For cultivators, three months passed in the blink of an eye.
Shu Chen held a brush, pretending to listen attentively to the lesson, but his spiritual sense had already drifted out the window.
Everyone seated here was a newly accepted personal disciple of their respective peak masters, plus one senior brother who was retaking the course five people in total. The medical cultivator lecturing at the front could easily spot anyone whose mind had wandered.
Thanks to his skill at slacking off from his previous life, even when the teacher walked up beside him, Shu Chen could calmly retract his spiritual sense, switch into a look of earnest concentration, and casually reveal the page of notes he’d filled, successfully defusing the crisis.
After the lesson ended, Shu Chen packed up his things and was about to leave when the senior brother seated behind him the one retaking the year slung an arm over his shoulder with a fawning grin. “Junior brother, want to work on the assignment together again tonight?”
Shu Chen removed the hand from his shoulder and was about to refuse when Yan Mengyu, the sect master’s new disciple, happened to pass by and said mildly, “Senior brother, you can’t even copy homework properly. Don’t drag Senior Brother Shu down with you.”
“Working together” was just a euphemism for finding a junior disciple to copy from.
Qin Yu’an: “Last time I was in too much of a hurry and didn’t think while copying. I definitely won’t get caught again next time.”
He truly had no talent for medicine. After two years of study, he still understood nothing couldn’t even recognize a single spiritual plant.
Shu Chen had once had the misfortune of witnessing this senior brother locked in mortal combat with a medical text, and he advised from the bottom of his heart, “Senior brother, don’t torment yourself. Just drop this course.”
This was only a general education class arranged by the sect. Failing it didn’t matter their focus as personal disciples was on their respective masters.
Qin Yu’an spread his hands and sighed. “I’d love to, but Master won’t allow it. He says if I study hard now, it’ll be of great use in the future.”
Qin Yu’an didn’t believe that for a second. He was certain that once he put the book down, he wouldn’t remember a thing in it.
Yan Mengyu: “If Fourth Uncle said so, there must be a reason.”
Those people from Wuliangtian Peak might seem unreliable, but they were actually quite dependable otherwise, other sects wouldn’t pay handsomely just to have them cast a divination.
Qin Yu’an: “I hope he’s right. Hey, junior brother, wait for me.”
There was a reason he’d chosen Shu Chen. Of the five people in class, Yan Mengyu looked easygoing but was actually very stubborn he’d never show his homework. Cen Ting was cold as ice; aside from necessary politeness, he never spoke a word. And the one from Sword Peak vanished the moment class ended, probably off to practice sword forms.
This was the homework-copying candidate Qin Yu’an had selected through careful observation and practice, and he wasn’t about to give up.
Shu Chen turned around. “I’m going to the outer sect. Are you coming too?”
Yan Mengyu stepped forward to join the fun, smiling. “I’ll go.”
Shu Chen looked at him and felt that smile carried a hidden meaning.
Qin Yu’an: “Then I’m coming too.” He had nothing better to do anyway.
And so, Shu Chen, who had originally planned to find a random spot to watch the male lead’s match, was forced to bring along two senior brothers.
By the time they arrived, the outer sect’s competition was already halfway through.
Shu Chen spotted the male lead at once wooden sword stabbed into the ground, arms crossed, leaning against a tree to rest with a blushing young girl standing beside him, chattering away.
The male lead, who had been looking rude and cool with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them and glanced toward Shu Chen’s direction.
Qin Yu’an wasn’t in the same cohort as them and hadn’t been at that dinner. He followed Shu Chen’s gaze and asked curiously, “You know him?”
Shu Chen: “Mm.”
Yan Mengyu: “Want to go say hello?”
Shu Chen: “No need. We’re not that close.”
Yan Mengyu glanced at the crowd and smiled. “If we’re watching the match, we should find a more secluded spot.”
With the outer sect’s competition today, most of the sect had turned out.
The outer sect judged by looks, the inner sect by status already, quite a few people were glancing toward their little group.
Xiao Nian straightened up, withdrew his gaze from the three retreating figures, pulled his wooden sword from the ground, and ignored the chattering female disciple beside him as he walked toward the competition platform.
The female disciple could tell from his expression that he hadn’t listened to a single word. She tucked away her handkerchief and walked dejectedly in the opposite direction.
[The male lead is truly heartless toward women.]
Shu Chen: “What a shame you don’t have a body. You could go comfort her.”
The system was silent for a moment. [That’s not what I meant.]
Shu Chen didn’t respond, cut off his connection with the system, and focused on the match on the platform.
After two rounds, Qin Yu’an commented, “A bit boring.”
Having grown accustomed to those violent maniacs from Sword Peak, the low-level techniques of newly inducted disciples naturally weren’t much to look at in his eyes.
Yan Mengyu: “Senior brother, wait a little longer. It gets exciting toward the end.”
Just as he’d said since their future treatment was at stake, these disciples were all fighting tooth and nail for first place. After a batch was eliminated, the matches gradually became more “entertaining.”
Qin Yu’an exclaimed in surprise, “That kid actually broke through mid-match!”
The “kid” he referred to was none other than Xiao Nian, who was about to be knocked off the platform by his opponent but erupted in a breakthrough at the critical moment.
With his Golden Core cultivation, Shu Chen could clearly sense the early Foundation Establishment spiritual energy radiating from the male lead.
In just three months, he’d crossed all nine layers of Qi Refining to reach Foundation Establishment. The supposed drawback of his five-element spiritual root was proving to be anything but.
Qin Yu’an: “Has he cultivated before? If not, his cultivation speed is quite impressive.”
Yan Mengyu: “That’s not even the half of it. He tested as having five spiritual roots back then he nearly missed his chance to join the Tianyan Sect altogether.”
Qin Yu’an knew nothing of this. “The one who kept him around has good eyes, but the road ahead for a five-spiritual-root cultivator is hard to say.”
Shu Chen knew the most, yet he looked utterly detached from the world, taking no part in their discussion.
[The male lead took first place. You should go suppress him tonight.]
Shu Chen felt the system was a real mood-killer. What a fine day it was for the male lead why should he, an unwelcome oppressor, go ruin the man’s good mood?
“I don’t recall this scene being in the book, and I have things to do tonight.”
[Finishing your homework? Don’t worry about that—when the assessment comes, I’ll be there. I won’t let you repeat a year like the one beside you.]
“I don’t want to cheat with your help.”
The system had barely registered that thought when it realized Shu Chen had unilaterally cut off contact again.
[Fine, I won’t push you today.]
If the system had a physical form, Shu Chen would have seen that it was seething with irritation, nowhere near as calm as its voice sounded.
That glimpse during the day was the first time Xiao Nian had seen Shu Chen in three months. He’d assumed the other would come looking for trouble as usual, so he hadn’t dared to sleep.
Only when the moonlight began to fade did Xiao Nian close the window, pull up the blanket, and settle in for a peaceful rest.
The outer sect not only had inferior resources compared to the inner sect, but also far more trouble. He needed to conserve his energy to deal with all the scheming and infighting tomorrow.
Of course, he didn’t play dirty tricks with those people if anyone provoked him, Xiao Nian simply resorted to his fists.