While the candidates who had entered the examination hall earlier were still scratching their heads and pondering the question, Pei Lengxue and Feng Yudie had already filled up most of their exam papers.
This scene naturally caught the attention of Elder Wang and the old man with a white beard beside him.
The old man with the white beard stroked his lengthy beard and asked, “Shouren, what’s the background of those two girls? You personally escorted them into the examination hall.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Shouren immediately bowed and replied, “The silver-haired girl is personally taught by True Immortal Tai Xu, so I went to check on her.”
“Tai Xu’s disciple?”
“Yes, this girl is named Feng Yudie, with a Heavenly Spiritual Root aptitude. As for the other person, she’s an attendant.”
The old man with the white beard’s eyes beneath his long eyebrows widened slightly, and he glanced at Feng Yudie, chuckling softly.
“Now that you mention it, I do see a bit of Tai Xu’s mischievous spirit in her.”
—The old man with the white beard was named Qi Baishi, an elder of the Profound Star Academy in the Profound Star Sect. He was currently at the mid-Nascent Soul stage of cultivation, not particularly high within the sect, but because all the current elders of the Profound Star Sect had once been his students, even the sect master would bow to him and address him as ‘Mr. Qi’.
Wang Shouren hurriedly stepped forward to pour tea for him, praying that Feng Yudie and Pei Lengxue would answer the questions honestly and not engage in any underhanded activities like cheating.
Otherwise, if Mr. Qi were to discover it later, he would surely erupt in anger, and Wang Shouren would have to withstand his wrath while interceding for Feng Yudie.
However, at this moment, Feng Yudie was already contemplating how to pass the answers to Pei Lengxue.
“Xiaotian, go and see how Miss Pei is doing with her answers. See if there’s a way to pass her the answers.”
Xiaotian felt a bit helpless. After putting away its Heavenly Dao scroll, it flew directly toward Pei Lengxue’s seat. The restrictions placed on the desks couldn’t hinder it.
『I’ll take a look.』
Pei Lengxue and Feng Yudie were quite far apart. Xiaotian floated for a while before finally reaching her side.
Seeing that she was earnestly writing, it realized that most likely, that young man Ye from the Hundred Lotus Sect had prepared her in advance. After all, that Ye somehow knew the topic of the Profound Star Sect’s exam in advance.
However, when it saw the content she had written on her paper, Xiaotian was instantly dumbfounded—Pei Lengxue’s answers were exactly the same as the passage it had just read aloud from the Heavenly Dao scroll for Feng Yudie.
『This…』
Regarding the question about the “Dao Heart,” there were countless possible answers.
However, the passage it had just read aloud to Feng Yudie was the “Heavenly Dao’s” interpretation of the Dao Heart. No one in the world could possibly interpret the term “Dao Heart” in the same way as that passage.
Perhaps there were cultivators who had comprehended that passage, but they were likely powerful cultivators who had practiced for hundreds of years. Moreover, even they couldn’t elaborate on the concept of the “Dao Heart” as clearly as the “Heavenly Dao” did in those five hundred words.
How could this girl know the answer?
Xiaotian frowned, finding it hard to believe that Pei Lengxue could come up with this answer on her own. Even if that young master from the Hundred Lotus Sect had given her the topic in advance, there was no way she could produce this answer.
At this moment, Pei Lengxue had also finished writing the last word and signed her name at the end.
Without hesitation, she glanced over the approximately five hundred words she had written and called out, “Finished.”
A halo enveloped her, and Pei Lengxue was transported out of the examination hall ahead of time.
Far away, Feng Yudie, who had already transcribed the answers with Xiaotian’s help, saw Pei Lengxue leave. She hesitated for a moment and then hurriedly whispered, “Finished,” causing her and Xiaotian to be transported out of the examination hall.
Wang Shouren, who was standing in the center of the venue, noticed that both of them had completed their papers in just fifteen minutes and was somewhat surprised.
“Both of them finished so quickly?”
He raised an eyebrow, thinking of going over to collect their papers in advance to take a look. However, before he could move, Qi Baishi beside him waved his spiritual power and collected the exam papers of Feng Yudie and Pei Lengxue.
“Shouren, did both of them draw the ‘Dao Heart’ topic?”
“Ah… yes,” Wang Shouren nodded.
“The interpretation of the Dao Heart for them, at their age, is ethereal. I wonder how Tai Xu taught them…”
“Then, please be lenient when grading, sir. Both of them are only fifteen years old, and this topic might be quite challenging for them.”
“I will exercise discretion.”
Qi Baishi smoothed his beard and took the two papers from mid-air to examine.
He first looked at Feng Yudie’s paper. When he saw the tiny words crawling on the paper like ants, he couldn’t help but sigh in exhaustion.
“These handwriting…”
Beside him, Wang Shouren leaned in for a look and quickly chimed in, trying to lighten the mood, “Ahaha… that girl managed to replicate her master’s handwriting, it’s true that True Immortal Tai Xu’s handwriting has always been difficult to decipher.”
“Why bother learning the bad and not the good? She’s imitating her master so accurately…” Qi Baishi sighed lightly, holding back his discomfort and focusing on the content.
However, as he read on, his white brows suddenly furrowed.
The answer was overly perfect, to the point where even if he wanted to find faults to deduct points, he could only deduct a few points for Feng Yudie’s illegible handwriting.
Qi Baishi sighed, “Indeed, she’s a disciple of Tai Xu. To be able to grasp the concept to this extent.”
He didn’t believe that this answer on the paper regarding the Dao Heart was something Feng Yudie had comprehended herself. He instinctively thought that Tai Xu had dictated it to her, and she had memorized it.
Wang Shouren also breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, “After all, it’s personally taught by True Immortal Tai Xu.”
However, in the next moment, when Qi Baishi saw Pei Lengxue’s answer, he suddenly slammed the table.
Smack—
“This is unreasonable!”
This action startled Wang Shouren, and he quickly asked, “What’s wrong, sir?”
“Read it for yourself!”
Qi Baishi threw the two exam papers in his hand to Wang Shouren.
After taking them, Wang Shouren glanced left and right and couldn’t help but inhale sharply.
Pei Lengxue’s handwriting was neat and refined, but the answers were identical to Feng Yudie’s down to every single word.
Two people, starting the exam simultaneously, had written two essays that were exactly the same. Even the pauses in punctuation were identical.
“… …”
Wang Shouren couldn’t help but curse in his heart: These two foolish girls. Even if they were sharing answers, they could have at least made some modifications or added a few sentences. Copying word for word like this, aren’t they just inviting trouble?
Pausing for a moment, he quickly came up with an excuse for Pei Lengxue, “Sir, perhaps this is just a coincidence?”
“A coincidence?” Qi Baishi glared at him, “Whether it’s sharing answers or receiving them, both will receive zero points and their qualification for selection will be revoked.”
“Ah… sir, this… Feng Yudie is a disciple of True Immortal Tai Xu.”
“What if she’s Tai Xu’s disciple? I don’t tolerate rule-breaking individuals, no matter who they are. I have never shown leniency.”
Wang Shouren paused for a moment, then leaned in and whispered, “Sir, Feng Yudie is not only True Immortal Tai Xu’s disciple but also a descendant of the Immortal Emperor. The Profound Star Sect…”
“A descendant of the Immortal Emperor?” Qi Baishi narrowed his eyes slightly but remained firm, “So what? Does the Sect Master want to give her special treatment? Huh, then let the Sect Master come to talk to me personally.”
“… …”
Wang Shouren was momentarily speechless.
The Sect Master had previously asked him to keep an eye on Feng Yudie and assist her if possible.
But if Feng Yudie’s qualifications are truly revoked by Qi Baishi, it would be strange if he isn’t scolded to death by the sect master when she returns.
After pondering for a while, he also said, ‘Sir, whether this matter is accidental or not has not yet been determined. It still needs to be verified with the Heart-Questioning Cauldron. What if it really is just a coincidence?’
Looking at him, Qi Baishi fell silent for a moment, nodding. ‘Then immediately bring the two people back now. I will personally use the Heart-Questioning Cauldron to inquire.”
“Ah… understood.”
If you want to see up to 40+ Advanced Chapters ahead of this one for free, you can go to my Patreon.
