...
In that split second between lightning and flint, Wang Shouzhe had already co up with several exquisite response plans.
However, every single plan felt like marching to his death.
Right then, Wang Shouzhe’s expression dimd. He took hold of Liua Ruolan’s jade-like hand and said, "My wife, ever since you married down to , you’ve been worrying and working hard, running this household for your husband. All these years, you’ve really had it tough. Being able to marry you is the greatest blessing of my life."
"What nonsense are you spouting? The children are still here~" Liua Ruolan rolled her eyes at him in playful annoyance. "Don’t pull and tug at like that, what kind of propriety is that?"
Off to the side, Wang Liyao and Wang Zong’an looked at each other.
They hadn’t expected that after so many years, Father’s level of sweet-talk was still stuck at what it had been when they were kids...
They’d been away from their parents’ protection for so many years, and now suddenly hearing such cloyingly sweet words again, they felt a strange sense of dislocation, as if a lifeti had passed. It was like they were back in that little courtyard of their parents’, still living those days when they’d listen to Father tell stories from ti to ti, or get chased around the yard by Mother with a stick whenever they slacked off on their howork.
"Yes, yes, yes, my wife is right." Wang Shouzhe let go of her hand and said affectionately, "Recently there’s been the Struggle of the Imperial Sons, Outer Domain expansion and a bunch of other annoying matters, so I couldn’t spare the ntal energy for a while. Once I’m done with this and we go back, I’ll definitely pay more attention to my wife and spend more ti caring for and accompanying you."
"Mm, husband, you’re so good. eting you is what’s really lucky for Ruolan."
The two of them kept trading lines back and forth, and the juniors, peers, and elders all took the hint and drifted away.
The Shouzhe couple had been married for more than seventy years now, and everyone had long since sumd up a pattern: when they’re being lovey-dovey, you have to stay far away; when they’re fighting, you have to stay even farther away.
Because the forr will sweet you to death, and in the latter you can easily get dragged in and beco collateral damage.
So Ancestor Longyan took Luotong, Shouyong and a few other juniors aside and started passing on so cultivation insights. Wang Liyao and her brother, on the other hand, dragged their aunts Luojing and Luqiu aside to gossip about the Academy and the Saint Land.
Only the very young Wang Anye was left standing there with no one paying him any mind.
He had no idea where he should go, and his eyes, ears, and heart were being subjected to continuous critical hits. Before long, he was already on the verge of collapse.
The key thing was, the corner of Liua Ruolan’s eye happened to catch sight of Wang Anye. Her willow brows arched in disdain as she said, "Wang Anye, what are you standing here for? Are you done with today’s howork? Artifact Spirit~ Artifact Spirit, co out for a mont."
"Lady Ruolan, what are your orders?"
The Artifact Spirit’s attitude was extrely respectful. After all, Liua Ruolan was currently the record holder for the graduation exam in the Fifth Recruit Training Camp. Moreover, she hadn’t relied on shalessly stalling for ti to set that record—she’d relied on her terrifying strength to steamroll all the way through.
"Do a favor and keep a tighter eye on An Ye’s howork. This child’s recent howork has really been too la. On several of the practice tests, his scores were only barely passing." Liua Ruolan rcilessly roasted him as she said, "An Ye, you weren’t like this back in the Clan Academy. Have you been getting scatterbrained lately?"
Wang Anye was so close to tears that they were about to spill out.
Great-Grandmother, is the difficulty of the assignnts in the Clan Academy on the sa level as the howork now? You can’t just look at the scores...
"Lady Ruolan is right. An Ye, it’s because Elder Sister has been too lenient with you. I have a few sets of mock exams here—why don’t you get to know them a bit."
"..."
Wang Anye tilted his head back at a forty-five-degree angle, his clear bright eyes brimming with bitter tears, his heart filled with desolation.
Before, as the Wang Family’s little Young Clan Leader, he’d always felt that the days where he could see the end with one glance were dull and boring. And now? Reality had dropped a heavy burden onto his shoulders, along with a life of wild ups and downs that was unpredictable and impossible to grasp.
If he had the chance, he’d still rather go back to that carefree past.
After the Artifact Spirit dragged Wang Anye away, the Shouzhe couple finally returned to their two-person world.
"My wife, everyone’s been exhausted from pushing through the levels these days. Last ti I passed by the Golden Tiger King’s lair, I saw that the Spiritual Qi there was flourishing, with beautiful mountains and lakes. Why don’t we go build a little hut and stay there for a few days as a way to relax? I just so happen to have gained quite a bit of insight in my cultivation lately and progressed rapidly—I can spar with you a bit."
"Mm." A faint blush crept over Liua Ruolan’s pretty face, a hint of spring color surfacing between her brows. She lowered her voice and said, "I too haven’t ’verified the Great Dao’ with my husband for a long ti. It’s all because there are too many people and too many matters, we’ve both gotten slack."
...
Ten days later.
Having taken leave to go out and relax, the Shouzhe couple returned once more to the Recruit Training Camp. Compared to Liua Ruolan’s radiant glow, Wang Shouzhe looked a bit worn out.
After this short rest, everyone had recovered to a pretty good state.
Next, it was ti to study how to conquer—or rather, to blow through—the eighth level.
Wang Zongchang, Wang Luotong and the others were only at the First-Layer of Heaven-Human Realm. The seventh level was already their limit, so those actually qualified to challenge the eighth level now numbered only seven people.
But that didn’t stop everyone from gathering to watch the battle of this final level. After all, at this stage, a Cultivator’s combat was no longer just about technique and Profound Qi clashes; it also included each person’s comprehension of the Heavenly Dao Laws. Watching the battle process at close range—if you were lucky, you might even gain so insight.
Even Wang Anye, who’d been seized and forced to do howork, was granted permission to move his desk over and watch. It’s just that during the breaks between bouts, An Ye still had to dutifully finish the Artifact Spirit’s test papers. His days were sheer misery.
"An Ye, I’ve never seen anyone reach the eighth level in the graduation exam before." The Artifact Spirit said excitedly, "I never imagined our Fifth Recruit Training Camp would have the chance to obtain such an honor. I wonder if Lady Ruolan can fully clear it? To this day, no one has ever cleared the eighth level."
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