Chapter 67

Amidst the chaos, an older student pushed through the crowd, standing before Ji Cong and his companions with a cold expression: "Newly promoted child scholars should start from the lower dorms and not overestimate themselves by challenging us, the second-year students. Do you want to reach the sky in one step?"

Seeing the main character appear, Ji Jingyu closed his mouth and stood smiling behind Yue Heng and Ji Cong, ready to support them. To him, Tao Dazhi was just a minor figure from the humble background faction, and he could crush him with just one finger. Now, he had specially chosen Tao Dazhi as an opponent for Ji Cong to set an example and humiliate the humble background faction, thereby establishing the prestige of the noble families.

Ji Cong bowed and said calmly, "Newly promoted child scholar Ji Cong, assigned to the Xun position. Please, Senior Tao, give me your guidance."

Tao Dazhi's face was unpredictable: "You are a first-level child scholar, while I am a second-year student. Aren't you afraid of losing terribly?"

Ji Cong did not back down: "How can we know if we don't try? Senior Tao, can we start? I'm in a hurry!"

Tao Dazhi was furious: "Don't think you can act recklessly just because you're from the Ji family! Today, I, Tao Dazhi, will be the first iron plate in the entire academy!"

"Resilience of the mind surpasses the hardest stone, the divine palace shines like the stars! Senior Tao, please give me your guidance!"

Ji Cong shouted the slogan for a forced literary duel, quickly activating the magical array between the dormitories. The array created a separate dueling area in the air above the dormitory buildings, visible to everyone.

During the dormitory competition, a forced literary duel would not be fatal; it would end as soon as one party conceded.

"Very well, such a bold new child scholar, I'll show you what I'm made of!"

Tao Dazhi sneered, quickly stepping back, his shoulders arching backward. A dark, shiny longbow appeared in his left hand, and he swiftly drew an arrow from his quiver and nocked it.

Ji Cong reached for his left waist, and with a clang, drew his longsword, its blade gleaming. A well-rounded scholar-warrior must have excellent close-combat skills.

Whoosh!

Tao Dazhi fired an arrow, and Ji Cong, reacting quickly, slightly sidestepped to avoid it, but his plan to close in was interrupted.

Tao Dazhi, a trained academy student for a year, even as a scholar, was no less skilled in martial techniques than a common soldier. He smoothly drew, nocked, drew back, and released the arrow in one fluid motion.

Ji Cong, using his strength, moved lightly and quickly ducked to avoid the second arrow, seeing that he was only a few steps away from closing in.

When Tao Dazhi nocked the third arrow, he had already activated the "Bow" literary symbol in his body. His movements became even faster, reducing the time by at least one-third.

With a suitable weapon and matching literary symbol, even a scholar with no physical strength could exert a powerful deterrent!

Tao Dazhi was about to enter the "Rapid Fire" state of mind!

Ji Cong, unable to dodge in time, hastily raised his sword to deflect the arrow, but the force of the impact stopped his forward momentum.

Tao Dazhi took the opportunity to jump back, increasing the distance between them.

"Divine palace talent, 'Run'!" Seeing Tao Dazhi continuously firing rapid arrows, Ji Cong could not let himself become a target. Blue light flashed around him as he activated the literary symbol in his divine palace.

Yue Heng's ears twitched at the word; he vaguely remembered seeing it somewhere but could not recall the details.

Ji Cong, with a blue glow around his body, held his sword and moved at a speed not inferior to a martial artist. His agility and martial skills were far from those of an ordinary scholar. His first literary symbol, "Run," was more inclined towards martial skills!

The oracle bone script for "Run" is a person with three feet (止), and the power of the literary symbol greatly enhances one's movement speed. Combined with the Ji family's Wind Speed Technique, it was indeed the most favored and suitable for the Xun position.

Ji Cong's figure blurred, leaving a trail of afterimages. In a short distance, he crossed the gap in a single step.

Tao Dazhi was terrified; scholars who specialized in archery were most afraid of close combat. Once they lost their distance advantage, they could only be at the mercy of others.

In a panic, Tao Dazhi drew his sword to defend, but it was too late. The horn bow, which he had not yet put away, was cut by Ji Cong's sword, and the bow handle, springing up, left a bloody mark on Tao Dazhi's face, causing him to scream in pain, which drew laughter from the onlookers.

Two zhang away, Ji Cong stood proudly with his sword, not pursuing or delivering a fatal blow.

The forced literary duel was now a foregone conclusion. Tao Dazhi, covering his face with one hand and raising the other, shouted, "I concede! I concede!"

Yue Heng sighed; the world was inherently unfair. Ji Cong, a scion of a noble family, could enhance his strength through other means, compensating for his weaknesses. Starting from a much higher position, he could easily overpower a second-year student from the middle dorms, leaving no room for retaliation. The gap in strength was not just a little.

Tao Dazhi's face was filled with resentment. In front of so many fellow students, a second-year student being defeated by a newly promoted child scholar was a great humiliation.

Ji Jingyu said with a mocking tone, "Tao Dazhi, you can temporarily entrust your position to my younger cousin. If I'm in a good mood these few days, I might even return it to you. But for now, you'd better find an empty lower dorm to avoid the spotlight!"

"Ji Jingyu, don't go too far!" Xiao Moli appeared with a group of people, shielding Tao Dazhi behind him. They were from the humble background faction and had to stand united.

"Ha ha ha! You say the spring tribute is a tradition, but the annual dormitory competition supported by the academy is not a tradition? The dormitory competition, which most effectively motivates students to improve, is called excessive by you. What a joke! Can't take a loss, huh? Well, Ji Cong, let's go. I don't even look at the last row of the middle dorms!" Ji Jingyu, not caring about others' opinions, laughed and led Ji Cong towards the center, closer to the array's core.

The victors' attitude was arrogant, and the losers, no matter how unwilling, could only watch them leave.

"Brother Yue, why aren't you coming?" Ji Cong, having taken a few steps, noticed that Yue Heng had not followed and turned back to ask.

Yue Heng's inner struggle was known only to himself. Ji Cong, a well-rounded scholar-warrior with strong martial skills and powerful literary symbols, and with his brother Ji Jingyu's protection, could challenge the older students one after another.

But he had only a "Life" literary symbol and a "Spring" literary symbol. How could he compete with the older students?

Was he going to see who could take more hits?

"Brother Ji, I think I'll pass. You all..." Yue Heng's eyes darted away; he did not want to get involved in the internal factional struggles of the academy. He just wanted to quietly and quickly enter the path of a scholar's cultivation.

Ji Jingyu roughly guessed Yue Heng's thoughts and did not stop him, smiling, "Brother Yue, if anyone dares to bully you, just mention my name. If there are two connected rooms in the Xun position, we'll reserve one for you!"

"Thank you, Senior Ji, for your kindness. I wish you a smooth journey in your dormitory competition." Yue Heng thought to himself that it was better to be low-key.

The Ji family could swagger through the dormitory competition, picking on the weak, but he could not. If he followed, he would be labeled as a noble family's member, and no one could protect him if he were sought out for revenge one day!

After Ji Jingyu and the others left, Tao Dazhi and Xiao Moli's resentful gazes shifted to Yue Heng.

Yue Heng pretended not to notice, turned, and left, his hand gripping a stone tablet, feeling somewhat worried. The first step was to test hidden potential and choose a suitable dormitory, but he had not even completed this step.

He decided to ask experienced instructors for advice, to see if he must live outside the Fuxi Bagua dormitory complex or if any dormitory would do.

He did not know that two tails were following him. Two lackeys from Xiao Moli's side were trailing him, following him out of the dormitory area and onto the academy's main road, keeping a steady pace.

Yue Heng, preoccupied with his thoughts, did not pay attention while walking and almost collided with a beast-soul carriage.

Three people got off the carriage, all middle-aged or older. One was dressed as a fourth-level scholar, and the other two were casually dressed, looking puzzled. One asked, "Are you Yue Heng?"

Yue Heng answered cautiously, "I am Yue Heng. May I ask who the gentlemen are..."

The fourth-level scholar, with a delighted expression, quickly approached and, without further ado, pulled Yue Heng's arm towards the carriage: "Come with me, we need to go to a place first."

Seeing the group half-forcing, half-abducting Yue Heng into the carriage, the two tails were stunned and ran back to report to Xiao Moli, "Big Brother Xiao, that kid was taken away by some instructors."

"Which instructors?"

"One is a fourth-level scholar, unfamiliar, probably not a lecturer. The other two seem to be old men from the Craft Academy."

Xiao Moli was even more confused, sensing something was amiss.

"Who said he was a humble background student from the countryside? He casually threw out a Qiankun bag, spent an hour testing his hidden potential, a fourth-level scholar instructor sought him out, and Ji Jingyu's attempt to recruit him was rejected without a word. What kind of humble background student is this?"

The more they thought about it, the more it didn't add up. They looked at each other, silent and inwardly cursing, "What humble background student!"

...

This unremarkable beast-soul carriage proceeded without hindrance, entering the third area of the academy, coming to a quiet and secluded corner, which could also be described as a dilapidated small courtyard.

Outside the building, it was eerily quiet, likely covered by a soundproofing array.

Upon entering the gate, a dull rumbling and vibration could be heard, and occasionally, dust would fall from the ceiling, as if there were an earthquake. The air had a smell of saltpeter, and Yue Heng recognized it as an explosive material.

The fourth-level scholar, with a kind expression, led the group into a dimly lit room. The room was piled with materials and half-finished devices of unknown purpose. A large stone table was in the center, surrounded by scattered objects. A pale blue light flickered on the table, filled with mystery.

The old man spoke.