Volume 5 Chapter 14: Setting Out From Summer Spirit Lake

"Can you stop already, it's too scary!"

"Lin Xi, even if you weren't able to get into Green Luan Academy, if you became a bard, you could probably still muddle your way to Capital City, and then open up the greatest theatre."

...

"Fierce enough." The fine hairs of Mu Shanzi who was only 'watching' from the side all stood on end, but he still insisted on putting on an indifferent dozing stance, inwardly unable to help but curse out, "Just how much damn things are in that brain of yours... What when the midnight bell rings, a female ghost whose hair covers her face will crawl out from a drawing... f*cking scary..."

Night, when asleep, always felt short, but when awake, it would always seem extremely long.

Even though Lin Xi's modified 'Ring' scared Jiang Yu'er to the point where she even cried, scaring Mu Shanzi to the point where he didn't dare look into the dark mountain forest, everyone originally planning to chat the entire night, when they laid down on this hillside, gazing at the stars in the sky, their eyelids still began to feel heavy. In the final bit of darkness before daybreak, they still all fell asleep.

Lin Xi was roused away by a piercing pain. Being woken up after almost pulling an all-nighter was the most uncomfortable, which was why only after quite a few seconds passed, did Lin Xi notice that it was just a piece of grass that poked his face. Then, he saw a white face and hawk-like eyes. This black-robed man stood coldly not far away, looking at him.

Xu Shengmo.

After rubbing his eyes, making sure that he wasn't seeing things, Lin Xi saw this hawk-like man who always gave him a type of sinister feeling, but also loved to separate love and hate act just like before. After releasing a silent cold snort, he then turned around, heading towards the mountain forest in the distance, clearly having something he wished to say to Lin Xi alone.

Lin Xi didn't startle the others, following him.

"So this is the genius our Green Luan Academy nurtured? Reach out your hand."

Xu Shengmo stopped in a grassland within the trees. He turned around, looking at Lin Xi with disdain, releasing a sneer.

Lin Xi didn't know what Xu Shengmo wanted, somewhat strangely reaching out his right hand.

Xu Shengmo suddenly reached out a hand as well. Before Lin Xi could make any reactions, cold light flashed in his hand, passing over the back.

A wave of intense pain immediately made Lin Xi want to scream out, but at the same time, the wave of strength Xu Shengmo exerted rushed at him, forcibly stopping that cry of pain in his throat.

Lin Xi's face was a bit pale, his sleepiness now completely gone. On the back of his right hand was a small injury, dripping with blood, but this injury wounded him down to some of the bones on the back of his hand, exceptionally painful.

Xu Shengmo still looked at Lin Xi in disdain, saying coldly, "This is a lesson. According to normal reasoning, this is something our Green Luan Academy's students must engrave in their memories. Even while asleep, one needs to always remain vigilant. Even though I've never liked you, you are still our Green Luan Academy's student in the end, and I've taught you. If the student I taught was randomly killed while asleep by someone, then it really would be beyond humiliating."

Lin Xi was a bit stunned. He originally thought that Xu Shengmo was going to avenge private wrongs in public, doing something disadvantageous to him, but Xu Shengmo's words made him unable to produce any hatred or annoyance.

"Don't think you can have it easy just because you are leaving the academy. Bring the things over there with you out of the academy, practice every day."

Xu Shengmo didn't look at Lin Xi' expressions, pointing towards the underbrush to the side in disgust, and then turned around to leave.

Lin Xi was a bit stunned. When Xu Shengmo already walked out a few steps, while looking at that hawk-like man's figure, after Lin Xi wrapped up the wound on his hand in a practiced manner, he seriously bowed towards Xu Shengmo, saying, "Many thanks."

"There is no need to thank me." Xu Shengmo's figure stopped slightly, but he didn't turn around, coldly saying, "You have to understand that everything I am doing is just because I am an academy lecturer, just abiding by the academy's needs. Otherwise, with my impression of you, if I was the one to choose, you think I would ever choose you?"

Lin Xi smiled. "What if I prove that your impression is wrong in the future?"

Xu Shengmo still didn't turn around, coldly saying, "That is something in the future."

"Even my performance in Ten Fingers Ridge last time didn't make you feel like your impression was wrong." Lin XI said with a smile, "Then just what do I need to do to make you feel like you are wrong? At the very least, wrong on your judgment of me, and then admit your error?"

Xu Shengmo's figure stopped slightly again, his voice carrying more coldness and mockery. "Are you trying to challenge me? Good, as long as you can become a true Windstalker or Braveslayer, I will admit my error in judgment to you."

Lin Xi chuckled. "Good, it's settled then."

Xu Shengmo released a cold snort, and then didn't say anything else, his hawk-like figure disappearing into the mist filled forest.

Lin Xi shook his head in the direction Xu Shengmo left in, and then headed towards the underbrush that was previously indicated.

He saw that apart from the armor and several anklets and other objects that were even heavier he normally used for training, there was a square, half pillow-sized fine small bronze chest.

What covered the surface of the small bronze chest weren't runes but beast design carvings, many circular holes that were a bit larger than soybeans on the top.

On top of the small chest was an ordinary hardwood sword.

Lin Xi picked up the wooden sword out of curiosity, and then held the square bronze chest in hand, not knowing what they were for.

After examining them for a moment, he discovered that there was a sheep head carving on the side of the bronze chest that was especially glossy and shiny. There was a fine gap around it, as if it was a button that could be pressed.

After some slight hesitation, he couldn't resist the curiosity, his finger pressing down.

The sheep head carving was easily pressed down without using much strength. Almost at the same time, this fine small bronze chest released the familiar sounds of machinery moving about from within.

Lin Xi's brows jumped slightly, as if understanding something. He raised this elaborate small bronze chest again, aiming all of the holes up and away from himself.

Pu!

This world, at least up until now, didn't have any fireworks. However, in just a few breaths of time, the fine small copper chest seemed to have released fireworks, spraying out a large blast of marbles.

All of the marbles were black, only one was golden yellow, flickering with light. Even in the slightly dark lighting, this spray of black 'fireworks' was still a bit dazzling.

Lin Xi looked at these 'fireworks' in astonishment. He looked at the densely packed beads above his head, his eyes then landing on the wooden sword in his own hands. He immediately understood what the meaning of this was.

The strength of a cultivator lied in power, balance, speed, perception, precision, and various other aspects.

Moreover, he already walked around the weapon archive-like Green Luan Weapons Hall, understanding extremely well that in this world, apart from all types of different vicious killing weapons, there were also all types of armors with exceptional defenses.

An Keyi also previously told him that the speed of soul force consumption on the battlefield was far faster than what a cultivation imagined, not even extremely powerful cultivators would waste their own soul force. When faced with heavily armored opponents, they would always aim at the weakest points.

This elaborate small bronze chest was used precisely to train his reaction time and precision.

The wooden sword Xu Shengmo left him was clearly for him to practice with, once this small bronze chest released a spray of 'fireworks', he was to strike that golden small marble. This way, when he faced an opponent or when he was on the battlefield, he could strike the other party's weakest areas with precision.

"Should I say that you have your principles or that you are just stubborn... you actually weren't even willing to leave behind an extra sentence?"

When he understood this point, Lin Xi couldn't help but look in the direction Xu Shengmo left in, muttering this.

"There are definitely great benefits to this training, it's like striking that one drop amidst a storm... However, these marbles are now scattered everywhere, collecting them again is a bit too troublesome, right? Also, how do I even put them back in?"

He looked at the wooden sword and exquisite small bronze chest, and then at the fine marbles scattered all around him. His brows furrowed, feeling a bit embarrassed.

"Turns out it was like this..."

However, soon afterwards, he found that his worries were unfounded. When he squatted down while holding this small bronze chest, preparing to collect the marbles, the marbles near him all began to roll towards the small bronze chest in his hands, sucked back into the holes they flew out from.

With what Lin Xi knew, this wasn't hard to understand.

It was unknown if this was made by a Yunqin skilled workman or Green Luan Academy's master craftsman, but the inner machinery definitely used the principles of magnetism. This way, when collecting these marbles, he just had to collect them all like he was using a vacuum cleaner.

...

While Lin Xi was playing around with the small bronze chest, Xiao Mingxuan's figure appeared in the Ailao Rear Mountain.

Suddenly, as if his legs were soft, he sat down on the mountain path's stairs.

"Lin Xi, that brat's methods really were useful... What Principal Zhang said was correct, women really are tigers... too much..." He was a bit out of breath, muttering this to himself anxiously. His neck seemed to be covered in red marks.

...

The sky completely brightened, Green Luan Academy's morning light was lucid and elegant.

Because these days were rather special, even before the freshman dormitories' bells rang out, the entrances into the dorms were already all full of activity.

Lin Xi and Tang Ke both carried a similarly large wooden chest, walking out from Self Defense Freshman Dormitory's main entrance.

This type of great wooden chest was something Green Luan Academy prepared for every student, when carried on their back, it would even reach higher than their bodies, enough to store most of the weapons and armors the students chose.

In the wooden chest Lin Xi carried, apart from the 'Divine Pear' longbow, the 'Daybreak' longsword, and four arrows, as well as some things Xu Shengmo left for him to use in training, he also threw in many books.

Apart from Martial Skills course, he already passed all of the other subjects, already able to study different courses, so Mu Qing already prepared some books on their following required courses for him. Meanwhile, Lin Xi also understood that he cheated on those previous courses extremely clearly, so he asked for many related books on those courses as well.

He understood his own peculiarities clearly, but at the same time, he also knew that apart from his unique once a day ability, he still had to rely on his own accumulation. His own peculiarities could only make him walk faster than others, climb higher.

A morning breeze blew past, blowing Lin Xi and Tang Ke's hair around.

Lin Xi gave Tang Ke at his side a look. His hair was already long, none of the past edginess of the past 'border barbarian' visible.

"I never expected you would choose to go to Chaste Blossom City." Lin Xi looked at Tang Ke's calm face, saying this quietly and seriously.

Tang Ke gave Lin Xi a look. "I know Li Kaiyun will definitely head for the border army in the future... the place where I'm heading isn't far from his home, I'll at least be able to help him look after some things."

Lin Xi nodded. "I understand what you mean. However, raising horses and managing carriages doesn't seem that fun."

Tang Ke laughed. "However, for better or for worse, it's a position under the military. I don't have to fight, and I can still make connections with those from the military. For better or for worse, having a blade and having people is still better than those shallow positions with greater authority where something unexpected might happen."

After a slight smile, Tang Ke looked at Lin Xi, and then turned around to look behind him. When he saw that Li Kaiyun still didn't walk out, he then said seriously to Lin Xi, "Compared to you, Hua Jiyue and the others, I'm more worried about Li Kaiyun. He is too upright, too hot-blooded and glory seeking."

Lin Xi frowned slightly, nodding and saying, "I hope everything goes smoothly for him."

Tang Ke patted Lin Xi's shoulder. "I hope everyone's trip goes smoothly."

...

Under Green Luan Academy's morning light, rows of students began to gather.

All of the students from various departments gathered together, covered under black cloaks, even the large wooden chests on their backs wrapped within. Like a long black dragon, they began to descend the mountains, entering Four Seasons Plains, heading towards Summer Spirit Lakeside.