Chapter 11: The Folding Fan

“Reserved in advance? Who can prove it?” Zhan Baizhen of the Alchemy Peak might look like a stern member of the Discipline Hall, but he was actually a soft touch, and the Little Martial Uncle^[1] was highly adept at tailoring his approach to the person. “If no one can prove it, then he’s unclaimed. He belongs to my Refining Peak now.”

Zhao Qi finally lost his patience. “Zheng, I haven’t even settled the score with you for swapping the Mountain Exam magic tools without permission, and here you are trying to snatch people away! We haven’t even tested his spiritual roots yet!”

The Little Martial Uncle did not dare to argue with Zhao Qi. After all, if that guy caught even the slightest mistake, he could list ten or eight offenses. Instead, he turned directly to Sect Master Gu Wufang. “Sect Master, look at him. I’m only doing this for the good of our Yonglu Mountain, aren’t I? This little blind kid figured out the magic tool’s function so quickly, which shows he’s a natural talent for artifact refining. If he comes to my Refining Peak, it would be a perfect match, don’t you think?”

Hearing this, Gu Wufang could not help but feel a headache coming on. Others always said that being the sect master of a great sect was majestic and awe-inspiring, but they had no idea how difficult it was to manage these martial brothers when they started bickering. Thus, he usually did not bother to interfere.

Smoothing things over was the thing he did most often since taking the position of Sect Master. “You two, I know you cherish talent, but we are still only in the Mountain Exam stage. Whether this boy can make it to the end remains to be seen. Stop arguing.”

Little Martial Uncle: …Forget it, how boring. He might as well watch the little blind kid.

He immediately turned his gaze to the screen wall not far away. The screen wall displayed real-time footage of the ninety-nine candidates. Shadow-recording stones were not expensive, but only a great sect could afford to burn enough spirit stones to assemble such a massive screen wall.

At this moment, a small section of the screen wall clearly showed Wen Xu using his spiritual energy to sense the wind.

Chen Zui could whip up a hurricane on the spot using sheer physical strength alone, but Wen Xu could not. Before this, he was nothing more than a frail scholar. Aside from his own wits, the only thing he could rely on was the thin layer of spiritual energy in his dantian.

The area around him was completely ravaged by the howling gales and pierced by wind blades. However, wind did not appear out of nowhere. Although it blew from all directions, if one traced it back to its source, there had to be a single point of origin.

Thanks to Bian Chunzhou, he had two Wind Riding Talismans on him. They were simple to use; he only needed to activate the talismans with spiritual energy to ride the wind. Earlier, when the wind blades attacked him, even though it was a matter of life and death, he had held back from using them. Now, however, he took out both Wind Riding Talismans.

With a thought, the Wind Riding Talismans ignited without any wind. Instantly, he felt the wind rise beneath his feet, as if an invisible force were helping him glide forward at high speed.

No one disliked flying. Even though Wen Xu had never flown before, the moment his feet left the ground, he fell in love with the feeling of riding the wind. He even felt as if he were born to fly.

But the present moment did not allow him to immerse himself too deeply in personal revelations. He needed to find the magic tool as quickly as possible, or simply go all the way and make the magic tool release even more wind blades to disrupt both sides.

Li Zishen was coming for him and clearly would not let the matter drop. To deal with someone like that, he could only strike back with even harsher methods. Otherwise, there might not even be a next time.

Wen Xu understood very well that the cultivation world was different from the Mortal Realm, yet it also shared similarities. Li Zishen came from an influential family; even if he failed to enter Yonglu Mountain, he would still have plenty of backup options. But Wen Xu did not. If he failed, it would be all too easy for Li Zishen to deal with him.

So this time, he had to win, and he had to win decisively, taking first place in this Mountain Exam!

Watching Wen Xuxu take off into the air, Bian Chunzhou truly broke into a cold sweat for his friend. He had realized by now that while Wen Xuxu appeared noble, refined, and always polite, he had a wild, ruthless streak in his bones. Once he set his mind on something, no matter how difficult, he would find a way to make it happen.

Honestly, as a modern person and a college student who had not yet entered society, Bian Chunzhou found it hard to understand where Wen Xuxu’s ruthlessness came from. But at the same time, it made him admire the other man all the more.

For a blind person to possess such vibrant vitality, Bian Chunzhou thought, surely no one would refuse to be friends with Wen Xuxu. Well, except for sore losers with petty minds like Li Zishen.

After thinking about it, Bian Chunzhou realized that apart from being a decent cheerleader, there was not much else he could do to help his friend. So he simply yelled out, “Wen Xuxu, go for it! Kick his ass!”

Wen Xu was in the middle of sensing the wind in midair when a loud, energetic voice suddenly soared up. The wind beneath his feet stalled for a moment, and then… was it here? Could sound actually affect the wind?

Wen Xu had never studied physics or chemistry, but he seemed naturally capable of catching things that others would overlook. At this very moment, guided by Bian Chunzhou’s shout, he heard the sound of the wind in the air.

But it was still a little off. Just a little more!

Wen Xu could not help but lower his head to “look” at Bian Chunzhou. As for Bian Chunzhou, he had no idea what Wen Xu was doing, but he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Wen Xuxu, don’t lose heart! If you fail, just try again! I can still hold out…” How should one put it? Bian Chunzhou’s voice now echoed throughout the entire canyon. The sound blended with the wind, gradually falling into synchronization. As Wen Xu rode the wind, he too gradually synchronized with its rhythm.

Just as Bian Chunzhou was being chased and beaten to the point of having no strength to fight back, Wen Xu found it.

In a patch of grass, he found a folding fan.

The folding fan was open, with jade ribs and a face as white as new, devoid of any patterns or designs. Yet, even though Wen Xu was new to the cultivation world, he could tell this folding fan was extraordinary.

This had to be the magic tool that generated the wind.

As Wen Xu reached for it, wind blades instantly rained down on him as if they cost nothing. But at this point, it was impossible for him to retreat even a single step. It was just a few injuries. Just like when he had escaped his pursuers at the cost of being gravely wounded, he once again made his choice in the shortest time possible.

The moment Wen Xu grabbed the folding fan with his blood-drenched hand, the wind blades that had been attacking him so furiously came to a halt.

He had succeeded once again, he thought.

Wen Xu quickly swallowed two healing and Qi Replenishing Pills. Then, channeling his spiritual energy, he waved the folding fan. Sure enough, wind blades shot out in the next instant, identical to the ones that had just attacked him and Bian Chunzhou.

“Zheng, you actually hid a magic treasure in the canyon’s wind eye.”

Little Martial Uncle rubbed his nose. “Well, it was found, wasn’t it? That just shows it wasn’t hidden all that well. Besides, they might not find all fifteen magic treasures. One or two of them have to be harder to find, right?”

“One or two?”

Realizing he had misspoken, Little Martial Uncle silently shuffled to the other side to continue watching the little blind boy clear the trial.

It had to be said that the little blind boy really suited a folding fan. Even in such a disheveled state, he wielded it with style, showing no signs of awkwardness or unfamiliarity.

Thus, he couldn’t help but shuffle back. “Is this little blind boy really from the Mortal Realm? Impressive. He was born to be a cultivator.”

Zhao Qi: Too lazy to respond.jpg.

Then, Little Martial Uncle spoke with even more enthusiasm. “If he had been born in the cultivation world, at his age, he would have reached Foundation Establishment by now, no matter what.”

“You seem to think highly of him?” The one named Zheng was lazy and arrogant; Zhao Qi had never seen any young disciple catch his eye before.

Yonglu Mountain’s inner sect had a simple structure and no strict quotas for taking disciples. Once a cultivator reached the Golden Core stage, they could claim a small peak. Whether they lived alone or with close friends, the sect would not interfere.

Zheng’s origins were unknown, but his talent was astonishing, possessing a single metal spiritual root. Back then, when the Suitian Sword Sect found out that Yonglu Mountain had sent such a promising sword-cultivation prospect to learn artifact refining, they were so furious they chased the Sect Master down a street trying to hack him. Even now, they had to throw a few sarcastic remarks his way every time they met.

But it had to be said that refining artifacts with a metal spiritual root was indeed like having divine assistance. Though his personality was terrible, his cultivation and artifact refining were beyond reproach. A Nascent Soul cultivator under a hundred years old was rare enough to be counted on one’s fingers in the cultivation world.

Little Martial Uncle rubbed his chin, smiling as warm as a spring breeze. “It’s not that I think highly of him, but…”

“But what?”

“Not telling you!” This little blind boy had a drive in him that was just like his own in the past. It was a pity he was old now and didn’t have that kind of drive anymore.

While the two were talking, Wen Xu, inside the shadow wall, had already used the folding fan to instantly turn the tables.

“Wen Xu, you’re only able to stand against us by relying on the power of a magic treasure! If you have the ability, don’t use it, and I’ll respect you as a man of character!”

Wen Xu: “…I don’t have the ability, and I’m not a man of character.”

Bian Chunzhou: Hahaha, Wen Xuxu actually knows how to mock people now. That sounded so good!

“You… shameless! Does Yonglu Mountain know you’re using the magic treasures they set up without permission? Do you know that the shadow wall…”

Wen Xu lowered his eyes slightly, his hand still waving the folding fan. “Aren’t magic treasures meant to be used? If I had violated Yonglu Mountain’s rules, the sect disciples would have come to stop me. Since they haven’t, it counts as part of our team’s combat power for now.”

“Chen Zui, attack his lower body! He doesn’t have as much spiritual energy left as you!”

“No problem!”

Chen Zui wasn’t great at using his brain, but when it came to fighting, he struck exactly where he was told. His combat instincts were incredibly sharp; his blade would often arrive right as the wind blades hit. If Li Zishen’s team only had three people, they would have likely been defeated by now.

However, given the current situation, their defeat was already a foregone conclusion.

Li Zishen’s eyes were filled with resentment. The magic treasure they had found was currently in the storage bag at his waist. Steeling his resolve, he pulled it out directly. “Since you’re being unfair, don’t blame me for playing dirty!”

The magic treasure was shaped like a sycee-shaped gourd^[2]. He reached out and removed its lid. In the next instant, a powerful gust of wind rushed out of the gourd.

“Aaaah! Are you freaking King Golden Horn^[3]?!” Bian Chunzhou backed away in terror, but the wind was heading straight for him. After all, at this moment, he was the absolute weakest link among the three.

But as he fled in panic, another gust of wind came from his back right. Bian Chunzhou could even feel the winds colliding and raging behind him.

Waaaah, Wen Xuxu, save my dog life^[4]! Having escaped death, Bian Chunzhou immediately ran to hide behind his friend.

“Zheng Jin!!! Look at what you’ve done!!!”

Little Martial Uncle immediately covered his ears. “I can’t listen, I can’t listen! I told you not to call me by my name, it sounds too formal!”

Zhao Qi: …Is that the point?!