Zanxing

Chapter 51 - The Xumi Jiezi Scroll

The night after worshiping the statue of Saint Yushan, Gufeng Mountain was blanketed by snow.

At dawn the next day, the crowing of the rooster ushered in the morning. Zanxing, after freshening up, opened the door to a sight of snow-covered mountains. Gufeng Mountain's greenery was buried under a blanket of silver, with the sunlight adding a layer of coldness to the scene. Even the clouds at the peak seemed frozen, like jade sealed in the sky.

As she stepped outside and breathed into her hands, a mist of warm air appeared before her eyes.

Everything about the Taiyan Sect was great—except for the bitter cold in winter. Zanxing had already experienced a full autumn here, but she still hadn't adjusted to the chilly weather.

While deep in thought, Tian Fangfang emerged from the nearby cabin, giving Mimi, who was dozing by the door, a casual pet on the head. Rubbing his hands, he complained to Zanxing, "It's freezing today! These robes are useless against the cold!"

The sect's robes were thin, likely to maintain the ethereal image of cultivators. The older disciples were used to it, but for newer ones, it was a challenge.

Zanxing lifted her skirt slightly, causing Tian Fangfang to turn away in alarm. "What are you doing?"

"Look." Zanxing gestured, and when Tian Fangfang cautiously peeked back, he saw that Zanxing was wearing thick padded pants under her robe. Stunned, he stared for a moment.

"If you're cold, just wear some thermal pants underneath," Zanxing suggested. "No one will notice. The cultivation world is too vain, sacrificing warmth for style. Just wait until everyone's old and dealing with arthritis. Then they'll regret it."

Tian Fangfang felt as though a new world had just opened up to him. After a moment of contemplation, he realized that Zanxing's idea was actually quite brilliant. He quickly put on some pants under his robe before joining Zanxing for breakfast at the dining hall.

Today was the day of the Inner Sect Exam, as well as the day when Xuan Ling would select his personal disciple. The dining hall was packed, and since it also happened to be the Winter Solstice, breakfast included lamb dumplings. Zanxing and Tian Fangfang each ate a bowl, feeling much warmer afterward.

Once they finished, they headed toward the competition stage.

The area was already crowded, much like last time, but also different. Previously, only Ziluo was overseeing the proceedings, but today, the event was of great importance. All seven of the elder uncles were present: Elder Yueguang, Aunt Yueqin, Cui Yufu, Li Danshu, Zhao Maoyi, Xuan Lingzi, and Gu Baiying, all seated on one side of the stage.

In front of the stage stood a massive, rectangular stone slab, wide and long, but with nothing carved upon it.

Zanxing also spotted Hua Yue. His cold eyes swept over her, clearly harboring ill intent.

In recent days, Hua Yue had often sent people to harass her, though within the sect, he hadn't found an opportunity to actually harm her. At most, he hurled insults or had his lackeys start petty arguments—after all, fighting was forbidden in the sect. There were even rumors that he had broken up with Duan Xiangrao, dismissing her as merely an outer disciple, unworthy of someone soon to become a personal disciple. Heartless indeed, much like another Wang Shao.

Zanxing also saw Meng Ying. As the future leader of the Taiyan Sect, Meng Ying had recently emerged from seclusion after advancing to the mid-stage Nascent Soul. The inner sect exam was beneath her, so she didn't need to participate.

Zanxing glanced at Meng Ying and Mu Chengxiao, noting that the two of them seemed quite distant. No emotional connection had formed yet, and Zanxing mused that the storyline involving them likely hadn't started.

Would today's exam have any unexpected turns?

As these thoughts crossed her mind, Ziluo, on stage, finished verifying the list of examinees and set the register aside. The crowd fell silent, knowing that the exam was about to begin.

A total of 400 disciples were participating, all inner disciples of the Taiyan Sect. Xuan Ling rose and moved to the center of the stage. Since he was choosing a personal disciple, it made sense for him to preside over the event.

Xuan Ling addressed the group, "Today marks the day of the Inner Sect Exam. After much discussion, we have decided to change the format of the exam."

He extended his hand, and a tiny speck of light appeared in his palm. With a wave, the speck floated into the air and gradually unfurled into a painting.

It was a long scroll depicting a fierce battle between demonic beasts and cultivators as if capturing a war scene.

"What is that?" the disciples below whispered among themselves.

Xuan Ling smiled at the group, waiting for the chatter to subside. Then, he slowly explained, "This is the Xumi Jiezi Scroll, which will serve as your exam setting."

Zanxing was taken aback—this exam arena was quite sophisticated!

As soon as the thought crossed her mind, the battlefield depicted in the scroll suddenly expanded before her eyes. In the blink of an eye, she found herself in a completely different setting.

It was a wild field, with tall grass, a nearby dense forest, and low-hanging clouds pressing down on the sky. In the distance, a perilous peak with a waterfall gleamed under sunny skies, but the scenery appeared artificial, like a poorly painted backdrop. Only the eerie and desolate atmosphere felt real.

The ground beneath her was soft and tinged with red, carrying a faint scent of blood. A crow perched on a branch, its blood-red eyes watching Zanxing, exuding a sense of foreboding.

Xuan Ling's voice echoed from the distant sky, as though carried across a vast space, reverberating in the air. He explained, "Twenty years ago, the demonic king, Gui Diaotang, ravaged the mortal world, massacring humans. In the great war between humans and demons, the sects of the cultivation world led their disciples into battle. Our Fairy Qinghua personally defeated Gui Diaotang, restoring peace to the mortal realm."

"After the war, our sect was severely weakened, and many talented disciples perished. The demonic race is wicked and bloodthirsty, their sins beyond redemption. Later, someone created the 'Xumi Jiezi Scroll' to reflect the brutal scenes of that war."

"All of you are now standing in one of the battlefields from that war. In this scroll, various demonic cultivators who appeared during the war are replicated through the power of yuan force. By defeating these demonic cultivators, you will automatically absorb their yuan force. The amount of yuan force varies depending on the strength of the demonic cultivator—those of lower rank yield less, while higher-ranked ones yield more. The number of demonic cultivators is limited, so your task is to defeat as many as possible in the shortest time."

"The ranking stone outside the competition stage will automatically update every hour based on the amount of yuan force obtained."

As Zanxing listened attentively, she suddenly felt something in her hand. Looking down, she saw a talisman with the word 'stop' crudely written in red ink.

"Each of you has a talisman. The demonic cultivators in the Xumi Jiezi Scroll may be fake, but you can still get injured while fighting them. If you can't hold on, crush the talisman to exit the exam."

"If you encounter a demon fiend, don't engage—just use the talisman to leave immediately."

Xuan Ling concluded, "The exam will last up to two days, ending when the last participant leaves. Let the trial begin."