Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, two months had passed. It was now the depths of winter, and countless islands of the academy were blanketed in vast expanses of white snow. It had been snowing for days, but today was a rare clear day, with the pristine snow glistening brightly under the sunlight.
In the special training arena on the eastern island, Li Fei’s group of four was engaged in combat practice under the guidance of Hu Jiaping. Though called an arena, it was an ordinary room enhanced with the Pocket Dimension Celestial Technique. The interior mirrored the miasma forest from the second selection, albeit on a smaller scale.
Li Fei was currently hidden behind a tree, her Yuan Power activated. A thin layer of mist enveloped her, gradually concealing her form. This was the Mist Illusion Technique, one of the basic Water Element Celestial Techniques and the most fundamental illusory art.
Concentrating her hearing, she detected faint footsteps from the west. Cautiously peeking out, she saw Bai Li Gelin slowly emerging from the depths of the forest. Bai Li Gelin was on high alert, scanning her surroundings. Only after confirming the area was clear did she focus on a black stone pedestal in a forest clearing.
A brocade box rested atop the pedestal. This was Hu Jiaping’s training exercise: whoever obtained the item inside the box first would win, while the three losers would have to find a book in the Archive Tower and copy it from start to finish.
Just as Bai Li Gelin’s hand was about to touch the box, Li Fei prepared to move. Suddenly, Ji Tongzhou let out a loud shout, followed by a burst of flame. The domineering fire instantly expanded towards Li Fei, forcing her to drop her illusion and dodge. As the flames dissipated, Ji Tongzhou was seen charging towards the pedestal. Bai Li Gelin, surrounded by swirling frost, her palm emanating green light, flung her hand outward, sending a stream of small emerald leaves toward him. These leaves might look harmless, but even a single one could sprout countless vines to bind a person tightly. Having fallen victim to this before, Ji Tongzhou narrowly avoided them.
Taking advantage of their confrontation, Li Fei seized the opportunity to snatch the box. However, the ground beneath her feet suddenly trembled, followed by several golden beams shooting up from the earth. More golden light rained down from above. Li Fei recognized this as Lei Xiyuan’s Tai’a Technique, a Metal Element Celestial Technique that could penetrate even ice walls. Li Fei quickly summoned a circle of ochre light to envelop herself. A series of clanging sounds rang out as the golden light struck her Earth Element defensive aura. The ochre light gradually dimmed, almost fading away, but at that moment, Li Fei’s hand finally touched the brocade box.
Simultaneously, three other hands grasped the box. Ji Tongzhou angrily exclaimed, “Let go, all of you! Do you want all four of us to copy books?”
Bai Li Gelin glared at him, retorting, “Why don’t you let go first?”
Ji Tongzhou, not bothering to argue with her, turned haughtily to Lei Xiyuan, “Hey! Let go!”
Their relationship seemed perpetually strained, always on the verge of conflict. Lei Xiyuan calmly stated, “I touched the box first.”
Ji Tongzhou fumed, “No way! My fingers touched it first!”
“Well, I have more contact. My entire palm is on it.”
“Nonsense! Then my whole arm is on it!”
Lei Xiyuan glanced at him, “Why don’t you just say your entire body is standing on the box?”
Standing on the box? Li Fei almost laughed out loud. It seemed today would be another day of all four copying books. She painfully massaged her fingers, which felt close to breaking after days of continuous writing.
Hu Jiaping’s figure materialized before the black stone pedestal. He looked at the box, then at the four children opposite him. None of them would yield, each pulling the box back and forth, arguing chaotically.
“Looks like it’s another draw today,” he said with a smile. “I guess you’ll all have to copy another book.”
As expected, they would all be copying again! The children’s faces instantly soured, each looking utterly dejected as they left the special training arena. Hu Jiaping suddenly remembered something and called out, “Oh, right, there’s a test tomorrow starting at 9 AM. Gather in front of the special training arena. Don’t be late.”
All four were startled. What test? There hadn’t been any prior indication!
“Have you all forgotten?” Hu Jiaping shook his head. “It’s the Five Elements Basic Celestial Techniques test, along with the Spirit Root Attribute Celestial Techniques test. Both will be conducted together. Now, off you go, and don’t forget to submit your copied books tomorrow.”
Ji Tongzhou exclaimed in shock, “We still have to copy books when there’s a test tomorrow?!”
“You don’t have to,” Hu Jiaping chuckled. “You can spar with me instead. If you last two incense sticks’ worth of time, you’re free to go.”
Without another word, all four children flew away on their swords. They had no desire to spar with this annoying instructor! The last time Bai Li Gelin complained about copying books, Hu Jiaping had offered the sparring option. If they could last two incense sticks, they would never have to copy books again. The four of them had confidently agreed, and then…
The mere thought of that experience made their bodies itch all over. None of them could even touch a single hair on Hu Jiaping’s head. Instead, they were subjected to his Tickle Celestial Technique, rolling on the ground and laughing so hard they nearly cried. Since then, no one dared mention sparring again.
During the lunch break, while others were eating in the northern dining hall, the four of them glumly went to the Archive Tower to find books. After other disciples finished their meals and either cultivated or rested, the four were still in the dining hall, heads down, copying away. The disciples under other instructors were so fortunate!
Especially that Fire Lotus Pavilion female disciple who replaced Lin You. She spoke gently and softly and was in charge of Ye Ye and Bai Li Changyue’s group of four. Rumor had it that she never got angry and was always willing to answer questions. In contrast, their instructor Hu Jiaping seemed to make them copy books at every turn, which was simply inhumane.
While they were copying, a male disciple came looking for Bai Li Gelin several times. She ignored him until finally, exasperated, she shouted, “Are you going to help me copy or not?! If not, then leave!”
The boy, blushing, stammered, “O-okay, Gelin. For you, I’m willing to help copy.”
Bai Li Gelin immediately thrust the brush into his hand and walked away with a radiant smile, leaving behind the poor, dumbfounded boy to do her work.
The other three in the group were long accustomed to such scenes. There was never a shortage of boys around Bai Li Gelin. One day she’d be laughing with a boy surnamed Zhao, the next admiring scenery with one surnamed Wu, and a few days later, it would be someone named Hong. Almost none of the male disciples in the academy had escaped her charms.
To be honest, Li Fei could barely remember what Bai Li Gelin used to be like before. She still joked and confided in Li Fei, still jested affectionately with Ye Ye and the others, but something had changed. Whether this change was good or bad for Bai Li Gelin, Li Fei couldn’t say. But Gelin smiled every day now and hadn’t cried since, so perhaps it was a good thing.
As others finished their meals, they hadn’t even copied half of their assigned texts. Ji Tongzhou, his hand shaking from writing, angrily threw his brush away and stormed off, likely to buy food in the disciples’ quarters.
He used to always eat alone in the northern dining hall, but after what seemed like several tearful pleas from Princess Lan Ya, he finally agreed to dine with her in the disciples’ quarters every noon. Nearly half a year at the academy, and this noble princess still maintained her royal airs, refusing to eat with commoners — quite a spectacle indeed.
The boy copying for Bai Li Gelin looked forlorn. He glanced around, put down his brush, and mumbled, “Um… where did Gelin go? When will she be back?”
Lei Xiyuan, still writing, casually remarked, “Probably off enjoying a romantic rendezvous with someone else.”
Tears immediately welled up in the boy’s eyes as he gazed at Lei Xiyuan with a helpless, confused expression.
As the saying goes, one comment makes people laugh, the next makes them jump — this perfectly describes Lei Xiyuan. Heaven knows how Elder Lu had taught him to be like this, casually dropping hurtful comments, making it hard to decide whether to dislike or like him.
The boy ran off crying, having barely copied a few lines. Bai Li Gelin would likely be furious when she returned. Li Fei packed away her writing materials and started eating a vegetarian meal. Halfway through, she felt someone staring at her. Looking up, she met Lei Xiyuan’s clear, dark eyes.
“What is it?” she asked.
Lei Xiyuan said calmly, “Haven’t you noticed? You’ve changed so much, it’s like you’re a different person.”
What did he mean? Was he referring to her personality or something else? Li Fei was momentarily stunned.
His beautiful eyes shifted to her side. Li Fei followed his gaze to see an unfamiliar boy at a nearby table staring at her. Upon being discovered, he immediately lowered his head, blushing, no longer daring to look.
She was still confused. This person was looking at her? Did he know her?
“Never mind, not noticing might be a good thing,” Lei Xiyuan smiled at her and said no more.
What did he mean? Li Fei was completely baffled.
In the end, Lei Xiyuan never explained it to her. That day, the four of them copied until the moon was high in the sky before finishing the book. Each was exhausted, their faces pale and fingers cramping. Upon returning to the disciples’ quarters, Li Fei was too tired even to wash her face, collapsing onto her bed, about to drift off to sleep.
But for some reason, sleep eluded her.
She raised her hand, fingers threading through her hair, slowly combing. Ri Yan had once said he could transform into a single strand of her hair to conceal his presence. She didn’t have much, but her hair was her most abundant feature, her braids thicker than others. Which of these countless strands was he?
It had been two months since returning from the forbidden area to the academy. Li Fei sighed silently. Ri Yan… why haven’t you awakened yet?
That day, he had been briefly roused by the sealed demonic aura on the Golden Suanni’s back, managing to speak for a while before quickly falling back into slumber. She had thought he would sleep for just three or four days longer than usual before waking again, but he had remained asleep ever since. Two months had passed in the blink of an eye, and she realized she truly missed that little white fox, no bigger than her thumb.
Would he never wake up? A hint of panic flashed through Li Fei’s heart. She had found herself thinking about this unintentionally these past days. This feeling of fear and sadness was something she didn’t want to experience a second time.
If only she could be a little stronger, not have to rely on Ri Yan for everything, and even be able to protect him. That would be wonderful.
“Ri Yan… Ri Yan? Are you still not awake?” Li Fei’s head was buried in her pillow as she called out to him, muffled. As usual, there was no response.
Just like the day her master suddenly left, she felt a similar sense of sudden abandonment and loneliness. Even with friends, laughing and having fun every day, friends were different from Ri Yan and her master. At some point, Ri Yan had become a substitute for her master in her heart. Although he often lost his temper, he was someone she could rely on. It was because of his presence that she had gradually adapted to cultivation at the academy. Her life had found a brand new beginning because of meeting him.
Ri Yan, when will you wake up?
As the long winter night dragged on, Li Fei’s thoughts drifted, and she finally fell into a deep sleep.