On the cliff, Ye Qiubai sat cross-legged beside the Willow Tree, the Azure Cloud Sword resting across his legs.
He was comprehending the Sword Intent carried by the Azure Cloud Sword.
Sword Qi howled through his body, and Sword Intent slowly filled the surrounding world, growing ever more solid!
Watching from beside him, the Willow Tree could not help thinking, Everyone with the Primordial Sword Physique became a Sword Emperor of their generation. It seems those words weren't groundless...
Elsewhere.
Lu Changsheng had arrived in the sky above the Cottage.
"The Nine Nether Yellow Springs Grand Array is far more powerful than the formations in the academy's treasury...
"But it's quite complicated, too. It took me a whole incense stick's worth of time to figure it out completely."
Formations were divided into Heaven, Earth, Profound, and Yellow grades.
Currently, the Hidden Dao Academy's protective formation was an Earth Grade formation.
By comparison, the Nine Nether Yellow Springs Grand Array's grade far exceeded even Heaven Grade.
This formation was certainly powerful.
Its materials, however, posed a problem.
It required lightning-struck wood, crimson wood heavenly gold, mystic yellow soil, and phoenix parasol tree wood as its foundation.
Then water from the Yellow Springs River had to be drawn in as its formation spirit.
Only then could the formation take shape.
Lightning-struck wood, mystic yellow soil, and phoenix parasol tree wood were easy enough; the Cottage had stocks of them.
But crimson wood heavenly gold was the one material he lacked.
After all, Lu Changsheng had barely left the academy over the years!
"Looks like I'll have to check the academy's treasury..."
With that thought, he turned and vanished from the spot.
The Hidden Dao Academy.
The Martial Academy comprised four halls.
The Sword Hall, Formation Hall, Pill Hall, and Martial Hall.
The Confucian Academy consisted of a single academy: the Confucian Academy itself.
At that moment, in the Confucian Academy's council hall.
The academy's dean, Qin Tiannan, and the elders of the various academies were all gathered there to discuss important matters.
"I hear the Cottage has taken a disciple?"
Qin Tiannan looked at everyone and smiled. "I'm rather curious just who could have made that boy Changsheng want to take a disciple.
"He even left the academy for that person and went to Heavenly Origin City himself."
Over the years, Lu Changsheng had lived in seclusion, rarely venturing out. Never mind leaving the academy-he seldom even stepped outside the Cottage.
The Confucian Academy elder also smiled. "Perhaps he's grown up and become sensible."
"Let's hope so. All right, let's discuss the academy competition first. After all, this concerns exchanges between our Southern Region academy and the academies of the other three regions."
The Martial Hall elder snorted. "Our Southern Region academy has placed last four times running. Unless some promising seedlings emerge, I'm afraid we'll remain at the bottom."
Qin Tiannan sighed inwardly. "Such things can't be forced... But didn't someone in our academy comprehend Sword Intent recently?"
Everyone looked at the Sword Hall elder, but he shook his head and sighed. "It wasn't anyone from our hall."
"Then who could it be?"
Earlier, when Sword Intent had soared into the sky and filled the Hidden Dao Academy, Qin Tiannan had tried to trace its presence. Yet in just an instant, that Sword Intent had been concealed by a special barrier.
There had been no trace to follow at all.
"Then everyone should look for this person first. If they're a student of our academy, our ranking should rise this time."
His words had barely fallen when a voice came from outside the door.
"Hey, hey, hey, anyone in there?"
Hearing that tone, Qin Tiannan's face darkened, and he waved a hand to undo the barrier.
"Come in."
Lu Changsheng pushed the door open and entered. Looking at the elders, he smiled and cupped his fists. "Greetings, Dean and elders."
Qin Tiannan held his head, looking at Lu Changsheng with a headache. "What is it?"
Lu Changsheng explained why he had come. "Dean, I'd like to visit the treasury."
"The treasury?"
Qin Tiannan paused, then asked, "What do you want to visit the treasury for?"
The treasury was a vital location within the academy, and entry required Qin Tiannan's approval.
"I'm setting up a formation, and I'm still missing crimson wood heavenly gold..."
Crimson wood heavenly gold?
The elders' expressions all changed.
It was an exceedingly scarce formation foundation material, something one could only encounter by chance, not seek out.
Whenever it appeared, various factions would scramble to seize it.
It was not even impossible for a war to erupt over crimson wood heavenly gold.
The Formation Hall elder frowned and asked, "Lu Changsheng, what do you want that for? I've never heard of you knowing formations. Besides, you shouldn't be able to set up a formation using foundation materials of crimson wood heavenly gold's grade, should you?"
Qin Tiannan waved a hand, interrupting him. "Changsheng, I won't ask what you want the crimson wood heavenly gold for. I can give it to you, too, but you must agree to one condition."
"Dean!"
"Even our Hidden Dao Academy doesn't have much crimson wood heavenly gold left!"
Qin Tiannan ignored the elders' objections and looked at Lu Changsheng instead.
Lu Changsheng felt somewhat helpless, but obtaining crimson wood heavenly gold outside would probably be rather troublesome. He could only nod. "Please go ahead, Dean."
Qin Tiannan nodded. "It's very simple. Didn't you personally visit Heavenly Origin City a few days ago to take a disciple? The academy competition begins in a week. I need your disciple to participate."
"The academy competition? I'll have to ask whether he's willing..."
"Then this crimson wood heavenly gold..."
"No problem. He's my disciple. If I say one, would he dare say two?"
Qin Tiannan: "..."
Lu Changsheng sighed inwardly.
My disciple, it isn't that your master lacks loyalty. He simply offered too much.
With the matter settled.
Lu Changsheng returned to the Cottage.
At that moment, Ye Qiubai was practicing his sword in front of the thatched hut.
Sword Qi surged everywhere, and Sword-Rays ran wild.
Lu Changsheng glanced at him. "Sword Qi needs to be contained. What's the use of all that flash? It's all flower and no fruit."
Hearing this, Ye Qiubai seemed to gain some understanding and performed his sword moves again.
After the sun set.
Ye Qiubai's sword techniques no longer displayed their edge so openly. Instead, it was contained within.
After he sheathed his sword.
Lu Changsheng also walked out of the thatched hut.
Ye Qiubai immediately cupped his fists. "Master."
"Mm. Focus on your cultivation over the coming days. There will be an academy competition in seven days. You'll participate then."
The academy competition?
Battle Intent surfaced in Ye Qiubai's eyes.
"Yes, I understand."
Meanwhile, at the Ye Lineage in Heavenly Origin City.
The grand elder, Ye Ling, looked at his son and smiled. "Yan'er, now that an elder of the Hidden Dao Academy has taken you as a disciple, you must perform well. Don't disgrace our Ye Lineage."
With that, he cast a contemptuous glance at Ye Qing beside him.
Ye Yan cupped his fists and smiled. "I certainly won't disappoint your high hopes, Father. In this academy competition, I'll secure a good ranking, win glory for our Ye Lineage, and regain the face Ye Qiubai lost!"
Beside them, Ye Qing's expression was extremely ugly.
Hearing this, Ye Ling laughed heartily. "Hahaha! Good, very good! We'll wait here for your good news."
At the same time, he looked at Ye Qing again, patted his shoulder, and declared loudly, "Patriarch, my son will uphold the Ye Lineage in the future. Our Ye Lineage's younger generation certainly won't decline just like that."