NOVEL NEXT Chapter 124: Promotion to the Inner Court_1
Three rainbow rays streaked across the sky, plunging directly into the depth of Longze Lake.
A moment later.
Zhang Jing glimpsed an islet which was merely several tens of meters in radius.
Misty and imbued with rich spiritual energy.
It was not so much an islet as it was... a palace floating atop the rippling lake waters.
Ancient and brimming with a trace of spiritual essence.
Green roofs and walls amidst gleaming spiritual light, perfectly blending with its reflection in the water.
"That's where the Lucid-Drizzle Fairy Wall resides."
Standing beside him,
the Academy Principal who had deliberately slowed down his speed to accompany Zhang Jing, began to explain softly.
"That place, huh? I understand."
Zhang Jing nodded in response.
The Lucid-Drizzle Fairy Wall?
A curious glint emerged in his eyes.
What kind of treasure could this be?
If Zhang Jing remembered correctly, even the so-called True Spirit List from the legend seemed to be within the Lucid-Drizzle Fairy Wall.
...
The rainbow light descended to ground.
As the trio arrived, the grand palace door swung open of its own accord, slowly revealing the interior.
In the next moment, a figure stepped out.
"Senior Brother You?"
Zhang Jing's gaze sharpened.
"Academy Principal, Pavilion Master, and Junior Brother Zhang Jing."
You Yuanming greeted with a smile as if he was not at all surprised by the arrival of the three.
"How did it go? Where does Yuanming stand in the True Spirit List now?"
Beside Zhang Jing,
The usually silent Pavilion Master of the Thousand Law Pavilion turned his gaze toward You Yuanming and asked expectantly.
As his words fell,
the Academy Principal also fixed his eyes on You Yuanming, his gaze filled with anticipation.
"Yuanming, did you manage to make it into the top two hundred?"
Upon hearing this,
You Yuanming let out a bitter smile, cupped his hands in response, and admitted somewhat begrudgingly.
"Ah~ I've let down the Academy Principal and the Pavilion Master. I could only make it to rank 276."
"276... Not to worry. After all, your Tao Foundation has just transformed. The Upper Realm won't be accessible for another two years. I presume, once you've completely familiarized yourself with the Gold Nature Foundation in these two years, you should be able to advance into the top two hundred."
The Academy Principal responded encouragingly.
On the other hand,
A trace of regret flickered in the mind of the Pavilion Master of the Thousand Law Pavilion. However, he did not let it show. Instead, he offered words of encouragement:
"Yuanming, don't lose heart. Your current situation is rather unique, after all."
"I'm grateful for the words of encouragement from the Academy Principal and the Pavilion Master," You Yuanming expressed his gratitude.
He then turned towards Zhang Jing, and offered him a warm, congenial smile.
"Junior Brother, focus on your cultivation. I fear I might not have much hope left, but things are different for you. You might even make it into the top hundred of the True Spirit List one day."
"I will take Senior Brother's advice to heart."
Zhang Jing responded courteously.
"Well then, Academy Principal, Pavilion Master, Junior Brother, I shall take my leave now."
Having said that,
You Yuanming transformed into a brilliant streak of light and disappeared into the distance.
"Let's go inside." The Academy Principal patted Zhang Jing's shoulder.
"Yes!"
...
Deep inside the palace.
Zhang Jing gradually came to a halt.
Not far from him,
An exquisite jade wall that was nine meters long and three meters high, stood serenely. Colors of spiritual light constantly streamed down the jade surface like a waterfall, giving off an aura reminiscent of immortality.
The words of the Academy Principal and the Pavilion Master, imposing a set of instructions, rang faintly in his ears.
Zhang Jing took a deep breath,
then stepped forward with a resolute stride, heading directly into the jade wall.
In an instant,
Wave after wave began rippling on the surface of the Lucid-Drizzle Fairy Wall.
A figure, Zhang Jing's own, disappeared into thin air.
...
In a flash,
Zhang Jing found himself in a peculiar place.
Under his feet was a wide path, paved with gray stones and about a meter wide.
The surrounding area was vast and eerily quiet.
In the not-so-distant front, however, two narrow paths led off into the distance, stretching as far as the eye could see.
"Is this the location for the promotion exam within the Lucid-Drizzle Fairy Wall?"
Zhang Jing couldn't help but feel intrigued. His gaze automatically began to survey his surroundings.
Since it's an exam… What should be the next step?
As he pondered,
Suddenly, several lines of simple and elegant ancient scripture, sparkling with a faint hue of spiritual light, materialized out of nowhere.
His gaze instantly skirted over the lines.
After a few moments,
A glint of understanding shone in Zhang Jing's eyes.
"So, it's like that, huh?"
Outer Academy disciples have two methods to advance to the Inner Academy, which correspond to the two paths before him.
One is the conventional route.
It evaluates the examinee's cultivation, state of mind, consciousness, and the extent of mastery over their abilities among other things.
This route demands less from the exam takers.
Provided they meet the standards in at least three of the many criteria, they can pass the exam and get promoted to Inner Academy Disciple.
The other is unconventional.
It sets a high bar for the examinees. Only a few manage to pass through this method. However, the procedure is relatively simple and the process quicker.
Upon reading these rules,
Zhang Jing's gaze diverted towards the path on his right, a subtle smile playing at the corner of his eyes.
"Match opponents based on cultivation levels, huh? The winner passes directly while the loser retreats. Quite straightforward, I like it!"
Without much hesitation,
He directly chose the quickest route.
...
Outside,
A thought occurred to the waiting Academy Principal and an intrigued smile spread across his face. He curiously asked:
"I wonder which method that young man Zhang Jing will choose to pass this promotion exam?"
As his words died away,
The speaker, referred to as 'Junior Brother', the Pavilion Master of the Thousand Law Pavilion, answered without skipping a beat:
"Brother, is there even a need to ask? He's sure to take the quickest, albeit the toughest, route."
He paused for a moment and then added,
"Though he may appear humble and reserved, giving off a calm and gentle aura, this young man actually carries a deep-seated pride within him.
"Possibly, he hasn't even realized it."
"Haha, you do make a good point. But having a sense of pride is only natural for a genius."
The Academy Principal laughed mildly.
Having lived for thousands of years and having met countless people, they had developed a keen eye for such things.
Upon their first meeting with Zhang Jing, they had immediately sensed the innate pride that emanated from him.
In the middle of their conversation,
A sudden change occurred within the Lucid-Drizzle Fairy Wall.
The flowing spiritual lights on its surface began to fade, revealing a golden scroll.
The scroll slowly unrolled,
Displaying more than two hundred engraved names.
At the very end,
Zhang Jing's name gradually appeared.
"Haha, quite swift! True to form of a genius who has comprehended the Tao Intent completely." laughed the Academy Principal. "Junior Brother, congratulations. With this young man, the position of your Thousand Law Pavilion will stand unparalleled for the next one hundred and eighty years."
"Brother, mutual congratulations!" the Pavilion Master of the Thousand Law Pavilion happily responded, meanwhile heading towards the Lucid-Drizzle Fairy Wall.
A Dharma Seal had unknowingly appeared in his hands.
Behind him,
The Academy Principal discreetly held onto a sleek purple robe and an exquisite Jade Key.
The Key emanated an obscure fluctuation.
This fluctuation subtly responded to the Immortal Island located deep inside Longze lake that was teeming with veins of spiritual essence.