บท 60: The Revealed Secret
In recent days, although Lin Xi had been practicing archery on the run under Tong Wei's guidance, his accuracy remained rather unsatisfactory.
Before him, not far away, stood an opponent marked with the golden sunflower insignia, wielding a three-edged spear that had previously pinned Jiang Xiaoyi to the ground, instilling a profound sense of pressure within Lin Xi.
Yet, the cold fire igniting in his chest only served to stabilize his aim further.
"Crack!"
Just as "Golden Sunflower" advanced menacingly towards Lin Xi, his second arrow struck heavily against the opponent's chest.
Lin Xi continued to sprint, drawing and releasing arrows in rapid succession; typically, he would hit only two or three out of ten shots. However, today, under the heightened urgency, at least five or six of his ten arrows found their mark on "Golden Sunflower."
In mere moments, his right arm, fatigued from the rigorous training, ached to the point where he could scarcely draw the bowstring. Nevertheless, with his brow furrowed in concentration, Lin Xi showed no signs of stopping. He transferred the bow to his right hand, swiftly retrieving a black arrow from his quiver with his left, continuing his barrage with unwavering stability and speed.
"Crack!"
A black-feathered arrow struck forcefully at "Golden Sunflower's" abdomen, eliciting a muffled groan of pain from the formidable adversary, causing his entire body to bend forward.
Simultaneously, "Golden Sunflower" hurled his three-edged spear with great force towards Lin Xi!
"Whoosh!"
With such tremendous power behind it, the spear flew with a speed that rivaled Lin Xi's arrows, striking him squarely in the chest from less than thirty paces away.
Lin Xi's complexion instantly paled; the overwhelming force was far greater than that of the black spear in the stone hall, sending him staggering backward three steps before he fell heavily to the ground, his hands momentarily losing strength, unable to lift even the black stone bow.
"Golden Sunflower" stood tall and imposing, but at that moment, his body suddenly sank as Jiang Xiaoyi clung desperately to his right leg, still unable to rise.
"Roar!"
In an instant, "Golden Sunflower" turned to glare at Jiang Xiaoyi, releasing a deep, furious growl. With a resounding "crack," his fist came crashing down onto Jiang Xiaoyi, causing the latter to bounce slightly off the ground.
What baffled him was that Jiang Xiaoyi still refused to let go.
"Cough..."
Lin Xi, who had fallen to the ground, let out his first cough. He sat up, defiantly raising the black stone bow once more.
"Buzz!"
As the bowstring trembled, the black arrow sliced through the air, striking "Golden Sunflower's" right leg.
With his balance disrupted, "Golden Sunflower" dropped to one knee, while Lin Xi, still coughing heavily, stood up and aimed directly at him, releasing a second arrow that struck solidly between "Golden Sunflower's" neck.
"Golden Sunflower" froze momentarily, his hands grasping at his neck, his entire body suddenly chilled.
Lin Xi stepped forward, closing the distance, the black stone bow vibrating in his hands.
One arrow.
Two arrows.
Three arrows.
In this remarkably steady rhythm, eleven arrows struck without fail, landing heavily upon "Golden Sunflower."
After enduring this relentless barrage, the formidable "Golden Sunflower" fell backward to the ground.
Lin Xi stowed away the black longbow, his hands aching to the point of near numbness as he picked up the three-edged spear from the ground, approaching "Golden Sunflower" and pressing the spear against the opponent's black armor.
Upon seeing the black rose insignia on Jiang Xiaoyi, Lin Xi looked at the still-coughing Jiang Xiaoyi in surprise and asked, "Why did you help me?"
Jiang Xiaoyi shook his head, propping himself up from the ground and replied, "I don't know."
His response left Lin Xi momentarily stunned, while "Golden Sunflower," lying on the ground, felt an inexplicable sense of absurdity.
However, Lin Xi's subsequent candid remark rendered both him and Jiang Xiaoyi speechless, prompting Jiang Xiaoyi to stifle his cough with laughter.
After removing a golden pentagram badge from "Golden Sunflower," Lin Xi earnestly addressed Jiang Xiaoyi, "Black Rose classmate, I noticed you're not on the leaderboard. Given your current situation, it seems unlikely you'll achieve a five-star performance today... So, if I were to take a golden pentagram badge from you, it wouldn't affect you too much, would it? This way, I would have four five-star records, and with one more, I could earn a credit reward. Plus, I could conserve some energy for training inside the yellow walls. I promise that next time we meet, I'll help you out too!"
...
In the midst of "Golden Sunflower's" incredulity and Jiang Xiaoyi's laughter and coughs, Lin Xi slung his bow and arrow over his shoulder, exchanged his weapon for a black longsword, and cautiously made his way towards the yellow walls.
After exerting a capability he had withheld even against "Golden Sunflower," and feeling utterly drained within the stone hall of the spear formation, Lin Xi stumbled out of the hall, limping as he carefully exited the yellow walls and left the Trial Valley.
In the northernmost reaches of the academy, amidst the towering, insurmountable mountains, stood a notably "stout" peak.
The rear of this mountain had been excavated, revealing several brightly lit halls infused with the fragrant essence of clear-hearted grass oil, enhancing one's clarity of thought.
Inside these halls nestled rows of desks, piled high with letters, scraps of paper, and small sheepskin scrolls, where numerous instructors clad in black robes busily flipped through documents or jotted down notes with palpable excitement.
Iron wires crisscrossed the halls, swiftly transporting papers and scrolls, densely scribbled with writing, clamped in clips, sliding quickly to various locations within the bustling spaces.
Even without computers, the scene evoked memories of the chaotic fervor found in a stock trading floor.
This place was the rear mountain of Ailao Peak, where the instructors, humorously dubbed "Galactic Lecturers," toiled amidst the towering piles of letters and documents.
Shortly after Lin Xi exited the Trial Valley, several sheepskin scrolls detailing the performances of numerous students, including Lin Xi, were dispatched to one of these halls.
These scrolls traversed the iron wires, passing through the hands of several "Galactic Lecturers," who swiftly recorded data before sending them deeper into the mountain's interior to a portly, silver-haired instructor.
The hall at the mountain's deepest point was far less populated than the outer chambers, housing only about twenty individuals, yet each desk was more than double the size of those outside, piled high with materials in proportion.
This hefty instructor, resembling a portly version of Sammo Hung, had a small scar on his mouth, and if Lin Xi were to see him, he would undoubtedly note the striking resemblance. His nose bore a pair of brass-rimmed spectacles, with lenses polished to the thickness of a bottle bottom, featuring a pair of old-fashioned bifocals not found elsewhere.
Should Lin Xi catch sight of these rare glasses, he would surely be reminded of many familiar sensations from his previous world.
Habitually, this stout instructor, with his thick lenses, swiftly removed the clips from the scrolls, scanning them rapidly while jotting down notes with a small charcoal pencil in a booklet.
Suddenly, his expression shifted to one of excitement, his previously rosy complexion turning a deep shade of purple due to rapid breathing and intense emotion, and with a quiet "crack," he snapped his charcoal pencil from excessive force.
After flipping through his booklet to compare with the scrolls, this portly instructor, surrounded by a mountain of books and scrolls, stood abruptly, disregarding the fallen scrolls, hastily removing his spectacles and tucking them into his sleeve. He clutched the booklet and the sheepskin scrolls, hastening out of the hall.
In the twilight, this rotund instructor grasped the sliding rod on the silver silk cable, wobbling precariously as he hurried towards a peak separated from Ailao Peak by two mountains, rushing forward with slight breathlessness into a small courtyard nestled within a pine forest.
In the quaint courtyard of blue bricks and black tiles, only one elderly figure remained. This elder, missing an arm and adorned with a face full of wrinkles, possessed eyes that sparkled with wisdom. His presence commanded respect from all the nobles of the Yunqin Empire, for he was a survivor of the Battle of Falling Star Lake—Vice President Xia of Qingluan Academy.
"Old Xiao, what have you discovered that has you in such a hurry?" Vice President Xia inquired, his gaze curious and filled with anticipation as he regarded the flustered portly instructor.
The hefty instructor quickly retrieved his spectacles from his sleeve, donned them, and handed the booklet and scrolls to Vice President Xia: "Lin Xi... the chosen one from the Peacekeeping faction you selected has something unusual about him..."
"Unusual?" Vice President Xia accepted the booklet and scrolls but did not rush to examine them, furrowing his brow in contemplation. "What is unusual?"
"Today, in his fourth entry into the spear formation stone hall, he managed to cover one hundred twenty-five steps... Last time, it was one hundred seventeen steps. A boy from Lulin Town, who has never engaged in any cultivation, with his current prowess, could only reach one hundred seventeen steps in his third entry into the stone hall. What does that signify?" The portly instructor inhaled deeply, his eyes fixed intently on Vice President Xia through the thick lenses. "But that alone wouldn't have prompted my rush here. What compelled me was a duel he fought today... Examine the records of his cultivation and the distance and time he covered today, and you'll understand what I mean."
Vice President Xia's brow furrowed even deeper as he scrutinized the tiny script on the scroll, his expression shifting to one of unprecedented gravity and astonishment. It was not until three full breaths later that he managed to articulate a hesitant conclusion: "Are you suggesting that his soul power... is markedly beyond that of ordinary individuals?"
The portly instructor, now visibly agitated, retorted, "Xia Zhiqiu! Based on these records, it's patently clear!"
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