Chapter 186

Zhang Ziwang and Lin Jing parted on bad terms.

Pan Yun was also unhappy; seeing Cao Ye and Liu Jing, she couldn't help but think of Wang Zhen, a thorn in her throat.

Pan Yun thought for a moment; she could do nothing right now, so she must focus on cultivation.

So as soon as Yin Song left, she threw herself into cultivation and study.

Her drive in study was so intense that even the heads of each academy feared seeing it.

Her cultivation base was already far above her peers; after that day, it surged upward rapidly.

When asked how they knew, of course it was because she didn't follow the usual path—besides cultivating yuan power, she had grown deeply interested in sword techniques.

The next day she went to find Zhang Liuzhen, reportedly to learn swordplay from her; then the next day she climbed Si Guo Cliff to duel Cheng Lingzi.

Zhang Ziwang went to watch out of curiosity—three times total—and each time he saw Pan Yun's progress.

Besides her cultivation techniques, her spellcraft also advanced at lightning speed.

No one knew how her mind and comprehension had come to be so sharp; after Master Xuanmiao demonstrated once, while everyone was still memorizing hand seals, she had already performed it.

Moreover, she always extrapolated from one example to many, attempting to create spells and talismans that existed only in myths and legends.

Though uncertain whether she could actually make them, the fact that she dared to propose them proved she was already considering their feasibility.

Many others hadn't even reached the step of thinking.

Though the elders said nothing, those who had reached their level of cultivation knew how rare and precious such boldness and action truly were.

Innovation~~

Daoism hadn't produced anything truly fresh and eye-opening in many years.

Neither in thought nor in spellcraft.

Zhang Ziwang watched her rapid growth with mixed emotions, his eyes filled with unspoken worry, especially since she was growing so close to Zhang Liuzhen.

Lin Jing's heart was equally complex—some bitterness, yet a spark of hope still ignited.

Pan Yun was the only person he had ever seen in all these years who could match Zhang Liuzhen's genius; no, perhaps she was even more brilliant.

Though Zhang Liuzhen was born with a Dao Body, Pan Yun's comprehension was no less than his, and with all her focus on cultivation, she might reach the First Marquis before sixteen—then she would truly be the greatest Daoist of this generation.

Back then, Zhang Liuzhen had been one step away from entering the First Marquis, just a hair's breadth from becoming the first in five hundred years—unfortunately…

Pan Yun knew nothing of their complex inner worlds; though she and Pan Xiaohei sensed someone watching them several times, she could not identify who—she knew the observer's cultivation was higher than hers.

Not sensing malice, and since she hadn't done anything wrong, she dismissed it, treating it like livestreaming her fieldwork assignments from her past life.

She didn't say she was used to such stranger's stares, but at least she didn't find them strange.

Still, Pan Yun and Pan Xiaohei became more cautious in their actions.

Currently, apart from Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He, no one in the academy knew her talismans were better than her spellcraft.

This was her secret trump card.

Pan Yun still sold talismans under Master Xuanmiao's name; after all, she sent them things and money every half-month anyway.

Each time Pan Yun and the others went down the mountain to collect money and supplies, they would casually sell talismans.

Because Pan Yun's talismans were genuinely excellent—far superior to the assignments she submitted—neither academy insiders nor outsiders suspected their origin.

So everyone knew: Mount Sanqing had produced a wastrel who sold her sister's cultivation-saving talismans for money.

Pan Yun welcomed the rumors; on this matter, she did as she pleased, her sole aim being to earn money.

The money earned went either toward buying cultivation resources and accumulating merit through good deeds, or was quietly sent to Datong.

Correct—after securing her footing at Long Hushan, Pan Yun resumed her path of benevolence.

She could do little, just offering warmth to street beggars; though each act yielded only a small gain, the accumulation slowly advanced the golden progress bar on her spiritual realm, dragging the blue bar forward with it.

Honestly, accumulating merit to unlock the seal progressed far faster than feeding it spiritual power.

In September, Long Hushan grew lively, as a flood of Daoist Priests arrived to take the Talisman Ordination Examination.

The Talisman Ordination Examination at Long Hushan was a test no less significant than the imperial court's licensing examination.

For Daoists across the land, obtaining the imperial court's license to walk openly as a Daoist was vital; equally vital was receiving the Talisman Ordination from the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion, becoming recognized as a true Daoist within the profession.

This "profession" included, but was not limited to: Daoists, Buddhists, Confucians, deities, ghosts…

Whether Pan Yun, Seeing Miao Zhen, or Miao He, all were witnessing the Talisman Ordination Examination for the first time.

Though the examination was held at the Zhang Zhang Tian Shi's Mansion, many people lodged in the academy, staying at Da Shangqing Palace and the academy itself, using the chance to ask the academy's masters questions and increase their odds of passing.

A considerable portion of them were former academy graduates.

Pan Yun: "If you couldn't pass during school, how could you pass after graduating and struggling through life?"

Didn't everyone in her past life always say their knowledge peaked during school years?

Seeing Miao Zhen stiffened, her face solemn: "So we must receive our ordination before leaving school; the imperial licensing exam can wait." Miao He: "Big Brother did exactly that."

The Talisman Ordination Examination and the licensing examination weren't entirely different—they were completely unrelated.

Everything tested in the licensing exam was never touched in the Talisman Ordination Examination;

and everything tested in the Talisman Ordination Examination was never touched in the licensing exam.

Perfectly forcing students to prepare two entirely separate sets of studies.

Candidates dared not complain openly, but private grumbling was plentiful.

With so many gathered, conversations grew increasingly heated, dredging up old grievances from past years.

Pan Yun and the other two were like joyful field-moles in a melon patch; every time they passed by these senior students, they heard fresh gossip.

Of course, the ones who enjoyed the gossip most, most richly, were not the three of them—but Sister Xuan Li.

One might say Pan Yun, Seeing Miao Zhen, and Miao He went to listen to gossip only because Sister Xuan Li dragged them.

On a bright, peaceful noon, after cultivation left everyone slightly weary, Sister Xuan Li invited them: "Let's go find the senior students and have some fun."

!. Read

Pan Yun also wanted to understand their cultivation and Wu Gong, to better gauge her own standing in the martial world, so she eagerly went along.

Then she listened to a bellyful of gossip.

The most frequent were the gossip about the heads of each academy.

It turned out that, among the nine academy heads, apart from Xue Yuan of Mingyuan Academy and Yuan Yuanzhu of Gaoshen Academy, all the others had been replaced one after another over the past six or seven years.

"It's said that after Senior Brother was injured, the former academy heads either died or were wounded and stepped down from their positions—like Zhang Ziwang of Shihua Academy, who was hastily appointed as head, essentially the tallest among dwarfs; that's why his cultivation is insufficient and he loves secluding himself in meditation."

Pan Yun suddenly understood and seized the opportunity to ask: "Apart from Xue Yuan and Yuan Yuanzhu, among the seven newly appointed academy heads, isn't Zhang Ziwang's cultivation the highest?"

"Among the academy heads, yes—but if you ask me, the one with the highest cultivation in that generation is probably Lin Tangzhu."

"I don't think so. How could you forget Senior Brother Cheng Lingzi on the Sizuo Cliff?"

"Isn't Senior Brother Cheng Lingzi outside that generation? He's been on the Sizuo Cliff all along. Everyone calls him 'Senior Brother,' but do you even know when he went up there?"

Pan Yun seized the opening again: "I don't know. When?"

"I don't know either, but it was certainly very early. People hardly ever mention the Sizuo Cliff or Senior Brother Cheng Lingzi, so I think he's been vastly underestimated."

"If you bring that up, I can't help but mention Senior Sister Zhang Li, who left Mount Sanqing. Back then, she was a genius second only to Senior Brother—Zhang Yuanzhu and Lin Tangzhu were nothing compared to her."

"No need to dwell on past glory. She later suffered severe injuries and her cultivation is now far below Zhang Yuanzhu's and Lin Tangzhu's."

"Mount Sanqing's alchemy is famed throughout the world. I think Senior Sister Zhang Li's injuries were healed long ago—she'll surely surpass Zhang Yuanzhu and the others."

Pan Yun couldn't help interjecting: "Could it be that her cultivation has already surpassed Zhang Ziwang's?"

Zhang Ziwang's supporter frowned at her. "Who are you? Adults are talking—children shouldn't interrupt."

Pan Yun: "I'm a current student of the Academy. I'm the current master of this Academy. Can't I speak here?"

Xuan Li feared Pan Yun would quarrel with the senior brothers and sisters, ruining her chances of hearing more gossip, and even more feared Pan Yun might lose and drag her into trouble—she quickly pulled her away. "Let's go, quickly, class is about to start."

Pan Yun was dragged away.

Xuan Li thought that after this incident, Pan Yun would avoid these senior brothers and sisters and this place—but she found Pan Yun deliberately drawing closer.

Xuan Li eventually grew tired of the gossip and stopped going altogether, but Pan Yun kept going.

Every time she went, everyone would start with friendly gossip, but eventually they'd argue over something and then fight.

They didn't fight hard—they knew this was the Academy, where brawling was forbidden, so they fought quietly.

After the fight, no matter who ended up bruised and swollen, they weren't allowed to report it to the Punishment Hall or any of the academy's Mr. Instructors.

At first, Xuan Li watched in stunned silence, but gradually she figured it out: Pan Yun wasn't here to listen to gossip—she was here to find sparring partners.

Xuan Li: "You cultivation maniac, how did listening to gossip make you think of getting them to train with you?"

Pan Yun: "It was all accidental. Besides, it's mutually beneficial—the Ordination Exam tests cultivation too. Why else have they stayed silent after being beaten by me for so many days?"

"Isn't it because although they've been beaten, they've gained a lot?"

Xuan Li: "..."

She turned to Seeing Miao Zhen and Miao He. "Our junior aunt has too many twisted arguments."

Seeing Miao Zhen: "They're not really twisted. Fighting with our junior aunt really does benefit them."

Miao He was eager to join in. "Why don't we go too? I think my Wu Gong isn't bad. I've watched for days—I think I can beat one of them."

(End of Chapter)