Chapter 312: Chapter 183: Taking the Graduate Exam (Part 2)

Fairy Wangshu raised her eyes and looked at him, her gaze very complex.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, she handed Xiaohua to You Su. Although Xiaohua was reluctant, it obediently wrapped around You Su’s wrist.

"Junior Brother, the First Elder is calling me over."

You Su was taken aback; in his memory, this was the first time his Senior Sister went down the mountain without him accompanying her. He asked:

"Is something happening?"

Fairy Wangshu nodded, looking at You Su with deep reluctance:

"Let Xiaohua accompany you, Junior Brother. Don’t feel lonely on the mountain by yourself, I’ll be back soon."

"Is it related to evil spirits?" You Su asked with concern, "Can I go with you, Senior Sister? Maybe I can help."

Fairy Wangshu nodded and after a brief pause said:

"The First Elder said not to be anxious, this is not yet the best time for you to prove yourself. You should concentrate on cultivation for now."

You Su pursed his lips, having no choice but to step aside.

The cultivation of the Middle Spirit Platform Realm indeed did not qualify him to fight alongside his Senior Sister, which left You Su, who had just made a vow, feeling defeated.

Suddenly, he felt a cool, soft sensation on his hand; it was his Senior Sister gently gripping his right hand with her hands.

"Junior Brother, you must strive to become stronger. We need to always be together."

The young girl ignored You Su’s subsequent explanations on her own terms; she also had a wilful side, only willing to hear what she wanted to hear.

Her delicate, boneless hand lacked warmth, yet it inexplicably provided You Su with a sense of warmth, giving him immense motivation.

Before long, Fairy Wangshu let go of his hand. After her final farewell with You Su, her steps silently led her away.

Those blue eyes contained a slight loneliness, yet they were mingled with threads of joy:

This time... Junior Brother didn’t remind me to be mindful of the separation between men and women...

Soon after, Fairy Wangshu reached the foot of the mountain. The First Elder, with an immortal aura, stepped on a cloud, having been waiting here for quite a while. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"Wangshu, how long has it been since you last recited the Spiritual Purity and Unity Spell?"

The always gentle First Elder, upon meeting her, unexpectedly straightened his face, appearing very stern.

Fairy Wangshu, like a child who forgot to do her homework, lowered her head, speechless, awaiting her senior’s reprimand.

The last time she recited this spell was when she encountered the Dream-eating Ghost in Chuyun City and He Shutong reminded her to recite the spell to forget the bewildering sights seen in the ghost’s strange eyes.

The First Elder sighed, his expression softening somewhat. Even he couldn’t bear to harshly criticize this pure young girl, gently saying:

"Remember to make up for it on this trip; it’s all for your own good, understand?"

Fairy Wangshu did not lift her head, only nodding slightly in response.

...

For three consecutive days, You Su chose to immerse himself in cultivation.

The feeling of Profound Qi entering his body was extremely exquisite, making one intoxicated by the increasingly full sensation. This made You Su forget about matters like the Night God Son and the power of hidden earth.

Even without such powers, merely cultivating in the mountain, he believed that one day he would surely reach the mountain peak.

His Senior Sister had been gone for two days, his Master was still in seclusion, his Junior Sister’s baptism time was uncertain, and seeing Miss Ji was even rarer.

With only Xiaohua as company, he was truly alone, something You Su was not accustomed to.

He initially thought he would be used to solitude, but in reality, he overestimated himself; the blind need companionship more than anyone else.

Before age ten, he had his Master; after fifteen, his Junior Sister. When his Junior Sister left, he had his Senior Sister. Even during the month he spent adventuring in the Jade Ring Pool, Miss Ji was there. Only between ten to fifteen, when his Master was still very cold, did he tirelessly seek her favor in his longing for companionship.

And that period of effort inadvertently became a significant factor in changing He Shutong’s perspective on You Su after melting her Ice Heart.

You Su stood up from his meditation, stretching lazily.

He decided to give his Senior Sister a true surprise, which was to gain the status of a scholar, to openly teach her poetry and literature.

His Senior Sister didn’t like cutting down evil, and You Su wasn’t able to help, so he wanted to do something for her. This way, when she returned to the sect exhausted, she’d be able to learn the things she wished to learn.

Thinking of this, You Su felt a sense of virtue, like a wife preparing a feast for a hard-working husband, and with hope, he descended the mountain.

The Exorcism Bureau had only secretly blocked his deeds of breaking the hidden earth scheme at the Jade Ring Pool, even classifying the truth about the pool as confidential, but they didn’t suppress the hundred-year-old ancestral passage from the pool, "Ailin’s Story," which You Su recited.

Thus, You Su’s popularity in the Profound Sky Sect rose another level; everyone knew why You Su became the second disciple of Lotus Peak. "Ailin’s Story," everyone could hear was praising the Lotus Sword Venerable, as pure as the lotus flower.

You Su was not only handsome but also talented, which led many who were unbalanced by him becoming Lotus Peak’s second disciple to feel appeased.

Because of this, You Su quickly reached Book Immortal Peak with the guidance of crowds.

In fact, Book Immortal Peak was originally very close to Lotus Peak, as these two peaks were part of a single mountain a hundred years ago.

Even standing at the foot of the mountain, You Su could feel an invulnerable and solemnly majestic aura, a unique dignity and poise belonging to scholarly people.

Book Immortal Peak was filled with the sound of chanting and the scent of ink. It was said that the books stored on Book Immortal Peak outnumbered even the leaves on the trees there.

He wondered if it included the narratives like "The Legend of the White Snake" he co-wrote with his Junior Sister.

You Su smiled, thanked the few passing Senior Sisters who guided him, and intended to climb the mountain.

Book Immortal Peak is the cultural center of the Central Continent and even the entire Five Continents, responsible for a significant part of enlightening the people’s wisdom and revising laws. In terms of significance to the human race across the Five Continents, Book Immortal Peak is far more important than the other peaks of the Profound Sky Sect. Consequently, its management is also stricter.

The traffic here exceeds Bihua Peak by several times, with seven long queues outside the mountain paths, each conducting verification for the entrance process.

"Name, sect lineage, purpose."

After waiting for a long time, You Su finally got within one step of entering Book Immortal Peak.

"You Su, taught by Lotus Sword Venerable, purpose: to participate in the examination." You Su answered clearly and directly.

Hearing this, the bald male cultivator responsible for reception appeared surprised and then troubled, asking:

"Are you really You Su?"

Several eager female cultivators leaning over provided an answer for You Su.

The bald male cultivator looked troubled, took out a voice transmission talisman from his robe, left his seat, and whispered to the talisman.

You Su raised an eyebrow, waiting quietly.

Soon, the bald male cultivator returned, saying, "Mr. You, please leave."

"Why?"

You Su knew well that the examination at Book Immortal Peak wasn’t a unified time test. Anyone interested could take the test anytime but had only one chance a year; if failed, they had to try again the following year.

"The examination is not a trivial matter and requires substantial resources. If Mr. You wishes to verify his skills, he could participate in the introductory exams set up by Book Immortal Peak at the scripture hall or classroom without having to come here specially."

You Su frowned slightly: "Isn’t the academic examination open to everyone? I’m sincere in my desire to attempt it, so I ask Senior Brother to make way for me."

The bald male cultivator sighed; everyone in Book Immortal Peak knew that Book Immortal Peak and Lotus Peak were at odds... Although he, being young, hadn’t personally experienced the astonishing mountain-splitting sword of Lotus Sword Venerable, he dared not go against the will of the various Book Immortal deities within the peak.

"Mr. You, please leave..."

You Su found it strange; unaware of his Master’s glorious deeds, he only remembered that the last time the various elders brought him congratulatory gifts, only the Tenth Elder from Book Immortal Peak made no such gesture. At that time, he suspected Book Immortal Peak had some conflict with Lotus Peak, and now it seemed his suspicion was correct.

"Does Senior Brother still think that You Su’s participation in the examination is just a joke?" You Su expressed his anger.

The curious female cultivators behind him could also see what was going on. Book Immortal Peak was deliberately rejecting You Su, so they spoke up for You Su’s injustice:

"If Junior Brother You can write words as profound as those in ’Ailin’s Story,’ isn’t he qualified to participate in the examination?"

As the situation escalated, the bald male cultivator grew increasingly troubled, and just as he broke into a cold sweat, a female cultivator in a white dress and golden crown drifted gracefully from above.

The newcomer was Miss Lu, who looked at You Su in the center of the crowd, her expression calm yet indifferent:

"Follow me."