Chapter 39

As Ling Qingxiao and Luo Han stepped inside, a small commotion erupted at the entrance. The noise quickly drew the attention of those within the room, and one by one, they turned to look—only to see two figures in white walking side by side.
The moment Ling Zhongyu caught sight of that familiar silhouette, his expression darkened.
It was truly unfortunate that today, Ling Zhongyu and Su Yinyue were also in Training Room B.
Yesterday, during the free choice of spots, Ling Zhongyu saw that Ling Qingxiao stayed in Training Room A and proactively moved to another spot. Today, it was the same; Ling Zhongyu deliberately chose Group B because he didn’t want to face Ling Qingxiao.
Yesterday, when Star Lord Tianyu demonstrated the formation, Ling Zhongyu knew that he couldn’t go head-to-head with Ling Qingxiao. The more difficult the battle, the more it showcased personal ability. With such complex transformations and such extreme terrain, Ling Zhongyu admitted that he couldn’t control it, but Ling Qingxiao could.
The person who knows you best is definitely your opponent. Ling Zhongyu had high hopes for this expedition. They were going to face not just the disciples of Zhongshan but also the offspring of foreign tribes and high-ranking officials from the Celestial Palace. After reaching Western Sea, it might even involve the situation with the Demon and Beast clans. In such an external setting, as long as he could seize the opportunity to stand out, it would be a chance to gain fame and bring glory to the Heavenly Realm. After returning, the opportunities and resources would flow in constantly.
Therefore, Ling Zhongyu had to make a grand entrance in this battle, establishing his first victory and solidifying his position as the next master of Zhongshan. In reality, Ling Zhongyu’s situation was already precarious; he couldn’t afford any failure. If he publicly lost to Ling Qingxiao, it would be a huge blow to his reputation.
After their identities were exposed, Ling Zhongyu seemed to still be favored, but the internal structure had completely collapsed. He clearly felt that the attitude of the Zhongshan elders and the Linshan Su family toward him had subtly changed. These changes were very small, so much so that the others might not have noticed, but Ling Zhongyu had observed them.
He had always cared about such external matters. His strength and cultivation were completely suppressed by Ling Qingxiao, and his background and status were his last reliance. However, now, even his last card was about to slip away.
It was true that Ling Xianhong favored him and privately gave him the promise to pass on the position to him. But people’s hearts always change. Ling Xianhong liked and valued him now, but what about a thousand years later? What if more interests came into play?
After all, Ling Qingxiao was the true descendant of the marriage alliance. While Su Yifang and Su Yinyue were supportive of Ling Zhongyu, others in Linshan would certainly prefer to see their own descendants become the master of Zhongshan.
It had nothing to do with personal feelings; this was Ling Qingxiao’s natural political capital. Moreover, Ling Qingxiao was extremely outstanding, proficient in both swordsmanship and the four arts. Currently, the Su family was hesitant to openly oppose him due to the thousand-year-long uncle-nephew relationship, but who knew what would happen in another thousand years?
In the Dragon Tribe, only interests were eternal.
It seemed that in just one night, all of Ling Zhongyu’s previous capital had turned into castles in the air. Now, when he counted, the only thing he could hold in his hands was the card of emotions: Su Yifang’s mother-son affection and Su Yinyue’s romantic affection toward him.
There was no one closer than a son-in-law. Ling Zhongyu increasingly realized that he couldn’t abandon Su Yinyue, but in his heart, he couldn’t let go of Yun Menghan.
Yun Menghan was in pain, but how could Ling Zhongyu be any better? However, he had no choice; he had to support Su Yinyue. Once he gained power in the future, he would compensate Yun Menghan tenfold, but for now, he hoped Yun Menghan would be obedient, sensible, and not interfere with him and Su Yinyue.
On one hand, Ling Zhongyu was steadying Su Yinyue, and on the other hand, he was actively cultivating relationships with high-ranking foreign disciples, eagerly participating in various activities aboard the flying boat. What he had over Ling Qingxiao was, first, emotional connections, and second, interpersonal relationships. If he could take advantage of this opportunity to connect with the Celestial Palace, that would be even more perfect.
Ling Zhongyu had been working hard to create the image of a talented and ambitious young master of Zhongshan, while carefully downplaying the fact that there was another young master of Zhongshan. Ling Qingxiao didn’t like socializing and hadn’t been seen for several days. This gap gave Ling Zhongyu the opportunity. With Ling Zhongyu’s subtle hints, the elites from the Zoyu and Suanni tribes began to think that Ling Zhongyu was the most powerful person in Zhongshan and the undisputed next head of the family.
As for Ling Zhongyu’s younger brother, he was just a carefree, marginal figure. Every family had a few such anomalies, but they all understood, coming from prestigious families themselves.
Ling Zhongyu had spent a lot of effort cultivating interpersonal relationships and intercepting Ling Qingxiao’s connections. However, Ling Zhongyu never expected that on the first day of training, Ling Qingxiao would break through his interception in a completely unexpected way and gain fame.
Yesterday, the A training room had been closed for a long time. When the disciples returned to their dorms, they noticed that the people from the A training room hadn’t come out and almost thought something had happened. It wasn’t until nightfall that some of them began to emerge, all exhausted. When asked what had happened, they all gritted their teeth.
From their words, people first took note of Ling Qingxiao’s name. That night, the entire dormitory area was talking about Ling Qingxiao. Whether they were ranked in the front or the back, everyone remembered this person.
Those in the front were eager to challenge the so-called highest record, while those in the back were warned tearfully by the people from the A training room to absolutely avoid Ling Qingxiao.
Early today, everyone was informed that the rules had changed and that they had to draw numbers to select training rooms. Some were happy, some were worried, but for Ling Zhongyu, the happiness outweighed the worry.
After all, drawing numbers meant there was space for manipulation. He could avoid Ling Qingxiao in a legitimate way. Even if he accidentally drew the same number, Ling Zhongyu could secretly switch rooms.
If anyone asked, he would just say he was unlucky and hadn’t met Ling Qingxiao. Ling Zhongyu had worked hard to establish his leader image among the crowd and could not afford to fail here.
When Ling Zhongyu drew Training Room B, he undoubtedly breathed a sigh of relief. He had already heard that Ling Qingxiao would still be in Training Room A today, and Ling Zhongyu thought the threat had been avoided. But unexpectedly, he hadn’t switched tokens, yet Ling Qingxiao had.
It was truly the case that the more you feared something, the more it would come to pass. All the plans Ling Zhongyu had made before had become useless.
Su Yinyue noticed Ling Zhongyu was staring at the door and quietly called, “Cousin?”
Ling Zhongyu came back to his senses and smiled at Su Yinyue. “I’m fine. I didn’t expect Second Brother to be here too. It’s quite a coincidence. He probably hasn’t seen us yet, that’s why he hasn’t come over to greet us.”
Ling Zhongyu deliberately befriended the elites of other groups, and at this moment, several young masters were gathered around him. Upon hearing his words, they all raised their heads and looked ahead.
"That's Ling Qingxiao? Wasn't he in Training Room A? How did he end up here?"
Ling Zhongyu smiled, looking every bit like a helpless older brother. "I have no idea. He’s always been a loner. If I ask too much, he gets impatient, so I try not to say much."
"Overrated." Someone scoffed. "I’d like to see just how skilled he really is."
These elites all came from prestigious backgrounds, pampered and praised since childhood. They were already disinclined to respect Ling Qingxiao. Now that they were in the same training session as him, they were even more determined to put him in his place and outshine him.
Su Yinyue followed their gazes toward Ling Qingxiao. After stepping inside, Ling Qingxiao showed no intention of greeting them, as if he hadn't even noticed their presence. Instead, he was talking to the woman beside him. Su Yinyue had never liked the eccentric and reclusive son of her aunt’s concubine. Even after learning that Ling Qingxiao was actually her real cousin, she still felt no fondness for him.
She let out a soft huff and said, "He’s not coming over—does he expect us to go to him? Cousin, let’s just ignore him and start."
Among those present, some were wary, some indifferent, and some eager to compete. Only those who had been in Training Room A yesterday wore expressions of utter despair.
What kind of luck was this? Why had they ended up in the same training room as Ling Qingxiao for the second time in a row? Why was their luck so cursed?
Meanwhile, Ling Zhongyu and his group continued chatting leisurely, showing no sign of pre-training tension. After a while, they noticed that Ling Qingxiao was still outside and hadn’t begun.
"What's going on? Why hasn’t he started yet?"
Ling Qingxiao, too, felt a bit helpless.
As soon as he entered, he was ready to begin his training. He casually picked a circular platform and was about to activate the formation when Luo Han suddenly called out to him.
"Wait!" Luo Han stopped his movement and swiftly ran to the formation platform beside him. "Do me a favor and hold off for a bit—at least let me pass today’s assessment first."
Ling Qingxiao immediately understood. The pass criteria were linked to the highest score in the training room. Right now, the highest record in Training Room B was still from yesterday, meaning the passing threshold was relatively low. If Luo Han took the assessment now, then no matter how much the scores changed afterward, it wouldn’t affect her results.
A bit of an ostrich approach, but better than being locked inside for five or six hours.
Ling Qingxiao didn’t approve of such shortcuts, but since it was Luo Han asking, he relented.
Seeing that Ling Qingxiao actually stopped for her, Luo Han was both touched and relieved. She quickly activated the formation.
She had to get her passing mark before the class prodigy single-handedly raised the overall average.
Zou Jibai, seeing what Luo Han was doing, was slow to react but eventually caught on. He immediately rushed to another formation platform to take his assessment.
Luo Han's idea was brilliant—why hadn’t he thought of it sooner?
Zou Jibai might have been slow, but at least he had some self-awareness. Ling Qingxiao would let things slide for Luo Han, but for Zou Jibai? He wouldn’t care whether he lived or died. If he didn’t hurry, he’d be the one crying later.
When Luo Han saw the passing criteria, she nearly teared up from relief.
The highest record in Training Room B was still from yesterday, meaning the passing standard remained at "two incense sticks' time and an evasion rate of 200/600." Compared to yesterday’s Training Room A standard, which had been pushed up to "four incense sticks' time and an evasion rate of 50/600" thanks to Ling Qingxiao, this was downright merciful.
Luo Han breezed through the assessment and completed her mandatory task for the day. Seeing the glowing green "Pass" sign, she nearly wept with joy. When the light screen faded, she stepped down from the platform, genuinely grateful to Ling Qingxiao.
"Thank you for waiting so long."
"It’s fine," Ling Qingxiao replied, then hesitated before adding, "What you did was understandable for an assessment. But grades shouldn't be manipulated…"
"I know, I know." Luo Han agreed readily. "I’ll train more later. I just didn’t want to be stuck inside."
At least she had the right attitude. Ling Qingxiao was somewhat reassured and stepped onto the platform.
As the light screen slowly rose, he caught sight of Zou Jibai passing his assessment as well. Zou Jibai leaped down from his platform and walked straight over to Luo Han.
Just then, the formation table emitted a soft collision sound. The light screen fully enclosed the space.
Zou Jibai, now outside, immediately joined Luo Han in watching the formation.
The moment Ling Qingxiao drew his sword, Zou Jibai suddenly felt a chill run down his neck, as if a killing intent was directed at him. He instinctively touched his throat and looked around, but saw nothing suspicious.
Luo Han noticed his distracted behavior and asked, "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing," Zou Jibai shook his head. "Must’ve been my imagination."
Luo Han had no interest in whatever strange feeling he was experiencing. Ling Qingxiao was right in front of her, slicing through enemies—she had no attention to spare for anything else.
She and Zou Jibai watched intently. Ling Qingxiao’s first training map was the same as yesterday’s. After observing for just a moment, both Luo Han and Zou Jibai felt relieved.
Luo Han turned to Zou Jibai and asked, "Do you still want to challenge him?"
A suspicious silence followed. After a moment, Zou Jibai stubbornly tried to save face. "I’m more than ten years younger than him. Give me some time to practice, and I’ll definitely surpass him."
Luo Han immediately let out a laugh, mercilessly mocking him. "Well, good luck then. You have ten years. I’ll be waiting to see you prove that statement."
Zou Jibai, thoroughly ridiculed, didn’t even want to talk to her anymore. But after a while, he couldn’t help himself and whispered, "Why do I feel like...he’s gotten even faster?"
"Be more confident—drop the ‘feel like.’" Luo Han sighed. "He’s memorized the environment. Any setting he encountered yesterday, he remembers all the data and is now optimizing his responses.
"Looking at it this way, we actually held him back yesterday. If he’d had more time to train then, today, he’d already have mastered every scenario."
Luo Han and Zou Jibai exchanged glances, both overcome by the sorrow of the weak. While they were still struggling to dodge, Ling Qingxiao had already begun counterattacking.
The infamous jungle vines—widely recognized as the most fearsome obstacle—were as obedient as carrots before Ling Qingxiao’s sword, letting him slice through them at will.
The joys and sorrows of this world do not align. Zou Jibai lamented for a moment before sighing, "I feel like this formation is unfair. Bird clans and dragon clans can fly; of course, it’s easier for them to pass. Our clan was never built for agility. If we’re not competing in strength but in maneuvering, isn’t that just deliberately making things hard for us?"
Luo Han shook his head. "It’s not unfair. Ling Qingxiao is just too strong. I once knew a member of the bird clan—a Vermillion Bird, no less—who nearly coughed up blood trying to keep up with him in flight."
Hearing that, Zou Jibai immediately felt much better. "Even the Vermillion Bird clan can’t outfly him? Then it’s perfectly normal for me to lose to him."
"Exactly." Luo Han nodded. "I wonder if Ye Zinan will show up this time. If he does, I’ll introduce you to him."
Zou Jibai agreed without hesitation. He had just witnessed Ling Qingxiao clear two entire maps with zero hits taken. The very same map that had beaten Zou Jibai to the ground yesterday was effortlessly conquered by Ling Qingxiao’s sword. Zou Jibai felt a mix of envy and relief as he lowered his voice and whispered to Luo Han, "Hey, what do you think they’ll set the new assessment standards at this time?"
Luo Han and Zou Jibai looked at each other and shared a knowing smile. There was no need to put schadenfreude into words; a single glance said it all.
They were already looking forward to seeing the expressions of the other students in Group B when the new passing criteria were announced. Joy is best enjoyed alone, but suffering must be shared.
Two quarters of an hour passed quickly. Then, at last, the announcement Luo Han had been waiting for rang out:
"Spatial Formation Training Room, Group B: New highest score recorded. Top scorer—Ling Qingxiao. Assessment difficulty upgraded to Grade A. Randomized beasts will now appear in the formation. Updated passing criteria: four quarters of an hour, with an average damage rate of fifty per one thousand per quarter."
Luo Han nearly cursed out loud. Ling Qingxiao hadn’t just raised the assessment standard—he had pushed it up by two entire difficulty levels. Grade A...That was even tougher than the hardest challenge from the previous day.
The two underachievers, who had originally planned to gloat over others' misfortunes, could no longer laugh. They might have gotten lucky this time, but they couldn't rely on luck every time. The next time the challenge reached Grade A, they would be the ones suffering.
The disciples who had yet to pass their assessments groaned in despair. Meanwhile, the others in Group B, who hadn’t experienced yesterday’s brutal trials, remained blissfully unaware, glancing around in confusion.
"What’s wrong? What did that announcement mean?"
The group of privileged young elites, who had been casually chatting just moments ago, also froze. The message had been simple enough, but...was it really saying what they thought it was saying?
Su Yinyue suddenly panicked and turned to Ling Zhongyu in distress. "Cousin, I haven’t taken my assessment yet. Will my standards be based on the old criteria, or...the new one?"
Ling Zhongyu’s expression wasn’t great either—because he hadn’t taken his yet, either.
He had been too busy socializing, maintaining connections, and hadn’t gotten around to completing his task for the day.
Yesterday’s difficulty had been Grade C. Grade A shouldn’t be too different...right?
Hearing the commotion, disciples from other training rooms gathered at the entrance of Room B, eager to watch the spectacle.
"What did the announcement say just now?" someone asked.
"The difficulty level just got upgraded. It’s now Grade A."
A collective gasp rang out. Those who had survived yesterday’s trials exchanged sympathetic glances with the Group B students and said nothing—only offering them a silent look of pity.
"Yesterday, at least it was still Grade B. Good luck. Don’t talk—just start training. I hope I see you in the lottery draw tomorrow morning."
The glowing formation barrier outside Ling Qingxiao’s platform slowly faded. Luo Han saw him remain silent and cautiously asked, "You don’t look very satisfied?"
"Mm." Ling Qingxiao sheathed his sword, responding with a faint hum.
Luo Han had already passed his assessment today, and at this moment, he felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction from watching the chaos unfold. He enthusiastically encouraged Ling Qingxiao, "If you’re not satisfied, then practice some more. It’s fine—I’ll wait for you outside."
Zou Jibai couldn’t take it anymore. He took a step back, looking at Luo Han in shock. "Luo Han, have some mercy! Your day will come too!"
"Shut up." Luo Han glared at Zou Jibai. "You’re not any better than me, so you have no right to speak."
Ling Qingxiao watched the two of them bicker and, for some reason, found it an eyesore. He suddenly spoke up, uncharacteristically cutting into their conversation.
"Luo Han."
Luo Han turned around. Ling Qingxiao’s expression was as indifferent as ever, his tone purely businesslike.
"It’s time for you to practice."
Here it was again. Luo Han instantly deflated, shoulders slumping as he weakly mumbled, "…Mm."
Meanwhile, the next batch of assessments had begun.
Inside the glowing formation, Su Yinyue suddenly noticed that something felt off.
Was it like this yesterday?
Before she could react, something coiled around her ankle. In the next instant, she was yanked into the air, hanging upside down.
"AHH!" Su Yinyue shrieked as a massive python slithered out from the underbrush, its blood-red eyes locking onto her unblinkingly as it slowly approached.
The young masters who had been chatting earlier turned their heads at her cry. The moment they saw Su Yinyue’s predicament, they all inhaled sharply.
So this was what 'Grade A, random beasts' meant.
For years, Su Yinyue had focused all her efforts on clinging to Ling Zhongyu rather than training. Her cultivation was built entirely on rare herbs and spiritual treasures, leaving her with no real combat ability. She struggled fruitlessly against the vines wrapped around her ankle, only to find herself completely immobilized.
When she turned and saw the giant python staring her down, she panicked entirely, forgetting even the most basic spells.
Her attacks were utterly ineffective—barely scratching the python’s scales. Worse, her flailing only served to enrage the beast.
The python flicked its tongue, then abruptly lunged, its crimson maw gaping wide.
The commotion immediately drew the attention of the onlookers outside. A chorus of shocked exclamations filled the room.
Then—just as the python’s fangs were about to sink into her—everything inside the formation abruptly vanished.
Su Yinyue crashed heavily onto the stone platform, her face pale with shock.
Above her, a cold, merciless line of text appeared on the assessment screen:
"Participant has died. Assessment failed. Restart in fifteen minutes. Countdown begins—"
The scenes within the formation were illusions, but the attacks that landed were real—so was the pain. Su Yinyue had never experienced such agony before. She collapsed to the ground, unable to get up for a moment.
Her suffering sent shockwaves through the crowd. All at once, the chatter, the resting, and the idle spectating came to an abrupt halt.
Luo Han was also a little scared. Yesterday, there had been no demonic beasts—she only had to avoid environmental traps. Thanks to her innate sensitivity to spiritual energy fluctuations, she had barely managed to get by. But if she had to face a demonic beast now, with her current level of attack power, she wouldn’t fare much better than Su Yinyue.
Her fingers hovered over the formation plate, hesitating to press the start button. She was internally screaming at herself to back out. Sneaking a glance at Ling Qingxiao, she tentatively asked, “Can I step down?”
Ling Qingxiao was also seeing demonic beasts for the first time. He had adjusted the difficulty settings, but he himself had never tried the updated trial. Without firsthand experience, he wasn’t entirely sure about letting Luo Han face the beasts alone.
After a brief silence, he sighed and said, “It’s fine. I’ll go with you.”
With that, he landed lightly on Luo Han’s platform, nodded, and said, “Go ahead.”
The platform itself was a spatial formation, so even with an extra person, it didn’t feel crowded. With Ling Qingxiao behind her, Luo Han’s confidence soared. Without hesitation, she activated the formation.
In an instant, the scenery shifted. By coincidence, it was the same map Su Yinyue had just encountered.
The training hall fell into a hush. Aside from a few people who were still in the middle of their trials and couldn’t stop, everyone else had paused to watch Ling Qingxiao and Luo Han’s formation platform. Even the entrance was crowded with onlookers.
The moment the scene changed, Luo Han sensed something off near her feet. She instinctively leaped aside. Almost simultaneously, a vine burst out of the ground, tightly coiling around the spot where she had just been standing.
Ling Qingxiao swung his sword in a sweeping arc. The surrounding vines were severed cleanly by his sword energy, finally granting them a moment of respite.
“It moves underground and fears fire. Surround yourself with fire-attribute spiritual energy,” he instructed.
“Got it.” Luo Han formed a series of mudras with her fingers, quickly manipulating fire spiritual energy to gather around her. She condensed it into a thin protective layer over the ground beneath her feet, preventing anything from unexpectedly bursting up to entangle her.
Zou Jibai’s eyes widened at the sight. He had always thought Luo Han was just as bad at cultivation as he was, which was why he considered her a true friend. But now...not only could Luo Han refine five-element spiritual energy, she could also precisely control fire energy to form a delicate protective membrane.
Since when did a supposed “cultivation failure” have this kind of skill?
Zou Jibai clutched his chest in silent despair. So it turned out that he was the only one telling the truth. Luo Han always complained about how useless she was, and he had actually believed her. But when the exam results came out, the only one who turned out to be truly terrible...was him.
Luo Han had deceived him. She wasn’t useless at all!