Chapter 13

"Did you pass the test?" Tu Yen knew the result of the second test, but he did not dare to use his mind to probe the situation in front of this old man.

Gu Xuyao frowned.

"I was told to return to my quarters, and someone will come to take me to the preaching room tomorrow. Dean Tu Yen, does this mean I passed?"

Upon hearing this, Tu Yen's expression changed, clearly this was not the result he had expected. He looked thoughtfully at the house, frowned slightly, but did not answer Gu Xuyao.

"Dean Tu Yen?" Seeing that Tu Yen did not respond, Gu Xuyao called out softly.

"Hmm?" His train of thought interrupted, Tu Yen's expression turned somewhat unfriendly. "Yes, you passed. Follow me, I'll take you out."

With that, Tu Yen led the way without another word. Gu Xuyao knew that Tu Yen must be thinking about something else, and that it seemed to be related to him. Not daring to disturb him, Gu Xuyao followed silently.

After about fifteen minutes, Tu Yen stopped. Although the surroundings had not changed much, Gu Xuyao felt a sense of familiarity.

"From here, you should know how to get out. I have other matters to attend to, so you can leave on your own."

As soon as he finished speaking, Gu Xuyao felt a gust of wind, and Tu Yen vanished.

Sighing lightly, Gu Xuyao had many questions in his mind, but he knew it was not the right time to ask. He obediently followed the path into the array and returned to his room in the lower level.

When he returned to the lower level, it was the best time of the day—early morning. However, no one came out of the rows of houses to enjoy this gift from heaven. Clearly, in the eyes of cultivators, nothing was as important as cultivation.

Looking at the empty houses, Gu Xuyao felt a sense of loss.

"At this time, the village should be filled with the smell of cooking and the rising smoke from chimneys..." Unconsciously, Gu Xuyao thought of Zhang the Blacksmith, his启蒙 teacher.

Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Gu Xuyao walked towards his room.

The lower level of Taiheng Sect was very large. The entire Taiheng Sect was built on a plain, with the so-called upper level expanded on a hill. The lower level surrounded the upper level. According to Gu Xuyao's rough estimate, there should be about a thousand cultivators in Taiheng Sect, which was the population of an entire village.

When he returned to his room, Gu Xuyao saw Zibi again. Seeing her in her green dress from a distance, Gu Xuyao felt somewhat at a loss.

However, Gu Xuyao had no time to retreat. When he saw Zibi, she also noticed his return.

With a light smile, her figure moved gracefully, and before Gu Xuyao knew it, she was in front of him.

"Gu Gu, how did it go? Did you pass today?" Every time he saw Zibi, Gu Xuyao could smell the strange fragrance on her.

Gu Xuyao coughed lightly. For Zibi's overly enthusiastic actions, he could only awkwardly push her away gently.

"Miss Zibi, perhaps I should call you Senior Sister now."

Zibi laughed heartily and patted Gu Xuyao's back.

"Not bad, I knew you could do it. I thought we wouldn't have a normal person in our generation, but now that you've entered, I feel much better."

Though Zibi's pat was light, Gu Xuyao, once the best hunter in the village, almost fell over. The difference between mortals and immortals was not just a saying.

"Why do you say that, Miss Zibi?"

Zibi pouted, looking unhappy.

"Gu Gu, you've just entered, so you don't know much. But since you've passed the test, I'll tell you a bit about Taiheng Sect. I'm actually from the mortal area. I used to brew good wine in my village, and people liked to gather in my tavern at night. But that's in the past, no need to talk about it." Zibi spoke rapidly, clearly eager to vent. It seemed she hadn't had much chance to talk since coming to Taiheng Sect.

"Don't think Taiheng Sect is very big. Compared to other major sects, it's still far behind. It's also under the command of the Blue Inspector Hall. The Blue Inspector Hall isn't much in the Lingxiao Realm either. The Red, Yellow, and Blue Inspector Halls are just subordinate sects of a larger sect. In short, we are just tiny grains of sand in the Lingxiao Realm." Zibi started talking without stopping once she opened her mouth.

"You've just started your cultivation journey. You'll find that most people in Taiheng Sect are not normal. They only focus on cultivation. Though cultivation isn't bad, if someone only cultivates, what's the point of living? At least I won't be like that. I spend at least some time every day appreciating the flowers and trees. Right, Gu Gu?" Zibi looked at Gu Xuyao expectantly, hoping to find a kindred spirit.

Unfortunately, Gu Xuyao had his own convictions and did not think like Zibi.

"Once you achieve great success, won't you have more time to appreciate the beauty of the world? By the way, why are you the only one not wearing a robe?"

Hearing Gu Xuyao's response, Zibi was somewhat disappointed, but she seemed to have other plans. Her face darkened for a moment but quickly returned to normal.

"Hehe, isn't my dress beautiful? I don't want to wear those robes; they're so ugly. It would be a waste of my beauty. By the way, Gu Gu, have you been to the preaching room yet? What did you choose?"

Gu Xuyao shook his head helplessly. "I haven't been there yet. They said someone will take me tomorrow. By the way, what exactly does Taiheng Sect teach? Is the preaching room where we learn cultivation? What kind of preparation do I need? And what do you mean by 'what did you choose'?"

Seeing Gu Xuyao ask, Zibi was slightly surprised.

"You haven't been there yet? But that's fine. It's better that you haven't."

Zibi waved her hand, looking unconcerned. "Preparation? What preparation? It's actually very easy. By the way, Taiheng Sect has three academies: the Speed Academy, the Body Academy, and the Strength Academy. As their names suggest, they specialize in these three areas. As for cultivation, you mostly study on your own. After all, your senior brothers need to cultivate too. But if you encounter a bottleneck, it's not a problem. Each academy has a small practice session every ten days to check your progress, and a large practice session every six months, where the deans will appear."

Zibi remembered something important.

"By the way, Gu Gu, you must choose the Speed Academy. It's too boring here, and I don't want to see those eager faces during practice. Look at all the help I've given you; you must choose the Speed Academy!" Zibi extended her white hand and raised her little finger.

Gu Xuyao didn't know how to respond and changed the subject.

"Then, which academy is Dean Tu Yen the head of?"

Hearing this, Zibi's eyes lit up.

"Right, right, you were saved by Dean Tu Yen, so you should definitely choose the Speed Academy. He is the head of the Speed Academy!"

As they were chatting, a voice came from behind Zibi.

"Zibi, you're talking too much. Someone else will tell him these things. Don't forget that the small practice session is in three days. Did you do what Senior Sister asked you to do?" Xiaohu appeared suddenly behind Zibi.

They were walking side by side in the lower level, and Xiaohu's sudden appearance startled Gu Xuyao.

"Brother Xiaohu." He quickly turned to greet him, but no matter how he adjusted his mindset, it still felt strange to call a child "brother."

Though Xiaohu was young, his thoughts were complex. He glanced at Gu Xuyao, ignored him, and continued to scold Zibi.

"Zibi, you should go back and cultivate right now. Senior Sister specifically asked me to watch you and not let you slack off. If you keep this up, I'll have to tell everyone about your embarrassing secrets."

Zibi looked panicked and quickly covered Xiaohu's mouth. Gu Xuyao watched from the side, deep in thought.

"Hehe, Gu Gu, I have to deal with this brat. Remember, you must choose the Speed Academy tomorrow!" Zibi said, and in a few flashes, she disappeared from Gu Xuyao's sight.

Watching them leave, Gu Xuyao shook his head helplessly. Xiaohu and Zibi were the only two people he knew in Taiheng Sect. Gu Xuyao was not good at socializing, and Zibi's personality was the opposite of his. As for Xiaohu, Gu Xuyao could see that although his personality was somewhat peculiar due to certain reasons, he was not a bad person at heart.

"Speed Academy, huh..." Walking back to his room, Gu Xuyao muttered to himself. An ordinary day in Taiheng Sect began, or perhaps, such a beginning was as routine as its end.

Night fell quickly, just as it had departed. The first rays of sunlight tore through the clouds, blessing the earth.

Although he had passed the entrance test, Gu Xuyao could not sleep that night. After returning to his room, he couldn't help but think about the old man and Tu Yen's unusual behavior, which seemed off.

It was clear that the old man had some thoughts, and they were not good. He was clearly dissatisfied with Gu Xuyao's answer, yet he allowed him to enter.

"Ah..." Gu Xuyao sat up from his stool, stretching. The morning had a unique scent. As a hunter, Gu Xuyao could sense it without looking, a skill honed over years of training, different from the perception of cultivators.

"A new world, a new beginning, the same goal..." Looking at the paper on the table, Gu Xuyao reaffirmed his resolve. The paper bore a poem he couldn't understand, the same poem he had seen before.

Unable to figure out the old man's question all night, Gu Xuyao got up and wrote the poem again, as the previous note had been destroyed in the Red Mud Area.

Opening the door, the outside was a captivating sunrise. The absence of roosters in the village was still somewhat unfamiliar.

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