Chapter 378: Group Member Gathering

Late March.

After several days of rain, the sudden clearing of the skies brought the temperature in Yujing into summer.

The sound of cicadas began outside the window, noisy all day long, and Taozi often followed the sound to search for them.

If the cicada's sound came from the persimmon tree, it would squat under the tree, head tilted, staring blankly upward.

Instinct made it want to catch the cicada, but reason stopped it, so it often just squatted under the tree staring like that, sometimes for half a day at a time.

If the cicada's sound came from the rose tree, it would finally find a reason, run over excitedly to catch the cicada, play with it for a while, and then carry it in its mouth to show its owner. It would be very happy if it could earn a nod and an "mm" from its owner, but unfortunately, the owner often just glanced at it and ignored it.

Inside the room at this time, Ning Qing was sitting and reading, while Chen Shu was lying nearby scrolling through videos, holding an ice cream in his hand and eating it.

This account is almost half-ruined.

Now I can't even scroll to a single pretty girl.

Fortunately, there are still short videos of types like hoof trimming, refurbishing old items, clamming, funny clips, and movie commentary to hold it up. However, recently this platform has been pushing too many local group-buying ads, and there are more and more advertisements; sometimes there is an ad every two or three videos, which has greatly reduced his enthusiasm for scrolling through short videos.

As he was scrolling, he suddenly scrolled to someone he knew.

Dayi Youth Network: "The Sword Sect with four thousand years of heritage, the Royal Court that has been the foundation of the nation for one thousand years—who is stronger and who is weaker? A university graduation thesis by the current Sword Master's closing-door disciple has caused a sensation in the ancient cultivation academic circle. Can you understand it?"

This was the caption for this short video.

The content of the video was a scene of a tall woman presenting her thesis, with one profound move after another and professional Sword Cultivator terminology that made people's heads spin just listening to it.

In a short thirty-second video, it constructed an image of a professional, powerful, learned, and beautiful young female Sword Cultivator.

A line of small text was added to the bottom right of the video: This video only discusses academic issues; members of the general public, please do not privately learn Controlled Spells or ancient cultivation methods.

It could be said that the survival instinct was very strong.

Chen Shu clicked in to look at the comment section—

Lemon with Vinegar: Her graduation thesis caused a national sensation, while my graduation thesis is too hard even to use for wiping my ass (Expand 1130 replies)

Arrogant Glasses Girl: Sister Suannai, I can / color (Expand 1436 replies)

Soaking in Water: Isn't this that most beautiful Sword Immortal from the highway? @Zhang Yu Xiaowanzi (Expand 1101 replies)

Contract Knife: I heard Zhang Suannai has already advanced to the Seventh Stage. Is this the youngest High-level Practitioner in the history of the world? Can someone explain to me why one can advance to the High-level at 23? (Expand 823 replies)

After Chen Shu finished reading, he decisively swiped down.

Not long after, he scrolled to another one about her.

Dayi University Network: "The second closing-door disciple accepted by the current Sword Master in violation of a promise, a 23-year-old High-level Practitioner—how wild was the defense scene?"

The content of this short video was spliced together: one moment Zhang Suannai was standing on the podium stating that she had already advanced to the High-level, the next moment Zhang Suannai was saying that she had dragged the Sword King's closing-door disciple out to have a fight in order to write her thesis, and the next moment Zhang Suannai was telling the review teachers that if they had objections, they could go outside the city to communicate.

Below, there was still a line of small text: In modern society, lethal spell methods are subject to control; please do not blindly pursue ancient cultivation.

The survival instinct was handled perfectly.

The comments below were even more explosive.

Mo Xiao Chen: Review teacher: Don't look at me, I didn't say anything / Fear (Expand 2333 replies)

Zhuzi Futu: Sword King's closing-door disciple: Who did I offend? (Expand 1762 replies)

Cat Undercover: This thesis can be translated as 【Guide to the Sword Sect Beating the Royal Court】, all Traditional Sword Cultivator enthusiasts, go watch it. Beating up retired military sword friends in the Sword Hall is no longer a dream / Anger / Anger / Anger (Expand 1143 replies)

Lightning Potato: A High-level Sword Cultivator who hasn't even graduated from university... Everyone come quickly and worship the future Sword God (Expand 985 replies)

Lin He 725: Review teacher: Young people shouldn't be too arrogant (Expand 604 replies)

Starry Sky Ten Thousand Miles Song: If I could reach the High-level at 23, I would be even wilder than her. I would make the Dean wash my feet while I was defending my thesis (Expand 211 replies)

"Tsk tsk."

Chen Shu twitched the corner of his mouth and continued eating his ice cream.

This person is probably going to show off again.

He then continued scrolling down.

As he scrolled, he scrolled to a video exactly the same as the previous two. The video author was "Zhang Yu Xiaowanzi", the caption was also copied, and it was marked as reposted from Dayi Youth Network and Dayi University Network.

This person is just...

Just very shameless, you know?

Chen Shu clicked in to look, and the comments were actually all full of praise and boasting, shouting "Sister, I can," and shouting to worship the future Sword God, too numerous to count. Someone asked her who won the fight between her and the Sword King's closing-door disciple, and she shamelessly replied, "What do you think?", with the air of a winner.

Though she really didn't lie...

"?"

Chen Shu saw a comment with few likes.

Mutual Exchange Wu: I read the thesis, it's well written, our Royal Court has accepted it, so the methods on it will soon be ineffective.

The author had commented.

Zhang Yu Xiaowanzi: sm account

Chen Shu clicked into this avatar.

It was indeed a private account.

However, Zhang Suannai changed "private" to its initials; I'm afraid there is another meaning in it.

Chen Shu couldn't stand her arrogance and really wanted to reply, "Sister Suannai, you wouldn't want the whole country to know about your bizarre recording after you advanced, would you?", but he was afraid this silly person would turn around and block him, and then he wouldn't be able to scroll to her anymore, so he had to give up.

"Qingqing, eat some ice cream."

Chen Shu handed the ice cream to Qingqing's mouth.

The ice cream was already more than half eaten, a mess from him licking it, the stick was exposed, and it was just about to drip cream.

Ning Qing, however, didn't even look at him:

"Get lost."

"You're disgusted by me?" Chen Shu stared at her with wide eyes. "When I was little, you would even eat the lollipop I had half-eaten! Now that we're dating, you're actually disgusted by an ice cream I've taken a bite of! What happened to the promise that we would never leave each other?"

"..."

Ning Qing still did not look at him, nor did she pay him any mind, just silently turned a page of her book.

Chen Shu muttered to himself, complaining about her while continuing to take out his Mobile Phone to look at the messages in the group.

Haoran Zhengqi: Zhang Suannai's graduation thesis is written quite well; it has attracted high attention from many in the Sword Cultivator academic circle, the Sword Cultivator circle, and the ancient cultivation circle. Many Sword Cultivator and ancient cultivation enthusiasts online have also started studying her thesis.

Haoran Zhengqi: I didn't expect her to have this ability.

Qingdeng Gufu: Amitabha, the group owner rarely praises Benefactor Zhang Suannai, it is truly rare. Allow this humble monk to take a screenshot to keep as a memento.

Zhong Miao Zhi Men: Because Zhang Suannai is not in the group.

Haoran Zhengqi: /thumbs up

Ba Kuai Fuji De Meinü: I've also scrolled past many videos of Senior Sister Suannai these past two days. Many people online are already worshipping Senior Sister Suannai as a future Sword God, saying they should join her mountain early so they can snag a management position later, hhh.

Haoran Zhengqi: That's about right.

Ba Kuai Fuji De Meinü: I heard Senior Sister Suannai is only 23 years old?

Haoran Zhengqi: She skipped grades.

Ba Kuai Fuji De Meinü: So amazing!

Ba Kuai Fuji De Meinü: But after the thesis was published, didn't the military's Sword Cultivators have their weaknesses found?

Jiu Jiao Luo Huaian Suan Le: Not at all.

Jiu Jiao Luo Huaian Suan Le: The Royal Court is also studying this thesis; the quality is indeed very high. Some of the ideas don't seem like things she could have come up with on her own. I suspect her senior brothers, senior sisters, or a Sword Master participated when she was writing this thesis. The point is that the Royal Court's research and ability to progress are far from what the ossified Sword Sect can compare to, so this thesis is actually a help to us, helping us correct our shortcomings.

Ba Kuai Fuji De Meinü: hhh if Senior Sister Suannai heard you say that, she would be furious.

Seeing this, Chen Shu began to type.

Qingcai Keke: Have you already gone under Zhang Suannai's short video to mock her? @Jiu Jiao Luo Huaian Suan Le

Jiu Jiao Luo Huaian Suan Le: She is angry from embarrassment.

Just at this moment, a system announcement appeared.

Nainai Zong Shuo joined the group chat.

It was still Yan Keling who responded first.

Ba Kuai Fuji De Meinü: Welcome back to the group chat, Senior Sister Suannai.

Haoran Zhengqi: /welcome (perfunctory)

Zhong Miao Zhi Men: /welcome (perfunctory)

Below followed a long string of perfunctory welcomes.

It was all thanks to Master Xuanzhen; had he not been the second to reply, causing a "+1" to appear below, there wouldn't have been so many responses.

Ba Kuai Fuji De Meinü: Why did Senior Sister only come back now?

Haoran Zhengqi: She came back to show off her thesis.

Ba Kuai Fuji De Meinü: Is that okay? /embarrassed

Ba Kuai Fuji De Meinü: You've already exposed her, how is Senior Sister Suannai supposed to respond?

Haoran Zhengqi: It's fine.

Haoran Zhengqi: She will filter it out.

Then, a message flashed.

Nainai Zong Shuo: Hahaha, did you guys see my graduation thesis? It caused a sensation nationwide, hahaha.

"..."

Chen Shu twitched the corner of his mouth, licked the remaining popsicle stick again and again, then flicked his finger, and the popsicle stick flew into the trash can. He then wiggled on the sofa to change direction, squeezed his head onto Qingqing's lap, and said to her:

"It's too tiring for you to hold the book, I'll let you use my head as a cushion."

He did not receive any reply.

This woman has a nasty personality.

Yujing Academy, in the Dormitory.

Chen Shu closed the book "Great Blazing Sun Art Main Structure (V)". With this, his research on the Great Blazing Sun Art was finished, but he still could not satisfy the High-Tier Spirit Power Quality required by the Great Blazing Sun Art, so he could not use it for testing. However, he could be considered to have fully understood it; once he promoted to High-Tier, it wouldn't take long to master it.

He put the book into his Storage Space, and the chrysanthemum bookmark beside it was properly put away; this was a gift from Yingjie Fo, and it could be kept as a family heirloom in the future.

"Ah..."

Chen Shu stretched, walked out, saw his two roommates, and was stunned for a moment: "You guys haven't left yet?"

"We're waiting for you."

"Waiting for me for what? I have a girlfriend picking me up."

"Uh... then..."

"You guys go first, I'll come after I wash up."

"Alright."

The two stood up and walked out.

Chen Shu went into the bathroom to tidy himself up.

Today, Zhang Suannai was treating the group members to a meal, saying that since her student life had ended, she wanted to gather with the group members. Everyone couldn't stand her constant nagging and agreed, and even Master Xuanzhen and Dharma Master Tongdeng came down from the mountain to attend the banquet.