The Coldness and Warmth Within

Had it been anyone else in Wen Xuanyu's current physical condition, they would undoubtedly have taken a moment to sit and recuperate. 

The muscle soreness from the past few days was manageable, but in a state where his body was already nearing its limits, any emotional upheaval leading to internal injuries would pose a significant problem, potentially leaving him with lingering ailments detrimental to his cultivation. Yet, driven by his inherent pride, he straightened his chest even more defiantly. 

Enduring the searing, tearing pain within his chest and the metallic taste of blood in his mouth, he staggered forward, coughing, and stepped into the dim stone hall where the bronze door had already closed and all the spears had returned to their positions. 

"Buzz!" 

A black spear shot forth from a square hole in the wall, and this first spear was one he could not evade, striking him with tremendous force. 

He fell heavily to the ground. 

"I... will never... surrender!" 

Yet a roar escaped his throat as he swayed and stood again, casting aside the black steel whip in his hand to press onward. 

"Thud!" 

Another black spear struck him forcefully. 

He crashed to the ground once more, struggling to rise again, but as he lifted his torso slightly, three more black spears struck him in succession. 

No matter how unwilling he was, no matter how much pressure from the Wen family weighed upon him, he finally succumbed and lost consciousness, collapsing onto the cold, slick earth of the shadowy stone hall. 

Li Wu reappeared within the hall, remarking, "You did well... but no one knows what kind of flower will bloom under the nurturing of the Wen family." Shaking his head, he uttered this to the unconscious Wen Xuanyu before lifting him and placing him outside the hall, then retrieving the black spears from the ground and accurately slotting them into their respective square holes. 

At this moment, Lin Xi and Jiang Xiaoyi lay in a similarly dire state in the next stone hall. 

The name of this hall was straightforward: "Blades and Spears." Apart from the deep, finger-width slits in the walls, the layout of this hall mirrored that of the "Direct Spear" hall, featuring square holes in the walls and culminating in another bronze door, positioned nearly two hundred paces away. 

Since neither Lin Xi nor Jiang Xiaoyi were particularly ambitious, and having never entered this grand hall before, both decided to give it a try. 

To their dismay, they discovered that this hall not only had black flower spears thrusting out but also black long knives slashing from the deep slits in the walls... This simulation naturally mirrored a scenario where one was ensnared amidst enemies wielding black flower spears and edged weapons. In a typical battlefield, spears, knives, and guns were the most common weapons, and one would not face an enemy army armed with only a single type of weapon. The thrusts of the black flower spears were not particularly different from regular spears, but the trajectories of the long knives were entirely distinct from the direct jabs of the spears and black flower spears. The combination of these two increased the difficulty manifold. 

Even Lin Xi could only advance thirty steps before inevitably being struck down. 

Apart from lamenting the prolonged suffering he would endure within this array, Lin Xi couldn't help but ponder a question: Were the records of the Internal Affairs system all left by the same individual? If so, who could it be? 

Before entering the "Blades and Spears" hall, he and Jiang Xiaoyi had examined the records carefully, noting that the best score was still attributed to the Internal Affairs system, completing the trial in fifty-five breaths with only one knife strike. The second-best score, from the Stopping War system, was already far behind, at sixty-seven breaths with one knife and two spear strikes. 

He was acutely aware that the rules of Qingluan Academy had remained unchanged for decades, and thus the record-holder must also be a freshman, perhaps merely with a slight difference in cultivation level. If the records of the Internal Affairs system were all from the same person, significantly surpassing those of other systems, it could only mean that this individual was the cream of the crop among all students at Qingluan Academy! 

If that were the case, the most formidable student to emerge from Qingluan Academy in decades would be from the Internal Affairs system, not the Stopping War system? 

Who could this person be? 

He was equally curious about this student from the Internal Affairs system and aspired to surpass them, albeit with a more tempered sense of rivalry than Wen Xuanyu. 

... 

As night fell, 

Seven sealed parchment scrolls were delivered into Xu Shengmo's hands. 

With a cold expression, Xu Shengmo selected two scrolls from the bundle and unfurled one. 

Immediately, a rare glimmer of surprise flickered in the corners of his eyes, and for a fleeting moment, warmth illuminated his otherwise pale and indifferent visage. 

This scroll, like many others, simply conveyed a straightforward fact devoid of emotional embellishment: a carriage was making its way from the Central Plains Imperial City to Qingluan Academy. 

Inside the carriage were three significant figures: Yan Shaoqing, Feng Qianhan, and Ye Shaofeng. 

Although the scroll did not specify the purpose of the journey, Xu Shengmo, familiar with these three individuals, gleaned many unique implications from the mention of Yan Shaoqing as the one in charge. 

Yan Shaoqing, the Deputy Chief of the Ministry of Personnel, the second-most powerful figure in the entire ministry. 

Feng Qianhan, the Chief of the Zhengwu Division, commonly referred to as the Grand Commander of the military. Although the state of Yunqin was founded on martial prowess, and apart from a chief and two deputy chiefs, as well as several high-ranking generals, there were at least six or seven others of equal rank, he was a veteran who had served under the late emperor, appointed by the emperor himself as the Grand Commander of the Zhengwu Division, held in high esteem. 

Ye Shaofeng, the Commander of the Central Plains Guard, held a position two ranks lower than Yan Shaoqing and Feng Qianhan. His role was not particularly remarkable, yet he was closely associated with the current emperor and the Prime Minister Zhou. 

With representatives from the Ministry of Personnel, the Zhengwu Division, and the Imperial City, whatever business they were conducting would certainly not be trivial. 

Moreover, among these three, Feng Qianhan should logically take the lead, as Yan Shaoqing was merely a deputy chief in the civil administration, not the chief. All officials in the Yunqin Empire understood that apart from the deputy chief of the military, the influence of deputy chiefs from other ministries was generally lesser than that of the military's generals and local officials. 

However, this time, it was precisely Yan Shaoqing who was in charge, which could only imply that the military had made concessions regarding the recent Dongling incident. 

Thus, this entourage primarily represented the will of the current emperor. 

Perhaps this group could alter many of the disconcerting conditions within the academy, presenting a significant opportunity for Xu Shengmo. 

Some of the academy's rules and certain individuals were more obstinate than the ice and snow on the Tianshan Mountains that had persisted for millennia... Now that an opportunity for change had arisen, how could he not feel a surge of excitement? 

After slowly casting the scroll, which he perceived as good news, into the flames to reduce it to ashes, he unfurled the second scroll he had selected. 

"What? He actually passed through the Direct Spear Array without being struck even once?" 

Xu Shengmo's expression darkened instantly. 

Lin Xi had only just received two credits from An Keyi for a research topic unknown even to him the previous day; such secretive rewards were typically slow to circulate, which was why he only learned of it that afternoon, unaware of Lin Xi's increase in soul power. Consequently, he had not imposed greater challenges on Lin Xi, who now dared to tease him with unwarranted arrogance. 

Yet today, Lin Xi had received yet another credit reward! 

The very thought of Lin Xi performing a somersault in front of him that morning made Xu Shengmo realize that Lin Xi would be even more insufferably smug after receiving this credit. 

But what did the Direct Spear Array matter? It was merely a lifeless construct that he despised! 

Xu Shengmo, who had felt an unusual joy from the previous scroll's news, now found that the mention of Lin Xi soured his mood, akin to finding a few rat droppings in an otherwise delicious porridge. 

"Even if you were to pass through the Direct Spear Array ten times, it would pale in comparison to a single true test of life and death within a real formation... Even if we cannot change these lifeless constructs this time, I will make you understand that your provocations will only render you more frivolous and deepen my disdain for you! I shall see if you can remain so cheerful in the face of others' ridicule!" 

Xu Shengmo's expression darkened completely as he forcefully cast the scroll containing Lin Xi's news into the flames, reducing it to ashes. 

... 

Nangong Weiyang sat quietly beneath the awning of a large teahouse along the official road to Dongling. 

The assassination during the rain had transpired some time ago, and the road had long been cleared. Moreover, with no rain in recent days, the ground had dried thoroughly, leaving no trace of that day's events. 

Days ago, this section of the official road had been subject to numerous inspections by officials of various ranks, yet the very awning from which that blue-cloaked "master" had emerged had become a forbidden zone, inaccessible to anyone. 

Since the day of the assassination, Nangong Weiyang had remained seated beneath this awning, neither eating nor drinking, from sunrise to sunset, never leaving her spot. 

No one knew what she was contemplating or whether she was deep in thought or experiencing a moment of enlightenment in her cultivation. 

However, due to the directives of the princess and subtle hints from higher-ups, no one dared to disturb her, with a carriage prepared several miles away and a hundred silver-armored soldiers stationed, ready to heed her summons at any moment. 

That night, several silver-armored sentinels stationed outside the camp suddenly spotted Nangong Weiyang emerging from the awning, causing immediate chaos within the camp. As a commanding officer on horseback prepared to approach her, a clear and earnest voice rang out: "Do not follow me... Tell her I am leaving. If I wish to see her, I will naturally return to find her." 

Though the voice was calm, it carried an undeniable strength, causing the silver-armored commander to instinctively freeze, unable to move a muscle... In the astonished gazes of him and the other silver-armored soldiers, the young girl clad in ordinary blue attire stepped into the bamboo grove from which the heavily armored giant had charged and vanished from their sight.