Yao.
"Could the sect have recruited someone who isn't a talisman cultivator? That would explain why her physical fitness is so good!"
The more the girl spoke, the more reasonable she found it, and her voice grew more certain.
As Jiang Yueyan's younger cousin, she had studied in a talisman-cultivating Aristocratic Clan since childhood. Though her talent in the Dao of talismans was average, she had fought with everything she had for this chance to join the sect!
She hated frauds more than anyone!
She had long found this Ice Spirit Root disciple suspicious. At last, she had found something to latch onto.
Jiang He narrowed her eyes and raised her chin, declaring harshly, "Not being a talisman cultivator and deceiving the sect-that offense is enough to get you expelled!"
Tang Yao looked over. The other girl acted as though she had swallowed bullets. Could she also be someone the original owner had offended...
But now that she had been resurrected from the dirt and was no longer wearing men's clothes, no one should recognize her.
"What's your name?"
"Jiang He."
Her surname was Jiang? Some people began to find the name familiar.
She seemed to be from the Jiang Household...
They had heard that Jiang Yueyan's younger cousin from a collateral branch was coming this time too. Could this be her? Those who had wanted to speak up for Tang Yao now chose to keep their mouths shut.
No one wanted to offend the Jiang Household. Besides, her older cousin was the sect's head disciple.
Tang Yao racked her brain for the characters, but still had no impression of this person.
She was probably cannon fodder, just like her.
Why must cannon fodder make life difficult for other cannon fodder, young lady?!
All us cannon fodder need to do is cling tightly to the protagonist's thigh, and we can live in comfort!
Tang Yao felt a little exasperated at iron failing to become steel.
"What's with that expression? Are you looking down on me? Was anything I said wrong?" Jiang He snapped, making no effort to control her volume. What she wanted was to blow this up and have the sect master execute her.
Tang Yao was speechless.
This person... why was she like this!