The Night Watcher

The dilemma of whether to first achieve five consecutive five-star victories or to focus on breaching the Spear Formation did not trouble Lin Xi for long. 

"Winning hearts through virtue, winning hearts through virtue…" 

Mimicking the tone of Lei Laohu, he murmured to himself as he donned the black stone longbow and quiver that he had previously hidden in the underbrush. With this, Lin Xi had made his decision. 

Today, facing Qiu Lu's black-flowered spear, he had already sensed the benefits of honing his skills within the Spear Formation. Compared to a few days prior, his ability to evade such spear thrusts had significantly improved. Just days ago, even without practicing the slashing technique that An Ke Yi had taught him, it would have been difficult for the wielder of the black-flowered spear, the "Black Rose," to strike him in a single encounter. 

With enhanced combat prowess, he could easily overcome each opponent, thus securing the five-star rewards with relative ease. Unlike now, where encountering a particularly formidable adversary might compel him to rely on abilities he had possessed before returning to the tenth stop. Therefore, it was prudent to focus on enhancing his true combat strength. 

After shouldering the black stone longbow, Lin Xi untied the cloth strip from the hilt of his dagger, sheathed it at his waist, and placed the strip along with the golden five-point badge he had obtained from Qiu Lu into his quiver, then strode purposefully toward the yellow wall. 

... 

... 

A student clad in black armor, adorned with five golden five-point badges, suddenly halted not far from the yellow wall. 

Before him lay a pile of dry twigs and leaves, beside which several large, crooked characters had been scrawled with a branch. 

"Excuse me." 

Just as this evidently curious student, also wishing to enter the yellow wall for training, began to decipher the four large characters on the ground, a "whoosh" split the air as a black arrow shot forth from the forest behind him, striking heavily against his right leg. 

Caught off guard by this sudden assault, the five-star achiever let out a muffled grunt and dropped to one knee. 

Before he could react further, a second black arrow struck his back, causing his body to lurch forward uncontrollably. 

The sound of the arrow impacting his black armor chilled him more than the pain that followed; he knew all too well that an ambusher capable of such rapid, precise shots would not grant him the luxury of time, and a third or fourth arrow would surely follow. 

"Crack!" 

As he had feared, the third echoing sound resounded at his lower back, followed swiftly by the fourth… 

He fell heavily to the ground, watching as a black-armored warrior wielding the black stone longbow descended from the trees like a specter. As the second arrow was loosed mid-stride, he painfully and helplessly exclaimed in a slightly high-pitched voice, "I concede; please show mercy… so that I may gather strength to train within." 

Lin Xi shook his slightly sore fingers and paused briefly, noticing the other party decisively remove a golden five-point badge from his left shoulder and toss it over. Reflecting on the earlier words of his opponent, Lin Xi couldn't help but smile, thinking that this individual was quite an interesting character. 

"With your archery skills, lying in ambush here… you must have already collected quite a few golden five-point badges, haven't you?" Watching Lin Xi stow the badge into his quiver, Ai Qilan, who was slowly rising from the ground while rubbing her sore thigh, couldn't help but comment. 

Finding her amusing, Lin Xi replied honestly, "Not at all. With this one from you, I've just managed to reach five stars." 

Ai Qilan retorted indignantly, "You've gathered your five stars, but I've now dropped to four!" 

Concealed beneath her black armor, Lin Xi remained unaware that she was a spirit priestess, thus lacking any inclination to coddle her. However, feeling slightly embarrassed by her complaint, he smiled again, "I truly apologize." 

"Have you trained inside before?" Observing Lin Xi's demeanor and the crooked characters drawn in the dirt, Ai Qilan, still nursing her wound, asked again. 

Lin Xi replied candidly, "I've been in twice; I'm just about to enter again." 

Ai Qilan, finding Lin Xi agreeable, inquired further, "Which hall did you visit?" 

Lin Xi responded, "The Spear Formation." 

Ai Qilan's interest piqued as she exclaimed in surprise, "That's the same place I went! How far did you manage to progress?" 

Lin Xi, curious, glanced at Ai Qilan, "About ninety steps; how about you?" 

"Ninety steps?" Ai Qilan paused, then exclaimed angrily, "I'm asking you seriously, and if you're unwilling to share more, why resort to fabricating lies?" 

Lin Xi blinked in confusion, "I'm not lying." 

Ai Qilan's face flushed with anger beneath her silver mask; she had initially thought him somewhat honest, yet now he seemed utterly irksome. Rising in fury, she glared at Lin Xi, "I've heard from several seniors in our department that in previous years, even those who came from the border army, after entering the Spear Formation three or four times, achieving seventy steps was already an extraordinary feat. You claim to have passed ninety steps and expect me to believe you?" 

Lin Xi was taken aback, "Entering the Spear Formation three or four times and achieving seventy steps is indeed an extraordinary accomplishment?" 

"I doubt you've even entered the Spear Formation!" Ai Qilan shouted, her voice rising. "Anyone who has would understand that after being pierced down several times, movement becomes increasingly difficult. The deeper you go, the harder it becomes to advance; the last ten steps are far more challenging than the first ten. Seventy steps are a world apart from ninety!" 

"Your reasoning does hold merit," Lin Xi scratched his head, offering an awkward smile. He recalled that strictly speaking, he hadn't truly entered twice, as his previous achievement of ninety steps had involved utilizing his ability to return to a state before the tenth stop. 

Ai Qilan regarded Lin Xi, her eyes beneath the silver mask ablaze with fury, "Laziness is the greatest sin that destroys will, and lies lead glory to the depths of despair…" 

Lin Xi chuckled lightly, looking at the infuriated Ai Qilan, "You must be from the spirit priest department." 

Ai Qilan was taken aback, "How did you know?" 

Lin Xi smiled, "Before the grand trial, I encountered someone aspiring to join the spirit priest department, and their words were quite similar to yours. Who else but a spirit priest would constantly speak such rhetoric?" 

Ai Qilan's brows knitted tightly, her expression resembling that of an enraged bull, "What, do you think those words are incorrect?" 

"Of course they are correct; I acknowledge the validity of your statements, but I undeniably passed ninety steps," Lin Xi, not wishing to bicker with Ai Qilan, patiently stated before stepping through the entrance of the yellow-walled gate. 

"You!" 

Ai Qilan was incensed by Lin Xi's demeanor; in her mind, he had suddenly risen to the status of an imperial heretic. However, the unexpected arrival of Luo Houyuan behind her momentarily silenced her. 

As she observed the silent elder approaching along the yellow wall, her heart was filled with suspicion. Yet, the elderly man in the worn black robe merely cast her a glance and calmly called her name: "Ai Qilan, a priestess who hastily passes judgment without witnessing the truth becomes the very type of person she despises. Your task is not only to see the genuine world with your eyes but also to possess sufficient patience, even to listen to the pleas of one who has committed the gravest sins." 

"Let's go." Before she could utter a word, Luo Houyuan slowly passed by her, heading toward the yellow-walled gate that Lin Xi had just exited, "I'll show you… you may find it easier to comprehend the meaning of my words." 

... 

In the silent stone hall, Lin Xi lay on the ground as if pulled from water. Around him, black long spears plunged deeply into the muddy earth like a grove of dark bamboo. 

He lay calmly among the spears, breathing heavily as he gazed at the ceiling. 

The square beams of light streaming through several rudimentary stone windows were somewhat blinding. Yet, it was precisely because it was still early that he could discern the inscription carved into the ceiling: "True courage arises solely from the perseverance of the heart." 

Upon reading this, Lin Xi thought not of anything else but of his parents back in Lulin Town and his dear younger sister. 

"This training… truly requires enough courage to sustain it…" 

After contemplating the newly discovered inscription for a long while, Lin Xi, having finally caught his breath, sighed with a smile and began to wriggle back toward the stone hall's entrance like a worm. 

"What a pity you didn't come this time… Although I had to rely on my ability again and suffered once more, I've certainly made much progress compared to last time. I should have exceeded a hundred steps, right? If only you could see this, you wouldn't think I was lying, nor would you need to lecture me on those grand principles." As he slowly wriggled toward the hall's entrance, Lin Xi expressed his regret internally. 

Unlike other students, Lin Xi possessed the ability to start anew, making him his own teacher within this stone hall. He could make the most accurate adjustments based on his previous actions, resulting in better achievements this time around. He felt he had surpassed a hundred steps, but in reality, the precise distance from the entrance of the stone hall to the final bronze door was one hundred and ninety-eight steps, and by the end of today, he had traversed one hundred and seventeen steps, far exceeding his rough estimation. 

As he finally turned to the entrance of the stone hall and stood to leave, his figure completely vanished from the area encircled by the yellow walls. A calm Luo Houyuan entered the hall, accompanied by Ai Qilan, who wore a look of disbelief and desolation beneath her silver mask. 

After Ai Qilan measured the distance Lin Xi had ultimately fallen and given up, Luo Houyuan led the visibly trembling Ai Qilan past a black-robed lecturer who had begun to gather the black spears, and they exited the stone hall. They paused in the open rocky area of the valley, where Luo Houyuan glanced at the blood-red sunset before turning to Ai Qilan, calmly asking, "You've clearly observed his movement and slashing techniques. Since you've witnessed the previous duel, you should now understand who he truly is." 

"Yes…" Ai Qilan lowered her head, yet her heart remained in disbelief; how could he have sustained so many steps… how could he achieve such a feat? 

"Ai Qilan, based on the information gathered about you from the academy, you are indeed a person of remarkable integrity, one who detests evil. You have long regarded your sacrificed brother as a role model, aspiring to become a priestess… If you are willing, I foresee that you have a great chance of becoming a qualified priestess. However, I now ask you: are you truly willing to forsake all worldly wealth and glory for the sake of the justice and faith within your heart?" Luo Houyuan gazed at her, his demeanor still calm. 

"I…" Ai Qilan's body trembled suddenly, and a mist rose in her eyes. She struggled to articulate her thoughts, bewildered as to why this elder would speak such words, yet she nodded vigorously, filled with certainty. 

Luo Houyuan regarded Ai Qilan for a moment before saying softly, "I wish to select you as a Night Watcher."