Perhaps it was Yu Xiaoyu's approachable demeanor, or perhaps the allure of the rattle was too great. The young boy, under Yu Xiaoyu's questioning, poured out all he knew like a bamboo tube spilling its contents.
The child's name was Zhi Shu, a native of Mo City, whose parents were both cultivators there.
Though he was young and didn't know much, he didn't know little either.
At the very least, Xu Yi and the other three found a clue about Kunlun Academy from him.
Watching Zhi Shu, who held a sugar-coated hawthorn in one hand and a rattle in the other, skip away, Xu Yi and the other three notified the others while heading to the best area in Mo City.
"Qiming Academy."
Xu Yi looked up at the plaque above the entrance and softly read the name.
The white-walled, gray-tiled buildings were elegant and steady, with greenery peeking out from the walls, creating a sense of tranquility.
Shortly after Xu Yi and the others arrived at Qiming Academy, Lu Zaiye and the others also caught up.
"Xu Yi, did you find any clues that made you call us here?"
Feng Qingyang looked around but found nothing unusual, and asked curiously.
"We met a child who told us that every resident of Mo City comes to Qiming Academy to study, and they can only graduate after passing an exam. Therefore, I think our second trial should be at Qiming Academy."
Xu Yi recounted their discovery.
When they first entered the city, everyone had walked past Qiming Academy, but none of them had paid it any mind. Only when Xu Yi mentioned it did they realize that the location of Qiming Academy was indeed somewhat unique.
"Look at that!"
Bai Shan pointed to an inconspicuous wooden sign on the side wall of the academy.
"Let's go take a look."
As everyone approached, bold and unrestrained characters on the wooden sign met their eyes.
"Enrollment?"
The crowd's thoughts stirred, and smiles appeared on their faces.
They had found the right place.
Zhi Shu had said that every person in Mo City, upon reaching a certain age, would come to Qiming Academy to study. Therefore, this recruitment notice must be for them.
What proved this point was this recruitment notice that could only be seen with the naked eye, but not with divine sense.
They had passed by this place several times, but they had always quickly scanned the surroundings with their divine sense, thus failing to notice this recruitment notice.
The group arrived at the main gate of Qiming Academy. Xiong Zhuang Zhuang stepped forward and knocked on the door.
"Who is it? It's class time now, please do not disturb if there's nothing important."
An ancient voice came from the crack of the door.
"Old sir, we are here to register for enrollment," Xiong Zhuang Zhuang replied in a lowered voice.
Creak—
The heavy door was pushed open, and an old man with white hair and beard, who was in high spirits, poked his head out. He scanned everyone with his gaze, then threw down a sentence, "Wait," and closed the door again.
Although the crowd could have kicked the door open with a casual kick, they could only wait obediently outside for the assessment.
And they waited for three hours.
"Dong—"
"Dong—"
"Dong—"
The evening bell rang.
The quiet academy was suddenly filled with noise.
The main gate was opened once more, and this time, young boys and girls, around fifteen years old, emerged. They wore uniform academy robes, chatting and laughing, exuding a vibrant aura.
Xu Yi and the others couldn't help but smile as they looked at the scene before them.
Many of the young men and women who came out of the academy also noticed them. Some shy ones would smile slightly and then lower their heads to avoid eye contact, while others, bolder ones, would directly raise their arms and wave hello to the crowd.
The group nodded in response.
Only after the academy had finally returned to its quiet state did the old man appear again and lead them inside.
Inside Qiming Academy, the paths were winding and secluded, with ancient pines and cypress trees, offering a new vista at every step.
As Xu Yi noticed they were heading to an increasingly remote area, she asked with a smile, "Old sir, where are you taking us?"
The old man's expression was stern, and his voice was cold, "You'll know soon enough."
Behind him, Bai Shan rolled his eyes silently.
If it weren't for joining Kunlun Academy, he wouldn't have to endure such indignity.
Under his silent grumbling, a thatched hut hidden among the bamboo forest appeared before them.
"Dean, the students who want to join the academy have arrived," the old man said, bowing slightly and respectfully to the thatched hut.
As his voice fell, a middle-aged scholar, wearing a small crown and holding a folding fan, walked out from the thatched hut.
The moment Xu Yi saw him, her eyelids twitched heavily.
This man had no spiritual energy about him, yet he gave her an extremely strange feeling.
Xu Yi trusted her intuition; this seemingly refined man was definitely not to be trifled with.
She resolved that if she were to actually join the academy, she would have to keep a low profile.
"You are all students who wish to enroll in Qiming Academy? Indeed, you are all heroic and extraordinary, with the bearing of dragons and phoenixes."
The dean was very happy to see them and immediately lavished them with praise, a stark contrast to the old man's indifferent reaction.
For some reason, Xu Yi felt a bit uneasy. She had a feeling that the dean's compliments were not well-intentioned.
As expected, the dean's next sentence took a sharp turn, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he spoke with feigned distress, "It's just that there are too many students recently. The original dormitories and study rooms are already saturated, and with you joining, there probably won't be enough."
While speaking, the dean kept glancing at them, as if observing their reactions.
Everyone present was a sharp individual; they could hear the dean's scheme from miles away. He clearly wanted them to fork out some worldly possessions.
Compared to Kunlun Academy, everyone knew how to prioritize.
"Dean, we deeply admire Qiming Academy and dream of becoming its students. We heard that the academy is currently facing difficulties, and we empathize with your situation. We are willing to help in any way we can, and we have no objections."
Xu Yi stepped forward and said righteously, while the others nodded in agreement.
"Good! I indeed did not misjudge you!"
The dean's eyes were almost squinted into slits as he smiled and waved his fan, "In that case, please pay the tuition fee of ten thousand high-grade spirit stones first."
"How much?"
Xu Yi picked at her ear, feeling as if she had heard wrong.
Ten thousand high-grade spirit stones?
This must not be real.
"Did this student not hear clearly? Ten thousand high-grade spirit stones should not be much for you, right?"
The folding fan in the dean's hand waved faster and faster, making Xu Yi dizzy.
Ten thousand high-grade spirit stones!
While this was not enough to kill Xu Yi, it was akin to having her flesh dug out.
In all her years, she had never spent such a large sum of spirit stones.
Xu Yi clutched her chest, unwilling to speak.
The others present also showed signs of difficulty.
Although they were disciples of the five major sects and possessed many treasures, they might not have that many spirit stones on them.
Even though their allowances were generous, their expenses were equally substantial. To gather ten thousand high-grade spirit stones was still somewhat difficult.
Among the group, Bai Shan's expression was the most grim.