Chapitre 109: The Taste of Parting Life and Death
As Yu Huatianji pushed open the door and stepped into the darkness, a gust of cold wind swept in, causing Wen Xuanyu to squint slightly.
Although the Wen family had refrained from teaching him martial arts in advance due to concerns over instilling difficult-to-correct habits, they had nonetheless nurtured him with gentle and effective methods using rare spiritual herbs, ensuring that their sole heir was in optimal condition before entering Qingluan Academy.
Wen Xuanyu did not appear particularly robust, yet his innate potential was remarkable; thus, his hair shone the darkest and brightest among all the new students, creating a striking contrast with Yu Huatianji's golden locks.
As the only son of the Wen family, the future inheritor of its power, Wen Xuanyu was acutely aware of the unimaginable disparity between the Wen family and the Yu family.
The vast majority of priests in the empire were loyal to the Yu family, their devotion intensified by adherence to strict doctrines. These priests, as disseminators of faith, held considerable esteem among the military and populace. Having had no prior contact with the priests of Yunqin, Wen Xuanyu found it difficult to comprehend how rigid dogmas and quasi-mystical teachings could garner such widespread belief and support, allowing the Yu family to secure a seat among the nine elder positions.
However, Yu Huatianji's actions and words now made Wen Xuanyu realize that the members of the Yu family themselves were akin to fervent devotees; only such individuals could attract more followers to their side.
Wen Xuanyu also understood that, in this grand competition, the current emperor undoubtedly hoped for the Thunder Academy to emerge victorious. Yet, for the Wen family… his father in the Central Plains imperial city needed to prevail in the competition against the Leng family to gain entry into the Elder Council, a decision hinging entirely on the choices of those nine individuals cloaked behind heavy curtains. Their stance would not be swayed by the emperor's sentiments, but rather by the performances of each family.
In comparison, although Leng Qiuyu had failed to secure a place among the five representatives of Qingluan Academy, Wen Xuanyu had already gained an advantage. Nevertheless, he could not allow himself to be easily overshadowed by Yu Huatianji.
"I shall head to Peak One."
These thoughts flitted through Wen Xuanyu's mind in an instant. He promptly rose, casting a glance at Gao Yanan, Lin Xi, and Bian Linghan before following Yu Huatianji outside.
The path to Peak One was only slightly shorter than that to Peak Three, where Yu Huatianji was headed.
As they exited the wooden cabin, the mountain wind whipped icy particles against Wen Xuanyu's face, causing him to involuntarily shudder. Yet, the only thing he could not fathom was why Lin Xi and Bian Linghan did not resemble the "Silver Fox" from the Trial Valley. In his view, with the strength and cultivation they displayed while traversing swiftly, it was inconceivable that they could break the records of the Trial Valley in such a short span.
Even the most formidable individuals in this world cannot fully discern the human heart… Thus, he remained oblivious to the fact that Lin Xi was indeed his imagined rival, the Silver Fox. He pondered whether Vice Dean Xia truly cared little for the outcome of this competition, to the extent of concealing one or two of the strongest students.
...
Inside the wooden cabin, only Lin Xi, Gao Yanan, and Bian Linghan remained.
"I understand now why the academy did not gather us five together first to familiarize ourselves," Lin Xi remarked, watching the figures of Wen Xuanyu and Yu Huatianji vanish into the distance. He turned to Gao Yanan and Bian Linghan, adding, "Aside from certain secrets the academy wishes to keep, perhaps becoming too familiar with one another could lead to compromises; it is better to operate according to individual beliefs, allowing us to maximize our potential."
Gao Yanan shot Lin Xi a disapproving glance, feeling that his musings at this moment were rather superfluous. After sizing him up, she directly asked, "Lin Xi, what do you intend to do?"
Lin Xi pondered for a moment, revealing no hint of hesitation as he replied, "I plan to set off with Bian Linghan, and I need to prepare some items, so I intend to wait until dawn to depart."
"Very well." Gao Yanan replied with a neutral expression, nodding. "I am preparing to head to Peak Nine now."
Lin Xi regarded her earnestly, saying, "I maintain my previous stance; in this darkness, the prisoners will undoubtedly seek refuge, making them difficult to locate. It would be wiser to wait until dawn."
Gao Yanan shook her head, calmly stating, "While the five prisoners may hide, the students from the Thunder Academy are likely searching throughout the night. The likelihood of encountering them is greater than finding the prisoners."
"Eliminating a student from the Thunder Academy certainly increases our odds." Lin Xi's expression shifted suddenly as he spoke gravely, "But the same applies to them; as long as they kill the prisoners… for them, whether it is us or the prisoners, both lead to victory. The rules of this competition are inherently unfair to us."
"Killing is inherently easier than saving lives; this competition is fundamentally unjust." Gao Yanan looked at Lin Xi and said, "However, this is the academy's choice, so if we wish to win, we must exert ourselves even more… We must search more expediently than they do, which is why Yu Huatianji's initial choice was not erroneous. I shall set off immediately."
Lin Xi forced a smile, unfurling the map and reexamining the positions and annotations of the peaks. "If you are heading to Peak Nine, Bian Linghan and I will primarily search around Peaks Six and Five?"
Gao Yanan glanced at the map Lin Xi had spread out, contemplating, "After I finish at Peak Nine, I will proceed towards Peak One."
Lin Xi studied the map and said, "Once I complete my search of Peaks Six and Five, I will head towards Peak Three. If by then the outcome remains undecided, we will make our way to Peak One in hopes of regrouping with you."
Gao Yanan nodded slightly. "Let us go." Lin Xi cast a lingering glance at the girl whose appearance and temperament he found so pleasing, folded the map, and stepped out first, heading towards another wooden cabin. "Let us select our weapons together."
...
In the drafty, rudimentary wooden cabin, it resembled a small arsenal of the border troops.
Gleaming with a chilling luster were the black long knives, black swords, long spears, and halberds… A full array of standard weaponry, including some less common items like large sabers, hooked blades, and meteor hammers, were all present in abundance, brand new and exuding the distinctive oily scent of freshly manufactured arms.
There were several black stone longbows available for Lin Xi and Bian Linghan, accompanied by a few quivers of arrows.
However, there was only one type of armor available, the standard light armor of the border troops, crafted from two layers of cowhide with only critical areas reinforced with copper plates.
This newly made copper-reinforced light armor could withstand the typical assaults of border troops but was rather too flimsy for practitioners.
Observing Gao Yanan select a piece of copper-reinforced light armor along with a long sword and a rather uncommon three-edged dagger according to the competition rules, Lin Xi could not help but whisper, "You must be careful."
"With my cultivation level, even if I cannot match my opponent, I should have no trouble escaping, so you should be more concerned about yourself."
Gao Yanan, seeing the bows and arrows in Lin Xi and Bian Linghan's hands, appeared more at ease. "However, now that I see your selections, I feel somewhat reassured."
Lin Xi managed a faint smile, saying, "If that is the case, take care of yourself?"
"I will change my clothes shortly; you need not accompany me. Take care." Gao Yanan waved her hand, glanced at Lin Xi, and without further words, turned and exited towards the previous small wooden cabin.
"Is this the taste of parting life and death?"
Though Gao Yanan exuded confidence, watching her silhouette fade into the darkness stirred an indescribable pang of sorrow within Lin Xi.
Yet he understood that this was not the true essence of parting life and death; if Gao Yanan were to leave and never return, his heart would surely ache even more. To avoid facing such genuine separation, he must grow stronger and defeat each formidable adversary, such as Helan Yuexi, who posed a significant threat to him.
"Let us begin."
Thus, Lin Xi quickly regained his composure, nodding at Bian Linghan as he settled down in the modest cabin, retrieving a sharp dagger known in his previous world as an Ermei dagger, referred to in Yunqin as a sleeve dagger, and began to meticulously and patiently engrave marks on the tips of the black feathered arrows.
Bian Linghan also commenced her serious task of sculpting and modifying the arrows, though she could not fully grasp why Lin Xi insisted on spending an entire night preparing so many arrows.
Given that their opportunities to strike would be limited, and success hinged on just a few arrows, even preparing a few more, around ten each, would suffice. Yet Lin Xi firmly stated that he needed at least forty of these modified arrows, designed to minimize drag and spin violently in the air to enhance piercing power. Her natural inclination to support Lin Xi led her to comply with his wishes.
...
As dawn broke, Lin Xi rubbed his slightly pale cheeks, attempting to dispel some of the fatigue that lingered within.
After a night of meticulous engraving, he and Bian Linghan had completed over seventy arrows. Based on their prior training success rate, even accounting for some losses from imperfect resin applications, they should have more than forty usable arrows.
This considerable quantity of arrows should be sufficient to complement his ability to strike from a height exceeding five hundred steps, delivering a powerful blow.
Noticing Bian Linghan, who had also gone without sleep and appeared quite fatigued, Lin Xi asked with concern, "Would you like to rest for half an hour? I can scout the area and gather some suitable pine resin."
Bian Linghan shook her head.
Not wanting to press the matter, Lin Xi suggested, "Then let us swiftly finish modifying these arrows and commence our search, resting again in the evening."
"I will go change clothes over there." Bian Linghan selected a short sword and carried the copper-reinforced light armor into the adjacent wooden cabin.
Lin Xi's gaze lingered on the black long knives and black swords for a considerable time before he ultimately decided that he preferred the long sword.
While An Keyi and Xu Shengmo held vastly different standings in Lin Xi's heart, he reflected on how An Keyi had taught him the blade and Xu Shengmo the sword, subconsciously favoring the long sword. He could not help but ponder whether it would be too extravagant if, in the future, he could wield a flying sword alongside the long-range power of the Windwalker's bow.
What he did not realize was that atop the highest peak among the "Ten Fingers," within the most rudimentary palace of the emperor, hastily constructed for the occasion, Vice Dean Xia gazed at the vast sky, harboring expectations for him that extended far beyond this moment.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone