Volume 1 Chapter 73: Divine Ability Town

  Shentong Town

  Purple Air Inn

  A woman with worn-out clothes, almost like a beggar, was eating something at a table by the window.

  Across from her, Qin Tianyi, who looked quite majestic, was quietly watching.

  A few months ago when I saw Shui Rou, she seemed to have lost some weight already. Now, compared to then, she looks even more haggard and gaunt, with the outline of her jawbone visible on her lovely and delicate face.

  After eating several bowls of rice, Shui Rou finally felt full, and a satisfied smile appeared on her somewhat dirty face.

  "Have you eaten?"

  "Uh-huh."

  "Let's go. I just booked a room upstairs and asked the servant to prepare hot water. It should be ready now, let's go take a bath and change our clothes."

  Qin Tianyi said, standing up.

  "Brother Qin, it's really great, I actually ran into you."

  "You must have suffered a lot these days, but why did you run towards Shenxu Academy instead of running back to Wanxia County? If you return to Wanxia County and Yunlai Sword Sect, there are Qi elders and others, the Water family will not dare to act recklessly."

  "I'm going to rely on my sister Han Yue."

  "Is that Han Yue's sister?"

  "Yes, sister left our family when I was just a few years old and lived in Shentong Town because no one in the family could take care of her."

  "Uh-huh."

  "Go rest for now, when you've recovered your strength, I'll accompany you to find your sister."

  Shui Rou, a weak and gentle woman, had never traveled far from home before. Without any horses, she managed to escape from the capital of Dashu Kingdom to Shentong Town, a distance of nearly 400 kilometers. She was already exhausted, both physically and mentally. Now that she had met Qin Tianyi, her days of living in fear were finally over, and she felt relieved. After taking a bath, she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

  Shui Rou fell asleep, but Qin Tianyi was somewhat worried and sat in the living room on the second floor of the wine house, thinking about how to arrange Shui Rou.

  "I'm about to head to Shenxu Academy, Shenxu Academy, where it's said that not even a single servant can be brought along. Taking Shui Rou with me is unrealistic, so I'll have her sent back... 1,600 kilometers... too far. The only thing I don't know is whether this so-called sister of hers will be able to take good care of her..."

  This is not the Federal era, 1,600 kilometers, even if the horse does not stop, day and night, it will take two days, Qin Tianji did not gallop all the way when he came, and spent a total of five days.

  Shui Rou cannot ride a horse, he has to send Shui Rou back and forth, at least half a month.

  Shaking his head, Qin Tianyi could only temporarily drive this matter out of his mind.

  If her sister can take good care of her, that would be the best option. If not... then he has no reason to stay out of this matter regarding Shui Rou.

  "Hey, have you guys heard? Li Yong that guy is going to challenge the Divine Communication Stage again."

  Just as Qin Tianyi was quietly pondering these things, a conversation from a table on the left caught his attention.

  "Li Yong? The three checkpoints of the Divine Path, which one has he ever passed? And yet he still doesn't give up."

  The one asking the question was a young man who looked quite wealthy.

  "No way, he's too old. At 26 years old, he has reached the level of a great swordsman, and is considered a notable figure. Unfortunately, he has exceeded the admission standards of the Shenwu Academy, and can only rely on passing the Divine Communication Stage to have any hope of entering the academy. But does he think it's that easy? Every year, no more than a handful of top-notch experts manage to enter the Shenwu Academy through the Divine Communication Stage, each one being an already renowned great swordsman-level figure."

  A man in yellow clothes said with a hint of schadenfreude.

  "Shenxu Academy, every three years, will recruit 600 students from the academies of Daxia, Dayan, Dazhou and Daqi, and then recruit 300 students from among the many warriors who rush to Shenxu Academy. At the same time, send out 100 special admission quotas. Calculated in this way, there are dozens of special admission quotas every year. Those who have passed the Divine Communication Stage are even rarer than special admission students. If it weren't for the fact that those who pass the Divine Communication Stage are all older masters with low plasticity, I'm afraid these students would be above the special admission students in terms of status."

  "Isn't that right, Li Yong that guy broke through to the peak of Neigang, maybe there's hope for him to reach the rank of Shentong, but he just entered the realm of a great swordsman..."

  At this point, the man in yellow felt a great pity.

  "What kind of strength determines what kind of treatment, the great swordsmen of the Divine Communication stage are to some extent inferior to the special recruits. It is said that there was a special recruit who was 18 years old and had cultivated to the peak of the inner vortex, but he abandoned his special recruitment token and broke through the Divine Communication stage in one go, making a big name for himself. As soon as he entered the academy, he was spotted by a deputy dean of the Divine Void Academy and taken as a disciple, becoming a seed player to be cultivated. Two years later, he broke through to the Sword Master realm and was sent to the Divine Void Sect, becoming one of its top members."

  "Shenxu Zong..."

  As soon as these three words were mentioned, both of their eyes were filled with longing and admiration.

  "As a special recruit, I'll charge through the ranks of the gods..."

  Qin Tianyi was pondering in his heart, weighing its feasibility.

  Each vice president of the Divine Void Academy is said to have the terrifying strength of a Sky Sword Master, and becoming a disciple of such a strong person and receiving his guidance will definitely greatly shorten his time to advance to Sword Master. As long as he advances to the realm of Sword Master, he has the qualifications to go to the Divine Void Sect, and after a real combat assessment, he can officially become a member of the Divine Void Sect.

  "The stage of Shentong does not only have age requirements, but also places more emphasis on actual combat. The three major checkpoints are: the first checkpoint, for those under 20 years old, requires defeating one ordinary great swordsman; for those over 20 years old, two opponents; and for those over 25 years old, three... The second checkpoint's opponent is a great swordsman of the outer circle rank... My current age... is exactly 20 years old..."

  At this point, Qin Tianyi was also speechless.

  "That is to say, in the first round, I need to deal with two great swordsmen. These gatekeepers are students of Shenxu Academy and have cultivated the exquisite swordsmanship of Shenxu Academy. The ordinary great swordsmen of the first round, if placed in Wanxia County, might not even be able to gain an advantage over them from the hands of Yu Fan Yun and other external masters. If I don't activate the X-01 biological mech suit, my strength is probably equivalent to that of an external master at its peak, and at most can only kill up to the second round... It seems that after passing the second round, I can only activate the X-01 biological mech suit and crush them..."

  At this thought, a gleam of light flashed in Qin Tianyi's eyes, and he had already made up his mind.

  Shenxu Zong!

  He wants to enter Shenxu Sect as soon as possible and become a member of Shenxu Sect.

  That year, Yun Lei Jian Zong's young master had always dreamed of entering the Shén Xū Academy, but it was just a transit station in his life.

  That's all.

  ……

  The next day, Qin Tianyi got up very early.

  And yet, I feel weak, as if these days have been too exhausting. Even after waking up, the whole person still looks listless and there is a hint of frailty.

  "Shui Rou, do you want to rest for a while longer before going to find your sister?"

  "Qin brother, can I follow you?"

  Shui Rou opened her beautiful big eyes and looked at Qin Tian Yi with a pitiful expression.

  Feelings...

  Is acting cute...

  "This... I'm about to head to Shenxu Academy for further studies, and Shenxu Academy generally doesn't allow non-Shenxu Academy students to enter..."

  "Hmm, Shenxu Academy, at least a high-level swordsman is required to take the entrance exam, and I'm only a 4th level swordsman."

  As soon as he heard the words, his eyes immediately dimmed.

  "Your talent is actually not inferior to any of the disciples in our Yunlai Sword Sect. Gu Cheng, who was only a fifth-level swordsman at the age of 22, is now an eighth-level swordsman. And you, who became a fourth-level swordsman at the age of 14, if you are willing to work hard and cultivate, you may even have the hope of becoming a great swordsman before the age of 20."

  "Twenty years old... doesn't that mean I still have to wait four more years?"

  "Alright, alright, let's go find your sister first. Where does your sister live?"

  "I haven't been here for a long time. The last time I came, I was only eleven years old. After that, my father and mother were no longer around, and I didn't dare to venture far from home alone, so I never came again."

  Mentioning her father, Shui Rou's expression couldn't help but darken once again.

  As for Shui Rou's background, Qin Tianyi knew a thing or two from Qi Lingyun.

  It's also pathetic when you think about it.

  Her biological parents, representing the Shui family to perform national tasks, unfortunately died. After making such a great contribution to the family, she not only did not receive the treatment she deserved, but also the property left by her parents was occupied by those elders with various reasons. In the end, they were tired of seeing her and sent her to Yunlai Sword Sect. When she first entered Yunlai Sword Sect, she was only twelve years old, which is also the reason why Qilingyun adopted her as a foster daughter.

  Due to her special background, many disciples of Yunlai Sword Sect took extra care of her, which allowed her to maintain her pure heart.

  "It's okay, let's take our time and look for it slowly, let's go."

  "Uh-huh."

  Shui Rou nodded slightly with a gentle force, and very naturally pulled Qin Tianyi's hand, her expression extremely affectionate.

  "Shuǐ Róu Shī Mèi..."

  "There are many people in Shentong Town, and they come and go frequently. I'm afraid of getting lost again, so this way I can feel at ease."

  The water was soft and gentle, but no matter how you said it, I wouldn't let go of the look that made Qin Tianyi feel a bit headache.

  This...

  It must be the painful experience of a few days ago plus just arriving in this unfamiliar place, Shentong Town, that makes you feel very insecure...

  Thinking so, Qin Tianyi temporarily let her have her way.

  Next, I will be looking for the location of Han Yue's residence.

  It's just that the time has passed for too long, and Shui Rou can't remember her sister Han Yue's specific location. Or is it because Shentong Town has changed so much that she can't find her way around? For a whole day, the two of them wandered all over Shentong Town, occasionally seeing something they liked and even making purchases...

  This situation is more like strolling around than looking for something.

  Considering Qin Tianyi's current mental state, and also being new to Shentong Town, he wanted to get a good understanding of the true face of this prosperous region. On the first day, Qin Tianyi didn't rush, but instead wandered around Shentong Town, getting familiar with the local customs and inquiring about various information regarding Shenxu Academy.