On the second day, due to a shortage of manpower at Zhongnan University, they simply arranged for the students and teachers from Changjun Middle School, Zhicheng Middle School, and Linjiang First High School to visit several major areas of the Yuelu Mountain Secret Realm together.
The first stop was Yuelu Academy. As one of the oldest academies on Blue Star, it is perched halfway up Yuelu Mountain and has a history spanning a thousand years, earning the title of a millennium academy.
The academy covers an area of over 21,000 square ters, with buildings including the main gate, second gate, lecture hall, Half-Study Hall, Teaching Hall, Hundred Springs Pavilion, Imperial Library, Scripture Hall, Confucius Temple, and more. Its grandeur reflects the lofty and unswerving spirit of scholars with the world in their hearts.
The dense Primordial Qi and the Literary Qi within the academy sparked a subtle reaction with each other.
The literary treasures left by ancient scholars and poets have now turned into paper figures with physical forms, pacing back and forth within the academy, reciting different tiless masterpieces, as if those widely known verses have co to life.
"Everyone, be careful. These paper figures are what we call White Paper Students. They are born of Literary Qi, using books as swords and pens as knives. With every move, they recite a poem. Slaying them can temper your Martial Arts Will."
"Is there such a good thing? I’ll go first!"
Leon was itching to try. Last night, after dinner, he wanted to settle a score with Liu Dingjian, but their duel was stopped by Fang Liang, leaving him no outlet.
Now his excess energy had nowhere to go, so upon hearing that slaying paper figures could temper his Martial Arts Will, he was imdiately tempted and was the first to step forward to try.
Zeng Jixia did not interfere, only reminding him, "These paper figures are not weak; you must be careful."
"A paper thing wants to beat ? Ridiculous!"
Leon drew his sword and stepped into the Yuelu Academy’s grounds, imdiately sensing a sharp aura rushing towards him.
"Sparse shadows horizontally slant across clear water, the secret fragrance floats in the dusk."
Four paper figures tead up to attack, their words flowing from their mouths, their sword light shifting, striking at Leon’s vital points from incredible angles. The sword techniques were as intricate as shadows of trees in water and as subtle as the fragrance flowing in the twilight.
Deceptive yet real, elusive and indistinct, truly making them difficult to defend against.
However, Leon faced his opponents with extre disdain, taking a deep breath while his left hand gathered his five fingers to form a Five Thunders Seal.
The Five Qi arise from the viscera: lungs pertain to tal, liver to wood, heart to fire, kidneys to water, and spleen to earth. As the Five Qi resonate, vitality burgeons, and Thunderbolt Power arises to vanquish evil.
"Five Qi Thunder, annihilate!"
Leon exhaled like thunder, his voice shaking the surroundings. Thunder’s Inner Breath was fully unleashed, completely obliterating the incoming paper figures without a trace.
Once the paper figures were utterly destroyed, a pure Divine Thought injected into Leon’s mind, invigorating his spirit, as if his will had been tempered significantly.
"Hahaha, I am indeed a peerless genius!"
"Congratulations, Leon, on passing the first challenge. You may proceed further."
Leon laughed as he passed through the main gate into the second gate.
What followed were new paper figures and new verses.
The difficulty of the second gate was not high; it simply had more paper figures. As long as you could practice one of the Six Techniques to the Great Success Realm, you could pass.
The real challenge lay in the lecture hall.
This ti, the White Paper Student transford into a White Paper Scholar.
"The river and sky share one color without a speck of dust, a lone moon wheel white in the empty sky."
The White Paper Scholar possessed Professional Level combat strength. With strokes of pen and ink, sword Qi shone brilliantly, like the river and sky at night, a flawless sword light turned into a bright moon, slashing down from above.
Leon exerted all his strength but was still ntally overwheld by the sharpness of this slash, unable to move an inch, ultimately being struck out of the academy with a single blow.
"Damn, it’s actually a Spiritual Martial Technique, this is so unfair!"
The White Paper Scholar’s strength wasn’t exactly very strong. At least if Leon fought seriously, he would have a chance.
The problem was that the opponent’s technique was blatantly unfair, suppressing one’s spirit directly and then, while you’re immobilized, cutting you out with one blow.
He wasn’t physically hurt, but Leon’s pride took a big hit.
"No, I have to try again."
Zeng Jixia hurriedly stopped him, "One person can only try the challenge once, unless you get admitted to our Zhongnan University in the future, then you won’t be subject to this limitation."
Clearly, this was helping Zhongnan University with recruitnt, especially for Martial Arts prodigies like Leon who have background, strength, and talent, making him a prized candidate in the eyes of school leaders.
Of course, Zhongnan University actually preferred to recruit Hidden Dragons like Ye Qingzhou, but knowing they couldn’t compete with top-tier schools, they spared their effort.
"Let try."
Qin Haoyu’s words imdiately drew everyone’s attention.
Being ranked sixth on the Hidden Dragon List, many people were curious about how he was stronger than Ye Qingzhou to place ahead of him.
At the first challenge of the main gate, Qin Haoyu didn’t even draw his sword at his waist. With flaming fists, he shattered the paper figures and passed the challenge.
Following that, he continuously cleared six checkpoints: the second gate, lecture hall, Half-Study Hall, Teaching Hall, Hundred Springs Pavilion, and Imperial Library. Finally, in front of the Scripture Hall, he was defeated by a Five Classics Doctor level paper figure with a single move: "Great River’s Water Cos from the Sky."
"Passed seven challenges in a row!"
"Another monster!"
Zeng Jixia and Yuan Zhiyi both showed expressions of shock, knowing that even they hadn’t reached the seventh challenge in Yuelu Academy.
In fact, they barely managed to pass the fifth checkpoint, the Teaching Hall.
Because what the Yuelu Academy tests is the Martial Artist’s spiritual willpower, asuring the cultivation of the Spiritual Realm, not sothing you can just brute force through.
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