Chapter 920: The Face-Testing Stone

The moon shines brightly and the stars are few.

A silhouette streaked through the night, and in a flash slipped into the Courtyard of the White Tiger Academy.

The night was thick, and there were few shadows inside the academy; the man in black pressed forward silently, like a wisp of Black Mist.

Soon, the man in black reached the forbidden Demon‑Subduing Pillar Hall of the White Tiger Academy.

The Demon‑Subduing Pillar was tall and massive, situated in the underground palace of the White Tiger Academy, perpetually guarded so that not even a fly could enter; ordinarily only authorized disciples could come inside to cultivate and comprehend.

However, the White Tiger Academy apparently assumed this lay within Wànlíng Xuégōng, so no one dared to brazenly trespass, and only two guards were posted.

The man in black concealed himself in a corner, his eyes reflecting starlight and moonbeams, a flash of cunning flickering then gone.

"What…?" the gatekeeper barked as someone approached, but the moment the words left his mouth his whole body stiffened, motionless, as if turned to stone.

The man in black concealed himself in a corner, his eyes reflecting starlight and moonbeams, a flash of cunning flickering then gone.

Upon entering the underground palace, the man in black tore off his black veil, revealing a breathtakingly beautiful face that shone even more in the candlelight—none other than Ye Qingran.

"It's even more grand than I imagined," Ye Qingran said to herself as she surveyed the surroundings.

Descending the steps revealed a hidden realm—a karst landscape, with myriad limestone formations that looked truly spectacular.

The central area was a massive circular platform paved with Green Stone, anchored by a stout bronze column that seemed to connect heaven and earth, its top disappearing from view.

Obscure, indecipherable runes were etched on the bronze column, now shimmering with radiant light under the scattered candle flames that resembled starlight.

"Su Luo Qiu, your link with the spiritual jade has deepened again," a resonant voice called from behind the bronze column, unmistakably that of a master.

Ye Qingran's steps faltered, her eyebrows lifting, clearly surprised that anyone was still in the underground palace at this hour.

Su Luo Qiu?

Su Luo Qiu?

The so‑called Wànlíng Xuégōng's number‑one beauty, the White Tiger Academy's top disciple, Su Luo Qiu?

"Thank you, Master, for your instruction!" Su Luo Qiu's eyes glimmered, a supremely confident curve lifting her lips.

Su Luo Qiu wore a flowing aqua‑blue long dress that traced her graceful figure; her oval face was flawless, fully deserving the title of Wànlíng Xuégōng's number‑one beauty.

Opposite her stood a middle‑aged man, the Gōngzhǎng of the White Tiger Academy, Lou Ting.

Lou Ting's face was square‑shaped and stern; he gave a slight nod and said, "Your connection with the spiritual jade has already surpassed level five. If you cultivate diligently, in time you'll break through to level six."

Su Luo Qiu nodded forcefully, a sharp gleam flashing from her eyes, "Master, I won't disappoint you! I will definitely break through to level six, even level seven—perhaps even level eight!"

Su Luo Qiu didn't finish the sentence, but her inner goal was level eight—the highest record in Wànlíng Xuégōng in tens of thousands of years.

A trace of satisfaction flickered in Lou Ting's eyes. Su Luo Qiu was his most outstanding disciple in years, and her future achievements would be extraordinary.

"It's getting late; let's return and rest," he said, and Lou Ting and Su Luo Qiu departed the underground palace together.

After they departed, Ye Qingran finally stepped out from behind a limestone slab.

She watched Su Luo Qiu and the other depart, then cast another glance at the central Demon‑Subduing Pillar.

The Demon‑Subduing Pillar appeared massive yet otherwise unremarkable, and the spiritual jade was nowhere to be seen.

Ye Qingran ensured the surroundings were safe before stepping toward the Demon‑Subduing Pillar.

The nearer she approached the pillar, the more she sensed a mysterious force rushing toward her, the faint sense of familiarity gradually thickening.

"Huh?" Ye Qingran frowned.

She knew it was the power of the spiritual jade, yet wondered why it felt familiar.

Ye Qingran couldn't comprehend it but didn't mind, stopping before the pillar to examine it.

The spiritual jade should be beneath the Demon‑Subduing Pillar.

Honestly, she didn't understand why the spiritual jade needed to be suppressed; if it truly related to the Four Spirits, it wasn't a demonic evil, so why suppress it? Moreover, a whole jade was shattered into four pieces, each sealed in a different location.

Perhaps even those within the academy cannot explain.

"Earlier, Lou Ting said Su Luo Qiu's resonance with the spiritual jade surpassed level five and would soon reach six. So how many levels can my connection with the spiritual jade achieve?"

Ye Qingran pondered, then began attempting to communicate with the spiritual jade.

The spiritual jade, suppressed beneath the Demon‑Subduing Pillar, was invisible, but when Ye Qingran's spiritual power traced down the pillar, she sensed its presence.

As the rumors described, it was a fragment of jade, palm‑sized, emitting a glittering sheen, with not a trace of evil aura.

Although Ye Qingran had learned beforehand that connections with the spiritual jade were graded, she hadn't learned how they were distinguished, so when she established a link and felt the jade trembling violently, she was bewildered.

"What's happening?" As the Demon‑Subduing Pillar began to tremble, Ye Qingran hastily withdrew her hand, fearing that the academy's members would notice her night‑time intrusion and jeopardize her position.

"So, how many levels is my connection with the spiritual jade?" Ye Qingran asked, staring at the now‑calm jade, utterly confused.

Earlier, had any academy members been present, they would have dropped their jaws, for Ye Qingran's link with the spiritual jade had already reached astonishing…

The next day.

In front of the Library, Ye Qingran stood aside, deep in thought.

"So, exactly how many levels is it?"

Beside them, Xiao Hu wielding a broom and Xiao Chen with a mop were scrubbing vigorously, crystal‑clear beads of sweat glistening on their foreheads, looking very weary.

In contrast, Ye Qingran was supremely relaxed, embodying ultimate sloth.

"Alas, what a pitiful child! How could they end up with such a heartless mother?"

"Indeed, they're only a few years old, yet they bear burdens that shouldn't be borne at such an age!"

"Ye Qingran is unfit to be a mother!"

……

The passing disciples, upon witnessing the scene, couldn't help shaking their heads and sighing, repeatedly rebuking Ye Qingran.

"Mother, we're done cleaning!" the children's voices reached her ears, pulling Ye Qingran out of her thoughts.

Looking at the spotless floor before her, Ye Qingran was startled, "Huh? It's already cleaned so quickly?"

She hadn't done anything!

Seeing the children drenched in sweat, Ye Qingran felt somewhat ashamed, "You've really worked hard."

「Mother, what's this? It's just sweeping the floor, isn't it? 」

「Exactly, from now on Mother will just stand aside and watch! 」

Ye Qingran was overjoyed in her heart—where could one find such a thoughtful padded jacket?

「Come on, let's go back; Mother will make something delicious for you! 」

On the way from the Library to Ye Qingran's residence, one must pass a stone stele.

This stone stele is no ordinary stele; it is the legendary Appearance-Measuring Stone.

The Appearance-Measuring Stone is three meters tall, shaped like a pagoda, with four faces. Ordinarily it looks no different from a regular stone, but when someone stands on one of its sides, a mirror appears on its surface, reflecting the person standing before it. After a few seconds, a score appears. This score is what is called one's appearance value.