Chapter 32

"What are you all staring at me for?"

Lian Ye felt a bit creeped out under the gazes of several people.

"Do you know Lord Feijian's plan to take on disciples, Lian Yejun?" Yuanfei Rizhan asked cautiously.

Several people stared intently at Lian Ye, awaiting his answer.

Lian Ye shook his head. "He never told me."

Hearing that, several people felt a bit disappointed.

They were still hoping to get the firsthand news from Lian Ye.

"But..." Lian Ye shifted his tone, "Based on my understanding of him, he will most likely take on disciples based on their rankings."

"Haha, that's great!" Yuanfei Rizhan was so excited he almost jumped up.

If what Lian Ye said is true, his being taken as a disciple by Lord Feijian is a done deal.

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang nervously clenched his fists; his rank in the class was fifth, which would normally be satisfactory.

But if Lord Feijian selects disciples based on ranking, fifth place might not be enough.

What if Lord Feijian only takes three disciples? Wouldn't his fifth place be disastrous?

Lian Ye noticed Zhi Cun Tuan Zang's bad complexion, guessed his thoughts, and said with a mischievous tone, "Anyway, the top three are secure; the rest is uncertain."

Upon hearing that, Zhi Cun Tuan Zang's face turned deathly pale.

He couldn't believe how desperate it would be if he weren't selected.

Especially watching Ri Zhan being taken as a disciple by Lord Feijian right before his eyes.

Just imagining that scene made him feel short of breath.

Zhi Cun Tuan Zang prayed in his heart, hoping Lord Feijian would notice him!

Seeing Tuan Cang's face alternating between green and white, Lian Ye felt immensely pleased.

I don't know why, but the more Tuan Cang suffered, the happier Lian Ye became.

As for Lord Feijian taking on disciples, Lian Ye had no particular opinion.

Usually he had received plenty of guidance from Lord Feijian, making him practically half a disciple.

After the meal.

Each of them, with their own thoughts, went home separately.

————————

Hyuga Clan Compound.

Hinata Yuki had just arrived at the Hyuga Clan Compound gate when he saw a stern middle-aged man standing there.

The middle-aged man had a grim face and coldly questioned, "Where have you been?"

Hinata Yuki lowered his head, saying nothing.

The middle-aged man said nothing, just silently watching.

After a while, Hinata Yuki raised his head, "Father, I went out to eat with my classmates."

"What, is the food at home not tasty?"

"No..."

"Then why did you go out to eat?!"

"Father, I know I was wrong."

"Since it's your first offense, do a thousand Soft Fist repetitions before dinner. No eating if you don't finish!"

"Yes, Father!"

————————

Qianshou Feijian Residence.

Lian Ye returned home but didn't see Lord Feijian's figure.

That old brat is probably hiding somewhere tinkering with Forbidden Techniques again.

He began today's training.

Lian Ye's talent is not bad; as long as he works hard at training.

He will still have some self-defense ability in future ninja wars, not ending up as cannon fodder.

All along, he hasn't had lofty ambitions; his goal in getting stronger is merely to survive.

That's all.

Lian Ye has a clear understanding of his position.

He is not a cheat like Mingsuo, nor has he been misled by the Will of Fire to lose his bearings.

Unable to shout "Will of Fire" with his mouth, he rushes forward head‑hot to give away his life…

Night.

Lord Feijian returned with messy hair.

Since last night he hasn't slept, continuously researching the origins of the Senju and Uchiha, but to no avail.

Seeing Lord Feijian's appearance, Lian Ye became even more certain that this old brat was secretly dabbling in Forbidden Techniques.

At this time, shouldn't he be starting research on Impure Earth Reincarnation?

"Little brat, how did the exam go?"

He had seen Lian Ye reviewing before the exam; this time his grades should be decent, right?

These basic questions, you get them after a glance…

"Haha, not bad, not bad." Lian Ye gave a chuckle.

Lord Feijian didn't press further, had a simple dinner, then returned to his study to continue researching.

Lian Ye couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. "Good thing that old fellow didn't keep pressing the question."

No helping it — a rank of fifth from the bottom was honestly a bit too embarrassing to show!

"Cultural Class is my weak point. I have to make up for it this summer vacation!"

No sooner thought than done — Lian Ye took out his books and began studying earnestly.

"Thirty days of hard work, and I'll become first in the grade!"

Five minutes later.

Lian Ye closed the book expressionlessly. "Actually, a ninja just needs to be strong enough. Cultural Class isn't very useful..."

Didn't you see that even Naruto Uzumaki didn't know what the word 'rabble' meant?

This also indirectly shows that in the Ninja World, academic grades don't matter.

"Mm, it's not that I can't learn it — there's just no need to." Lian Ye consoled himself.

"Sleep, sleep!"

"The feeling of knowledge entering the brain is truly intoxicating..."

Lian Ye recalled in his mind the knowledge he had just learned.

Mm, completely empty.

Though nothing had gone in, that didn't stop him from drifting off to sleep.

Study.

Qianshou Feijian had pored through all manner of books from the Ninja World, and had actually found relevant records.

He brushed the dust from the last page of the ancient tome, and a faded mural faintly appeared among the yellowed pages.

In the image, an elderly man holding a staff floated in midair.

Beneath his feet, two youths knelt on the left and right respectively.

The youth on the left wore vine-patterned ornaments.

The youth on the right had crimson ripples rising in his eyes.

A textual annotation was faintly raised along the edge of the mural: "Indra and Asura, the twin sons of the Sage of Six Paths."

According to the records, Indra inherited powerful Dojutsu and combat talent, yet fell into darkness through obsession.

Asura, meanwhile, cultivated Wood Release with a heart of universal love, using the power of healing to protect all living beings.

"Dojutsu... Wood Release..." Qianshou Feijian murmured to himself.

Though the records above were very vague, he knew this was the origin of the Uchiha and the Senju Clan.

The ancestors of the Senju and the Uchiha were actually descendants of the Sage of Six Paths!

He guessed that Indra and Asura held conflicting ideals, which was what gave rise to the war between the Uchiha and the Senju that had lasted for thousands of years.

Qianshou Feijian was about to continue searching for other materials to verify this.

Just then, from the corner of his eye he caught sight of the final exam grade report on the desk.

He had had Senju Takuma deliver it; he'd been so busy looking up materials that he hadn't had time to read it yet.

And so, Qianshou Feijian opened the grade report.

【First place: Yuanfei Rizhan】

【Second place: Hinata Yuki】

【Third place: Uchiha Jing】

【Fourth place: Shuihu Menyan】

【Fifth place: Zhi Cun Tuan Zang】

Qianshou Feijian nodded in satisfaction — these were Konoha's future!

"Wait, why don't I see that brat's name?"

He began searching for Lian Ye's name, and finally found it in the sixth-from-bottom position.

"Full marks in the Practical Combat Assessment, yet still near the bottom?"

He was somewhat puzzled, until he saw Lian Ye's theory grade.

Qianshou Feijian: "???"