Chapter 15

June 17th was the last day of this year's spring Star-Dotting season, and the atmosphere among the teenagers became quite solemn.

Because once today passed, it would be the moment that decided their fates.

Conversely, those who had already successfully performed Star-Dotting were much more composed, and among the teenagers who had successfully performed Star-Dotting, especially those who had broken through to the first layer of the Meal of Mist Realm, they were even more composed.

During morning class, Xu Jin was the same as usual; although he had already broken through to the first layer of the Meal of Mist Realm, if one wanted to achieve success in cultivation, the work of day-by-day accumulation was indispensable.

Moreover, there were two problems placed before Xu Jin.

First, Xu Jin was not sure if he could join the Intermediate Academy tomorrow.

Second, the elixirs used for cultivation would be gone after today and tomorrow, but the most urgent thing was not getting the silver to buy elixirs, but earning a sum of silver in a short time.

Xu Jin was very worried.

He still didn't know how Xu Dajiang had obtained that huge sum of fifty taels of silver.

Earning it was impossible.

Even if Xu Dajiang had skills, strength, and was willing to endure hardship, earning two taels of silver a month was basically the upper limit.

Fifty taels—where could he get it?

Xu Jin had some bad premonitions.

After the Star-Dotting season ended tomorrow, he had to go home once.

And he couldn't go back empty-handed; he had to bring silver back to solve the potential problems.

While thinking hard, Xu Jin felt somewhat melancholy—when would he be able to stop worrying about money?

Today was the last day of the Star-Dotting season, and because of this, various situations occurred frequently.

Very quickly, a teenager who had not successfully performed Star-Dotting let out a scream like a slaughtered pig; the Star Pattern on his chest was no longer bright, and no matter how he set up the Meal of Mist stance, he couldn't draw in any starlight.

Ning Jiaotou Ning Yuchan also gave an explanation: the Star Pattern branded on his chest had already dissipated.

Although it was said that a branded Star Pattern could last for three months, it was not uncommon for it to dissipate a day or two early; it was perfectly normal.

In other words, this person's Star-Dotting season had ended early.

Some teenagers were terrified because of this sudden situation, worrying that their own would also dissipate, making them unable to concentrate, which made their Star-Dotting results even worse.

There were even a few teenagers who were so eager to perform Star-Dotting that they used too much force and consumed too much Spirit-Soul power; even though their heads were splitting with pain, they still insisted on setting up the Meal of Mist stance to draw in starlight, and they fainted on the spot.

Regarding this, Ning Yuchan could only shake her head helplessly.

Every Star-Dotting season had such situations occur; this was not surprising.

By the evening class, there were even more situations.

One after another, people's Star Patterns disappeared, and they completely lost the possibility of Star-Dotting.

Some cried, some laughed, some collapsed on the ground, and some even wailed loudly.

However, those who wailed loudly were directly grabbed by the back of the neck by Ning Yuchan and thrown out of the morning class square, thrown far away.

She understood their emotions, but it was not allowed to affect the Star-Dotting of other teenagers; this was her duty.

"I succeeded, Ning Jiaotou, I succeeded!"

"I really succeeded!"

Suddenly, sounds of wild, joyful laughter erupted in the crowd, and everyone couldn't help but look over; Xu Jin was also affected.

Turning his head to look, he discovered it was an acquaintance, Liu Ji; Xu Jin frowned slightly.

The Star Pattern on that guy Liu Ji's chest was shining brightly at this moment; clearly, he had successfully performed Star-Dotting at the very last moment.

He had successfully performed Star-Dotting, and it was on the very last night; it was understandable that Liu Ji was wild with joy.

But the teenagers around him were all incomparably angry.

The next instant, Liu Ji's laughter stopped abruptly, and instead, he let out a painful "ya ya ya" sound.

Then a figure flashed, and a silver iron crutch covered in mud lightning-fast directly poked into Liu Ji's mouth; at this moment, he looked pained, with saliva, blood, and muddy water winding down—exceptionally wretched.

Ning Yuchan was so angry that her willow eyebrows stood upright. "Liu Ji, you successfully performed Star-Dotting, and I am happy for you! But you yelling and shouting like this, interrupting others' Star-Dotting, is cutting off their future."

"How do you know others can't successfully perform Star-Dotting at the last moment?"

Liu Ji hurriedly gestured, indicating he knew he was wrong, and only then did Ning Yuchan pull the silver crutch out of his mouth.

"Ning Jiaotou, I know I was wrong."

"Everyone continue cultivating."

Ning Yuchan glared at Liu Ji and turned to leave.

In the end, after Liu Ji, two more people successfully performed Star-Dotting at the last moment, but having learned from Liu Ji's lesson, they didn't receive the treatment of having a silver crutch explode in their mouths.

The last evening class of this Star-Dotting season ended amidst the desperate cries of many people.

The desperate looks in many people's eyes made both Xu Jin and Qian Xiaohu shudder. Xu Jin suddenly realized that whether or not one successfully performed Star-Dotting was actually several times more cruel than the imperial examinations of his previous life.

That night was a sleepless night; someone jumped into the lake.

It caused quite a stir and also kept many instructors up all night watching.

Failing Star-Dotting was perfectly normal, but if any teenager died in the Academy, although no one in this world could frame the Academy, it would ultimately be bad for its reputation.

The Academy still cared about its face.

June 18th, the Star-Dotting season ended; perhaps because the clapper sound for morning class had stopped, many teenagers didn't get up for morning class, especially those who hadn't successfully performed Star-Dotting—failing Star-Dotting didn't prevent them from sleeping in.

Xu Jin, however, woke up on time, got dressed, and went out; while helplessly stuffing a few smooth pebbles into his pocket to solve his personal business, he discovered that Qian Xiaohu was still sleeping soundly, so he shook him. "Xiaohu, get up."

Opening his sleepy eyes, Qian Xiaohu asked confusedly, "Brother Jin, what's wrong?"

"Get up, morning class."

Qian Xiaohu rubbed his eyes again and said clearly, "Brother Jin, hasn't the Star-Dotting season ended? The instructor didn't say anything, so what morning class is there?"

Xu Jin paused and directly slapped Qian Xiaohu on the back of the head.

"Is morning class for the instructor's benefit?

Is cultivation for the instructor's benefit?

If you haven't even figured out this problem, then why are you still cultivating? Go to the wharf and do hard labor as soon as possible!"

After saying this, Xu Jin went out on his own.

He was just a little brother, not a son; Xu Jin could only say this much.

Happily, on the way to the morning class square, Qian Xiaohu, who had finished tidying up, caught up; seeing Xu Jin's tight face, he apologized hurriedly, "Brother Jin, I was muddled; it won't happen again."

"You should say that to yourself."

While speaking, they had just arrived at the morning class square; on the square, quite a few familiar figures were already there practicing the Five-Battle Killing Fist, quietly waiting for the first ray of dawn to appear.

Yue Daqi, Ren Xiaoxiang, Zhou Du, Lu Xianbing, Song Ye, Qiao Ruonan, and others were already there, and before long, Luo Geng also arrived.

Xu Jin just looked in Yue Daqi's direction with his eyes, pointed at him for Qian Xiaohu, and then went off to find a place to cultivate on his own.

Qian Xiaohu looked at this group of geniuses whose talent was unknown how many times better than his, standing there in a daze; before long, early in the morning, a layer of fine sweat actually appeared on his head.

It seemed he had figured out something.

On the first morning class after the Star-Dotting season ended, more than two-thirds of the teenagers who had successfully performed Star-Dotting came.

Not long after the morning class ended, the clapper sound rang out, and servants notified all the teenagers who had successfully performed Star-Dotting that they were all to gather at the Outer Academy's Martial Arts Hall at the hour of Shen (3-5 PM); the Academy's high-ranking officials, including the Principal, Vice Principal, and Dean, would all personally attend the assessment to decide the teenagers' destinations.

Before the hour of Shen, Xu Jin, Qian Xiaohu, and the others had already arrived early at the Outer Academy's Martial Arts Hall.

Yesterday evening was the final moment that decided the fate of the teenagers who hadn't performed Star-Dotting, so this afternoon was the moment that decided the fate of the teenagers who had successfully performed Star-Dotting.

To be honest, he had been at the Jin Shan Academy for three months, and Xu Jin hadn't seen a single one of the Academy's high-ranking officials—not the Principal, Vice Principal, Dean, or the Commandant of the Star-Patrol Guards.

He only knew that the Academy's Principal was a figure who could make the entire Jin Shan Prefecture tremble with a single stomp.

The Academy's Principal, Vice Principal, Dean, and the Commandant of the Star-Patrol Guards were known as the four major power giants on the surface of the Jin Shan Academy.

The various large and small Academies in every prefecture and county within the entire Chen Guo were roughly the same.

In the past, these people were legendary figures to the teenagers who had just successfully performed Star-Dotting, but today they could see them with their own eyes, and each of them was somewhat excited.

Xu Jin was also somewhat expectant.

Suddenly, the sound of breaking through the air came from the sky, and a deep blue stream of light appeared from the mountainside where the Academy was located, streaking across the sky and landing straight on the high platform of the Martial Arts Hall, which allowed all the students to see clearly.

A black round-collared robe, a headscarf binding the hair, a face as calm as water, and a stern expression.

Ning Jiaotou Ning Yuchan, Star-Patrol Guard Flag Leader Cui Tianqi, and others had already begun to cup their hands in salute. "Greetings, Dean."

This was Dean Cao Chun, who was said to be the person Academy disciples feared the most.

Suddenly, a wisp of cyan-green brilliance also streaked from the horizon and landed quickly; it was an old man in a cyan robe.

The instructors and teachers saluted again; it was Vice Principal Feng Shu who had arrived.

Following closely behind was a crimson brilliance; this crimson brilliance was extremely fast and even carried a sense of pressure; the whole person landed on the martial arts platform with a "bang," hand on the hilt of his blade, standing there, with killing intent rushing toward them.

This time, when the instructors and teachers saluted, many teenagers also cheered and saluted.

This was Star-Patrol Guard Commandant Tian Zhang, who was also a legendary figure in Jin Shan Prefecture.

Suddenly, a deep cyan stream of light appeared on the horizon, and all the teachers, instructors, and flag leaders, including the Dean, Vice Principal, and Commandant Tian Zhang, all stood up to welcome him.

"Greetings, Principal!"

Principal Dong Zhao, dressed in white with a cyan headscarf, landed, his long beard fluttering, as if he were an immortal detached from the world.

While Xu Jin followed the crowd in saluting, he also recalled the legendary stories about Commandant Tian Zhang and Principal Dong Zhao.

This legendary story was well-known within Jin Shan Prefecture, and many people knew it; the teenagers' cheering just now was also because of this, but Xu Jin only remembered it at this very moment.

Blood-Butcher Tian Zhang!

(End of chapter)