Ming Li didn’t refuse, as she also wanted to go to Nan Que and see why its people were so antagonistic toward Bei Dou.

If she could return to her former stellar meridian power, she could instantly summon the Divine Wood Bow far away in Bei Dou and inform the people of the Bei Dou Seven Sects that she was still alive.

Uncle Xu didn’t keep them waiting long. In about a quarter hour, he came out and stood at the doorway, tossing the items Qian Li needed to him.

Qian Li hurriedly caught them, grinning at Uncle Xu: “Thanks, Uncle Xu!”

Uncle Xu silently looked at him once, then said hoarsely: “This is the last time. If you insist on leaving Ji Dan, no one can protect you.”

Qian Li was completely unaffected by these words, still smiling brightly: “I know, I know. My life is in my own hands. You just focus on doing good business, making more money, and finding yourself a wife!”

After saying this, he grabbed Fang Hui and ran off: “Registration! Let’s hurry and register! We’ll compete today!”

Ming Li stood still and didn’t move.

Qian Li, who had run some distance, ran back: “Genius, didn’t you agree to help me?”

Fang Hui said with a black face: “Why didn’t you pull her along too?”

Qian Li shook his head frantically: “Shut up! I’m not the kind of frivolous person who holds a girl’s hand the day after meeting her!”

Ming Li turned her gaze from Uncle Xu, who was carrying boxes, back to Qian Li and asked: “Did he mean you’ll die if you leave Ji Dan?”

“It’s not that dramatic,” Qian Li laughed, scratching his head. “I just have quite a few enemies, so leaving my territory is a bit dangerous, that’s all. I won’t die.”

Fang Hui stood expressionlessly beside them, adjusting his sleeves, showing no intention of helping with an explanation.

Ming Li asked: “How many enemies do you have?”

Qian Li: “Not that many.”

Ming Li: “How many is ‘not that many’?”

Qian Li replied reluctantly: “Just forty or fifty!”

Ming Li nodded, “Indeed, not many.”

Qian Li: “…”

Fang Hui couldn’t help but glance at the two idiots.

Having obtained the answer she wanted, Ming Li stepped forward and said, “Let’s go.”

“Hey,” Qian Li looked at Ming Li’s calm expression, thinking that geniuses were indeed unfathomable, and called out to her, “This way!”

Ming Li turned back: “Oh.”

Qian Li couldn’t help but ask: “Genius, are you one of those pampered young ladies from a noble family who has come out to experience the mortal world?”

Ming Li looked at him with surprise: “No.”

Qian Li puzzled: “Really? I’m usually quite good at reading people!”

Since becoming a pilgrim and taking charge of guarding Bei Dou’s sect treasure, Ming Li rarely left Bei Dou. When she occasionally went into seclusion, she would be out of contact with the outside world for months. She indeed had little experience with worldly suffering and mortal affairs.

Because she interacted with the most elite existences in this world.

She often contended with the most mysterious and powerful forces between heaven and earth.

But Ming Li’s senior and junior brothers and sisters doted on her greatly. They had grown up together since childhood and had deep feelings for each other. In a sense, Qian Li’s guess wasn’t wrong.

*

The Zhu Que State had thousands of cities, large and small. Ji Dan City was just one small place among them, yet it had over a hundred martial academies and a branch of the Martial Supervisory Alliance stationed there to oversee and organize the annual martial academy trials.

There were many people at the martial academy trials venue. The Martial Supervisory Alliance member responsible for registration looked up to scan the three people before the table, then looked at the martial academy competition certificate in his hand, falling into contemplation.

Although it was fake, the three people standing before the table were either forthright or composed, as if they didn’t care even if the forgery was discovered.

The registrar said, “Tianchi Martial Academy… quite an unusual name.”

Fang Hui and Ming Li showed no expression, only Qian Li scratched his head: “Haha!”

“Your academy has only three people?” the registrar asked.

Qian Li smiled apologetically: “Our academy isn’t big, so we don’t have many presentable people.”

The registrar smiled slightly, returned the martial academy certificate to him, and picked up his brush: “Names.”

“My name is Qian Li.” He pointed to the two beside him, “Fang Hui, Zhou Li.”

The registrar quickly issued the competition qualifications and let them enter the inner field of the trials.

Ming Li raised her hand to look at the blue cord tied around her wrist, which had the emblem of her affiliated martial academy and her name hanging from it.

This was her first time participating in martial academy trials. She had heard some disciples talk about it before. Each major state had thousands of cities, and there were countless martial academies.

Students from martial academies had to go through various internal competitions every year, then proceed to external trials for promotion and selection. The victorious portion generally had only two choices:

First, join the Martial Supervisory Alliance and continue to strive, from city branches to state headquarters, and then to the Great Qin Imperial Capital’s main alliance.

Second, join a sect, diligently cultivate, and become a sect disciple.

These were not just choices but goals that countless students strived for.

The inner field of the trials was an open-air martial platform. Directly above was a viewing tower where the Martial Supervisory Alliance and some people of status and position sat, elegantly observing the strength of this year’s martial academy students.

The trial platform was circular, surrounded by layer upon layer of overlapping viewing stands, three circles in total, with many people already seated.

Many Martial Supervisory Alliance personnel responsible for supervision and inspection stood in both the outer area and the inner field. They wore unified black and red clothing, with three-leaf badges representing the Martial Supervisory Alliance at their waists, engraved with their names and positions.

Qian Li sat down on a viewing seat, leaning back against the chair in a relaxed posture, looking at the two people competing in the field and sighing: “We made it just in time. Our goal isn’t high, just to get into the top ten.”

Ming Li looked around, thinking this goal indeed wasn’t too high.

Qian Li explained: “The martial academy trials can be seen as a team competition, bringing glory to one’s academy. It’s best of five, with three wins needed. The winner can continue fighting, so a minimum of three people is required to participate.”

Best of five, with three wins needed—in their situation, with only three people, they must win every match.

But if the winner could continue fighting, it meant that as long as one person could win three consecutive matches, the other two wouldn’t need to act.

After Qian Li finished explaining, he asked the two mutes beside him: “Who’s going first?”

Fang Hui: “She goes first.”

Ming Li: “All right.”

End of topic.

Qian Li puffed his cheeks, looking at the two of them, feeling a bit of a headache.

Ming Li asked: “What happens if we make it to the top ten?”

Qian Li explained: “The top ten can go directly to another transition point for a second trial. If you maintain excellent results in the top ten of the entire Zhu Que State’s trials, you can skip the mountain challenge and enter Nan Que directly. Those outside the top ten will undergo a retest, which takes more time.”

Ming Li frowned as she listened, “Continuing with trials also wastes a lot of time.”

Qian Li hurriedly said: “Don’t worry! Our goal isn’t to reach the top ten in Zhu Que State’s trials. We just need to get a top ten certification in one region, and then we can go directly to Nan Que to challenge for mountain entry. Generally, people who aren’t confident in the state selection trials choose this method. It’s not that we lack confidence; we’re just pressed for time. And even if we fail during the state selection trials, as long as we’ve been in the top ten in a city, we can still challenge for mountain entry. There are many methods, but none escape the requirement of being a martial academy student.”

Ming Li’s knowledge of Nan Que increased again. In the past, she had never paid attention to what Nan Que’s mountain entry rules were.

At that time, though Nan Que wasn’t as arrogant and obvious toward Bei Dou as now, there were already some signs.

For instance, the relationship between her and Nan Que’s pilgrim wasn’t particularly harmonious.

Ming Li fell silent, lost in thoughts of the past.

Qian Li, fearing she might be dissatisfied and disband the group on the spot, continued talking to appease her until he noticed a girl with a scorpion braid walking toward them and stopped.

The scorpion-braided girl had proud eyes and a contemptuous demeanor. After giving Ming Li a once-over, her gaze landed on Qian Li as she said in a crisp voice: “Lost dog, where did you lure such a pretty sister from to join you in the martial academy trials?”

Ming Li and Fang Hui both looked up.

Qian Li lost his usual frivolous smile, his expression unnatural as he said: “None of your business.”

“Of course it’s not my business, I just can’t stand you deceiving others.” The scorpion-braided girl sat down unceremoniously beside Ming Li, but looked past her at Qian Li, “This pretty sister probably doesn’t know the consequences of helping you leave Ji Dan, right?”

Qian Li said coldly: “Jiang Wuyue, go back to your viewing tower and rave there.”

The scorpion braid gave a cold laugh, stood up, and looked down at Qian Li: “I just love seeing you, a lost dog, bark impotently at me. Perform well with your two stray dogs; don’t let me waste my trip today.”

After speaking, she cast a contemptuous sidelong glance at Ming Li, then turned and walked toward the viewing tower. The Martial Supervisory Alliance members she passed treated her with utmost respect, and maids who had been waiting followed at her side.

Ming Li watched as this arrogant scorpion-braided girl reached the viewing tower and sat together with the Ji Dan City Lord and others, yet others treated her with great respect, indicating her status far above the City Lord and others.

Qian Li sat with a dejected face, saying nothing, and the atmosphere between the three momentarily dropped to freezing point.

Fang Hui suddenly said, “I didn’t expect you had such a nickname, ‘lost dog.'”

Qian Li exclaimed in frustration: “Want it for yourself?”

Fang Hui nodded toward Ming Li, and Qian Li immediately turned to explain to her: “Don’t listen to that crazy woman’s nonsense. My enemies do have principles; they only target me, not others. Otherwise, he would have been dead long ago.”

He pointed at Fang Hui as he said this.

Ming Li was still looking at Jiang Wuyue in the viewing tower and asked: “Is she one of your enemies?”

Qian Li said solemnly: “She is my biggest enemy.”

“Let’s talk about the matter at hand.” Fang Hui finally put down his book, his gaze passing over Qian Li to look at Ming Li. “Are you confident?”

Ming Li withdrew her gaze and looked at the young men and women below, saying, “It won’t be very difficult.”

After all, there weren’t any six-meridian full boundary, seven-meridian life-and-death boundary, or eight-meridian seventh-boundary pilgrims down there.

Qian Li reassured her: “It’s okay, don’t feel pressured. You’re only at single-meridian full boundary, and it’s the weakest Third Palace position…”

Ming Li frowned as she listened, “The Third Palace position governs qi circulation, which includes not only the qi flow within the human body but also the qi of heaven and earth.”

Qian Li was stunned by her sudden, serious explanation: “I know that!”

Ming Li continued: “The teacher earlier didn’t mention the most important point. Many people, though they’ve awakened all eight palace stellar meridians, can never cultivate all eight meridians to their extreme. This is not only because of awakening issues but also because talent has already determined which stellar meridian they are most suited to cultivate. Even if they’ve awakened that stellar meridian, if they’re unsuited for it, they cannot cultivate it.”

Fang Hui, who was reading, paused his gaze slightly.

Qian Li scratched his head. “That’s true.”

“What you consider the weakest, the Third Palace Qi Circulation Meridian, is the main stellar meridian in which the current Literary Saint excels.” Ming Li appeared very composed and serious when discussing cultivation matters. “His qi circulation word techniques can achieve one word, one city.”

This was the widely known city massacre by the Literary Saint.

Years ago, when he followed the current Emperor of Great Qin on a campaign to the You River, he broke through to the life-and-death boundary midway, rising to become a pilgrim. At the gate of You River Royal City, he spoke just one word, causing the heads of over ten thousand enemy soldiers within the city to fall. It took more than a month just to clear the heads from the city.

Qian Li spread his hands and said, “I also know about the Literary Saint’s city massacre, but that’s something only a pilgrim’s strength can achieve.”

Ming Li said, “If you find the right method of cultivation, there are no weak stellar meridians.”

Qian Li looked up at the sky and said, “My qi circulation word technique can’t even help me cross water, so I won’t dream of massacring cities.”

After finishing, he looked at Ming Li again and asked curiously: “Can you do it?”

Ming Li: “Not yet.”

Qian Li couldn’t help but applaud: “The ‘not yet’ is very impressive.”

Ming Li blinked, and at this moment, she thought of her junior brother Zhou Zixi.

Zhou Zixi was very skilled in customized spiritual techniques and abilities, often needing knowledge of the qi circulation meridian, so he frequently came to her for guidance.

He was a genius in the qi circulation meridian, with the Third Palace at the innate full boundary. Ming Li had always thought that even without becoming a pilgrim like the Literary Saint, he could still achieve the Literary Saint’s city massacre power.

Two months before she went to the Northern Border, she had not seen Zhou Zixi.

Two months earlier, Zhou Zixi had left the mountain with his elder brother, saying his brother had asked him to go down the mountain to help with a custom job, to a far-away ice desert.

She hadn’t paid much attention at the time, only asking when he would return. Her junior brother had only said he would be back soon.

Two months later, she went to Bei Jing Gui Yuan, and until her death, she hadn’t waited for her junior brother to return.

Ming Li recalled the unsettling dream from last night, and her brows furrowed unconsciously.

“It’s our turn,” Qian Li said.

He and Fang Hui watched as Ming Li stood up and went down to the field. Looking at the tall, burly young man who would be her opponent, Qian Li began to worry, muttering: “It’s okay if she loses, but I hope her face doesn’t get bruised. Otherwise, I’d be committing a great sin.”

It was clear that the two had no confidence in the eight-meridian awakened genius.

Ming Li came to the trial platform, facing the young man who was significantly taller than her without the slightest intimidation. If she couldn’t defeat these martial academy students, she might as well die again and not return to this world.

The tall young man raised his eyebrows at Ming Li, joking: “Shall I let you go first?”

“No need,” Ming Li raised her hand, pointing at him with one finger.

The tall young man recognized this as the posture for the qi circulation technique and reduced his teasing somewhat, becoming more alert.

The Third Palace Qi Circulation Meridian was considered by most people to be the weakest stellar meridian because when both sides used the same spiritual technique or ability, the difference in strength was too great.

The Literary Saint could massacre a city with one word, but many others couldn’t even kill one person with one word.

Ming Li believed it wasn’t that the qi circulation meridian was weak, but that it was too demanding of people, consuming a great amount of stellar power and difficult to master with precision.

It required extreme care, skillful control of degree, high patience, and strong mental fortitude.

Ming Li lacked none of these qualities.

She had also been tempered during her water crossing and wilderness experience, adapting to the unfamiliar stellar power and the pilgrimage fire within her body, already cultivating the Third Palace Qi Circulation Meridian to full boundary.

Now, Ming Li’s serious demeanor attracted many gazes, all wanting to see what qi circulation word technique she would use and to what degree she could achieve it.

When the tall young man punched, a fierce wind rose from under his feet. He was at First Palace Body Technique Meridian full boundary, his speed so fast that he was in front of Ming Li in the blink of an eye.

But Ming Li only said one word: “Break.”

The sound of her voice was barely audible, only heard by the tall young man who was close enough for his punch’s wind to stir her clothes and hair.

As he showed a surprised expression, the airflow between them rapidly reversed. The stellar power released by the tall young man was forcefully and brutally broken, emitting a sharp wind sound followed by a loud bang, and he was sent flying off the platform by this airflow.