Chapter 73

In the afternoon, Tang Jie went to the Tianyi Pavilion to collect spells.

His spirit spring had long since opened, and he had been diligently practicing spells to prepare for this battle, without collecting any new spells.

Now that the ones who needed to be killed were dead, it was time to prepare for the next stage of cultivation.

This time, he collected two spells. One was the Water Condensation Shield, an advanced version of the Water Light Shield, which still primarily reduced damage but could withstand much stronger attacks. It was considered one of the better spells, theoretically usable all the way up to the Transcendent Realm.

Since Tang Jie had already learned the Water Light Shield, he naturally had to go all the way with it to avoid wasting the solid foundation he had built. The formation of the Water Condensation Shield was slightly more complex than the Water Light Shield, but it was still based on the latter, making cultivation more efficient.

The other spell was the Essence Needle.

The Essence Needle was part of the same system as the Essence Shield used by Zhuang Shen, and was considered one of the more powerful low-level spells. However, for someone with the Shaohai Dongjin Technique, it was not the best choice.

The Essence Needle was famous for its quick formation but lacked armor-piercing capabilities. With the Shaohai Dongjin Technique as the foundation, it could only leverage the fast qi circulation, with limited power.

If Wei Tianchong knew about Tang Jie's choice, he would surely jump up and down, cursing Tang Jie for his brain being broken again, always choosing spells that were not suitable.

Well, this time it was at least one-third suitable.

Tang Jie chose it mainly because this spell had a benefit: it could wrap external objects and imbue them with spirit energy, increasing its power.

He had traded a Purple Fire Sword for a grain of gold sand, not yet knowing its purpose, but its hardness was unquestionable. If he used the Essence Needle to wrap and strike with it, the power would certainly increase significantly.

As for the Twelve Sword Techniques, since there was no advanced version, they would have to be wasted. However, Tang Jie didn't mind, as he had chosen them initially to maximize the power of the Green Light Sword.

After collecting the two spell books, Tang Jie was about to leave when he saw Liu Hongyan walking towards him.

"Hey?" Tang Jie said in surprise, "You're not telling me you're here to collect spell books, are you?"

Liu Hongyan smiled and asked, "So what if I am?"

"That's odd. With your Sixth Turn of the Jade Gate, you're here to collect spell books. If you're at the Spirit Spring stage, it's a bit slow; if you're at the Spirit Lake stage, it's a bit fast."

Liu Hongyan smiled and said, "You're really something. I can't do anything without you noticing. But I just reached the Spirit Spring stage."

"Why so slow?" Tang Jie frowned.

With Liu Hongyan's talent, there was no reason for her to just reach the Spirit Spring stage now. Could it be that she, like him, had been hiding her progress?

Liu Hongyan directly gave the answer: "Isn't it for the big exam in half a month? Do you think we're all like you, who can remember everything the teachers say after just one class?"

As she spoke, she gave him a flirtatious look.

"Big exam?" Liu Hongyan's words reminded Tang Jie.

Xiyue Academy held a major exam every half year. Calculating the time, it was only half a month away.

The major exams at Xiyue Academy were always a source of complaint among students, as failing meant more classes, which in turn meant more time wasted on cultivation.

But that wasn't the main issue.

According to the academy's rules, the evaluation of disciples and students considered five criteria: points, academic performance, cultivation progress, trial performance, and potential. The one with the highest overall score was given priority.

Anyone who thought that the strongest fighter would automatically become a disciple was greatly mistaken.

Therefore, those with no hope of becoming disciples had to study hard to gain more cultivation time; those with a chance to become disciples or students also had to study hard to improve their overall evaluation.

Thus, students were very eager to study hard to pass the academic exams early.

Unfortunately, some things just wouldn't stick without effort.

The information provided by the teachers at Xiyue Academy was immense, sometimes overwhelming with knowledge, and subjects like mathematics required careful calculation, making rote memorization useless.

Students had to practice in the afternoon and evening, and by the next morning, they would have forgotten most of the academic content from the day before.

As a result, very few students passed the major exams each year, leading to more early morning classes. Some even continued until the Spirit Sea stage, or even the Transcendent stage.

According to a student who had experienced the bitter sea, "I really want to listen to the classes, but for some reason, I always feel sleepy during them. To avoid falling asleep, I have to practice the cultivation method, and by the time I'm fully awake, the class is over..."

A belly full of bitterness.

So, except for the top students, even the prodigies had to cram and study hard at this time.

It was said that even Qi Shaoming and An Rumei had stopped practicing and buried themselves in books, hoping to pass the major exam once and for all, so they wouldn't have to attend those dreaded academic classes again.

Liu Hongyan was naturally one of them.

Of course, for Tang Jie, these weren't issues.

His desire and need for knowledge in this world drove him to study, and with interest, he naturally listened attentively and understood more easily. As for subjects like mathematics, he could pass them even without attending classes.

Therefore, he hadn't thought about the students' troubles until Liu Hongyan reminded him. He smiled awkwardly and said, "I overlooked that. By the way, how are your studies going? Do you have a good chance of passing?"

"Ah!" Liu Hongyan sighed heavily, "If I had a good chance, I wouldn't be worried. I mean, aren't you going to help me?"

As she spoke, her hand reached out to Tang Jie's shoulder.

Tang Jie took a step back without showing any emotion, "If you need to study, you shouldn't come to me. Wouldn't Scholar Shu be more suitable? He's just as good as me in academics."

If Tang Jie's academic prowess was related to his past experiences, then Shu Mingyang was a true genius. As a Sixth Turn of the Jade Gate genius at Xiyue Academy, his academic performance was even better than his cultivation talent, second only to Tang Jie.

Liu Hongyan, unable to reach Tang Jie, glared at him with a mix of anger and frustration, then said, "If you don't want to help, why bring him up? I have nothing to do with him anymore."

"Oh? Did you have a fight?" Tang Jie knew that Liu Hongyan and Shu Mingyang were always close, and there were rumors that they were a good match, possibly even becoming partners. Now, from her tone, it seemed there were some issues between them.

Liu Hongyan replied irritably, "We didn't have a fight. He just always holds a book, which is really annoying. Even if he cares about the world, he doesn't have to act so pretentiously. I find him fake, and I don't want to deal with him."

What did you do earlier if you find him fake now? Tang Jie thought with a smile, but could only say, "I can't comment on your relationship, but this makes me even less suitable to help. If someone sees us, they might think I'm interfering with your relationship."

"Interfere? So what if you do? Are you afraid?" Liu Hongyan stared at him with big eyes.

"Yes, I am." To her surprise, Tang Jie admitted it straightforwardly, leaving Liu Hongyan stunned.

Tang Jie bowed and left, completely ignoring Liu Hongyan's pained expression.

Liu Hongyan watched Tang Jie leave, and her pained expression disappeared. A light laugh came from behind her, "He doesn't seem to trust you much. He must have noticed something."

"I think so too." Liu Hongyan didn't turn around, "Last time, he deliberately tested me, and I accidentally revealed that he was older than me, which must have made him suspicious."

"Are you sure he was testing you?"

Liu Hongyan hesitated but shook her head, "I can't be sure, but if I were Tang Jie, I would have found it strange and asked, 'How do you know my age?' But he didn't ask, which suggests he was testing me. Normal people don't test others for no reason, so I think he is likely to be Tang Jie! Of course, this isn't absolute, and I can't be certain."

"Then your suggestion is..."

Liu Hongyan laughed, "Are you joking? I only provide what I see. How to act is up to you."

The other person also laughed, "You're just like your master. Alright, I'll talk about it. By the way, there's another person you need to pay attention to."

---

On the way back, a paper kite suddenly flew towards Tang Jie.

It flew to his face and spontaneously ignited, revealing a few words: "Come to me, Xie Fengtang."

Xie Fengtang was looking for him?

Tang Jie thought for a moment and realized it was likely related to Min Dong's death.

It was impossible for the Xiyue Sect not to suspect him.

He wasn't afraid and headed towards Xie Fengtang's residence.

Xie Fengtang lived on a hillside on the south side of Qingyun Mountain, in a serene and elegant environment, with a grove of purple bamboo in front of the courtyard. Passing through the bamboo grove, Tang Jie saw Xie Fengtang sitting in the courtyard, with a red-crowned white crane standing opposite him, and a chessboard between them.

He was actually playing chess with a crane.

Seeing this, Tang Jie didn't speak, just stood by the side, waiting quietly.

Xie Fengtang seemed unaware of his arrival, placing a chess piece on the board and sipping tea from a cup.

The white crane picked up a chess piece with its beak and made a move.

They continued to play, and Tang Jie didn't rush. When he saw Xie Fengtang's tea cup empty, he took the teapot and refilled it, then continued to stand by, making no sound.

Xie Fengtang smiled, "Little Dan, what do you think of this young man?"

The white crane turned its head and glanced at Tang Jie, speaking in a clear female voice, "At his age, to be so composed is rare. He's a steady and cultured child."

Xie Fengtang chuckled, "For you to say he's good, it's not easy. I didn't expect him to gain the appreciation of both Old Li and you so soon after entering the academy."

The white crane raised its head, disdainfully saying, "Don't compare me to that big fool who loves flattery and showing off."

Xie Fengtang shook his head, picked up a chess piece, and placed it, then turned to Tang Jie, "This is your senior, Bai Dan. Greet her."

"Yes, student Tang Jie, greetings to Senior Bai Dan!" Tang Jie hurriedly bowed to the white crane.

The three great demons of Xiyue Academy were the Golden Carp, White Crane, and Old Turtle. This was the White Crane, known for its pride and beauty in its true form, rarely transforming into a human.

The white crane nodded its long neck and replied, "Since you've greeted me, I should return the favor. Here, take this."

A white feather flew from the crane's body and landed in Tang Jie's hand.

Tang Jie was speechless.

Why do these great demons like to give parts of their bodies as gifts?

But thinking about it, their most valuable assets were probably their own flesh and blood. He wondered what would happen if he met the old turtle in the future.

Would it chip off a piece of its shell?

That would be truly interesting.

---

On the way back, a paper kite suddenly flew towards Tang Jie.

It flew to his face and spontaneously ignited, revealing a few words: "Come to me, Xie Fengtang."

Xie Fengtang was looking for him?

Tang Jie thought for a moment and realized it was likely related to Min Dong's death.

It was impossible for the Xiyue Sect not to suspect him.

He wasn't afraid and headed towards Xie Fengtang's residence.

Xie Fengtang lived on a hillside on the south side of Qingyun Mountain, in a serene and elegant environment, with a grove of purple bamboo in front of the courtyard. Passing through the bamboo grove, Tang Jie saw Xie Fengtang sitting in the courtyard, with a red-crowned white crane standing opposite him, and a chessboard between them.

He was actually playing chess with a crane.

Seeing this, Tang Jie didn't speak, just stood by the side, waiting quietly.

Xie Fengtang seemed unaware of his arrival, placing a chess piece on the board and sipping tea from a cup.

The white crane picked up a chess piece with its beak and made a move.

They continued to play, and Tang Jie didn't rush. When he saw Xie Fengtang's tea cup empty, he took the teapot and refilled it, then continued to stand by, making no sound.

Xie Fengtang smiled, "Little Dan, what do you think of this young man?"

The white crane turned its head and glanced at Tang Jie, speaking in a clear female voice, "At his age, to be so composed is rare. He's a steady and cultured child."

Xie Fengtang chuckled, "For you to say he's good, it's not easy. I didn't expect him to gain the appreciation of both Old Li and you so soon after entering the academy."

The white crane raised its head, disdainfully saying, "Don't compare me to that big fool who loves flattery and showing off."

Xie Fengtang shook his head, picked up a chess piece, and placed it, then turned to Tang Jie, "This is your senior, Bai Dan. Greet her."

"Yes, student Tang Jie, greetings to Senior Bai Dan!" Tang Jie hurriedly bowed to the white crane.

The three great demons of Xiyue Academy were the Golden Carp, White Crane, and Old Turtle. This was the White Crane, known for its pride and beauty in its true form, rarely transforming into a human.

The white crane nodded its long neck and replied, "Since you've greeted me, I should return the favor. Here, take this."

A white feather flew from the crane's body and landed in Tang Jie's hand.

Tang Jie was speechless.

Why do these great demons like to give parts of their bodies as gifts