Today was the annual house exam. The results of the exam would greatly determine their future fate. The Purple Lotus Yao Art House wasn’t a famous house, but it had some influence in this jie. This could not be separated from their strict exam.

“A Yue!”

A familiar shout came from behind her. Without needing to turn her head, Nan Yue knew who it was. She stopped walking, turned around, and said curiously, “Hong, aren’t you exempt from the exam? Why are you here?”

Hong was Nan Yue’s best friend. They knew each other from childhood and had a close relationship. Hong came from a very obscure little clan. However, this clan’s yao were all skilled in illusory yao arts from birth. Hong naturally studied those yao arts. Due to her outstanding talent, Hong had been accepted as a student by a teacher when she entered the yao art house.

Hong did not need to go through the exam so Nan Yue felt shock at Hong’s appearance.

Hong was dressed colorfully and had a blooming smile on her face. “I came to see your exam. How can I miss such an important time?”

Nan Yue was very moved, and said, “It’s just an exam. There is no need to be nervous.”

“En en, with A Yue’s strength, it definitely wouldn’t be a problem.” Hong was filled with confidence. She suddenly came over with a secretive expression and said in a low voice, “They said that a daren from the Creeping Sedges Corps.”

“A daren from the Creeping Sedges Corps?” Nan Yue stilled and then her expression changed. “The Creeping Sedge Corps of Bing Lan Daren?”

Hong was very satisfied with Nan Yue’s expression and giggled. “Other than Bing Lan Daren’s Creeping Sedges Corps, where is there any other Creeping Sedges Corps? How about it, are you moved?”

Other than being taken as a student by a teacher, going into the military was also a pretty good path. In the military, one would be able to learn many practical yao arts, and when enough service was accumulated, it was possible to learn more profound yao arts. Right now, the fighting at the front was raging, and this was the best chance to accumulate service.

Nan Yue smiled and didn’t speak. If she had not encountered Daren, she would definitely be moved. But right now, she did not have any extraneous thoughts.

It was great honor to be able to follow Daren!

She was not clear to Elder’s identity, but there was a point that was undoubtable, Elder had a deep history with the Wisteria Clan of the South Sky. In these past days, she was left full of respect towards Elder. She could clearly feel her own strength leaping forward.

The nondescript little yao arts actually contained such deep meaning.

Nan Yue’s indifference was unexpected to Hong. She made a sound of surprise and re-examined her good friend. Nan Yue did not look any different than usual. She still wore plain clothing, but there seemed to be something extra to her. But what was it? Hong could not say.

“A Yue, did something happen recently?” Hong asked probingly.

“Nothing.” Nan Yue shook her head. Seeing Hong’s concern, her heart warmed. She hesitated but did not speak of Elder to Hong. Without Daren’s permission, she did not dare to carelessly speak of it.

However, Creeping Sedge Corps ... ...

In the past, entering Creeping Sedge Corps was one of her goals.

The mood of the yao art house was tense, and slightly restless. The news that a daren from the Creeping Sedge Corps came to see the exams made every student participating in the exams excited. Creeping Sedge Corps was very strong, and Bing Lan Daren was immeasurable in her power. Bing Lan Daren was also very beautiful, and the dream of countless male students.

For female yao, being able to enter the Creeping Sedge Corps was a good route.

Afterwards, Nan Yue saw the daren that came from the Creeping Sedge Corps. This daren’s figure was upright and she was handsome and attractive. Her golden eyes were especially enchanting. This daren most likely came from the Gold Clan. Standing on the stage, a sharp presence filled the room.

Nan Yue found that this presence was stronger than the great majority of teachers in this yao art house. The yao art house teachers may have deeper skill on the yao arts, but compared to the combat yao that came back from the front lines, they were lacking in their killing aura.

Many students became excited. It was rare to be able to enter a military troop like the Creeping Sedge Corps that was known all over the yao world. Without any encouragement, every yao was filled with competitiveness.

The exam began with this anticipation and restlessness.

The exam this time was much fiercer than in the past, but Nan Yue was not excited at all. Purple Lotus Yao Art House was not a famed house, and there were only those few familiar faces. There were no new people that made her eyes light up.

Also, these novel yao arts that she would have been excited about before could not cause any ripples in her heart.

She felt very strange.

It was the first time she felt so strange. In her eyes, those grand and dazzling yao arts seemed to be insubstantial. Her mind would uncontrollably think of little yao art combinations that could replace these dazzling yao arts.

This feeling made her uncomfortable. Before, she would be excited when she saw this yao arts and she would constantly rehearse them in her mind.

She silently warned herself to not be proud. She could not underestimate everyone just because she learned something. She suddenly thought about Elder talking of little yao arts to her that day. She remembered every word that Elder had said.

Suddenly, Hong poked her from the side. “A Yue, it’s your turn.”

“Oh,” she responded. She refocused and looked at the exam area. Focusing her mind, she flew to the field.

Her opponent was Shi Zheng. This was a familiar opponent. Shi Zheng’s experiences were very similar to hers. He also worked very hard, but similarly, no teacher had accepted him. However, he was older than Nan Yue, making his situation even worse.

———

When Shi Zheng saw Nan Yue, he was joyed. The yao arts he was skilled in could subdue Nan Yue to a certain extent.

“Begin!”

The teacher responsible for judging shouted. Shi Zheng’s body lit up with light. This was the yao art that he was most skilled in, [Rock Driving Flow]!

Shi Zheng’s clan was yao from rock, and was innately skilled in rock-type yao arts.

This [Rock Driving Flow] was Shi Zheng’s best yao art. The lights on his body could perform greatly in defense, and it could stop the enemy from harming him when it was cast.

A light flashed at the other side. The corner of Shi Zheng’s eye jerked. So fast!1

Nan Yue’s yao art was already completed!

However, he did not panic. The higher the level of the yao art, the more time it took to cast. Since Nan Yue finished the yao art so quickly, it definitely was a low level yao art, and couldn’t stop [Rock Driving Flow].

Shi Zheng was full of confidence. He knew very few moves, but due to this, the power of his [Rock Driving Flow] was far greater than normal low level yao arts and was at the borders of intermediate yao arts.

Just as he was thinking, Nan Yue’s yao art had already hit the light on his body.

The presence of his body loosened.

This was ... ... Little Yao Art – Mist Manifestation!

The concentrated rock energy suddenly lightened and he almost lost control of it. Shi Zheng was shocked. Little yao arts could be used like this?

Several sounds of surprise occurred on the spectator stage. The eyes of the daren from the Creeping Sedge Corps flashed with light.

Shi Zheng was shocked but not panicked. Little yao arts were just little yao arts. Their power was very limited. If she thought she could use this little yao art to make him lose control of the rock energy, that was a delusion.

He hurriedly adjusted his consciousness to strengthen his control. He heard pia pia pia, three yao arts in a row which was cast with blurring speed. Two of them hit his body, and one hit the ground under his feet.

Little Yao Art – Compression!

Little Yao Art – Gold Transformation!

Shi Zheng’s consciousness gathered the rock energy to prevent it from dissipating. He hadn’t expected a pressure to push over. When the two powers collided together, the rock energy immediately collapsed and turned to granite!

In the blink of an eye, a thin layer of rock amor appeared on Shi Zheng’s body.

Yet when the rock armor took form, it blinked with a metallic gleam as though it was a thin metal armor that wrapped securely around Shi Zheng.

Shi Zheng felt unable to breath. His entire body was enclosed and separated from the outside. Gritting his teeth, he tried to absorb rock energy from below his feet when a great force suddenly came from under him. His figure instantly unbalanced and flew to one side.

The others only saw a rush of water shoot up from under Shi Zheng’s feet and throw him to the side. It was another little yao art they were very familiar with, Spring Summon!

Shi Zheng was hit with another light as he flew through the air. His figure was strangely pinned in midair.

Little Yao Art – Spider Restraint!

Nan Yue’s ten fingers lit up with light like ten little lanterns.

The ten fingers was poised to act, Little Yao Art – Wind Spear!

Shi Zheng’s head rang. He knew he lost. His body was unable to move, and was trapped and isolated by the metallic armor meaning he could not absorb any rock energy. He would only be a sitting target. The power of wind spears was not high, but ten wind spears were more than enough to penetrate him.

“I lost!”

His mind was blank. He didn’t even know how he said the words. The spectators rumbled. The struggle they had originally imagined ended with such a strange way.

———

Clap clap clap, on the stage, the daren from the Creeping Sedge Corps clapped her hands as she rose, and said in praise, “Good! Little girl, are you willing to come to Creeping Sedge Corps?”

Woosh, countless eyes gathered at the same time on Nan Yue’s body filled with admiration and envy.

“Many thanks for Daren’s favor!” Nan Yue respectfully bowed and raised her head. Her eyes were crystal clear. “Nan Yue is planning on staying longer in the house. Daren, please forgive me.”

Hong shouted from below the field. She looked with disbelief at Nan Yue and thought she had heard it incorrectly.

The daren from the Creeping Sedge Corps was also surprised but she was not angry. She said faintly, “Never mind then.” Then she sat down.

But those with eyes could see the dissatisfaction of this daren. On the field, Nan Yue seemed unconcerned. Under the strange looks of everyone else, she casually flew off the field.

The exam did not stop due to this little detour. When it ended, there were three students that were picked to enter Creeping Sedge Corps. This daren did not stay. After picking the three people, she took them and flew away from Purple Lotus Yao Art House.

And Nan Yue that shook all of the house was facing Hong, who had a terrible expression, and felt a headache.

Translator Ramblings: Wu Kong Sword Sect and Zuo Mo’s group are not extremely different. There is a lot of people around, it is better to focus on being good at one thing so you can differentiate yourself and also put your energies into making yourself more powerful in one field so you can trade for services. I imagine the elders and the other disciples get hired for protection jobs and such. They encourage other areas to specialize in, such as what Xin Yan, Yan Le and Shi Feng Rong has done in forging, business and dan-making because it is also of benefit to their cultivation.

Zuo Mo is in a different environment, one where he was isolated in Little Mountain Jie from any services. Unlike Wu Kong Sword Sect that could trade with other sects for services or hire people, he really had no allies or people to trade with. His only option was to forge and gather what he needed and train people. In this aspect, Zuo Mo’s group is actually not too different from Wu Kong Sword Sect who also trains disciples. However, both Golden Crow Camp and Vermillion Bird Camp have more members and Golden Crow Camp in particular have become a workshop that is running a profitable business. Zuo Mo and Gongsun Cha have combined to essentially “mass-manufacture” fighters with sword essence. In conclusion, Zuo Mo is just better at pumping out fighters to make an army and forging more porducts to sell than Wu Kong Sword Sect. Zuo Mo himself is better at cultivating in the way of yao and mo, but his group is essentially a forging-and-sword sect.